Miscellaneous - Religion   

Enquiry into the Self

CHENNAI: Knowledge of the Self (Brahman, Atman) is described in the scriptures as supreme as it removes ignorance, which is the cause of bondage. The Upanishads, which deal with Self-knowledge, classify all other knowledge (Vidya) as relative. Study is considered incomplete until the student learns Brahmavidya.

The Chandogya Upanishad story of how Aruni taught spiritual knowledge to his son Svetaketu is an oft-cited one both for its elaborate teaching, and also because one of the important aphorisms (Mahavakya) declaring the identity of the individual Self and the Absolute occurs in this. Anxious that his son Svetaketu had not embarked on the study of scriptures till the age of 12 due to his absence Aruni sent him to a Gurukula. After learning the Vedas for 12 years Svetaketu returned home but his very demeanour seemed haughty for he was now a learned man.

In order to drive home that education should instead make one modest, and not conceited like he had become, Aruni asked him, “Did you ask about that instruction through which the unheard of becomes heard, the unthought-of becomes thought of, the unknown becomes known?” Svetaketu became curious because he had not learnt such a discipline and he requested his father to teach him. Explaining the relationship between cause and effect through examples, Aruni started explaining how Self-enquiry must be undertaken said Sri R.Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in his discourse.

After listening to the teaching Svetaketu, who had still not grasped the importance of humility, and fearing that he would be sent away again remarked, “Those venerable teachers did not certainly know this. For, if they had known this, why would they not have told me? May yourself, venerable sir, tell me that…” Aruni then continued his instruction declaring, “In the beginning there was Existence (Sat) alone, One only, without a second.” Then he proceeded to explain how creation proceeded from Sat and the manifold universe came into being, and finally stated that which was the subtle essence of all was the Self, the truth. Then he told him, “Thou (Atman) are That (Brahman), Svetaketu.”

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