Isavasya Upanishad for Beginners : 11. Swami Gurubhaktananda (Chinmaya Mission).

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Tuesday, June 30, 2020. 7:10. PM.

ISAVASYA UPANISHAD -  “The All-Pervading Reality”

Wave-3 : The Integration of  KNOWLEDGE : Mantram -9 to 14. ( 6 in NOs ).

 A. AVIDYA AND VIDYA : Mantram 9: Worship of Avidya & Vidya

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Mantram - 9: Worship of Avidya & Vidya

"Andham tamah pravishanti   ye avidyaam upaasate; 

 tatah bhooyah iva te tamah  ye u vidyayaam ratah."

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Translation : 

1 Andham tamah pravishanti  = They enter into blinding darkness

2 ye avidyaam upasate;          =  who are worshippers of Avidya alone;

3 tatah bhuyah iva te tamah   =  but they enter even greater darkness

4 ye u vidyayam ratah.          =  who verily are worshippers of Vidya alone.

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Mantram - 10: The Fruits of Avidya & Vidya

 "Anyat eva aahuh vidyaya,    anyat aahuh avidyayaa; 

 iti shushruma dheranam,  ye nah tat vicha-chakshire."

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Translation :

5 "Anyat eva aahuh vidyaya,    =  One thing, they say, is obtained from Vidya,

6 anyat aahuh avidyaya;           =   and another thing, they say, from Avidya;

7 iti shushruma dheranam,        =  Thus we have heard from the wise,

8 ye nah tat vicha-chakshire.     =   who have explained it to us."

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Mantram -  11: Combining Avidya & Vidya

"Vidyaam cha avidyaam yah,  tat veda ubhayam saha; 

 avidyayaa mrityum teertvaa,  vidyayaa amritam ashnute."

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Translation :

9 Vidyaam cha avidyaam yah,  =  Vidya (knowledge) and Avidya (ignorance) – he who

10 tat veda ubhayam saha;        =   knows them both together (at the same time),

11 avidyayaa mrityum teertvaa, =   he overcomes death through Avidya

12 vidyayaa amritam ashnute.   =  and obtains immortality through Vidya.

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Discourse :

In this second set of three Mantra-s, in 9 the fruits Avidya and Vidya, when worshipped

alone, are given; in 10 their fruits are compared to each other (again, note that they not

opposed to each other), and in 11 is given the fruit of combining both of them.

The problem before us is to find the right interpretation of Avidya and Vidya so that

it fits all three verses without contradiction. Further, we also need to explain what is meant by ‘death’ and ‘immortality’ in the last verse.

The dictionary meanings of the two terms are “knowledge” and “ignorance”.

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Three options are examined :

A. Combining Darkness & Light:

Avidya = Ignorance or delusion, the very opposite of Self-knowledge.

Vidya = Atma Vidya, the knowledge of the Self.

B. Combining Karma Yoga & Jnana Yoga:

Avidya = the path of Karma Yoga, purification through devotional action.

Vidya = Sadhana Chatushtaya, the preparation for Jnana Yoga.

C. Combining Karma with Karma Yoga:

Avidya = the path of Karma, simply as a means to earn wealth.

Vidya = the path of Karma Yoga, purification through devotional action.

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NEXT : Let us take up each one and see if it fits all the three Mantra-s:

To be continued ..

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