Opinions

These are opinions of Prof M.Leelavathy on my book Sudhasindhu (A study of 12 Upanishads)and of M.R.Rajesh on Brahmasindhu ( study of Brahmasuthra)


1-A BOOK THAT STANDS HIGH IN THE HERITAGE OF UPANISHADS

Prof M.Leelavathy October 12-18.2003 Mathrubhomi weekly

Sudhasindhu is a study of Upanishads with six parts. The first part Madhumathi, consists of Thaithereeyam,Aithareyam and Kadam; The second part Agneyam ,consists of Swethaswetharam and MahaNarayana Upanishads ;the third part Krishnavairajam has Mundaka and Prasna Upanishads; 4th part Prajnavaisakha contains Mandukya Upanishad and its karika ;the 5th part Suvarnam Veda has kena and chandogya Upanishads and 6th part Sudhasindhu has Isavasya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads. With all the extensive commentaries the entire book comes to more than 1200 pages and is a heavy book indeed. I use the term heavy to carry not only in the literary sense but also in a symbolic sense. Though the warning “ Masmin khala khelathu”is not given, it is not easy for ordinary people like me to carry this great work. The effect of years of Tapas. Just like the name indicates this is an ocean. The ocean of the Amrithavidya. A work which makes the heads of ordinary people bow, by the revelation that what I have learned is only handful and to be learned is like an ocean. For about 25 years the author has been churning the ocean of Upanishads and that essence is in this Amrithakalasa.If someone thinks that one can drink it easily, that is a myth. To cognize this study needs a prolonged Thapasya.Even if you are ready to work for that, because of the vastness of the fields of knowledge in this book, many parts will remain untouched for many people. Apart from the author’s professional field of medicine,physics,chemistry,mathematics,Astronomy ,astrology,linguistics,Indian ,non-Indian Asian and western philosophies,Sanskrit,Pali,English,Greek,Tamil and several languages –in this way deep knowledge in several branches of knowledge is used in this book. For ordinary readers the chance of having such wide knowledge is unlikely ,and that is why the travel along with is difficult for them. The value and the importance of this new commentary is related to this vast knowledge itself. Such a study of Upanishads which is integrated to so many branches of knowledge has never been done before by anyone whether western or eastern .The study of NityaChaitanyaYati has used new branches of study and psychology but even in them the physics ,medicine ,chemistry ,astronomy and linguistics are not used like this to a great extent. The approach in this study is not the blind superstitious belief that every science in the world is derived from Veda and Upanishads and nothing new from them exist in science .The influence behind the work is not the national pride. It is the pride of a vision of wisdom and spirituality. Though the book says the statements of modern science were reached by the sages and by Sankara etc who were well versed in Upanishads ,they are not illogical imaginations.
Chethana= ghanavasthu X chalanam is the samavakya E = Mc 2 (page 665) .If one isolates sath ( truth as Chith or energy) and believe that there is a gross world different from the ocean of energy ,that gross world is a untruth (Jaganmithya) .The ocean of energy as Rasimandala (zodiac) and the Brahmanda with stars and planets was continuous (Nairantharya) in the view of Sankara .This happened before Einstein. Instead of insulting such great intellectual giants as mere religious leaders ,their logic and scholarly views should be respected by us .From such statements it is possible that the religious fanatics may take advantage ,but the author’s observational logic is not that religious fanaticism. When the mechanism of power /force in Chandogya Upanishad is explained (ch 7 khanda 8) “This bhoomi(earth) is fixed because of the strength of the field of Vaayu that revolves around it” is the forerunner of the gravitational theories and the quantum mechanical theories are explained in original way (page 719-721).This is not discovering what one wants .But discovering that which is there. This is convincingly done. In the commentaries of Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka (which comes to about 750 pages) biology,medicine,chemistry,physics,astrophysics,psychology are used abundantly. There is no space for explaining all in a book review. But one cannot ignore Chandogya 1st ch khanda 12 Souva Udgeetha. (page 507-512).In the Udgeetha the dog stars Canis major and minor are praised. Without recognizing this earlier commentators have written that it is a mockery to praise dogs. It was difficult to believe that as a parady.Therefore when Suvarna’s commentary was read the happiness felt is indefinable. The Swetha(white) dog is the White dwarf binary with Sirius according to scientific view. Only in 1925 did an American astronomer described it as a white dwarf. When Dr Suvarna asks : “ don’t you find wonder when you find the white dwarf dog which revolves in a spiral (sarpila) way in this Upanishad?” ,for those who explained it as a mockery ,not only wonder but something else may be felt. The name Suvarnam Veda is having meaning in two ways for Suvarna who learned Jyothisha,Jyothisasthar ,physics etc by self-study(swadhyaya).The commentary of this 5th chapter shows the vastness of how much of the expanding universe of physics she has mastered. Her knowledge of Astronomy has even prompted her to question Sankara’s commentary at times.Chandogya 4.7.1 speaks of swan and Sankara says the Hamsa is Aditya (sun).Suvarna logically explains it as the swanlike Cygnus as the star clusters of Dhanishta .