Hinduism - Bhagavad Gita with Reference to Upanishads - Essay Example

Upanishads The Upanishad is one of the four genres of texts that consists the sacred scripture of the Vedas, a collection of hymns and formulas regarded as the most sacred scriptures in Hindu traditions. According to Olivelle (1), the Upanishad “speculates about the ontological connection between humanity and the cosmos.” It is also called as ‘vedanta’ or the conclusion of the Vedas because the Upanishads comprise the final portions of the Vedas and serve as the core texts in the theological discourses in subsequent Indian thought. The impact of the teachings of the Upanishads was felt strongly on later theological and religious expressions, making it as one of the most interesting Vedic texts to attract numerous followers. This paper aims to thoroughly explain the teachings of the Upanishads with reference to the texts of the “Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song”, a part of the Itihaas scripture Mahabharata, by Graham M. Schweig. Graham M. Schweig’s “Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song” encompasses the metaphysical concepts such as the distinction between body and soul (matter/spirit), the principle of nonattached action, the virtues of disciplines… and the respective places of knowledge and devotion in spiritual life” (Rosen 108). In addition, Lord Krishna shares wisdom about the true nature of God, World and Beings and the underlying oneness of God and Being. In “The Ultimate Person” chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the conversation between the Lord Krishna, the teacher and the student Arjuna was presented. Lord Krishna imparts his knowledge through his teachings comprising the whole Veda. The central point of his philosophy is on how to accomplish and acknowledge the Supreme Being. Through his teachings, the essence of various disciplines such as Meditation, Karma Yoga, Values, Devotion, are relayed to his followers. In this chapter, Lord Krishna exposed the transcendental characteristics of God, his glories and virtues, and his being omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. The realization of the Ultimate Truth was revealed as the purpose and value of recognizing God was established through the teachings (Radhakrishnan 48). The composition of the universe and its association with man was discussed as personified by the sacred Ashwattha tree. The relationship of the eternal immortality of the soul of humans with the idea of the Supreme Being was described through the limitless character of the tree, also called as banyan or fig tree. Lord Krishna metaphorically described that the everlasting tree was upside-down, where the roots are located above and the branches below. The leaves of the tree represent the Vedic scriptures, and whoever understands this is well-informed of such (Bhagavad-Gita Trust), With its roots upward, and its branches downward they speak of the everlasting Ashwattha tree, Whose leaves are the Vedic hymns one who knows this is the knower of the Vedas (Schweig 193). A sacred banyan tree is limitless, dispersed everywhere in space. The root of the tree represents the sacred being, its leaves as its written wisdom, and its shoots as the substance of the mind. According to a commentary of Sridhara Swami quoted by Bhagavad-Gita Trust, …the compassionate Supreme Lord first expounds the nature of this mundane material existence by the metaphor of asvattha or banyan tree with its roots upwards and its branches downwards and its leaves the Vedic aphorisms. The roots above refers to the root of all the eternal Supreme Lord and the imperishable atma or immortal soul. The branches downward refers to transitory living entities consisting of the demigods headed by Brahma, who all have a finite span of life in material existence even if they live for millions and billions of years. The banyan tree also symbolizes the temporary nature of the material world. Even the followers of the Lord Krishna may not last until tomorrow, for everything in this world is transitory. The Vedas, as exemplified by the leaves, are referred to “aphorisms in the Vedic scriptures which propound the activities which should be done and the activities which should not be done by human beings” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). The supreme authority of the Vedic scriptures ascertains the principle for all living beings and proves that the mortal tree offers refuge to them by the consequence of their karmas. The second verse described the branches of the tree as extending downward and upwards. Its sprouts signify the sense of the objects which were developed with the help of the three modes of material nature. Its roots are spreading downwards, in which it produces actions and reactions in the world of men (Schweig 193). On a commentary of Sridhara Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust), he stated, The branches of this ancient banyan tree are the perishable jivas or embodied beings from Brahma the secondary creator who lives for trillions of years down to humans who may live for a hundred years down to an insect that may live only for some hours. All regardless of their span of life have their limiting adjuncts and restricted effects and represent the branches of this tree. The embodied beings that are inclined to evil and demoniac activities will become reptile and insects in their next life. On the other hand, those that are unmindful of their divine nature and act like savages will become animals, and those beings that are honorable and devout in nature will become the Brahmins, Vaisnavas and demigods in their next births. Moreover, it is necessary to understand that the beings are nurtured by