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Kathopanisad

Chapter 2 Valli 3 Mantra 8

Lecture

Mantra

a̱vyaktā̱t tu pa̍raḥ pu̱ru̱ṣo̱ vyā̱pako̍’liṅga̱ eva ca | yaṁ jñā̍tva mucya̍te ja̱ntu̱r a̱mṛta̍tvaṁ ca̱ gaccha̍ti ||

avyaktāt tu paraḥ puruṣaḥ = the Purusha is superior to the unmanifest; vyāpakaḥ = He is all-pervasive; aliṅgaḥ = having no identifying sign; eva ca = indeed (emphasis); yaṁ jñātva =  having known whom; jantuḥ = a person;  mucyate = is liberated from all bonds [of ignorance]; gacchati amṛtatvaṁ ca = attains immortality as well.

And verily beyond the unmanifest is the All-pervading Purusha devoid of all distinctive marks, knowing whom, the creature (the knower) is emancipated and he attains immortality.

by Swami Chinmayananda:

These two Mantras are taken together because we had already commented exhaustively on all the points raised in the first part of the second stanza. As we had in Valli IV here again the Mantra is only repeating what had already been said regarding the ascending spiral that takes us from the grossest to the subtlest Principle in us.

The Purusha or the subtlest of the subtle Factors in us is explained here as Vyapaka (all-pervading) and Alinga (without distinctive characteristics, properties, etc.,

Atman being the subtlest of the subtle, as we have discussed before, it must necessarily be an All-pervading Tattva.

In the Sanskrit logicians’ vocabulary, the word Linga has a particular connotation, a scientific import, and is used in philosophical discussions only at such places where the philosopher wants to point out its scientific meaning. Much of our knowledge is made out of our capacity to infer. Almost all our knowledge of things not yet seen is derived through the source of knowledge called inference. When there is a lot of smoke rising from a point in the distant range of hills, we from our point of observation, infer that there is fire on the hill. The sign or the distinctive mark, viz., smoke, observing which, we come to the definite conclusion of the things is called the Linga in the logicians’ terminology.

With this knowledge of the exact connotation of the word, we can now easily understand the import of the scripture when She says that the Purusha is devoid of any Linga. It means that there are no properties or qualities or such other indicative signs by which we can directly perceive, and, therefore, come to recognize the Self in us.

He who realizes this Self, through a subjective experiencing, not only gets liberated from the shackles of mortal limitations, but also the Sruti asserts, most surely, reaches the Deathless State of Eternal Existence. “Brahmavith Brahmaiva Bhavathi” (knower of Brahman becomes Brahman), is the incessant declaration of all Srutis.

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