Having been trained in the ways of science, I was simply drawn to Upaniṣad-s when I started reading them in view of the meticulous way the subject is dealt with. The more and more I read the Upaniṣad-s along with commentories of Adi Shankara, an extremely powerful commentary on the original text of Upaniṣad-s, I as a scientist could not but wonder and appreciate them.
A scientific approach to any matter/ problem demands the following:
- A free, frank and fearless approach.
- An intimate one to one interaction between the teacher and the taught.
- The skill of penetrating into the fundamentals.
- Sweeping generalisation through the suggested methods.
- Availability of experimental support and verifiability of the methodology suggested in the Upaniṣads.
All the above requirements are to be fully satisfied while dealing with the subject matter in question. A scientist of today can have all the admiration for such an approach. I am of the firm opinion that no one can excel the scientific penetration, accuracy and courage of Adi Śankarachārya’s approach to the subject while dealing with the Upaniṣad-s. This is one of the aspects why I was drawn to the Upaniṣads.
The other aspect which attracted me into the study of Upaniṣad-s was that it tackled the question of suffering – suffering at the psychic level. Every one, right from a child to an old man, from the rich to the poor, complains of suffering. The cause may be anything – inferiority complex, compatibility in family, question of non-recognition, nagging boss, dissatisfaction at profession, etc. Man is suffering in a grosser way or subtler way. But, here is a Vedic Science which with utter confidence declares that it can give an everlasting or permanent remedy.
The present day living is full of tension, hurry, rat race, severe competition, exploitation, etc. which can be called as negative forces. These negative forces are bad to oneself, bad to others and ultimately bad to the society. We are witnessing teen aged boys and girls going to the extent of committing suicide even for trivial reasons unable to handle or manage or face these negative forces. But, here is a science which assures permanent remedy to these. Unfortunately, in India, it is a general notion that spirituality is only for persons beyond sixty years of age. But, I sincerely feel that these concepts should be introduced at a very young age of sixteen itself so that he or she will never face helplessness, desperateness, depression, etc. instead, they grow with strong minds and in turn build a strong and healthy society.
As an introduction to understand what the source of these Upaniṣad-s are, where they are from, what is the larger text of which this is a portion, let us understand some fundamental phrases that are in use. Everyone would have heard the word Vedā-s. Vedā-s are the most ancient religious texts of the Hindus. That is the source of inspiration for all the cultural, religious, ethical,values. It is so ancient that historians place them as far back as 5000 years or 8000 years. The Indian thinking is that it is not manmade. In fact Śankara (Ādi Śankarācārya) says that it was co released along with creation, in his introductory reference to Bhagavad-Ġīta.(4)
The Vedā-s are four in number and we all know them very well. They are Rigveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda. All these four Vedas have their own sub divisions. They are the prose forms of chanting pertaining to the method of performing many sacrificial rites. These have been devised by many sages. These rituals are conducted for attaining specific benefits for daily living. Another division also contain rituals to be performed by men who are moving into forests as retires and settle down there. The end portions of these contain the philosophical treatise seeking answer to some fundamental questions of life and life after death. These portions are called the Upaniṣad-s.(4)
For the purpose of our study, we will broadly look into the classification of Vedā-s as two major portions called, religious treatise and philosophical treatise.
Tradition accepts this subdivision. It is honoured that way. The question arises as to why this subdivision at all? What are the distinctive features of these two portions? How do they differ from each other? The difference lies both in the subject matter and in the structuring,difference in methodology and content.
We will restrict ourselves to some of the practical aspects of these great teachings from the end portion of the Vedā-s, as we are mainly concerned with the practice than the theory. But, a study of how and why of some of the rituals and practices that are carried out in our homes even till date and those which have been handed over to us from our forefathers is necessary for a better understanding of the intentions behind them.
