Episode 02 - Thaithireeya Upanishad Continued.
Thaithireeya Upanishad Continued
The need to get educated all through one’s life is explained:
rithm ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
sathyam ca SwAdhyAya pravachanE ca
thapas ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
dhamas ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
Shamas ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
agnayas ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
agnihothram ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
athithayas ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
mAnusham ca swAdyAya pravachanE ca
PrajAs ca swAdhyAya pravachanE ca
The fundamental and essential condition of a meaningful life is explained
sathyam vadha (Do speak only Sathya**);
Dharmam Chara (Do only acts that are defined as dharma)
** The word sathya is generally known in parlance of speech as the Truth. But there is a more substantive meaning to this word. The philosophical meaning of the word is "unchangeable", "that which has no distortion", "that which is beyond distinctions of time, space, and things", "that which pervades the universe in all its constancy." In that context, the word is understood in its two components – “sath” (THAT which is perceived in form or substance) and ‘tyath” (the same perceived as formless). The Vedic instruction would then mean “Speak about that which is with and without form at once, viz, the Brahman”. It precludes speech of what is not Brahman. If one were to contend what all here is none other than Brahman, and thus claim to be speaking about any object, one has to remember that such object should satisfy both conditions of form and formlessness. Hence the Upanishad itself says Brahman to be “alakshaNam, achintyam- indefinable, unthinkable” thus preventing any attempt to confine the Almighty. What is intended by the word “speak” in such a context is to speak about rather dwelve on, its transcendency and thus disengange the mind from the clutches of the changeful and objective appearances. In the same parlance, “Dharma” of a “Being” would be “Immutability”: the realization of that supreme nature is advised by the second mantra – “Dharmam Chara”.
But for our common means of understanding it, in terms of our life principles, it means not just as the (factual) Truth, but the Truth that also is (hitham) benevolent to others – para hithArtham.
Manu, from whom we derive the names as “mAnava”, “manuShya” and for that matter “manidhan” in Tamil, “man” in English and “mAnav” in Hindi, says in his Smruthi – the Law book
Sathyam brUyAth priyam brUyAth na brUyAth sathyam apriyam
Speak Sathya that is welcome and balming to the spoken person. Do not speak Sathyam that is disliked or would hurt.
It is also mentioned by Manu that “priyam ca nArutham brUyAt” which means that one should not speak untruth for the simple reason that it solaces the other. Thus the speech of Truth is be meticulously defined and prescribed.
The Bhagavad Gita mentions utterance of Truth to be a penance.
anudhvEgakaram vAkyam sathyam priya hitham ca yath:
swAdhyAyAbyasanam chaiva vAngmayam thapa uchyathE
Speaking Sathyam in a manner that does not hurt the spoken to, that offers him/her comfort (hitham) and pleases him/her (priyam) and learning and the study of the Vedas and spiritual scriptures are regarded as penance (tapas) by speech. (Verse 17.13).
The secret of a disciplined life explained
mAthru devO bhava (Adore your mother as God);
pithru devO bhava (Adore your father as God)
AchArya devO bhava (Adore your teacher as God);
athithi devO bhava (Adore your guests as Gods).
sathyAnna pramadhithavyam; dharmAnna pramadhithavyam; kushalAnna pramadhithavyam; bhoothyai na pramadhithavyam; swAdhyAya pravachanAbhyAm na pramadhithavyam; dEva pithru kAryAbhyAm na pramadhithavyam.
Do not stray from Sathya; do not stray from Dharma; do not stray from what are good for you; do not stray from doing good; do not stray from learning and offering that learning to others; do not stray from your duties to the Gods and to your forefathers (pithrus).
The enjoyable art of giving is explained
SradhdhayA dhEyam; aSradhdhayA (a)dhEyam; SriyA dhEyam; hriyA dhEyam; bhiyA dhEyam; samvidhA dhEyam.
