April Littrell
Unity in the Vedas
The purpose of human life as outlined in the Upanishads is for the self to become one with the whole: “Duality disappears, for then the whole has become one’s very self, then who is there to perceive, and by what means?”1 Vedic sacrifice differs from the goal of becoming one with Brahman, though the reasons for performing such sacrifices do bring humans closer to gods. For example, many sacrifices and hymns are dedicated to the god Indra, a warrior and king. Such sacrifices ask Indra to assist in the overcoming of obstacles in the lives of sacrificers: “[His] victory over ‘obstacle’ is paradigmatic for Indra’s conquest of all obstacles.”2 The primeval sacrifice, however, is not as straightforward as the requests or sacrifices to Indra. The primeval sacrifice differs in that it identifies microcosmically but with macrocosmic elements.3 As Ainslie Embree goes on to explain the hymn of the division of Purusha, this micro-to-macrocosmic relationship is rationalized. Purusha’s limbs are individual portions of a whole just as humans are individual portions of Brahman.4 Therefore, while Vedic sacrifices are executed with the intention of receiving divine recognition and / or assistance, the Upanishads highlight the significance of “Developing personal wisdom, inner knowledge of the meaning of immortality, in addition to… external wealth.”5 The understanding of the importance of progressive acquisition of wisdom is, after all, the function of the Upanishads as the fourth section of the Vedas.
So much of Vedic sacrifice and Vedic stories are about division: division of labor, division of fires, division of Purusha, division of minds as they collectively form Brahman.6 Though even as Indian culture is divided by a caste system, each caste plays an imperative role in the formation of society. Of the four classes, known as varna, the Brahmins are charged with the retention and dispersion of priestly knowledge, making them the top of the social structure.7 If only one class has this responsibility, how is the entirety of society to contribute to becoming part of the whole? Further exploration of this question through class discussion and future readings will provide greater understanding of the true purpose of life as conveyed by the Upanishads.
Written for a college class.
Laurie L. Patton, “Veda and Upanishad,” in The Hindu World, ed. Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby (London: Routledge, 2004).↩︎
Ainslie Embree, ed., Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998).↩︎
Ainslie Embree, ed., Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998).↩︎
Ainslie Embree, ed., Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998).↩︎
Laurie L. Patton, “Veda and Upanishad,” in The Hindu World, ed. Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby (London: Routledge, 2004).↩︎
Laurie L. Patton, “Veda and Upanishad,” in The Hindu World, ed. Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby (London: Routledge, 2004).↩︎
Ainslie Embree, ed., Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998).↩︎