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Kathopanisad

Chapter 1 Valli 3 Mantra 11

Lecture

Mantra

ma̱hata̱ḥ para̍m a̱vya̱kta̱m avya̍ktāt pu̱ruṣa̍ḥ paraḥ |
pu̱ruṣā̱n na pa̍raṁ ki̱ñci̱t sā̱ kāṣṭhā̍ sā pa̱rā ga̍tiḥ ||

param = beyond; mahataḥ = the Great Self; avyaktam = is the Unmanifest; paraḥ = higher; avyaktāt = than the Unmanifest; puruṣaḥ = is That which fills the Entire Universe, the Supreme being; puruṣāt = than the Purusha; na paraṁ kiñcit = there is nothing higher; sā kāṣṭhā = the acme, the culmination; sā = that is; parā gatiḥ = the final, ultimate Goal.

Beyond the great (Magat) is the unmanifested (Avyaktam). Beyond the Avyaktam is the Purusha; beyond the Purusha there is nothing; that is the ads that is the highest goal.

by Swami Chinmayananda:

The total Intellect described in the previous Mantra constitutes, as we know, the Hiranyagarbha, which is the state of the world as it first emerges out of its very seed condition, as a sprout. We all know that in a fig seed we have, in fact, in an unmanifest condition, the entire tree itself. Under favorable conditions, through the minute holes in the skin of the seed, water is absorbed and the food contents of the seed bloat out and tear the testa and the tegmen which are the coatings of the seed. The radicle and the plumule, fattening themselves upon the ready food stored away in the cotyledons slowly shoot out through the aperture made in the skin of the seed. At this stage the seed is said to be sprouting.

Similarly, the Supreme Truth, the all-pervading Pure Existence, eternally remains in its unsullied State of Perfection, Due to the play of Maya, Pure Consciousness starts projecting Itself through various layers of grossness to end ultimately in its manifestation as the Jagat, In the analogy of the seed, if the Total Intellect be the condition of the sprout, where manifestation has just started becoming evident, then the condition of the tree in the seed as unmanifest would correspond with the State of Avyakta, stated in the Mantra. The Avyakta state is the State of the Unmanifest Jagat; something like the condition of each of us in our mother’s womb; it may be noted here that Avyaktam, Pradhana, Moola-prakrti, Avyakrti and Maya are synonymous terms.

Beyond Avyaktam is the Purusha – Subtler than the State called the Unmanifest is the Supreme, Pure Existence, termed in the Upanishad, in this Mantra as Purusha. This is the subtlest of the subtle factors which is the Supreme Goal of all the manifested world.

In our enquiries into the last two Mantras, we were seeking from the grossest external manifestations of Truth, through layers of greater and greater subtleties, to the supreme point of purity and subtlety, the Truth, We, find in degrees that the grossest are the sense organs and beyond them are the sense objects. Still subtler is the mind. Beyond the mind is the intellect. Subtler than the intellect is the Total Intellect. Yet subtler is the Unmanifest, and, herein we conclude by declaring, that the subtler than the Unmanifest, the Supreme Goal of our seeking, is the Purusha, the Truth. As logic would have it, it is possible that in this chain of varying degrees of subtlety we may yet come to enquire what is subtler than the Purusha. In this case we may tumble down into the logical absurdity known as Anavastha dosha (Regress ad Infinitum). To avoid this, and to satisfy fully an enquiring intellect, Sruti here clearly explains, ‘beyond the Purusha there is nothing’.

It may yet be wondered at by the seekers whether this Purusha-tattva is after all the Supreme Truth, by identifying with which we may reach that static of Supreme Perfection and Peace. In order to allay all such vague doubts, and to rewind all the loose ends into one cord, the scripture, here in this Mantra, definitely asserts (sa kāsthā) ‘that is the end’.

by Swami Gurubhaktananda:

From Total Intellect (Mahat) to the Unmanifest (Prakrti):

The cause of this manifested world is Prakrti. From Prakrti arises Hiranyagarbha or Hence, all the conditions necessary to prove that Prakrti is Param compared to Mahat, are met. Prakrti is like the seed from which the whole banyan tree grows. It contains all the potential powers for creation to take place. The Great Prakrti is Unmanifest even to the mind and intellect, which in turn are unmanifest to the senses. Prakrti is the Cause of the entire manifestation of the universe. It is also called Maya, Shakti, the Divine Mother, Beeja, and Pradhana.

The word ‘Ota-Prota’ is used to describe the role of Prakrti. It means “warp and woof” as in the textile industry. The entire universe is the warp and woof of Prakrti. This well describes the vastness of Prakrti.

From the Unmanifested (Prakrti) to the Supreme Self (Parama Purusha):

Here we come to the ultimate Causeless cause of The Purusha is the subtlest level, the vastest and the innermost core of everything in creation. Beyond it there is It is the Substratum of all objects created, gross or subtle. The Self is the culmination of subtlety.

The Ultimate Reality:

Our final resting place is not the cemetery, but the inner Self, the Ultimate Reality. It would be absurd to think of something else equal to the Self. There cannot be two Realities – it is illogical. A sect of Buddhism called Vijnanavadins attempted that by positing Non-Existence beyond Existence. That led to enormous problems in logic such as “infinite regression”, and ended in it being called Agnostic.

Causeless cause may be understood this way: Avyakta or Prakrti is the cause of Hiranyagarbha and through it the entire Samashti Prapancha (universe). Prakrti gets modified and produces various objects of creation, each different from the other. It may be said to be their “modifying cause”. The Purusha is said to be the Cause of this cause (Prakrti) in a totally different sense. It undergoes no modification Itself, but it supports all that Prakrti produces. It is the Cause of all by being their substratum, while still remaining totally pure and unaffected by the changes taking place in the universe.

A good simile for this is the snake and the rope. The rope stands for Brahman; the snake for this manifested world. The rope  is ‘vaster’ than the snake that is superimposed on it. The rope pervades the snake, not vice versa. Hence, the rope is subtler than the snake, vaster than it, and is its inner core.

The all-pervasiveness of Purusha is what gives it that name. It is such a unique quality that ‘Purusha’ is the only term used in Vedic literature for It. This is unlike Prakrti which has many names.

An Insight from Gurudev:

Regarding the triple criteria for determining a thing higher than another, Pujya Gurudev gives a valuable insight into subtlety. According to him subtlety can be measured by Pervasiveness alone.

For example, there are solid, liquid and gaseous objects. Gas is the subtlest because it will occupy all the space available to it; solid would be the least subtle. Pervasiveness itself is measured by Pratyakatma or that which is the inner core of a thing, supporting it in the outer environment. This insight relates all three of Śaṅkaracharyaji’s criteria to each other, placing them in the order of subtlety, pervasiveness and inner core.

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