Episode 01 - Chandogya Upanishad.

CHAANDOGYA UPANISHAD

Along with Brihadhaaranyaka Upanishad, the Chaandogya Upanishad provides a vital foundation for upanishadic Vedanta. It is also among the oldest and largest of Upanishads. Reflecting its importance to the Vedanta philosophy, it is quoted frequently in the Brahma Sutra, the pivot of Vedanta.  It addresses several “vidhyas” – means to enquire into the Nature of Brahmam: panchAgni vidhya, vaiSwAnara vidhya, bhUmA vidhya, madhu vidhya, koSa vidhya, puruSha vidhya, samvarga vidhya, sandilya vidhya, etc. (vidya means knowledge, meditation, a comprehensive insight into the nature of the reality behind any phenomenon). This Upanishad also is home to the famous upanishadic dialogue – between Sage Uddalaka and the disciple Swetaketu and one of the four maha vAkyas – “Thath Tvam Asi”. 

The Upanishad is part of SAma Veda and is replete with references to it.

SHANTI MANTRA:

OM. ApyAyantu mamAngAni vAkprANashchkshuH

shrotramatho balamindriyANi cha sarvANi |

sarvaM brahmaupaniShadaM mAhaM brahma nirAkuryAM mA mA brahma

 

nirAkarodanikAraNamastvanikAraNaM me.astu |

 

tadAtmani nirate ya upaniShatsu dharmAstemayi santu te mayi santu ||

 

|| OM. shAntiH shAntiH shAntiH ||

 

Om. May my limbs, my body, my tongue, prana, eyes, ears and my strength and also all the other sense—organs be energised! All, indeed, is Brahman, as is declared in the Upanishads. May I never deny (nirAkuryAm) Brahman! May Brahman never disown (nirAkarOdanikAraNam) me! May there never be denial (of the Brahmam) on my part! May all the dharmas enumerated in the Upanishads belong to me, who am devoted to Atman! Yes, may they all belong to me! Om.SAnthih.SAnthih.SAnthih.

(The audacity of the proclamation of the relationship between the atma and Brahmam, to declare “. May I not deny Brahmam; nor Brahmam disown me!” is typical of upanishadic proclamations – bold and beautiful.)

omityetadakSharamudgIthamupAsIta |

omiti hyudgAyati tasyOpavyAkhyAnamh

Here is the famous Chaandogya theme – the five questions which Pravaahana, son of Jeevala, asked Swetaketu, in the assembly of Paanchalas, leaving that boy utterly humiliated in the darbar as he knew not one answer, though he introduced himself as a Brahmachari properly instructed by his father. 

 

shvetaketurhAruNeyaH paanchAlAnAm samitimeyAya

taam ha pravAhaNo jaivaliruvAcha kumArAnu

tvAshiShatpitetyanu hi bhagava iti || 5\.3\.1||

 

Svetaketu the grandson of Aruna came to the assembly of the Panchalas. Praavahana the son of Jeevala said to him: "Boy, has your father instructed you?" "Yes, revered Sir," he replied.

 

vettha yadito.adhi prajAH prayantIti na bhagava iti vettha

yathA punarAvartanta3 iti na bhagava iti vettha

pathordevayAnasya pitRiyANasya cha vyAvartanA iti

na bhagava iti || 5\.3\.2||

 

The king asked: "Do you know to what place men go after departing fromhere?" "No, I do not know, revered Sir." "Do you know how they return again?" "No, I do not know, revered Sir." "Do you know where the paths leading to the gods(devayana) and leading to the ancestors (pitrus) separate?" "No,I do not know, revered Sir."

 

vettha yathAsau loko na saMpUryata iti na bhagava iti

vettha yathA paanchamyAmAhutAvApaH puruShavachaso

bhavantIti naiva bhagava iti || 5\.3\.3 ||

 

"Do you know why yonder world is not filled up?" "No, I do not know, revered Sir." "Do you know how water, in the fifth aahuti, comes to be called purushah?" "No, I do not know, revered Sir."

 

After getting humiliated thus by the king, Swetaketu comes back to his father and questions him why he had not instructed him on these yet certifying him to have completed the studies. To this the father admits his ignorance of the subject and joins his son to approach the king himself for the answer. The king after being approached with due respects, teaches them the Panchaagni Vidyaa.

 

The Vidyaa elucidates how a transmigratory Jeeva passes through various stages and ultimately takes on a body for enjoying the fruits of past actions. The teaching could be straight forward but the Sruti chose to teach each level of decent of a Jeeva fromthe yonder worlds as an oblation into the five fires of Space, Rain, Earth, Stomach and Womb before getting birth into a perceptible body. The questions asked were thoroughly indirect but pregnant with subtler implications. The purport of this method of questioning for an altogether seemingly unconnected answer is that, what that appears to be a birth is never an event, for, a totally unattached Soul can never be subjected to vageries of birth and death. This conclusion may appear illogical to a naïve mind but what is Truth is beyond logic. It only requires a little refinement to get into the deep levels of subtler understandings. The following passages will lead us there.

 

 

THAT THVAM ASI:

 

Let us consider the core message of Chaandogya Upanishad, enshrined in the dialogue between Uddaalaka and Swetaketu, with repeated assertions: O Swetaketu, tat twam asi. (Oh Swetaketu! Thou art That ).

 

Towards that direction, the Upanishad takes us, step by step. In this dialogue, we, the uninitiated, could be befuddled by the terms that seem to link mortal beings with elements like fire, water, etc. In the first place, the equivalents of “agni”, “apah” and “vayu” in English are a bit absurdly but inevitably given as “fire”, “water” and “air”.  We should bear in mind we are not talking about a match-stick fire but a celestial energy that is embedded as an instrument of creation, sustenance and eventual destruction of what we perceive of the material universe as well as our existence in this life. So with “water” and “air”. The Upanishad actually uses the term, eventually, “dEvatAyAm” to connote these forces. Once this misnomer removed, we could better relate with what is being discussed. 

 

Even with that clarity accomplished, we could still be at a loss because we have not known any connectivity, direct, indirect or presumed, between our bodies  as we know from the medical, biological, anatomical or physiological sciences authored by man and the primal elements like air, fire, water, etc. in the intricate sense that is imputed in these discussions. We only know that air is needed for breathing and for several other life needs, water is needed to sustain our systems, etc. But not as components of our anatomy or biology, subtle or explicit. So, when the Upanishad says: “When a man is hungry, it is water that has carried away what was eaten,” we would certainly be at a loss. We must assimilate these assertions with the faith that these references are to celestial divine energies and the understanding of the process explained would therefore be removed from the inappropriate knowledge we may have of the material science of life. But the eventual conclusion that is always reached, is that it is inescapably and always connected with the Supreme Being. And about that, we cannot have any confusion or doubt. 

 

Where does one reaches while asleep?

 

uddAlako hAruNiH shvetaketuM putramuvAcha svapnAntaM me somya

vijAnIhIti yatraitatpuruShaH svapiti nAma satA somya tadA

saMpanno bhavati svamapIto bhavati tasmAdenam

svapitItyAchakShate svamhyapItO bhavati || 6\.8\.1||

 

Uddalaka the son of Aruna said to his son Svetaketu: "Learn fromme, my dear, the true nature of sleep. When a person has entered into deep sleep, he becomes united with the Ultimate Pure Being (Sat), he has gone to his own Self. That is why they say he is in deep sleep (svapiti); it is because he has gone (apita) to his own (svam).

 

If it is so, am I treading the path of mind?

 

Can the mind be a guide?

 

sa yathA shakuniH sUtreNa prabaddho dishaM dishaM

patitvAnyatrAyatanamalabdhvA bandhanamevopashrayata

evameva khalu somya tanmano dishaM dishaM

patitvAnyatrAyatanamalabdhvA prANamevopashrayate

prANabandhana\m hi somya mana iti || 6\.8\.2 ||

 

Just as a bird tied by a string to the hand of the bird-catcher first flies in every direction and then finding no rest anywhere, settles down at the place where it is bound, so also the mind (i.e. the individual soul reflected in the mind), after flying in every direction and finding no rest anywhere, settles down in the Prana (i.e. Pure Being); for the mind (the individual soul) is bound with the Prana (Pure Being).

 

I find my life inextricably bound by the food.

 

Can the food I consume be a master to me?

 

ashanApipAse me somya vijAnIhIti

yatraitatpuruShoashishiShati nAmApa eva tadashitaM nayante

tadyathA gonAyo.ashvanAyaH puruShanAya ityevaM tadapa

AchakShateashanAyeti tatritachChuNgamutpatitam somya

vijAnIhi nedamamUlaM bhaviShyatIti || 6\.8\.3||

 

Learn from me what hunger and thirst are. When a man is hungry, it is water that has carried away what was eaten. Therefore, just as they speak of a leader of cows, a leader of horses, a leader of men, so do they speak of water as the leader of food.  So know this body to have sprung forth froma cause, for it cannot be without a source (moolam).

