‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ & The Waste Land

 

Hello friends,

India has infinite and rich cultural heritage and philosophical content. Indian philosophy includes both orthodox and unorthodox systems depending upon the readers. It deals with various kinds of philosophical problems and leads us nearer to salvation, the self. Buddhism and Jainism, Upanishads and Vedanta are at the heart of Indian philosophy. Indian thoughts and philosophy provides the historian of Western philosophy with a point of view that may enhancement that gained from Western thought.  A study of Indian thought, then, reveals certain inadequacies of Western philosophical thought and makes clear that some concepts and distinctions may not be as inevitable as they may otherwise seem. In a similar manner, knowledge of Western thought gained by Indian philosophers has also been advantageous to them.

Upanishads and Vedanta transactions with nature, human body yet not to speak of moral and ethics or social philosophy. There is also a conflict within India for its concepts as it is multicultural. Religion has divided very basic point of spirituality and followers think that it defers from not foreign countries but even of their own country. It can never be so.  

The variety that we see in the world can be explained only as the outcome of men's diverse past work. Can knowledge remove ignorance? Reading of The Brahadarnakya Upanishad not only answers so many questions but leads down to many questions which are unanswered even today.

For the salvation or ‘Moksha’ relation between two encloses deeper significance, yet it focuses upon self rather than person. 

Buddhist philosophy stands at the top along with Upanishads as it does not believe in concretized idea but in metaphysics. The Buddha criticized all concepts of metaphysical being and non-being as truthful views caused by reification, and this critique is involved from the formation of Buddhism. 

Influence:

Misconception which many Indians serve today is, India is great just because it has great culture, Upanishads, Vedanta and etc. Does it really so? No. Many say Eliot also has to come to our Indian Upanishads for ultimate solution of salvation from prevailing modern anxiety and when Eliot gives it from “The Brahadarnakya Upanishad – Om Shantih Shatih Shantih’ says India always gives extend way of salvation and spirituality which other can’t. The question is, ‘Where we were when Eliot was referring to ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’? Most of us are well aware about ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ and its Shanti mantra just because Eliot has discovered. Hence, it can be said that Indian spirituality lacks the touch of Indians and grasped well by westerners. Spirituality is of no one. It consist universal human laws. It is for the self but not for any particular society or to country even. It belongs to humanity, for the humanity as ultimate solution.

The concept of atman or soul, not overall absent-minded in Western thought, corresponds in a certain sense to the Western notion of a transcendental or absolute spirit self—important differences nonetheless. The concept of moksha as the concept of the highest ideal has likewise been one of the concerns of Western thought, especially during the Christian era, though it probably has never been as important as for the Hindu mind. Most Indian philosophies assume that moksha is possible, and the ―impossibility of moksha‖ (anirmoksha) is regarded as a material fallacy likely to vitiate a philosophical theory.

Eliot writes the modern Epic – The Waste Land influencing from ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ and ‘Adittaparayaya Sutta’.

Concept of Moksha in Upanishadas and Buddhism

It believes that locating valid knowledge was the only way to gain release from suffering, and took great pains to classify valid sources of knowledge and distinguish these from mere false opinions. According to Moksha, there are exactly four sources of knowledge: perception, inference, comparison, and testimony. Knowledge obtained through each of these is either valid or invalid. Moksha developed several criteria of validity. Following this, moksha is probably the bordering Indian equivalent to analytic philosophy.

Chatterjee and Datta explain that our understanding of philosophy is fragmentary, based largely on criticism of its ideas by other schools, and that it is not a living tradition:

"Though materialism in some form or other has always been present in India, and occasional references are found in the Vedas, the Buddhistic literature, the Epics, as well as in the later philosophical works we do not find any systematic work on materialism, nor any organized school of followers as the other philosophical schools possess. But almost every work of the other schools states, for refutation, the materialistic views. Our knowledge of Indian materialism is chiefly based on these."

Experience is the path most elaborated in early Buddhism. The doctrine on the other hand was kept low. Majorly it deals with emptiness and silence yet this silence does not indicate misology or derision for philosophy. Rather, it indicates that to view the answers to these questions as not understandable by the unenlightened, prejudiced or the ignorant.

Overviewing the other views

In his work entitled as T.S. Eliot’s Poetry and Plays: A Study in Sources and

Meaning Grover Smith analyses the self-admitted statement of Eliot that ‘The Waste Land bears the release of tension in the mind of the creator.’

