CHAPTER II

RIG VEDIC UPANISADS

37
 CHAPTER – II

RIG VEDIC UPANIṣADS

(Ŗg Veda X, 191-3, 4)

“United be our mind, United be our deliberation

United be our desires, United be our hearts

United be our intentions, Perfect be the union amongst us”

Ŗg Veda

Ŗg Veda is considered as the most ancient among the four Vedas.

S.Radhakrishnan sees Vedas, as the earliest documents of human mind

that we possess0 (S.Radhakrishnan, Indian Philosophy Vol.I, Oxford India

Publications, page 39) Ŗg Veda form the base of the entire Vedic literature.

The word „Ŗk‟ means the laudatory hymn, and collection of laudatory

hymns is the Ŗg Veda. It forms a collection of Sukthas or hymns which are

revealed to various Ŗshis (Seers) at different periods of time.

In Ŗg Veda the Sukthas are generally arranged in accordance with the

gods who are adored in them. Ŗg Veda is considered us a unique

monument, of a long vanished age, with great aesthetic value, contains

38
much that is genuine poetry0 (S.N.Das Gupta, History of Indian Philosophy

Vol.I, Motilal Benarasi Dass publishers Pvt Limited page, 15).

Ŗg Veda is said to have 21 Śākhas. Only 5 are non to the extend.

Shakhala, Baskala, Asvalayana, Sankhayana and Mandukeya 0 (Swami

Harshananda, Holy Scriptures, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras –

600004, page 22). The only Śākha reception of the Ŗg Veda that is extend

now is Sākala Śākha. Currently The Ŗg Veda means Ŗg Veda – Sākala

Samhitā 0. Swami Atma Prajñānanda Saraswati, Nomenclature of Vedas,

D.K.Print world. (P) Ltd., New Delhi 110015, page 27)

There are two types of division of Ŗg Veda. In the first it is divided into

Eight Ashtakas, Each Ashtaka is again subdivided into eight Adhyayās,

and the Adhyāyās into Vargas, containing Mantra. In the second type of

division, the whole Samhitā has been divided into 10 mandalās. The

mandalās are subdivided into Anuvākas, the Anuvākas into Suktās and

Suktās into Mantras. There are 1028, Suktas in 85 Anuvākas.

The topics dealt with in the Ŗg Veda Samhitā fall roughly into three

groups. The first group deals with the dieties like Agni, Indra, Varuna, and

others. The second group is concerned with philosophical Speculations.,

like the origin of the universe and the real nature of human beings. The

third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, was of kings,

eulogy of generosity and so on. ((Swami Harshananda, Holy Scriptures, Sri

Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras – 600004, page 23).

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The Brahmanās , Āranyakas and the Upaniṣads of Ŗg Veda :

Ŗg Vedic Brahmans – Aitareya, Kausitaki.

Ŗg Vedic Āranyakas – Aitareya, Sankhayana

Ŗg Vedic Upaniṣads –Aitareya, Kausitaki

AITAREYA UPANIṣAD

Among the ten Principal Upaniṣads (Daśopaniṣads) the Ŗg Veda owns

only one – the Aitareya Upaniṣad. As in the case of Ŗg Veda, it is difficult

to say how old Aitareya Upaniṣadis. The period of this Upaniṣad is roughly

calculated as 2500 BC1. The Ŗg Veda consist of two Āranyakas namely

Aitareya Āranyaka and Sankhayana Āranyaka. The AitareyaUpaniṣad

forms part of Aitareya Āranyaka. The four to six chapters of the second

Āranyaka of Aitareya Āranyaka is known as Aitareya Upaniṣad. Aitareya

Upaniṣad is one among the ten or twelve Upaniṣads which is considered

most important. The Upaniṣad is named after its „Seer‟ Mah īdāsa Aitareya.

In Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is mentioned that Mah īdāsa Aitareya lived upto

116 years2. Madhwa Acharya says that Mah īdāsa was the son of Vishāla

and he was the „Avathāra‟ of Sree Narayana. Sayana Acharya, the well-

known commentator of Vedas says that Aitareya was the son of „Itara‟. It‟s

said that he accepted „Earth‟ as his Guru and came to be known as

Mah īdāsa Aitareya (Mah īdāsa means disciple of Earth).

