Atharvana Upanishad Bhashyam

आनन्दमजरं नित्यमजमक्षयमच्युतम् ।

अनन्तशक्तिं सर्वज्ञं नमस्ये पुरुषोत्तमम् ।।

The Atharvana Upanishad belongs to Atharvaveda. It is one of the ten principal Upanishads. It is said that Lord Brahma taught this Brahma Vidya to his eldest son Atharva. Atharva in turn taught to Angira. Angira taught to Satyavaha – the son of Bharadwaja. Satyavaha taught to Angirasa. Sage Shaunaka learnt this from Sage Angirasa taught this Upanishad in reply to Sage Shaunaka’s query – On knowing what one can realize the benefit of knowing everything else?

Who is the eldest among Lord Brahma’s sons?

Here Sage Atharva is referred to as the eldest son of Lord Brahma. Elsewhere Lord Rudra is said to be the eldest son. There is also a reference which gives that position to Sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata. These references seem to be mutually contradictory. Sri Madhwacharya in his Bhashya has solved this contradiction by quoting the Brahmanda Purana. According to this reference, the birth of Sage Atharva has happened in the Vaivasvata Manvantara. He was born as the first son of Lord Brahma at that time. After him were born Mitra, Varuna, Praheti and Heti. Hence he is called as the eldest son. In the Shweta Varaha Kalpa, the Sanakadis were the eldest. In the Padma Kalpa, which preceded the Shweta Varahakalpa Lord Rudra was born as the eldest son of Lord Brahma. Hence there is no contradiction.

Central Theme of the Upanishad

This Upanishad is divided into 6 chapters. The central theme of this Upanishad is the elucidation of Brahma Vidya. Brahma Vidya is of two types - Para and Apara. The four Vedas and its ancillaries form the Apara Vidya.

Atharvana Bhashya

Sri Madhwacharya’s has composed a lucid commentary (Bhashya) which brings home the intended purport of the Upanishad vividly taking support from other authentic scriptures.

Para and Apara Vidyas Para Vidya is the one which gives the knowledge of the Brahman - The Akshara Purusha. All other Vidyas are categorized as Apara Vidyas.

Are the Vedas Para Vidya or Apara Vidya?

At the outset the Upanishad defines ten principal sources of knowledge and puts all of them under Apara Vidya. They are the four Vedas - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda, the six Vedangas – Siksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Chandas and Jyothisha. Definitions of Siksha, Kalpa etc. The Para Vidya is the one by which the Akshara (The Supreme Lord) is known. Here a question arises as to how the Vedas which are the root of all knowledge are categorized as Apara Vidya. While some schools come up with an unconvincing answer that the four Vedas are indeed Apara Vidya as they speak about the Karma. According to them only the Upanishads qualify to be called as Brahma Vidya as they give the knowledge about the Brahman. Sri Madhwacharya convincingly clears the air of confusion revolving around this matter by quoting a verse from the Paramasamhita. According to that verse the four Vedas along with the six Vedangas are indeed Para Vidya when they are rightly interpreted as proclaiming the Supremacy of Lord Vishnu. If they are not interpreted in such a manner, then they remain to be called as Apara Vidya.

Vishnu is the chief purport of all Scriptures

Vishnu is primarily extolled in the entire Vedas, Ramayana and the Puranas. All the Vedas including the Itihasas which are collectively known as Shabda Brahma, have propounding Lord Vishnu as their primary objective. He is the one who is extolled in the Vaaka and Anuvaaka of Yajurveda and also in the Nishat and Upanishad o Atharvana Veda. This, we know, from many valid sources of knowledge.

The 14 Maha Vidyas In the Kruta Yuga, the entire corpus of the Vedas including the Pancharatra used to be in merged form without any no internal classification such as Rigveda, Yajurveda etc. The entire corpus was collectively called as Moola Veda. As the knowledge of the people of that age was in the purest form, all Vedic names viz., Brahma, Indra, Rudra, Varuna were popular as the names of Lord Vishnu Himself. Hence in various sacrifices propitiating Indra, Rudra, Brahma, Varuna and others, it was only Vishnu who was referred to and propitiated by all these names. The respective celestials became popular with such names much later only after the commencement of the Treta Yuga. In fact, in the Kruta Yuga, they used to be honored not as the deities but only as Manus - the visionaries or the chanters of the Vedic Mantras and inspirers of the Vishnu sacrifices. Hence there was no classification of the knowledge as Para Vidya or Apara Vidya. The entire corpus was considered as Para Vidya. After the commencement of the Treta Yuga, such purity of knowledge was not commonly available. As the knowledge began to depreciate, some, though not all, were unable to worship Lord Sri Hari through the Moola Vedas. Such people were allowed to worship Him through the individual Vedas and the Pancharatra Agama. Hence, in the Tretayuga, the Vedas became three-fold and the other celestials also came to be popularly referred through the Vedas. People also began to perform sacrifices to propitiate deities other than Lord Vishnu. After the advent of the Dvapara Yuga, as the knowledge began to depreciate further, some, though not all, were unable worship Vishnu as per the Vedas. Such people were allowed to worship the Lord through the Pancharatra Agama. In the Kali Yuga, the knowledge will further depreciate and those who lose the qualification to worship as prescribed in the Vedas or the Pancharatra, Lord is worshipped only by names. The primary Dharma has to be followed in the Kruta as well as the Kali Yugas. Only in the case of the lack of required credentials that the non-primary dharma is followed. Thus says the Narayana Samhita.

