Pravahana Jaivali

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Pravahana Jaivali was a king of Panchala during the Late Vedic period (8th or 7th century BCE), mentioned in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Vi.ii.9-13) and the Chandogya Upanishad (V.4-8). [1] Like King Ajatashatru of Kashi and King Asvapati Kaikeya of Madra, he is depicted as a major Hindu philosopher-king. He was the contemporary of King Janaka of Videha, and is among the most famous kings of Uttara Pañchāla-rattha who ruled from Kampila-nagara, the others being Kraivya, Keśin Dālbhya, Śona Sātrāsāha and Durmukha. [2] He teaches Svetaketu, son of Uddalaka Aruni who was a disciple of Dhaumya Ayoda (Mahabharata I.iii.20), his celebrated Panchagni Vidya i.e. the "Doctrine of the Five Fires" that explains the process of rebirth, which is an upasana. This doctrine is in answer to the five questions of the King. [3] [4] And, thus taught the 'two-path doctrine of transmigration', which knowledge had never been in possession of the Brahmins. [5]

Philosophy

Pravahana Jaivali, who was well-versed in udgitha , held that the Universe exhibits at every stage the principle of sacrifice in as much as the heaven by itself is a great altar in which the sun is burning as fuel from the oblation that is offered in this sacrifice, namely shraddha , rises the Moon; looking at the sky again it is seen that parjanya is the great altar in which the year is burning as fuel from the oblation offered in this sacrifice, namely the Moon, rises Rain; then again the whole world is a great altar in which the earth burns as fuel from the oblation offered in this sacrifice, namely Rain, rises Food; man himself is a great altar in which the opened mouth is the fuel from the oblation offered in his sacrifice, namely Food, rises Seed; and finally woman herself is a great altar in which Seed being offered as an oblation, rises Man. This is his celebrated "Doctrine of the Five Fires". [6] In the Kaushitaki Upanishad Version, this knowledge is imparted by King Citra Gangayayani (Gargyayani), in which version the emphasis is on the ignorance of Gautama Uddalaka rather than on the arrogance of the proud and impetuous Svetaketu who was proud of his learning. [7]

From the Chandogya Upanishad it is known that Pravahana Jaivali had speculated that 'space' ( Ākāśa ) is the final habitat of all things. [8] Śilaka Sālāvatya and Caikitāyana Dālbhya who were experts in the Udagitha were the disciples of Pravahana Jaivali who was born after Udara Śhāṇḍilya and Satyakāma Jābāla with whom they held a discussion on the origin of the world. Śilaka found the solution in 'water'; Dālbhya, in 'heaven'; and Pravahana Jaivali, in 'space' ( Ākāśa ) denoting Brahman. Pravahana Jaivali’s three noteworthy speculations are – a) the Doctrine of the immortality of the soul, b) the first philosophic recognition of belief in rebirth and retribution (heaven and hell) or transmigration of the soul, and c) virtual denial of soul in beings other than humans. He too, like Jābāla, described the path taken by the soul after death of the body, Devayāna (the path of the gods), – the soul of the wise person assuming a luminous form passes from light to greater light until it reaches Brahman. He speaks about the mundane soul, the infernal soul and the animal soul. By his doctrine of immortality and general eschatological theory he explains why the world of generation is never full. [9]

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Nirvāṇaneer-VAH-nə, -⁠VAN-ə, nur-; Sanskrit: निर्वाण nirvāṇa[nɪɽʋaːɳɐ]; Pali: nibbāna; Prakrit: ṇivvāṇa; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp) is a concept in Indian religions that represents the ultimate state of soteriological release, the liberation from dukkha and saṃsāra.

Upanishads Ancient Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts of Hinduism

The Upanishads are late Vedic Sanskrit texts of Hindu philosophy which supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy. They are the most recent part of the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, and deal with meditation, philosophy, and ontological knowledge; other parts of the Vedas deal with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices. While among the most important literature in the history of Indian religions and culture, the Upanishads document a wide variety of "rites, incarnations, and esoteric knowledge" departing from Vedic ritualism and interpreted in various ways in the later commentarial traditions. Of all Vedic literature, the Upanishads alone are widely known, and their diverse ideas, interpreted in various ways, informed the later traditions of Hinduism.

Historical Vedic religion 1500–500 BC Indo-Aryan religious practices of northwest India

The historical Vedic religion, and subsequently Brahmanism, constituted the religious ideas and practices among some of the Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest India of ancient India during the Vedic period. These ideas and practices are found in the Vedic texts, and some Vedic rituals are still practiced today. It is one of the major traditions which shaped Hinduism, though present-day Hinduism is markedly different from the historical Vedic religion.

Brahmana Layer of Hindu text within the Vedas

The Brahmanas are Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas of the Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded within each Veda, often explain and instruct Brahmins on the performance of Vedic rituals. In addition to explaining the symbolism and meaning of the Samhitas, Brahmana literature also expounds scientific knowledge of the Vedic Period, including observational astronomy and, particularly in relation to altar construction, geometry. Divergent in nature, some Brahmanas also contain mystical and philosophical material that constitutes Aranyakas and Upanishads.

Yajna Ritual offering sacrifice in Hinduism

Yajna refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well as Yajurveda. The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire (Agni).

<i>Chandogya Upanishad</i> One of the ancient Sanskrit scriptures of Hinduism

The Chandogya Upanishad is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism. It is one of the oldest Upanishads. It lists as number 9 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads.

<i>Mundaka Upanishad</i> One of the ancient Sanskrit scriptures of Hinduism

The Mundaka Upanishad is an ancient Sanskrit Vedic text, embedded inside Atharva Veda. It is a Mukhya (primary) Upanishad, and is listed as number 5 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads of Hinduism. It is among the most widely translated Upanishads.

