Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.2 1.9-13 Lecture 47 on 04 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: Review of the Upāsanas

In our last class, we have been studying different upāsanas—contemplations—which first Gārgya wanted to confess: "I contemplate Hiraṇyagarbha in this form." And Ajātaśatru said: "That is fine, but you should also add some more qualities and contemplate." And that was what, we guess, Gārgya was doing. So we have discussed some of them. So just to recollect one or two.

The Eighth Upāsana: Ādarśa (Mirror)

So from what is this upāsana? "I contemplate—I will do upāsana—considering Hiraṇyagarbha as a mirror." So Hiraṇyagarbha is a mirror. Who is Hiraṇyagarbha? Who is consciousness? That consciousness—Saguṇa Brahma's consciousness—is manifesting within each one of us. So when I am thinking, that consciousness is inseparably united with our thoughts. Otherwise, the mind will not function; the mind will not know "I am thinking" because the mind is completely inert—jaḍa. When that consciousness, which is mixed up with the mind, is extended to the body—body means sense organs, every sense organ—for example, the eye thinks "I am able to see," not understanding that the eye is only merely a window. It has no capacity to see unless consciousness from within makes it, gives it the ability to see, and consciousness from outside makes it capable of seeing in the form of giving the light. So there should be light, and there should also be consciousness behind each of the sense organs. And all the sense organs combined together are called prāṇa.

The Mirror Analogy

So first contemplate: what happens when we look into a mirror? We see our reflection. What type of reflection? If the mirror is full of dust, the reflection is distorted. If the mirror has less dust, it is still more clean; then as it becomes more and more pure, we see ourselves also. That means we see our own reflection also as it is, without any distortion.

Chidābhāsa

So what happens? That Hiraṇyagarbha really reflects through each one of our body and mind, even through Suṣupti—the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state. In all these states, what makes these states possible is that reflected consciousness called cidābhāsa.

The Reflection and the Original

Now, just as when we look into a clean mirror, we see ourselves—but supposing I have put on a green dress. How do I see myself in the reflection? As dressed in green. So if I have got a monkey face, I see the reflection of a monkey. That means even though the mirror is absolutely impartial, depending upon who is standing in front of it, it accurately reflects.

The Hindi Song

That is why there is a beautiful Hindi song—even though it is a cinema song, it is extraordinarily philosophical. What does the song say? Manā dara-paṇo kahalāye—"The mind is like a mirror." Very beautiful, and most beautifully sung by, I think, Lata Mangeshkar's sister. So the mind reflects—the mirror reflects. Not only should it be pure, but the object in front of the mirror must also be the original face. So otherwise, we see only our reflection. If you are smiling, a smiling reflection; if you are frowning, a frowning reflection, and we become identified with that.

The Result of This Meditation

Therefore, Ajātaśatru teaches Gārgya: "Meditate upon it, and you will understand—as the result of meditation—what happens: you are able to find out your innermost thoughts." This is called Rociṣṇu. It is a Sanskrit word. Rociṣṇu means clear, shining—svaccha-svabhāvaḥ, śuddha-svabhāvaḥ—pure reflection. So as the upāsaka's mind becomes pure, then it reflects. If he is a good person, he will understand: "I am a good person." If a person is evil, that also the mirror will not lie; it will tell the correct thing.

Awareness of Thoughts

And in spiritual practice, the first thing is we must know where we are. We must know what type of qualities we have, what type of personality we are cherishing—we have developed through our saṃskāras. That is what Swami Iteshwaran Mahārāj used to say: "Find out always—be aware what thoughts are arising. Once you are aware, you will be able to understand whether you are having good thoughts—you are a good man—or impure thoughts—you are an impure person." It does not matter. Even if you are an impure person, the first progress in spiritual life is to be aware: "I have so many impure thoughts."

