Aitareya Upanishad Lecture 20 on 08 October 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the third chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad. In our last class, we have seen that there is something called Hridayam and there is something called Manas. These two, in fact, are not two separate things. That which is Hridayam or heart is the mind. That which is the mind is the heart. Mind means that which modifies itself into various thoughts called Vrittis. And some of those thoughts, only some of them have been mentioned here for our understanding, the purpose of our recognition. Sixteen such have been mentioned here.

sa.nj~nAnamAj~nAna.n vij~nAnaM praj~nAnaM medhA dRiShTidhRi.rtimatirmanIShA jUtiH smRitiH sa.nkalpaH kraturasuH kAmo vasha iti

A study we discussed. These are called Antahkaranurutaiyaha. At the end, the mantra tells us Prajnanasya Namadheyam. These are all called the names of Prajnana. What is Prajnana? Pure consciousness. Shuddha Chaitanyam. That is Brahman. Herein called as Prajnana. And what is the purpose? Just as every name reveals a particular object, separating it from every other object. That is the purpose of a name. So what is the purpose of sixteen names? So that there are sixteen plus expressions, manifestations of Prajnanam. But Prajnanam is one, but it can manifest in countless numbers of ways. Happiness, unhappiness, peace, restlessness, etc. So some of them we have discussed actually. So is there any special purpose? Why is the Upanishad specially mentioning? And especially it is mentioning to aspirants who are more than qualified. Remember they are Rishis. They are Satvaguna Sampannas. And they are absolutely Adhikaris. Why is it mentioning? Because to point out to them, a person may have any number of feelings. But there is something which is manifesting and at the same time which is also experiencing. What is the problem? The problem is Vedanta's fundamental principle is whatever we are experiencing is not we. What I am experiencing is not me. Umpteen numbers of times I have given you many examples. I see a table, I am not the table. I see a house, I am not the house. I see a car, I am not the car. Now you can multiply. Whatever we experience is not me. Not only not me, it is completely opposite. Whatever I experience is called Mithya. Why is it called Mithya? Yesterday I mentioned some reasons taking the help of Shankaracharya. Because first of all they are instruments. Secondly, they are dependent. Thirdly, they are ever-changing. And fourthly, whatever is changing is completely undependable. But that which is witnessing, that is eternal, unchanging, dependable. And that is the only reality. Therefore to point out. So this fact very soon I am going to put it in a formula. Then that will be helpful for us. So not only 16, but any number of things are there. Now the next point is, so this is called Jeevatma. Jeevatma has a body. Through the body, the mind experiences. And Jeevatma through the mind creates all these or manifests, mind modifies with the help of the Vijnana. As if you just imagine kind of dough. If there is dough, wheat dough for example. Dough itself cannot make itself into like bread, chapati, parota, etc. Some conscious being has to do it. So that conscious being is called Prajnanam.

