An Introduction to Chhandogya Bhashya (An Old and Rare Book)

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Vedanta is the cream of philosophy. The name Vedanta means 'the purpose of the Veda'. The portions of the Veda which present the purpose, are called the Upanisads. Though there are over a score of works going under that name, it is conventionally and traditionally understood that only sixteen of them are true Vaidika-upanisads. Out of these, only ten have had the gracious privilege of being commented upon by the great Sankara. The Chandogya-upanisad is such a one, treating most comprehensively all the aspects of religious metaphysics. The Mahesh Research Institute has published the text with its Sankarabhasya, Ananda Giri's gloss, and two other commentaries, penned by Narendra puri and Abhinava Narayananandendra Saraswati. The pontiff of the Daksinamurti matha (Varanasi) and the founder president of the Institute, Swami Mahesananda Giri Maharaja, Mahamandalesvara, has been kind enough to bedeck the volume with a masterly introduction. As we found the introduction is itself an informative and critical assessment of the Bhasya and Tikas, logically refuting modern accusations on Vedanta and giving innumerable directives to a research scholar, we decided to publish it as a separate booklet.

The tradition of Vedanta has its source in Lord Sri Daksinamurti who imparted the knowledge to the four kumars, simply by the cinmudra. This mauna-vyakhya (silent discourse) when found too subtle, Sankara's incarnation became necessary, which put into words, the Wordless. Thus the tradition after Sri Sankara has been based on verbal teaching instead of the silent one.

The cinmudra is formed by drawing the right fore-finger away from its neighbouring three upright fingers and joining its tip with that of the thumb. The three upright fingers represent the three states of being-the waking, dream and deep sleep each of them composed of the three principles (represented by the digits) of the enjoyed, enjoyer and enjoyment. The fore finger symbolizes the individual self and the thumb, the Supreme one. The unity of the individual, disassociated with the states, and the Supreme is meaning of this mudra. It has been named thus because it gives the knowledge of the cinmatra, consciousness itself. The said mudra is the symbol of the Supreme Being palpable to Visual perception as the pranava (?) is to the auditory.

The Veda is the fountainhead of Hinduism, more appropriately called Brahma- nism the religion of the ever expansive Divine Being, as compared to Zorastrianism, the religion as preached by Zoraster; Christianity, the religion as preached by Christ; Buddhism, the religion as preached by the Buddha; Jainism, the religion as preached by Jina, and so on and so forth, Brahmanism is so called because it is enunciated in the Brahmana part of the Veda, it is studied and professed by the Brahmana, its goal is the realization of Brahman, and it is devoted to Brahman, The main theme of the Veda is nothing but Brahman. The ideal Hindu is the real Brahmana, that is, who has been able to see Brahman (Divinity) as his true being. The Veda does not exhaust itself in for- mulating a code of conduct or catechism of faith, but leads the soul to Realization, where one is freed from the bondage of all fixed conduct or faith. Thus one can easily see that Hinduism is more a science of Reality rather than a religion as understood by non-Hindus.

THE PLACE OF CHANDOGYA-UPANISAD IN THE VEDA

The Veda is divided into a liturgical portion called the Mantrabhaga, and another the application portion called the Brahmanabhaga, which is again sub-divided into the ritualistic portion (Brahmana), the devotional and meditational portion (Aranyaka), and the theosophical portion (Upanisad). The singer of the Veda is called Chandoga, hence his Brahmana is called the Chandogya Brahmana, whose theosophical portion is presented here. Actually, the Samaveda has come down to us in three recensions: the Kauthuma, the Jaiminiya, and the Ranayaniya. The present Chandogya- Upanisad belongs to the Kauthuma recension, contains eight chapters and is reconed as the sixth among the eight independent Brahmanas of the Samaveda. The theosophical portion of the Jaiminiya recension is the Kenopanisad.