The process for understanding the Upaniṣads
One of the distinctive characteristics of the Upaniṣads is that the texts are often quite vague and metaphorical, making it extremely difficult for the casual student to capture the correct meaning.
« Vedānta-sūtra: The Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The process for understanding the Upaniṣads
The Upaniṣads are considered the cream of the Vedas, presenting passages that explain the most important philosophical truths of the scriptures. One of the distinctive characteristics of the Upaniṣads, however, is that the texts are often quite vague and metaphorical, making it extremely difficult for the casual student to capture the correct meaning of the verses. The reason for that is that the Upaniṣads were not written to be studied casually, like regular books, but learned inside the system of paramparā, from a spiritual master who would ensure that the disciple understands the correct meanings. The very word “Upaniṣad” comes from the combination of the words “upa” (come close) and “anīśa” (sit down). In other words, these are texts written to be carefully studied under the guidance of a self-realized soul.
We can see this clearly in the case of the Bhagavad-gītā, for example. There are thousands of commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā available in various languages, which offer the most diverse interpretations of the text, but fail to bring the reader to the true conclusion. That was one of the reasons for Śrīla Prabhupāda writing his own commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā, transmitting the correct conclusions he received from his own spiritual master through the paramparā.
In his introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, he wrote:
“The spirit of Bhagavad-gītā is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā itself. It is just like this: If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label. We cannot take the medicine according to our own whim or the direction of a friend. It must be taken according to the directions on the label or the directions given by a physician. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself.”
To study the scriptures from the wrong source, or with the wrong mentality, is often worse than not studying at all because once one receives the wrong conclusions, it can be hard to later return to the proper path. Therefore, the Upaniṣads encourage us to get knowledge from a bona fide source.
This same spirit is found in the Vedānta-sūtra, which offers philosophical conclusions for the Upaniṣads in a very concise way. To be able to understand these conclusions, we need to study the book under the right conclusions, which work like keys that allow us to enter into the intricacies of the text. Fortunately for us, these keys were given to us in the Govinda-bhāṣya of Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, who masterfully explained the meaning of the verses by using logic and scriptural evidence. His explanations are, in turn, further explained in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda. In this way, these two powerful ācāryas work together to enlighten us in the correct meanings of the sūtras.
You can also donate using Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal, Wise, Revolut, or bank transfers. There is a separate page with all the links. This helps me enormously to have time to write instead of doing other things to make a living. Thanks!
« Vedānta-sūtra: The Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa