[Advaita-l] Isavasya Upanisad 9th Mantra

[Nithin Sridhar via Advaita-l]

Here, when it is said Vidya Upasana, it not only speaks about the procedure
but also the result. The term Vidya for example in "Dasha Mahavidyas" refer
to different aspect of Cosmos/God. And Vidya Upasana leads one to that
aspect. One attains the Knowledge of that aspect, in other words merges
into that aspect. Upanishads explains Vidya Upasana leads to Deva-Loka.

The Karma Anushtana refers to Svadharma anushtana according to Varna and
Dharma. I am not sure that it is Nitya Karma of all Varnas and Ashramas to
perform Devata Puja. The performance of Yajnas as a duty (in case of
Brahmins) is Karma Anushtana. The meditation etc on God out of Bhakti is
Devata Upasana. And the Upanishad is saying that, performing one alone is
not enough. Both- Karma and Bhakti are important to take one towards
Jnana/Moksha.

-Nithin


On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste
>
> If we say Nitya Karma should be done before Devatopasana there will be a
> problem. Firstly Deva Pooja is also Nitya Karma only. In Deva Pooja we have
> to do Devata Dhyana, Avaahana Adi Upacharas. Some people say Deva Pooja is
> Devatopasana. Is Deva Pooja same as Devatopasana? If yes what is
> Devatopasana in Ishavasya Mantra 9? If no what is the other Devatopasana?
> Secondly some people like Stree and Sudraas have no Adhikaara to do Nitya
> Karma like Sandhyaa Vandana. If they do only Devata Pooja without Veda
> Mantras they are going to Greater Darkness?
>
> I heard some Vaishnavas saying if you do Naama Japa you can skip Nitya
> Karma like Sandhyaa Vandana. They are committing a mistake.
>
>
> On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 11:17 AM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > A 'blank' reply from me was sent inadvertently.
> >
> > Taking the idea expressed by Sri Chandramouli forward, it can be noted
> that
> > in the particular Isha mantra 9, the devatAjnAna sadhana is criticized as
> > 'even more dark ignorance' because:  Performing vihita karma is laudable,
> > though without the conjunction of upasana it would also not give
> > appreciable fruit.  So, this mere performance of nitya karma has been
> > characterized as 'andham tamaH'.  Now, the other one, mere devatopasana,
> > with the exclusion of vihita karma is spoken of as 'even more dark
> > ignorance' because, the non-performance of vihita karma leads to
> > pratyavāya.  So, the pratyavAya (pApam) is what is being indicated by the
> > criticism of 'mere' devatopāsana.
> > This is the reasoning for characterizing mere devatopasana as 'even more
> > tamas'.  One cannot propose that the pratyavāya can be neutralized by
> > devatopāsana.  There is no such an acceptance in the vedic system.
> >
> > The ideal situation is being taught in the next mantra 10, where the
> > combination of nitya karma and devatopasana are prescribed for one and
> the
> > same person and that he has to practice them together, sequentially.  The
> > bhāṣyam has the word 'krameṇa'.
> >
> > subrahmanian.v
> >
> >
> > 2014-05-22 14:16 GMT+05:30 H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>:
> >
> > > Namaste.
> > >
> > > Nitya karma and Naimittika karma are compulsary for all three ashramas.
> > But
> > > upasanas are not compulsary.  Without performing karmas, whatever else
> > one
> > > performs, including upasana, they do not give fruitful phalas. That is
> > the
> > > reason why those who perform upasana only , to the exclusion of
> > > nitya/naimittika karmas , are said to go to greater darkness. For
> > upasanas
> > > to lead to phalas greater than is obtainable from karma alone ,  they
> > must
> > > necessarily be performed in conjunction ( samuchhaya ) with karmas.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > >
> > >
> > > 2014-05-22 11:34 GMT+05:30 Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l <
> > > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>:
> > >
> > > > Namaste
> > > >
> > > > There was a discussion on Satya Darshana on this. I went to the new
> > > > Sringeri Sankara Bhashya site and searched.
> > > >
> > > > Below is the Sankara Bhashya
> > > >
> > > > अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति ये अविद्यामुपासते ।
> > > > ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः ॥ ९ ॥
> > > > भाष्यम्
> > > > अन्धं तमः अदर्शनात्मकं तमः प्रविशन्ति । के ? ये अविद्याम्, विद्याया
> > अन्या
> > > > अविद्या कर्मेत्यर्थः, कर्मणो विद्याविरोधित्वात्,
> > > > तामविद्यामग्निहोत्रादिलक्षणामेव केवलाम् उपासते तत्पराः
> > > > सन्तोऽनुतिष्ठन्तीत्यभिप्रायः । ततः तस्मादन्धात्मकात्तमसः भूय इव
> > बहुतरमेव
> > > ते
> > > > तमः प्रविशन्ति । के ? कर्म हित्वा ये उ ये तु विद्यायामेव देवताज्ञाने
> एव
> > > > रताः अभिरताः ॥
> > > >
> > > > The question I have is why Adi Sankara has not explained why people
> > > > absorbed in meditation on gods go to Greater Darkness than people
> doing
> > > > Karma? Adi Sankara does not explain why.
> > > >
> > > > On TV discussion the explanation was different. Avidya is Loukika
> Vidya
> > > > like Science, Engineering and others. Vidya is Bookish knowledge of
> > > Brahma.
> > > > If you have only bookish knowledge of Brahma and no realization it is
> > > worse
> > > > than having knowledge of Loukika Sastras like Science. With bookish
> > > > knowledge of Brahma you are making a big mistake thinking you know
> > > Brahma.
> > > > But you do not know.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Regards
> > > >
> > > > -Venkatesh
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>
> --
> Regards
>
> -Venkatesh
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