| The Kaivalya Upanishad
By Jayaram V |
The Living Kaivalya Upanishad
By The Man Who Saw God Face To Face |
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| 1. Then Asvalayana approached the highest Lord (Brahma) | 1. The highest Lord is God Almighty. That is why He is called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: the Lord of the Spirits. |
| and said: teach me O Lord the knowledge of Brahman, the highest, the hidden, which is always venerated by the wise, and by means of which a wise man, cleansing all his sins, reaches the highest. | This is the highest knowledge: that the Almighty is God, Lord and Father. We should be happy to say, “My God, My Lord and My Father.” This is the highest knowledge, and whoever that attains this knowledge become one with God. |
| 2. 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. | 2. The highest knowledge is attained by selflessness, self-knowledge, devotion, faith and meditation. It is not attained by hard work, wealth, connections, fame or honours. |
| Brahma is one of the gods of Trinity created by Iswara to carry out the task of creation. He should not be mistaken with the Brahman of the Upanishads. | God is one. The same God is Trinity. Just as fire has the trinity of heat, flame and light. Each of these can become a consuming fire. And just as water has the trinity of solid, liquid and gas. Any water in one of the three states can also become solid, liquid and gas. So the Holy Trinity is he same God in three different manifestations. Yet, one God. |
| 3. Higher than the heaven, hidden in the cave, it shines. Those who make strenuous effort enter into it. | 3. Light shine sin the darkness means that spirit lives within the flesh. Also, it means that knowledge is hidden by ignorance, just as the truth is concealed by illusion. The heavens are both far and near. The heavens are far unto those who are ignorant and unto those who do not strive to enter. On the contrary, the heavens are very near to those who know the truth and unto those who strive to enter. |
| 4. The ascetics who through renunciation and with pure minds strive to affirm the truths of the Vedanta become liberated in the end because of the supreme state of immortality they attain. | 4. Those who know the truth attain the state of immortality. Life is truth, and truth is everlasting. Whoever knows the truth becomes attains immortality for eternity is continuity. What we call eternity is simply the Eternal Now. You attain immortality by living as a saint. This everybody can attain, even within his environment or house. It is not a must that you have to be a hermit, nun or monk to seek, find, know and practice the truth, which sets free. |
| 5. Seated comfortably in a secluded place, observing purity, keeping the head, the neck and the body in a straight line, leading the final ashrama dharma of his life, controlling all the senses, bowing with devotion to the teacher. | 5. For good meditation, seat comfortably in a secluded place, observe purity, keep the head, the neck and the body in a straight line, control all the senses, and think of God or Holy Spirit. Yoga is good. But not everybody may find it convenient. You can as well lye down or seat in a chair to meditate on God. What works for a person, may not be convenient for another. |
| According to Hindu way of life, there are four ashramas or phases in the life of an individual, namely brahmacharya (the phase of study and celibacy), griahsthashrama (the phase of a householder), vanaprastha (the phase of withdrawal into the forests) and finally sanyasa (the phase of complete renunciation of worldly life). The practice of meditation which is prescribed here is meant for those who have reached the final phase of renunciation and are ready for kaivalya or aloneness. | The four stages in life are: the phase of study and celibacy, the phase of householder, the phase of spirituality and the phase of perfection. The four stages can be well practiced by mediation, within a family household. The easiest for everyone is selflessness – attend to the needs of others without expecting rewards, thanks, praises, persuasion or force. |
| 6. At the center of the lotus of the heart, meditating upon that which is pure, without passion, clear, without sorrow, unthinkable, unmanifest, infinite in form, auspicious, peaceful, eternal and the cause of Brahma. | 6. Train yourself to become like the water in a glass. It is quiet. It is undisturbed. It is peaceful. It is free from the cares and worries of everyday life. It is not complaining. It does not bear grudges. |
| 7. Without a beginning, middle or an end, who is one, all pervading, of blissful consciousness, without form, wonderful, seated with the goddess Uma, the Supreme Lord, the ruler, bearing three eyes, with a blue neck, ever peaceful - by meditating upon Him the sages attain the source of all creation, the witness of all and that which is beyond all darkness. | 7. God has no beginning and has no end. He is one, undivided and yet pervading the entire universe. He is both outside creation and within creation, just as a light bulb is outside the insects that swarm around it, and at the same time, every insect is within the bulb’s ambient light.