(page 585).The knowledge of Niruktha gives a rare beauty to the commentary .No one had shown relation of Kathama sabda as quanta before .(page 472).The Bardo of Tibetan thanthra is the changed form of Bharatha (Bartho) .Several commentators have said that the Aswa of Brihadaranyaka is Viswa .But giving Aksharasamkhya (numbers to letters) and proving that is not seen anywhere before, according to my knowledge. A 1 Brahman.SA and M 5 the universe with 5 elements. The revolving wheel of samsara is explained with diagrams .The visualization of ideas with diagrams is a special method seen in this book not seen in previous commentaries. It has an effect of showing slides during teaching. If one wants to analyze each word of the book and understand them, at least the same number of days as its pages is needed. Not after doing thapas in it for three years, but just reading it within three weeks I am writing the review. Therefore my attempt is like trying to hold an ocean in one’s fist.
In Brihadaranyaka we find Maithreyi who took sanyasa for Brahmavidya,and Gargi who made Yajnavalkya explain AksharaBrahma Thathwa.That Upanishad is a proof for the fact that primary as well as ultimate education was not negated to women ,and not impossible too ,and such intellectual women were respected and recognized by intellectual men of the times. In middle ages this became shadowed .They became parrots within cages. Though modern India has awakened from that state, women who can make men wonder with a original thought process is still very rare.( Vismaya = wonder; also without Smaya ).People like Sakunthala Rao Sasthri have gone in the previous paths made by western and eastern ancestors for their research in Veda and Upanishads.Dr Suvarna has made a new path of analysis of her own .I don’t think that there are even men who have done an Upanishad study like this with the medicinal value of having drunk the essence of so many branches of knowledge systems. Therefore when I try to offer Sthothra to this NavayugaBrahmaVadini, my words are inadequate.
Though by its size small ,in depth of ideas Isavasya Upanishad is considered unparallel and for that only very little space is devoted .Though the reason is not clear, possibly its contents have less relations to modern science may be guessed. In commentary of 3 and 4 Mantra such planes are suggested. But as the base of Nishkamakarma of Bhagavad-Gita Isavasya being important ,I thought a little bit more could have been explained on it. As the seed of Nishkamakarma,and as an awareness against commercialized worldviews ,and basis of a practical ideology of equality of humanity the importance of the second half of first mantra of Isavasya should have been given more importance in such a deep study .Is it necessary to contract that the first Mantra is for Sanyasin? ( Note:- According to definition of Sankara Sanyasi is one with Dhyana and Gnaana .Brahmavidya is Gnaana and dhyana and that is what is meant by the sentence.)
9th mantra has been confusing to scholars .A new approach to remove that confusion is not given in the book. Similarly the 11th mantra and its commentary also is insufficient to remove the doubts .In Mundak it is said that all knowledge including Veda and Upanishad are when used for mundane purposes Avidya .In that case Avidyayaamrithyum theerthwa could be explained as “Avidya is useful to live in the memory of coming generations forever” .Thus even with Avidya crossing death is possible. The 17th mantra Kritham Smara is pointing to this too. But with this crossing of death eternity is not possible. Only with Sarvabhoothaikyabodhanubhoothy this is possible. Even if there is experience of Vidya,if it is associated with ego and its Rathi (desire) then we fall to dark worlds is the warning given in 9th sloka according to some commentators.Isavasya says this is so in gnaana,bhakthy as well as karma and it is given importance in Gita .Gita see the people who are desirous of arguments over Veda, desirous and creative and loving luxuries and heavens do karma like Yajna (2.42-44)due to influence of Isavasya and Mundaka.
The symbolic mantra of Veda have Adhibhouthika,Adhyathmika and Adhidaivika meanings.Dr Suvarna explains the Adidaivika meanings in detail. But the Rgvedamanthra Dwa suparna which ahs a adhidaivika meaning is not pointed out .The 11th mantra of 2nd Khanda she gives a explanation of the world of stars based on the astronomy of sage Garga.She explains a gestalt view in Brihadaranyaka and a Indian psychology in Mandukya she has not gone to the theories developed out of these by western psychologists(Jung and Laccan ).In physics she integrates the thoughts of Upanishads with thoughts of scientists upto Stephen Hawking. And integrates the Advaitha of Sankara ( page 559) with Grand Unification. She has done an in-depth study of Budhadarsana and Sankaradarsana to prove that Sankara was never a enemy of Budhism.

