How can we understand the Upaniṣads?
Often we have the idea that the Upaniṣads may not be relevant for us, as Vaishnavas, or even that they support the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth, but this is not true.
Often, we have the idea that the Upaniṣads may not be relevant for us, as Vaishnavas, or even that they support the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth, but this is not true.
Of course, compared to the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita, the Upaniṣads are considered secondary, because they contain knowledge that describe the absolute truth in a more indirect way, contrasted with the Srimad Bhagavatam which directly describes the pastimes of the Lord and clearly defines the ultimate goal of life as devotional service unto Him. On the other hand, the Upaniṣads are important because they give us the philosophical basis that sustains the conclusions of the Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, which are important both for properly anchoring our philosophical understanding of the scriptures and when talking to others. No scholar will take seriously someone who has no good basis on the Upanisads. We may quote all verses we want from the Bhagavatam, but we will still be considered ignorant sentimentalists. When however we can anchor the conclusions of the Srimad Bhagavatam in proper verses and passages of the Upaniṣads, the presentation becomes powerful. We can see that Prabhupada extensively quotes from different Upaniṣads, just as other previous ācāryas. This is not just for show, he really studied these books deeply.
It is also not true that the Upaniṣads support the impersonal view of the absolute truth. We get this impression when we study translations and commentaries made by Mayavadis (which are the majority, unfortunately), but when properly explained, the Upaniṣads directly describe the personal aspect of the Lord and establish devotional service to Him as the ultimate goal, just as the Bhagavad-Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. You can see examples in my commentaries on the Taittirīya Upaniṣad and Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad.
The difficulty is that the Upaniṣads are parts of the original Vedas, and thus the language is more difficult, and the concepts more abstract. Different from books like the Mahabharata or Ramayana, the Upaniṣads were written to be studied in the company of the spiritual master, receiving explanations, asking questions, and so on. Just being a Sanskrit scholar is not sufficient.
Unfortunately, not many of us have the opportunity to hear directly from a self-realized soul, but there is another process that can also work. This is based on Jiva Goswami's suggestions in the Sat Sandharbas. To understand the Upaniṣads, we should start by studying the Vedanta-sutra, which has the conclusions of the Upaniṣads. To understand the Vedanta-sutra, we should study the Govinda Bhasya of Srila Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, who explains everything according to the Vaiṣnava perspective.
However, the Govinda Bhasya is not an easy book. To understand it, we need to have a very good grasp of the philosophy, understand the references, and draw the correct conclusions. To get that, we need to study the books of Srila Prabhupada very carefully.
When we understand the conclusions, examples, and references Prabhupada gives in his books, especially the Srimad Bhagavatam, we can understand well the Govinda Bhasya, and from there we may venture into trying to understand the Upaniṣads.
This is an example of a passage from the Taittirīya Upanisad that speaks clearly about a personal God, who is the controller of multiple potencies and the source of ultimate bliss. Practically all the passages of the Upaniṣads, when properly interpreted, bring similar conclusions.
—
"If one thinks that Brahman (the ānanda-maya puruṣa) doesn't exist, he remains in illusion, identifying with the body, life after life in the cycle of birth and death. One who sees Brahman as existing revives his eternal spiritual nature and becomes peaceful. The Self of the ānanda-maya puruṣa is the Lord Himself; there is no difference between His body and His soul. He is also the Self of the previous puruṣas, the vijñāna-maya, mano-maya, and prāṇa-maya.
Doesn't a wise man go to the spiritual world after leaving this world? Doesn't a wise man associate with the blissful Lord in that world after leaving this world?
The Lord desired, "May I become many! May I produce offspring!" After deliberating in this way, He created the material universes and whatever exists. Having created the universes, He entered into each of them. Having entered, he became the conscious and unconscious entities, the definable and undefinable, the shelter and the sheltered, the knowledge and ignorance, truth and falsehood. The sages who see things as they are declare that whatever exists is the Lord.
In the beginning, the creation was non-existent. It was not yet defined by forms and names. From this unmanifest was born whatever exists. The Lord created it, therefore He is called Atman. When one understands the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of pleasure, Kṛṣṇa, he truly becomes transcendentally blissful. A living entity becomes established in spiritual, blissful life when he fully understands that his happiness depends on spiritual self-realization, which is the basic principle of ānanda (bliss), and when he is eternally situated in the service of the Lord, who has no other lord above Him.
By understanding the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of pleasure, Kṛṣṇa, one becomes truly transcendentally blissful. For one who deviates from it, however, taking shelter in the false ego, there is great fear. This fear exists only for the one who thinks himself wise, and not for the true sage.
From fear of Him, the wind blows. From fear of Him, the sun rises. From fear of Him, Agni, Indra and even Yamaraja perform their duties.
Now, hear from me about the definition of ānanda, bliss. Take a noble young man, who is well versed in the Vedas, very intelligent, handsome, and strong. Let the world be full of wealth for him. That is the measure of human bliss.
If we multiply this limit of human bliss a hundred times, it equals the bliss of a manuṣya-gandharva. If we multiply the bliss of a manuṣya-gandharva one hundred times, it equals the pleasure of a deva-gandharva, and if we multiply that one hundred times, it equals the bliss of the ancestors living in Pitṛloka. If we go further and multiply this standard of bliss of the Pitṛs one hundred times, we come to the standard of bliss of a lower demigod born in Svargaloka. Each one of these different standards of bliss is matched by a self-realized soul who has no material desires.
If we multiply the bliss of the lower demigods by one hundred, we reach the standard of bliss of the sacrificial demigods, and one hundred times that is the bliss of principal demigods. If we again multiply this one hundred times, we reach the standard of bliss of Indra. Each one of these different standards of bliss is matched by a self-realized soul who has no material desires.
If we multiply the bliss of Indra a hundred times, we reach the standard of bliss of Bṛhaspati, and if we multiply his bliss by one hundred, it equals the bliss of Brahma. If we multiply it one hundred times, it becomes equal to the bliss of the Supreme Brahman. This same bliss is enjoyed by a liberated soul.
He who knows this Brahman in man (as Paramātmā) and in the sun (as Surya-Narayana) and sees both as one, reaches this Supreme Brahman, the ananda-maya, who is also the foundation of the anna-maya, prāṇa-maya, mano-maya, and vijñāna-maya.
He who knows the bliss of that Supreme Lord, the ananda-maya, whom the mind fails to find, fears nothing. Material thoughts don't affect him. He doesn't rejoice with the good or lament for the evil. He finds equanimity in both. He becomes free from both good and bad karma and attains the supreme destination. This is the secret teaching (ityupaniṣat).
—