I Am Not My Thoughts

But one point we have to keep in mind: I am not my thoughts. My thoughts are only temporary things. They can be changed. In fact, they are changing all the time. So a sinner can become a great saint. The greater a person, the more that person becomes aware. And when we have concentration, concentration is one means of finding out what obstructive thoughts are obscuring our achieving the goal we set for ourselves. So this is called Rociṣṇu, and in simple words, what I would say is: "Observe your thoughts, and then take action depending upon what type of thoughts are arising most of the time."

The Ninth Upāsana: Yantam Paścāt Śabdaḥ

So we move on to the ninth upāsana: Yantam Paścāt Śabdaḥ. What it really means is: when a person is running for whatever reason, he soon becomes breathing heavily—frequent breath, deeper breath—and a peculiar sound emanates. Because yantam means one who is running fast; paścāt means after a few feet, he starts having trouble breathing in. Breathing in means oxygen, and that oxygen converts itself into energy. That energy is consumed by the act of running. So I need more oxygen; I try to get more oxygen through frequent breathing, faster breathing, and then it emanates a particular sound.

The Upāsana on Gasping

And this is one upāsana: the sound of gasping which comes from a running person. So when it comes, you meditate upon it. What is this particular thing? Gasping comes because the person understands: "If I do not take prāṇa-vāyu—oxygen—my prāṇa, my life, is in danger. There is something that is reducing the quality of my prāṇa, my life energy." So Hiraṇyagarbha is nothing but full of life. Life is called āyu. So when a person meditates upon it, he gets more than sufficient oxygen. That means that person will have a long, healthy life, which of course is very important for all of us because we have so many ambitions, and nobody wants to die midway. But it can help us if we can really get not only a long but healthy life.

Prāṇāyāma

And that is why prāṇāyāma is connected here. Prāṇāyāma really helps us to maintain a long and healthy life, and prāṇāyāma is nothing but regulating how we breathe in and breathe out. So this is one upāsana, and it is connected to Hiraṇyagarbha because Vāyudevatā—Vāyu means oxygen, the God of oxygen—is one manifestation of Hiraṇyagarbha, Saguṇa Brahma. So if we can meditate, automatically we get the result of prāṇāyāma—beautiful prāṇāyāma, great prāṇāyāma as a result. Our appetite becomes stronger; our capacity to enjoy Sāttvika food becomes greater. So in every way, our life becomes longer.

The Tenth Upāsana: Dik (Directions)

Then we enter into the tenth upāsana. Here the directions are taken for upāsana. What are directions? They are called dik—the east, the west, the south, the north, and in between. So according to the Hindu calendar, eight directions are there. So all these are manifestations—thoughts on space. Really, in space, there is no east or west. These are all human conventions. When I see the sun rising, we decided to call it the east. When it sets—the direction in which it sets—we decided to call it the west. And so wherever we are facing, say for example we are facing towards the east—so my front direction is east, back direction is west, right direction is the Dakṣiṇa-dik, and the left direction is the northern part. These are all human conventions for practical living. Otherwise, if you have to go somewhere, you have to find out from where you are standing in which direction you have to go: "You go to the east, turn to the north." Even today, the GPS is nothing but purely a human convention. That is all. It all depends upon how the cities are planned, or the roads are planned, buildings are planned, etc.

The Connection with Space

So what is the connection here? Hiraṇyagarbha is manifesting as space. Space actually, as we have seen—Ākāśa—is infinite, it is one without a second, it is indivisible, it is uncontaminated. So many qualities are there. But the most important thing is, from the viewpoint of the directions, the east can never be without the west; the south can never be without the east and west; the north cannot be without the east and west. Like that, all the directions—even though for the sake of practical life we divide them—they are always together, one with the other, because space is indivisible.