One defect in this book is the abundance of spelling mistakes seen as if mustard seeds. In the second edition they can be remedied. An index also is needed for such a great work.





2-ETERNAL AKSHARAVIGNANA (BRAHMASINDHU )Aug 6-12 .2006 Mathrubhoomi weekly .M.R.Rajesh .

There had been a model method in India for analytic thought of meaning of Veda which is different from the modern academic thought. To learn the six Anga and upanga (branches and sub branches)of knowledge was essential for studying Veda. The method was learning the six Anga of Veda siksha,Kalpa,Vyakarana,Niruktha,Chandas,Jyothisha and the six Upanga Samkhya,Vaiseshika,Yoga,Nyaya,Meemamsa,and vedantha.The Samkhya of Kapila evaluates Veda as “ Nijasakthyabhivyakthe:swatha:pramanyam”(5/51)That is Paramathman revealed it by natural power and hence Veda is evidence in itself. The Veda is accepted as evidence in Yogadarsana as“Sa esha poorvesham api Guru:kalenaaNavachedaath” (1.26)and in Nyayadarsana as “Manthrayurvedapraamanyavacha thath pramanyamaapthapramanyam” and in Vaiseshika as“ Thadwachanaadanaamnayasya pramanaym ( 1.1.3) and in Vedanthadarsana as “Sasthrayonithwath” and in Meemamsadarsana “ Outhpathikasthu sabdasyarthena” .
In the interim period Vedanthadarsana got more popularity. After Sankara created commentaries for Prasthanathraya Bhagavad Gita, Ten Upanishads and Brahmasuthra became the silver lines of the same perception of ideas.Ramanuja,Madhwa and Nimbarka followed this way. There had been several commentaries and explanations for the Vedanthadarsana of Brahmasuthra.The psychology of the attempt to create the commentary of Brahmasuthra is revealed by the commentator herself .
“ Several women-oriented thoughts fill the pages of media nowadays. The problems of woman as wife,mother,daughter,lover and professional is being discussed. Among these the problems of a woman who desires to get complete development intellectually and spiritually is forgotten. Or pretend as if it is forgotten. Why didn’t any woman touched Prasthanathraya for 6000 years in India? Maithreyi,Gargi and Ubhayabharathy might have had in-depth knowledge of the subject. But we do not have even a single book from them as written word. There are intellectual women and women shining in academic fields in India. But why didn’t their thoughts touch these fields? Asking questions ,no one make attempts to touch these fields. Why cant we state boldly that those who have Gnaana and Dhyana ,even if they are householders, are Sanyasins as Sankara did ?Is there the envious position of Gargi and Maithreyi in the life of Yajnavalkya ,in the life of any man or woman today? Is there the purity of recognizing the rare relation of Sankara and Ubhayabharathy ,even if exists, in our contemporary society? The development should not restrict to technology ,but in the culturally high purity of heart .A people can be said to be free only when the environment for healthy ,discussions which are free from Eros, and fragrant with friendship and blissful, free from competitive and envious mental states, beyond any dualities of religion,caste,creed,gender,politics happen .We can be proud of having protected the heritage of Arshabharatah and shown a model to next generations, only when we, both man and woman, can enjoy the divinity of friendships which is beyond the body and come as a transcendental influence of previous births, and to use it for the goodness of the world .(page 6)
Thus a new light ray is drawn by Dr Suvarna Nalapat .The most important part of Indian view is their Vyavaharika side .The first goal is to destroy all avidya and Ragadwesha of human beings having several types of sorrows and give them liberation .The second special feature of Indian thought is its hopeful view. The wise people think of the ocean of samsara of universe as sorrowful. The reason for the sorrow is the union between the observer and the observed( as different ).The methods to think of avoiding sorrow is the hopeful view. The third special feature is the faith in a eternal state. Whatever karma man does ,that is never reduced .From those karma a creation of a rare thing happens. This rare(apoorva) is the cause of effect .In Nyaya and Vaiseshika the term Adrishta is given to for Apoorva.The 4th specialty is the karmasidhantha .The karma of man is never reduced and its effect has to be experienced. The fifth is the Path of liberation. The cause of bondage in samsara is avidya.By avidya bondage is created. By gnaana liberation happens. For life process there are two ways -the prosperity and the liberation. Man desirous of loved subjects functions in samsara.The root cause of this function is Ragadwesha.This way itself makes man follow his downhill course. The way of liberation is the root of auspiciousness. For getting fixed in this path, the Ashtangayoga with yama and niyama is advised. For removing the three types of impurities ,for attainment of Brahman ,great karma and through them a path for attaining Purushartha is used by Vedanthadarsana.
Here by the use of Vedanta as practical way of life the commentary becomes noteworthy. In the common parlor the evaluation of a Sthithaprajna and his bhava and ways of life is accepted by the author in the nature of commentary and its example is this:
:Suppose a yogi , with the Gupthayogivratha functions in society. Suppose that person becomes a departmental head. The other Samsarins working in the department will misunderstand the Yogi as one among them and behave like that. They will show their Kaama and krodha.They do not touch the yogin like lotus leaf by water. Yet for making the mundane people to work efficiently and properly the works of the department(of world) many times in anger, assertive and soft ,loving way he has to behave .Even for this the Yogin has to do internal neutralizations. The Vratha like Upavasa,Bhoosayana ,payovratha,Mounavratha and many other vratha are done by Gupthayogin to purify oneself .By them the mundane hallucinations around are kept at a distance. Lives always as Samygnani and satisfied in oneself. For such a person there is no ragadwesha in anything. And no desires either. Nothing to receive or give.(Those who are not like that mistake this Gupthayogi as one among them and behave).That is the self-enlightening Satyasamkalpa which is Bhaaroopa.Even for those without ego of body ,the perception of Sasthra is obtained only very rarely. In one Yuga Devi Saraswathy enters only one individual and fixes her throne within .Only in one Vyasa,one Kalidasa or one Sankara she adorns her SaraswathiMandapa.In one individual if we find the forms of “Bhaathi and Priya “ revealed that person is a Rishi/Yogin.Srividya will not appear in anyone except a Rishi or Yogin in her pure complete form (Niravaraa Prajna paramitha) .” Page 405.

