Categorization - A Tool for Knowing

(Categorization, if it is not applied properly, has the potential to cause divisions by placing objects into unconnected compartments. Then, instead of unifying the many objects by thorough enlightenment we shall be dividing them by the process of knowing. A very bad example for this is the caste system, which has been a blemish on the Hindu community. The attempt to understand human nature through the four varnas gave rise to the watertight compartments when the leaders chose to block the connectivity between the compartments by linking the placement in a varna to one’s birth. So keeping the flow between the categories open is very important while devising and applying categories. Education, when it is not properly imparted, instead of promoting courage and resourcefulness, can convert one into a blind fanatic.)


The world is full of objects. Some of these objects can be perceived by the sense organs. Some of them can be recognized only as ideas. To understand the manifested universe one should know comprehensively all the objects that form it. As these objects are innumerable they can be grasped by a limited human mind only by organizing them appropriately in categories. Taittiriya Upanishad treats categorization as a tool for knowing.

ॐ शिक्षाँ व्यख्यासाम
वर्ण: स्वर: मात्रा बालम साम: संधान: इतयुक्ता शिक्षाध्याय:

This verse gives the basic approach for the pursuit of knowledge. The knowledge being pursued is the knowledge pertaining to the manifested universe. Only this can be pursued with the faculties available to a human being. The study of this world is essentially a study of objects. The ultimate purpose of the study is the discovery of the thread that connects all objects to the immutable unifying principle that lie behind all observed phenomena. The myriad forms with a multitude of attributes are to be studied by categorizing them and giving them names in accordance with the categories to which they belong. Once the categories are made the study can proceed systematically by exploring the essential attributes of the categories. The essential attributes are the nuances of the forms in a category, the beats of their persistence in the time domain, the powers exerted by them, the contributions they make to the upkeep and evolution of the universe and the possibilities of the generation of other forms from them.

सह नौ यश: सह नौ ब्रह्मवार्चासम
अथात: सम्हिताया उपनिषदम व्यख्यासाम:

Inthe pursuit ofknowledge all of us play the roles of a teacher as well as a student. The teaching is as much an exploration for thethe teacher as it is for the student. So it is said: ‘Let us explore the threads of relevance together and experience the glory of Brahman, the essence of the manifested universe together.’ Relevance gives things their essentiality. The glory of the essence of the universe manifests as the essentiality of the objects residing in it. What essentially are the objects in this manifested universe? Addressing this question it is said: ‘For that let us study elaborately the intimate details of the collectives।’

पंचेष्वधिकरणेषु
अधिलोकम अधिज्यौतिषम अधिविद्यम अधिप्रजम अध्यात्मम
ता महासम्हिता इत्याचक्षाते

When seen in isolation an empirical detail has limited meaning. Its complete meaning evolves only when the detail is seen in the context of the environment to which it belongs. Categorization is a tool for facilitating such a study. Categorization limits the range of vision and provides focus for the study. When the categories are properly chosen the empirical details can be properly organized for systematic study without compromising thoroughness. The five categories under the heads of which the essentiality of objects can be studied are adhilokam, adhijyoutisham, adhividyam, adhiprajam and adhyatmam. Adhilokam is the category of objects related to earthiness. Adhijyoutisham is the category of objects related to astral influences. Adhividyam is the category of objects related to the process of cognition. Adhiprajam is the category of objects related to the generation of products. Adhyatmam is the category of objects related to the essence of oneself. These categories are being further elaborated in the subsequent verses in terms of their origin, movement and the effect of their movement.

अथ अधिलोकम
पृथ्वी पूर्वरूपम द्यौरुत्ताररुपम अक्ष: संधि: वायु: संधानाम
इत्याधिलोकम

Firstly the category of objects related to earthiness is being described. This category of objects is constituted of forms in the physical world. These forms originate in physicality and they aspire to reach out to ideal states. The medium for the pursuit of their aspirations is the ethereal emptiness. The pursuit of ideals endows them with the winds of vitality. The vital sensibilities connect these objects with the next higher category.

अथ अधिज्यौतिषम
अग्नी: पुर्वरुपम आदित्य उत्तररुपम अप: संधि: वैद्युत: संधानम
इत्याधिज्यौतिषम

The next higher category is that of objects related to astral influences. Every object in the physical world is influenced by the aura of the astral bodies surrounding it. These astral bodies are significant presences that have the gravity to influence nearby objects. They originate in the astral plane as the inner fires ignited by passions. The ideal for these fires is to become a source of inexhaustible energy that can sustain all other life forms. The medium for their evolutionary movement is sensibilities. The evolutionary movement endows these objects with electrifying energy. The restlessness caused by this energy, which prompts curious exploration, connects these objects to the next higher category.

अथ अधिविद्यम
आचार्य: पुर्वरुपम अन्तेवास्युत्तररुपम विद्य संधि: प्रवचनम संधानम
इत्याधिविद्यम

The category that comes next is that of objects related to the process of cognition. These objects originate as the teacher. Everyone starts with the excitement to display the little knowledge one has. He wants to get involved in everything as a master. Knowledge, however, has a limiting effect. Generally one tends to categorize any input that reaches him in terms of the things he already knows. So knowledge, if it is not absorbed with the proper attitude, will limit the ability to learn further. The ideal here to internalize knowledge in such a manner that one can continue to learn for ever. Proper assimilation of knowledge converts one from an extrovert with the compulsion to get involved in everything to a self-contained introvert with his ears open wide for receiving knowledge from wherever it might come from. The teacher wishes to convert himself as a student with a perpetually fresh mind. The medium for this transformation is the intuitions prompted by the restlessness of a curious soul. The goal here is to be pursued by refining the knowledge base for greater and greater purity to remove all misunderstandings. The product of this evolution is the utterances of wisdom that gets pronounced in the process. These profound words connect these objects to the next higher category.

अथ अधिप्रजम
माता पुर्वरुपम पितोरुत्तररुपम प्रजा संधि: प्रजननम संधानाम
इत्यधिप्रजम

The next is the category of objects related to the process of production. These objects originate as nature. Nature is the mother that nurtures all things. This nurturing nature evolves into the virility of the father. It is the meeting of the mother and father that makes the generation of products possible. The medium that keeps the motherliness and fatherliness united is the products. The result of their union is the process of generation of products. The raw materials when committed to meet the market demand make the outflow of healthy products possible.

अथ अध्यात्मम
अधरहनु पुर्वरुपम उत्तरहनुरुत्तररुपम वाक् संधि: जिह्वा संधानाम
इत्याध्यात्मम

The last is the category of objects related to the awareness of oneself. These objects originate from the lower palette. The sound generated by the lower palette is ‘mmm…’, which is associated with the presiding deity of consummation. Man in this universe is an artist. Every product generated by him is a work of art. To begin with the theme of this artist is consummation. He is concerned about the use, the application, of the creations generated by him. At this stage he is dependent on the approval of others. The ideal for this artist is the status of a self assured creative artist who sets the trend for the others. He wants to evolve towards the status of Brahma, the presiding deity of creation. The sound associated with Brahma is ‘aaa…’, which is the sound generated by the upper palette. The medium for this artistic evolution is the words of the universal language of arts. The result of this process of evolution is the attainment of the ability to enunciate ideas.

इति मा महासम्हिता:
य एवामेत महासम्हिता व्याख्याता वेदा: संधियाते प्रजाया पशुभि:
ब्रह्मवर्चासेन अन्नाद्येन सुवार्ग्येन लोकेन

These are the great categories into which all objects in the manifested universe can be classified. One who knows the elaboration of these categories is the master of all products and processes. He realizes the glory of Brahman, the essence of the universe. He is endowed with food for all contexts. He enjoys the bliss of the realization of all worthy ideals.

Categorization, if it is not applied properly, has the potential to cause divisions by placing objects into unconnected compartments. Then instead unifying the many objects by thorough enlightenment we shall be dividing them by the process of study. A very bad example for this is the caste system, which has been a bane of the Hindu community. The attempt to understand human nature through the four varnas gave rise to the watertight compartments when the leaders chose to block the connectivity between the compartments by linking the placement in a varna to one’s birth. So keeping the flow between the categories open is very important while devising and applying categories. Education, when it is not properly imparted, instead of promoting courage and resourcefulness, can convert one into a blind fanatic.

Taittiriya Upanishad describes the categorization that should be followed intelligently for understanding the manifested universe without being bound by it. The categorization is done here in such a manner that the legitimate products of a category form the population in the next higher category. The flow of objects across the categories is what keeps the world moving.