Eliot firmly believed that sexual perversion and spiritual degradation can only be erasing out with the help of salvation. F.R. Leaves writes in his work, New Bearings In English Poetry that the conspicuous theme of The Waste Land is none but the remoteness of the modern civilization. The researcher is resolutely agree with this view points of critics and Upanishad ‘you can never know one thing by knowing another.’

The Brahadarnakya Upanishad

The Brahadarnakya Upanishad

Hindu-Buddhist Influences Critics Dr. Dwivedi who is of the opinion

“The Waste Land has an unprecedented amalgamation of disparate experiences and the wisdom of ancient India is an essential ingredient of this ‘amalgamation’

Thus, researchers wants to discuss here is, what is implied in the surrounding text that one can pass them by without losing the general tone or main emotion of the passage. Here, text is The Waste Land and general tone is regarded as ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’

Connection between The Waste Land and the influence of ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’

Dwivedi has rightly observed,

‘It is known to all that two out of the five section-headings of the poem are borrowed from the Indian sources. One may interpret the poem in terms of the five elements that constitute life on earth according to Hinduism…the very title of the poem, the sense in which Eliot used it can be traced In the course of time, as Mr. G.N. Rao points out man’s search for water came to symbolize his metaphysical quest. Thus, the expression ‘waste land’ comes to signify a state of existence devoid of this quest. The title Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is an example of such usage. This Upanishad contains six chapters and is called Aranyaka, as being spoken of a desert forest, and Brihad (Great) from its extent. Like the Upanishads. Eliot’s poem is a secret, wise message to the people living in the waste land to liberate them from the bond of flesh and to pursue to metaphysical way of life.’

Since his childhood Eliot was highly absorbed of Indian philosophy and Upanishad. Researcher has found out unusual connection between ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ and The Waste Land. It can be co-incidence but it would be unfair to scholar and great literary man like T.S.Eliot to refer is as co-incidence. As a result, researcher wants to conclude with the view point is, ‘Where Eliot gives final line of the modern epic poem – The Waste Land ‘Om Shantih.. Shantih.. Shantih..’ is actually the very first shloka of ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’. In spite of being intellectual and high scholar of Indian Philosophy and Upanishad, though he gives ultimate solution of agony within is nothing other than salvation and way to salvation too. 

We know, Eliot has used so many mythical and literary references to bring relief and way to salvation and for appropriate examples he did so. In The Waste Land, Eliot rounds not only the bareness of present world but also gives solution of three Da and shanti mantra ‘Om Shantih Shantih Shanih’. With this spiritual aspect, Eliot wants us to convey that though he is giving the solution, is just kind of touching upon of Upanishad. It is not the finishing line but the very opening lines. He just flashed his light on spirituality is yet remaining to think upon. 

BEGINNING CHANT OF
The Brahadarankya Upanishad

What dissimilarity shares The Waste Land and ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ is, Eliot ends this modern epic with a kind of solution or suggestion. It brings way to come out while reading of this Upanishad seems it’s a kind of loop, one can never help to another to come out. The Waste Land unties with qualms and finds way to salvation or solution but Upanishad releases with this Shanti mantra and ends with no any kind of particular solution as one him/herself needs to find out. Eliot has found out his own and suggesting readers to find their own if they don’t want to find, yet there is much more needs to know. This is just a beginning.

Evaluation

The Waste Land is sub-devided into five parts. All parts are deeply rooted with ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’, not only the central idea of salvation which is believed to be of ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ Indian Philosophy. From Upanishadic point of view there are five elements sky, air, water, space, earth, and fire beneathing the life. These five are also known as Panch Mahabhut.

Eliot’s use of various ‘I’

 

Among the five parts, Eliot uses different ‘I’s. It very difficult to place any I at any definite place except the end readers may find touch upon the tone of poet himself. Now, this very concept of I also belongs to ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’. Upanishad deals with objections and replays and thus center also keeps on changing. Eliot has used this idea of changing center for his fragments. Of course, Upanishad doesn’t rounds the fragments yet is not linear. 

In the traditional heritage of India the human body is considered the combination

of the Pancha Maha Bhootas because of its being made up of the five elements of Nature. The concerned five elements are the earth, water, fire, air and sky. The researcher would like to highlight the belief of  who held the view that the body takes a longer time to get converted into the five elements in the case of burial. This is also spiritual concern which is also being referred by T.S.Eliot with modernist aspect, in the second part of The Waste Land, 

That corpse you planted last year in your garden

Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?