Now, not only is the conscious being experiencing, but in the end, the Upanishad says, in this world, it is okay. The intelligent person is different, and whatever he is experiencing, objects are many, that is okay. But the Upanishad wants to tell with this knowledge, only with this kind of knowledge one cannot become liberated. Advaita holds there will be because there is Brahman, there is also the world, there is the subject, there is also the object. That cannot be accepted by this particular school of philosophy called Advaita. Therefore, in the end, Advaita wants to tell us everything is only Brahman. When it is not doing anything, it is called Brahman. But when it is doing something or when we think it is doing something, because doing or not doing is a function of the mind, we don't know what Brahman does or does not do. So whatever we are thinking is through the mind. The mind is limited and that which is mind also is inert. That which is inert, that which is limited, that which is changing, that which is an instrument, that which is a combination, that can never ever realize God. So, therefore, it cannot do anything. Advaita Vedanta wants to tell us just as we, the conscious beings in the waking state, create an entire dream world and the entire dream world, both living, non-living, everything is nothing but one waker, pure consciousness, so also the whole world. There are no two things called subject and object, consciousness and the objects which the consciousness experiences. That is the point. So that Prajnanam Brahma alone is. If we can somehow understand that, what is the implication? I am in this world. I am part of the world. So I am also a manifestation of Brahman. This is the first understanding. What is the next understanding? That there are no two things called Brahman and manifestation. I am none other than Brahman or Prajnanam. I am unlimited. I am unchanging. I am completely independent and I am only one. I am not many. This is the point these mantras wanted to understand. So again the same thing I am going to summarize. All our experiences in this world can be divided into three parts. Our "I", what we call "I" or "you" or "he" or "she", is all the time identifying with every single thought. I am happy. I am unhappy. Oh, I am feeling cold. I am feeling hot, etc. So what is the first point? That if I stop there, yes, this is a plant, this is an animal, this is a house, etc. Problem is less. Now what happens? That there is a fact. There is a tree. I see it. It is a fact. This is the first stage. But do I stop there? No. I identify myself with the experience. I am seeing a tree. I am hearing sound. I am smelling some smell, etc. And that is a fact. Every experience is a fact. But I don't stop there. What do I do? I create my likes and dislikes. I like this. I don't like that. I hate it. I want this. I don't want it. This is called reaction. So this is the second division. First there is a fact. I experience the fact. This is the first. Second, I don't stop merely experiencing. I go on passing judgments over it. This is beautiful. This is ugly. This is tasty. This is not tasty. This is good. This is evil. I like this. I want it. I don't like this. I don't want it. This is where the problem comes.

So experiencing is not a problem. But reaction is a problem. Not only do I react, but reaction indicates that I am identifying myself with every thought that arises in my mind. You are identifying yourself with every fact that is arising in your mind. And it takes place so fast. Before you can even analyze it, already reaction starts. What is the reaction? I like it. What is the result? You run towards it. I want it. I want to get it as soon as possible. I don't like it. I want to get rid of it as soon as possible. So this is not only fact but my judgment about the fact and my action. What should I do? Go towards it or go away from it. And that is how we are behaving in this world. So seeing something as a fact is called Sakshi Bhava. Identifying and reacting is called participating I. As if I am happiness, I am unhappiness, etc. So this first is called participating I called Ahamkara. Second is called witnessing I. It is called Sakshi. Nirvikara means changeless. Drashta, witness. I witness. So we go on witnessing. So these are the two things that normally happen. And that is not going to help us. What can help us? How can it help us? Now comes the third division. What is it? This is the final division. What is it? This is the final step in spiritual practice. What is it? First, you think. Every experience is a fact. Next, I witness. I am reacting towards it. And then what is the third fact? That every thought that arises, every vritti that arises in my mind indicates I am aware this is a chair. I am aware this is a tree. I am aware this is an animal. I am aware this is a human being, male, female, good, bad, happy, unhappy, like, doesn't like, etc. Be a witness. Not only to the fact but also to the reaction. And if I can do that, what happens? I remain prominent. Witness remains prominent. And let there be experience. It doesn't matter. Let there be reaction. Doesn't matter. But I remain forever completely separate. So we begin to separate fact and then reaction. And say a fact is a fact. My reaction has nothing to do with the fact. Let me stick to the fact. This is the first step. Then what is the second step? In my reaction and again action and response, is it going to help me? Is it doing me any good? Is my reaction, is it making my life a better life, a happier life? Is it taking me nearer to God? So that is the final step. And if my intelligence reports to me that what you are doing is not going to take you to God, it is actually leading you away from God, that is called the definition of Adharma, going away from God, then I must stick. Whatever helps me to go to God, that I must adopt. Even for this threefold analysis. What is the threefold analysis? I know I am repeating. First, separate fact. Fact is a fact. Accept the fact because we can't change the fact. Second, observe what is my reaction. That can be changed. That is called Sadhana. Sadhana never changes the fact. It only always changes my reaction, my emotional response. This in psychological language is called CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. So I cannot change what happens in the world, but I can slowly change how I must react to it in a positive way so that I am least disturbed, least unhappy, more happy and approach more towards God. But for this also, God's grace is necessary, otherwise it is impossible. Therefore, offer everything to God. I see a tree, offer it to God. I feel it is good, offer it to God. I don't feel it is good, offer it to God. So then also, is my reaction harming anybody? Not only is it helping or not helping me, but is it harming or not harming somebody else? Am I becoming selfish? Because most religious people, this is what happens. They become more and more selfish. They feel they are doing more japa, more dhyana, more attending talks, ashramas, activities, but they are becoming most miserly, very unselfish. That doesn't count at all.

