Shvetashvatara Upanishad (श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद्)

Every Veda has four parts namely, Samhita, a number of Brahmanas, Aranyakas and the Upanishads. These four signify the gradual journey of an individual from external karma to internal transformation leading to the Ultimate realization.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Traditionally, there are 108 Upanishads connected with the four Vedas. Out of these, ten are considered to be ancient chronologically and even thematically. According to Swami Harshananda, the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, though not included within the group of the ten Cardinal Upanishads, is deemed so important that it is always placed in the eleventh position. It is considered as ancient as the Mundaka and the Katha Upanishads.

Shvetashvatara Upanishad belongs to the Krishna Yajurveda. Three of its mantras (6.9, 4.5 and 5.8) have been discussed in the Brahmasutras (1.4.11, 1.4.8 and 2.3.22) by Badarayana. The Upanishad begins and concludes with the famous Shanti mantra -

ॐ सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु। सह वीर्यं करवावहै। तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ ॐ saha nāvavatu| saha nau bhunaktu| saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai| tejasvināvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai| ॐ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

Meaning: Om, May He protect us both (teacher and student). May He nourish us both. May we both work together with great energy. May the study of both of us be effective. Let there be no animosity between both of us. Om, peace (in me), peace (in nature), peace (in divine forces). Shvetashvatara is the sage who propagated this Upanishad.

तपःप्रभावाद् देवप्रसादाच्च, ब्रह्म ह श्वेताश्वतरोऽथ विद्वान् । अत्याश्रमिभ्यः परमं पवित्रं, प्रोवाच सम्यगृषिसङ्घजुष्टम् ॥ (6.21) tapaḥ-prabhāvād deva-prasādācca, brahma ha śvetāśvataro'tha vidvān | atyāśramibhyaḥ paramaṃ pavitraṃ, provāca samyag ṛṣi-saṅgha-juṣṭam ||

Meaning: Through the power of austerity and through the grace of the Lord, the sage Shvetashvatara realised Brahman and proclaimed the highly sacred Knowledge, supremely cherished by the company of seers, to sannyasins of the most advanced stage.

विषयविस्तारः ॥ Contents

Shvetashvatara Upanishad has 113 mantras included in six chapters. Chapter One – 16 mantras, Chapter Two – 17 mantras, Chapter Three – 21 mantras, Chapter Four – 22 mantras, Chapter Five – 14 mantras and Chapter Six – 23 mantras.

प्रथमोsध्याय: ॥ Chapter One

The Upanishad begins with the query that what is the cause? Where have we originated from? What is our life support? And where are we placed and by whom? followed by the realized solutions of the Seer.

किं कारणं ब्रह्म कुतः स्म जाता, जीवाम केन क्व च सम्प्रतिष्ठा । (1.1) kiṃ kāraṇaṃ brahma kutaḥ sma jātā, jīvāma kena kva ca sampratiṣṭhā |

Mantras 2 - 5 - Explain the nature of the Universal Substratum.

Mantras 6 - 11 - Mention the method of the liberation an Individual.

Mantra 12 - Nature of Brahman.

Mantras 13 - 16 - Method of Spiritual Practice through Pranava.

द्वितीयोsध्याय: ॥ Chapter Two

Mantras 1 - 11 - Method of Spiritual practice.

Mantras 12 - 14 - Symptoms of the Spiritual practitioner.

Mantra 15 - Nature of Liberation.

Mantras 16 - 17 - Nature of the Integral substratum.

तृतीयोsध्याय: ॥ Chapter Three

Mantras 1, 7, 8, 10, 13 - Who are Amrita (Immortal)?

Mantras 2 - 19 - Nature of the Integral substratum.

Mantras 20 - 21 - Symptoms of the Spiritual Practitioner.

चतुर्थोsध्याय: ॥ Chapter Four

Mantras 1 - 19 - Nature of the Integral substratum.

Mantras 17, 20 - Who are Amrita (Immortal)?

Mantras 21, 22 - Prayer to Rudra.

पंचमोsध्याय: ॥ Chapter Five

Mantras 1 - 12 - Nature of the Integral substratum.

Mantra 6 - Who are Amrita (Immortal)?

Mantras 13 - 14 - Nature of Liberation.

षष्ठोsध्याय: ॥ Chapter Six

Mantras 1 - 19 - Nature of the Integral substratum.

Mantras 13, 20 - Nature of Liberation.

Mantra 21 - Sage Shvetashvatara

Mantras 22, 23 - Qualifications of the recipient of Spiritual Knowledge.

The Upanishad contains some of the famous slogans of Indian culture namely,

शृण्वन्तु विश्वे अमृतस्य पुत्रा आ ये, धामानि दिव्यानि तस्थुः ॥ (2.5) śṛṇvantu viśve amṛtasya putrā ā ye, dhāmāni divyāni tasthuḥ ||

Meaning: May the sons of the Immortal, who occupy celestial positions, hear it!

• स नो बुद्ध्या शुभया संयुनक्तु ॥ (3.4) (4.1) (4.12)

sa no buddhyā śubhayā saṃyunaktu ||

Meaning: May He endow us with clear intellect!

• त्वं स्त्री त्वं पुमानसि, त्वं कुमार उत वा कुमारी । त्वं जीर्णो दण्डेन वञ्चसि, त्वं जातो भवसि विश्वतोमुखः ॥ (4.3)

tvaṃ strī tvaṃ pumānasi, tvaṃ kumāra uta vā kumārī | tvaṃ jīrṇo daṇḍena vañcasi, tvaṃ jāto bhavasi viśvatomukhaḥ ||

Meaning:  You are woman, You are man; You are youth and maiden too. You as an old man totter along on a staff; it is You alone who, when born, assume diverse forms.

• रुद्र यत्ते दक्षिणं मुखं तेन मां पाहि नित्यम् ॥ (4.21)

rudra yatte dakṣiṇaṃ mukhaṃ tena māṃ pāhi nityam ||

Meaning: O Rudra, may Thy benign face protect me forever!

वैशिष्ट्यानि ॥ Unique Features

Shvetashvatara has some special features.

• It has addressed Paramatman (Supreme Self) as Hara (1.10), Rudra (3.2, 3.4, 4.12, 4.21 and 4.22) and Shiva (3.14 and 4.10). However scholars consider them as general names of God and hence do not concede that it is a Shaiva Upanishad.

• The second speciality is its advocacy of bhakti or devotion to God as an important aspect of sadhana.

• The third is giving a definite form to God and considering him as a Person.

• Use of the words Sankhya, Yoga (6.13) and Kapila (5.2) is the next. However, these do not propagate the Sankhya philosophy as described in later philosophical literature.

भाष्याणि ॥ Commentaries

This Upanishad has five commentaries written by Shankara (788 - 820), Vijnanatman (13^th century), Shankarananda (14^th century), Narayanatirtha (18^th century) and Upanishad Brahmayogin (18^th century).

उपसंहार: ॥ Conclusion

The Upanishad concludes by mentioning the criteria of the recipient of this Upanishad.

नाप्रशान्ताय दातव्यं नापुत्रायाशिष्याय वा पुनः ॥ (6.22) nāpraśāntāya dātavyaṃ nāputrāyāśiṣyāya vā punaḥ ||

Meaning: It should not be given to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a son or a disciple. It also adds that the meaning of the Upanishad will shine forth only for those who have the highest devotion for God and for his guru as for God.

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ॥ (6.23) yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ yathā deve tathā gurau | tasyaite kathitā hyarthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ ||