Moral Stories In Upanishads and Its Concepts

By : Anantha Krishna B S Yoga Therapist NICY NIMHANS

Chair By : Dr Aarti Jaganathan

Vedic Knowledge as an Inverted Tree

4 Vedas

Bramhan – God Non - Dual Reality

Vedic literature

Upanishad from Veda

• Vedas consist of four different classes of literary works.

1. Samhitas

2. Brahmanas

3. Aranyakas

4. Upanishads

• Upanishads are the concluding part of the Veda.

Nature of Upanishads • Karma-Kanda (portion dealing with action or

rituals)

• Upasana-Kanda (one that focuses on worship)

• Jnana-Kanda (portion dealing with knowledge)

Meaning of the word ‘Upanishad’

• Derived from the root Sad (to sit),

• With two prefixes:

• Upa means nearness

• Ni denotes totality.

• UPANISHAD means ‘sitting near by devotedly’.

• Named as Rahasya (secret) or Guhya (mystery) also.

Classification

• There are more than 200 known Upanishads

• The Muktikā Upanishad, contains a list of 108 Upanishads

UPANISHADS

Shaktism (goddess Shakti)

Sannyasa ( monastic

life)

Shaivism (god Shiva)

Vaishnavis (god Vishnu)

Yoga Sāmānya (general)

Important Upanishads Ten Principal Upanishads known as Dashopanishad are : 1. Isha

2. Kena

3. Katha

4. Prashna

5. Munda

6. Mandukya

7. Taittiriya

8. Aitareya

9. Chandogya

10. Brihadaranyaka

• Besides, Shvetashvatara, Kaushitaki and Maitrayaniya Upanishads are often listed in old Upanishads.

Major Theme of the Upanishads

• Knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-Vidya).

• What is this world?

• Who am I? What becomes of me after death?

• To achieve this liberation is by giving up one's own identity

• Recognizing the divinity of the inner self, the Atman

• Leading to eternal bliss.

Katha Upanishad

• Consists of two chapters (Adhyāyas), each divided into three sections (Vallis).

• The Upanishad is the legendary story of Nachiketa– the son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama(the Hindu deity of death).

• Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge,Atman (Soul,Self) and moksha (liberation)

• Katha literally means "distress". Katha is also the name of a sage, credited as the founder of a branch of the Krishna Yajur-veda.

Nachiketas Story in Katha Upanishad

• Nachiketa's father gives away old and sick cows as his offering in Vishwajit Yajna (sacrificial ritual)

• Nachiketa is upset and wants to know whom his father will give him away. The father says "to death".

• Nachiketa goes to Yama, the Lord of Death, but has to wait for three nights before he gets to see Yama

• Yama grants him three boons, one each for the three nights that Nachiketa had to wait

• First boon: my father should be free from anxiety and recognize me without anger when I go back - granted

• Second boon: tell me all about the fire that can lead me to heaven where there is no pain etc. - granted and the fire is named after Nachiketagni

Nachiketa’s Third Boon

• After death whether the Self exists or doesn't.

• Yama dissuades him from insisting on this boon.

• Yama promises Nachiketa essentially anything but not the knowledge about Self

• But he insists on learning about life after death

• Nachiketa says what you offer is a curse, not blessings as these are temporary pleasures

• You know all about life and death and are most qualified to teach me

• Yama had no choice otherthan to give him the ultimate knowledge about death, the Self etc.

Shreyas (desirable) and Preyas (pleasurable)

शे्रयश्च पे्रयश्च मनुष्यमेतः तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः ।

शे्रयो वि धीरोऽवि पे्रयसो िृणीते पे्रयो मन्दो योगके्षमाद्िृणीते

• The wise man chooses the desirable, unwise man the pleasurable

• Desirable leads to wisdom and pleasurable to ignorance

• Nachiketa refused to choose the pleasurable despite enticing offers by Yama.

• He picked the desirable so Yama is pleased.

