Shatprashna Upanishad Bhashyam

नमो भगवते तस्मै प्राणादिप्रभविष्णवे ।

अमन्दानन्दसन्द्राय वासुदेवाय वेधसे ।।

Shatprashnopanishad, as the very name indicates, is a collection of six philosophical questions posed by each of the six disciples of Sage Pippalada and their respective bona fide answers given by the Guru.

The six disciples are

» 1. Sukesha son of Bharadwaja

» 2. Satyakama son of Shibi

» 3. Sauryayani son of Saurya

» 4. Kausalya son of Ashvalayana

» 5. Vaidarbhi son of Bhrigu and

» 6. Kabandhi son of Katya

This Upanishad belongs to the Pippalada Shaaka of Atharva Veda. The questions pertain to proper understanding of the process of creation, importance of Lord Mukhyaprana, importance of Omkara and the ascertainment of the person of sixteen affluences.

Bhashya of Sri Madhwacharya

Sri Madhwacharya has composed a very useful and exemplary Bhashya on the Shatprashnopanishad. His Bhashya not only brings out the meaning of the Upanishad in its right context but also teaches us the style of interpretation as per the authentic scriptures.

The Presiding Deity of Shatprashna Upanishad

Sri Madhwacharya, in his invocatory verse, has revealed that Lord Sri Vasudeva is the chief presiding deity of this Upanishad. Lord Mukhyaprana is the secondary presiding deity. Sri Acharya has indicated this by mentioning the two names in his invocatory verse.

Critical View

Though Sri Madhwacharya usually takes a critical view of other commentaries which are not faithful to the original thoughts of the Upanishads, in this Bhashya, he does not directly refute any particular commentary. But he profusely quotes from authentic sources to establish the clear purport of the Upanishadic statements thus making it clear to the reader that any commentary which presents the Upanishad in a way which contradicts the quoted authentic sources is to be known as a non bonafide commentary.

First question by Katyayana - Shrushti

The first question was put forth by Katyayana - “From whom are these created beings born?”

Sage Pippalada replies - It is the Prajapati who created Rayi (Chandrama) and Prana (Aditya) and they in turn created all other beings.

For the uninitiated, it is impossible to know who these Prajapati, Rayi or Prana are. Sri Madhwacharya, in his Bhashya, reveals that Lord Sri Vishnu is Prajapati as He is the protector of all. Lord Sri Vishnu created Vayu who beholds the name Aditya. He is called Aditya as he is the indweller of Sun. Similarly Rayi who beholds the name Chandrama is created. She is the indweller of the moon. Pervading Aditya and Chandrama, Lord Sri Vishnu created all other beings.

Prana is the indweller of primordial Prakruti or Amoortha. Rayi is the indweller of Fire, Water and Earth. This triad is also known as Moortha. Thus both Prana and Rayi are responsible for the vast creation.

Being the indweller of Aditya, Prana rises from the Eastern Direction. Through his rays, he pervades the Eastern Dikpalas (Rulers) such as Lord Indra and his consort and fills them with his Pranic Energy. Similarly, he rises from the Southern Direction and pervades the Southern Dikpalas Yama and his consort. In the Western Direction he pervades Varuna and his consort and in the Northern Direction he pervades Soma and his consort. He also pervades Sesha, Mitra and their consorts in the Downward Direction and Garuda, Kama and their consorts in the Upward Direction.

The expansions of the Lord

Lord is in Samvatsara. Vayu and Saraswati in Ayana.

Lord is Masa. Vayu and Saraswati are Paksha

Lord is Day and Night. Prana is Day. Saraswati is Night

Lord is in Dampati. Vayu in husband. Saraswati in Wife.

Sri Madhwacharya quotes Prajapati Samhita to bring home the above points.

Second question by Vaidarbhi son of Bhrigu

How many deities assist the sustenance of created beings? Who gives knowledge which illumines the objects? Who heads the list of all these presiding deities of sustenance and illumination?

The greatness of Mukhyaprana was covered in the previous question. In this question, it is further elaborated.

Answering this question, Sage Pippalada says - The deities Akasha, Vayu etc are to be known as the sustainers and the presiding deities of Eye etc., are illuminators of knowledge. Sri Madhwacharya in this context clarifies that there are two types of Vayus. One is called the Bhoota Vayu and the other is Mukhya Prana or Pradhana Vayu. The Vayu who is mentioned here by the name “Vayu” is to be known as the Bhoota Vayu. The Vayu who is mentioned in “Taan Varishthaha Prana Uvacha” is to be known as the Mukhya Prana, who is superior to all the mentioned deities. Thus, Sri Madhwacharya’s Bhashya helps to resolve the conflict when Vayu and Prana occur in the same verse. An episode is narrated here to bring home the superiority of Mukhya Prana over other deities.

Third question by Kausalya son of Ashvalayana

From whence is Prana born? How he enters the body? How he assumes different forms and makes this body his abode? How he moves out? How he beholds the inner and outer objects?