God is spirit. He can take any form necessary for a particular purpose, just as we wear different dresses for different occasions. He has only one eye. The eye is spirit, that is also Himself. This eye is all-seeing, sees in all directions at the same time. His eye is like the rays of the sun which pervade all directions at the same time. |
| As in Svetasvatara Upanishad, here also we see clear reference to Lord Siva as the very Brahman. | ... |
| 8. He is Brahma, he is Siva, he is Indra. He is the imperishable, supreme self illumined Lord. He alone is Vishnu. He is the life giving breath. He is time, he is fire, and also the moon. | 8. The universe is filled with one essence, which is Universal Harmony. This harmony is spirit and is Good. Hence, a saint is right to say that God is All-in-All. |
| Siva in the form of iswara is greater than the Trinity and all the gods but at the same time He is also all the gods. This verse explains the truth behind the diversity of divinity and attempts to reconcile the diversity of the Hindu pantheon with the grandeur of the Supreme Brahman. | The same spirit became all things, just the same white light separates into the seven colour rays of the rainbow, which seven colours represent the seven spirits of God. Again, the three primary colurs of the white light (Blue, Red and Yellow), which is also the three primary colours of the rainbow, represent the Holy Trinity. When Blue colour (Divinity) burns (thinks), it becomes Red Hot (Consuming Fire), and the Red Fire turns into Yellow Light (Holy Spirit). Whoever that studies the everyday light of the sun shall know the Holy Spirit, for spirit is light. |
| 9. He alone is all this, all that was and all that will be and eternal. Knowing him one surpasses death. There is no path other than this to liberation. | 9. God alone is all there was, all that are and all that shall be. He created the universe out of Himself, by Himself and for Himself. He has neither beginning nor end. By knowing Him one overcomes death. You are what you know. Therefore, seek to know the truth, and continue to seek until you find. There is no way, other than this, to liberation. Hence, the Spirit is the Way, the Truth and the Life. |
| 10. By seeing the self in all beings, and all beings in the self, one attains the transcendental Brahman, not by any other means. | 10. By seeing the spirit in all beings, and all beings in the spirit, one attains the transcendental knowledge and attains God. This is the way, the truth and the life. |
| 11. With the usual self as the lower portion of the fire stick and the syllable AUM as the upper part of it, by the practice of generating the flame of knowledge, the wise burns all his bondage. | 11. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Therefore, seek spiritual knowledge and wisdom. |
| The reference to pasa in this verse confirms the fact that the Upanishad is familiar with the basic concepts of Saivism. | The truth embraces all true teachings, for each religion is simply a different manifestation of the same God, just as the sectors of a circle represent different parts of the same circle. That is why a true teacher and saviour appears to be a Christian, a Moslem, a hinduist, a Buddhist, etc, all at the same time. That is also why different religions of the world claim every Jesus as their member or devotee. Truth is all embracing. That is why you must by-pass religions and cultures to seek and know the truth. When you know the truth, all confusions shall clear away. |
| 12. That alone becomes the deluded self and staying in the body indulges in actions. In the wakeful state it gets gratification through such enjoyments as women, food and drink. | 12. Everybody is a spirit inside the body (flesh). By consciousness, a person lives as a spirit or like the body.
Those who think that they are the body follow worldly ways of doing things. They become earth-bound at death and cannot ascend to the heavenly kingdoms. They desire women, food and drink. Those who live as spirit, free themselves from the bondage of the world. They delight in peace, quietness, silence, joy, love, harmony, honesty, etc. At death, the soar like an eagle to the bright regions that are heavenly kingdoms. |
| 13. In the dream state, the jiva experiences happiness or sorrow in a make believe world created by his own maya. In deep sleep, when all is absorbed, he experiences sukham (happiness) under the influence of darkness. | 13. … |
| When the jiva is in deep sleep, all his troubles are temporarily suspended because under the influence of tamas he simply becomes ignorant of everything. This ignorance, though for a brief period of time, gives him a little break from the harsher realities of the wakeful state. The sukham that is referred in this verse therefore is not a positive state of mental happiness, but a negative state of temporary respite from the vagaries of the mind. | ... |
| 14. Again the jiva on account of his deeds in previous lives wakes up and sleeps. He takes delight in the three cities. From him springs all diversity. He is the support, bliss, indivisible consciousness and in him alone dissolve the three states. | 14. ... |
| 15. From Him are born the vital breath, mind, all the sense organs, the sky, air, fire, water and the earth, which supports all. | 15. The spirit makes all things possible. The same spirit becomes all things. |
| 16. That which is the supreme Brahman, the self of all, who supports the entire universe, subtler than the subtle, eternal, that alone you are, you are that alone. | 16. The Supreme Being is the Almighty God. He is all. He supports the entire universe by his own will power. He maintains the universe by a small fraction of His power. The same God is one and all. |