• Yama establishes the qualifications of himself as the teacher and of Nachiketa as the student

Nature of Self

• Name of God = AUM = Brahman; must grasp its full significance through meditation

सिे िेदा यत्पदमामनक्ति तपाꣳवस सिाावण च यद्वदक्ति ।

यवदच्छिो ब्रह्मचयं चरक्ति तते्त पदꣳ संग्रिेण ब्रिीम्योवमते्यतत् • Self is never born, never dies – eternal,

everlasting • Birth less, eternal, everlasting and

ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed.

न जायते वियते िा विपवश्चन् नायं कुतवश्चन्न बिूि कवश्चत्।

अजो वनत्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न िन्यते िन्यमाने शरीरे

• Self is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest, motionless and yet capable of going everywhere.

अणोरणीयान्मितो मिीया- नात्माऽस्य जिोवनावितो गुिायाम् ।

तमक्रतुः पश्यवत िीतशोको तुप्रसादान्मविमानमात्मनः

• That which always remains awake throughout the different states of wakefulness, dream state and deep sleep, is the Self.

• Joyful and joyless, present in all forms yet itself formless; the self is all pervasive

आसीनो दूरं व्रजवत शयानो यावत सिातः । कसं्त मदामदं देिं

मदन्यो ज्ञातुमिावत ॥

Transcendence Hierarchy

इक्तियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्ाा अरे्भ्यश्च परं मनः । मनससु्त परा बुक्तिबुािेरात्मा मिान्परः ॥ मितः परमव्यिमव्यिातु्परुषः परः । पुरुषान्न परं वकंवचत्सा काष्ठा सा परा गवतः ॥ • The sense-objects are higher than the senses

• Mind is higher than the sense-objects

• Intellect is higher than the mind

• Great Soul is higher than the intellect.

• The Unmanifested is higher than Great Soul

• Purusha, the Supreme One, is higher than the Unmanifested

• There is nothing higher than the Purusha. He is the

culmination, He is the highest goal.

Not Qualified to attain Atman (Self)

नाविरतो दुश्चररतान्नाशािो नासमावितः । नाशािमानसो िाऽवप प्रज्ञानेनैनमापु्नयात् ॥

नायमात्मा प्रिचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना शु्रतेन । यमेिैष िृणुते तेन लभ्यः तसै्यष आत्मा वििृणुते तनूꣳ स्वाम् ॥

• Whose mind is restless, behaviour is improper, indulges in vicious actions, does not have a concentrated mind and has endless craving for sensual pleasures

• Inelegant Self is not known through much study, nor the intellect nor through hearing.

How to Realize the Self

उवत्तष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य िरावन्नबोधत ।

कु्षरस्य धारा वनवशता दुरत्यया दुगं पर्स्तत्कियो िदक्ति ॥

• Arise, awake, meet the enlightened people and learn from them. Remember that this path is very difficult; it is like walking on a razor’s edge यचे्छद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यचे्छज्ज्ञान आत्मवन ।

ज्ञानमात्मवन मिवत वनयचे्छत्तद्यचे्छच्छाि आत्मवन

• The discriminating man should merge speech (senses) into the mind, the mind into intellect, intellect into the Self and the Self into Supreme peaceful Self

• There is a city with eleven gates of which the ruler is the unborn Self, whose light forever shines.

• पुरमेकादशद्वारमजस्यािक्रचेतसः । अनुष्ठाय न शोचवत

विमुिश्च विमुच्यते । एतदै्व तत् ॥

• Eleven gates: o 11 openings in the gross body - two eyes, two nostrils, two

ears, mouth, the two of evacuation, navel and the crown of the head

o Eleven gates of the subtle body: five organs of knowledge, five organs of action, mind

• Self can not be attained by logical reasoning, but only by spiritual contemplation or adhyatma-yoga

तं दुदाशं गूढमनुप्रविषं्ट गुिावितं गह्वरेषं्ठ पुराणम् ।

अध्यात्मयोगावधगमेन देिं मत्वा धीरो िषाशोकौ जिावत

• One does not survive by prana and apana; breath is dependent on something else - the Self.