40
There are 23 Mantras in the first chapter which is divided into three sub

chapters. In this chapter the Upaniṣad symbolically portrays how this world

of diversity came into existence from the undifferentiated fundamental

principle. The second chapter with a single sub chapter contains only six

Mantras. It deals with the transmigratory experience of Jiva. The third

chapter consists only of four Mantras. It contains profound thoughts for

spiritual aspirants for attaining realization. “ ”

The Mahavakya

The Mahavakya “ ”( „Prañānam Brahma‟ ) comes in Aitareya

Upaniṣad as the third mantra of the third chapter.

The Speech and Mind

Every Upaniṣad begins with some kind of invocation, which is

expressed through Śānti Mantra (Chanting for peace). The Śānti Mantra

present in Aitareya Upaniṣad runs as follows.

“Let my speech be fixed in my mind. Let my mind be fixed in my speech.

Let what I seek get realized to me. Let the wisdom of Vedas come to me.

41
Whatever wisdom came to me let that never leave me. Whatever came to

me let me be with it day and night. Let my speech be in synchronization

with the cosmic order. Let me be truthful in all my utterances. May That

protect me, may That protect my teacher, may That protect me, May That

protect my teacher, May That protect my teacher”.

This Mantra is seen to be included as the last Mantra of the Upaniṣad by

certain publishers3

Here the first line of the Mantra implies the unity of mind and speech. The

correspondence of mind to articulation as well as articulation to mind is

highlighted implying a total unity of thinking and speaking. The power

behind the speech is identified as mind.

Mind and its origin

The Aitareya Upaniṣad begins with statement “Ātmā vā idam eka evāgra

āsīt”. That is in the beginning all this was the Ātman – just one. “Unique to

Indian tradition and ethos is the concept of Ātman. Its implication is so vast

that it remains as an integral part of Indian thinking-classical and folk4”.

S.N.Das Gupta in his work „A history of Indian Philosophy‟ analyzes the

evolution of the meaning of the world Ātman in Vedic literature. “Thus we

find that in the pre Upaniṣad Vedic literature Ātman probably was first used

to denote “Vital Breath” in man, then the Self in of the world, and then the

Self in man. It is from this last stage that we find the traces of a growing

tendency to looking at the Self of man as the omnipresent supreme

42
principle of the universe, the knowledge of which makes a man sinless and

pure5”. In Āranyakas and Upaniṣad we see that Ātman is meant as the

supreme essence in man as well as in the universe, which brought forth

the great „Ātman doctrine‟ in Indian Philosophy. Then the Upaniṣad gives a

description on creation here in the opening statement the supreme

consciousness is called Ātman6 that assumes plurality of things and gets

manifested as the material universe. From Ātman came the space and

from space other factors were created successively. We can see a similar

expression in Bṛhadāranyaka Upaniṣad also.

“ ”( Bṛhadāranyaka Upaniṣad 1,4,11)

„In the beginning all these was Brahman, just one‟. In Vedantic literature

the supreme reality is known as Brahman at the macro cosmic level and

Ātman or Self at the micro cosmic level. Here in these Mantras the world

Ātman and Brahman is used in the meaning „Absolute reality‟.

Mind Matters

In the fourth Mantra we see how mind gets manifest within a series of

successive creation. After creating the worlds of experience (Lokās) the

Cosmic Person came into being. Then the creation of cosmos-

“ 

43
 
”(AU1,1,4)

“The Cosmic Puruṣa did „tapas‟. When the „tapas‟ reached in optimum

level, a mouth broke out of him like an egg. From the mouth came speech,

from speech fire came into existence. Nostrils broke out. From the Nostrils

came breath air. Eyes broke out, from the eyes came sight. From sight,

the sun. Ears broke out. From ears came hearing, from hearing came

directions. A skin broke out. From the skin came the body hairs, from the

body hairs came the plants and trees. A heart broke out. From the heart

came mind, from the mind the moon. A navel broke out. From the navel

came Apana (The lower breath); from the lower breath came death. Then

the genital organs broke out. From genitals came seed, from seed came

the waters”.

Here the usage (as an egg) is striking. Here

Puruṣa apparently corresponds to the egg, the sense organs to cracks

appearing in the shell, and senses themselves to the chicks7. Tapas,

indicating the process initiating manifestation, are explained through its

analogy with egg. The process of tapas is compared with that of a bird

brooding its egg. This makes the whole evolution an inevitable organic

process. “In Sanskrit this ardent one pointed, Self-transcending passion is

called Tapas, and the Vedas revere it as and unsurpassable creative force.

44
From the Tapas of God, the Ŗg Veda says, this cosmos itself was born8.

The word „tapas‟ occurs twice in the Aitareya Upaniṣad and several times

in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad with this meaning. The Aitareya Upaniṣad

actually explains the cosmos from the perspective of human existence.

The Upaniṣad derives a methodology of a distinct hermeneutics of the

cosmos. It creates a distinction between Samashti Puruṣa (cosmic person)

in macro cosmos level and Veshti Puruṣa (the individual) in micro cosmic

level. The Upaniṣad describes allegorically how each aspect in the cosmos

came into existence. It brings fourth the idea that creation is impossible

without differentiation.

The Cosmic Mind

The concept of cosmic mind or the mind of cosmic individual is discussed

in the fourth Mantra of Aitareya Upaniṣad. It‟s said that a heart broke out

and from the heart came the mind and from the mind moon came into

existence. Actually this Mantra reminds us the well-known Vedic hymn

„Puruṣa Suktha‟ which we see in Ŗg Veda Samhitā (10,7,90-1 to16)

Taittirīya Samhitā (3,12,13) Sāma Veda Samhitā (6,4) and Atarva Veda

Samhitā (19,6). The creation of world from the cosmic Puruṣa is one

among the theories of creation which we see in Upaniṣad corpus9. The

theory describes the way the cosmos sprout out from the cosmic person.

Each and everything including mind is but a projection from the cosmic

person when the urge within the body of the cosmic Puruṣa reached its

zenith.

45
It is said in the Mantra that the cosmic mind emerged from Hridayakasha

(the space within the heart). It‟s clear that here „heart‟ is not used in its

biological meaning. It‟s almost sure that the space of emotional experience

is implied here. From the world of emotional experience the instrument for

its processing and preserving came into being as „mind‟.

“The Vedic word Hṛd (heart) is frequently associated with Manas (mind)

and there are numerous references to mind being located in the heart in

Vedic Texts…. S.K.R.Rao (1962) notes that Manas is used in association

with Hṛd. It represents the stirred up state of the individual and it is

identified as the source of all voluntary, the irrational and normally

uncontrolled psychological process such as desires and urges, emotions

and moods – in general the affective aspect of human nature10”.

In ChāndogyaUpaniṣad VIII,3,3, the world „hridayam‟ is analysed

etymologically. The Upaniṣad says that the Self is in the heart and derives

the word hṛdayam from „hṛdy‟ and „ayam‟ which means – „this is in the

heart‟11 (hṛdy – in the heart, ayam - this)

From one to many

As noted earlier the Upaniṣad maintains a sequential order when the

singularity itself comes to be the world of plurality. First the functional

centres (adiṣṭhana) of cosmic person get manifest, then the organs

46
(sensory and motor) and corresponding to each organ its Devata (energy

forms) came to existence. So the order is as,

Functional centres Organs Devatās.

Thirst and Hunger

It is said in the Upaniṣad that Devatās fell into the vast ocean of Samsāra

(world) and were afflicted with hunger and thirst. So they asked the cosmic

Puruṣa to provide them proper locos (AU 1,2,1) so that their wants can be

properly met with. The words hunger and thirst is also not used in its direct

meaning alone. It may stand for all kind of wants and those urges that

generate wants. First, a cow and then a horse were made for the Devatās

to reside and quench their wants. But they were not satisfied. Then a man

who was conforming to the features of the cosmic person was made. The

Devatās were delighted. They said, „well done‟. A man is something „well

done‟. “ ”. As they were asked, Devatās or energy forms

entered into and occupied their own fields of activities.

The Upaniṣad seems to consider human beings (homo sapiens) as the

most advanced species in the biological world in the process of creation.

The elegant creation in which all principles of Virat Puruṣa (cosmic person)

got manifest was the human being. What is indicated here is that the sense

organs and motor organs including mind and intellect functions is used at

its best in human beings.

47
Mind in the Microcosm

Whatever evolved from the cosmic Puruṣa re-entered in a reverse

sequential order in to the individual man.

”. (AU 1,2,4)

“Fire identified itself with organ of speech and entered the mouth. Air

entered into nostrils as it had the quality to smell, sun having become the

sight entered into the eyes, the direction entered into the ears as they have

a quality of hearing, trees and hearts entered into the skin, moon having

become the mind entered into the heart, death the outer breath entered

into the navel and water which bore the seed entered into generative

organs”.

The Upaniṣad says that the Devatās entered into human being with full

satisfaction. This suggests that only the human mind possesses infinite

potential to develop and evolve. Then hunger and thirst asked for proper

abodes and the Absolute consoled them saying that they would share their

place with deities presiding the sense organs. The desire for enjoying the

world is denoted here as hunger and thirst.