So I have to be asking, is it taking me to God? Is it making me less selfish or more selfish? That analysis, if one doesn't have, one will not progress in spiritual life. This is called turning away from Ashubha to Shubha. And what is the final step? The final step is, so long as there is a body, there is a mind, I can't stop acting. I must act, I must participate. Let my body, let my mind participate. Because so long as there is mind, the body-mind action cannot be stopped. So long as life is there, breathing has to go on, eating has to go on, activities like seeing, hearing, etc. have to go on. This is what Bhagavan Krishna says,

prambhan yadaya karmāṇi saṅgantyaktvā karoteha vipyate naśapāpeṇa padma-patraṁ iva ambhasā.

So let me shift from the participating I to the witnessing I. These are the steps crystal clearly enumerated by Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swamiji, direct disciples. Only I squeezed the essence of it. So what is my nature? My nature is pure consciousness, herein called Prajnanam. It is also called Brahman. But the same Brahman, when we don't have a mind, we will become one with it. But when there is a mind, even in a dormant state, that is called creation. And in that state, the three experiences, waking, dreaming and deep sleep, they have to go on. There is no other way. What is the problem now? Pure Brahman is okay, but what about this world? We have been taught from the very beginning, this is mithya. It is only for the beginners. So that dispassion will come. Discrimination will come. What is dispassion? What is called discrimination? That is called viveka. What is viveka? You participate, act, but don't depend. Live like a maid servant. You discharge all your duties, but do not get attached because nothing belongs to you. Body doesn't belong, mind doesn't belong, nothing belongs to us. What belongs to us? My own nature will never desert me. That alone belongs to me. And my nature is Brahman. Now the Upanishad, it is meant for highly advanced sadhakas. So that which has been accepted earlier and all the religious activities, rituals, yajnas, yagas, pujas, dhanas and tirtha yatras, all these things are meant so long as we think the world is real. But now, glimpses of how this world is not real. What does it mean? It means it is ever-changing, it is dependent, it is inert and it is made up of many parts, sanghata. So it is meant for somebody else. That idea slowly becomes stronger, percolates into our brain. At that stage, the same Upanishad is telling something else. This is what we discussed actually in our last class. Esha Brahma. That is Brahma is the creator. And Brahma became Indra, Prajapati, all the gods, all the Pancha Bhutas and everything that we experience, living, non-living, everything. So the first word is very important. Esha Brahma. Here Brahma is not Parabrahma. It is the creator, Saguna Brahma. Next, that which can be interacted with, we can pray to Saguna Brahma. We can surrender only to Saguna Brahma. And Saguna Brahma is the creator, he is the ruler and he is the grantor of all our wishes, desires. He is called Srishti Stithi Laya Kartha, Samara Kartha. Popularly in Puranic language they are called Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwaraha. So with this word Esha Brahma should have been enough.