Mahāvākyas aspect of the Upanishads

The Mahāvākyas are "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads, as characterized by the Advaita school of Vedanta with mahā meaning great and vākya, a sentence. Most commonly, Mahāvākyas are considered four in number,

  1. Prajnanam Brahma - "Insight is Brahman," or "Brahman is insight"
  2. Ayam Atma Brahma - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman"
  3. Tat Tvam Asi - "That essence are you"
  4. Aham Brahma Asmi - "I am Brahman"

Gargi Vachaknavi was an ancient Indian philosopher. In Vedic literature, she is honored as a great natural philosopher, renowned expounder of the Vedas, and known as Brahmavadini, a person with knowledge of Brahma Vidya. In the Sixth and the eighth Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, her name is prominent as she participates in the brahmayajna, a philosophic debate organized by King Janaka of Videha and she challenges the sage Yajnavalkya with perplexing questions on the issue of atman (soul). She is also said to have written many hymns in the Rigveda. She remained a celibate all her life and was held in veneration by the conventional Hindus.

Aruni, also referred to as Uddalaka or Uddalaka Aruni or Uddalaka Varuni, is a revered Vedic sage of Hinduism. He is mentioned in many Vedic era Sanskrit texts, and his philosophical teachings are among the center piece in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad, two of the oldest Upanishadic scriptures. A famed Vedic teacher, Aruni lived a few centuries before the Buddha, and attracted students from far regions of the Indian subcontinent; some of his students such as Yajnavalkya are also highly revered in the Hindu traditions. Both Aruni and Yajnavalkya are among the most frequently mentioned Upanishadic teachers in Hinduism.

Shandilya was the name of a prominent Rishi and was the progenitor of the Śāṇḍilya gotra, which is also one of the top 8 highest Brahmin gotras (lineages).

Raikva

Raikva, the poor unknown cart-driver, appears in Chapter IV of the Chandogya Upanishad of Muktika canon where it is learnt that he knew That which was knowable and needed to be known, he knew That from which all this had originated. Along with Uddalaka, Prachinshala, Budila, Sarkarakshaya and Indradyumna, who respectively held earth, heaven, water, space and air to be the substrata of all things, and many others, Raikva was one of the leading Cosmological and Psychological philosophers of the Upanishads. He imparted the Samvarga Vidya to King Janasruti. Like Indradyumna he too held air to be substratum of all things.

Non-difference is the nearest English translation of the Sanskrit word abheda, meaning non-existence of difference. In Vedanta philosophy this word plays a vital role in explaining the indicatory mark in respect of the unity of the individual self with the Infinite or Brahman.

Anavrtti is a Vedic term which means – non-return to a body, final emancipation. This word refers to the Jivanmukta.

Dahara-vidya or 'the knowledge of Brahman within', is mentioned in the Chandogya Upanishad and the Taittiriya Upanishad. In this Upasana the sadhaka concentrates on Brahman in the cave of the heart. It is one of the thirty-two vidyas of the Upanishads taught in Vedanta, in which vidya Brahman is perceived as the imperceptible ether within the heart. This vidya occurs in the 8th Chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad. where it is taught that the abode of Brahman is the small lotus that is here in this city of Brahman, what is there in the small space within the lotus is to be searched out. This vidya explains the identity of the external and the internal, the objective and the subjective, the macrocosmic and the microcosmic, the universal and the individual, Brahman and the Atman.

Panchagni vidyā means - meditation on the five fires. This vidyā or knowledge appears in the Chandogya Upanishad and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. It is one of the forty-one prescribed Vedic rituals.

<i>Paramahamsa Parivrajaka Upanishad</i>

The Paramahamsa Parivrajaka Upanishad, is a medieval era Sanskrit text and a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. It is one of the 31 Upanishads attached to the Atharvaveda, and classified as one of the 19 Sannyasa Upanishads.

Agni Fire deity of Hinduism

Agni is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the fire god of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. In the classical cosmology of the Indian religions, Agni as fire is one of the five inert impermanent elements (pañcabhūtá) along with space (ākāśa), water (ap), air (vāyu) and earth (pṛthvī), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence (Prakriti).

<i>Pranagnihotra Upanishad</i>

The Pranagnihotra Upanishad is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. In the anthology of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, it is listed at number 94. The Sanskrit text is one of the 22 Samanya Upanishads, part of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy literature and is attached to the Atharva Veda. The Upanishad comprises 23 verses.

<i>Jabala Upanishad</i> Minor Upanishad of Hinduism

The Jabala Upanishad, also called Jabalopanisad, is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. The Sanskrit text is one of the 20 Sannyasa Upanishads, and is attached to the Shukla Yajurveda.

References

  1. ↑ H. C. Raychaudhuri (1972), Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.67.
  2. ↑ Hemchandra Raychaudhuri (2006). Political History of Ancient India. Genesis Publishing. p. 61. ISBN   9788130702919.
  3. ↑ Cyriac Muppathyil (1979). Meditation as a path to god-realization. Gregorian Biblical Bookshop. p. 40. ISBN   9788876524806.
  4. ↑ "Pravahana's questions". The Hindu. 2017-03-28. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2020-01-08.
  5. ↑ Gananath Obeyesekere (2002-11-11). Imagining Karma. University of California Press. p. 10. ISBN   9780520936300.
  6. ↑ R.D.Ranade (1926). A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 32, 183.
  7. ↑ Patrick Olevelle (1999). "Young Svetaketu". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 119 (1): 46–70. JSTOR   605540.
  8. ↑ Introduction to Indian Mysticism. Genesis Publishing. 2000. p. 238. ISBN   9788170209935.
  9. ↑ Benimadhab Barua (1970). A History of Pre-Buddhistic Indian Philosophy. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 93. ISBN   9788120807969.
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