We shall broadly look into what this religious methods( Karmakāṇḍa) means to us in our daily life. I do not wish to cast a shadow on these practices nor condemn them while I detail out some of the practices that are in vogue. In fact, a proper understanding of them will help us and strengthen our own practice and clarity will come to us as to how our ancestors had designed them with a purpose. However, during the following few minutes I would like to put before you the facts as to how the practices of Karmakāṇḍa are losing ground with the advent of science and due to the inability to defend itself the onslaught of especially younger and materialistic generation. We will be discussing in due course that the very same practices of Karmakāṇḍa rise to the heights of glory if practiced with an understanding of the purpose for which they were designed.(4)
This portion envisages a number of Gods and demigods. You can call them power centres- manipulating the various powers of the cosmic activity. That is a position in karmakāṇḍa. Indra, Varuṇa, Yama, Agni, Aświni devatā-s, the three forces called the Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśwara( generator,operator and destroyer)and their spouses- all these Gods are envisaged in this part of vedic literature. And Karmakāṇḍa has a position that you can approach these Gods through prayers, through offerings. There are different aspects in Karmakāṇḍa structured in a very sophisticated and detailed way. There are many ways of appeasing these Gods. Chosen mantras are there for each God. The chnatings are to be uttered in a very specific way- with right intonations without deviations. Any offering to these God-s through sacrifies., are for getting some favour or the other.
Some examples could be given:
In India there is what is called, an Upākarma-उपाकर्म - programme.(?? virajAhoma is done during sannyAsa-svIkAra, not upAkarma.) In this ceremony during the Virajāhoma mantra chanting (Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad) many blessings are sought from the Gods. The student is asking for five prāṇā-s to be purified.
प्राणोपानव्यानोदानसमाना मे शुद्ध्यन्ताम्, ज्योतिरहम्, विरजा विपाप्मा भूयासम् स्वाहा ॥
Prāṇa-apāna-vyāna-udāna-samānā mē śuddhyantām jyōtiraham virajā vipāpmā bhūyāsam svāhā.
I am offering into the fire, the homadravyā-s so that my pañcaprāṇā-s be purified. Let my several vital organs be purified. All this goes to show that very dignified wishes were sought from the Gods with the belief that, when properly approached, they would give the necessary favours.
After initiation into the ritualistic ways through **Upākarma-**i.e., after dvijatva svīkāra-द्विजत्व स्वीकार - the student who performs Agni Upāsana seeks from Gods the following blessings-
- मेधावी भूयासम् - Medhāvī bhūyāsam - Let me become an intellectual.
- तेजस्वी भूयासम् - Tejasvī bhūyāsam - Let me have the intellectual resplendence.
- वर्चस्वी भूयासम् – Varcasvī bhūyāsam - Let me have exalted stature in the society.
- आयुश्मान् भूयासम्- Āyuśmān bhūyāsam – Let me have long life.
- अन्नादो भूयासम् -Annādo bhūyāsam - Let me have strong digestive power.
- सर्वसमृद्धो भूयासम् -Sarvasamṛddho bhūyāsam - Let me have all physical wants at my disposal- i.e.- food, clothing,shelter, etc.
The above are not mean or cheap desires. They are highly dignified. These blessings were sought from the Gods with the belief that they would bestow the necessary favours. In the same tone many Mantras are there in Medhāsūktam:
मयि मेधाम् मयि प्रजाम् मय्यग्निस्तेजो दधातु।
मयि मेधाम् मयि प्रजाम् मयीन्द्र इन्द्रियम् दधातु।
मयि मेधाम् मयि प्रजाम् सूर्यो भ्राजो दधातु।
Mayi mēdhām mayi prajām mayi agniḥ - tējō dadhātu.
Mayi mēdhām mayi prajām mayi indra indriyam dadhātu.
Mayi mēdhām mayi prajām sūryō bhrājō dadhātu.
May Agni render in me intelligence, continuity of progeny and splendour born of Vedic study. May Indra render in me intelligence, continuity of progeny and virility. May Surya render in me intelligence, continuity of progeny and prowess that strikes fear in the hearts of enemies.
This is one part of Karmakāṇḍa. But the question arises now under the second part of Karmakāṇḍa, under which the kāmya-karmā-s are listed. Karmakāṇḍa takes a stand where certain mantras with corresponding homadravyā-s, when offered through a combination of chanting and offerings to Agni, can bring desired results. Under kāmyakarma we have for example;
- पर्जन्यहोम - Parjanyahoma - where rain can be sought after
- मृत्युञ्जयहोम- Mṛtyuñjayahoma - where the mortality could be extended.