Since the Upanishad wants to make it clear without leaving us in doubt, Esha Indraha, that same Brahman first became Brahma and that Brahma is manifesting as Indra, as Prajapati, etai sarve devaha, all the adhishtatra devatas, presiding deities. And then imanicha Pancha Bhutani, out of which the whole universe has come, akasha, vayu, agni, jala, prithvi. So that is what is being said here, Pancha maha bhutani, the great five elements, prithvi, that is earth, vayu, air, akashaha, space, apaha, water, jyotimshi. Here jyotimshi means fire. So in that order it is a little bit changed. Instead of saying akasha vayu, agni, jala and prithvi, here it is said prithvi, vayu, akashaha, apaha, jyotimshi, etani. And then all these Pancha bhutas became everything else that is going to be enumerated below. imanicha, kshudra, mishra and eva, everything that we see. Everything and all things can be divided into, first of all the whole creation can be categorized into two, the living, the non-living, that is Chaitanya and without Chaitanya. Then all that is having Chaitanya can again be divided into roughly four classifications. What are they? First of all what is called insects, second birds, third animals, fourth all human beings and devas, etc., everything. Since devas have been enumerated earlier, they are coming only these four. So what is the first division? Living and non-living. And all the living creatures are divided into four categories. What are they? The insects, the plants, etc., plant kingdom, the animal kingdom. Finally, human beings. So about all these four categories, there is a, in Vedanta, they are called mishrani, bijani. Bija means seed. Seed means what? That which is going to become. For example, the seed of a tree is going to become a tree. The seed of a human being will become a human being. Seed of a dog or donkey become dog or donkeys, etc. So all these four things just now we discussed. In Vedanta, they have been given special name. Every living creature is born out of bijas, but the nature of the bijas are different. So they are called Anda jani, Jaru jani, Sveda jani, Budhvi jani. So Anda. Anda means egg. For example, birds. That's why they are called Dvija. Brahmana is also called Dvija after Upanayana. Twice born. And here also, first the birds give birth to eggs. And then the egg will be hatching after some time. So that is the second birth. Strictly speaking, we are also born of egg only. So the father's egg or the mother's egg, etc. But a little bit freedom is given to the scripture. So some creatures are born out of eggs. Some other creatures are born out of Jaru jani. That is from the womb. From the womb. We are all born from the womb. For example, a calf. And the young one of a horse, etc. Born of the womb, etc. But they don't say earlier it is only in the form of the egg. But it doesn't matter. So these are the born of the womb. Jaru jani. Then Sveda. Sveda means sweat. Sweat means here moisture. So like mosquitoes, small insects, many of them thrive in that area. They are not coming from the wetness. They are helped by the wetness, moisture. So this is another. Then Udbija. That which breaks open the earth. So Prithvi, Bitwa, Bahir, Agachati. That is called Udbija. So they are called all the plant kingdom, you know. You put the seeds and then slowly it spreads its roots. And then again spreads itself upward. What we call heliotropic. These are the four, these things. And still further, even though it is said, you could have stopped everything. It is born out of these four sources. Unis. But it is giving further. Ashraha, horses. Gavaha, cattle. Purushaha, human beings. Hastinaha, elephants. Just to impress the idea, everything is Brahman. Etkincha idam, prani. Jangamancha, patatricha, ecchastavaram, sarvam. That is what he wants to say, sarvam. Everything. So horses, then cattle, then human beings, then elephants.

And then he says, as Bhagavan Krishna tells in the 10th chapter, almost towards the end,

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śhrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagachchha tvaṁ mama tejo ’nśha-sambhavam (B.G.10:41)

Wherever you see excellence, that is all my manifestation. But what about that which is not so excellent? Everything is excellent only. Some excellences are not noticeable. Some are noticeable. That is all he wants to say. The whole universe is nothing but a manifestation of the Purusha. Purusha doesn't mean male. Purusha means Brahman. So etkincha idam, prani, jangamancha, patatricha. So in his own words, this Aitareya Rishi is telling, etkincha idam, whatever is there in this world, etkincha, even the least one, what are they? Prani. Anything that breathes. Here prani means that which has Prana. How do we know? Because it breathes. Every creature breathes. And jangamancha, jangam means that which moves with the help of the legs or wings, etc. That is being separately told. Patatricha, that which flies, means birds, every living thing, all moving animals, etc. That means the whole world. And then another one is added, sthavaram, means plants. He told earlier already, when it is a udbijaani, that which breaks the earth, and that is called plant kingdom, here again sthavaram. It is living, but it only moves in one place by spreading the roots, the branches, etc., the trees, etc. Sarvam, everything that was experienced, that is being experienced and that will be experienced by somebody or other because everybody doesn't experience everything else. For example, deep in the Brazilian rainforest, the scientists are discovering, even today, God knows how many new life forms are there. But if one scientist observes it, thank God, nowadays they can take even video to convince other people that it exists. So, everything. So, everything. What? Tat sarvam Prajnanetram, manifestation of Brahman. Remember, Prajnanam is equated to Brahman. Where? In itself. It will come. Prajnanam Brahma. Mahavakya. But it is foretold that Prajnanetram will come to the meaning of what is netram, means what? Anything that is experienced with the help of pure consciousness and that everything is nothing but Prajnanam. Prajnanam means Brahma. And the whole universe is Prajnane pratishtitam. What is the meaning of Prajnane pratishtitam? Everything is firmly established in Brahman, otherwise called Prajnanam. Prajnane saptame vibhakti. Seventh case. Like, you know, a tree is there. I see a tree. What do I say? There is a tree. That is belongs to existence and that existence belongs to Brahman called sat. And I have knowledge of that tree and that knowledge associated with that particular tree is called chit. And it is beautiful tree. I get so much of joy out of it. So, sat, chit, ananda, everything is based upon first it exists, then its knowledge is there, then it creates some experience, sometimes more happy, sometimes less happy. Don't go on questioning. What is called suffering? Suffering means less enjoyment. Happiness means less suffering. That is all.

