Selections from the shAkta upanishads- 2

[Anand Hudli]

 Continuing with the bahvR^icha upaniShad, the second passage, called
 "chichchhakter-brahmAdisthAvarAntakAraNatvaM", it is affrimed that
 the Power of Consciousness is the cause of everything in the
 universe, beginning from BrahmA down to the inanimate objects,
 such as mountains and stones. This Power of the Goddess creates
 the gods, BrahmA, ViShNu, Rudra, etc., other celestial beings,
 different types of life, and the inanimate objects. Everything was
 born from Her.

 The third passage is as follows:

 saiShA parA shaktiH | saiShA shAmbhavI vidyA kAdividyeti vA
 hAdividyeti vA sAdividyeti vA rahasyamomoM vAchi pratiShThA || 3 ||

 She is the Supreme Power. She is the knowledge (vidyA) of Ishvara,
 shambhu, which is the vidyA beginning with "ka", or the vidyA
 beginning with "ha", or the vidyA beginning with "sa." She is the
 secret AUM (nirguNa Brahman) within the word AUM.

 Notes based on upaniShad brahma yogin's commentary:

 1) Since the Power of Consciousness or devI manifests or projects
    the world, She is the Supreme Power. In the expression, saiShA
    parA shaktiH, She is being identified with the Supreme Power
    that is the Power of Consciousness (chichchhakti).

 2) shaM asmAtbhavatIti shaMbhuH - Shambhu is one who is the source
    of happiness, or good. Shambhu is Ishvara who is the repository of
    all vidyA's. The Goddess is these vidyAs of Ishvara.

 3) She is the vidyA beginning with "ka" in the ShrIvidyA. This is
    called the prathama-khaNDa of the shrIvidyA. It consists of
    the syllables, ka, e, I, la, and hrIM.

 4) She is the vidyA beginning with "ha" in the ShrIvidyA. This is
    called the dvitIya-khaNDa. It consists of the syllables ,
    ha, sa, ka, ha, la, and hrIM.

 5) She is the vidyA beginning with "sa" in the ShrIvidyA. This,
     called the tR^itIya-khaNDa, consists of the syllables,
     sa, ka, la, and hrIM.

 6) yadanadhikAriNe gopanIyatayA rahasyaM nirvisheShaM brahma -
    The quality-less Brahman (nirguNa brahman) is called secret
    because It should not be revealed to one who is not an
    adhikArI, ie. not eligible to know about It.

 7) tadabhedena turIyoMkArarUpiNI bhUtvA AUM vAchi oMkAraprabhava-
    shabda-jAle tadarthabrahmAtmanA tiShThatIti AUM vAchi
    pratiShThitetyuchyate

    Being non-different from the nirguNa Brahman and hence the
    fourth aspect of AUM, She is present  in all words as Brahman,
    their meaning, the entire realm of words having originated from
    AUM. Thus, She is called "AUM vAchi pratiShThA."

    The devI is here being identified with the nirguNa Brahman. This
    nirguNa Brahman is represented by the fourth aspect of AUM, as
    per the mANDUkya upanishad, and also referred to in the first
    passage of this upaniShad. All words originate from AUM. The
    meaning or import of all words is Brahman alone. So the devI
    is present in all words as their (true) meaning.

    Therefore, the first AUM in the text " AUM AUM vAchi pratiShThA",
    refers to the identification of the Goddess with nirguNa Brahman,
    and the second expression, "AUM vAchi pratiShThA" refers to the
    fact that She is present in all words as their import.

 Anand



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