- पुत्रकामेष्टि याग- Putra-kāmeṣṭi yāga- where progeny can be sought after.
But the whole question is this. Is there any experimental support to this aspect of Karmakāṇḍa which declares that we can win over the Gods and get their favours and have these dignified wishes fulfilled? Whatever palatable or interesting things one may say on this aspect of Karmakāṇḍa, the question posed by today’s generation is, whether these are born out of experimentation. This was the counter I had in my days of studentship also. By that time the country had moved in the direction of scientific thinking. Fifty years ago, science really started capturing the imagination of man. We became a scientifically oriented community. Being scientific in temperament, we would put questions why, what and how, for the things which we had no proof or justification. We would accept a thing only if it was reasoned out. We would not accept a thing on the basis of śraddhā - श्रद्धा -(pure faith) alone. The above aspect which looks so glorious is incomplete in the sense that the followers of karmakāṇḍa accepted them with blind faith with all its deficiencies because it was a dignified thing according to them and they had been so ordained.
When I became a brahmacāri (when I was initiated into the sandhyā) a dilemma arose in me whether I should repeat this practice simply because my forefathers did it on the basis of the commands from their gurus and the scriptures. As long as śraddhā was there things went well. For generations people respected Karmakāṇḍa rituals and went by them.
To cite another example, in śrāddha-prayoga-श्राद्धप्रयोग- (ceremony performed for the departed souls) the deviation of the slightest order was not accepted. It was looked down as sacrilege. Unquestioned adherence to details of karmakāṇḍa rituals went on for almost thousand years till we entered into the age of science when pure faith was washed away due to questioning the very basis of the need of such rituals. During this scientific age questions arose from every quarter as to which idea had to be accepted or which idea had to be rejected.
Let us take the example of the utility of Vitamin C for human consumption. The argument that it gave immunity against infection could be proved by its usage. So the idea was accepted as it had been tested and tried and results were the proof for that. Similarly, the argument that saturated fats and animal fats were harmful for humans due to its high percentage of cholesterol and its effect on the circulatory system was accepted since there was sufficient proof available. It was also reasonable, as it was proved by facts, that a wholesome diet must contain vitamins and minerals in minute proportions because of their special properties. Everywhere we started adopting this scientific spirit once it appealed to us as reasonable.
Our forefathers did not have this attitude of rebelling against the practices of karmakāṇḍa. While we in our generation questioned the practice, our children and grand children are questioning its legitimacy.
That is how Karmakāṇḍa suffered neglect when science came on the scene. I would say Agni upāsana is a forgotten thing. An apology for Sandhyā is tried by those whosoever is practising it. Most of us have given it up. The civilization that stood the test of time for more than thousand years, omitting no details in its practices, was just set aside over the last fifty years. This is not the case only with Hinduism. I was looking in detail as to how other religions also are suffering the same way. Can we save these religious practices from this attack? Karmakāṇḍa promoters cannot give an answer to such attacks even today as it went by authority, went by dictation-इदं कुरु, इदं मा कुरु - ‘Idaṁ kuru, Idaṁ mā kuru- Do this. Don’t do that.
Another aspect of karmakāṇḍa pertains to various tenets-
मातृदेवो भव, पितृदेवो भव, आचार्यदेवो भव, अतिथिदेवो भव ।
‘Mātṛdevo bhava’ ‘Pitṛdevo bhava’ ‘Ācāryadevo Bhava’ ‘Atithidevo Bhava’.
It was a mandate that one’s mother, father, guru and a guest should be treated Godly. A youngster asked me the other day, ‘If my father is bad, should I worship him as God?’ He put forth an argument that Daśaratha (of Rāmāyaṇa) was unreasonable when he asked Rāma to go to the forest for no fault of his. Therefore Rāma should not have obeyed him. This ‘Matṛdevo bhāva’ ‘Pitṛdevo bhāva’ should be conditional and cannot be generalised. The argument and reasoning given by this youngster seems justified. When we come into the age of science, many religious values weaken. That is what has happened to karmakāṇḍa in the scientific age.
When I was the Head of the Department of chemistry, twenty years ago, an incident occurred which I would like to share with you now. One of my junior colleagues, who was equally disposed to fundamental thinking, came to me one day with a booklet. It was a forty page performance that was an edited version of a series of talks given by a professor of Theology from a prestigious American university. The professor was teaching Theology to the post doctoral students giving ethical values, moral values, religious values, in a very gusto way. One of the students listened carefully and at the close of the lesson expressed his total disagreement with whatever professor had narrated and termed all of them as illogical.
He questioned the professor as to-why should he not steal? Why should he not walk away with neighbour’s wife, if she agreed? If he robbed or stole, he would get more money and that money he could exchange for joy and for comforts. Joy was the pursuit of life for anybody whether religious or irreligious. The student went on to say that the religion was a joy killer and restricted the scope of one’s joy. It curtailed one’s happiness. He concluded that such a value system could not be accepted and deserved to be rejected outright.
Can you see the ruthless attack on religion in two directions! It has no self defence by way of arguing itself as the right thing. Everyone wants to have a free life of indulgence and thinks it as his right. Indulgence gives him joy. More indulgence is more joyful. It is quite a natural demand as the purpose of life is happiness. No religion can probably defend itself against such a reasonable attack.
We cannot call that student foolish, deserved to be dismissed or ignored, as he is a post doctoral student. The student in question says that unless the religion, the advocates of religion, gives a justifying answer he is not satisfied. The best part of the booklet was that the teacher confessed that he had no answer nor he could find any answers in the religious texts. Does any one of you have an answer to this touchy question? Every attack of that student is reasonable. Karmakāṇḍa in itself has no answer to this question. No religion, as I can perceive, can give a satisfactory answer to this question.
I subscribe to the view that everybody is in need of joy. That cannot be questioned. But then, I can show you that by applying restraints, which is the best factor of every religion,indriyanigraha-self restraint- governing oneself is the only way of getting śāśvata-sukha - - शाश्वत सुख - everlasting joy.(5) Religion does not take you away from joy as complained by that post doctoral student. Religion can help you reach a lasting joy. Bhogasukha or worldly pleasure gives incremental, segmental, admixed joy. This joy is preceded or succeeded by restlessness. Religion gives you complete stretch of joy. Once that is accepted, the whole world can turn religious. The great ethical, moral, religious, dhārmik values simply get restored through this.
The whole world is now turning materialistic. It is not that Christianity is losing; it is not that Hindu religion is getting lost. It is the triumph of materialism over spiritual and ethical values that we should be anxious about. Is it defective in its content? Can there be a holistic model? If so what are the defects? Can we justify the religious values? Can we restore the religious values, ethical values, spiritual values? Otherwise where is the answer to the problems of today’s culture which caters to the materialistic world? Is man happy with all this technology, this hurry, this rat race? Every moment we are in a state of hurry. Are we comfortable? Are we happy? If not, then where does happiness lie? We have taken a superficial truth as the ultimate position. We have automatically assumed the stand without examining in detail all the factors that are responsible for the joy. Materialism goes on the basis that objects give joy and the way of life should be more and more of ungoverned indulgence which yields more and more of sukha. Re-examination of our value system is exactly what Vedānta does.
This is exactly where Jñānakāṇḍa comes to our rescue. Jñānakāṇḍa is that part of Vedas which constitute the philosophical treatise. Let us try to know a few things about them.
- It is called Jñānakāṇḍa—ज्ञानकाण्ड -because it emphasises knowledge, it emphasises parīkṣā, it emphasises investigation, which is the true way of a scientist.
- Upaniṣad –**उपनिषत्-**means to sit near the teacher and absorb his knowledge in order to kill one’s ignorance.
- It is also known as Vedānta- वेदान्त - - the end portion of Vedas, the best portion of Vedas, the peak of Vedas, the cream of Vedas, the essence of Vedas.
- It talks about the causal stuff of this universe- therefore it is Brahmavidyā- ब्रह्मविद्या - - Brahma is the name for the original substance, whose transformed state is jagat. Vedānta discusses that principle, therefore it is Brahmavidyā.
It is a knowledge where the ‘I’ entity is investigated. ‘I’ has another name ‘Atman’-आत्मा.
- Therefore it is**ātmavidyā- आत्मविद्या -**ātmāparīkṣā is done here, therefore it is ātmāvidyā.