Tat Prajnanetram Prajnane pratishthitam Prajnanetrah lokah

The whole universe is made possible. Everything works here. The sun moves. The moon also gives light. The stars also give light. Fire also gives light. The wind blows and the fire gives heat and light and the water quenches everything. Water also cleans up everything. Water also makes it possible for us to separate things. That is, when we eat food, it is very hard food. That's why we mix with water. Either natural or, if necessary, additional water. What does it do? It makes the hardened, that is the molecules, that are hard bound, the water makes them loose so that we can swallow, so that we can digest properly.

So everything has got. That Bhagawan only is doing. So Bhagawan creates food and Bhagawan makes it possible for us to eat that food and Bhagawan only digests for us, giving us pure energy so that we can perform all our activities. This is called Prajnanetrah lokah. Therefore, lokah Prajna pratishtha. Prajnanam is the only thing. That alone is. I see a tree. Yes, it is nothing but satchitananda. I see an animal. Nothing but satchitananda. Whatever I see, living, non-living, gods, human beings, demons, everything is nothing but that Prajna just as we see in our dream state. One consciousness of each one of us creates the entire dream world, including the non-living also. So everything is nothing but Prajnanam. And what is that Prajnanam? Prajnanam Brahma. Here not dirgha, Brahma. Prajnanam Brahma. Prajnanam is the supreme reality. Advaitam, ekam, nityam, puranam, ajam, that is called Brahman. Prajnanam is Brahman. That's why in the English language, so that our confusion will not be there between Brahman and Brahma, often we use the word pannakara. Half nakara is used to distinguish Brahman from Brahma. Brahma means saguna. Brahman means, in our language, nirguna. That is what it is. So what does this third mantra is telling? He is Brahman and Brahma here, not Brahman, Brahma. He is Indra, is Brahma, further manifested as Indra, as Prajapati. He is all these gods. He is the five great elements, earth, air, space, water, light, heat. He is all these small creatures and every other creature. He is the origin of those born of an egg, of a womb, of sweat and of a sprout. He is horses. He is cows. He is human beings. He is elephants. Whatever breathes here, whatever is moving, whatever is flying, whatever is unmoving, everything is that Brahman. All this is guided by consciousness, Prajnanam. All this is supported by consciousness and the entire universe is nothing but looking through the mind, consisting of time, space and causation. That same Brahman with nama roopa is called jagat, nothing else. Therefore Prajnanam is Brahma, Brahma is sarvam, tasmat Prajnanam eva sarvam. This is the realisation. And why this description? We have seen earlier what was the Brahmanas, the spiritual aspirants. What were they selling? That what is that atman whom we want to realise, whom we are contemplating, upasmahe. Is it this world which is being experienced and with which we are identifying or is it that Brahman without whom the world cannot exist also? Which is the real Brahman? Finally the conclusion is there are no two Brahmans. One dependent Brahman, one independent Brahman. Everything is nothing but pure Brahman only. There is nothing else excepting pure Brahman. Indivisible Satchitananda. And this is the realisation not only of Aitareya Rishi, not only the disciples who are supposed to realise and later on they realise like Nachiketa realises after hearing from Yamadharma Raja who was one of the greatest Brahma Jnanis. We should not think of Yamadharma Raja and why that mention? Because Yamadharma Raja is in charge of souls after death. So if there is no existence whom is he going to rule or control? Yama means he who controls. What happens to you? You did so much of good, you did so much of evil so as a result I am going to give you an appropriate opportunity to reap your Prarabdha Karma.

