It is quite well acknowledged (by Sankara Himself, as well as in the index Upanishad), that if you have to read only one Upanishad, it should be the Mandukya Upanishad. The Upanishad analyzes the three states (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and indexes it against AUM and extends to the Self (indicated by the soundless AUM - Turiya) as the only Reality. It is also the shortest Upanishad with just 12 verses. By itself, no one can understand it. Gaudapada wrote his gloss (Karika) on this and extended to 245 verses. Even then, the Upanishad along with Gaudapadas Karika (incidentally, historically speaking one can trace an individual only till Gaudapada - eastern India. Beyond that all we have is mythology. Anyway, all these are not relevant. Gaudapada is Sankaras gurus guru) is very difficult to understand. Sankaras commentary on the Upanishad and the Karika is required to understand the context completely. The beauty of the work is, for the most part, the arguments relies on pure reason rather than grounding on scriptural authority. It is easily available online at archive.org or can be purchased as Kindle edition from Amazon. There are two foundation verses which bring to light the dimension of non-creation or ajata-vada (the final position endorsed unilaterally and alike by all the Wise). The first verse is this - Karika II.2.32 न निरोधो न चोत्पत्तिर्-न बद्धो न च साधकः । न मुमुक्षुर्न वै मुक्त इत्येषा परमर्थत ॥ २।३२ ॥ na nirodho na cotpattir-na baddho na ca sādhakaḥ । na mumukṣurna vai mukta ityeṣā paramarthata ॥ K.2.32 ॥ There is neither dissolution, nor birth; neither anyone in bondage, not any aspirant for wisdom; neither can there be anyone who hankers after liberation, nor any liberated as such. This alone is the Supreme Truth. (K.2.32) न कश्चिज्जयते जीवः संभवोऽस्य न विद्यते । एतत्तदुत्तमं सत्यं यत्र किñचिन्न जायते ॥ ३।४८ ॥ na kaścijjayate jīvaḥ saṃbhavosya na vidyate । etattaduttamaṃ satyaṃ yatra kiñcinna jāyate ॥ K.3.48 ॥ No jiva - the ego-centric separative creature - is ever born. There does not exist any cause (which can produce them as an effect). This (Brahman) is that highest Truth where nothing is ever born. (K.3.48) The notion of Personal God or any God is completely rejected in the Karika. Notions of devotion and spiritual practices are actually condemned as one of narrow intellect. The concept of causality is again completely rejected in the Karika. Nothing is admitted except one (that is also not strictly true, as numbers are simply concepts) Reality. But these must be understood in the overarching understanding at the intellectual level. Beyond that, all means of knowledge (pramana-s) cease to have any validity. * One must take these in slowly and cogitate. There is a risk that people may interpret this as agnostic or atheistic (both terms have no meaning in Advaita).
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 10:40:21 +0000
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