From this quotation alone one can understand how this commentary is different from other commentaries.Brahmavada was a subject which caused the hand burn if touched. In Vedanthadarsana of Vyasa there are 4 chapters. In each chapter four paada.And 555 sutras .The subject is the direct perception of Brahman within the Veda. The origin of the word Vedanta is “Vedasya antha:anthimo bhaga ithi vedantha”.That is the last part of Veda is vedantah.In this Brahman,Jeeva and Prakrithy are explained. As many have misunderstood, it does not contain that everything is empty. We can accept the view of Dr Radhakrishnan about this universe.” The world is not an illusion or a dreamlike structure but a real positive something”.
If we examine the explanation of the author to two main sutra the crux of the commentary will be revealed.
Janmadyasya yata: (1.1.2) and Sasthrayonithwath(1.1.3)The meanings denote perfect meaning. For the thing created by breath a creator is needed. That is ,Veda originated as before and revealed and for that a creator is essential. Like that since again and again originating and revealed ,the word is said to be “Ameya “.Since it reveals and originate all objects as if a lamp ,as if a wave of electric current ,Sarvavidbhaveth,word is eternal .(page 35).To express this idea the author has used the quotation from the maanthrasasthra work Saradathilaka.There is no gender difference for Mahath which is neuter .From it eternally flowing Akshara ,the universe of moving and nonmoving ,sound and meaning is created. This is internal light within the people who do good acts and scholars have called it SabdaBrahman.(page 36).
To give the first mantra of Atharvaveda and its meaning here would be good.”3 X 7 =twenty-one .The Paramathmadeva who is Vachaspathi and who created all the named universes with the 21 ,be within my heart which is the honey of body, and do dharana of the Sound and form which are Varnathmaka .(Atha 1.1.1).What is Varnam here? In Pathanjali Mahabhashya it is explained.
Aksharam naksharam vidyath
Asnotherva saroksharam
Varnam vaahu:purvasuthre
Kimarthamupadisyathe
Meaning:- Man should by effort ,make his own that akshara which is known as Varna and which is never destroyed, and is everywhere and has movement .Because knowledge of Varna is the knowledge of Vaani.In which the SabdaBrahman and ParaBrahaman reside, that Gnaana of Varna is advised for attainment of desired knowledge and attainment of Brahman and for Shanthi (peace) according to the next sloka of Pathanjali.Thus by the truthful statements the Brahmasuthra commentary is giving a new meaningful approach.