Use of many animals in the Waste Land

Cat, rat, dog, wolf etc serves profounder role in The Waste Land. 

The Fire Sermon

According to Upanishad, 

When the fire has gone out, speech serves as the light. 'Speech' here means sound. Object of hearing, stimulates the ear, its organ; this gives rise to discrimination in the mind ; through that mind a man engages in an outward action. Thus, to which we consider as light, keeps on changing. Constantly changing, Fire is light. One or another way, it presents in every object, it exists even within. Researchers points through this, ‘it is the light of that sites, goes out, works and returns. The light, the fire we are speaking of must be body and within it. It is invisible.

 

Fire is the extreme force of the self not just for perversion as Eliot also signifies much deeper. This light, fire keeps on changing and ultimately reaches to the self.

 

Mutual understanding of Jar

 

Jar is used not to just cover but also to discover. This explanation reminds John Keats for his Negative Capability as ultimately it is not negative but at the extend level of positivity. Where the depth of spirituality lies than this!

Death by Water and The Fire Sermon, both the parts are at the height of agony within the self only. Water is too not symbol of peace, it just seems. Concept of using fire and water gets clear here as Eliot uses in The Waste Land, influenced by The Brahadarnakya Upanishad.

The Brahadarnakya Upanishad

 

Very interesting idea is water is too not peaceful and always prudent same as fire is also not all time burning. Eliot uses fire and water as metaphors that one can come out from the agony of fire but is far difficult to come out from the agony of water which is not looking perhaps the agony or anxiety itself. Titles of both the parts are also symbolic as Death by Water and The Fire Sermon.

 

The researcher feels that by referring to The Fire Sermon of Buddha that is intimate indicative of the shoddiness of the urban pleasures, Eliot has ardently expressed the universality of the theme of passion.

 

As it has been indicated in the conclusive comments of the this section, the researcher opposes the significance of water as a means of purification and rebirth. It itself referred as a fire itself. The researcher feels excited to see that the same line of thoughts has been passed forward in the fourth section also.

 

Way of salvation through the self

End of The Waste Land suggests that it is not rudimentary outline which is given. ‘The Brahadarnakya Upanishad’ defines the self of which Eliot simultaneously talks about.

Never move slightly with the feeling of self-importance, as it invites predicaments of pain. Thou wilt be offered the ultimate death sweet-ball made of flour and water; every other thing will go directly in vain.

What is self?

Though the self has been proved to be other than the body and organs, yet, owing to a misconception caused by the observation that things which help others are of the same class as they, cannot decide whether the self is just one of the organs or some-thing different, and therefore asks: Which is the self!'

The misconception is quite natural, for the logic involved is too subtle to grasp easily. Or, although the self has been proved to be other than the body, yet all the organs appear to be intelligent, since the self is not perceived as distinct from them; so I ask you: Which is the self? Among the body, organs, vital force and mind, which is the self you have spoken of-through which light, you said, a man sits and does other kinds of work? Or, which of these organs is 'this self-identified with the intellect' that you have meant, for all the organs appear to be intelligent?

Here is another reason why the self should be known to the exclusion of everything else. For example, A son is universally held dear in the world; but the self is dearer than he, which shows that it is extremely dear. Similarly dearer than wealth such as gold or jewels and everything else, whatever is admittedly held dear in the world? Why is the self-dearer than those things and the organs?

The Brahadarnakya Upanishad

This is being explained here is innermost. The body and the organs are inner and nearer to one-self than a son or wealth, for instance, which are external things. But this self is nearer than those even. A thing which is extremely dear deserves to be attained by the utmost effort.

Life in death & death in life

In this section the entire circle of The Waste Land that had begun with the

unfavourable April in the very first section gets accomplished. Here in the midst of the waterless days of April have been delineated by Eliot once again. Eliot has expressed the agony in the following words:

He who was living is now dead.

We who were living are now dying

With little penance

DA DA DA

In the follow-ups to The Waste Land the poet has shown the insinuation to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. As per the Upanishadic story, in the aftermath of the total failure of rain in India the gods, the men and the demons in the perplexed and confused state of mind go to the divine soul known as Prajapatiji and request him for the knowledge of the path of salvation. The Lord appeared before them in the form of thunder and uttered a mythical mantra as the key to the spiritual renaissance. It was DA DA DA, also followed by T.S.Eliot as ultimate solution for the salvation.

DA

Datta: what have we given?

First DA suggests, only by such devotion and by donating oneself for some nobler cause, the humanity has progressed up till now.

DA

Dayadhvam: I have heard the key

Turn in the door once and turn once only

The second DA means Dayadhvam meaning to sympathize. Eliot felt frustrated and stunned to see the modern humanity caught in the clutches of self-centeredness. The Indian concept of ‘paraspara-devobhava’ in this regard accentuates that the humans must not ignore the contribution of even the handful of dust, found on their day today way, made of the dusty particles of the earth since they might require the assistance of everything or everybody in their lifetime. The researcher feels that sympathy for helping hand to others or developing a kind of the spiritual salvation. The prominent anxiety is, people are emotionally and morally dead and physically alive. So, what is the purpose of this kind of human life?

DA

Damyata: The boat responded

Gaily to the hand expert with soul and shore

The sea was calm,

The third DA means Damyata meaning self-control and being the disciplined individual. The poet has forewarned his readers not to hold discipline as quiet synonymous to the loss of freedom, but instead he states that discipline rather makes one’s journey of life easier and smoother.

Eliot has analyzed the reasons of using the ascetic heritage of the East and the West respectively. Researcher firmly agrees with this point that , at the convincing portion Eliot hard back the humanity of the teachings of the Upanishad and he believes firmly that by employing this way alone the complete Peace, the harmony which passé the understanding can be achieved none other than Shantih Shantih Shantih. Thus, the modern epic- The Waste Land, the poem ends on a supportive memorandum of hope for the possibility of the human reinforcement. The researcher here directs that Eliot has shown the Upanishadic refuge as the one, fetching the peaceful spiritual regeneration of the wastelanders in the disastrous midst of the decay and degeneration of the spiritual myths.

According to the researcher, it is sufficiently acceptable to prove Eliot’s strong belief in the traditional scriptural classics of India as the united one. It is a notable fact that Eliot has subjugated the rich poetic possibilities of the Upanishadic mode of utterance for the spiritual regeneration of the humanity, especially for the waste landers.

Another thing to be highlighted over here is that none other than devah,

manusyah, and asurah (Divinity, human, demons) had move toward to Prajapatiji, their father preceptor, after the completion of their formal teaching and received the Gospel of Damyata, Datta and Dayadhvam as expressed in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Eliot has presented the gospel by the changing the words to the human beings only.Eliot made Upanishadic DA DA DA into a single message, he made it exceptionally human and shows his poetic intellectuality.

So, the researcher positively thinks that the allusions to the shanti mantra was not just part of Eliot’s parade of information, but a crucial component of what was to come ahead. To sum up the researcher has to submit that Eliot being horrified with the sweeping tide of spiritual degeneration in his contemporary era turns to the Upanishadic wisdom of the Indian Scriptures in order to get rid of the terrible situation. Eliot unfolds, not folds. As researcher has earlier also hypotheses and now proving that Eliot is not subverting to end but leads towards a gigantic door of Upanishad and spirituality, deeply rooted in Indian philosophy.  

Thanking you.

References and work cited

(1)Chatterjee, Satischandra. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy EBook: Chatterjee, Satishchandra, Datta, Dhirendramohan, Datta, Dhirendramohan:/Introduction-Indian-Philosophy-Satishchandra-Chatterjee-ebook/dp/B01C2IHREY.

(2)Dwivedi, Amar Nath. Indian Thought and Tradition in T.S.Eliot’s Poetry. Bareilly: Prakash Book Depot. India, 1977

(3)Eliot, T.S. Preface. Lancelot Andrews: Essays on Style and Order. London: Faber & Gwyer, 1929

(4)Eliot, T. S. The Waste Land & Other Poems. Benediction Classics, 2011.

(5)Jain, Manju. “The Waste Land” T.S.Eliot Selected Poems and A Critical Reading of the Selected Poems of T.S.Eliot. Delhi : Oxford University Press,1997.

(6)Madhavananda, and Śaṅkarācārya . The Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, with Commentary of Sankaracarya Translated by Swami Madhavananda, with an Introduction by Mahamahopadhyaya S. Kuppuswami Sastri. 1965, /Brhadaranyaka-Upanisad-commentary-Sankaracarya/dp/8175051027.

(7)Zimmer, Heinrich (1, Philosophies of India (reprint 1989), Princeton University Press

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