So he who controls everybody's destiny he is called Yama. The word Yama means control. That is why Yama, Niyama. Yama means control. Control means conquer. Niyama means we have certain qualities, we require certain marvellous qualities and we do not have them. We have to acquire them with assiduous striving. That's why they are called Niyama. What are Yama then? We have already acquired some bad qualities, they have to be removed and good qualities have to be strengthened and whichever quality is very weak, very minimal, that has to be freshly strengthened, acquired, strengthened and used then only spiritual progress is possible. So the whole yoga shastra, yoga sadhana is dependent upon these two, Yama and Niyama. So Yama means control. That's why we use that word even though slightly different way, we say Pranayama. Instead of saying Yama, we say Yama. So if Prana is well controlled through the help of the breathing process, really Prana means the Pancha Pranas because the mind is entirely dependent upon these Pancha Pranas and therefore we have to control the Pancha Pranas but the beginning stages through the breathing process then slowly mind will come under control that Chitta Vrutti Nirodha will happen then only we will have a glimpse of the prashta, purusha, apart from prakriti. All chitta vruttis can be equated with prakriti. So that is being said here that control, everything that is that to be controlled and that is what is being said here also that Yama controlled. Who controls? Yamadharma Raja. So what happens? Nachiketa went there to find whether there is any life at all after the death of this body and Yamadharma Raja said not only there is life, nobody will ever die forever. It is only like changing the dress. Just like we change our old and worn and unfit dress when we are growing up the old dress doesn't fit us so we generously donate it to our younger brothers to save some more money but if it becomes very very holy then we give it moksha and buy a new dress. So every body, every birth we get only new body but inside what is called sukshma sharira, karana sharira they only die once when we get moksha that is called atyantika pralaya. So here this word netra is used. I referred to it earlier. What is netra? What does it mean? That which leads us. Usually you know you are walking and if you don't have eyes if you start walking especially on a busy road where hundreds of vehicles are moving at furious speed this side, that side and in India there is no direction east, west, south, north, above, below wherever there is 2 inches space an auto rickshaw fellow will try to put and move towards that one and many accidents happen. Because of that what happens when there is no eye? So accident will be. That means this bodily existence is in danger so that which gives us that knowledge by which we recognize who we are and what is our relationship with others and the whole world and makes this samsara possible that is why this awareness is the real netra because even some blind people have beautiful eyes but those eyes are completely useless eyes just as the windows are useless if there is no one behind the windows. These are only golakas. So every single sense organ requires awareness I see, I am aware I am experiencing something in the form of seeing I am aware I am experiencing something in the form of hearing etc. etc. that is called netra

Netra specifically should not be understood as the eye, but among all our sense organs, it is the eye. A simple example I will give you: suppose some punishment had to be given, a part of somebody's body had to be cut off, either a hand, a leg, an ear, a nose, or the eye, and given a choice, what do you think we prefer? You take away one hand, one leg, but the last thing we want to lose is the eye. Because 99% of our knowledge comes only through the eye. That is why this Prajna, that is awareness consciousness Chaitanyam, is compared here to the netram.