48
Seizure of Food

Food was created to consume it. It had to be seized. The verses (I, II, 3-9)

describe the chase made by the sense organs, mind and the vital air to

catch the food mass. The speech, the breath, the eyes, the ears, the skin,

everybody tried and didn‟t succeed. Then came the turn of mind.

The mind wanted to take the food. The mind also could not succeed in

taking it up. If one had succeeded in taking it up with the mind, then the

mere thought of food would have satisfied man12. Here the distinctive

functions of sense organs and mind are reinforced. That even though mind

and sense organs get weakened if a person starves, it is not the function of

any other than Apana (a form of life principle, Prāna) to catch and digest it

so that each and every organs get energy.

The food which was created from water was tied to get seized by the

genital organs. But it could not! Apana, a form of Prāna which functions in

downward directions, whose deity is none other than death tried to catch

the food and actually thought it. Apana is the force that pushes the food

insides and excretes the remaining worlds outside. That is why the primal

food is shown to be caught by Apana for the sustenance of life. The form of

Prāna that will sustain life food (Annāyu) is Apana. „Apana is the force of

digestion which also careers away the bodies waste products, presumably

why it was the only one with which the Puruṣa seized the primal food.13 It

can be inferred also that the functions of each sense organs were decided

and fixed through such life experiments.

49
The last chapter of Aitareya Upaniṣad deals with the integrating aspect of

the ultimate reality. The earlier chapter explained that the supreme

consciousness which alone existed became manifest in different forms.

The macrocosmic individual became the microcosmic individuals. The

supreme consciousness itself entered into the microcosmic individuals as

the witness. Verse III,1,1 of Aitareya Upaniṣad puts forward the questions.

“  ”(AU 3, 1)

Who is the Ātman

Whom do we worship? Which one is the Self? Here the Upaniṣad explores
the nature of Self –

”(AU 3,1)
“By one whom one sees, by whom one hears, by whom one smells, by

whom one utter speech, by whom one taste”. S.K.Kiran Kumar in his

detailed essay „Indian Thought and Tradition – a psycho historical

perspective‟ remarks – “Ātman on the other hand is understood as the

fundamental principle of the Universe in the Upaniṣad, which represents

both awareness and energy. Even mental functions are all considered

modifications of Ātman only (Aitareya Upaniṣad Chapter 3 sloka 1 to 4). It

is important to realise that a single principle is upheld as governing

everything. Ātman, Jiva, and all mental activities are viewed as

manifestation of Brahman alone in different functional ways”.14 The

50
Upaniṣad highlights Self-effulgent knowledge. The verse III, 1,2gives an

exhaustive list of the world within the human being, which ultimately forms

the names for consciousness

“It is heart, its mind….”

“ (AU 3,2)

The identification of Self with heart and mind is seen here. Irrespective of

the inner meanings given by the interpreters the very verse can be seen as

derivation on the basis of perpetual watching and an intimate observation

of the inner word.

The list of mental activities stated in the same verse draws our attention
again.

”(AU 3, 2).

As Valerie J. Roebuck observes “it‟s not clear how far the seer is being

systematic above the different kinds of mental activities listed. The first

four are all forms of the verb jna, to know, modified by different prefixes

sam (samjñāna), a (aajñāna),vi (vijñāna) and pra (prajñāna). Medha,

whose underlying meaning seems to be „one of strength‟, hence mental

power. Drishti, Drithi, Mathi – these three are all abstract nouns expressing

the actions of verbs. Drishti from Dris (to see) Dhriti from Dhr (to bear) and

Mathi from Man (to think).Juti is from Ju (to hurry) Smrithi is from Smr (to

remember). The list concludes with aspects like Sankalpa, Kritu, Kama,

51
Vasa, Asu. Asu „life‟ is the odd one in the list which is no way an aspect of

mental activity.15

It is in the climax of this discussion in Mantra (III, 1,3) that the Upaniṣad

declares „Consciousness is Brahman‟.“ ”(AU 3, 3) In Maha

Vakyas, Pranjanam Brahma which is known as Lakshana Vakya gives

philosophical meanings for the search of mind in Indian philosophical

tradition.