 

tasya kva mUlam syAdanyatrAnnAdevameva khalu somyAnnena

shuNgenApo mUlamanvichChAdbhiH somya shuNgena tejo

mUlamanvichCha tejasA somya shuNgena sanmUlamanvichCha

sanmUlAH somyemAH sarvAH prajAH sadAyatanAH

satpratiShThAH|| 6\.8\.4||

 

Where could its source be except in food (earth)? And in the same way as food too is an offshoot, seek for water as its source. And as water too is an offshoot, seek for fire as its source. And as fire too is an offshoot, seek for the Ultimate Being (Sat) as its source. Yes, all these creatures, my dear, have their source in the Ultimate Being, they dwell in the Ultimate Being and they finally rest in the Ultimate Being.

 

The natural elements of earth, water and fire certainly take me to task.

 

How do they control me and how can I control them?

 

atha yatraitatpuruShaH pipAsati nAma teja eva tatpItam nayate

tadyathA gOnAyO ashvanAyaH puruShanAya ityevaM tatteja

AchaShTa udanyeti tatraitadeva shuNgamutpatitam somya

vijAnIhi nedamamUlaM bhaviShyatIti || 6\.8\.5||

 

When a man is said to be thirsty, it is fire that has carried away what was drunk by him. Therefore as they speak of a leader of cows, a leader of horses, a leader of men, so do they speak of fire as the leader of water. So know this body to have sprung forth from a cause, for it cannot be without a source.

 

tasya kva mUlam syAdanyatrAdbhy.adbhiH somya shu~Ngena tejo

mUlamanvichCha tejasA somya shu~Ngena sanmUlamanvichCha

sanmUlAH somyemAH sarvAH prajAH sadAyatanAH satpratiShThA

yathA tu khalu somyemAstisro devatAH puruShaM prApya

trivRittrivRidekaikA bhavati taduktaM purastAdeva bhavatyasya

somya puruShasya prayato vANmanasi saMpadyate manaH prANe

prANastejasi tejaH parasyAM devatAyAm.h || 6\.8\.6||

 

Where could its source be except in water? And in the same way as water is an offshoot, seek for fire as its source. And as fire too is an offshoot, seek for the Ultimate Being (sat) as its source. Yes all these creatures have their source in the Ultimate Being, they dwell in that Being and they finally rest in that Being. And how these three deities (fire, water and earth), on reaching a human being, become each of them tripartite has already been said. When a person departs hence, his speech merges in his mind, his mind in his prana, his prana in heat (fire) and the heat in the Highest Being.

 

Death certainly ends the reign of the elements.

 

Is it what is to be learnt?

 

sa ya eShOaNimaitadAtmyamidam sarvaM tatsatyam sa

AtmA tattvamasi shvetaketo iti bhUya eva mA

bhagavAnvijnApayatviti tathA somyeti hovAcha || 6\.8\.7||

 

"Now, that which is the subtle essence—in it all that exists has its self. That is sathyam. That is the Atman (Self). That thou art, Svetaketu." "Please, venerable Sir, give me further instruction," said the son. "So be it, my dear," the father replied.

 

I understand that I am greater to than these elements and death only separates the elements from me. 

 

But how do I remain in death?

 

imAH somya nadyaH purastAtprAchyaH syandante

pashchAtpratIchyastAH samudrAtsamudramevApiyanti sa samudra

eva bhavati tA yathA tatra na viduriyamahamasmIyamahamasmIti

|| 6\.10\.1||

evameva khalu somyemAH sarvAH prajAH sata Agamya na viduH

sata AgachChAmaha iti ta iha vyAghro vA simho vA

vRiko vA varAho vA kITo vA patango vA damsho vA mashako vA

yadyadbhavanti tadAbhavanti || 6\.10\.2||

 

These rivers, my dear, flow—the eastern toward the east and the western toward the west. They arise from the sea and flow into the sea. Just as these rivers, while they are in the sea, do not know: ‘I am this river’ or ‘I am that river,’ "Even so, my dear, all these creatures, even though they have come fromthe Pure Being, do not know that they have come fromthe Pure Being. Whatever these creatures are, here in this world—a tiger, a lion, a wolf a boar, a worm, a fly, a gnat, or a mosquito, THAT they become again.

 

I understand every being becomes ONE in that Supreme Being and I am no exeception. Then… 

 

Who am I ?

 

sa ya eShO aNimaitadAtmyamidam sarvam  tatsatyam sa AtmA

tattvamasi shvetaketo. || 6\.10\.3||

 

"Now, that which is the subtle essence—in it all that exists has its self. That is Sathyam. That is the atman (Self). That thou art, Svetaketu.".

 

Oh! I am that Supreme Being. What a startling revelation?