Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1 Lecture 10 on 22 February 2026
Full Transcript (Not Corrected)
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: An Introduction to the Madhukāṇḍa and Aśvamedha Upāsanā
Opening Invocation
OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH
OM
That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.
OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
The Significance of the Śānti Pāṭha
So we are studying the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. As we have said, this Śānti Pāṭha is a very special one — it is a Mahāvākya, and we have discussed that. The next point of information is that this pūrṇamadaḥ does not occur at the beginning of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, but only comes at the beginning of the fifth chapter. However, Śaṅkarācārya gave a brilliant commentary on it.
What is the essence of that commentary? That everything is Brahman — that Brahman and this Brahman. These divisions are made by us, the Jīvātmās, from the viewpoint of Avidyā. Really speaking, there is no "that" and "this." In infinity, this and that, here and there, above and below, small and big, do not exist. Infinite means just one single nature, and that is called Brahman. We, of course, cannot think about it, but we are to meditate upon it — considering that every effect is none other than the cause, albeit with three modifications: Nāma, Rūpa, and Karma — in other words, name, form, and utility.
When Brahman is looked at through this division, which Swami Vivekananda described as time, space, and causation, it appears to be different from Brahman. That is what we call this universe. This universe includes all of us. But this universe is again subdivided into that which is consciousness — the subject — and, in opposition to that, everything else, which is called the object. The cognition of an object totally depends upon the subject alone. That is why, when we go into deep sleep, the whole universe disappears, because the cognising subject — the pure consciousness — is not non-existent, but it is not associated with mind and body, and that is why this universe does not exist even for a second.
The Three-Part Structure of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad
We have also given a brief introduction that the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad has been divided into three parts. The first part is called the Madhukāṇḍa. This Madhukāṇḍa consists of two very special methodologies called Adhyāropa and Apavāda.
Adhyāropa means accepting that this world exists — that it is real — but that there is so much variation in it, and one must strive to rise from the lowest to the highest. For that purpose, the scripture prescribes first rituals, afterwards contemplations called Upāsanās, and afterwards entering into the second part of the Veda called Jñānakāṇḍa. So: first Karmakāṇḍa, then Upāsanākāṇḍa, then Jñānakāṇḍa.
This Upāsanākāṇḍa is nothing but internalising — doing in the mind everything we have been doing externally. There is a great psychological principle involved here.
The Psychological Principle Behind Upāsanā
Let me give you an example first. When we go into the dream state, whatever thought comes becomes real. If I can truly think that I have gone to Kailāsa, or Vaikuṇṭha, or paradise, or even hell, I will be there instantaneously. There is no gap between thought and experience.
So the purpose of the Upāsanākāṇḍa is slowly to train our mind to recognise that we are in higher lokas — and finally, in Brahman itself. The mind has to be trained. Really speaking, the mind cannot enter into Brahman, but it can think of various higher experiences. And higher experience means higher Ānanda, higher joy. There is nothing higher in this dualistic world; in the dualistic state of happiness, the highest such happiness is called Brahmaloka — that is the limit. After that, it is only Brahmānanda — not Brahmalokānanda — which is also called Kośānanda, the Ānandamayakośa.
So the purpose of the scripture is to take the hand of the child and slowly guide him so that he can progress step by step. The first step, which has infinite variations, is called Karmakāṇḍa — purely ritualistic sections, mostly external in nature. Then slowly the scripture introduces partly external rituals and partly contemplations.
The Four Parts of Pūjā: An Illustration
That is why in our pūjā, as I explained earlier, every pūjā can be divided into four parts.
The first part is purification, called Śuddhi. The second part is called Nyāsa — slowly getting rid of our egotism by saying: "This is not my hand, this is Your hand. This is not my mind, this is Your mind. This is not my individuality, this is Your individuality." Nyāsa means transferring my ownership to God.
The third part is mental worship. In mental worship, in contrast to external worship, we can imagine the best things possible. We can bring the freshest lotus from the Himalayas — after all, it is only a thought, an imagination. The most beautiful, the most fragrant rose from any garden in the world, in any number — we can offer it at the feet of the Lord. The best food, the best fragrance, the best music, the best smell — everything the best. The mind has no limitation to its imagination. That is where we have to train the mind.
Then slowly, when the mind becomes capable of focusing, concentrating, and identifying, we no longer require external rituals — just as a child does not require a wax apple or a wax bee once he learns what these things are. The very word then conveys its meaning. That is called Upāsanā.
Adhyāropa and Apavāda: The Two-Stage Method
After Upāsanā, the person becomes fully fit to enter into the final spiritual stage. For that, he must approach a Guru — indeed, for everything we must approach a Guru from the very beginning. God comes in the form of the Guru and takes the disciple slowly. But the disciple must be a fit person, an Adhikārī — Sādhanacatuṣṭayasampannaḥ, endowed with the fourfold qualities of spiritual fitness. The Guru then tells the highest truth, asks the disciple to meditate, helps him get rid of all doubt, and transforms his life by identifying himself with the highest reality.
This is the process. Every scripture practically starts with external rituals — do's and don'ts, prescriptions and prohibitions. And slowly, as the promised results are experienced and verified, our faith in the scripture grows, and our faith in the Guru grows as well, for the scripture is nothing but the Guru himself.
For that purpose, Advaita Vedānta has specially formulated a particular process called Adhyāropa and Apavāda.
