Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.2 1.15-20 Lecture 51 on 18 July 2026

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ, pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

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.

Introduction: The Essence of the Śānti Mantra

Now in this śānti mantra (peace chant), we are seeing this very truth being repeated or explained in different words, which we are going to study very soon. Brahman is infinite. Whatever comes up out of Brahman cannot be anything else but infinite. In fact, something coming out, something going in, something joining, something separating from the Infinite – is inconceivable. So that is why we get here in the section we are studying now: Brahman is given a beautiful name – Satyasya Satyam.

What are the truths? This visible, experienceable, objectifiable universe that we are experiencing is a satyam. How come? Because whatever comes out of truth cannot be different from truth. Whatever is made out of clay must always be clay. The effect cannot be different from the cause. Every golden ornament is nothing but pure gold. Ornament is only a name and form for the purpose of some utility. But it is not mithyā. But then, as we discussed already in our past classes, only after the realisation of Brahman as infinite, then only we realise that this universe is not mithyā, but it is satya. There is nothing else other than Brahman – sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma.

So this peace chant, in this or for this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad or Śukla Yajurveda, is itself the essence of the entire Bṛhadāraṇyaka. In fact, it is the essence of all the Vedas – sarvaveda'ṭpadam āmananti. This is the truth: Infinite can never be concealed, conceived, cannot be thought about. But then, so long as we are in this state of finiteness, we will have to think about Brahman. However much we are talking about It as infinite, all‑pervading, and nothing exists excepting It – these are all words. But so long as we are thinking about Brahman by the instrument called mind, which is by its very nature limited and finite, we cannot think, we can never understand what Infinity is. We do not say Brahman is infinite – even that is redundant. Brahman is another name for Infinity. Infinity is another name for Brahman. Pūrṇam is another name for Brahman, because Infinity remains Infinity. But whatever name we give, it is only for the sake of teaching, for the sake of grasping. We use so many words – Ātman, Brahman, etc. – but the truth can never be known unless we become one with that truth.

The Psychological Takeaway

Here is a greatest psychological takeaway. What is it? Even in this world, we can never get full one hundred percent pūrṇatvam of any object in this world until we become one with that object. If I want to know what is the nature of this person, I must identify myself completely with that person. Then I know what that person is. Until then, my knowledge becomes only partial, finite. So this is the nature of the mind. That is why upāsanas are the greatest helps for this purpose.

The Ajātaśatru-Gārgya Dialogue Revisited

We have been studying that – this second chapter especially – Ajātaśatru wanted to teach whatever upāsanas, "O Gārgya, O Bālāki" – these two are the names, one and the same person who came to teach. But when he realised his knowledge was very inadequate, he humbly accepted and became a student, a keen student. He was a great sādhaka because he had done all the upāsanas Ajātaśatru had taught. How do we know? We do not know. But Ajātaśatru would not teach – no teacher will teach fourth‑class lessons to third‑class or second‑class students. Only when a person passes third class will he start teaching, because there must be background.

So Gārgya wanted to teach what is the real nature of all of us. And even here is a greatest truth: when I say "all of us", it does not mean only human beings. But we have to understand that human beings have the capacity, if they cultivate certain qualities, to progress in spiritual life. But other animals have to wait, because every atom in this creation is nothing but Brahman. We call it an atom, not because Brahman became an atom, but we, through our limited instruments, are calling the atom, the Brahman, as atom. But when a person realises, that very same person who used to say "this is an atom and not Brahman" – that is to say, "this is some finite object" – because I, the subject, am able to objectify it. Whatever is objectifiable – that person becomes the subject, and that person is not only separate but completely opposite. The subject is always consciousness; the object is always jaḍa. Does it apply to living beings? Yes, because when a subject is subjecting an object, making the object objectifiable, he is only looking at the body and the mind, which are really jaḍa. Consciousness will not objectify consciousness. There is no division as subject and object in consciousness. It is only the body‑mind manifestation of that pure consciousness.

Another Takeaway

This is another takeaway which we must always keep in mind. What is that? When you are looking at the body, it is nothing but pure consciousness. Because of our way of looking – our limited way of looking – that consciousness assumes in our sight as an object. As an example, if Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa looks at a tree, he does not say "it is a tree"; he says "it is Brahman appearing with name and form, so I call it a tree." When we look at it, we only see the nāmarūpa; we even forget the sat aspect, the "is" aspect.

So this śānti mantra is the very essence. Infinite cannot be added, cannot be multiplied, cannot be divided. So Infinite always remains Infinite alone. It is to teach this lesson that the Upaniṣad introduces this marvellous story of King Ajātaśatru, who was a jñānī of Brahman, and his apt disciple Bālāki or Gārgya.

The Three States of Consciousness – Analysis

We have seen some aspects of it. Now we will see the other aspects. So Ajātaśatru takes Gārgya to a sleeping person, calls him by name, touches him gently, shakes him mildly, but the person does not respond, so he shakes him violently, upon which the person wakes up. Then the king asks the question – the story is over; the sleeping person is kept aside. Now the teaching starts.

Where Was This Person?

Where was this person? If he was the body – that means when this person is identified with the body, he is called "waker", and in the waking state, even if you call a person by name, even in a low voice, the person becomes immediately alert. So it is said: we are so much conscious of our own individual personality that if there are a thousand people and somebody is just calling my name, forgetting all the noise around, I become focused, I become alert – "Oh, somebody is calling my name!" So much we are aware of, identified with this body.

The Upaniṣad also we have seen in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad – Śikṣāvallī: any person goes to a school, and so many students are chanting Vedic mantras, maybe fifty or a hundred pupils, and the father wants to find out his son. He could distinguish the voice of his child even among a hundred voices. How could he do so? Because the person is so much attached, thinking day and night, that the sound of his child's voice becomes deeply impressed. If this is the case with regard to a son, what to speak of one's own self? We are terribly conscious, identified with our body – "I am the body, every part of the body from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet." That is why if a smallest insect is crawling underneath our feet, immediately we become conscious. Or if the same insect is crawling through our hair or the top of the head, we become conscious. Any part of the body – so much we are identified with the body.

But that is not – I am not the body, I am not the mind. That lesson has to be taught. That is why Swami Vivekananda has squeezed the very essence of all the Upaniṣads: "Each soul is potentially divine." That word potential is very important. Just like the potentiality of a huge banyan tree completely remains unmanifest when it is in the state of a seed. But given appropriate circumstances and conditions, it slowly unravels itself, manifests itself. And that is how every Upaniṣad wants to tell us, from wherever the pupil's mind is – his understanding, the capacity of his understanding – the Upaniṣad wants to take that person slowly higher and higher.

Critical Analysis of the Three States

So now this is the critical analysis of three states of experience. Every human being has only three states of experience. When a person gets out of it through the process of neti neti, then that person – it is not a state; only we will not understand when we say "that is not a state". So it is called Turya – the fourth state. So so long as we are in one of these three states, Brahman becomes Turya. But once a person attains unity – complete unity with Brahman – he does not say "I am in the fourth state." There is no state; there is no mind even to think. These are all divisions of the mind only. Mind creates language, and language is the greatest barrier – we can even say language is the greatest bondage – and language is also the greatest liberator at the same time. Any non‑scriptural teaching leads to bondage; any scriptural teaching leads to liberation.

So here, when the sleeping person is called, he is not awakened because he is not in the waking state. Even Gārgya could understand that when a person is touched, even if you touch a dreaming person, that person will immediately come awake. But even that touching did not work – that means he was not in the dream state. Then violently the king Ajātaśatru shakes him, and he comes out. So why violent shaking? Because the Upaniṣad clearly describes: having withdrawn from the waking state and dream state, the jīvātman enters into that causal state. Cause is always non‑manifestation. We have to keep that in mind – that means no sense organs are there. Shaking affects what? Shaking affects only sense organs, whether in the waking state or even in the dream state. But since body and mind are completely absent in the deep sleep state, even that shaking has to be very violent.

Then from wherever he was resting – and where was he resting? Hṛdayākāśa – we have seen in Chāndogya also: asmin brahmapure – in this body, which is called Brahmapura because it is the residence of Brahman – there is a cave, and in that cave there is cidākāśa, and that cidākāśa is Brahman. This jīvātman withdraws, as it were, and attains almost oneness – not complete, almost oneness – nearest. So very near to Brahman – that is what we have to understand. Why? Because if he is completely one with Brahman, once a person becomes one only with Brahman, then there is no question of ignorance. The person becomes immediately a jīvanmukta, or he gives up the body and forever becomes merged in Brahman. This complete mergence in Brahman is not taking place, but it is the nearest description of what could be the full conscious state.

The Paradox of Deep Sleep

Now look at this paradox: deep sleep is the most manifest unconscious state so far as we understand. But the scripture tells us deep sleep is the greatest state of pure consciousness – most manifest, less limited because body and mind are not limiting it. So that is why some technical words we have seen: vikṣepa śakti of ignorance is absent, but āvaraṇa śakti is still there. But even that āvaraṇa śakti – "I do not know I am Brahman" – but I am in great bliss, and for several hours, unbroken bliss. There is no degree there. That is actually, we are going to see, the description given by this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad itself. It is a marvellous state.

So this is the critical analysis of the three states of consciousness. Now that is what, through this example, Ajātaśatru wants to draw the attention of Gārgya: "Where was this person? In deep sleep." What happens in deep sleep? The person is completely detached from body, completely detached from mind. That means he is detached from the waking as well as the dream states. And so the entire saṃsāra consisting of duality, consisting of or influenced by vikṣepa śakti, is totally absent. That is why he is nearest.

Vikṣepa śakti means what? A person identifies with the body, thinks "I am a waker" – that is, "I am Viśva" – that is the vikṣepa śakti. "I am a dreamer" – that is the vikṣepa śakti. But here just "I am", and he does not even say "I am an ignorant person." The description of ignorance can come only in the waking state or in the dream state also. But it cannot come in the deep sleep state because that division – "I am a knowing person, I am an ignorant person" – these two opposite thoughts are possible only when the mind is functioning. Of course, mind itself is inert, but when it is reflecting pure consciousness – cidābhāsa – cidābhāsa plus mind. Of course, cit will always be there before creation, after creation, throughout the three states. Without cit, there cannot be cidābhāsa – even if there is a first‑class mirror in your room, if there is no sun, then the reflection of sunlight will not be there. So cit plus cidābhāsa plus mind and body – that is the personality of the person called jīvātman. So in this deep sleep state, the person does not know what duality is – which is a great relief.

The Description of Deep Sleep

This very Brāhmaṇa gives us a beautiful description: he will be sleeping like a child, he will be sleeping like a great king, he will be sleeping like a greatest knower – mahābrāhmaṇa. These are all to point out that your very nature is of the ultimate bliss – infinite bliss, Brahman ānanda – and the nearest such experience comes only in the deep sleep state. In the dream state it is much less, but greater than the waking state, because the greater the limitation, the lesser is the experience of ānanda. That is why we give various names – sukha, etc. In English, there are wonderful names: pleasure (if it is very momentary, it is pleasure), if it is lasting, it is called happiness, if it is spontaneous, it is called joy. So we also discussed the four different states of happiness – viṣayānanda, medhānanda, kalānanda, and brahmānanda. We have to keep these points in mind whenever we are doing this one.

The Dream State (Svapnāvasthā)

Now this very Brāhmaṇa is giving – we will talk about the deep sleep state a little bit later on. What happens when this jīvātman enters into the dream world? That is svapnāvasthā. So the Upaniṣad tells: there is a heart, and beginning from the heart there are 72,000 subtle nāḍīs. This name nāḍī – in English it is called "nerve". So behind, for example, behind my eye, your eye – every eye – the eye is only like a window. So there are many nerves which have very subtle things. By cutting open, you will not be able to find out – this is a subtle body – and there it carries the impressions. It gets – the eye carries the impressions of form, the ear carries the impressions of sounds, etc., and they are presented to the mind. The mind has a greater capacity to separate these things: "These are sights, these are sounds, these are tastes, these are smells, and these are touches" – and gives a composite picture of that object outside. The sense organs are divided; they only give one‑fifth of the knowledge of any object. But every sense organ – five sense organs – gives a complete picture of the physical nature of the object, not the mental nature. Remember, mental nature can only be understood not by sense organs, but by the mind.

Example of Father and Child

A simple example I am giving to make these points crystal clear. Suppose a father is playing with the child, so he puts on a ferocious face, and slowly he is bringing his face towards the body of the baby – we all play this one. And then the baby is puzzled: "Why is my dear – he may not know the father or mother – why is it looking not a very positive figure?" But the father comes and then he gently squashes the stomach or the face of the child and laughs out. Baby immediately understands: "Father is pretending to be angry." Do it a second time – the moment you pout your face, the baby understands immediately: "Father wants to continue." We all did it when we were...

Then you look at the face and close your eyes and slowly open one eye and immediately close it, and the baby is watching your eyes: "Oh, mother wants to play with me." So this is how – by the way, Sister Niveditā beautifully describes this: so the mother closes her eyes – baby is not; baby closes her eyes – mother is not. Beautiful description is there.

So all these – the sense organs will take the impression. It is like a physical camera. It is not the camera which understands what is in front of it, but it is the intelligence behind the person behind – he used to cover his face with a black cloth and then he clicks. Even now, we see through the aperture of this mobile phone, and then we take out the picture. So the camera, the phone, does not know what is being taken, why it is being taken, what this person is going to do. Just like that, the sense organ is only like a window. You open the window and see, smell, etc.

What Happens in the Dream State

So this is what happens in the waking state. What happens in the dream state is being described: in the heart there are subtle nāḍīs – how many? 72,000. Did the Upaniṣadic seers count them? We do not know. But they may have intuitive knowledge. But this is a way of telling, because the consciousness has to go through these subtle – they are called nāḍīs – there is no better word. So these are all travels, and through those nāḍīs, it takes the impressions, modifies them, plays with them in whatever way it wants. So time becomes expanded, space becomes expanded, utility becomes expanded. How do we understand? For example, from here to America, within a twinkling of a thought, a person goes – time very short. But if the physical body has to be taken, it takes a long time. Similarly, you can go to the sun, to the moon, to Svargaloka after reading about it in the mythologies, etc. Then you take an impression – "I cannot – human beings cannot fly like a bird." But nothing prevents a person from flying like a bird in the dream state. I myself have dreamt quite a few times. What freedom it is! Just thought "I am flying like a bird" and you are actually flying like a bird. If you have not experienced this very thing, I think I have to take pity upon you, because it is a very easy thing to do. You can go – you stay wherever you want. You go to Purī and attend Rathayātrā. You go to Vārāṇasī from America and have Lord Viśvanātha's darśana. And the effect will not be small at all – it will be absolutely the same or even better. So you can create your desirable object to the highest perfection you are capable of imagining.

The Withdrawal into Deep Sleep

So this is what he says: taking the impressions (vāsanās), this jīvātman enters through the heart. From the heart it starts through these 72,000 subtle nāḍīs. But during deep sleep, all karmas are finished, because there is no body, there is no mind. When there is no mind, there are no impressions, and when there are no impressions, karma itself will fall down, because karma alone brings the impressions. Impressions make us experience the karmaphala, so individuality is suspended. Karma and karmaphala are suspended. The jīvātman fully withdraws into the heart space.

So where does this jīvātman reside during this deep sleep state? Hṛdayākāśa. And what is this Hṛdayākāśa? It is not an empty space – it is another name for Brahman, Paramātman, nirviśeṣa caitanyam. So Ajātaśatru concludes: that pure consciousness experienced in deep sleep is temporarily resting in the lap of the Paramātman. And that Paramātman, who is the āśraya of this jīvātman in this state of deep sleep, is the cause of this entire universe.

The Spider Simile

How do we know? Because the Upaniṣad here itself gives an example of a spider. We all know the example of the spider is given even in the Muṇḍakopaniṣad: yathā ūrṇanābhiḥ sṛjate gṛhṇate ca. So what happens here? This spider travels where it wants, and when it wants, it brings out from within itself, from its mouth, these threads go on coming. It is so skilful – no human being can do it. In fact, it is only after watching the spider's web that what we now call the internet – it is called web. This is called net – internet, web. It is all imitation of the spider. And it endows this net with tremendous amount of consciousness: any insect that touches it – just like when any mosquito or ant touches our body, we become conscious – our consciousness is all over the body, all over the skin in the form of touch (sparśa).

