Introduction To The Kaivalya Upanishad

by Jayaram V

Summary: Kaivalya Upanishad contains the secret knowledge of liberation. The following is an Introduction to the Kaivalya Upanishad which belongs to Atharvaveda, and its significance in the life of a renunciant (Sanyasi)..

Kaivalya Upanishad belongs to the Atharvaveda. It is considered a minor Upanishad. Like the Svetavatara Upanishad, it also extols Shiva as the Supreme Brahman, and the ultimate reality. He is particularly mentioned in the seventh and the eighteenth verses, while the importance of Satarudriyam is emphasized in the 24th.

The Upanishad, which is a conversation between Braham and Asvalayana, contains only 25 verses, but within them they cover almost every aspect of Hindu spirituality and the main beliefs of Hinduism. It is mainly meant for older people who have renounced worldly life and entered Vanaprastha or Sanyasashrama, the last two stages of human life according to the Vedic tradition.

The word "Kaivalya" means the state of kevalam or aloneness. It is the state of liberation attained through renunciation and the realization that one is verily Brahman Himself. The method or technique to attain the end is also described in the Upanishad in quite detail (1.5 and 1.6). The world, Kaivalya is mentioned on in the last verse of the Upanishad. However, it has been described in detail in several verses.

The Upanishad lays great stress on the importance of renunciation in attaining final liberation. In his very opening statement, Brahma, the teacher, emphasizes the importance of faith, devotion, meditation and yoga to attain the supreme knowledge of liberation. He also adds that neither by action nor by progeny nor by wealth, but by renunciation alone, one can attain immortality. In the fourth verse, he emphasizes the importance of cultivating purity. Through sanyasa and purity, having ascertained the truths of Vedanta, they live in the world of Brahman until the end of times.

In the subsequent verses, he explains how to reach that state through the practice of yoga and meditation. In the seventh verse you are introduced to the glory of Shiva, the supreme lord, the husband of Uma, the god with three eyes and blue neck, by meditating upon whom the seers return to their source. The Upanishad upholds the school of nondualism by suggesting that Shiva alone is everything. He is all this, all that was, and all that will ever be. He is also is the seeing Self in all beings. The state of Kaivalya (aloneness) also points to the state of nonduality.

The unity of godhead is described in the eighth verse, while in the 11th, the importance of the syllable AUM in the transformation of the lower self. The three states of consciousness are explained subsequently and compared logically to the three worlds of the macrocosm, namely the earth (wakeful state), the heaven (the dream state) and the world of Brahman (the deep sleep state).

The verses from 18-23 describe the subject state of Brahman in the first person, denoting the state of nonduality or oneness in which the seeker does not see any difference between himself and the eternal Brahman. On the surface, they appear to be the words of Brahma, but they are the words of a seer who has achieved that oneness or aloneness (Kaivalyam).

The study of Kaivalya Upanishad is bound to help those who want to develop a divine orientation in their lives. The Upanishad proclaims some valuable truths which can be used effectively in daily meditation as mantras to keep the mind fixed on the divine aspects of life. The following phrases can be used as effective tools for meditation:

1. Tyaagenaike amrtatvamaanasuh (By renunciation alone immortality is attained.)1.2

2. Tattvameva tvameva tat (That alone you are, you are that alone) 1.16

3. Tadbrahmaaham. (That Brahman I am) 1.17

4. Chinmaatro 'ham (Pure consciousness I am) 1.18

Besides these, the Verses1.6 and1.7 can be used regularly to contemplate upon the unique attributes of Siva or Brahman.