The Upanishadic Age
Swami writes,
"Meanwhile, the Upanishad Age
dawned.
The Upanishads rejected material objectives as devoid
of permanent value; they condemned them as inferior. In fact, the ritual
portion (Karma-kanda) of the Vedas was transformed and
revalued in the Upanishads as vehicles for the liberation of
people from the bondage of birth and death and as vessels for crossing the
ocean of worldly existence (samsara).
The vision of the Upanishadic aspirant
(sadhaka) breaks through this “external sensory objective world” and
centres itself on the “inner world”. The Upanishadic sages (rishis)
collectively confirm the nature of the highest Principle thus:
In the basic depth of this name-form
world of change (nama-rupa jagath) there is the One eternal permanent
being (Sat). That is the Absolute, the Highest Brahman (Para- brahman).
The Highest can be grasped by means of the wisdom of yoga (jnanayoga).
Therefore,
Inquire into That; That is Brahman (Thadhvijijnaasasva;
thadh Brahma).
This is knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-vidya)
taught by the Upanishads (the Vedanta).
Besides, the Upanishads also
declare:
The Vedas, though mainly concerned
with the human objective of attaining heaven, also provide the basic training
for achieving liberation (moksha).
The attainment of the Absolute does not depend
entirely or solely on mastery of this knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-vidya).
It is beyond the reach of study, scholarship, or intellectual conquest. Only by
devotion (upasana) it can be realized.
If the scholar, with all the weight of
learning, also gets immersed in devotion, his life is indeed sanctified!
Before such aspirants, the Lord will be manifest
in His real glory. This is the meaning of the following declaration in the Brihadaranya
Upanishad about the bond between the individual and the Universal (jivi and
the Paramatma):
The Universal is the individual’s highest goal,
highest wealth, highest elevation, deepest joy.
Eshosya parama gathih-Eshosya paramaa
sampath; Eshosya paramo lokah-Eshosya para- manandah.
The Taithiriya Upanishad proclaims
thus:
The Highest Atma (Paramatma)
is the source of contentment, for He is the embodiment of the purest emotion (rasa).
Attaining Him, the individual (jivi) can be immersed in joy. If the
Highest Atma is not shining in the firmament of the heart, who
is to taste, who is to live? He feeds all, with bliss (ananda). "
Author's note
Dear All,
Right from post 1 in the first theme "Purpose
of Human birth" till now and also all future posts have one
underlying essence which is the essence of that supreme God without name,
without form, without attributes who is the essence / the subject of the
entire upanishads.
If readers can go back to posts 13 to posts 18
in the theme "Vedas and Vedanta", they can read through one single
question raised by the author from all themes posted in the blog and then the
author has tried to give you the ONE answer to all questions, all the
curiosity as to "WHAT GOD REALIZATION IS ALL ABOUT'.
The answer to the above question is what
Upanishad is all about.
The answer is pregnant in the following
verses
The Isavasya Upanishad says that
the whole Universe is pervaded by Isvara or God, who is both within and
without it. He is the moving and the unmoving, He is far and near, He is within
all these and without all these.
The Kena Upanishad says that
the Supreme Reality is beyond the perception of the senses and the mind
because the senses and the mind can visualize and conceive only the objects,
while Reality is the Supreme Subject, the very precondition of all sensation,
thinking, understanding, etc. No one can behold God because He is the beholder
of all things.
The Kathopanishad has it that God
is the Root of this Tree of world existence. The realization of God is regarded
as the Supreme blessedness or Shreyas, as apart from Preyas or temporal
experience of satisfaction.
Love.