goodness, passion and nescience, based from their qualifications and predilection. The tips of the branches are “the senses and the innumerable sprouts and shoots are the sense objects” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust), while the roots spread out below stand for the needs for pleasure, and the roots above signifies “subtle impressions of past enjoyments” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). The effects of such desires are called karma, or the corresponding reactions according to the proclivity to perform righteous or unrighteous activities. Karma may be positive, benign or negative, depending on the strength of the past actions. At last, the jiva is reborn in the world of humans once the past reactions are finally exhausted. The capacity to experience these events is restricted to the worlds of humans alone. The third and fourth verses of “The Ultimate Person” shows that the inverted form of the tree cannot be professed within this world, nor its foundation. A sharp weapon of detachment can severe the strongly rooted banyan tree. According to Madhvacarya's commentary, “The Bhagavad Purana states: The Supreme Lord is the beginning, the end and the middle as well. The Moksa Dharma states: The Supreme Lord has neither beginning nor ending, more the demigods and seers cannot penetrate” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). The perception of non-attachment that comes from the involvement with Vaisnava devotees of the Supreme Lord are encompassed by the “sword of detachment sharpened by meditation on the wisdom of renunciation” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). With this, world does not become a place of oppression. The knowledge of the Verdic scriptures and the spiritual substratum saturating all existence will be revealed to a single being with the help of deep meditation. Madhvacarya (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) asserts that “the weapon of detachment one should sever ties with everything except the Supreme Lord Krishna and His authorized avatars or divine incarnations and expansions”. A being that surrenders to the Supreme Lord will never suffer or mourn, will not be born nor die, and will irrevocably become a brahman. A being of such must possess the grace and blessing of the Supreme Lord, as only his grace can severe the attachment of the being to the tree. Madhvacarya (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) furthered that, No other shelter or refuge exists in all creation other than the Supreme Lord Krishna and this fundamental understanding must be realized. Since this material existence is like a horse with an unstable gait it is known as unsteady. That it is immutable is because samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death is like a stream and endless until one achieves moksa or liberation from material existence. The detachment is underscored by this liberation. The transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord to everything in the physical existence is commanded with the knowledge attained from the annihilation of the ancient tree. “Realising that the Supreme Lord Krishna is the separate and distinct from all else is what makes Him clearly superior and paramount” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). The fifth verse is paraphrased by Bhagavad-Gita Trust as follows, Devoid of false ego and illusion, free from degraded association, perceptive of the eternal and the transitory, disassociated from lust, completely liberated from the dualities identified as happiness and distress; the wise reach the imperishable shelter of the Supreme Lord. On a commentary by Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust), he noted that the Lord Krishna expressed other ways of achieving the Supreme goal, The absence of pride, delusion and false identification of the ego; the cessation of illusionary attachments to sons, family, dynasty, species, planet, etc.; enthusiasm for spiritual pursuits and knowledge of the atma the immortal soul; free from the pangs of desire and ignorance, surpassing the dualistic conceptions of pleasure and pain, happiness and unhappiness, heat and cold. Anyone who can show all of the above qualities will attain the transcendental spiritual worlds in Vaikuntha, as well as the eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. The sixth verse states that the light that covers the immortal soul does not come from that place, nor the moon, nor fire, but with the all-illuminating, supreme transcendental dwelling of Lord Krishna himself, where there is no return (Schweig 195). On Ramanuja's commentary (Bhagavad-Gita Trust), he explained the relationship of the light of illumination to the immortal soul, As His transcendental spiritual body consists of the atmas of all jivas or embodied beings, He, His name, His abode and His pastimes are all illuminating. No sun or moon or fire can illuminate this; for it is spiritual wisdom that gives the light of consciousness. External luminosity is only able to dissolve the obscurity that intervenes between the senses perceiving their objects. Yoga, or the individual awareness in conquering a spiritual union with the ultimate consciousness, is revealed by the atma. Yoga is considered as the opposite of karma, “which are subsequent reactions to previous actions and to conquer this formidable opponent which gains strength from every action performed; one must fully surrender unto the Supreme Lord and accept Him as one's only refuge” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). Since the all-illuminating light comes from Lord Krishna, the magnificent superiority that it consists gives out power and competence in lighting the awareness by divine wisdom. The next verse of the scripture states that the embodied living entity contains the Lord Krishna’s own potency and eternal power in minute forms. The influence of material energy is conceded by the psyche and the six everlasting senses of humans (Schweig 196). Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) declared on his commentary, “Lord Krishna explains that an eternal portion of Himself is within the etheric heart of every jiva in existence in the form of paramatma the eternal, omnipresent supreme soul which exists next to the atma or individual immortal soul as a witness”. Although the jiva is eternal in essence for it contains an eternal portion of the Supreme Lord, the lack of knowledge and false identification of the corporeal body weakens the soul, drawn by the desires and regard of earlier existence. As a result, karma dictates the entity to suffering or enjoyment based on the actions performed in their past lives. Furthermore, the soul’s senses, psyche and vital force involuntarily pull them back down into the mortal existence on the physical level, thereby automatically adjusting the karma through merits or demerits. So even when all jivas attain the state of spiritual substratum or Brahman, the entity becomes unconscious of their status and of the Supreme Lord at the time of dissolution as caused by ignorance and the burden of the impersonation of their previous lives. In addition, the souls are overwhelmed by the karma of their past lives. Only when they gained consciousness will the souls qualify to achieve the transitory external nature of the material substratum which permeates physical being and not the transcendental character as Brahman. For this reason, such jivas moves around in the continuous cycle of birth and death as caused by the unawareness of their eternal life and attachment to desires. However, the realization of an immortal soul to the “exclusive loving devotion unto the Supreme Lord” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) would no longer need to return to material existence. The proceeding verse was translated by Bhagavad-Gita Trust as, “Whatever body the infinitesimal potency enters and from whatever body he departs, carrying this subtle body from the old body as the air, fragrance; transfers it into a new body”. As an embodied being reach auspiciousness of the exclusive loving devotion of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord Himself transforms into a paramatma or the Supreme Soul to implausibly exist within the heart of every embodied being. The Supreme Soul then instigates the entity to impose the actions of the blessed disciple of His servitor, the Vaisnava sacred master, who direct and inculcate through his words and actions. While Lord Krishna is inflowing and passing each and every womb along with every jiva and atma, in a continuous manner, he does not aspire for any repayment for this. Verse nine of “The Ultimate Person” affirms that the infinitesimal potency of the governing senses such as hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell, as well as the mind are enjoyed by the soul (Schweig 196). On Kasmiri's (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) commentary, he explained the verse by stating, Lord Krishna further clarifies what objects accompany the senses such as the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, etc. The atma or immortal soul dwelling in the etheric heart of every jiva or embodied being experiences hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, touching as well as thinking through the mind. It also practices the tasks of the vital organs such as inhalation of the lungs and beating of the heart along with the organs of physical movement. The tenth verse discussed that the unevolved spirit enthralled by the three approaches of material nature cannot distinguish the minuscule force leaving the body or take pleasure in the body. Instead, only those enlightened by the eye of wisdom can identify it (Schweig 197). Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) argued on his commentary, One may wonder, do not all humans recognize the atma or immortal soul within as distinct and different from the physical body? Lord Krishna is addressing such a query here. The bewildered and deluded do not recognize the atma residing within the etheric heart of their own physical body is experiencing prakriti, the material substratum pervading physical existence through the gunas, the three modes of material nature by utilizing the senses. Therefore, the souls are incapable of identifying the atma when it departs from the physical body. On the other hand, it cannot perceive that the atma exists equally in all jivas at the same time. Lord Krishna verifies that those who understand in spiritual intelligence can distinguish the atma. The next verse utters that those who perfected in the process of bonding the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness through immense endeavor can attain the infinitesimal potency positioned within the body. Still, the emergent and those of impure mentality can never attain infinitesimal power even with grand undertaking (Schweig 197). Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) maintained that it is exceptionally complicated to perceive the immortal soul within one’s heart even when the soul accomplishes with keen intolerance and focused attention. Only a few thrives while most tend to fail. The pure yogis who have mastered the science of meditation and completed control of the senses, who assiduously strive for self- realization, after great effort perceive the atma residing within their own physical body and distinctly different from it. Whereas those who have not mastered the science of meditation, who have not managed to control the mind, which are of impure thoughts, who are unable to curb the impetuous impulses of the senses; hence are deluded, bewildered and spiritually deficient will be unable to perceive the atma no matter how hard they strive by study and practice. In the previous verses, the Supreme state of Lord Krishna has been illustrated as a powerful condition that can be achieved by those who constantly make an effort to become a better individual in the present. Such entity will never be subjected to any form of enslavement through samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. Lord Krishna has also downrightly and explicitly made known it as eternal and specifically different from the fragile physical body as if to answer any doubt of the transmigration of the immortal soul. Verse twelve and the next three of the scripture reveal the omnipotent nature of Lord Krishna that begins with the numerous forms of natural light that exist in material existence. It is assumed that “it is by the light of consciousness from the Supreme Lord that the sun, the moon, lightning and fire receive their luminosity and effulgence as they are solely illuminated by the Supreme Lord and thus a part of His potency” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). Lord Krishna maintains that He enters into every speck of earth with His vigor as the illumination of moonlight, infusing over the earth with His dexterity and supports all embodied beings. He is enduring in the physical body “as the fire of digestion known as vaisvanarah assisting in the sustenance of all jivas or embodied beings” (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). Lord Krishna confirms that He is to be found simultaneously within the hearts of all beings in mortal forms as the internal monitor. Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) noted on his commentary, The Supreme Lord is cognizant of hundreds of millions of lifetimes for every jivas and from Him comes memory concerning things remembered as well as knowledge and the loss of knowledge regarding things experienced by the senses. Some are stored within the collective consciousness and others are accessible directly within the individual consciousness. Lord Krishna is the creator of the Vedas so he possesses all knowledge. He is the sole originator of the Vedas through the four official channels of disciple succession which is directed back to Him as written in the Vedic scriptures. The sixteenth verse contains the two types of persons in the world, the perishable and the imperishable. Perishable persons are those individuals relative to the common beings, while the imperishable persons are those who are regarded with high state (Schweig 198). In this part of the scripture, Lord Krishna is clarifying that these are the only two types of beings in all the worlds. The perishable persons are consisted of the embodied beings such as the Brahmas, demigods, humans, animals and other mobile and immobile entities. The imperishable persons are consisted of immortal souls. This information is known to those enlightened and is expounded in the Vedic scriptures. Through his commentary, Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) clarifies the term ‘person’, The ignorant commonly refer to the word person in respect to bodies only but this conception is not completely accurate. The word aksarah means immutable, infallible or that which is not subject to change and which does not perish when the physical body perishes and is the eternal soul. The proceeding verse maintains the revelation of Lord Krishna as the Supreme Lord or the “Supreme Self” (Schweig 198). He is the ultimate goal of all individuals to achieve and the most worthy of all, whose divine magnificence is encompassed by the sun and the moon. Kasmiri (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) explained that Lord Krishna transcends the qualifications of both perishable and imperishable persons for He is “indestructible, eternal and infallible”. The Supreme Lord is regarded as the ultimate controller of the material substratum as well as the spiritual substratum, pervading all existence, thus the highest reality of all beings. The eighteenth verse states Lord Krishna as revealing Himself as the “Ultimate Person” (Schweig 198). He is verifying His position as the Supreme Being of all existence through the justification of His transcendence to the two types of persons. Through his commentary, Swami (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) summarized this verse as follows, “Therefore throughout creation and in the Vedic scriptures He is celebrated and renowned as Purusottama. The Brihadaranya Upanisad V.VI.I beginning manomayo-ayam puruso states: The resplendent supreme being is the ruler and lord of all governing all that exists”. Ramanuja’s commentary (Bhagavad-Gita Trust) on the nineteenth verse is expressed as follows, Whosoever who has developed and evolved their consciousness to become spiritually intelligent enough to realize Lord Krishna's paramount supreme position as the creator, maintainer, sustainer and pervader of all that exists knows everything essential which means everything that is to be known as the means to attain Him by the fact that one knows. Such individual who worship and offer his whole being to the Supreme Lord in every way will eventually attain the reassurance of Lord Krishna. If one will accept Lord Krishna as the Supreme Being of all beings and dedicate himself exclusively to Him, that person will be assured of Lord Krishna’s love and protection. This can also be achieved through several activities of service and worship to the Supreme Lord as revealed in the Vedic scriptures (Bhagavad-Gita