The Aitareya Upaniṣad draws our attention right from the invocation itself,

which calls for the co-ordination of speech and mind. Thought becomes the

power that triggers the process of creation. The pre-supposition of a

cosmic mind or cosmic intelligent behind creation comes to be the next

matter of interest in the way of inquiry. But the dualism of creator and

created cannot be seen here. From Tapas (dedicated and intense activity

initiating manifestation) the heart gets formed and from the heart mind

bursts out. We see that whatever broke out fell into the great ocean of the

world with hunger and thirst. The sense organs and mind re-entered the

individual man for the proper gratification of their wants. By

accommodating hunger and thirst with each functional energies, the

individual will always be in want and he will be never contented. They are

impelled to work and they cannot remain lazy. Having evolved as a

complicated and specialised form with distinctive area of this functioning,

the functional energies entered into respective abodes. The sense faculties

enjoyed their abodes.

Upaniṣad. The whole narration on the evolution of cosmos is made

possible through a symbol of an archetype human being. The concept of

cosmic egg and the formation of sense organs as cracks appearing in the

shell due to a process like that of a bird brooding its egg is poetical as well

as philosophical. The declaration „man is something well done‟ by the

deities presiding sensory organs, motor organs and mind implies that in the

evolutionary ladder, the fully developed anthakarana (psychic apparatus) is

seen in human species. The statement that Self is the mind and Self is the

heart proves the importance given to mind and its activities by the

Upaniṣad seer. Here Samaṣti Puruṣa is the primal cosmic being which is a

complete whole in an undifferentiated state. The relationship of human

being with the cosmic being we see in the Upaniṣad reveals that Indian

Philosophical tradition since the Vedic times conceives an idea of holistic

interdependence in the manifested universe at all levels.

Mind and Moon

The moon comes out from the mind of cosmic Puruṣa and the moon

entered as mind into the heart of Vyasti Puruṣa (individual man). Mind‟s

relation to moon is an interesting matter. Moon shines when the light of sun

gets reflected on it and according to Vedanta mind gets activated when the

light of Self falls upon it.

53
As we know time is conceived by mind. The moon also suggests the

passage of time (full moon to new moon) and periodicity, which is found

everywhere in nature. “Everywhere we find nature working in cycles,

smaller cycles within larger cycles…. The human body, the day, the

season, civilisations-in fact all natural phenomena are subject to these

cyclic changes accompanied by waxing and waning are also symbolised

by the phases of moon”.16

According to Yoga philosophy the mind ceases to exist through the

cessation of its modification ( ).17 Which again

reminds the waxing and waning of mind like that of moon.

The expression „lunatic‟ directly implies the lunar effect on mental illness.

Some other illness like Asthma is also somehow related to moon. Certain

animals exhibit mating tenancies nearing the time of full moon. The

scientificity of these instances is not properly proved yet. It is well known

that high tides and low tides are proofs of the attraction of Moon on earth.

Moon is also known as Oushathīsha (Governor of plants). Jyothisha sees

moon as Manokāraka (the maker of mind).In short, Moon when used as

the natural symbol manifest mind in a mysterious manner on account of

some hidden natural relation between the two.

54
REFERENCE

1. Swami Harshananda, The concise encyclopaedia of Hinduism vol.1

page.68 , Ramakrishna Mutt, Bangalore.

2. ChāndogyaUpaniṣad(III, 6, 7)

3. AitareyaUpaniṣad, commentary by Mridananda, Sree Ramakrishna

Asramam, Puranattukara, Thrissur.

4. Hand book of Indian Psychology, page.47

5. S.N.Das Gupta, A history of Indian Philosophy, Mothilal

Banarassidas Publishers Private Ltd., Delhi. page.26

6. Krishnamoorthy S, Universe and man 2002, page 29

7. Valero Roebuck , The Upaniṣads 2000, page 261, Penguin books,

India

8. Ekanath Easwaran, The Upaniṣads, 2011, page 34, Jaico Publishing

house, Mumbai. 400001

9. Swami Harshananda, The concise encyclopaedia of Hinduism vol.1

page.72, Ramakrishna Mutt, Banglore.

10. Hand book of Indian Psychology, Page 44

11. Valero Roebuck , The Upaniṣads 2000, page 227, Penguin books,

India

55
12. Krishnamoorthy S, Universe and man 2002, page 78

13. Valero Roebuck , The Upaniṣads 2000, page 261, Penguin books,

India.

14. Hand book of Indian Psychology – edited, Cambridge University

press India Pvt. Ltd, Page – 47

15. Valerie J. Roebuck, TheUpaniṣads, Penguin Books, New Delhi,

Page 268.

16. I.K Taimni, An Introduction to Hindu Symbolism 1997, page 49, The

Theosophical Publishing House, Adayar, Chennai.

17. Patanjali Yogasuthra 1, 1

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