The Result: Dvitīyavān

So what happens when Hiraṇyagarbha is contemplated upon as Ākāśa Devatā? What happens? What is the result? The Upaniṣad tells us we get a peculiar result as a result of this deep contemplation for a long time and becoming—or feeling—our unity with Ākāśa space. What happens? One always becomes dvitīyavān. That is to say, one will never be forced to live alone. Loneliness will not be there, whether there is a person or not. He feels everybody is all around me: "I am not alone." Dvitīyavān.

The Benefit for Householders

So if he is a married person, by the grace of Saguṇa Brahma, both husband and wife will live together for a long time. And if children are there, children also will be there as long as I am alive. That means children also will not die so long as I am alive. Many times we see when one of the couple—husband, for example, or wife—dies, very soon the other person cannot tolerate that separation and dies—after six months, three months, one year, or two years, but not for a very long time. What causes the death? "I am without a second"—and who is this person? He is one who is not contemplating upon this space. And therefore he becomes spaceless. So a person who contemplates on Hiraṇyagarbha—remember, these are all Saguṇa Brahma Upāsanas—Ajātaśatru is thus slowly training Gārgya in obtaining the qualifications so that he can take the completely new step from Saguṇa Brahma to Nirguṇa Brahma.

Always with Company

So one will always be with—eva—always there would be somebody or other to give him company, not an enemy, but always somebody who is a well-wisher, who serves him, who supplies him everything. So that is called anapagāha—na apagāha—one is never without the company of somebody. That means he will be inseparable from somebody who loves him, whom also this person loves. That means he will never suffer from that peculiar psychological condition called loneliness.

The Scriptural Statement

Sa ya etam evam upāste dvitīyavān bhavati nāsya gaṇāś chidyate.

So what is the result? So whoever contemplates—if a guru contemplates, there will be disciples to serve him. And if a gṛhastha—a householder, a married person—if a wife contemplates, then by the virtue of her upāsana, the husband also will not leave her, and they will be both very loving. Otherwise, "we are together but always quarrelling"—that is not going to be helpful. But it would be a very satisfactory, joyful life. So without any loneliness—that is the result of contemplating upon the directions which are nothing but Ākāśa.

The Eleventh Upāsana: Chāyā (Shadow)

Then we enter into the eleventh upāsana. This is called Chāyā. Chāyā means shadow. So Chāyā—Hiraṇyagarbha as Chāyā. What is chāyā? Whenever you walk in light, there inevitably follows your shadow. Now, what is it that follows us? Our karmaphala. Wherever we go, it follows us. Karmaphala is one which brings us happiness or unhappiness, health or ill-health, life or death. So always where there is life, there would be death. Always. Are you a young person? Then the shadow—that is old age, middle age, old age—the hair becoming grey first and then white. So this is inevitable.

Death Is Always Shadowing

Whoever can contemplate Hiraṇyagarbha as Chāyā, what happens?

Sa ya etam evam upāste sarvam āyur evāsmin loke ayate, nainaṃ pūrākālān mṛtyur agacchati.

Death is always shadowing every one of us, and we are thinking we are going to live a long time.

The Sufi Story

It is a beautiful story—a Sufi story. There was a great Sufi. One day a young prince went to meet him in some other place. So suddenly he started shivering because he saw Death approaching. You know Death is symbolized like a black shadowy figure with a sickle in hand, etc. So the man understood: "I am going to die." But Death also became shocked, surprised. As soon as this young prince saw Death in that form, immediately he jumped upon his horse and ran towards Bahrain. Now the Sufi—he had no fear. So he was, of course, surprised. "Why is Death surprised?" Then he asked: "Why were you surprised by seeing this young prince?" And then Death replied: "I am surprised because I have an appointment with him in Bahrain. And what is he doing here sixty miles away today?" Now what happened? This young man is going to meet his appointment in Bahrain. Very soon. So death is always shadowing.

The Song of Sri Ramakrishna

That is why when Mani Mallik's son died, he came straight from the crematorium, and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa broke into a beautiful song:

"Jīb, o man, sajyo samari dear—ready for battle—death has surrounded you; anytime it is going to defeat you."