(Give with sincerity and commitment; don’t give without sincerity and commitment; give according to your economic circumstances; give with respect and humility; give with knowledge and understanding.)
The adherence to infallible leadership explained
YAnyanavadhyaani karmANi thAni sevithavyAni no itharANi,
yAnyasmAkam sucharithAni thAni tvayOpAsyAni nO itharANi.
(Whatever be the actions of ours that are flawless, they are to be adhered to and none else. Whatever is the conduct of ours that is good, that is to be adhered to and nothing else)
(During my childhood, the last-quoted portion, recited with the lilt that comes with proper instruction, would churn my heart as much as would T.N.Rajarathnam Pillai's Thodi.)
Anandavalli
asadhvA idhamagra Aseeth thathO vai sadhajAyatha
thadhAthmanam swayamakuruthah thasmAth thath sukruthamuchyatha ithi
At the beginning THAT did exist as void. Then this (sath = prakruthi, universe, creation) came forth/arose.
That Self (Brahmam- God - Sarveswara) created on its own. Therefore It is known as Self-Creator (sukrutham ithi).
We need to pause and understand this proclamation a little carefully and contextually correctly. Nothingness cannot create anything. What is meant to be conveyed is that the perceivable universe did not exist and the Brahmam existed in a non-perceptible manner (no form, no substance, no dimensions and no qualities). This is substantiated by the words used by the Sruti itself. The word “idam” meaning “this” denotes one that is apart from oneself. The word “aham- I” denotes Self while the word “idam-This”, “tvam- You”, “ayam-This” etc denote what is other than Self. Hence the negation refers to the world that is seen but not the Seer who is eternal.
At the end of every yuga pralayam, we are told that the entire perceivable creation/universe is reduced to perceptible nothingness and the Brahmam resides in it. Then the Brahmam gradually manifests itself into what we understand as the creation/universe. This cycle goes on without a beginning and without an end. Therefore, the Brahmam is known as "anAdhi and anantham".
Nammaazhwar in his "Thiruvaai Mozhi" captures this stunning and incomprehensible event thus:
(There was nothing that could be called as ‘One’. There were no Gods. There were no worlds (universe). There was no life. Then,(andru) He – the One “Adi Piraan” the earliest Lord, (Sriman Narayanan),who glows in a standing pose in Thirukkurughoor that is lined with long stretches of mansions and palaces that resemble the hills – created Brahma – the creator, the Heavens (abode of Gods), and all life. When He Himself offers His darshan, why would anyone seek other Gods?)
yadhvai tat Sukrutham rasO vai saha rasa hyEvAyam labdhwAnandhee bhavathi.
kO hyEvAnyAth kah prANyAth. yadhEva AkASa AnandhO na syAth.
Esha hyEvAnandhayAthi.
What came into being by Itself, is wholesome, pure joy. Because man received that pure joy from Him man experiences that joy. If that joy did not reside in the heart space, who can survive? He is the only source of wholesome joy.
yadhA hyEvaiSha Ethasmin adhruSyE nAthmyE nirukthE nilayanE abhayam prathiShttAm vindhathE Atha sO abhayam gathO bhavathi.
yadhA hyEvaiSha Ethasminnudharamantharam kuruthE atha thasya bhayam bhavathi thathvEva bhayam vidhuShO amanvAnasya.
THAT cannot be seen. THAT has no physical form. THAT cannot be explained. THAT has no support. THAT has no fear. When man establishes himself in THAT, he attains fearlessness. When he removes himself even a bit from THAT, he is exposed to fear. For the learned person (Panditha) who cannot think (in these terms), THAT itself becomes the cause of fear. ANANDAVALLI - MEASURING JOY!
Joy from deliverance from evil: Our minds often stumble over the exercise of giving a dimension and measure to the sense of joy - which is mostly emotional at the primary level of the pyramid of evolution of the mind. The term Ananda in samskrit is actually a multiple version of joy - bliss is more close to it; the thaithireeya upaniShad attempts to define Ananda in successive scaling up, in the following manner:
saishaanandhasya mImaamgmSaa bhavathi;
yuvaa Syaath Saadhu yuvaadhyaayakah;
ASishtO dhrishtistO bhavishtah;
thaSyEyam prithvee Sarvaa viththaSya poorNaa Syaath;
ca EkO maanusha aanandhah;
thE yE satham maanusha aanandhaah;
ca EkO manushya gandharvaaNaamaanandhah;
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya.
Let us see how joy (Anandam) measures up. Let us take for this measure, a man in the prime of his youth, brilliant and knowledgeable, brimming with youthful energy, very well disciplined in life and abounding in strength. Let us make that singular man in exclusive possession of all the wealth and riches of this entire earth. The joy (Anandam) that that man gets would be the measure of a human joy.
If you multiply that measure by 100, then that would be manushya-gandharva (presumably the next higher level in the divine heirarchy) joy . A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE sadham manushya gandharvamaaNaanandhaah:
Sa EkO dhEva gandharvamaaNaamanandhah;
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya.
100 times of one manushya gandharva joy equals one dhEva gandharva's joy. A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE sadham dhEva gandharvamaaNaamanandhah:
Sa EkO pithrUNaam cira lOka lOkaanaamaanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of one dhEva gandharva joy equals one Pithru's (Forefather) joy in Pithruloka.
A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE pithrUNaam cira lOka lOkaanaamaanandhah:
Sa EkO Ajaanajaanaam dhEvaanaam aanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of one Pithru's joy equals that of one dhEva in the dhEva lOka;
A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE satham Ajaanajaanaam dhEvaanaamaanandhah:
Sa EkO karma dhEvaanaam dhEvaanaamaanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of one dhEva in dhEva loka equals the joy of souls who have attained the status of dhEva through performance of their respective karmas. A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE satham karma dhEvaanaam dhEvaanaamaanandhah:
Sa EkO dhEvaanaamaanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of one karma dhEva's joy equals the joy of one important dhEva.(like Agni, Vayu, etc/) A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE satham dhEvaanaamaanandah:
Sa EkO IndraSyaanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of one mukhya dhEva's joy equals the joy of Indra. A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE sathamindhraSyaanandhaa;
Sa EkO bruhaspathEraanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of Indra's joy equals the joy of Bruhaspathi . A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE satham BruhaspathEraanandhah:
Sa Eka PrajaapathEraanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of the joy of the Deva Guru Bruhaspathi equals that of the Prajaapathi. A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
thE yE satham prajaapathEraanandhah:
Sa EkO BrahmaNaanandhah:
SrOthriyaSya caakaamahathaSya
100 times of the joy of Prajaapathi equals the joy of Brahmam. A man without desires and who is also fully enlightened achieves this level of joy.
What we loosely refer to as "Brahmaanandham" is equal to 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 times the aanandha of that singularly unique human being described at the beginning, who is exclusively in command of the total joy of the riches and splendour of this earth.
T he evo lutionary hierarchical elevation of man according to this Up anishad
Paramaatma
Prajaapathi
Brahaspathi
Indra
Mukya Devas (Agni, Vayu, Varuna)
Karma Deva (Devas who had eliminated all vestiges of karma)
Deva
Pithru
Deva Gandharva
Manushya Gandharva
Manushya (human )
Is Brahmaanandam attainable for a normal soul? After defining each grade upwards of evolution of the soul towards divinity, offering unbounding joy in multiples of hundred at each level, the Upanishad encourages the sadhaka by repeatedly asserting at the end of each grade: "SrOthriyasya cAkAmahathasya" If one has the strength of mind and purpose and acquires the necessary jnAnam, all these ascending levels of pure joy and power, including the ultimate"BrahmAnandam", are attainable for every soul. That is because it is one’s inherent nature.