| Subala | |
|---|---|
 The text extols Narayana (Vishnu)[1] | |
| Devanagari | सुबाल |
| IAST | Subāla |
| Title means | name of a Vedicsage |
| Date | Medieval |
| Type | Samanya (general)[2] |
| LinkedVeda | Shukla Yajurveda[3] |
| Chapters | 16[4] |
| Philosophy | Vaishnavism[4] |
TheSubala Upanishad (सुबाल उपनिषत्,IAST: Subāla Upaniṣad), also calledSubalopanishad (सुबालोपनिषत्), is anUpanishad written inSanskrit. It is attached to theShukla Yajurveda, and classified as one of the Samanya Upanishads ofHinduism.[2]
TheSubala Upanishad, together with the relatively olderMudgala Upanishad, are two Upanishads that discuss thePurusha Sukta ofRigveda,[5] both notable for asserting thatNarayana (Vishnu) is theBrahman (Highest Reality, Supreme Being).[5][6][7] TheSubala Upanishad text differs fromMudgala Upanishad in presenting more verses of thePurusha Sukta,[5][8] being longer, and for declaring Narayana to be the father, the mother, the refuge, the friend and the goal of every living being.[4][6]
The text is notable as the one frequently referred to byRamanuja, the 11th-century proponent ofVishishtadvaita (qualified monism) school ofVedanta philosophy and a major influence onVaishnavism in the 2nd millennium CE.[9][10] Some modern scholars suggest that the Narayana theology of theSubala Upanishad may have been the decisive impetus to Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita philosophy.[11]
The author or composition date ofSubala Upanishad is unknown. Hans Hock states that it is a late Upanishadic text.[12]
Manuscripts of this text are also found titled asSubalopanisad.[7] In theTelugu languageanthology of 108 Upanishads of theMuktika canon, narrated byRama toHanuman, it is listed at number 30.[13]
TheSubala Upanishad is structured into sixteen chapters and deals a range of topics, includingcosmology,physiology,psychology, andmetaphysics.[14]
The text opens as a conversation between Vedic sageRaikva (Subala)[15] andPrajapati, the former is credited in theChandogya Upanishad forSamvargavidya. Raikva asks about the origin of universe, with the question "What was at first?"[3] The answer that follows in the text mirrors theNasadiya Sukta hymn 10.129 of theRigveda.[16] In both texts, Prajapati replies that there was neitherSat (Be-ness), norAsat (not-Be-ness), norSat-asat (co-mingling of both Sat and Asat).[17] This Vediccosmogony asserts that the universe started from nothing, a state where neither spirit nor matter nor a mingling of either existed.[17] TheSubala Upanishad asserts that in this nothingness existed the absolute Para-brahman, from which darkness emerged. This account resonates with the verses of the Purusha Sukta hymn 10.90 of theRigveda.[15][18]
The text states that from the darkness emerged ether (or space). In turn, air emerged from ether, fire emerged from air, water emerged from fire, and earth emerged from water. From earth emerged the egg, which split to create atmosphere and land. Between atmosphere and land emerged the divine person (Purusha) with one thousand heads, one thousand eyes, one thousand arms, and one thousand feet, who created death.[8][15] The Brahman then created seven sons filled with truth, calledPrajapatis.[8][15] Out of the divine Purusha's mouth emerged theBrahmins, from the arms emerged theKshatriyas, from the thighs emerged theVaishyas and from the feet emerged theShudras.[8][15] From his mind emerged the moon, from the eyes came the sun, from his heart came the life-force (prana).[15][19]
Chapter 2 asserts that from theapana of the divine Purusha came theYakshas,Rakshasas, domestic animals, andGandharvas.[19] From his bones emerged the mountains, while the herbs and trees came from his hair. His forehead and anger becameRudra, while his exhalation became theVedas, theSutras, the grammar, theNyaya logic, the prosody, thedharma, and all human knowledge and all beings.[16][19]Atma (soul) emerged as divine light absorbing everything in the universe.[8][20] He divided his own self (Atman of Purusha) into two, thus creating woman and man.[19] The text asserts that along with the cycle of creation is competing cycle of destruction, whereinVaishvanara destroys and returns everything back to darkness, where there is "neitherSat, norAsat, norSat-asat."[8][20][21]
AttainingAtma (Soul)
The undaunted man never grieves,
as he knows Atma to be great,
all-pervading and unborn. (...)
