Your human body is your last chance

Yes, its the body that performs the karma; because the soul without the body is an impossibility!

Despite a strong undercurrent of mysticism and spiritualism running all through the post Vedic period, also referred to as the Vedantic era, the Upanishads have been time and again emphasising on the empirical importance of this world — and particularly, our own living body.

Brahadaranyaka Upanishad, the most revered one among the Hindus in its fouth chapter and forth Brahman describes the process of death and transmigration of soul. While doing so it comes up with an interesting mantra that today’s dharmacharyas or priests wouldn’t like to tell their followers. The mantra 10 of chapter 4 and Brahman 4 says:

अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते |
ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायां रताः || 10 |

(The ones who adore this materialist world verily delve into the deep depths of stark darkness. And the ones who adore only the spiritual world delve into all the more deeper depths of darkness.) The intention thereby is to say that we should understand and honour both the worlds alike.

I am quoting here three mantras, first from Brahadaranyaka, the second from Kena Upanishad and the third one from Katha Upanishad that emphasise, in clear terms, the primacy of body in the so-called soul-body dichotomy.

The Brahadaranaka (4.4.14) is the oldest and the most revered Upanishadh amongst the Hindus. It clearly says:

इहैव सन्तोऽथ विद्मस्तद्वयम्, न चेदवेदिर्महती विनष्टिः ।
ये तद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति, अथेतरे दुःखमेवापियन्ति ॥ 14 ॥

While being in this very body my Self must somehow know Him. If not, then it’s a great loss (in fact the word used in Sanskrit is vinasha which literally means destruction). Those who know Him, become immortal, those who don’t, suffer misery.

Almost similar thought is expressed in Kenoupnishad (also called Kena Upanishad) chapter 2, mantra 5.
It says:

इह चेदवेदिदथ सत्यमस्ति न चेदिहावेदिनमहति विनष्टिः।
भूतेषु भूतेषु विचित्र धीराः प्रत्ययस्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति॥ 5॥

Here, in this world, if my Self come to know the truth then its fine. if not then it’s a great loss (here again the word used in Sanskrit is vinasha which literally means destruction). Having known this dynamic world, the wise/learned ones have concluded that those who know the Truth achieve immortality in this very world.

In Katha Upanishad 6.4 as well almost similar thought has been reiterated.

इह चेदशकद्‌बोद्धुं प्राक् शरीरस्य विस्रसः।
ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते ॥ ||४||

Here, in this world, you must understand Him before this body withers away; or you will be reborn hereafter.

The problem with the western readers is that they rely mostly on the legacy left by the German and British Indologists. The Indian readers too are as ignorant about the Hindu ethos because they don’t know the difference between Hindu ethos and Buddhism or Jainism. The fact of the matter is that Buddhism and Jainism, both have been derived from the Hindu philosophy and theology — particularly the Sankhya philosophy.

Concluded