Pippalada replies by revealing that Prana is born from Atma (Lord Sri Vishnu). Sri Madhwacharya quoting a rare work called Prabhanja- na clarifies that Prana himself assumes the five forms of Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana. Like a king, he instructs the other pranas to perform their respective actions. By the order of Lord Sri Hari, Mukhya Prana is also the bestower of Moksha. A detailed account of the 72,000 Naadis in a human body is also given. Prana moves through these 72,000 Naadis. The soul moves out with Udana form of Mukhyaprana who himself is accompanied by Lord Sri Hari. Hence Mukhyaprana leads the soul to the respective worlds after death. He beholds the outer objects by his presence in Aditya. He is present in the eye and other organs along with the respective deities and beholds them from within.

Fourth question by Sauryayani son of Saurya

So far it was revealed that the entire universe, including the respective deities, is controlled by the Lord in the waking state. Now, Sauryayani asks about the controller of the sleep and dream states.

Who sleeps? Who is awake? Who sees the dream?

The Upanishad presents an example to bring home the point. The Sun’s rays converge in the orb of the Sun at the time of sunset. Similarly, they emerge at the time of sunrise. Sri Madhwacharya clarifies that the Sun’s rays continue to be there at a different place even after sunset. Therefore it would be incorrect to say that the rays of the Sun actually converge at sunset. Similarly it is incorrect to say that the rays begin to emerge from it at sunrise. Hence, the present example should be understood in the following way. When observed from a particular reference point of the earth, the Sun’s rays appear to converge and emerge during sunset and sunrise respectively. In the same way, during the dream state, all deities presiding over the body and senses of the Jeeva appear to converge with the God present in the mind. Here, Sri Madhwacharya stresses that the deities do not become one with God as it appears in the Upanishad, but only reach Him present in the mind. Similarly, the deities reach the God who is present in the heart during the deep sleep state.

Who experiences the Joy?

The Upanishad remarks that the joy is in the body. At this point Sri Madhwacharya clarifies that here the soul is referred to as the body. It is the soul which experiences the joy and not the insentient body itself.

Why the soul is referred to as the body?

Just as the body of the Lord is of the form of Knowledge and Bliss, the soul is also of the form of knowledge and bliss. Keeping this similarity in view, the soul is referred to as body in this passage.

Fifth question by Satyakama son of Shibi

Which world does one attain when he contemplates on the syllable OM?

Pippalada replies - By contemplating on the OM one attains both Lord Brahma and Lord Sri Hari.

Sri Madhwacharya clarifies that first the upasaka goes to Lord Brahma and after getting instructions from him proceeds to Lord Sri Hari and enjoys bliss. Sri Madhwacharya points that Lord Brahma and Lord Sri Vishnu are not to be taken as two independent destinations but Lord Sri Hari is the final destination. Lord Brahma is visited enroute.

Sixth question by Sukesha son of Bharadwaja

What is the abode of the Shodashakala Purusha?

Pippalada replies - Here, within this body the Shodashakala Purusha is present from whom the sixteen kalaas arise. The Purusha created Prana. From Prana he created Shraddha, Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, Prithivi, Indriya, Manas, Anna, Virya, Tapas, Mantra, Karma, Indriya Golaka, Nama (Names).

Here Sri Madhwacharya clarifies that all the mentioned Shraddha, Akasha etc., are to be taken as the Abhimani Deities. He further proceeds to give a detailed account of the Abhimani Devatas as per the Taratamya.

Karma Abhimani - Pushkara

Nama Abhimanini - Usha

Lokabhimani - Parjanya

Mantra Abhimanini - Svaaha

Tapobhimani - Agni

Veerya Abhimani - Varuna

Anna Abhimani - Soma

Manobhimani - Aniruddha, Rudra, Garuda, Sesha

Indriyabhimani - Surya

Shraddha Abhimanini - Saraswati Prana Vasudeva

The souls do not become one with God

Here the Upanishad gives another example for the deities reaching God in the mind. The rivers flowing towards the ocean merge into it and appear to lose their identity. But the wise do not accept that. They say that the river water can still be distinguished in the ocean. That is to say that they mix in the sea but do not lose their identity. Similarly, the sixteen kalaas also reach the Supreme Purusha and remain in Him. Yet, they do not lose their identity. Sri Madhwacharya opines that the Upanishadic word Bhidyate does not mean Nasha or “cease to exist” but it only means that the rivers maintain their distinction. Similarly, the souls do not cease to exist. They maintain their existence in Brahman. In this way, the Upanishad establishes the supremacy of Lord Sri Narayana over all liberated souls. Sri Acharya quotes from Sattattva and other authentic scriptures to bring home the above points.

Closing statements of Bhashya

After establishing the central theme of this Upanishad to be proclaiming the overall Supremacy of Lord Sri Vishnu over all souls, Sri Madhwacharya closes his bhashya by offering salutations to the Lord Sri Hari who is dearest of dearests to him.

यश्चिदानन्दसच्छक्तिसम्पूर्णो भगवान् परः ।

नमोस्तु विष्णवे तस्मै प्रेष्ठाय प्रेयसां च मे ।।