Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c24: Appendix III. On the Maitrāyaṇīyopaniṣad
Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c24
- Language
- English
Appendix III. On the Maitrāyaṇīyopaniṣad
c24.1
The Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad has not been utilized in this sketch because it is extremely improbable that it should be pre-Buddhistic. The following arguments may be adduced for its lateness: (a) It draws at some places clearly and literally from older Upaniṣads:—2.2. (agrees literally with Ch. 8.3.4); 2.6. “yadidamadyate . . . . . śṛṇoti” (=Bṛ.5.9.1); 2.6—“manomayaḥ prāṇaśarīro bhārūpaḥ satyasaṅkalpaḥ . . . .” (Ch.3.14.2); 6.3 “dve vāva brahmaṇo rūpe mūrtaṃ caivāmūrtamca” (=Bṛ.3.1); 6.32—“etasya mahato bhūtasya etc.” (Bṛ.2.4.10); 7.9 “three verses which repeat Kaṭh 1.2.4, Īśa.11 and Kaṭh 1.2.5 respectively.
c24.2
(b) Its diction is generally well developed, and at one place it “reads like a passage from the Kādambarī” (Creative Period p. 127). Its verses are generally reminiscent of the Mbh.
c24.3
(c) It indicates a developed knowledge of Sāṅkhya and Yoga using a large number of technical terms never or rarely found in the older Upaniṣads—“Kṣetrajñaḥ saṅkalpādhyavasāyābhimāna liṅgaḥ” (2.5.5.2); Budhīndriya and Karmendriya (2.6); Sitāsita-karmaphala (2.7); “Prekṣakavadavasthitaḥ” (Ib); Prākṛtaguṇas (3.2); “guṇairhanyamānaḥ” (3.3); Rajas and Sattva (5.2); Puruṣa, Pradhāna, Triguṇa, Prakṛti, “mahadādyam viśeṣāntaṃ liṅgam”, “Sukhaduḥkhamohasañjñam”, Vyakta, Avyakta (6.10); “Prāṇāyāmaḥ pratyāhāro dhyānaṃ dhāraṇā tarkaḥ samādhiḥ ṣaḍaṅga ityucyate yogaḥ, . . . .” (6.18); “nāḍī suṣumṇākhyā” (6.21); Cittavṛtti (6.34.1).
c24.4
(d) It shows its knowledge of Buddhism by the following passages “eṣa śuddhaḥ pūtaḥ śūnyaḥ śāntaḥ nirātmā.... (2.4); “tadātmanātmānaṃ dṛṣṭvā nirātmā bhavati nirātmakatvādasaṅkhyaḥ....” (6.20); “tato nirātmakatvameti nirātmakatvānna sukhaduḥkhabhāgbhavati....” (6.21); “śūnyaḥ śāntādilakṣaṇaḥ” (6.31); “Nairātmyavādakuhakairmithyādṛṣṭāntahetubhiḥ Bhrāmyam loko na jānāti vedavidyāntaraṃ tu yat” (7.8).
Linked texts (7)
- Maitrāyaṇīyopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Chāndogyopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Kaṭhopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad — Sanskrit
- Kādambarī — Bāṇabhaṭṭa, Sanskrit
- Mahābhārata — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
- Īśopaniṣad — Sanskrit