In fact, there is a very beautiful story which I will tell on some other occasion where Death, then Old Age—all these are wonderful stories. In the Bhāgavatam, we get a person—a nameless person like that. So we will come to that sometime later on.

The Result of This Upāsana

He who contemplates upon this chāyā—shadow—as Hiraṇyagarbha, manifestation of Hiraṇyagarbha. Remember: life comes from Hiraṇyagarbha; death also comes from Hiraṇyagarbha. So also babyhood, adolescence, youth, middle age, old age, disease—everything comes only—ṣaḍ we call—we call it sixfold changes. They are all the law of Hiraṇyagarbha only. But whoever meditates upon it, this chāyā will not come earlier—means apāmṛtyu, that means accidental, premature death will never happen. That means he will live all his time happily.

The Purpose of Upāsanas

And if you notice all these contemplations that we have been discussing, we can see clearly that every upāsana not only is purifying the mind of this aspirant, but it is making his life the happiest life without surrounding, without all the paraphernalia of wealth—a palace, beautiful cars, yachts, aeroplane, bank balance, lot of power. No—a person can also attain to all these things and be extraordinarily happy, much more happy, because he is not worried. "God—I am surrendering myself to God." And upāsana is nothing but surrendering to that particular quality. So that is how this person becomes what is called niścinta.

Yoga-Kṣema

योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्.

yogakṣemaṃ vahāmyaham.

So a person who always thinks about God unceasingly and delights in God's name—he is not able to think: "What am I going to eat? Where from food will come? Who will bring it to me?" Like a baby—a baby never thinks. It knows: "My mother is looking after me. That is more than enough for me." Śaraṇāgati is total dependence upon God. That is all.

The Full Span of Life

So etam Hiraṇyagarbham chāyā-rūpeṇa evam upāste sarvam āyur evāsmin loke ayate—so this person lives his full span of life. Nainaṃ pūrākālān mṛtyur agacchati—before his full span of life is exhausted, death will not come. He will not be a prey to untimely death.

Untimely Death

In fact, you have to understand—since the topic has come—there is nothing called untimely death. There is only one type of untimely death. That is called suicide. Suicide is Mahāpāpa according to Hindu scriptures. I think according to every scripture. So this person happily—it depends—"You want to take me, take me." He is not frightened of death, and he is very happy. Why is he happy? Living also he is happy; dying also he is happy. Why is he happy? Because when a baby is happy when he is in deep sleep, completely forgetful of mother, father, everything, but when the baby is awake, he is also very happy. Why? Because the mother is there to take care. So it is like a person living, contemplating upon Hiraṇyagarbha as a shadow. He is like the person who is slowly, steadily progressing towards God.

The Fate of the Jīvātman

But suppose death comes. Death means fall of the body. That jīvātman is not going to die. He will be going to Hiraṇyagarbha because he is contemplating only Hiraṇyagarbha—of course, one aspect of Hiraṇyagarbha. So what is the result he gets? He will never be subjected to what is called untimely death. It will never come. But as I said, everybody's death comes only timely death. Somebody is murdered because of his karmaphala. Somebody, some car hits—that is also because of karmaphala. But there is only one type of death which is called suicide, and that is a great sin. We should never do that because the purpose of committing suicide is "I will escape suffering," but the suffering will not go away until that karma exhausts its result. There would be no relief even if he is born, reborn somewhere. So his unexhausted karmaphala follows him there also. Only he is postponing it instead of finishing it.

The Will of God

So if we are suffering, we have to think it is not somebody, something which is creating it; it is my own karmaphala. This is a fact we have to emphasise again and again—that nobody can make us happy, nothing can make us happy, nothing can make us unhappy, nobody can make us miserable. If we are feeling miserable because we are attributing it to somebody else's agency, now it is only my own karmaphala coming at the exact right time by the will of God. We have to understand that. That is why in other religions, it is called "the will of God"—"Let Thy will be done." Even Jesus Christ—it is said he was terrified of the crucifixion. So it is said he prayed: "If it is Thy will, let this cup pass away from me." But then he understood: "It is the will of the Father." Then he said: "Let Thy will be done." And that means he accepted: "If it is God's will, it must be for good only."

Why Did Christ and Sri Ramakrishna Suffer?

So why did Christ suffer? Why did Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa suffer? M says—and that is probably the final answer—because it is not the karmaphala of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa or Jesus Christ or Buddha. Because out of infinite compassion, they have taken the karmaphala, especially the negative karmaphala, of other people.

The Result

So what is the result? Ātmanvī bhavati—he will never attain what is called untimely death.

The Twelfth Upāsana: Prajāpati

Then we move on to the last—the twelfth upāsana. The last upāsana is called contemplating on Prajāpati or Hiraṇyagarbha as Saguṇa Brahma—Prajāpati-rūpeṇa, samaṣṭi-rūpeṇa—upāsana. So when somebody meditates like Bhrigu meditated on Anna Brahma—Anna Brahma means Virāṭ; Anna means my own body—Anna Brahma. The moment we say Anna Brahma, it is every type of body. Anna means body; body is nothing but food. Any body—a plant's body, an animal's body, a human body, a mosquito body—everybody is nothing but food only. So all the bodies together is called Virāṭ—Virāṭ Brahma. So if somebody contemplates on Virāṭ, he becomes Virāṭ. That means if somebody dies, it does not affect him. If he dies, he says: "This is one of my manifestations. I am alive in everybody who is alive."

Beyond Life and Death

So if somebody is alive, death does not make any sense because we divide: "A person is either living or dead. One cannot be in both states at the same time." But as Virāṭ Brahma, this duality is far below—it is transcended, where life and death are only changes of matter. That is all. That is a very beautiful teaching.

I Am Prajāpati

So this twelfth upāsana that Ajātaśatru had taught to Gārgya is that "Ātman—contemplate as Prajāpati. I am Prajāpati. So I am samaṣṭi-rūpeṇa—Prajāpati. All the creation together is called Prajāpati. Prajāpati is another name for Hiraṇyagarbha. Do not think he is somebody separate. Prajāpati, Hiraṇyagarbha, Saguṇa Brahma, Śakti, Kālī—these are all synonymous words.

The Result of This Upāsana

So one who succeeds in this—"I am Prajāpati"—he will succeed. Why should he succeed? Why will he succeed? Because he has been honing his art of contemplation through so many other smaller things. But this is the biggest contemplation. Therefore, all the past experiences help him; very easily he will attain.

The Story of Dr. Mello

There was one beautiful incident. Once a devotee came to Laṭu Mahārāj. He was Dr. Mello, and he was asking: "One day I was sitting for meditation. Suddenly I saw my chosen deity—Jesus Christ. Then very soon he turned into Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Then very soon he turned into Buddha—like that, one after the other. Am I deluded? Is it my imagination?" That was the question he put to Laṭu Mahārāj. And Laṭu Mahārāj immediately—no, master used to say—Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say: "If anybody is so bestowed with grace that he could have a darśana of one particular devatā, then to see other manifestations of the same devatā will not be difficult at all."

Vivekananda's Vision

So Vivekanandaji also had the same. One day he saw Vaikuṇṭha darśana—that is all the gods and goddesses. When he came and reported this to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said: "From now on, you have gone beyond the Saguṇa Brahma; you will not have this kind of visions anymore. You will only have bhāva—that is pure knowledge."