न प्राणेन नापानेन मत्यो जीिवत कश्चन । इतरेण तु जीिक्ति

यक्तिने्नतािुपावश्रतौ ॥

तां योगवमवत मन्यिे क्तथर्रावमक्तियधारणाम् । अप्रमत्तस्तदा

ििवत योगो वि प्रििाप्ययौ ॥

• When the five senses and the mind become controlled and the intellect is steady and sharp, that is called yoga

Nachiketa attains the Supreme Self

• Becomes free from virtue and vice

• Free from desire and ignorance

• Understands Yoga in totality

• Others too, by knowing the inner Self will attain Brahman, the supreme Self.

Taittiriya Upanishad

• Is associated with Krishna Yajurveda.

• The seventh, eighth and ninth chapters of the Taittiriya Aranyaka is considered as Taittiriya Upanishad.

• It says that the highest goal is to know the Brahman, for that is truth.

• Three sections: • ShikshaValli : instructions for the aspirants and process for attainment of

Brahma Jnana or the knowledge of the self.

• BrahmanandaValli : bliss of the Brahman.

• Bhriguvalli: the knowledge of the Supreme Self.

Concepts of Taittiriya Upanishad

• Shiksha Valli: deals with the discipline of Shiksha (which is the first of the six Vedangas or limbs), that is the study of phonetics and pronunciation.

• Theory of Oneness and holy exclamations

• What is ॐ?

• Ethical duties of human beings

• Ananda Valli : teaches about Brahman and tries to define it as "Truth, Omniscient, and Infinite".

• The Ananda Valli is remarkable for its Kosha expressing that man reaches his highest potential and understands the deepest knowledge .

• The Ananda Valli classifies these as concentric layers (sheaths) of knowledge- seeking.

• Bhṛigu Vallī : describes how son of Varuna (The Water God) Bhrigu obtained realization of Brahman through repeated Tapas under his fathers guidance.

Story of Bhrugu(Son of Varuna)

• Repeats the ideas of Ananda Valli, through a legend sage Bhrigu

• Bhrigu’s investigation of what Brahman is all about!

• The illustrious Bhrigu Maharshi approached his father Varuna to teach him Brahman

• Varuna says

अनं्न प्राणं चकु्षः श्रोतं्र मनो िाचवमवत

• Food, vital force, vision by the eyes, hearing capability by the ears, mind with which to think and imagine and ‘vaak’ or tongue by which to speak constitute among the various means to the knowledge of Brahman

• Further he tells

यतो िा इमावन िूतावन जायिे । येन जातावन जीिक्ति । यत्प्रयन्त्यविसंविशक्ति । तवद्ववजज्ञासस्व । तद्ब्रहे्मवत ।

• That out of which all these creatures are born, by which they live and by which they depart.

Representation of Brahman in Panchakosha • अनं्न ब्रहे्मवत व्यजानात् I -Bhrigu’s doubt on Food

as the possible determinant of Brahman but Varuna stressed on concentration

• प्राणो ब्रहे्मवत व्यजानात् । Bhrigu’s thought on Praana as Brahman attracted Varuna’s demand for further concentration

• मनो ब्रहे्मवत व्यजानात् । Bhrigu’s guess work that Mind might perhaps be the most probable qualification and Form of Brahaman

• विज्ञानं ब्रहे्मवत व्यजानात् । Maharshi’s surmise about knowledge as the form of Brahman but Varuna persisted further concentration

• आनन्दो ब्रहे्मवत व्यजानात् I Bliss is Brahman; from bliss is originated Creation, sustained and merged!

Chandogya Upanishad

• It appears in the Sama Veda, written in musical style.

• Major Upanishad because Bhashya has been written on it by Sri Adi Shankaracharya

• The Chandogya Upanishad consists of 8 Chapters(Prapathakas ) each with varying number of Khandas

• The first five deal with Karma Kanda and Upasana Kanda, the remaining three Chapters are Jnana Kanda in nature.

Story of king Janasruti and "the man with the cart" named Raikva

• The moral of the story is called, Samvarga Vidya (संवर्ग) (devouring, gathering, absorbing) िायुिााि संिगो यदा िा अविरुद्वायवत

िायुमेिापे्यवत यदा सूयोऽस्तमेवत िायुमेिापे्यवत यदा चिोऽस्तमेवत

िायुमेिापे्यवत ॥

• Air(Vayu) is the "devourer unto itself" of divinities because it absorbs fire, sun at sunset, moon when it sets, water when it dries up

• In reference to man, Prana (vital breath, life-principle) is the "devourer unto itself" because when one sleeps, Prana absorbs all deities inside man such as eyes, ears and mind.