So, what is the point of this third mantra? That Brahman alone, there is nothing else. "Atmava idamagra asit" - coming to the first one, if you remember, the first mantra in the first chapter. The first chapter has got three sections. The very first mantra, "atmava", only Brahman is there. "Atma is there, nakinchit mishat, nanyat kinchit mishat" - nothing was there that winked. That means no second one is there. Thereafter, the creation has come, which we have seen, how this Pancha agni vidya, etc., but the point is, then that Brahman had he become changed? Had he become corrupt by becoming this world? No, he is only appearing, and that appearance is called creation. It is called manifestation in the Advaitic school. It is called vivartavada. Like we are seeing a snake, but really, there is no snake. The rope never had become a snake. In our eyes, because of our former experience in semi-darkness and maybe the wind is also making it move a little bit, and a little bit of hissing sound also we are hearing, and all those things make us think there is a real snake. This is called just appearance. This is not reality. Therefore, this is what is called mithya. What is mithya? The world is not mithya. Our way of understanding the world is called mithya. Remember this very much. Mithya is not outside. "Oh, I see, my father is mithya." I say, "My mother is mithya." No, my understanding. What understanding? This is not Brahman. This is another human being. He is my father. She is my mother. This misunderstanding, like seeing a snake where there is only rope, that is called maya, mithya. So mithya doesn't apply to Brahman. Mithya applies to our mind. What is there is only Brahman. Previously, Brahman did not have any form, any name, any quality. But now, I am imagining through the prism of time, space, and causation that that same Brahman is appearing as what? Namarupa is Prapancha. Seeing Brahman with name, form, and quality or guna characteristic. That seeing, experiencing Brahman not experiencing directly as Brahman, but something else with a name, form, and quality, that our experience of Brahman because of the prism of our mind is to be understood as mithya. So you understand, as soon as we hear the word mithya, world is mithya, "Oh, the tree is mithya," and everybody is mithya, that is totally wrong understanding, horrible understanding. Mithya, like the snake, doesn't exist outside. It exists within our minds. That is why give a good blow to the head, and we start seeing stars. Ah, some realization, somewhere we have come. We are seeing the stars, and seeing the star is called Prajnanetram.

so this particular mantra third mantra

praj~nAne pratiShThitaM praj~nAnetro lokaH praj~nA pratiShThA praj~nAnaM Brahma .. 3..

The entire world is based upon modification in our minds, not real modification, called vivarta. Only our experiencing of that, the whole jagat, is nothing but it is mithya. Our misunderstanding of Brahman as an object with name, form, and quality is called mithya. But even to know this is mithya, that awareness should be there. I see a snake, whether to see the rope I need consciousness, whether to see the snake I need consciousness, for both I need consciousness. That is why Prajna pratishta.

Having said this, that everything is Brahman, the Upanishad is concluding. What is concluding, what is the essence, what is the real rasa of the entire, not only all the scriptures of all the worlds, past, present, and future: "Prajnanam Brahma." This consciousness, even while it is appearing as limited because of the body-mind, that consciousness doesn't know what is limitation. From the body point of view, it is a limitation. From its own point of view, it doesn't know what is limitation. That Prajnanam is Brahman. Brahman is sarvam. Prajnanam is Brahma. Therefore, Prajnanam is sarvam. Sarvam means this entire universe and nothing else. And whoever has this knowledge, what happens? I will just introduce you, and perhaps we will conclude it in our next class.

This is the last mantra in this Aitareya Upanishad:

sa etena prAj~nenA.a.atmanA.asmAllokAdutkramyAmuShminsvarge loke sarvAn.h

kAmAnAptvA.amRitaH samabhavat.h samabhavat.h .. 4..

He, having realized oneness with Pure Consciousness, soared from this world and having obtained all desires in yonder heavenly world, became immortal-yea, became immortal.

Amrutah samabhavat. Twice, if something is repeated in Upanishads, it is the indication that this particular Upanishad or chapter has come to an end. So, what does it mean? Any seeker, having realized his oneness with this Prajnanam or Brahman, what happens? He gives up this body from this world, and having obtained all his desires by becoming one with Brahman in the heavenly world, means Brahmaloka, not Brahma loka, Brahman's loka, he becomes immortal, means mukta become immortal. This beautiful idea, which is called the Parama Purushartha, that is what we will discuss in our next class.