Dr. Mello's Question

So Dr. Mello was given this answer: "You are on the right track. Go on meditating the way you do." Then the second question is a beautiful question. Here psychology works. How the function of a guru really comes into effect. Dr. Mello asked: "I have a confusion—I am confused. So I love Christ and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa equally. So who should be my Iṣṭa Devatā?" Then Laṭu Mahārāj put a question: "Whom have you been meditating upon a longer time—means since your childhood?" Immediately Dr. Mello answered: "I was born in a Christian family, so I imbibed a great love for Jesus Christ—the form of Jesus Christ. So I meditate; I love him." And then Laṭu Mahārāj said: "You go on meditating on Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa are not two separate beings."

The Vision of Sri Ramakrishna as Christ

And this we see clearly. One day, one Mishra—a Christian devotee—came and met Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, and then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa stood up and shook his hand, and what transpired there nobody knows. But that Mishra says: "I am a sannyāsī. Outside I am putting these layman's clothes, but I am a pure sannyāsīn. I was a Hindu. I fell in love with Jesus Christ." And do you know, he was addressing the other devotees who were there: "You do not understand. I have seen Jesus Christ in him. He is none other than Christ." Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also said: "You will achieve everything." Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa shook his hands in a Western manner that day with Mr. Mishra. So many people had the vision of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa as Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. This is something we have to appreciate.

The Result of the Final Upāsana

So whoever contemplates this Prajāpati—that contemplation is equivalent to contemplating every other deity already mentioned by Ajātaśatru. With these qualities, besides, every presiding deity is nothing but this Prajāpati—creator—called in the Purāṇas as Brahmā. And Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are not three different beings. They are three different names of three different functions: creative function—Brahmā; maintaining function—Viṣṇu; and absorbing function—Śiva. So these are the profound truths we have to contemplate.

Hinduism and Other Religions

We Hindus have no problem with any religion, with any god or goddess. That is why a true Hindu can have Jesus Christ, Buddha, and many other saints and sages, even though his Iṣṭadevatā may be one. And a good Hindu could also keep a photograph of Muḥammad. But the Muslims take offence at it—"No image should be there." So they can do violence, and that is why neither they keep nor others dare to keep the photo of Muḥammad. But they do not understand the philosophy behind it.

The Final Result: Ātmanvī

Okay, so if somebody, after succeeding through all those previously taught upāsanas, when he comes to this last upāsana—Prajāpati-rūpeṇa, samaṣṭi-rūpeṇa upāsana—what does he become? Ātmanvī bhavati. That means he becomes a master of his mind—total mastery over one's own self. That means his mind will never deviate from the divine; always his mind is filled with divine thoughts.

Gārgya's Transformation

So sa ya etam evam upāste ātmanvī asya prāyā bhavati sahotāś nim asa Gārgyaḥ—so Gārgya was given this qualification, and Ajātaśatru had taught him: "You meditate upon him as samaṣṭi, and then you will become samaṣṭi. That is called ātmanvī. So with this, he feels his identity." Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa felt identity with Mother Kālī, Jesus Christ, with Śiva, with Śakti, with Kṛṣṇa, with Rāma—everybody.

Summary of the Twelve Upāsanas

So we have seen twelve upāsanas. Through twelve upāsanas which were known to Gārgya—he wanted to teach, but he was given more than what he had given. Really, he did not give, because Ajātaśatru knew even what Gārgya knew but added to his fund of knowledge. So from the second to the thirteenth, we have discussed twelve upāsanas. And with this, Gārgya's knowledge is exhausted. And lastly, Gārgya says he would keep quiet because his fund of knowledge is exhausted. But a tremendous revolution had taken place within him. He understood the limitation of his knowledge, and his eyes opened to further knowledge—to the knowledge of the Infinite.

The Reversal of Roles

And then, not only did he keep quiet, he reversed the roles and said: "I want to learn from you not only what you taught until now, but what will be beneficial for me to progress in spiritual life." So I am already foretelling about the conclusion: by that time, Ajātaśatru would have finished with Gārgya; he also would have been like Ajātaśatru—a full knower of Brahma. Though it is not mentioned, we have to understand: as the contemplation, so also will be the result.

