Basics of an Orderly Establishment

The inner spirit can shine as the light of awareness only in an orderly establishment. What are the issues involved in the maintenance of an orderly establishment where one feels free to handover the reins to the divinity within? The first chapter of Shvetashvetara Upanishad deals with this question.

Hari om brahmavadino vadanti
Kim karanam brahma kuta asma jatah jeevama kena
Kva cha sampratishtha
Adhishthita kena sukhatareshu
Vartamahe brahmavido vyavastam

Hari is the common denominator for everything in the manifested universe. Everything here is derived by a simple transformation of Hari. Vishnu, the presiding deity of dynamic balance in the manifested universe is Hari. When we focus our attention on the essence of the universe we realize that Hari is the same as ‘Om’, which is the subtlest manifestation of Brahman here.

Orderly establishments can be run only by those who understand the true purport of Brahman. The rishi asks: ‘What is this Brahman, which is the primordial cause of all things? Where did we come from? By what means do we keep living? What is it that makes us affected by feelings?

Kala svabhavo niyatir yadruchcha
Bhootani yonih purushah iti chintya
Samyoga esham na tvatma bhavad
Atmapi anishah sukhadukhahetoh

Is time the primordial cause? Is it innate nature? Is it destiny? Is it coincidence? Is it the underlying spirit of virility? Or is it some combination of some or all of these? After deep reflection the rishi comes to the conclusion that the primordial cause cannot be any of these. All these are but components of one’s identity. Identity itself is a limited idea as it is essentially derived from the feelings of what is agreeable and what is not agreeable.

Te dhyanayoganugatah apashyan
Devatmashaktim svagunairnnigoodham
Yah karanani nikhilani tani
Kaltmayuktanyadhithishthatekah

Following the path of meditation the rishi discovers the divine power residing in identity, which is a conglomerate of one’s qualities. He recognizes this divine force as the primordial cause in the manifested universe. This force is unique and it transcends both time as well as identity.

Tam ekanemim trivrutam shodashantam
Shatardharam vimshati pratyarabhih
Ashtaikaih shalbhirvishvaroopaika pasham
Trimargabhedam dvinimithaikamoham

It is the single axle that passes through all entities. It supports all entities but is not affected by their modifications. It is enveloped by the three primary qualities – satva, rajas and tams. It extents to the horizons in the sixteen directions and contains all the possibilities of the sixteen forms of its artistic expression. It has fifty rays that define its several viewpoints, each of which can have twenty specific interpretations. It is the bonding common architecture formed of eight parts, namely the five sense organs, the five organs of action, body, mind, intellect and the inner divinity that acts as a unifying principle. All entities in the manifested universe conform to this universal architecture. Each entity has six nodes of energy flow that support its many transactions. The transcendental force travels through the three paths, namely, the path of dharma and the path of adharma in the domain of worldliness, and the path of transcendental knowledge beyond the domain of worldliness. It is the magical presence that supports the dualities that characterize the manifested universe.

Panchasrotambum panchayonyugravakram
Panchapranormim panchabuddhyadimoolam
Panchavartam panchadukhoughavegam
Panchashadbhedam panchaparvamadheemah

The rishis found its play in the five fountains of sensibilities – of smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch. They found its play in the enticing curves of the sources of stimuli for the five life forces (prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana). They found its play in the surf emanating from the waves of the five life forces. They found its play in the five forms of intellect (thoughts about oneself, thoughts about others, thoughts about opportunities, thoughts about a balanced existence and thoughts about spiritual evolution). They found its play in the five vortices of objectivities that engages a person (desire to stick out, desire to belong, desire for expanding one’s relevance, desire for maintaining status quo and the desire for movement to higher planes). They found its play in the five different sorrows that creates turbulence in the mind (the sorrow about one’s inadequacy, the sorrow about disagreeable environment, the sorrow about lack of opportunities, the sorrow about unbalanced disposition and the sorrow about the lack of freedom to go to higher planes). They found it play in the fifty dialects (the several cultural environments) and the five different chapters (childhood, brahmacharya, garhastya, vanaprastha and mahaprasthana) through which one progresses.

Sarvajeeve sarvasamsthe bruhante
Asmin hamso bramyate brahmachakre
Pruthagatmanam preritam cha matva
Jushtastatastenamrutatvameti

The rishis found it as the phenomenon of life. All living beings reside in this phenomenon. Persons with developed identities (and hence with developed sense of discrimination) keeps gyrating on their own. Even while doing this they are sitting on the wheel of Brahman. As long as they feel that their essence is something different from Brahman they feel that there is a relative movement between themselves and the wheel of Brahman. When this difference is resolved there is no relative movement between them and the principle of Brahman, and they attain immortality.

Udgeethametat paramam tu brahma
Tasmimstrayam supratishthaksharam cha
Atrantaram brahmavibho viditva
Leena brahmani tatparah yonimuktah

The aspiration for evolutionary movement, which one feels within oneself, is the supreme manifestation of Brahman. The three states, namely, the state of dormancy, the state of passive manifestation and the state of active manifestation as well as the transcendental fourth state in which the other three states are established are its manifestations. Those who have mastered the concept of Brahman see the distinction between these and also resolve the distinction between them in the awareness of the principle of Brahman. They remain immersed in the principle of Brahman and attain the transcendental state where they are liberated from the field of cause and effect.

Samyuktametad ksharamaksharam cha
Vyaktavyaktam bharate vishvameeshah
Aneeshchashchatma badhyate bhoktrubhavat
Jnatva devam muchyate sarvapashaih

Everything in this manifested universe is compositions of gross forms that undergo modifications with the passage of time and a subtle content that is not subject to such modifications. The transcendental divine principle governs both the gross and subtle components. When one maintains an identity alienated from the transcendental principle he feels that he is the enjoyer of the objects surrounding him. When this consumerism prevails he is bound by the bondages associated with it. When one surrenders his separate identity and aligns with the transcendental force he is freed from the bondages associated with the status of a separate enjoyer.

Jnajnou dvavaveeshaneeshavajahi
Eka bhoktrubhogyarthayukta
Anantashchatma vishvaroopohyakarta
Trayam yada vindate brahmametat

Brahman has three primary characteristics. It spontaneously knows everything that is there to be known, but at the same time it is not affected by that knowledge. It governs all objects, but at the same time it is indifferent to all objects. It is both the enjoyer as well as the object being enjoyed. It is infinite and manifests through all forms, but at the same time it does not do anything as it is free from all efforts. When one attains these characteristics he remains identified with Brahman.

Ksharam pradhanamamrutaksharam harah
Ksharatmana vishate deva ekah
Tasyabhidhyanat yojanat tatvabhavat
Bhooyashchate vishvamaya nivruttih

The significant presences that form the infrastructure in any domain are subject to the modifications caused by the passage of time. But the eternal principle underlying them is not affected by the passage of time. The unique divine principle of Brahman proliferates in the manifested universe through identities that are subject to modifications. By dwelling on the principle of Brahman in a meditative mood one remains identified with the immutable eternal principles behind the significant presences and transcends them. Ultimately because of the enlightenment provided by the transcendental knowledge he is freed from the tangles of the delusion that holds captive all objects in the manifested universe.

Jnatva devam sarvapashapahanih
Ksheenaih kleshair janmamrutyuprahanih
Tasyabhidhanat truteeyam dehabhede
Vishvaishvaryam kevala aptakamah

When one identifies with the divine ideal of Brahman he is liberated of all bondages. He is freed of all weaknesses and hardships. He transcends the cycle of births and deaths. By meditating on the divine principle of Brahman, which transcends all dualities one sheds the identification with his body. He enjoys all forms of prosperity. All his desires get satisfied spontaneously.

Etat jneyam nityamevatmasamstham
Natahparam veditavyam hi kinchit
Bhokta bhogyam preritaram cha matva
Sarvam proktam trividham brahmametat

This principle of Brahman is perennial. It remains established at the core of the identity of all objects. Nothing beyond can be known by the faculties of knowledge. It is the enjoyer, the object being enjoyed and the stimulus that drives the enjoyer towards the object of enjoyment. The Brahman manifests in the manifested universe as these three forms.

Vahneryatha yonigatasyamoortir
Na drushyate naiva cha linganashah
Sa bhooya evendhanayoni gruhya
Stadvodayam vai pranavena dehe

When the fire of passion enters a field of causation it becomes invisible. But it doesn’t lose its separate form. Again and again it gets accepted as fuel by the field of causation. Likewise the principles of purusha and prakruti are insinuated by pranava, the principle of Brahman.

Svadehamaranim krutva
Pranavam chottararanim
Dhyana nirmathanabhyasat
Devam pashyat nigoodhavat

Arani is the female part of the implement for generating fire in a yajna. Uttararani is the male part. When the uttararani is placed over arani and churned sparks that lights up the fire for a yajna come out. Consider one’s body as the arani and pranava as the uttararani. Meditationion is the churning. As a result of the churning the spirit of divinity that was remaining dormant comes out.

Tileshu tailam dathaneeva sarpi-
Rapah srotasvaraneeshu chagnih
Evamatmatmani gruhyate/sou
Satye nainam tapasa yonupashyati

The divine spirit remains dormant in the individual identities as oil remain dormant in a gingelly seed, as butter remains dormant in curd, as water remains dormant in a fountainhead, or as fire remains dormant in an arani. One recognizes the divine principle of Brahman in all entities by the pursuit of satya and tapas.

Sarvavyapinamatmanam
Ksheere sarpiravarpitam
Atmavidya tapomoolam
Tat brahmopanishadparam
Tat brahmopanishadparam

The all pervading principle of Brahman remains committed everywhere in the manifested universe. It is like the butter that makes milk creamy. It is the source of spirituality and tapas. It is the transcendental knowledge that takes one to the presence of divinity. It is the transcendental knowledge that takes one to the union with the spirit of divinity.

The Theme of Shvetashvetara Upanishad

In the manifested universe all entities vie for influencing each other. The world is full of Gurus who want to capture the others as followers. Every significant presence we come across has something to tell us and is to be treated as a Guru. But, then, we are often confused because of the difficulties in reconciling the messages from the many Gurus. Deep within us we know that aligning with any one of these Gurus outside, to the exclusion of others, is going to make our world smaller. Such alignment affects one’s ability to assert oneself. It is a surrender that limits one’s freedom.

The true Guru is within oneself. The surrender to this Guru within is liberating. It reconciles all the conflicts and contradictions on account of the significant presences outside which try to impose their viewpoints.

‘Shvetashva’ means ‘white horse’. It represents the pure state of the sense organs where their transactions are substantial. The sense organs become impure when they get attached to the external objects which interest them. They retain their purity when the they are withdrawn from attachment to external objects and remain in the service of the inner spirit. When the sense organs are pure an entity remains connected to the inner spirit. This inner spirit itself is the ultimate Guru. In the presence of this Guru all the doubts created by the external Gurus vanish without a trace.

Development of the awareness where one remains perennially connected with the Guru within is the theme of Shevateshvetara Upanishad.