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Re: Upanishads: The Mystics of Vedas!
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Re: Upanishads: The Mystics of Vedas!
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From: drai@ix.netcom.com (DHARMBIR RAI)
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Date: 8 Jun 1995 00:24:42 GMT
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From netnews@ix.netcom.com Wed Jun 7 20: 13:48 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Netcom
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References: <3qvdus$rq7@ucunix.san.uc.edu>
In <3qvdus$rq7@ucunix.san.uc.edu> susarla@owlnet.rice.edu (Hari Krishna
Susarla) writes:
>
>In article <3qlfvo$2u4@ucunix.san.uc.edu>,
> Ram Chandran <CHANDRA2%ERS.BITNET@VTBIT.CC.VT.EDU> wrote:
>>
>> The last phase of the Vedic revelation established the most
significantthought process to the philosophy of life through the
Upanishads. The Upanishads come after the Veda and therefore the
philosophy is known as the Vedanta.
>
>That is not correct. Actually, the Upanishads are from the Vedas. They
>constitute jnana-kaanda portion of the Vedas. The only exception is
>Gitopanishad, the Bhagavad-Gita, which appears in the Mahabharata and
is the summary of all the philosophy of the Upanishads.
>
>Respectfully,
>
>-- HKS
>The perception of the Upanishads as the last phase of the Vedas has
different shades and it is difficult to assert the incorrectness of a
specific viewpoint as long as it is within bounds. The Upanishads are
parts of Vedas and are spread all over. Of the eleven major Upanishads
one is from Rigved (Aitareya), five are from Yajurved (Katha, Taitiriya
and Shvetashvatar from Krishna , Ishavasya and Brihadaranyak from
Shukla), two from Samved (Ken and Chhandogya) and three from Atharvaved
(Prashna, Mundak and Mandukya). Some are from Aranyaks, some from
Brahmans and one (Ishavasya) from Samhita. So chronologically they are
not the last parts of vedas. However, in terms of evolution of the
thought process or ‘flowering of thoughts’ they represent the last
phase of the Vedas.
The Samhitas contain generally the hymns and Brahmans are prose
expositions of the hymns describing the rituals and performance of
‘yajnas’ and ‘tapas’. Aranyaks came into existence as a result of an
‘intellectual’ revolt against the ritualistic dominance. Although the
seed of Upanishadic thoughts is found in some early hymns of Rigved
(Nasadiya Sukta 10-129), real metaphysical problems began to be
discussed only in the Aranyak phase when the quest for truth began in
earnest. Since the Vedic literature was compiled by different sages
over a period spanning many centuries, it is not surprising that the
flowering of thoughts occurred at different times in different places.
This accounts for the scatter of the Upanishads over all Vedas. In the
sense of ascendance of knowledge, therefore, the Upanishads represent
the culmination and, hence, the appelation Vedant. In a literal sense
the Upanishads do not constitute the end of Vedas but within the
process of the quest of truth they do represent the pinnacle of the
Vedic literature.
The subsequent literary works consisting of ‘purans’ and the epics
generally attempted to either summarize the ideas of Upanishads or
expound on some of them. Vyas found the right place in the Bhishma
Parva of Mahabharat to give the essence of the Upanishads assimilating
therein some aspects of Samkhya and Yoga philosophies. At some later
date these eighteen chapters were made out as a separate entity as
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. At the end of each chapter in Gita we find “iti
Shrimad Bhagavadgitasu upanishatsu ........” which implies that Gita is
an Upanishad. According to Tilak (Gita Rahasya p. 3) these enunciatory
words are not found in the original Mahabharat. Whatever be the
original intention of Vyas Gita does share the same status in Prasthan
Trayi as the Upanishads and Brahmasutra. But it has been regarded
separate from Upanishads by all the great ‘acharyas’ from Shankar to
Vallabh. Brahma Sutra systematizes the Upanishadic thoughts, Gita
summarizes them.
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