CU states: That which is the subtle essence, this whole world has that for its self. That is the...

Question

CU states:

That which is the subtle essence, this whole world has that for its self.

That is the true self. You are that, Śvetaketu.

a. First, explain the context of this dialogue.

b. Explain the meaning of “that” and “you.”

c. Explain the meaning and the signifcance of the passage using examples from the dialogue.

d. How does the passage relate to the overall teachings of the Upaniṣads?

Use paradigms from different Upaniṣads to substantiate your thesis.

e. Do you think the Upaniṣadic thought represents an advance over

the Vedic thought? If so, why? If not, why not? Give reasons for your

answer.

Neha · Accepted Answer

a.The dialogue is in context with  Uddalaka Aruni, the father and his son  Svetaketu. Here the father explains the relationship between individual and absolute. 
Svetaketu went to his teacher’s house when he was 12 and after studying all the vedas he returned home when he was 24. When he returned back, he considered himself to be well-read and became arrogant. On seeing this, his father asked certain questions which Svetaketu was unable to answer and he became inquisitive to know the answer of the question asked by his father.
b. That is being referred to ‘being’ and You to ‘atman’. That is Brahman, the truth, the subtle essence of all and the self. The word ‘atman’ is often designated to mean something like an essence, a life-force,

CU states: That which is the subtle essence, this whole world has that for its self. That is the true self. You are that, Śvetaketu. a. First, explain the context of this dialogue. b. Explain the...

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