In this way, we gain knowledge of both satyam and mithya and their relationships. Even though we do not talk about creation as such, Brahman being anantam - Limitlessness Itself, there can be nothing independent of Brahman which means all names and forms in this creation are non-separate from Brahman even though Brahman Itself remains independent of this creation which is subject to change from time to time. In this method of indication, we do not talk about creation at all. Here the Upanishad indicates Brahman Itself, as It is, and this method of indication is called svaroopa lakshanam. All these three indicators point to the same ONE BRAHMAN. For example, when the Upanishad says: satyam jnanam anantam brahma, Brahman is satyam - that which is never subject to change, is jnanam - that which is all knowledge Itself, is anantam -that which is Limitlessness Itself. On the other hand, in svaroopa lakshanam one indicates Brahman as It is. Such method of indicating Brahman is called tatastha lakshanam, (tatastha means standing apart). Here again, we must understand that this creation is not an attribute of Brahman and Brahman stands independent of creation. It only tells that there is something called Brahman and That is the cause for this creation. For example, when we say "I do namaskar to That Brahman from which this entire creation is born", this statement does not tell what Brahman is. In the tatastha lakshanam Brahman is indicated not by what It is, but how It is related to the things that we know. They are tatastha lakshanam and svaroopa lakshanam. The only way knowledge about Brahman can be communicated is through lakshana vritti, by indication through appropriate pointers. Simply trying to use many words to define Brahman does not really help. Therefore, a word defining Brahman is not there. It is not comparable to anything that we know. This word is not available as the meaning of any other known word. There are two types of such pointers: they are tatastha lakshanam and svaroopa lakshanam. In the field of Upanishad knowledge, the mode of communication is through lakshana vritti where communication is accomplished by indication through different pointers. Let us see what we mean by direct and indirect way of explaining. This Upanishad occupies a unique place in Indian Philosophy because it explains the Reality both in direct as well as indirect terms. Kartika Shukla Pratipada (Bali Upanishad: Petal 1 A Birds Eye View T.N.Sethumadhavan INTRODUCTION The Taittiriya Upanishad is a part of the Krishna Yajur Veda and forms a part of the seventh, eighth and ninth chapters of the Taittiriya Aranyaka.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |