Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.2 4.11-12 Lecture 66 on 06 September 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 Creative Aspect of Brahman

In our yesterday's class, we discussed Yājñavalkya teaching Maitreyī. There is only one cause from which every effect has come – the entire creation is that effect. For that purpose, he has given as an example for the creative aspect of Brahman: when wet fuel is fed into fire, there would be smoke, there would be sparks, there would be also some sounds, etc., and spontaneously they come out.

The Vedas Represent Knowledge

Bhagavān is saying to us – Yājñavalkya is telling – that all the Vedas – why specially mention Veda? Veda means knowledge. So knowledge comes to us in the form of vṛttis – thoughts – and thoughts are also expressed as words. When we speak a word, our mind, as soon as we hear that word, immediately gets that knowledge if we had previous knowledge of it. For example, as soon as we hear "this is a table," immediately the whole picture of the table springs into your mind. "This is so‑and‑so speaking" – immediately that whole person's personality springs into our mind.

The Whole Universe Is Nāma and Rūpa

So what does Yājñavalkya want to convey through this? The whole universe is nothing but nāma and rūpa – that is, different forms and correspondingly different names – and the knowledge of these objects is in the form of hṛdayajñānam – knowledge of thoughts. As soon as we hear any name, or as soon as we think "this is a table," you think of the table – the picture of the table as though it is outside in the world, outside you, outside me – springs to our mind. If you hear anybody speaking, "Oh, that table, this table" – immediately the whole picture of the table springs in our minds in the form of a thought.

The Outpourings of Brahman

So what are these Vedas, Purāṇas, Itihāsas, Sūtras, Vyākhyānas, Anuvyākhyānas, Mantras, Ślokas, Upaniṣads? Quite elaborate description. They all have come out of the out‑breathings of Brahman – to indicate naturally. Not only that, to indicate that when we are alive, when we are breathing – breathing means to be alive – what happens? Breath is taken in, breath is thrown out, and again breath is taken in. It is a continuous cycle.

The Brahma-cakra

So also, this whole creation is nothing but a Brahma-cakra. There is creation, there is for some time sustenance, then every effect goes back into its cause. Again, that cause produces effect. Not only at one time – every millisecond, how many creatures are born, and every millisecond how many creatures are living. Every millisecond how many creatures are dying. Dying means merging back into their cause. For example, our body, which is made up of the pañcabhūtas – five elements – goes back. The earthly part goes back to the earth, the watery part goes back to the water, the heat portion goes back into the fire, and the air part goes into the air, and whatever space remains within us – that goes to space.

The Distance Between Atoms

How vast is space? Some scientists describe it. Two atoms – if they are moving, at what distance are they? For that, he gives an upamā, a simile: suppose two smallest mosquitoes start at the end of our galaxies – one from this end, one from the other end. What is the chance of these two atoms colliding with each other accidentally? Practically nil. That is the distance between one atom and the other atom. Even more shocking revelation of the truth is also expressed: suppose there are twin atoms – one is on the edge of this galaxy, another is on the edge of some other galaxy – whatever happens to this atom at this side, that is reflected in the other atom; whatever is in the other atom, whatever changes are reflected in this atom. How do they communicate over these vast, immeasurable distances? Only God knows.

The Continuous Cycle

But what is meant is the whole creation, sustenance, and going back – merging back – is a continuously ongoing phenomenon, and how many times? Billions and billions and trillions of times. When you look at it from the viewpoint of the species – how many mosquitoes, how many insects, how many microbes, how much bacteria – it is mind‑boggling: yato vāco nivartante, aprāpya manasā saha – "It is impossible for people like us even to imagine." It is impossible. But all this is happening because of that one infinite being that is called Brahman, and the outpourings of everything – it is happening all over His creation.

The Three Points

So what is the point we have to learn?

1. Creation on our part is a very intense labour‑process method, but on the part of Bhagavān – even when we are sleeping, are we aware? Do we make effort to breathe in and breathe out? As simple as that. So Bhagavān is creating – very easy. "Easy" means no effort is needed. It is like līlā.
2. The second point we have to understand is: at the same time, from one point of view, all this creation, sustenance, and going back are happening. From the highest point of view, no creation is ever going to take place.
3. Third point: when did this creation start? Because it is coexistent with Brahman. Why is it so? Because our limited mind – extremely limited mind – can never grasp, can never go beyond time. Time means limitation. Without going beyond the limitations of time, space, and object, it is impossible to find out the origin. That is why sṛṣṭi – creation – or this entire creative process, including sustenance and going back – the entire thing is called creation. That is called anādi – na ādi – "there is no beginning." And that which has no beginning cannot have an end either. This is an eternal process.

The Real Answer

Then a question comes: if this is true, first of all, how do we know that when we attain to that state of self‑knowledge, we are going to remain forever unchanging? Well, that is what the scriptures tell – we have to understand. But the real answer is: we have never been created. All this talk about creation, sustenance, and merging back is only thoughts – limited, ignorant thoughts – in our own minds. Advaita Vedānta crystal‑clearly reveals that it is only seeming, not real. Nothing happens to Brahman. The Infinite can never become finite. Then how do we explain it? Because our limited minds, when it thinks of God, it cannot think of Brahman – it can only think of the act of creation, etc. Why? Because we are seemingly experiencing it, even if it is not true. And how do we know it is not true? Because when we wake up from a dream, the dream crystal‑clearly points out to us that at the time of dreaming, it appears to be absolutely real – the only reality. As soon as we wake up, "This is just my imagination." What do you mean by "imagination"? It is not reality.

The Three Examples

So just as Bhagavān is creation – to indicate this, three examples are given: the sounds – common sounds – of a drum, of a conch, and of a vīṇā. This is all to make us understand.

The Sustenance Aspect – The One Source of All

In our last class, we have seen in fact as sustenance – what is that sustenance? We have talked about that it goes like this: everything is an āyatanam. We have discussed it elaborately. Just to recollect what we discussed: sa yathā sarvasām apāṃ samudraḥ eka-ayanam – "Just as the ocean is the one source from which every type of water has come" – whether it is rain, whether it is drizzling, whether it is a stream – every droplet of water – the origin is only from the ocean. And that process we also discussed.

The Sense Organs as One Source

Similarly, all the touches – the only way we experience touches is when our skin, the organ of touch, is functioning. We can only smell only when our nostrils are functioning. That is why when we have a good strong cold, then we cannot smell much. Similarly, whatever we taste, whatever the eyes see, whatever the ears hear, whatever thoughts the mind thinks, whatever saṅkalpa – determinations – that is done by the mind. Similarly, every type of understanding – that is the function of the buddhi. These are the root causes.

The Hands and Feet

All grab things – it ends in the hand. If there were to be no hand, no grabbing. And every pleasure merges in that pleasure of upastha. But upastha is only an analogy – we should not think of it as the ultimate truth. So since we get intense pleasure in this so‑called act of sex, every pleasure, small or big, can be compressed into it, can be made part of it. Similarly, how much pleasure we get when we get rid of something – how much pleasure a jñānī of Brahman gets by just giving up every type of attachment.

What Is Attachment?

What is attachment? Individual, limited love. What do I mean? Then our love, which should be infinite but which is not – in our day‑to‑day life, that is called attachment. When we love something, we are attached to it. That means our thought processes hover round and round that beloved object, and every time we want to think of that object because it gives us pleasure, happiness, joy. So every type of pleasure is limited – that is why it is included.

The Highest Happiness

The highest happiness is the sexual act – and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa takes this: when the jīvātman – individual soul – becomes merged in Paramātman, then in his inimitable simile he has used "every hair on the body becomes a sexual organ enjoying sex" – that is union with Brahman – that is to indicate that infinite joy. Solomon – by the way, the Songs of Solomon in the Bible's Old Testament – they are also indicating, and in our Purāṇas we get the union of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. What is it indicating? There is separation, there is union – Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa – viraha and milana. Only two subjects, and we are all Rādhās longing really for only Kṛṣṇa, albeit we think we are seeing Kṛṣṇa in a sweet, in a tasty, edible, eatable, or in beautiful music, beautiful touch, beautiful taste, beautiful sound, etc. Actually, all these pleasures that we get are very, very minutest – indescribably minutest – parts of Kṛṣṇa. That is all.