The Nomadic Civilizations

Thus, in deep sleep state, what happens? The jīvātman resides in the lap of the Paramātman, and now that Paramātman or Brahman becomes Saguṇa Brahma and projects like a spider, so it spreads its net and goes on eating. Then the harvest time in that particular place is over – ridden, perhaps comparable to our nomadic life several thousand years back. So we did not know how to cultivate. Then we used to go where nature cultivates and enjoy, exhaust all the food available, move on to another place. But our ancestors had learnt a lesson which is burning: as soon as they exhausted all the food, they burnt that particular place. They understood, over hundreds of years of experience, when we burn, a new growth will come, new food will be available. But meanwhile we have to seek new pastures, so it goes to a new pasture and then does the same thing, lives there. So we used to go where food is available – that is called nomadic life.

Now slowly man had learned how to cultivate. Then food is produced by us wherever we are, of course taking into consideration fertile land and rainfall and heat, air, etc. And there are so many places. Then the whole civilisation started with this agricultural civilisation. Families became expanded as joint families until again the break came through the industrial civilisation. Then again we became nomads – where raw material is available, there factories started to be started, and people move there. So now it is super‑nomadic life. That is where we are now. This is the fifth civilisation we are in, and some people are talking there is going to be a sixth civilisation – it is called AI civilisation. We do not know what would be the consequences. But definitely tremendous amount of destruction is being wrought out with the help of AI. But that is not our concern – it is all the līlā of the Divine Mother.

Deep Sleep as the Causal State

So deep sleep is a state where we are the jagatkāraṇam – and jagatkāraṇam means cause of this multifarious world. That is why that deep sleep is also called kāraṇa śarīra. That śarīra itself is kāraṇam. Then the Upaniṣad goes on telling something marvellous – that means Ajātaśatru was teaching. So in that case, the waking state is unreal, the dream state is unreal, the deep sleep is also unreal, because all the three circulate one after the other, rotate one after the other – our consciousness as if it is moving from waking to dream to deep sleep to again waking. So what causes the waking and dream? This kāraṇa śarīra – that is why it is called causal body. But through this description, where is this jīvātman? He resides temporarily in the lap of the Paramātman. Truly speaking, that realisation of that Paramātman is the final goal. Otherwise, you just go on sleeping – deep sleep. If that is the state of realisation, nothing else is needed. Probably some modern medicines can put us permanently into that state of realisation. But no – we can analyse that state and understand tremendous amount of bliss is available to us through this deep sleep. Even though time wakes us up – that time is in the causal state. In fact, time, space, and causation are in the causal state. And because it is a causal state, every cause must inevitably rectify itself, transform itself into an effect – there is no choice. That is why we should not remain even in the causal state. We should go beyond the causal state, which is called Turyāvasthā – Turya. So that is what our Upaniṣad wants to teach us.

The Śiśu Brāhmaṇa – The Baby Simile

In this deep sleep state, certain facts are said. So the next section in this Brāhmaṇa is called Śiśu Brāhmaṇa – śiśu means baby. So the jīvātman in this state is compared to a baby – how without any worries the baby sleeps. Not only that – whether a baby sleeps, a king sleeps, a great learned man sleeps, an elephant sleeps, a mosquito sleeps – whichever jīvātman sleeps temporarily, they will attain to the same bliss. So when you see a baby blissfully smiling in deep sleep, and we were also in that state – we do not recollect that state – but when we look at the baby, we recollect and say: "Oh, how marvellous – if I could also sleep so marvelously like this baby!" So the lesson is not sleeping. The lesson here is: if I can be as innocent, as pure as this baby, then my whole life will be a swimming in the ocean of infinite bliss.

So the Śiśu Brāhmaṇa is compared again to the Prāṇa – Prāṇa means Hiraṇyagarbha in that state. Hiraṇyagarbha, remember, is a causal state – collective causal state is called Hiraṇyagarbha. So in this Śiśu Brāhmaṇa, the jīvātman is compared to a baby so long as he is in this suṣupti state.

Satyasya Satyam – The Truth of Truth

Then the Upaniṣad also tells Satyasya Satyam – a tremendous fact is being taught here to all of us. Usually those who study these Advaitic works – Upaniṣads commented by Advaitic teachers – tell us this world is mithyā. That is why when somebody asked Śaṅkarācārya, "Sir, please tell us what is the essence of whatever you have written – crores of books you have written" – Śaṅkarācārya immediately said: "And not only I will tell you in short, I will tell you in just half a line: ślokārdhena pravakṣyāmi yathoktaṃ granthakoṭibhiḥ, brahma satyaṃ jaganmithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ." So "Brahma is truth" – understandable. "Jagat is mithyā." "Jīva – when we call a person a jīva, is he within the world or not? Then how can he be none other than Brahman as stated in the third point – jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ?" No, as long as we are in this state of ignorance, then we are also in this world. World is half‑true. Remember, mithyā is not non‑existence. Mithyā is half‑knowledge about any object. A rope half‑understood becomes a snake. So like that, anything that we half‑understand becomes an object. When fully understood, it is nothing but Brahman.

The Wax Garden Example

But as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: only when a person reaches the roof, then only he can understand what is the material out of which the entire building has been made. My favourite example: suppose there is a wax garden – it is a big wax garden occupying a big room. In fact, temples are also constructed there. When I was in Ulsoor, I was given the task of completing the construction of a temple, and Belur Maṭh – our architect who designed it – sent a model of it, something like wax, and everything is made up of that material – the trees, the temple, the human beings, everything. So when a person is a small child, you take him to that wax garden and show him: "What is this?" – "Oh, that is a tree." "What is this?" – "This is a dog." "What is this?" – "This is a human being." But when the same child grows up and then looks at the garden, he says: "What is that tree? It is a wax tree." Saying "it is a tree" and saying "it is a wax tree" makes all the difference – wax tree, wax man, wax dog, wax temple – everything makes complete sense. That is called reaching the roof. That is called realising everything is Brahma – pure existence. The nature is only wax. Here, in this sense, Sat, Cit, Ānanda – everything is creation.

Brahma Satyam, Jagat Satyam

So before ignorance disappears, this creation should be considered as mithyā – that is half‑truth – that is called satyam. The Upaniṣad gives the word satyam: this world is also satyam because where from has it come? From Brahman. Every scripture categorically, without the slightest controversy, tells "God created this world." Only what do they mean by "God created"? Has He become, or is He like a potter who sits separately and makes up something? According to Advaita Vedānta – which according to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is the final goal, final realisation – the Advaitic view is: it is not pariṇāmavāda; it is vivartavāda – that is, it appears only as nothing but Brahman. But we understand that everything is Brahman only after we realise Brahman. So satyam is the effect that we see, and every effect must come out of a cause, and that cause is the Satyam; the effect is mithyā. But when we understand the cause, the nature of the cause, we also understand the effect cannot be different from the cause. Brahma satyam – this creation cannot be mithyā. That is why it is said that this entire body‑mind complex – kārya-kāraṇa-saṅghāta – is nothing but Brahman.

Swami Turiyānanda's Statement

There is an incident: Swami Turiyānandaji was a staunch Advaitin, and then his time had come to give up this body in full consciousness. Before giving up this identity with this limited body‑mind complex, he uttered – it is recorded – "Brahma satyam, jagat satyam, jīvaḥ satyam, brahmaiva nāparaḥ." Brahman is truth, this world is also truth, and every jīva is Brahma and nothing else. Some senior Vedanta swamis were shocked: "Śaṅkara says jagat mithyā." Swami Turiyānanda says jagat also is satyam. "Not only Brahma satyam, jagat satyam" – and I do not know, probably most of them do not have the common sense to understand. Now we know: before realisation, this is a half‑truth – that is called mithyā. After realisation, there is nothing called two truths – the world and Brahman. The world is another name for Brahman; Brahman is another name for the world. From the viewpoint of a realised soul, this Brahman is nothing but the world.

The Final Lesson

So this knowledge comes only – an important point we have to keep in mind: to perceive this world – creation – as Brahman, one must first identify oneself as Brahman with the cause. Then, with that eye of realisation, when we look at this world, at this creation, then we say: "Brahma satyam, jagat satyam, sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma." Swami Turiyānanda was only reiterating that sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma. There is nothing untruth here – untruth cannot exist. That is what Ajātaśatru was trying to teach to Gārgya. These are beautiful analyses. We will talk about it tomorrow.

Closing Prayer

ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!