The Kāṭhakopanishad (1.2.23) carries an important message
nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ
na medhayā na bahunā śṛtena |
yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām ||
Meaning:
ayam ātmā na pravacanena labhyaḥ - This soul (brahman) is not attained by lecturing.
ayam ātmā na medhayā labhyaḥ - This brahman is not attained by mental processes such as analytical thoughts or meditation or even artificial devotion
ayam ātmā na bahunā śṛtena labhyaḥ - This brahman is not attained by listening to/learning various subjects
eṣa ātmā yam vṛṇute tena eva labhyaḥ - Only she attains the brahman whom the brahman loves
eṣa ātmā tasya svām tanum vivṛṇute - To her, the brahman reveals His true transcendental form
(yes, in the english version I converted he/him to she/her :) )
nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ
na medhayā na bahunā śṛtena |
yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām ||
Meaning:
ayam ātmā na pravacanena labhyaḥ - This soul (brahman) is not attained by lecturing.
ayam ātmā na medhayā labhyaḥ - This brahman is not attained by mental processes such as analytical thoughts or meditation or even artificial devotion
ayam ātmā na bahunā śṛtena labhyaḥ - This brahman is not attained by listening to/learning various subjects
eṣa ātmā yam vṛṇute tena eva labhyaḥ - Only she attains the brahman whom the brahman loves
eṣa ātmā tasya svām tanum vivṛṇute - To her, the brahman reveals His true transcendental form
(yes, in the english version I converted he/him to she/her :) )
Purport:
Looking around for realization of truth or spiritual comfort? You will only find people lecturing - this is brahman, that is brahman, etc. Or you will find them recommending various meditations. Or you will find people who analyze things "rationally" and "logically". You will find people reading lots of material dealing with various subjects. Can the Brahman (Atman/Krishna) be obtained by all this?
The sagacious upanishad says "No! No!". Svami Alavandar (Yamunacharya), a great acharya and champion of Bhagavata school says, "O Lord! You are beyond the scope of the mind. (because) Your sovereignty and mastery are limitless."
Even I am His property. He owns me, my senses, my mind, my thoughts, my actions, the fruits of my actions. (I can't even say "my".) Limitless is His sovereign mastery. It is impossible for us to realize Him. This is not a negative sentiment. It is the reality of the world. We cannot act even on small mundane things as we desire or will. So, dreaming that I am all powerful and all grasping is nothing more than fooling oneself. The scripture also says, "From whom the words return along with the mind, unable to grasp!" A bucket may be of the best design, but you cannot empty the ocean with it.
Then, is all lost? :(
Can we never know the Brahman?
The upanishad whispers in my ear, "Don't worry. You shouldn't be worrying at all. You are part of His glory, and it is His worry, if at all, to rescue you. You need not struggle through rituals, texts, logic, etc. If He loves you, He will reveal His transcendental form to you and you can attain Him."
Krishna is the Lord of the universe. He is not some mechanical clock or bank to have a "If I do this, He will give me that" kind of relationship. Our relationship is much deeper than that. I may be a miniscule being, a small soul, but He and I have an unbreakable bond. Goddess/Saintess Andal says, "Govinda! Our relationship can never be destroyed." You cannot remove light from a lamp. You cannot remove the red from a rose.
Then, is all lost? :(
Can we never know the Brahman?
The upanishad whispers in my ear, "Don't worry. You shouldn't be worrying at all. You are part of His glory, and it is His worry, if at all, to rescue you. You need not struggle through rituals, texts, logic, etc. If He loves you, He will reveal His transcendental form to you and you can attain Him."
Krishna is the Lord of the universe. He is not some mechanical clock or bank to have a "If I do this, He will give me that" kind of relationship. Our relationship is much deeper than that. I may be a miniscule being, a small soul, but He and I have an unbreakable bond. Goddess/Saintess Andal says, "Govinda! Our relationship can never be destroyed." You cannot remove light from a lamp. You cannot remove the red from a rose.
When He pleases so, He will, of His own accord, reveal Himself in all His glory to me. Neither am I exactly the Brahman Himself nor am I a total stranger to Him. If I become the object of His love, I will see Him. Whatever was seen until then will become invisible and what I see then will be seen forever. The one self of all universe, Vishnu will fill my senses, mind and soul. He will show His beautiful lotus eyes and win over my heart.
The same Svami Yamunacharya continues, "O Lord! You are also well within the scope of the mind. (because) You are the ocean of endless mercy."
I am also reminded of the words of Svami Arulala Perumal Emperumanar, "A pure devotee submits to the Lord and await His grace as a cadaka bird abandons all quest for water and awaits the rain."
Until the divine grace of Krishna descends upon a devotee, He cannot be known, He cannot be expressed in simple words. There is no use arguing and reasoning. Doing all this will only heighten my arrogance and I will wander confused. But when I submit to my Lord and await His love, it is certain that the enchanter of Gopikas will come to steal my heart.
[ The pure monistic interpretation is not very convincing for this verse. Saying that the soul can be known only by itself does not appear to be the purpose of this verse because it does not suit the choice and use of words in this verse. Even if it is preached so, in practise we do find the same people recommending various meditations to realize the soul which openly militates against the stated purport of the verse. Since, the direct meaning respecting the choice and use of words is fulfilling in itself, I have not factored in the interpretation of the monists. ]
The same Svami Yamunacharya continues, "O Lord! You are also well within the scope of the mind. (because) You are the ocean of endless mercy."
I am also reminded of the words of Svami Arulala Perumal Emperumanar, "A pure devotee submits to the Lord and await His grace as a cadaka bird abandons all quest for water and awaits the rain."
Until the divine grace of Krishna descends upon a devotee, He cannot be known, He cannot be expressed in simple words. There is no use arguing and reasoning. Doing all this will only heighten my arrogance and I will wander confused. But when I submit to my Lord and await His love, it is certain that the enchanter of Gopikas will come to steal my heart.
[ The pure monistic interpretation is not very convincing for this verse. Saying that the soul can be known only by itself does not appear to be the purpose of this verse because it does not suit the choice and use of words in this verse. Even if it is preached so, in practise we do find the same people recommending various meditations to realize the soul which openly militates against the stated purport of the verse. Since, the direct meaning respecting the choice and use of words is fulfilling in itself, I have not factored in the interpretation of the monists. ]
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