सैषा ह्युपनिषद्ब्राह्मी पूर्वेषां पूर्वजैर्धृता ।
श्रद्धया धारयेद्यस्तां क्षेमं गच्छेदकिञ्चन: ॥
saiṣā hy upaniṣad brāhmī pūrveṣāṁ pūrva-jair dhṛtā |
śraddhayā dhārayed yas tāṁ kṣemaṁ gacched akiñcanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.3)
“One who can adhere with śraddhā to this renowned Upaniṣad [i.e., this esoteric knowledge], related to Brahman and adhered to by the predecessors of our ancestors [i.e., by those such as Sanaka who came before Nārada and others], can become detached [i.e, free from adjuncts beginning with the body, or, free from possessiveness, that is, one can become an unalloyed bhakta] and attain weal [i.e., the supreme abode, or, bhakti-yoga, or Bhagavān’s lotus feet].
Commentary
anādi-śiṣṭa-paramparāgatatvān na sandeho yukta ity āha—saiṣeti | saiṣā yathoktālambanā brāhmī brahma-parā | śraddhayā ādareṇa vaitaṇḍika-tarkānabhiniveśena yaḥ śravaṇādinā dhārayet sa akiñcano nirasta-dehādy-upādhiḥ san paraṁ padaṁ prāpnuyād iti |
(Excerpt from the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“Because of its [i.e., the Upaniṣad] coming in a beginningless succession of eminent persons, no doubt [regarding it] is befitting. Thus, this verse is spoken. One who can grasp by means of hearing and so forth this [Upaniṣad], this so described support related to Brahman (brāhmī), with śraddhā, that is, with regard and non-absorption in caviling and argumentation, can become detached, that is, free from adjuncts beginning with the body, and attain the supreme abode.”
upa lakṣaṇayā vṛttyā, tātparyeṇa mukhyayā vṛttyā vā, brahma-samīpe niṣīdati sthiratayā vartata ity upaniṣat | ata eva brāhmī brahma-parā, pūrvajaiḥ śrī-sanakādibhir dhṛtā hṛdi nyastā nityam abhyastā vā, akiñcanaḥ śrī-bhagavad-arthaṁ tyaktāśeṣa-parigrahaḥ san, kṣemaṁ bhakti-yogaṁ—“sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo’kutobhayaḥ” ity ukteḥ, gacchet prāpnotīti |
(Bṛhad Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā; Laghu Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“That which sits (niṣīdati), that is, remains steadily, in the proximity of Brahman, as per the lakṣaṇa-vṛtti (indicatory sense), or as per the intent (tātparya) of the mukhya-vṛtti (primary sense), of [the prefix] ‘upa’ [lit., ‘near’], is [called] Upaniṣat. Therefore, it is ‘related to Brahman’ (Brahman), that is, focused on Brahman, and ‘adhered to,’ that is, fixed at heart, or daily studied, by predecessors such as Śrī Sanaka. Becoming detached, that is, having given up all possessiveness, one can attain, that is, one acquires, weal, that is, bhakti-yoga, as per the statement, ‘In this world, this path [i.e., the path of bhakti to Śrī Nārāyaṇa] is certainly well-directed [i.e., the most appropriate], since it is [supremely] beneficial and completely free from fear [i.e., any cause of obstruction or danger].’”
upaniṣad rahasya-vidyety arthaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Śruti-stuti-vyākhyā of Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī)
“‘Upaniṣad’ means esoteric knowledge.”