A Dialogue between Shwetaketu & Uddalaka

• Uddalaka, the son of Aruni • Sent to a gurukula for study

and he underwent the whole course of education.

• After completing his study returned and then asked by his father about the knowledge

• Do you know That, by knowing which, everything is known? Do you know That, by which the unheard becomes heard, the unthought becomes thought?"

• Aruni then illustrated with the examples of clay and things made of clay, gold and golden ornaments that by the true knowledge of cause, the knowledge of all other objects which are its effects can be attained

• Concept of Sat (Jivatma)

• Concept of Trivritkarana – triplication (tejas, ap, anna)

• Sat is the very subtle essence of all the things; this is the truth which is the very self that exists in everybody.

• The Self - in its original, pure, primordial state - is wholly or partially identifiable or identical with the Ultimate Reality that is the ground and origin of all phenomena.

स य एषोऽवणमैतदात्म्यवमदꣳ सिं तत्सत्यꣳ स आत्मा तत्त्वमवस

शे्वतकेतो इवत िूय एि मा िगिाक्तिज्ञापयक्तत्ववत तर्ा सोमे्यवत िोिाच

Maitrayaniya Upanishad

• The Upanishad states that renunciation and self-knowledge is the path to moksha (liberation and spiritual freedom)

• The Upanishad is structured in three chapters.

• It states King Brihadratha renounces his kingdom, and retires into wilderness.

• The second chapter of the Upanishad opens with Maitreya meeting god Shiva in mount Kailasha, and asking him about the knowledge of highest reality.

• Statements about the inner state and characteristics of a person who has achieved moksha

Story of King Brihadratha

• The ancient Sages explained that laying the Sacrificial Agni to realise Paramatma is the realise one’s own Antaratma and the very existence or one’s own life! This is illustrated by story of Brihadrata

• King Brihadratha renounces his kingdom, and retires into wilderness.

• He performs Tapas for a thousand days to Surya (sun god), after which he is visited by sage Sakayanya, the one who knows the Self. Pleased with Brihadratha, the sage asks him to seek a boon.

• Brihadratha asks the sage for the knowledge of soul.

• Sakayanya then expounds the nature of human life, starting with the statement that "Artha is Anartha", or "objects of senses are in truth worthless", that a soul that craves and attaches to hedonistic pleasures never reaches its highest potential.

शब्दस्पशामया येऽर्ाा अनर्ाा इि ते क्तथर्ताः ।

येषां सिसु्त िूतात्मा न िरेच्च परं पदम् ॥

• Every individual has soul, which is serene, the highest light, the cosmic truth.

ज्योवतरुपसम्पद्य से्वन रूपेणाविवनष्पद्यत एष आते्मवत

• Sage Sakayanya thereafter narrates Prajapati (lord of creatures) divided himself fivefold and entered all creatures of the world.

• Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and Vyana पञ्चधात्मानं प्रवििज्योच्यते यः

प्राणोऽपानः समान उदानो व्यान इवत ॥

• Soul experiences the fruits of his Karma, his personality the weaving of the three Guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

• Soul of his is pure, unchanging, unmoving, undefinable, serenely calm constant, the spectator within him, the self-abiding

शुिः क्तथर्रोऽचलश्चालेपोऽव्यग्रो वनःसृ्पिः पे्रक्षकिदिक्तथर्तः स्वस्य चररतिुगु्गणमयेन

Story of Maitreya meeting God Shiva

• Maitreya meets god Shiva in mount Kailasha, to seek the knowledge of highest reality (परमतत्व)

• Shiva explains to him stating that the human body is a shrine with Jiva imbibed in it representing Him alone.

