A summary
of the teachings of the Vedas is given in one sloka (stanza 11) in Book 12, Section
243.
वेदस्यॊपनिषत
सत्यं सत्यस्यॊपनिषद दमः
दमस्यॊपनिषद दानं दानस्यॊपनिषत तपः
तपसॊपनिषत तयागस तयागस्यॊपनिषत सुखम
सुखस्यॊपनिषत सवर्गः सवर्गस्यॊपनिषच छमः
दमस्यॊपनिषद दानं दानस्यॊपनिषत तपः
तपसॊपनिषत तयागस तयागस्यॊपनिषत सुखम
सुखस्यॊपनिषत सवर्गः सवर्गस्यॊपनिषच छमः
The
secret meaning of Vedas (or the mystery that underlies Vedas) is Satyam or
Ultimate Truth (the Sat Chit Ananda or Brahman)
The
secret that underlies Truth is control of senses
The
secret that underlies control of senses is Charity
The
secret that underlies charity is Penance or Tapas.
The secret that underlies Penance is Renunciation
or letting go
The
secret that underlies Renunciation is Happiness (sukham)
The
secret that underlies Happiness is Heaven (Swarga)
The
secret that underlies Heaven is Tranquility (Śama).
The
section goes on to say that heaven is a lesser target to work towards because one
has to return back to earth from heaven once the virtues have been exhausted.
Heaven is Brahman with attributes. Brahman without attributes can be
experienced only in the state of tranquility, which is the state of yoga, a
state of non-duality, or Samadhi. Taken differently, Brahman has to be realized
with life, during one’s life and one should not get distracted by heaven
etc.
1 comment:
What immense and pointed knowledge in this one "sloka". The essence of the culmination of the philosophy is spelt out here. I will be ruminating on this for a long time.
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