In2-MeC

IBSA (ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Sadhana Asrama), Govardhana, India
1 January 2004

What the Upanisads Teach
Part Three

Brahman is Adhara, the Support of Everything.

Uddhalaka Aruni, a rsi speaking in the sixth adhyaya of Chandogya Upanisad, states that all living entities are san-mulah, rooted in sat, the Supreme Absolute Truth. He furthermore says they are sadayatanah, dwelling in sat, and they are satpratishtah, sheltered in sat only.

When Yajnavalkya Muni tells of Brahman as aksara in Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, he says that the sun, moon, heaven and earth are fixed in their positions by the command of aksara; the measurements of time like moments, hours, days and so on are fixed by the same command. It is stated in the fourth adhyaya of the same upanisad, esa setuh vidharana esam lokanam asambhedaya: "Brahman is a bridge (setu) holding together all the worlds. "

Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra in Their Jagat-Narayana form

Mundaka Upanisad II. 2. 5 declares:

yasmin dyauh prthivi catariksam
otam manah pranasica sarvaih
tamevaikam janatha atmananam
anyo vaco vimuncatha
amrtasy esa setuh

In Him are woven the sky, the earth and outer space, as well as the mind and all the vital airs; know Him alone as the one atman and give up all other talk; He is the bridge to immorality.

It was mentioned in Part One of this series that that Aitreya Upanisad states, prajnanam brahma, "Brahman is great knowledge. " Furthermore it is said,

sarvam tat prajna-netram
prajnane pratisthitam
prajna netro-lokah
prajna pratistha

The great knowledge (of Brahman) is the ground of everything in the universe; it guides the universe; it supports it.

To be continued, starting with Brahman is Antaryami, the Inner Controller

<< Back