Theme of Upanishads and Purport of Santi Mantras

Upanishads contain philosophical discussions that had taken place at various periods of time between different teachers and their students, regarding Eternal purpose of Creation and the Great Goal of Existence.

We have an incomparable literature on philosophy in the volumes of Upanishads, which are as true today as they were heard several millions of years ago, the authors of which are unknown to us. The rishis in their godly inspiration and intoxicating bliss, forgot to subscribe their names or give references to their masterpieces.

Upanishads have given supreme importance to the acquisition and realization of the knowledge of Brahman and have sidelined the process of sacrificial cult. The Upanishads teach that one should attain Brahman alone to attain immortality. The Upanishads are expounding many an imperceptible Truth regarding the ultimate objects of life. Truths that we cannot arrive at otherwise are expounded here. The following are some of the unique teachings of the Upanishads.

• Brahman is the ultimate cause of this Universe and everything else is dependent upon that one Supreme Cause.
 

• The Universe was created in a systematic manner according to the will of
the Supreme Cause.
 

• The entity of Jeevaatma is an eternal principle without any origination or
destruction but is going through the cycle of births and deaths on
account
of the world from beginning less time.
 

• The Jeevaatma should become aware of its true nature and destiny and
has to shape itself in such a way that it gets rid of the association with
matter.
 

• Everyone in this world is entitled to become liberated but it waits only for his aspiration and effort.
 

• All these entities viz. man, matter, time and the celestial abode are dependent upon the Supreme will of Paramaatma and one has to realize his subservience to Paramaatma.
 

• The way of getting liberated from the bondage of Samsaara (worldly pleasures and sorrows, terrestrial entanglements) is also taught by the Upanishads. One should seek the grace of Paramaatma through submission to His will and due participation in his duties that pleases the Lord. The Upanishads teach that loving meditation upon the Lord and complete surrender unto His will are the means of liberation.

The Upanishads are the ultimate authorities for all the different systems of Vedanta philosophy. It is not an exaggeration if we say that Upanishads have influenced all spiritual speculations in the world and have been the foundation of Indian Philosophical Thought and Culture. All systems of philosophy have drawn from Upanishads valuable thoughts whether they acknowledge or not.

Upanishads like Taittiriya include a “convocation address” delivered to the departing students from Gurukula, the university. The teacher by way of commandments and advice focuses on: 1) advice relating to the individual himself, 2) his relationship with others, 3) his right actions in the world, 4) his attitude towards the eminent men of culture, 5) the laws of charity, and 6) his duty to follow the eminent living men of his own times. Over the shoulders of students the seers of Upanishads addressed the entire Sanatana Dharma Community to follow these commandments and advice.

The departing student was neither thrown out into the world of tension and chaos from which he was so long and so efficiently kept away in the Gurukula till then, as it happens more often today nor advised to follow the life of a recluse. Spiritual education of the Upanishads was so organized as to work perfectly in unison with the demands of the society and the needs of living at that time, so that the student, from the day he had walked out of his teacher’s protection, proved himself to be a fully trained soldier to fight the battle of life practicing Varnaashranma Dharma.

No upanishadic study ever started without the guru and the disciple chanting together the peace invocation. Everyday the teacher and the taught sat together and started their discourses only after a common prayer. The term Upanishad means “sit very near” and comes from the practice of the teacher and the taught sitting together. This indicates the intimate relationship between the preceptor and the disciple. They sit close to each other to hold an intimate dialogue on the most exalted and solemn subject namely, the Supreme Brahman. Because of its content Upanishad is often translated to mean annihilating the ignorance completely. Prayer is a technique by which we tune ourselves to the highest perfection and thereby come to invoke in ourselves a greater perfection of both mind and the intellect. To pray is to be seated with the Lord at his feet. To pray is to aim at the target of God-head with the arrow of intense longing, which has the sharp end of full faith. To pray is again, to receive consolation and inspiration as a disciple at the hands of the teacher. In prayer are included praise, love, adoration and glorification. Just before the study of the Upanishads, thus each day, the Master and the disciple pray, and thus invoke the best in them to come out, through a complete surrender to the mighty powers of the omniscient God-principle. When the mantras are chanted with intonations, a divine atmosphere is created with holy vibrations all round. The resplendent Self is attainable by the practice of spiritual discipline as truth and continence. The chanting of mantras is a great spiritual discipline.

There are six Santhi Mantras for the popular Upanishads—Isaavaasya, Svetaavataara, Mundaka, Maandukya, Prasna, Kena, Katha, Taittereya, Aitreya, Naaraayana, Mahaanaaraayana, Brihadaaranyaka, Chandogya, Kaivalya, Kalisantarana, Ganapatyatharvaseersha, Surya and Amrita Bindu--that are chanted both at the beginning and end of the teachings of the Upanishad by both the preceptor and the disciple. (Some of these mantras are common to more than one Upanishad and these mantras are given separately as Santhi Mantras under the heading MANTHRAS in their original in Sanskrit language along with English translation).