Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads (study)

by Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya | 2015 | 52,584 words

This page relates ‘Concept of Oneness in Taittiriya Upanishad’ of the study dealing with the Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads—Spiritual teachings of ancient India in the form of Sanskrit literature. The Upanisads teach us the essential oneness of humanity and guide us to the truth that the whole world is a family.This concept of oneness is the very essence of spiritualism, which constitutes the solid structure of Indian culture.

Concept of Oneness in Taittirīya Upaniṣad

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The Muktikopaniṣad has mentioned that there are four principal Upaniṣads in the Yajurveda. These Upaniṣads are–The Taittrīya Upaniṣad, The Kaṭha Upaniṣad, The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad and The Īśopaniṣad.^[1] In this chapter an effort has been made to explain the nature of oneness as depicted in these four principal Upaniṣads.

The Taittirīya Upaniṣad comes from the Taittirīya school of Kṛṣna Yajurveda. The seventh eighth and ninth chapters of the Taittirīya Āraṅyaka is called the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, which consists of three chapters. These three chapters are known as Śikṣāvallī, Brahmānandavallī and Bhṛguvallī respectively. The social, intellectual an spiritual education of the students are the main points of discussion in these three sections. In the whole discussion of the Upaniṣad, we find the concept of Ultimate Reality, i.e., Supreme Brahman, in a philosophical manner. The last chapter Bhṛguvallī represents the concept of Brahman as pure bliss and nothing else. Hence this Upaniṣad shows the greatness of penance or tapas, which is the main path to the realisation of Supreme Brahman, because through the tapas or austerity Bhṛgu, the son of Varuṇa, was able to understand the nature of Supreme Brahman, which is nothing but bliss itself. To know the concept of Ultimate Reality is one of the main issues of enquiry of all the human beings. Man becomes conscious only for the power of that Supreme Spirit. So, human beings have been trying to understand the nature of the Supreme Being from time immemorial. The Taittirīya Upaniṣad deals with these issues to a great extent through its three chapters, viz., the Śikṣāvallī, the Brahmānandavallī and the Bhṛguvallī.

In the very beginning, i.e., in the Śikṣāvallī of Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the essential oneness between Om, Brahman (the Ultimate Reality) and this whole created beings has been found when it states that: ‘omiti brahma, omitīdaṃ sarvam’^[2]

Elaborating the nature of Brahman, which is one and only reality, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad states that from which these things and beings are born, that by which they live and into which they are dissolved at the time of dissolution, is Brahman.^[3]

According to S. Radhakrishnan—

“That omniscient, omnipotent cause from which proceed the origin, subsistence and dissolution of the world-which is differentiated by names and forms, contains many agents and enjoyers, is the abode of the fruits of actions, these fruits having their definite places, times and causes, and the nature of whose arrangement cannot even be conceived by the mind, that cause, we say, is Brahman.”^[4]

The Taittirīya Upaniṣad says this Supreme Brahman as satyam, jñānam and anantam, i.e., truth, knowledge and infinity. Brahman is so called because He is truth, He is knowledge and He is infinite in nature^[5] Alladi Mahadeva Sastry asserts that, “Whatever does not deviate from the form in which it has been once ascertained to be is real; and whatever deviates from the form in which it has been once ascertained to be is unreal.”^[6] Brahman being the constant reality never changes from its proper nature. In this universe, all changing forms are said to be the unreal or asatya. In this way saying Brahman is real (sat), Śruti differs Brahman from all the changing forms.

Brahman, which is known as Supreme Spirit, Absolute, Consciousness etc., alone is absolutely real, other things which we think as real only for our ignorance or the basis of our ordinary worldly experience (vyavahāra).

The term jñāna which means knowledge, consciousness is an adjunct of Parama Brahman Alladi Mahadeva Sastry suggests that,

“The word jñāna may be derived in four ways: it may denote, with reference to the act of knowing, either the agent of the act, or the object of the act, or the instrument of the act, or the act itself; i.e., it may mean the knower, or the object known, or the instrument of knowledge, or the act of knowing.”^[7]

According to him with the association of the adjuncts ‘real’ and ‘infinite’ the term jñāna indicates the consciousness which is pure and simple and is the undifferentiated unconditioned consciousness.^[8]

Brahman is infinite (anantam), i.e., Brahman is eternal or endless Spirit. Brahman has no limitations. As the single entity of this universe, Brahman is present every where in every time. The Upaniṣad says:

‘brahmaivedamamṛtaṃ purastādbrahma paścādbrahma dakṣiṇataścottareṇa adhaścordhvaṃ ca prasṛtaṃ brahmaivedaṃ viśvamidaṃ variṣṭham//’^[9]

[Trans: This Brahma, the immortality itself; is before; to the rightside also there is Brahma alone; to the left side, below and above also only Brahma is pervading; the world (that we perceive) is only the Brahma supreme.]^[10]

This one and only Reality is the source of all creation as the Taittirīya Upaniṣad states:

‘tasmādvā etasmādātmana ākāśaḥ saṃbhūtaḥ ākāśādvāyuḥ vāyoragniḥ agnerāpaḥ adbhyaḥ pṛthivī pṛthivyā oṣadhayaḥ oṣadhībhyo’nnam annātpuruṣaḥ//’^[11]

The Upaniṣad says that from the Supreme Brahman the ākāśa (sky) originated, from the ākāśa (sky) the vāyu (air), from the vāyu (air) the agni (fire), from the agni (fire) the āpaḥ (water), from the āpaḥ (water) the pṛthivī (earth), from the pṛthivī (earth) the oṣadhayaḥ (medicinal herbs), from the oṣadhayaḥ the anna (food) and from the anna (food) the puruṣa (person) emanated. According to this Upaniṣad the whole creature, existing here are born from food, they live by food and at last merge into the food again. That is why, Bhṛgu says anna is Brahman.^[12] This anna (food) is called auṣadhaya (medicine) which is greatest among all beings.^[13]

In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the term Brahman and Ātman used for indicating the same reality. According to this Upaniṣad, Ātman is the same as Brahman, as these two are non-different from each-other. These two are same and one.

The famous saying of Śaṃankarācārya may be mentioned in this regard,

“There is no ontological difference between individual self and the Supreme Self. Just as the space limited by a jar (ghaṭākāśa) is non-different from the infinite space (mahākāśa), so the individual self is non-different from the Supreme Self. The one, eternal, self-luminous consciousness or the Supreme Self exists in the heart of all beings. It is the inner self of all creatures.”^[14]

In the fourth anuvāka of second vallī, the Upaniṣad says:

‘yeto vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha, ānandaṃ brahmaṇo vidvān na bibheti kadācaneti//’^[15]

This mantra says that in which our speech along with the mind can not reach and from where turn back our mind and speech not having reached that place, that is Brahman, the eternal Bliss. Because, realisation of Brahman, the Supreme is not an easy task for the human being. One who is able to realise the secret nature of Parama Brahman, becomes free from any type of fear and ultimately that person becomes free from earthly bondage and gets liberation.

The seventh anuvāka of second vallī of Taittirīya Upaniṣad begins with the following mantra:

‘asadvā idamagra āsīt tato vai sadajāyata tadātmānaṃ svayamakuruta, tasmāttatsukṛtamucyata iti//’^[16]

The Upaniṣad states that in the very beginning before the creation of this world this world was in umanifested condition, i.e., before the creation of all this, their was but unmanifest Brahman only. From that unmanifest Brahman the manifest universe was produced. The term asat means the unmanifested condition of Brahman. Supreme Brahman transmuted himself into various living and non-living forms. So, all is Brahman, besides him nothing exists in this universe. That is why, Brahman is called as sukṛtam, which is bliss itself. Because, this Supreme gives joy to all. All beings for their movements depend on the Supreme Brahman, which is bliss itself. This whole universe is possible and all are staying in their own place and do their works smoothly only for this Supreme Brahman.

The Taittirīya Upaniṣad again says:

‘bhīṣā’smādvātaḥ pavate bhīṣodeti sūryaḥ bhīṣā’smādagniścendraśca mṛtyurdhāvati pañcama iti//’^[17]

This mantra says that for the fear of Parama Brahman the wind blows, the sun rises, the fire, Indra and Death are also doing their respective functions. This Supreme Brahman resides in all beings. He is in Indra, in Surya and in all beings. In this way the Ultimate Reality is one and without a second which controls all by his power.

According to Taittirīya Upaniṣad Brahman is sequal. The Supreme Spirit is so called because He is the Highest and one who comprehends the nature of Supreme Brahman attains the same as Upaniṣad states that -‘brahmavidāpnoti param.’^[18] The realisation of Brahman is a tough process, as human beings are limited and distinct from one’s own self. The Supreme Spirit does not depend on any external cause as It is revealed in its own nature. All surrounding beings are not separate from Him and to Him there is nothing unknowable. He is present in the whole in its subtler than the subtle and greater than the great forms.

In this context following mantra may be mentioned:

‘yasmātparaṃ nāparamasti kiṃcidyasmānnāṇīyo na jyāyo’sti kaścit/
vṛkṣa eva stabdho divi tiṣṭhatyekastenedaṃ pūrṇaṃ puruṣeṇa sarvam//’^[19]

[Trans: Superior to whom there is nothing else; subtler than whom there is nothing else nor greater even; like a tree; immovable; stands in the sky; all this universe is filled by that person.]^[20]

We find in the Bhṛguvallī of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad that Bhṛgu, the son of Varuṇa requests his father to teach him about the knowledge of Brahman. His father replies that Brahman is an all-embracing power that exists in our food, vital breath and in our mind. But without the knowledge of the true nature of the self the real nature of Brahman can not be known. Then his father advises him to perform tapas or penance so that he can understand the real nature of the Brahman in a better way. Then Bhṛgu engages himself in austere penance and realises that food is Brahman. But, after reflecting a few minutes he feels that food cannot be Brahman as food itself is a created thing and a created thing has its destruction also. Then Bhṛgu again asks his father to impart him the knowledge of Brahman. But his father tells him to perform penance once again. After performing tapas once again Bhṛgu declares that the vital breath is Brahman. But he again realises that as prāṇa is an inconscient entity, it cannot be Brahman. Then Bhṛgu again goes to his father and requests him to give the knowledge through which the proper nature of Brahman can be known. His father then asks him to go through the process of reflection and negation for understanding the real nature of Brahman. And at last, the son understands that bliss is Brahman.

Out of ecstasty Bhṛgu cries out with joy saying that creation comes out of bliss, maintained by bliss and returns to bliss again:

‘ānando brahmeti vyajānāt ānandāddhyeva khalvimāni bhūtāni jāyante ānandena jātāni jīvanti ānandaṃ prayantyabhisaṃviśantīti//’^[21]

According to The Taittirīya Upaniṣad Brahman, the Ultimate Reality is the inestimable ocean of bliss. In this regard Abhedananda maintains that, “Brahman is not possessing bliss, but bliss that is the very substance of Brahman. The Bliss which is identified with Brahman, is not to be confused with worldly happiness which a man experiences when in contact with an agreeable sense object. Worldly bliss is but a part of the Bliss of Infinite Brahman, the Bliss of Brahman coming through an earthly medium. The Bliss of Brahman pervades all objects. Without the bliss, man can not live. By a small portion of this Supreme Bliss, all other creatures live.”^[22]

Finally, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad gives importance in truthfulness of life. Because through the truth one can attain the Supreme. In other words Brahman is truth itself.^[23] Therefore, this Upaniṣad advises all the pupils to follow the path of truth and not to swerve from it.^[24] The Taittirīya Upaniṣad also states that through the practice of self-restraint one can attain the knowledge of the Ultimate Reality. This Upaniṣad also suggests the human beings to practice śraddhā, i.e., faith or the sense of respect for the attainment of the knowledge of the Ultimate Reality. In these path one can be able to realise the essential oneness of all the creatures with the Supreme and nondual Brahman.