Some attain this Atma
by the six means: of Truth, Charity, Austerity,
of Non-injury to any creature,
ofBrahmacharya,
of indifference to worldly objects;
And there are no other means.
Chapter 3 elaborates the path tomoksha (liberation) through realization of the ultimate reality and being, theAtman and the Brahman.[21][23] Atman and Brahman, asserts the text, is unborn, uncaused, devoid of form or nature that can be sensed; is imperishable, neither short nor long, neither definable nor obscure, neither provable nor shrouded, neither manifested nor measurable, neither with interior nor with exterior.[21][23]
One attains this Atman and self-knowledge through virtues, which are six in number – truthfulness, charity, austerity, non-injury to others,Brahmacharya, and renunciation.[21][23][24] The text then repeats the "da, da, da"axiology found in section 5.2[25] of theBrihadaranyaka Upanishad, referring todama (self-restraint),dāna (charity) anddaya (compassion).[23][8]
Chapter 4 states that the soul resides in the heart of a living being (dahara), in a ten petaledlotus.[21][26] The heart feeds the 72,000 vessels in the body (nadis).[27] The immortal soul, the innermost center of one's existence, is ever-present as the "resplendent effulgence", whether one is in an awake state of consciousness or dreaming in one's sleep.[28][29] This section of theSubala Upanishad resonates with the doctrine presented in the much more ancientChandogya Upanishad's section 8.1.[30]
Chapter 5 asserts, one by one, that 14 organs in the human body andahamkara (personality) are divine.[31][32] He who moves in these organs and binds them is the "fearless, sorrowless, infinite"Atman (soul, self).[32][33][34]
For example, states the text, the eye is the deitySurya and the source of knowledge, and is thus linked to the soul.[35] The tongue and mouth areVaruna,[36] the hands areIndra,[37] the feet areVishnu,[37] the mind is Moon,[36]ahamkara (personality) isRudra,[38] and the sexual organs arePrajapati.[31][39]
One must meditate on one's soul, states the text.[31][32] This soul is the all-knowing ruler of all these organs and the source of happiness.[40] The text asserts that soul is what is discussed by theVedic texts and scriptures.[31][40]
Chapters 6 and 7 state thatNarayana (Vishnu) is the one divine alone.[41] The directional gods, allDevas, time and the aeons, the planetary systems, the climatic phenomena, the fourteennadis, all organs of living beings, parents, siblings, fire, andghee (clarified butter) are identified as manifestations of Narayana.[41][42] Narayana is the radiant indwelling spirit in everyone and in every creature, asserts the text.[43]
Chapter 8 through 12 state that everything except the Narayana (soul) is transitory and subject to dissolution. Everything merges back into the immortal, fearless, sorrowless, endless, seedless Brahman.[44][45] Chapter 10 asserts that Atman is Brahman, and everything rests in one's own soul.[46][47]
Be child-like
बाल्येन तिष्ठासेद्बालस्वभावोऽसङ्गो निरवद्यो
मौनेन पाण्डित्येन निरवधिकारतयोपलभ्येत
Child-like simplicity ought to be
one's outlook on life.
Unattached, innocent, blameless,
silent, with aloneness.
Chapter 13 asserts that the child is a state of innocence and non-attachment, and this is what one must cultivate.[49][50] The child knows of no classes or stages of life and learns innocently.[51] So also, states the text, is the state ofmoksha (liberation) for a sage, who knows no fear, worries, cravings, anger, or falsehood.[49][50]
Chapters 14 to 16 assert that with self-knowledge, a person dissolves into the supreme, the Narayana.[52] In this state, there is "neitherSat, norAsat, norSat-asat."[8][52]
TheSubala Upanishad was frequently cited by the 11th-century scholarRamanuja, the main proponent ofVishishtadvaita (qualified monism) school ofVedanta philosophy.[9][10] Hisbhasya (commentary) onBrahma Sutras, for example, references theSubala Upanishad, as he interprets theSutras.[10][53][54] Ramanuja justifies Vishnu as each individual self (Atman, soul), the inner self of everyone, everything in the world, the means to ultimate liberation, with theological arguments partly based on theSubala Upanishad.[11][54][55]
Bartley states that the Narayana theology of theSubala Upanishad was an important influence on Ramanuja,[56] while Oberhammer and Rastelli describeSubala Upanishad as possibly the decisive impetus to Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita philosophy.[11]
According to John Plott, theSubala Upanishad influenced theBhakti movement in medieval India.[57]
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