Adhyāropa refers to everything we are now experiencing and will continue to experience for a long time — including even the experience of Brahmaloka. All of it is superimposition, falling under the name of universe, cause and effect, and duality — purely called Avidyā, ignorance.
Apavāda is the removal of this ignorance, which the Guru initiates through three steps: Śravaṇa, Manana, and Nididhyāsana — hearing the truth, reflecting upon it, and meditating upon it deeply.
Why are we talking about Adhyāropa and Apavāda? Because the first chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, called the Madhukāṇḍa or Upadeśakāṇḍa, speaks about Adhyāropa, and the second chapter speaks about Apavāda.
The Structure of Chapter One: Three Upāsanās
So what is the Upadeśa? That you are Brahman. But first, you are a devotee, a believer, an āstika, and you go on obeying the scripture through your experience. As you grow, your concept of yourself, of the world, and of God grow together. The teacher gradually shows that the lower state is real, but there is a higher state that is much more real — and the more real it is, the more happiness it brings.
In the first three Brāhmaṇas — that is, the first three sections of the first chapter — we are introduced to three types of meditations, or rather, meditation on three objects. What are they?
- Aśva Upāsanā — meditation on a horse
- Agni Upāsanā — meditation on Agni Devatā or Prāṇa Devatā
- Prāṇa Upāsanā — meditation on the vital force
Now we must stop and think: a horse is to be contemplated, fire is to be contemplated, Prāṇa is to be contemplated — but how? By stripping away their externalities and recognising that the core of each is Hiraṇyagarbha. This is not merely a horse, but Hiraṇyagarbha. This is not merely fire — this too is Hiraṇyagarbha. This is not merely Prāṇa — this also is Hiraṇyagarbha. In other words: I am not this particular individual. In reality, I am Hiraṇyagarbha alone.
This is the first step adopted in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.
What Is Upāsanā?
The purpose is Upāsanā. What is Upāsanā? In the English language it is merely translated as contemplation. And what a person thinks, in the course of time, he becomes. If a person thinks of a bad quality, he becomes that bad quality, and that evilness no longer remains separate from him. This is the magic of the mind — we become one with the object we contemplate.
Just as the moment you think "this is a tree," your thought and the object outside called a tree become inseparable, similarly, if I can truly think "I am Hiraṇyagarbha," I become Hiraṇyagarbha. But that thought has to be sustained. Otherwise, other thoughts rush in — one flash: "I am Hiraṇyagarbha"; the next flash: "I am an ordinary person"; the next flash: something else entirely.
In fact, many of us do not realise that if I am thinking of a book, I have become a book for that moment. If I am thinking of a tree, I have become a tree for the time being. And if I have to think "I am I," I must stop thinking of any other object. So whatever we think we are, that we become. Bhagavān states this great psychological fact clearly.
The Aśvamedha Yajña: Purpose and Eligibility
The first chapter contains six sections. The first section contains two verses, and the second Brāhmaṇa consists of seven mantras. Both of these sections — comprising nine mantras in total — are devoted to the meditation on the horse and the fire used in the horse sacrifice. This horse sacrifice is called the Aśvamedha Yajña, and it is considered the greatest of all Vedic rituals.
What happens if a person performs this correctly? That person attains Brahmaloka, also called Hiraṇyagarbha Loka or Prajāpati Loka, which represents the highest possible dualistic happiness.
Now, who is entitled to perform this sacrifice? Only a king belonging to the Kṣatriya class can do it, for it demands extraordinary power, immense wealth, and great intelligence. The ritual involves selecting the finest horse from the royal stables and releasing it to roam freely, accompanied by thousands of soldiers. Wherever the horse travels, the soldiers subdue any opposition, bringing those territories under the king's authority. After several years, when the horse returns, an elaborate Vedic ceremony is performed in which the horse is sacrificed and its brain — medha — is offered to the Vedic gods, particularly Indra and others, and accepted as sacred prasādam by all participants.
The Aśva Upāsanā: Making the Ritual Universally Accessible
Now, even brāhmaṇas cannot perform this ritual. In those days, brāhmaṇas voluntarily renounced wealth and lived the simplest possible lives, dedicating themselves to the study and propagation of the scriptures. They neither desired nor possessed the required resources. For others — Vaiśyas and Śūdras — the question did not arise at all.
But everybody has a right to ascend to Brahmaloka! So how is it possible for all to attain what only the most powerful king could achieve through the Aśvamedha?
For that purpose, the Ṛṣis devised a special Upāsanā — a special contemplation — called Aśva Upāsanā. In this Upāsanā, every part of the horse is described in great detail, and every part is then assigned a correspondence to some part of the entire universe. The whole universe combined is understood as Saguṇa Brahma — Īśvara or Hiraṇyagarbha. By meditating upon the horse as a universal symbol — as Prajāpati or Hiraṇyagarbha, not as the supreme nirguṇa Brahman but as Īśvara, Saguṇa Brahma, Śakti — the person who does this successfully will attain Brahmaloka without performing any physical ritual at all.
The horse here is merely a symbol — an ālambanam, a support — but it is now contemplated as a universal symbol representing the highest available reality. That is the entire purpose of Upāsanā: to take a lower symbol and, through sustained contemplation, elevate it to represent the highest reality.
How the limbs of the horse are so vividly described, and how they correspond to the corresponding parts of the universe for the purpose of this contemplation — that we will study in our next class.
Closing Prayer
Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum
Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.
Jai Ramakrishna!