Virility, The Spirit of Enterprise

The inner spirit conceived the various domains and the governors for the domains. It provided nourishment for their sustenance. Through these domains and their governors individual identities became possible. Now there is the bigger problem of holding the individual identities together preventing them from drifting apart. Asserting one’s identity in a way promotes separatism. What is the thread that connects an individuated identity to the spirit of the manifested universe and through that to each other? It is its spirit of enterprise or virility. Without virility an individuated entity will be dead weight that cannot network with others. The nature of virility is being discussed in the third section of the second chapter of Eitereya Upanishad.

Sa eekshate me lokashcha lokapalashcha annamebhya sruja iti

The inner spirit conceived the domains and the governors for the domains that set the stage for individuated entities.

Sa apo abhyatapanabhyo abhitaptabhyo moortirajayata
Ya vai sa moortirajayata annam vai tat

It churned the ocean of sensibilities. Inducting the principle of virility caused the brisk agitation of the sensibilities. From the agitation several forms were generated. These different products were meant to provide nourishment for the manifested universe. These however cannot be grabbed. They remain as nourishment only as long as one approaches them the universe with the spirit of giving.

Tadenatsrushtam prangtyajigham sadvacha jighrukshata tannashaknodvachagraheetum
Sa yadvainadvacha agrahaishyad abhivyahrutyahaivannamatrapsyut

The nourishment created by the churning of the ocean of sensibilities turns away when the governors of the various domains try to capture it for themselves. The fires of passion tried to capture it through words. But nourishment remained elusive. If it was possible to capture nourishment through words it would have been possible to find satisfaction just by intellectual discussions on the different states of being.

Tat pranena ajighrukshata tannashaknot pranenagraheetum
Sa yadvainat pranena/grahaishyad abhipranya haivannatrapsyat

The inflowing life forces tried to capture it through the inhalations. But nourishment remained elusive. If it was possible to capture nourishment by drawing in vital air the process of inhalation of vital air by itself would have provided satisfaction. Nourishment cannot be ingested by any amount of accumulation of vital systems under one’s command.

Taschkshusha/jighrukshata tannashaknot chakshushagraheetum
Sa yadvainachakshusha/grahaishyad drushtva haivannamatrasyat

The faculty of sight tried to capture it through enlightenment. But nourishment remained elusive. If it was possible to capture nourishment through enlightenment the process of being illuminated itself would have provided satisfaction. Clarity of awareness itself can not help one to access nourishment.

Tachchotrena/jighrushata tannashaknot chchotrenagraheetum
Sa yadvainachchotrena/grahaishyad chchrutva haivannamatrapsyat

The faculty of hearing tried to capture it through hearing. But nourishment remained elusive. If it was possible to capture nourishment through hearing the process of attentive listening by itself would have provided satisfaction. Any amount of lateral studies about the surrounding environment is not going to assure one of nourishment.

Tanmanasa/jighrushata tannashaknot manasagraheetum
Sa yadvaimanasa/grahaishyad dhyatva haivannamatrapsyat

Mind tried to capture it through imagination. But nourishment remained elusive. If it was possible to capture nourishment through hearing the process of imagining itself would have provided satisfaction. The construction of nebulous dreams in mind is not sufficient to acquire nourishment.

Tashchishnena/jikhrukshata tannashaknot chishnenagraheetum
Sa yadvainachishnena/grahaishad visrujya haivannamatrapsyat

The faculties for enjoyment tried to capture it by indulging in enjoyment. But nourishment remained elusive. If it was possible to capture nourishment through the equipment for enjoyment the process of enjoyment itself would have provided satisfaction. Concentrating on what is enjoyable is not going to help one to find nourishment.

Tadapanenajighrushata
Tadava yata saisho/nnasya graho yadvayurannayurva esha yadvayu

Finally nourishment was captured by apana, the outflow of life forces. The life force flowing out is the true hunter of nourishment. Food can be earned only by generous interaction with the environment. The process of giving alone can bring in nourishment. A potent relationship with the environment is necessary to nourish oneself.

Sa eekshata katham nvidam madyate
Sa eekshata katarena prapadya iti
Sa eekshata yadi vacha/bhivyarutam
Yadi pranenabhipranitam yadi chakshushadrushtam yadi shrotrena shrutam
Yad tvachasprushtam yadi manasadhyatam yadyapanenabhyapanitam
Yadi shishnena visrushtamatha ko/hamiti

The individuated entity pondered: “All these things outside seem to be depending on me. They don’t seem to have an existence without me. That being so how can I grasp them? That led to the question of the true nature of one’s self. It asked itself: “My words does the categorization. The life forces associated with me does the enlivenment. The faculty for seeing does the illumination. Te faculty for hearing fetches the collective knowledge from the environment. The bounding skin does touch the subject. The mind does the thinking to connect up all these within. The outflow of life forces consummates the relationships. The faculties of for enjoyment bring out my essence. But who is the true ‘Me’ that transcends all these separate functions?

Sa etameva seemanam vidaryataya dvara prapadyata
Saisha vidrutirnnama dvah tat nandanam
Tasya traya avastatrayah svapnah
Ayamavastho ayamavasthah ayamavastha iti

The reflection brings to surface some insights about the nature of the virility of an individuated entity. A being in the manifested universe is limited by its boundaries. Virility punctured a hole in the boundary to connect the being with the rest of the universe. This hole is vidruti. It is located at the most sublime part of the being, which is most receptive to the theme of transcendence. This hole is the abode of the most sublime form of joy for a being. The spirit of enterprise enters a being through the sublime joy that transcends all boundaries. The spirit of enterprise has three states, namely, the state of dormancy, the state of passive engagement and the state of active engagement. All dreams emanate from the sprit of enterprise. It dwells in a being in all three states. In the state of dormancy it operates as visions. In the state of passive engagement it operates as missions. In the state of active engagement it operates as strategies.

Sa jato bhootanyabhi vaikhyata kimihanyam vavidishaditi
Sa etameva purusham brahma tatamapashyadidamadarshamiti

Virility, the form of the spirit of enterprise, when it descends into this manifested universe studies categorically all the objects that seemed to be existing outside it. It realizes that it contains everything and there is nothing external to it. It realized that the principle of Brahman pervades the manifested universe through it.

Tasmadidandro nama idandro ha vai
Tamidandram santam indramityachakshate parokshena
Parokshapriya iva hi devah parokshapriya iva hi devah

Because of this direct identification with the principle of Brahman virility, the spirit of enterprise is known as Idandra. It transcends the domain where sense organs operate presided over by Indra. It is beyond the understanding possible in the domain of sensibilities. Remaining like this it manifests in a subtle manner as Indra, the lord of all ideals. All ideals are characterized by the subtle nature of the manifestation of virility through them. Where such subtle manifestation of virility is there it is to be perceived as an idedal.

Ityaitereyopanishadi prathamadhyaye truteeyah khandah

This is the third section in the first chapter of Eitereya Upanishad