The Next Stage

That teaching—how Ajātaśatru wants to teach what is the real nature of Jīvātman—is going to come from the fifteenth onwards. But here—thirteenth—so we have discussed through twelve upāsanas. Ajātaśatru taught nineteen special guṇas to contemplate Hiraṇyagarbha. That means Gārgya had acquired nineteen special guṇas—qualities. More or less, he became a fit disciple, a fit mind, a pure mind. Now nobody can jump to Nirguṇa Brahma without climbing the stairs. Rāmakṛṣṇa gives this beautiful example. So if there is a five-storied house—and it is very symbolic also of the Pañca-kośas—so he has to climb to the next higher step. So that is called Prāṇamaya Kośa, etc. And even the last—Ānandamaya Kośa—has to be crossed over. So the fifth story is equated with Ānandamaya Kośa. But that is also limited. Even though it is full of bliss, it is limited. But to go beyond that limitation, as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says, until one goes to the roof—steps onto the roof—his knowledge will not be complete.

The Roof Analogy

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, in his own inimitable manner, says that once a person reaches the roof—reaches the roof means understands the material of the roof—then he connects it with all the stories below and says: "Whatever is the material with which the roof is constructed, all the building is nothing but constructed with the same material." Only when a person reaches that—"Everything is Brahman—sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ Brahma"—then only he understands that there is nothing called an individual body, a man, a tree, an animal, an insect, etc. Everything is nothing but Brahman.

यत्र यत्र चक्षुर्गच्छति तत्र तत्र ब्रह्मदर्शनम्.

yatra yatra cakṣur gacchati tatra tatra brahmadarśanam.

"Wherever the sight turns, there a person says nothing but pure Brahman."

Gārgya's Request

So now Gārgya—Ajātaśatru asks: "Anything further you want to teach me?" But what happened to Gārgya? He became silent. Not only that, he said: "Please teach me. I would like to be your disciple, and you be my Guru." This is also symbolic for us. Whatever be the caste, even a caṇḍāla can teach the highest truth. Did not a caṇḍāla teach Śaṅkarācārya the highest truth? If you interpret that story—which the followers of Śaṅkarācārya, especially the Maṭhādhipatis, never accept even today: "No, it is only Śiva." When did Śaṅkarācārya come to know that "Caṇḍāla-vājaya-Śiva" when he saw him? No—only when he gave out that question—his wisdom, his knowledge, his depth of knowledge—and then only Śaṅkarācārya suddenly woke up and said: "What you say is correct. Everything is Śiva."

मनोबुद्ध्यहंकार चित्तानि नाहम्, न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे | न च व्योमभूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ||

mano-buddhy-ahaṅkāra-cittāni nāham, na ca śrotra-jihve na ca ghrāṇa-netre | na ca vyoma-bhūmir na tejo na vāyuḥ, cid-ānanda-rūpaḥ śivo 'ham śivo 'ham ||

Who wrote this? Only Śaṅkarācārya. So Gārgya says: "You please teach me." And that means the Upaniṣad very quickly passes. He did everything that a śiṣya is supposed to do. Then what happened? Ajātaśatru did not want to upset the tradition. So he said: "You do not need to sit down at my feet, bow down to me. There is no need. I know you are a fit person. I will teach you whatever I know."

The Sleeping Man

But then he took him by hand, and he went—and the person was deeply asleep. And then Ajātaśatru called him—no response. Called him loudly—no response. Then he shook him mildly—no response. Then he shook him wildly, violently—then the man woke up. And then Ajātaśatru, turning to Gārgya, asks: "This Jīvātman—of whom you know Saguṇa Brahma—where was he when I called him by the name of Prāṇas? He never responded. When I shook also, it took time for him to come out. So where was he, and how did he come back?"

The Highest Teaching

And through that, the highest teaching of Nirguṇa Brahma—which has nothing to do with the waking, dream, or dreamless state—is being reiterated in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, of which we will proceed to talk about in our next class.

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!