Vedic Upanisads

Expressions researched:
"Vedic Upanisad" |"Vedic Upanisads"

SB Canto 4

The duty of the living entity is to understand his real identity. When he does, Kṛṣṇa gives him all the facilities to come to the platform of devotional service. That is the perfection of life. This is indicated in the Vedic Upaniṣad.

SB 4.31.13, Purport:

The entire cosmic manifestation is but a combination of matter and spirit. The spiritual part is the living entity, and these living entities are described as prakṛti, or energy. The living entity is never described as puruṣa, the Supreme Person; therefore to identify the living entity with the Supreme Lord is simply ignorance. The living entity is the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord, although there is factually no difference between the energy and the energetic. The duty of the living entity is to understand his real identity. When he does, Kṛṣṇa gives him all the facilities to come to the platform of devotional service. That is the perfection of life. This is indicated in the Vedic Upaniṣad:

yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas

tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām

Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.10):

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me." The conclusion is that one must come to the platform of bhakti-yoga, even though one may begin with karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Unless one comes to the platform of bhakti-yoga, self-realization or realization of the Absolute Truth cannot be achieved.

SB Canto 7

As confirmed in the Vedic Upaniṣad, the Paramātmā and the jīvātmā, who are likened to two birds, are sitting in the body.

SB 7.2.47, Purport:

The living entity is bound by the subtle body, consisting of the mind, intelligence and false ego. At the time of death, therefore, the position of the mind becomes the cause for the next body. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 8.6), yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram: at the time of death the mind sets the criteria for the spirit soul's being carried to another type of body. If a living being resists the dictation of the mind and engages the mind in the loving service of the Lord, the mind cannot degrade him. The duty of all human beings, therefore, is to keep the mind always engaged at the lotus feet of the Lord (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18)). When the mind is engaged at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the intelligence is purified, and then the intelligence gets inspiration from the Supersoul (dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam). Thus the living entity makes progress toward liberation from material bondage. The individual living soul is subject to the laws of fruitive activity, but the Supersoul, Paramātmā, is not affected by the fruitive activities of the individual soul. As confirmed in the Vedic Upaniṣad, the Paramātmā and the jīvātmā, who are likened to two birds, are sitting in the body. The jīvātmā is enjoying or suffering by eating the fruits of the bodily activities, but the Paramātmā, who is free from such bondage, witnesses and sanctions the activities of the individual soul as the individual soul desires.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The Vedic Upaniṣad directs that tad-vijñānārtham: "In order to be situated, or in order to learn how to act on the spiritual platform, you must seek out a bona fide spiritual master who can guide you."

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Now, in the beginning you require a guide. Without guide, it is not possible. Anything which you want to learn in the beginning, any art or science, you require a guide. Without guide... Just like a small child, when he begins to walk, he requires the help of his elder brother or sister or father or mother to catch, and one step, one step, one step, one step... But when he begins to walk independently, then he doesn't require any help. Similarly, to learn this art, "Whether I am acting on the spiritual platform or on the material platform," you require a spiritual master, guide. And this is called dvija, or the second birth. When you catch hold of a bona fide spiritual master just to guide you to act on the spiritual platform, then your second life begins. It is called dvija. So this life is so important that one must begin it. One must begin it. There is no alternative. If a man is intelligent enough, if at all he wants to make his life successful, this must he do. That is the injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This abhigacchet is the form of verb which is imperative, "You must." Abhigacchet. This, this form of verb is used when the sense is "You must." So the Vedic Upaniṣad directs that tad-vijñānārtham: "In order to be situated, or in order to learn how to act on the spiritual platform, you must seek out a bona fide spiritual master who can guide you." So Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna has selected Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master. We have already explained that Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna surrendered unto Arjuna (Kṛṣṇa). And Nārada says that "Even after, I mean to say, neglecting..." Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). Now, Nārada says that "If somebody neglects all other duties, all other duties..." Tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Sva-dharmam means every particular man has got some particular form of duty. Every particular man. You have got some duty, I have got some duty, everyone. Nobody is dutiless. Now, Nārada says, "Even sacrificing the so-called duties, if one takes absolutely unto the spiritual life, then he is not loser. He's not loser. On the contrary, one who does not take up this important path and remain engaged in the so-called duties, he's a loser. He's a loser." It is a very important point.

In the Vedic Upaniṣad it is clearly stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the natural law in any society, in any community, in any country, even in the animal society.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Prabhupāda:

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante

tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

mama vartmānuvartante

manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

(BG 4.11)

Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "every man is following My path, indirectly or directly." The supreme position of the Lord is that He is in the supreme absolute position, and every other living being, they are all subordinate. In the Vedic Upaniṣad it is clearly stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the natural law in any society, in any community, in any country, even in the animal society.

If you go to the forest there are societies of different animals: elephant society, tiger society, deer society, jackal society, wolf society. Even in the birds, you'll find, the birds of the same feather flock together. This is the natural way. You'll find that all the pigeons, they flock together, not the crows and the pigeons flock together. The ducks, they flock together. Similarly, this is the natural way, and there... In every group there is a leader.

