Upanishad is the philosophical treatise dealing with purely
metaphysical topics, such as the creator the creation, his relation with the
world and human beings. It seldom discusses a personal God and His powers and
nature. Therefore the names ‘Shaiva Upanishad’ appears to be an illustration of
antithesis, because a personal God and Upanishad are two contradictory
concepts.
However, Svetasvatara Upanishad is an illustration of such
an Upanishad. This is the foremost of the several Shaiva Upanishads, and
although it is a major Upanishad, it is not one of the ten Upanishads which are
normally counted as standard. It speaks of Shiva/Hara/Rudra as the very Brahman
itself.
Svetasvatara Upanishad propounds that the power of Brahman is
covered by its own qualities. The quality-less is said to have qualities. Along
with devotion to Shiva, this Upanishad is a fine blend of the Yoga, samkhya and
Vedanta systems. In fact, by the names Shiva, Rudra, etc., it refers to Brahman
Himself and not any personal God.
Svetasvatara Upanishad is a product of inspiration caused by
the penance and grace of God (tapahprabhavadeva prasadacca – Svetasvatara Upanishad
VI.20). Its author is Sage svetasvatara. It belongs to Krishna Yajurveda and
has six chapters and 113 mantras. It is believed that the text must have
originally ended with the first chapter, as is indicated by the repetition of
the last few lines of the last mantra (I.16).
In the first chapter, we get the contemporary belief of the
identity of Shiva (Hara 1.10) and Brahman in its threefold nature, the
Absolute, the world and the individual being.
The second chapter describes Yoga
as a path of attainment of the final goal. In the first seven verses it praises
the Sun and then describes Yoga. The next three chapters are devoted to a
discussion on Samkhya and Shaivite philosophies.
The last chapter yield the aim of
all the four paths: Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga and Bhakti together. At the end of
the second chapter, the sage bows down to God again and again (II.17).
The third chapter presents Rudra
as the only God and says there is nothing to be known other than him.
The Shaiva upanishads are more
than a dozen. Apart from Svetasvatara Upanishad, there are at least twelve
Shaiva Upanishads included in Vimsottari Satopanishad. They are Kaivalya
Upanishad, Atharvanasira Upanishad, Brahajjabalopa, Kalagnirudropa, Sarabhopa,
Dakshinamurtyupa, Askamalikopa, Rudrahrdayopa, Bhasmajabalop, Rudraksajabalopa,
Panchabrahmopa and Jabalopa. They all describe and praise Rudra/Shiva in all
his possible aspects.