Gita Rahasya -Tilak
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CHAPTER V
THE CONSIDERATION OF HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS
(SUKHA-DUHKHA-VIVEKA) The only matter which has been described in detail in this Upanisad is that after Naciketa had gone to the sphere of Yama, that is, of Death, Yama asked him to ask for three blessings, and that. Yama accordingly gave him the three blessings which he had asked for. But after Mrtyu had asked Naciketa to ask for blessings, Naciketa did not in the first place ask for the blessing: of Brahman-Realisation (Brahmajnana), but first said : " My father has got angry with me; may he become propitious to me "; and then, "teach me the science of Fire (agni), that is, of all sacrificial ritual which will give me material opulence " ; and, when he had acquired these blessings, he asked for the third blessing saying: "teach me the Knowledge of the Atman". But when Mrtyu began to say to him that he would give him! (Naciketa) additional happiness instead of this third blessing, Naciketa has insisted: "now explain to me that Brahma- jnana which will lead to sreyas", instead of aspiring for possessing more of the knowledge of sacriflcal ritual than was necessary for obtaining preyas. In short, as stated in the last mantra of this Upanisad, Naciketu obtained both the ' Brakma-vidya ' (knowledge of the Brahman), and'yoga-vidhi" (sacrifical ritual ), and he was emancipated [1]. From this it follows, that the combination of jnana and karma is the summary of the preaching of this Upanisad. There is also a similar story about Indra. Not only had Indra himself acquired fully the Knowledge of the Brahman, (Brahmajnana) but he had taught the science of the Atman (atmavidya) to. Pratardana, as has been stated in the Kausitakyupanisad. Yet, after Indra had lost his kingdom and Prahlada had become the king of the three spheres, Indra went to Brhaspati,. the preceptor of the gods, and asked him to explain to him in what sreyas lay. Then Brhaspati taught the dethroned Indra the Brahmavidya, that is, the Knowledge of the Atman,. (atmajnana) and said to him that that was all which was sreyas (etavac chreya iti). But Indra was not satisfied audi again asked the question: "ko viseso bhavet?",i.e., " Is" there. anything more ? "; thereupon Brhaspati sent him to Sukracarya. There, there was a repetition of the same process, and Sukracarya said to him : ' " That something , more is known to Prahlad. " Then at last Indra went to Prahlada in the. form of a Brahmin and became his disciple, and after same time had passed, Prahlada explained to him that silam ' (the habit of behaving consistently with Truth and Morality ) was the master-key for gaining the kingdom of the three spheres, and that that was also known as sreyas. Then, when Prahlada. said to him : " I am very much pleased by your service, I shall- give you whatever blessing you may ask ", Indra, in the form of the Brahmin, said to him: " Give me your ' silam ' ". When Pra- hlada consented, the deity 'silam', and after it Morality (dharm- am), Veracity (satyam), good conduct (vrtta), and ultimately opulence (sri) and other deities left the body of Prahlada and entered the body of Indra, and in this way Indra regained his kingdom : such is the ancient story which has been told by Bhisma to Yudhisthira in the Santiparva [2] |
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