Introduction
THE UPANISHAD OF A UNITARY REALIZATION The reading of all Upanishads begins with a shanti-patha, recitation of a and in interac tions. The peace is realized not merely through recitation but through the contemplation of the truth expressed in such a composition. However, the traditions have often become somewhat confused over time as various schools of teaching developed. According to Shankaracharya, the shanti-patha for this Upanishad is the Hymn of However, there is an Upanishad that cata-Perfection: purnam adah. logs various facts about the Upanishads. This, Muktika Upanishad, states that the shanti-patha for Shvetashvatara Upanishad is the Hymn of ... As we have based our notes about the Upanishad on the commentary by Shankaracharya, we have chosen the Hymn of Perfection as the shanti-patha. Harmony: saha nav avatu. All traditions agree that Shvetashvatara Upanishad belongs to Krishna Yajur-veda. The published collections include up to 208 Upanishads, and there are more in the form of unpublished manu-scripts; some of these are referred to in the extensive verse catalogs like that of Sadhale. Of these, ten or eleven are said to be the basic, authen-tic, Upanishads. Ten or eleven? That is where Shvetashvatara Upanishad comes in, the eleventh, somewhere in the borderline. Whether the com-mentary attributed to Shankaracharya is by the Adi-Shankaracharya or not is also doubted by the scholars. To us, the style and the philosophy look similar to that of the first Shankaracharya but these scholarly topics are better dealt with in academia rather than among the seekers of eternity The Upanishad consists of six chapters of uneven length totalling 113 verses. The style of the language is that of the late Upanishadic peri od, somewhat similar to that of Katha Upanishad. Some verses are direct quotations from the Vedic samhitas (the recited texts of the Veda); some in classical Sanskrit mixed with the Upanishadic and Vedic phrases; some in purely classical Sanskrit. Our purpose here is not to give lin-guistic analysis or to discuss a historical context but only to study the work as a guide to developing a spiritual life that would lead to the final enlightenment. This is the Upanishad of the Sage Shvetashvatara whose name per-haps means "he who owns a white mule." No historical explanation. can be found for the name as such. However, it does fall within the trend of the time when the sages came from diverse social back-grounds, offsprings of philosophers and kings; those like Satyakama Jabala, born of servant women; some like Mahidasa, the son of Itara, were children of slave women. Some, like Sayugvan Raikva, chose to live under a cart, others, like Yajnavalkya received the reward of a thousand heads of cattle when the king was satisfied with the answer to a philosophical question. Like one of the highly enlightened teachers of the Kashmir Shaiva tradition who plied a horse cart in Delhi in 1950's, one can just imagine the sage of the Upanishad under present study going about riding a white mule. Wisdom in those days dwelt without confinement to social boundaries. Society then was full of philosophical curiosity but not for the sake of simply satisfying an intellectual urge. From the very dawn of the his-tory of India, the seeking for brahma-vidya, the science of Brahman-real-ization, has been the paramount concern of large segments of popula-tions. All kinds of questions are asked and answered in many different ways, finally leading to the rejection of all that falls below Infinity and acceptance of that whereby one "may become immortal." The question may be asked as to which school of philosophy this particular Upanishad belongs. Like Katha and Maitrayani Upanishads and the Bhagavad-gita, Shvetashvatara Upanishad is syncretic.
About The Author
Mahamandaleshwara Shri Swami Veda Bharati (1933-July 14, 2015), was a rare Sanskrit scholar of our time, unsurpassed in his profound depth of knowledge, philosophy and practice of Meditation. He was born in a Sanskrit-speaking family and raised in the centuries old Vedic tradition. He taught the Patanjali's Yoga-sutras for the first time at the early age of 9 and the Vedas from age 11. Having never attended any school, he received his M.A. from the University of London and a D.Litt. from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. From 1952-1967, he spread the Yogic and Vedic teachings in many parts of the world, including Africa and the West Indies. In 1969, he received the highest initiations into the mysteries of Meditation from his Guru Swami Rama of the Himalayas who linked him to the sacred lineage of the Himalayan Yogis. Thereafter he established and guided Meditation groups and centres in all parts of the world. He had access to 17 languages and taught Meditation in all of the major languages of the world and to followers of all religions.
Vedas (1183)
Upanishads (495)
Puranas (624)
Ramayana (740)
Mahabharata (357)
Dharmasastras (163)
Goddess (498)
Bhakti (243)
Saints (1507)
Gods (1289)
Shiva (370)
Journal (184)
Fiction (60)
Vedanta (360)
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