World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 969

"The real essence of the God is one, the binding soul of the universe, the unity -in-difference, in the cosmic and moral order'; 'We offer our worship to the ultimate Lord of the universe, who runs through the every particle of the universe, who is blissful and indescribable' and so on indicate holistic approach of the Vedic culture.
Again, single source of the whole universe is traced in the Nasadiyasukta [ Hymn of origination) of Rugveda which states " before creation or origination of the universe, there was nothing, neither existence nor non-existence, no realm of air, neither death nor immortality, no days and nights divider was there .But' That One was there', apart from It, there was nothing."[Tadekam, tasmaddhanyat na kincana asa]. Everything in the universe is spontaneous outcome of this Divine suprasensible impersonal Absolute. The Vedic philosophy talks about organic unity of the whole universe The Purushasukta - the hymn on the Great Cosmic Person brings out this idea in clear terms. In this hymn, the Divinity, the ultimate Reality is symbolically conceived as a great Cosmic Person and all existence, the Earth, the Sky, the Heaven, the Stars, the Planets, living and non-living things are conceived as manifestations and parts of the One great Cosmic Person, who pervades the whole universe and also remains beyond it. In Him, all that is, has been and will be , are united. The ultimate Reality or God pervades the whole universe and all are within It . The Hymn on Earth [ Prithivisukta] of Atharvaveda treats Mother earth as a common abode of all living and nonliving, indicating we all belong to one family of Mother earth ( XII.1.44).
Vedanta philosophy proclaims spiritual unity of all existence by stating that in this Cosmos , whatever exists- living and non-living, moving and non-moving, all that is pervaded by One Divine Consciousness' [ Ishavasyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyam jagat). According to Upanishadic philosophy Vedanta] everything in the universe is rooted in Pure-consciousness and pervaded by Pure -consciousness known as Brahman.The Taittiriya Upanishad states that 'everything in this universe is originated from this One Divine Consciousness and going to dissolve in It in the end' ( Yato va imaniH.] In Aitereya Upanishad it is sais that' The Reality behind all these things of the universe is the Brahman, which is Pure Consciousness. All thing s are established in Consciousness, work through Consciousness, and their foundation is Consciousness (III.V.3].Chandogya Upanishad says 'All that is Brahman'[ III.XIV.1] .
The Supreme Spirit or Divine Consciousness indwells in every entity in the world of objects permeating every where in its homogeneous all-pervasiveness. The seer [ Rushi] of the Mundaka Upanishad having direct experience of this all-pervading Reality (Brahman) , dances with supreme joy and proclaims "In front is Brahman, behind is Brahman. It is to the right and to the left.It spreads forth above and below. Indeed, Brahman is, this effulgent
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