Trust). “The Ultimate Person” essentially exposed the most top secret and esoteric doctrine among all scriptures in Hindu tradition. In a very brief manner, the Supreme Lord Krishna was able to relay the central theme of the whole chapter in just a few verses. Any individual who would know about the truth exposed in this doctrine and practice it will become enlightened and consummate in all his obligations and responsibilities. Therefore, the student Arjuna, who has been taught by Lord Krishna and who was able to comprehend the essence of the doctrine “will be victorious in the battle of Kuruksetra as all his duties and responsibilities can be considered accomplished. The resplendent Supreme Lord Krishna having cut asunder the mundane tree of materialistic existence at the root revealed the results by His unequivocal teachings of the ultimate truth” (Radhakrishnan 49). The Upanishads are a set of ancient mystic wisdom. Also known as the Sruti prasthana, they are discovered scriptures where the knowledge of Brahman came from. The Advaita Vedanta Research Center website described the Upanishad as “expositions of doctrine, typically found in the concluding portions of the Brahmanas and Aranyakas of the four vedas”. They are not presented as uniform books for which each text is connected to the veda where it transpire, and its teaching is often established in the perspective of a certain vedic hymn or ritual. A total of 108 Upanishads are recognized today in the Indian Philosophy and numerous commentaries on them are conducted by representatives of various schools of Veda. Olivelle (3) noted that The Upanishads present a vision of an interconnected universe with a single, unifying principle behind the apparent diversity in the cosmos, any articulation of which is called brahman. Within this context, the Upanishads teach that brahman resides in the atman, the unchanging core of the human individual. As such, several later Indian theologies perceive the combination of brahman with atman as the core teaching of the Upanishads. Most of the thinkers and philosophers of the Upanishads are not known to the public for they embody the teachings of the scripture such as humility and disregard from personal fame. The Upanishad doctrines are a collection of various compositions in different time frames, with a myriad of technical terms of the orthodox systems. Most of its values present the theistic syncretism of the Vedanta, the Samkhya and the Yoga. Still, the later Upanishads are described to encompass more of the religious worship aspect and devotion (Radhakrishnan 51). The ten principal, oldest and most important Upanishads include Aitareya, Brhadaranyaka, Isa, Taittirlya, Katha, Chnadogya, Kena, Mundaka, Mundaka, Mandukya and Prasna. These Upanishads have been commented upon by Sankara and other teachers; hence they have gained significance among the others. Meanwhile, some modern scholars consider Kaushitaki, Svetasvatara and Maitrayani Upshanidads to the principal upanishads list (Advaita Vedanta Research Center). The doctrine of the discussed chapter in the “Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song” is in essence representing the focal teachings of the Upanishads. Being the universal dogma of the divine scripture, the core wisdom of the Upanishad is expressed in the Gita as shown by the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Set in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Gita’s fundamental message is to honor the need to submit with courage and selfless devotion when one is emancipated from duty no matter how repulsive it will be. Each and every being are supposed to perform the tasks assigned to them in order to please the Creator and pay back their debts to the world (Radhakrishnan 50). “The Ultimate Person” chapter of the “Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song” teaches the truth about the immense power of the Creator, in which every element, substance and entity in the universe belongs to Him. The Divine potency absorbed by every minute and great objects from Lord Krishna illuminates all beings, making them exist in the world. Only the persons who are enlightened will be able to see the universe as it is, a luminous cosmos supported by the Supreme Being. As such, only those enlightened individuals with pure psyche and intentions will have the opportunity to appreciate the true nature of entities. A person can overcome the material surface of objects through meditation or deep thought (Advaita Vedanta Research Center). The omnipresent and omnipotent qualities of the Creator in Upanishad teachings was also discussed in “The Ultimate Person,” emphasizing that the presence of the Supreme Lord Krishna is everywhere at the same time. The potent power of the Creator lives in every spiritual being and His power is indestructible and limitless. When one is enlightened with the existence if the Supreme Being, he will be able to value and understand the divine wisdom of the Creator and the purpose of all individuals existing on earth (Advaita Vedanta Research Center). Works Cited Advaita Vedanta Research Center. The Upanishads. n.d. Web 17 Nov. 2012. Bhagavad-Gita Trust. Realization of the Ultimate Truth: Gita Chapter 15 Commentary. n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. Olivelle, Patrick. Upanishads. Britannica Encyclopedia. n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. Radhakrishnan, S. The Principal Upanishads: Edited with Introduction, Text, Translation and Notes. Harper Collins Publishers, India. 2012. Print. Rosen, Steven J. Essential Hinduism. Praeger Publishers, London. 2006. Print. Schweig, Graham M. Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song. HarperOne. 2010. Print. Read More