Amritabindu Upanishad

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Amritabindu Upanishad (Sanskrit:अमृतबिन्दु उपनिषद), the most important of the five Bindu Upanishads, belongs to the Atharvaveda. The word amritabindu means, 'a drop of nectar'. To quote Swami Madhavananda – "the Amritabindu Upanishad inculcates, first, the control of the mind in the shape of desire-less-ness for sense-objects, as the most effective way to the attainment of liberation and the realisation of the One who is Knowledge and Bliss Absolute. Then, it sets forth in an easy and convincing way the real nature of the soul and the realisation of the highest truth which leads to unity. Thus, the central theme of all the Upanishads – viz., that the Jiva and Brahman are eternally one, and that all duality is a mere superimposition due to ignorance – finds a clear and forceful emphasis in these terse, epigrammatic verses."[1]

Amritabindu Upanishad describes that the mind is the cause of bondage and liberation. The mind that is attached to material objects (sense-objects) leads to bondage, while if it is disassociated from material objects (sense-objects) it can lead to liberation.[2] All spiritual practices and spiritual disciplines are geared to obtain inner purity, calmness of the mind, and ultimately, liberation. When the mind is immersed in the state of divinity, it is beyond virtue and vice. In the state of liberation the mental components like virtue and vice become irrelevant.[3]

By the practice of Kriya yoga one can withdraw thought-waves and mindstuff into knowledge, their knowledge to consciousness and consciousness to super-consciousness; one can also withdraw one's manomaya kosha from the coccygeal and sacral centers to above the lumbar center and get super-consciousness, peace, solace and joy in life as indicated in the second sloka by the phrase – karnam bandhmokshyoh[4] –

मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः |
बन्धाय विषयासक्तं मुक्तं निर्विषयं स्मृतम् |२|

Mastery of the mind leads to wisdom.[5]

The Amritabindu Upanishad and the rest four Bindu Upanishads are classed as the Yoga Upanishads.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Swami Madhavananda. Minor Upanishads. Advaita Ashrama. p. 17.
  2. ↑ Swami Muktibodhananda. Energy: The Spark of Life and Universal Goddess. Trafford Publishing. p. 91.
  3. ↑ Paramhamsa Prajnananada. Jnana Sankalini Tantra. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 141.
  4. ↑ Paramhamsa Hariharananda. Kriya Yoga. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 87.
  5. ↑ Irv Jacob. Buddhist Sutras. Authorhouse. p. 364.
  6. ↑ Subodh Kapoor. Encyclopaedia of Upanishads and Its Philosophy. Genesis Publishing. p. 423.