So the Supreme Lord, He is called in the Vedic literature that He is the supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Nitya means eternal, and nityānām, that means many other eternals. We are many other eternals. Eka, that one eternal... Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are two kinds of eternals. We living entities, we are also eternal, and the Supreme Lord, He is also eternal. So far eternity is concerned, both of us equal on the qualitative nature. He is eternal, and we are eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). He is also all pleasure, and we are also all pleasure because we are all parts and parcel of the same quality. But He is the leader.

Take for example the Upaniṣads, the Vedic Upaniṣads. In the Vedic Upaniṣads it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), this mantra, that "If you want to learn that transcendental subject, then..." First word is that if you are eager to learn that subject.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa is the first spiritual master, and when we become more interested, then we have to go to a physical spiritual master. That is enjoined in the next verse.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Now, Kṛṣṇa advises that "If you want to know that transcendental science, then you just try to approach somebody." Praṇipātena. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena and sevayā. What is praṇipāta? Praṇipāta means surrender. Surrender. You must select a person where you can surrender yourself because nobody likes to surrender to anyone.

We have got... Everyone, we are puffed up with whatever knowledge we have got. Everyone is puffed up: "Oh, who can give me knowledge?" There is regular propaganda that "For spiritual realization there is no need of spiritual master." But so far Vedic literature is concerned, so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, so far Bhāgavata is concerned, so far the Upaniṣads and Vedic literatures are concerned, they do not say. They say that there is need of a spiritual master.

Take for example the Upaniṣads, the Vedic Upaniṣads. In the Vedic Upaniṣads it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), this mantra, that "If you want to learn that transcendental subject, then..." First word is that if you are eager to learn that subject.

From the Vedic Upaniṣads we get this information that two birds are sitting on one tree. The one bird is eating the fruits, and the other bird is simply witness. So witnessing bird is the Supersoul, and the bird which is enjoying and suffering of this material contamination or attachment, that is soul.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- Questions & Answers -- August 14, 1968, New York:

Prabhupāda: Brahman and Supersoul, we have been discussing this morning... Perhaps just we began the verse and you have forgot. Just like myself, I am soul, the spiritual soul. My place is within this heart. Now, in the medical science, they have found it that the heart is the center of all vitality of this body. Modern materialistic science they have found that whatever we are eating, it is going to the stomach and it is being transformed into various types of secretions, and the important secretion is coming to the heart and it is becoming red by coming to the heart. Then again from the heart there are many veins; it is being distributed to different parts of the body. So... But they could not found that where is the point wherefrom this vitality is coming. Wherefrom this vitality is coming? They could not find it. They have localized that here is the source of all energy.

So in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin, fountainhead of everything, and everything what is being produced, it is from Me." Similarly, the soul is a fragmental fractional portion of Kṛṣṇa. So now the modern scientists, they have localized the point wherefrom the energies are coming. Now that point is there, that fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa is there in the heart. That is Brahman. And... But that is fragmental portion. Brahman means this fragmental portion, and the Supreme Brahman... What was that question? Brahman? Supersoul. Supersoul is Kṛṣṇa. Supersoul is Kṛṣṇa, and we..., I am, you are, you are soul, we are jīva, and the Supreme Soul is Kṛṣṇa. This verse the next morning we shall discuss, we came this morning up to that point. We've come up to that verse.

So Supersoul, Supersoul is the Supreme Lord. Supersoul is also there. They are situated together. From the Vedic Upaniṣads we get this information that two birds are sitting on one tree. The one bird is eating the fruits, and the other bird is simply witness. So witnessing bird is the Supersoul, and the bird which is enjoying and suffering of this material contamination or attachment, that is soul. Is it clear?

Devotee (1): You mean actually Kṛṣṇa is in here?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa... Yes. He is in the (indistinct) You are very intelligent. This Supersoul is also partial representation of Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Impersonal Brahman, and Paramātmā... Yad advaita brahma upaniṣadi. Upaniṣadi, in the Upaniṣad, Vedic Upaniṣad, the impersonal Brahman is described.

Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:

According to our different realization, the Absolute Truth is realized in three different features: impersonal Brahman; and localized, all-pervading antaryāmī, Viṣṇu or Paramātmā; and the last word of understanding is Bhagavān.

So impersonal Brahman, nobody can construct any sthānam, place, of the impersonal Brahman, or Paramātmā. Paramātmā has got place everywhere. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ..., sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). So that is the worshipable Deity for the yogis. And impersonal Brahman for the jñānīs. And Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the shelter of both Parabrahman, I mean to say, impersonal Brahman, and Paramātmā... Yad advaita brahma upaniṣadi. Upaniṣadi, in the Upaniṣad, Vedic Upaniṣad, the impersonal Brahman is described. And the yogis, by meditation, they try to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth by seeing the Viṣṇu form, four-handed Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1).

General Lectures

From the Vedic Upaniṣads we can understand that both the Supreme Person, or God, and the individual person are eternal and living entities. The difference is that the supreme living entity, or Supreme Person, maintains all the innumerable living entities.

Press Release -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1968:

The Absolute Truth is first realized as impersonal Brahman, then as localized Supersoul, Paramātmā, and at the end as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-inclusive, or, in other words, Kṛṣṇa is simultaneously Brahman, Paramātmā, and the Personality of Godhead. As such, as every one of us is simultaneously consciousness, soul, and person, this individual person and the Supreme Lord Person are qualitatively one but quantitatively different. Just like the drop of sea water and the vast mass of sea water—both are qualitatively one. The chemical composition of the drop of sea water and that of the mass of sea water are one and the same, but the quantity of salt and other minerals in the whole sea is many, many times greater than the quantity of salt and other minerals contained in the drop of sea water. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement maintains the (sic:) speciality of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. From the Vedic Upaniṣads we can understand that both the Supreme Person, or God, and the individual person are eternal and living entities. The difference is that the supreme living entity, or Supreme Person, maintains all the innumerable living entities. In the Christian way of understanding, the same principle is admitted because in the Bible it is taught that the individual entities should pray to the supreme father for supplying means of maintenance and giving pardon for their sinful activities.

Philosophy Discussions

Yes, the maximum age in this millennium is hundred years, but formerly they used to live for thousand years.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Hayagrīva: He says it's customary to call youth happy and age the sad part of life. This would be true if it were the passions that made a man happy. Youth...

Prabhupāda: Happy, happiness to the modern standard means sense gratification. So that sense gratification continues even in old man. So actually he requires training and acquirement of knowledge. There is a word in Sanskrit, vidya tam (indistinct). One can become old man even without age. That means it is knowledge that is counted, not the age.

Hayagrīva: There's an expression, "The old fool."

Prabhupāda: Old fool, yes.

Hayagrīva: An old goat.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If he is not educated properly, he remains a old fool. Yes.

Hayagrīva: He says, "In one of the Vedic Upaniṣads, the natural length of human life is put down at one hundred years, and I believe this to be right. I have observed, as a matter of fact, that it is only people who exceed the age of ninety who attain euthanasia, who die, that is to say, of no disease, apoplexy, or convulsion, and pass away without agony of any sort. To come to one's end before the age of ninety means to die of disease, in other words, prematurely."

Prabhupāda: Yes, the maximum age in this millennium is hundred years, but formerly they used to live for thousand years. Before that they used to live for ten thousand years, and before that they used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So nowadays we don't think even they are going up to hundred years, even not ninety years.

Hayagrīva: Sixty, sixty-seven.

Prabhupāda: Sixty-seven is the average. The more one becomes sensuous, the duration of life is lessened. That is the law of nature.

Hayagriva: So that's all on Schopenhauer. (end)

Purports to Songs

So Lord Caitanya is trying to wake up all children of māyā, nature's son, to wake up. The similar instruction is in the Vedic Upaniṣad. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata. The advice is that "Everyone should now wake up. They should not sleep under the spell of illusion, material nature. This human form of body must be utilized."

Purport to Jiv Jago -- Columbus, May 20, 1969:

There is one instance of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. When he was in the womb of his mother, their paternal, I mean to say, enemy, Droṇa..., son of Droṇācārya, Aśvatthāmā, he released a weapon called brahmāstra. The brahmāstra could kill even within the womb. So at that time Lord Kṛṣṇa entered and saved the child. The child saw the form of Kṛṣṇa and was remembering. And when the child came out, he was trying to find out where is that form. He was searching after Kṛṣṇa. So the astrologers who were present there, they could understand that this child is seeking something. Therefore his name was given, Parīkṣit. Parīkṣit means one who is trying to test. Parikṣa. Parikṣa means test, examination. So there are many examples, of course, very rare, the child remembers. Generally forgets. So Lord Caitanya is trying to wake up all children of māyā, nature's son, to wake up. The similar instruction is in the Vedic Upaniṣad. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata. The advice is that "Everyone should now wake up. They should not sleep under the spell of illusion, material nature. This human form of body must be utilized." The same thing Lord Caitanya is speaking in ordinary songs, jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole: "All living entities wake up. Don't miss this opportunity." Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra: "How long you shall remain asleep in this way, under the spell of māyā? This is the opportunity. Don't sleep."

Then He says, "You have forgotten. But I have brought one medicine so that..." Just like when a man remains unconscious under some intoxication or snake bite, there are some herbs. If it is put before the nostril and if the patient smells, immediately he gets consciousness. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I have brought also one medicine." Enechi auśādhi māyā nasibaro lagi': "This medicine can dissipate your this forgetfulness under the spell of māyā." Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro. What is that? Hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi: "This is this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You please take it." The idea is that if one simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, his unconscious stage, or sleeping stage under the spell of illusory māyā, will gradually vanish. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).