Kaivalya Upanishad – Verse 5   «   »

Kaivalya Upanishad – Verse 5   «   »

विविक्तदेशे च सुखासनस्थः शुचिः समग्रीवशिरःशरीरः ।
अत्याश्रमस्थः सकलेन्द्रियाणि निरुध्य भक्त्या स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य ।
हृत्पुण्डरीकं विरजं विशुद्धं विचिन्त्य मध्ये विशदं विशोकम् ॥ ५॥
viviktadeśe ca sukhāsanasthaḥ śuciḥ samagrīvaśiraḥśarīraḥ .
atyāśramasthaḥ sakalendriyāṇi nirudhya bhaktyā svaguruṃ praṇamya.
hṛtpuṇḍarīkaṃ virajaṃ viśuddhaṃ vicintya madhye viśadaṃ viśokam .. 5..
5. In an undisturbed place, clean and pure, resting in a comfortable posture, with neck, head and body held erect in one line, in a mental attitude of sannyāsa, having controlled all the senses, saluting one’s own Teacher mentally with reverence, meditate within the lotus of the heart (on Brahman), the untainted, the pure, the clear and the griefless.

Word Meaning

विविक्तदेशे – in a secluded place; च – and; सुखासनस्थः – resting in a comfortable posture; शुचिः – pure; समग्रीवशिरः शरीरः – with neck, head and body in one line held erect; अत्याश्रमस्थः – in a mental attitude of sannyāsa; सकलेन्द्रियाणि – all the senses; निरुध्य – having controlled; भक्त्या – with devotion; स्वगुरुं – to one’s own Teacher; प्रणम्य – saluting; हृत्पुण्डरीकं – the lotus of the heart; विरजं – untainted; विशुद्धं – pure; विचिन्त्य – meditating; मध्ये – inside; विशदं – clear; विशोकम् – griefless
“In a secluded place, sitting in an easy posture, pure, with a neck, head, and body erect”

The ascetic seeking the Absolute Alone is most complete within the Solitariness of his own self. Here the ascetic is described in the meditating posture sitting in seclusion. No other work will be undertaken other than that necessary for the facilitation of meditation.

“living in the last ashram of the orders of religious life having controlled all the senses”.

This is the decision of the sage. “Having controlled all the senses” the sage is now free from the delusion of desire so now naturally renounces the material world as unreal and undesirable to the wise man of higher understanding.

“saluting his own teacher with reverence”.

The sage will always be available for his teachers and his realisation of unity will contain insight and understanding of how he or she received that truth.

“meditating within the lotus of the heart on The Absolute”.

Here the “lotus of the heart” refers to the higher intellect or Buddhi. Buddhi is the subtle quality of being that, in stillness, has access to “Absolute Knowledge” through which divine reason and discrimination can reveal the truth of the Absolute Itself. It is from meditation that is free from Manas, mind and thinking that this higher truth that transcends material Creation is seen or realised through intuition. With Realisation comes the awareness of this singularity or Non-Duality. That Singularity is seen as This Alone and all else falls away.

“untainted, pure, clear”.

In the course of everyday life one is “tainted” through the perception of duality with its desires and fears. The sage of this verse, having Realised the reality of Non-Duality and the Consciousness of the Absolute becomes free “untainted” and “pure” of the impediments of duality. The sage so liberated has clarity of perception, his understanding is “clear”.

“without sorrow”.

“Sorrow” is a product of attachment and the taints of duality, it is a part of this material Creation. The Realised Sage of this verse is “without sorrow” because due to his clarity of understanding he now sees and renounces this material Creation along with its sorrows or joys as unreal and undesirable.

Accordingly the sage renounces the world of the senses without regret or sorrow and through Solitary meditation practice turns to the Absolute within.

Kaivalya Upanishad – Verse 5 – Kaivalya Upanishad 5 – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning, Audio and Commentary – Kaivalya-5