SRI AUROBINDO FOUNDATION FOR INDIAN CULTURE, SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY, PUDUCHERRY
SVADHAYAYA: The Upanishads
“The Upanishads are the supreme work of the Indian mind, and that it should be so, that the highest selfexpression of its genius, its sublimest poetry, its greatest creation of the thought and word should be not
a literary or poetical masterpiece of the ordinary kind, but a large flood of spiritual revelation of this
direct and profound character, is a significant fact, evidence of a unique mentality and unusual turn of
spirit.”
—Sri Aurobindo
It is an undeniable fact that the ancient Indian scriptures are enlightened expressions of exceptionally
awakened minds in quest of ‘Sat’ or truth. From the Vedas evolved the Upanishads, which carry within
themselves copious enquiries into the nature of man, the Universe, and God, and which further raise
innumerable thoughts and questions that lead to attaining all the knowledge that is available to human
mind till date. The Upanishads are fundamentally manuals of sadhana, which immensely help aspirants
in their spiritual growth. These are the records of a period in human evolution when the sages and seers
of the time translated their inner experiences and realizations into rich poetic imagery and philosophical
expressions. It is here that one gets a glimpse of the workings of the genius minds of the great scholars
and thinkers of ancient India. It is from here that the entire systems of Indian philosophy, religion and
spirituality have drawn their inspiration and the force for their growth and enrichment. The Upanishads
represent the true Indian spirit in not only faith, philosophy, religion and spirituality, but they are also
the ‘Fountainhead’ of all Indian art, poetry and literature.
The study of the Upanishads is essential in order to enter into the secret chamber of the ‘Brahmavidya’
or self-knowledge, world knowledge and God knowledge. In a certain sense, the Upanishads gave a
foundation and orientation to Indian culture by their emphasis on the inner journey and the search for
‘Brahmavidya’. Therefore, a true understanding of the Upanishadic teachings, thoughts and philosophy
can provide deeper insight into the culture of India.
Through a systematic study of the Upanishads, and the knowledge gained thereby, one can gain selfawareness and realize the purpose of life and connection to the Supreme. In a life riddled with
SRI AUROBINDO FOUNDATION FOR INDIAN CULTURE, SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY, PUDUCHERRY
contradictions, the purpose of the Upanishadic teachings will be to add meaning to day-to-day activities
and improve the quality of life in the current stress-ridden environment.
Keeping this vision in mind, Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC), a unit of Sri Aurobindo
Society, is organizing its annual SVADHYAYA workshop for facilitating the study of the Gita, Upanishads
and the Vedas. But the object of this workshop will not be scholastic or academic scrutiny of the
theories of the scriptures, but to approach these for help, guidance and inner light; our aim is to
distinguish the essential and living messages and insights, all that which humanity has to seize for its
perfection and its highest spiritual welfare; to seek in these the living truth that these scriptures contain;
and to extract all the values and wisdom that can help us or the world at large.
In 2013, a 12-day workshop on the Bhagavad Gita was carried out under SVADHYAYA, during which the
entire Gita was covered—word by word. This year, SAFIC organized a four-day intensive workshop on
the Upanishads for helping the genuine aspirants enter into the spirit of these scriptures and live the
truths expounded therein. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Sampadananda Mishra, Director,
SAFIC.
OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP
The objectives of the workshop were as follows:
 To help in self-awareness and understand the higher meaning of life.
 To explain the meaning of true spirituality and the spiritual genius of India.
 To help understand the nature of intuitive poetry.
 To explain the power of expression.
 To help understanding the contents of spiritual education, relation between teacher and the
student, and ways and means of delivering the contents of education.
 To help knowing and realizing one’s higher nature.
 To explain the true meaning of spirituality and uniqueness of Indian spirituality.
In different sessions the facilitator explained the importance of the study of the Upanishads and gave a
general introduction to the contents of the principal ones. In two sessions a set of keywords of the
Upanishads were explained to help the participants enter into the content and the spirit of the
scriptures. The different words explained were: Atman, Purusha, Ishvara, Karma, Shraddha, Tapasya,
SRI AUROBINDO FOUNDATION FOR INDIAN CULTURE, SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY, PUDUCHERRY
Apas, Vidya and Avidya, Jagat, Upanishad, Shreyas and Preyas, Brahman, Manas, Loka, Prana, and few
others. In the sessions titled Upanishads through stories Dr Mishra narrated the stories of Satyakama,
Shvetaketu, Ajatashatru, Yajnavalkya, Bhrigu and Varuna, Uma Haimavati, Uddalaka and Pravahana,
quarreling of the senses etc. The meditative exercises called vidyas in the Upanishads were elaborately
explained during one of the sessions. All shantipathas or peace invocations and a few important mantras
were chosen for contemplation and recitation as the concluding sessions of the first two days. On the
third day the entire Ishopanishad was taken for the study and on the last day the subject was
Kathopanishad. The workshop ended with the feedback from the participants and concluding remark of
the facilitator in which a brief summary of the workshop was presented.
Feedback from few Participants:
Srinivas Mulugu from Hyderabad said the workshop helped approaching Upanishads in the light of Sri
Aurobindo.
Ramageethan from Chennai said he liked the stories from the Upanishads and it made him enjoy the
Upanishads with awesome characters involved to attain the Supreme Knowledge of Brahman.
Nandini from Sri Lanka liked the stories from the Upanishads and the Mantra recitation.
Dr YN Rao from Hyderabad appreciated the sessions on the Kathopanishad as these sessions answered
many questions about the life after death.
Mr. Ramamurthy from Pondicherry liked the facilitator’s lucid way of explaining the Upanishads.
Mr. Subhash Ghatak from Pondicherry liked the explanation of each and every shloka and the
explanation of the key words with their inner meaning.
Mrs. Chitra Ghatak from Pondicherry appreciated the lucid way of the facilitator in explaining the
various aspects of the Upanishads.
Anerudh from Chennai liked the recitation of the Upanishadic Mantras and he said that he had a
powerful experience as a part of the group.
Rajiv Thakkar from Auroville appreciated the Mantra chanting and listening to the pure sounds of
Sanskrit.
Amritha Malini Raghavan from Chennai liked the chanting sessions and suggested that we should have
such sessions as a retreat.
Asha Radhakrishnan from Coimbatore liked the explanation of the key words, Upanishadic stories and
the chanting sessions.