Shvetashvatara Upanishad
The emphasis in the Shvetahvatara Upanishad is not on Brahman, the Absolute, which never changes, but on the personal Ishvara.
There are ideas that later develop as Samkhya, but there is no separation into two entities, puruùa and prakçti. This Upanishad is an attempt to harmonise different philosophical ideas.
It is sometimes referred to as the Shaivite Bhagavad Gita because of its similar content (its synthesis of different philosophical ideas and its emphasis on bhakti and jnàna) and its references to Shiva.
Chapter 1
What is the cause of everything? Is it Brahman? What is our ultimate destination?
Through meditation one can realise that the self-
§§4-
Wheel: dynamic nature of the universe, perpetually moving; cyclical nature of all phenomena.
River: perpetual change within a constant unity; all things returning to their source in God.
§9 Three elements of thought: conscious subject;
object of perception;
maya, which creates the illusion of separateness.
§§13-
Chapter 2: The Practice of Yoga
The practice of meditation is the way to achieve Brahman realisation.
§§8-
§15 Ultimately realisation comes that the Divine exists in all persons as the Self.
Chapter 3: The Nature of Brahman
This chapter examines Saguna Brahman – Brahman with forms/qualities/attributes – and Nirguna Brahman – Brahman without qualities.
"In doing so it reconciles the rival philosophies of Advaita Vedanta (non-
§§1-
§§7-
§§11-
Chapter 4: Purusha and Prakriti and their Ultimate Oneness
§§2-
§6 Two birds on the same tree – compare Mundaka U. The eating bird is the consciousness attached to the pleasures of the world. The watching bird is the âtman, unchanging and unattached.
§9-
Chapter 5
Brahman is manifested in all dualities, yet paradoxically transcends all dualities.
"This is the profound Vedantic paradox, the paradox that allows the jnana yogi to approach Brahman either through the mental discipline of neti, neti, ‘not this, not this’ or iti, iti, ‘this, this’. In other words one can view the world with the constant thought in mind, ‘This is not Brahman. None of this is the Reality. The multiplicity is an illusion because everything is but the Oneness of Brahman.’ In either case the result is the same, entering into a realisation of Brahman.
§2-
§7-
Chapter 6: The Greatness of Brahman
Brahman in this chapter is saguna Brahman – the Divine with attributes.