Qualification for Para Vidya

Those who have studied the Four Vedas will be qualified to study the Brahma Vidya. One can reach the abode of Brahma only by performing sacrifices. Actions that are done without expecting any results thereof are called Nishkama Karmas. Only those who perform Nishkama Karma reach the abode of the Lord. Sri Madhwacharya profusely quotes from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Padma Purana, Brahmanda Purana and other texts in support of his views. Knowledge of the supremacy of Vishnu is essential to reach the state of liberation. If one knows other deities as equal or superior to Vishnu, then they will fall to lowly births.

Who are Traividyas?

Traividyas are those who perform sacrifices without properly understanding the supremacy of the Lord.

Grace of Vayu is essential

The Lord is seen only by those who have the grace of Lord Vayu and Lord Brahma. It is not enough if one has the grace of the controlling deity of the sense organs. The deities would only grace the practitioner with greater knowledge to see Vishnu.

Lord Vayu is the Chief Image of the Lord

One who worships the great devotees of the Lord gets a vision of Lord Vayu who is the chief image of the Lord. It is only through Lord Vayu that the Lord graces the devotee with his direct vision. There is no identity of the souls with the Lord In the Upanishadic Text Pare Avyaye Sarva Eki Bhavanti, it seems the Upanishad is talking about the identity of the soul with the Lord in the state of Liberation. But, Sri Madhwacharya rejects this view in his Bhashya. The identity spoken about is not absolute identity but identity in one of the below senses 1. Avirodha (identity in thought) e.g. All Brahmins have become one 2. Sadrushyam (close contact by entering into Him) e.g. One river joining another river 3. Ekadesha Stithi (Existential Identity) – Identity of Location. All the cattle join at the cattle shed at sunset.

Lord Vayu is the Chief Image of the Lord

One who worships the great devotees of the Lord gets a vision of Lord Vayu who is the chief image of the Lord. It is only through Lord Vayu that the Lord graces the devotee with his direct vision.

There is no identity of the souls with the Lord

In the Upanishadic Text Pare Avyaye Sarva Eki Bhavanti, it seems the Upanishad is talking about the identity of the soul with the Lord in the state of Liberation. But, Sri Madhwacharya rejects this view in his Bhashya. The identity spoken about is not absolute identity but identity in one of the below senses 1. Avirodha (identity in thought) e.g. All Brahmins have become one 2. Sadrushyam (close contact by entering into Him) e.g. One river joining another river 3. Ekadesha Stithi (Existential Identity) – Identity of Location. All the cattle join at the cattle shed at sunset.

Bimba Pratibimba Bhava among the souls

This Upanishad talks about a gradation among the souls. Among the devas Pushkara is the Karma Abhimani. Shani is the Abhimani of Prithvi and is superior to Pushkara. Usha is the Naamabhimanini. In this way there is a gradation of the deities. Lord Brahma is superior to all devas. Lord Vishnu is the Sarvottama. All the Jeevas share a Bimba-Pratibimba relationship with the God.

Would there by identity in Liberation?

In this Upanishad, we find a statement whose apparent meaning goes like this – Just as the rivers become one, losing their name and identity, after merging into the ocean, the liberated, losing their name and identity, become one with God. Sri Madhwacharya does not accept this interpretation. He says the river water is distinct even after it merges into the ocean. Lord Vayu can still clearly differentiate the river water present in the ocean by their name and form. They only appear to have become one with the ocean for the ignorant. In the same way, the liberated become invisible from the perspective of the ignorant, they exist in the liberated state intrinsically different from each other.

Other important clarifications given in the Bhashya

» There are three Aksharas. They are 1. Jada Prakruti 2. Chetana Prakruti 3. Supreme Brahman

» Vasudeva is called Puman because He is complete.

» The philosophical import of the word Sapta Praanaha (The seven senses), Archi (The seven forms of knowledge), Homa (The contacts with the senses), Loka (The Golakas), Guhashaya (Buddhi).

» Lord Brahma is called Vignana.

» Vishnu is Prana, Vag, Manu and Amruta.

» Vishnu is Paravara because even the greatest of celestials are inferior to Him.

» In the famous Dva Suparna text, the distinction between the Supreme Lord and the individual soul is clearly expounded. While the individual endures the fruits of both the good and bad deeds, the Lord only has the experience of bliss. He is untouched by the fruits of action and yet He is completely blissful due to His supreme nature.

» In the Upanishad it is mentioned that the learned will leave behind all the sins as well as the merits. Sri Acharya clarifies that the learned will only leave the unwanted merits and not useful merits.

» The Lord is known as Satya due to his infinite auspicious attributes. The demons are called Anrita due to their bad qualities.

Conclusion

The Atharvana Upanishad occupies an important position among the ten principal Upanishads. This Upanishad is quoted vividly by proponents of various schools of thought to support their views. Several popular statements belong to this Upanishad. Often the verses of this Upanishad are misinterpreted. Sri Madhwacharya, in his Bhashya has resolved several contradictions and successfully upheld his view of absolute difference between the individual souls and the Supreme Brahman even in the state of liberation. Sri Acharya closes his Bhashya reiterating that the Lord is Supreme and full of bliss.

प्रियतां भगवान् मह्यं प्रेष्ठप्रेष्ठतमस्सदा  ।

मम नित्यं नमाम्येनं परमोदारसद्गुणम्।