This Week. Today. Wednesday: Introduction to Yoga Sūtras. Wk05 Monday, Apr 23. Olivelle s Upaniṣads. Supplemental readings: Praśna, Māṇḍūkya, Īśāvāsya

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1 Wk05 Monday, Apr 23 Today Olivelle s Upaniṣads Praśna, Māṇḍūkya, Īśāvāsya This Week Supplemental readings: Williams, Kyle Lee "Understanding Oṃ (Aum), Turīya, and the Three States of Consciousness in the Maṇḍūkya Upaniṣad. Jones, Richard H "Vidyā and Avidyā in the Īśa Upaniṣad." Wednesday: Introduction to Yoga Sūtras 1

2 Praśna Upaniṣad Praśna Upaniṣad Late upaniṣad from the Atharvaveda Mainly prose + 16 verses 6 questions, praśnas, asked of Pippalāda, of AV tradition 2

3 The Six Brahmins What s in a Name? 1. Kabandhī Kātyāyana, Black YV =? Kabandha Ātharvaṇa, BU Bhārgava Vaidarbhi, Vidarbha in central India, Bhṛgu, TU. Vedic affiliation unknown 3. Kausalya Āśvalāyana, Kośala region, Aśvala of RV 4. Sauryāyaṇi Gārgya, RV. Clan of BU s Gārgī 5. Śaibya Satyakāma, Sāmaveda, also in CU 4 6. Sukeśa Bhāradvāja, YV? 3

4 The Questions 1. The origin of creatures? Prajāpati / food (14) lifebreath, prāṇa / sun / fire / bright fortnight / day Substance, rayi / moon / form / dark fortnight / night Northern & Southern course of the sun 2. Deities that support a creature? Lifebreath space, wind, fire, water, earth, speech, sight, hearing, mind Question 3 3. Where does lifebreath come from, set off, etc.? Arises from ātman Assigns the 5 breaths Apāna, in-breath: anus, sexual organs Prāṇa, lifebreath: mouth, nostrils Samāna link-breath: mid-region Udāna, up-breath: fire. Karma theory (7, 9-10 ) Vyāna, inter-breath: 4

5 Question 4 4. Who sleeps / dreams / acts / is the subject? In deep sleep, senses gather in the mind Overpowered by heat, bliss (6) In activity, 5 breaths = 5 sacrificial fires In dream, (5, p. 284 ) All rest on ātman = puruṣa = akṣara, imperishable: Earth, water, fire, wind space & their elements 5 senses & their objects Organs of sex, excretion, motion, grasping & their objects Mind, intellect, ego, reason & their objects reason cit, light, tejas, & their objects Lifebreath & what it supports Questions 5 & 6 5. What is fruit of meditation on Oṃ? Both lower & higher Brahman A: human world, Ṛg verses A+U: lunar world, Yajus formulas A+U+M: sun, world of Brahman, Sāman chants Beyond: old age, death, fear 6. Person, puruṣa of 16 parts? Lifebreath faith, 5 elements, senses, mind, food [#10] Food strength, austerity, vedic formulas mantras, rites karma, worlds [#15] In worlds name [#16] Merge back into puruṣa = highest Brahman 5

6 Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad Usually first in traditional lists of Ups. Only upaniṣad from saṃhitā Śukla YV, metrical Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā also known as Saṃhitā Up. Theistic? devotional? ritualistic? 6

7 Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad Two rescensions, Mādhyandina & Kāṇva K: 9-11, 12-14, 15, 16, M: 12-14, 9-11, (17), -, ~ BU Demonic Joyless; who kill the self not learned/wise 9 = BU ; = BU Īśā 1-3 1a: Īśā = by the Lord = by Brahman? ātman? 1cd: renunciation? 2: performing works = ritual 100 years = full lifespan smearing off developed further in BG 3: Killing the self literal = suicide / destroying life metaphorical = denying the self contradicts KaU 2.19 (hantā cenmanyate hantuṃ ) Also BG

8 Īśā 4-8: the self 4: not moving / swifter than the mind standing / outpaces runners 5: moves / does not move far away / near at hand within this world / outside it too 6-7: all beings one s self no sorrow, monism 8: reached the seed/śukram the shining, self-existent, all-encompassing Īśā 9-11, : ignorance (avidyā) vs. knowledge/learning (vidyā) 12-14: non-becoming (asambhava) = destruction (14) vs. becoming (sambhava) Undifferentiated prakr ti vs. Creation Analysis vs. Synthesis Beyond death Rebirth? Immortality Relative (being with gods) vs. Absolute 8

9 = BU 5.15 Prayer of ritualist to Pūṣan Īśā related to Sun god (golden dish) escorts dead to world of ancestors 18: Agni Jones paper Vidyā and Avidyā in the ĪU 9

10 Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad From the Atharva Veda, prose No śākhā affiliation Early CE? Shortest Up. only 12 verses usu. accompanied by Gauḍapāda s Kārikas (215 vv) Śaṅkara s teacher s teacher Advaita school Builds on CU (sleeping = entering into oneself) BU (dream, deep sleep) Tied to three syllables of Oṃ 3+1 MāU 1-2 Oṃ = this whole world past, present, future and beyond these 3 times All is this Brahman This ātman is Brahman four quarters 10

11 MāU 3-5: 3 quarters 1. Waking state, Vaiśvānara Universal One externally directed 7 limbs? = sky, sun, wind, space, water, earth, fire 19 mouths? = 5 sense organs, 5 organs of action, 5 breaths, mind, intellect (buddhi), ego, citta Enjoys gross things, i.e., coarse 2. Dream state, Taijasa Brilliant One internally directed 7 limbs, 19 mouths Enjoys refined things, i.e., subtle 3. Deep sleep, Prājña Intelligent One no desires/dreams mass of cognition, bliss MāU 6: Īśvara Ātman is: Lord / knower / womb of all Inner controller Origin & dissolution of beings 11

12 MāU 7: 4 th qtr. Cognitively not inwardly/outwardly/both ways cognitive not mass of cognition not cognitive (prājña), not uncognitive Negatively: unseen, beyond transactions, ungrasped, without marks, unthinkable, indescribable Its essence is knowledge of itself Cessation of phenomenal world Tranquil, auspicious, non-dual/ without a 2 nd / unique Ātman, to be known! Self = Oṃ = a + u + m Phonemes quarters MāU 8-11: Oṃ 9. Vaisvānara = a, first, obtaining all desires 10. Taijasa = u, heightening, intermediate continuity of knowledge, no ignorance of Brahman in lineage, common (samāna) equal/universal 11. Prājña = m, construction, merger 12. Ø, beyond ordinary transaction, cessation of world, auspicious, non-dual One who knows this enters ātman by ātman 12

13 Williams paper Understanding Oṃ, Turīya, and the Three States of Consciousness in the MāU 13