देिो देिालयः प्रोिः स जीिः केिलः वशिः ।

त्यजेदज्ञानवनमाालं्य सोऽिम्भािेन पूजयेत् ॥

Cleansing of Mind for Realization

अिेददशानं ज्ञानं ध्यानं वनविाषयं मनः। स्नानं

मनोमलत्यागः शौचवमक्तियवनग्रिः

• The "internal or spiritual bath that consists of cleansing the mind". The true purification is achieved by "washing with the soil of knowledge and the water of detachment", bringing purity to mind

Psychotherapeutic concepts in

Upanishad

• Upanishads deals with manas. It is related to harmonizing the human psyche and the universal psyche.

• It is considered that, the psyche possesses sufficient energy to develop the self, solve problems, and achieve high goals (superconscious state).

• To attain these, the methods developed in Upanishads are meditation and the spiritual path

• Prasno Upanishad emphasizes these methods, which are psychogenic in nature (Shende, 1952)

• They are aimed at improving mental capabilities, mental health, and personality integration.

• Mundaka Upanishad declares that attachment and desires cause all distresses.

• In the absence of desires, the restlessness of the mind is composed and one becomes blissful

• Balancing of personality through balancing of gunas is a major teaching of the Vedas (Mundaka Upanishad). In addition prayers, meditation, sacrifices are used for attaining mental peace, and pure thoughts

Existence of Psychotherapy in Vedas

• The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda dwell upon the other world and the greatness of gods, while Atharva Veda dwells upon the ways of knowing individual psyche and attaining power in the world, specially related to atmanand manas

• The Veda and upanishad considers psychic energy as omnipotent, capable of mental integration, and attaining siddhi

• The psychotherapeutic aspects of Veda and upanishad have been expanded in Ayurveda and Yoga literature

The psychotherapeutic methods in Upanishad

• Especially in Atharva veda and related upanishads the therapy for mental disorders have been explained.

Samkalp (self determination),

Sadesh (suggestion),

Ritualistic therapy,

Samvashikaran (hypnosis),

Brahma kavch (defensive belief),

Deviya havan therapy (spiritual healing)

Prayachitta (confession, penance and sacrifice).

• Swami Akilananda (1952) states that Indian psychology can contribute to the field of psychotherapy as they have the therapeutic value for mental integration.

The Three Defects and Their Remedies • The three main "manufacturer's defects” in humanity:

i) Mal – the impurities of the mind,

ii) Vikshepa – the restlessness or tossing of the mind.

iii) Avarana – the veil of Ignorance

• The means to overcome these defects are given in the Vedas, under three categories that match the above defects respectively:

i) Karma Kanda – performance of correct actions to eradicate Mal.

ii) Upasana Kanda – meditational practices to eradicate Vikshepa.

iii) Jnana Kanda – knowledge and understanding to eradicate Avarana.

• The first two Kandas prepare the seeker to be able to grasp the knowledge of the Self. This knowledge is by no means ‘theoretical’; it has the dynamism to eradicate Ignorance by its roots, and take one to the direct realization of the Self through meditation.

• The happiness of mind and body is not complete and permanent as it is only transitory and leads to sufferings.

• When mind reflects on truth, its distractions are restrained, senses become composed and return to its base of consciousness. It is the real enlightenment and it can be achieved through meditation and the spiritual path.

• The therapeutic methods outlined in the Upanishads need to be verified scientifically for its applicability and efficacy and made relevant for contemporary use

References

• Commentary on the Kathopanishad by Swami Krishnananda • Lessons on the Upanishads by Swami Krishnananda • Essays on the Upanishads by Swami Krishnananda • The Mandukya Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda • The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda • The Chhandogya Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda • The Essence of the Aitareya and Taittiriya Upanishads by Swami Krishnananda • THE IMPORTANT LEGENDS OF THE UPANISADS • AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE • Taittiriya Upanishad By T.N.Sethumadhavan • Svetasvatara Upanisad By T.N.Sethumadhavan • ESSENCE OF PRASHNA UPANISHAD • MENTAL HEALTH IN ANCIENT INDIA & ITS RELEVANCE TO MODERN PSYCHIATRY • Isavasya Upanishad for Beginners • Psychotherapeutic concepts in the Atharva Veda K. Rangaswami