- It is a science which gives you the secrets of ānanda, therefore it is called ānanda - vidyā, madhu - vidyā- आनन्दविद्या, मधुविद्या.
- It is adhyātma- अध्यात्म - - the science of the inside- Ātmānam adhikṛtya- आत्मानम् अधिकृत्य - means studying the inside stuff of man or the antaḥkaraṇa- अन्तःकरण - -therefore adhyātma.
Why did I go to Upaniṣads? If you ask me that question my answer would be that I went to the Upaniṣads desperately as I was suffering. I needed it most. I was miserable. What was my misery? I had a good wife, a good job, recognition in society. I was a very good teacher. But I was suffering. What was I suffering from? I was fast… Speed had overcome me. What was my other suffering? I was always focussing, studious, researching on anything and everything. I used to ponder over trivial topics like, why the American President is fighting with the Russian President? Why not they live and let live? I used to find out the reasons for such things which were not at all important to my life. That was my problem. Every problem on earth was my problem. Why are they piling up nuclear weapons? A press of a button can destroy either America or Russia. That means I was too much awake - research in context and out of context.
Although I was a chemistry professor, I studied civil engineering as if to excel a civil engineer. I learnt fundamentals of medicine as if to excel a conventional doctor. I knew more of carpentry than the carpenter himself, like the stability of a chair? What should be the extent of inclination to give comfort? But I was miserable. I lost the skill of resting.
See how human skills, when pushed to measures beyond tolerance limits, can injure the person. I thought these were my best points–researching, being studious, focussing and concentrating. I lost my sleep. I lost my appetite. Instead of being in the company of my wife where I should relax and enjoy, I would be always serious. I became a case for psychiatry. Even Dr. Govindaswamy, the then director of NIMHANS in Bangalore, could not help me. I could not sleep continuously for half an hour. No one could help me at that point where as Vedānta alone came to my rescue.
Arjuna, the hero of Mahābhārata suffered this way:
गाण्डीवं स्रंसते ह्स्ताद्वाक्चैव परिदह्यते ।
न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मन:॥
Gāṇḍīvaṁ sraṁsatē hstāt-tvāk-ca-ēva paridahyatē,
na ca śaknōmi-avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca mē manaḥ. (Bhagavad-Ġīta, 1-29 & 1-30)
Arjuna tells Krishna that he is unsettled and is confused. It has become a malady for him whether to fight for one value system or another value system. How to overcome the clash of interest between his relatives and gurus on the one side and his duty, as a Kşatriya, on the other side. He is at a loss to understand what course of action he should take. This situation gave birth to the most valuable vedāntic treatise, Śrīmadbhagavadgītā –श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता.
Similarly Sri Rāma (of Rāmāyana) also went into melancholy as he found that everything in his life became stale. Kingship became stale. Honour-recognition-status became stale. King Daśaratha lost his cool and was in tears. He almost came to the conclusion that he had lost his son. He was all the while under the impression that Sri Rāma would be an excellent king, representing the Raghu dynasty. When Sage Viśvāmitra visited him, King Daśaratha asked for a solution for Rāma’s depression. Sage Viśvāmitra assured that the problem was very simple and the solution was available in his own court yard. He suggested the King to put Rāma into a dialogue with sage Vāsiṣṭa who was an expert in Brahmavidyā as he felt that it was only with the help of Vedānta such a problem could be solved. That was how Yoga-Vāsiṣṭa – योगवासिष्ठ - was born. In that big discussion, Rāma asked all the questions that haunted the people of the world and sought for an answer from the Sage. Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha is one of the best texts I have come across in vedāntic literature. Many of the difficult questions that we encounter have been comfortably answered.
In another context in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad- छान्दोग्य उपनिषत्, an interesting situation comes where Maharṣi Nārada is the student and Sanatkumāra is the teacher. Nārada comes to Sanatkumāra and announces his credentials, his worthiness to become a student as under:
**यजुरध्येमि, ऋगध्येमि, क्षात्रविद्याम्, नक्षत्रविद्याम्, गन्धर्वविद्याम् ।**Chāndogya Upa. 7-1-2)
- **Yajuradhyemi, ṛgadhyemi -**I know all the four Veda-s.
- **Kṣātravidyām –**I know the science of valour.
- **Nakṣatravidyām –**I know the science of Astronomy.
- **Gandharvavidyām-**I know the art of music and dance.
Despite the above, I have come to you to seek solution to my problem as I am in distress and I am not comfortable with myself.
A R̥ṣi of devaloka, is declaring or swearing that he is in distress and discomfort. It is very much interesting to note that, the affected persons in the instances mentioned above were no ordinary people. But, all of them complained that they were suffering, getting dejected in life, had depressed state of mind etc.
There are hundreds of intellectuals in present day world who are suffering this way. They have lost their sleep, they have lost their appetite. They have come to a stage of nervous breakdown due to too much of focussing, too much of problem solving and too much of attention on the matters which are trivial.
At this point of impasse, at this point of deadlock, Vedānta, a beautiful piece of literature which is an integral part of the Vedas, can simply come to our rescue. All religious values in this world can be defended, through the insight of Vedas, through the explanations found in Vedas.
What a wonderful contribution the Indian thinkers have made, to what fundamental levels they have gone, what ingenuity they had displayed in their studies, how powerful their researches were. That is the greatness of Vedānta, which we are going to study in the course of these lectures culminating in the grand revelation as to how Vedānta is a tonic for all the suffering in this world.
In order to find out a real solution to Duḥkha, we have to turn only to the Upaniṣad-s. They are the only source of comfort to a person in distress. Repeatedly our sages are asserting that if one wants real liberation from duḥkha, one should examine himself and find out his true nature. This is the declaration in Chāndogya Upa.(7-1-3)
शोकम् तरति आत्मवित् इति ।
Śokam tarati ātmavit iti.
(The one who has realized SELF overcomes grief.)
This Duḥkha or grief is everybody’s problem - be it of Christians, Europeans, Americans, Hindus, Chinese or Japanese. That’s why Upaniṣads deserve to be called as the universal philosophy.
Upaniṣad-s, the religious text which is divested of all the overtones of Karmakāṇḍa, directs its student not to indulge in the external world which is responsible for Duḥkha but to start looking within himself and find out his true nature. The right answer to this problem lies in finding out who is this ‘I’? Who is it that is saying again and again-I am rich-I am poor-I am depressed-I am helpless-I am suffering? Where from this pulsation is getting generated? Is it possible to tame them? Is this ‘I’ a reference point for all our activities? Such questions have not been either thought of or discussed in other schools. This is the true beginning for a student of Vedānta.
We will now take up a few questions posed in the Vedānta Sampradāya:
कोहं। कथमिदं जातं।
किं वा मरण जन्मनि।
कथं शाम्यति वेत्ति भो॥ (Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha 6-9-252)
Kōhaṁ? Katham-idaṁ jātaṁ?
Kiṁ vā maraṇa janmani?
Kathaṁ śāmyati vētti bhō.
**Kōhaṁ? -**Who am ‘I’?
**Kathamidaṁ jātaṁ? –**What is this creation with its multiplicity? Does it have a single cause? These questions in cosmology and theoretical physics are haunting the scientists. Can we reduce the whole universe into one or two terms? Physicists of today are still with the four basic forces. Such questions, which are now being thought of by theoretical physicists, had already been raised by our Rishis, ten thousand years ago.
Kiṁ vā maraṇa janmani? - What is life? What is death? Does anything survive death? Is there anything which is everlasting? Is there a residue after death?
Kathaṁ śāmyati vētti bhō? Tell me how this world subsides?
The whole thinking of the modern biologist is that life is arefinement of matter, an after position of evolved matter. Man has still not settled the basic question whether life is more fundamental or matter more fundamental. It is still an unanswered question in science even today, as all of us know that. Such a question was taken up for study by our ancient Rishis.
मनुष्येऽस्तीत्येके नायमस्तीति चैके। (Kaṭha Upa. 1-1-20)
Manuṣyē-astī-iti-ēkē na-ayam-astī-iti ca-ēkē.
Whether something outlives death or death is the end of everything? Some say yes, some say no. Which is right? This question was posed by Naciketa (student) to Yamadharmarāja (Guru).
कथं बन्धः कथं मोक्षः-(Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha, 6-9-253)
Kathaṁ bandhaḥ kathaṁ mōkṣaḥ?
