KAIVALYA UPANISHADS

The Kaivalya Upanishad focuses on the individual and the means available to one for the attainment of spiritual liberation, the ultimate goal of the dharmee. An illustrative excerpt:-

To him the Great Father (Brahma) said: know (that supreme knowledge) by faith, devotion, meditation and yoga. Neither by works, nor by offspring, nor by wealth, but only by means of renunciation can the life eternal be attained. Higher than the heaven, hidden in the cave, it shines. Those who make strenuous effort enter into it.

FAQs

Q1. When was Kaivalya Upanishad written?

Commentaries on the Kaivalya Upanishad are written by Sadasiva Brahmendra, Upanishad Brahmayogin (c. 1800 CE) and Osho (1931 – 1990). An incomplete commentary, which includes only the first verse, by Aurobindo was written in 1912 and first published in 1971.

Q2. Is kaivalya a Moksha?

In the Samkhya school of Hinduism, a state of liberation (moksha: literally, “release”) that the consciousness of an individual (purusha: “self” or “soul”) achieves by realizing that it is separate from matter (prakriti).

Q3. What is kaivalya in Jainism?

Kaivalya, also known as Kevala Jnana, means omniscience in Jainism and is roughly translated as complete understanding or supreme wisdom. Kevala jnana is believed to be an intrinsic quality of all souls. This quality is masked by karmic particles that surround the soul.

Q4. Who attended Kaivalya?

Rendering to conventional reports, Mahavira attained Kaivalya (knowledge, or immeasurable information) under an Sāla tree on the bank of the River Rijubalika near Jrimbhikagrama at age 43 after 12 years of severe atonement.

Q5. What is the difference between samadhi and Kaivalya?

Samadhi is the final limb of the Ashtanga Yoga where a yogi becomes one with his nature itself. It is called the ultimate tool of Yoga and not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal of yoga is to attain Kaivalya, which can be referred the highest stage of Samadhi.