| 17. That by which the waking, dream and deep sleep worlds are illumined that Brahman I am. Knowing thus one is freed from all fetters. | 17. The Father is in all and is all. That is why Jesus often says that the Father in Him does His works. This is true of you. But you must spend time in meditation for God to become you and one with you. |
| 18. I am the witness, pure consciousness and Sadasiva (the ever auspicious) and different from whatever that exists in the three worlds as the enjoyer, the enjoyment or the object of enjoyment. | 18. Begin to value all life. For each thing is a different manifestation of spirit. Spirit is the enjoyer, enjoyment and the object of enjoyment. |
| 19. All this is born from me alone. All this is established in me only. And all this does merge with me alone. I am that Brahman without a plural. | 19. God is within all things, centering them, and without all things, controlling them. |
| 20. I am smaller than the atom. So also I am greater than the Universal Self. I am utterly amazing. Ancient. I am the Purusha. The Lord of the golden hue, I am Siva in manifestation. | 20. God is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest. God is amazing. He is the Ancient of Days, the Lord Almighty, the Almighty Father, the Mighty in Battle, the Melody in the Music, the Breeze in the Air, the Swift Wind in the Hurricane, the Calmness in the Tempest, the Coolness in Heat and all. He is the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. |
| 21. I am without hands and feet, but with unthinkable prowess. I see without eyes and hear without ears. I know. I am formless, unknown to any and always pure consciousness. | 21. The spirit is its own hands and feet. Its ability is a extraordinary prowess. The spirit sees without the ordinary eyes, and hears without the ordinary ears. I know. He is not bound to any form. He is unknown to the spiritually ignorant, indolent and dead people. God is always pure consciousness. That is why He often appears as white as snow. White denotes purity, righteousness, peace, goodwill and harmony. |
| 22. From the different Vedas I am the one to be known. I am the author of the Upanishads and the knower of the Vedas. Merit or demerit do not attach to me. I am indestructible, and I am not subject to birth, body, sense or intellect. | 22. I am the one to be known. The author of life and the architect of the universe. Indestructible, invincible and everlasting. Boundless. |
| 23. Earth, water, fire, air, ether I have none. Knowing the true nature of the Supreme Self, the one who dwells in the cave of the heart, without impurities, without duality, the universal witness, free from (the distinction of) being and non being, one attains the being of the Supreme Self. | 23. Earth, water, fire, air and ether, I have all. Yet, I am not bound to any. Knowing the true nature of the Supreme Being, the one (spirit) who dwells in the cave of the heart, without impurities, without duality, the universal witness, free from (the distinction of) being and non being, one attains the Supreme Being. |
| The divine consciousness is above and beyond the physical properties of life which is characterized by the presence of the five elements. Hence the expression that these elements are not present in Him. | ... |
| Theoretically here ends the first part of this Upanishad. But there is no second part. Probably either it is lost to us or its revelation might have been discontinued. At the end of the so called first part however there are two more verses which are described below. Probably they are the later day editions giving the Upanishad a definite Saivite twist. | The divine consciousness is above and beyond the physical properties of life which is characterized by the presence of the seven elements. Hence the expression that these elements are not present in Him, but originate from Him. |
| 24. He who studies Satarudriya becomes purified as fire, becomes pure as air, becomes purified from (the sin of) drinking wine, from killing a Brahmana, from stealing gold, from all deeds and misdeeds. Therefore he should take refuge in the Avimukta. He who is in the final ashrama dharma (the phase of renunciation) of his life should always chant this text at least once. | 24. The spirit spoke in the past. The same spirit is speaking now. The same spirit shall speak in the future. Therefore, the sacred texts (scriptures) keep on growing from time to time. |
| Satarudriyam is a prayer of 100 stanzas from the Taittiriya Samhita of Yajurveda as an invocation to Rudra or Siva. It is considered to be very sacred by the followers of Saivism. Avimukta means that which is free from the need for freedom. It is God who alone can qualify to fit into this description and in the context of this particular verse, it is Lord Siva who is referred. The final ashrama dharma that is referred here is the sanyasa ashram or the phase of renunciation. As we have seen else where, Kaivalya Upanishad is obviously meant for the aged who have renounced the worldly life and awaiting their final journey. | Whoever is steadfast in the studying the scriptures become like God. For the word of God is God Himself. The same word imparts the qualities of God to any one who delights in Him and awakens the nature of God in the person. Only a thing can impart its qualities to another thing, for no one can give what he does not have. A true devotee becomes free fro all evils. In spirit, good and bad cannot co-exist or mix, just as light and darkness are mutually exclusive. Blessed is he who hears, reads or studies the scriptures, for he attains Godliness. |
| 25. By this knowledge comes the destruction of the ocean of births and deaths and therefore thus knowing he attains the fruit of kaivalya (final dissolution.) | 25. The knowledge of the truth destroys the cycle of birth and death, nullifies the hold of illusion, and therefore, the one knowing overcomes the world. |
| The End. | This is not all, for there are still many things, which the Holy Spirit shall teach, from time to time. |