What is this suffering? What is this helplessness? What is the solution?
इति प्रश्नानुदाहरन् पारावारविदां पादान्कस्माद्राजन्न सेवसे। (Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha-6-9-253)
Iti praśnān-udāharan pārāvāravidāṁ pādān-kasmāt rājan na sēvasē.
Posing such questions, go to the experts who have solved them. Go to a teacher not in a challenging way, but in a very modest way, with full faith and acceptance of the teacher’s ability, by serving him, by looking after his comforts.
साधूनां समदृष्टीनां परिप्रश्नेन सेवय। ।
संङ्गमेन च सा युक्तिर्लभते मुच्यते यया ॥
Sādhūnāṁ sama-dr̥ṣṭīnāṁ paripraśnēna sēvaya,
saṁṅgamēna ca sā yuktiḥ labhatē mucyatē yayā. (Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha 6-9-254)
It is not that the teacher gives some magic wand and the problem is solved or the teacher gives some blessing by which the solution is in sight. None of such things are quoted anywhere in vedāntic texts. What does the teacher give you by way of parihāra_ _(solution)? He gives you a style of logic, a line of investigation, a line of thinking by which your doubts are cleared. You don’t have to accept the teacher even. He gives you a fresh direction of investigation the result of which is an answer to the problem. That is what precisely Vedānta does. You don’t have to accept anything. The student can argue with the teacher. This is what we saw earlier in the case of the post doctoral student who did not agree with his teacher and posed serious doubts. It is not possible to understand Vedānta by listening to a lecture, but by repeated introspection and clarifying the doubts that arises in the mind-by one to one dialogue-by cross questioning the teacher-sometimes not agreeing to what he says and expressing freely one’s own point of view.
In fact, our Upaniṣads contain such serious dialogues where in the teacher is not disturbed by the nature of the question but answers the student very calmly. In **Praśnopaniṣad - प्रश्नोपनिषत् -**the student asks his master- - (Q 3-1)
भगवन् कुत एषः प्राणो जायते।
Bhagavan kuta ēṣaḥ prāṇō jāyatē.
Where does this prāṇa originate from? This is a question which is very difficult to answer. And the teacher instead of scolding the student says - **Ati praśnān-pṛcchasi brahmiṣṭosi - अति प्रश्नान्पृच्छसि ब्रह्मिष्टोसि.**You are asking difficult questions, extraordinary questions-that is all the reason why I should discuss with you. That was the attitude of the teacher. How scientific the whole tradition was! Any disturbing or difficult question could be posed and the teacher welcomed it. That was the true scientific spirit.
I would like to mention about an incident which took place some years ago in our house. It was in the case of a professor of a famous institute in Bangalore who was very much into western thinking that he swore by Sartre’s existentialism and his big ideas. One day he came along with his wife accidentally to one of the Sunday Classes going on in my house. We were discussing the ‘ānanda’ mechanism as detailed in the Upaniṣad-s He was moved so much by that one single day’s discussion, he returned the very next day in the morning and said that he was totally convinced about the line of thought we were discussing the previous day. A person who disowned Hinduism so much and called all ritualistic things as meaningless and foolish, started learning Rudra and Puruşasūkta under a teacher for three years and now he is spending his time for three hours every day in the morning chanting mantra and performing the ritualistic programmes.
The importance of Karmakāṇḍa comes to the forefront once Vedānta is studied and understood in this way. Vedānta therefore doesn’t differ with karmakāṇḍa. It strengthens karmakāṇḍa. Whatever cittaśuddhi- cleansing of mind-has to happen which is a pre requisite in Vedānta, is possible only through karmakāṇḍa. Reciting aṣṭottara, sahasranāma, performing different pūja-s, earns a meaning with this broad understanding. What is looked as very primitive ideas in the eyes of the modern man become very significant as sādhana progresses. Thus, the role of japa and the role of repeating gāyatrīmantra can be explained. Everything fits in here. A student of Vedānta in the earlier phase of sādhana really goes to karmakāṇḍa and its details. In the later phase a standard process of śravaṇa, manana and nididhyāsana --श्रवण-मनन-निदिध्यासन - has to take place. Then he has to sit and diffuse himself and workout alone.
Thank you for listening.