The Feet as the One Source of Movement

Evam sarveṣām adhvānām – wherever you go, physically or even imaginatively, mentally – the feet are the only instrument. If the feet are not there, no movement is ever possible. No covering of distances is ever possible. Similarly, vedānām vāk eva āyanam – here vāk represents understanding and expression of that understanding, but mainly understanding. Because when a person speaks, nobody ever speaks something which that person does not understand, because an ununderstandable something cannot be expressed – there are no appropriate words.

Speech and Understanding

Every piece of understanding – that means knowledge – indicates there is a corresponding object outside in this creation. And then we try our level best to describe it, convey that idea to other people. But if that understanding is not there – here vāk means understanding. We have seen in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad how Nārada was guided by Sanatkumāra. Beautiful thoughts – we must remember all these things when we are reading one Upaniṣad – what we have studied in the other Upaniṣads, corresponding ideas. If we can remember, our enjoyment of the Upaniṣads will become very great.

Brahman as the Presiding Deities

So what does Yājñavalkya want to convey? Brahman in the form of – first He created – then He created part of the creation – the presiding deities, and those presiding deities are called devatās. Those devatās are the only merging place – or from where the sounds merge from home – that is the presiding deity. From where they spring from home – that is another devatā. So every experience through all these sense organs or organs of action – they have their own presiding deity.

The Story of the Brāhmaṇa and the Cow

This also we discussed in the beautiful story of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa: a Brāhmaṇa killed a cow with his own hands by beating it up with a big stick, and then he attributed the sin to Indra, but he could not do that because his egotism says: "I did this garden with my own hands and I made this so beautiful." Indra says: "Excepting this killing of the cow, everything – all credit goes to you. Only the killing of the cow goes to me."

The Lesson of the Story

What does Indra want to convey? If you want to attribute that sin to me, every action that takes place because of the hands should be given to me. You are doing pūjā – that result should come to me. If you are doing some dānam – some charity – that result should come to me. If you are serving parents or your Gurus, your teachers, or your children – that puṇyam should come to me. No – only what is inconvenient I offer to you, and every convenient thing I ascribe to myself. That will not do – it is either you give completely or you retain completely. So that is why the sin had come and occupied the Brāhmaṇa, and he had to pay.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Teaching

That is why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa advocated not dayā – compassion – but looking upon every person, every needy person, as Śiva Himself – a wonderful, marvellous opportunity given to us. So never say – like Balicakravartī: "I am not going to break my promise. God Himself is coming to me in this form to beg of me. This is a once‑in‑a‑life‑cycle opportunity." And that is called Karma Yoga. Through karma, one attains to that wholeness, infinity. That is the meaning of it.

Everything Belongs to God

We have discussed this one. What does this indicate? It indicates that everything we experience – the whole body, the whole mind – everything belongs to God, and nothing belongs to us. So "I" and "mine" do not exist. When we have this knowledge, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says that "Thou" and "Thine" – "You" and "Yours" – and that is called the acme of spiritual progress, which in simple words is called complete surrender – śaraṇāgati – śiṣyas te 'haṃ śādhi māṃ tvāṃ prapannam – by Rāmānuja it is called Prapanna Mārga.

The Three Causes of Creation

So sṛṣṭi – we discussed the cause of sṛṣṭi is Brahman. For sṛṣṭi, two causes are there: the material cause like clay, and the intelligent cause like the potter. Before creation, there is no instrument – there is no separate intelligent cause – both are Brahman only. Therefore, He is both the material cause as well as the intelligent cause as well as the instrumental cause. That is indicated.

Who Sustains?

Then who sustains it? So Bhagavān only sustains in the form of this creation. So our body requires all the five elements: food, water, heat, oxygen, and the energy to move about in space. Bhagavān had already created – not only created – every millisecond, as soon as we exhaust food, food comes to us. When we exhaust water, water comes, etc. So He is the sthiti-kāraṇam – the cause of sustenance, maintenance.

Pralaya – Merging Back

Now what is left out? Where do we go back when we give up both this body and mind? That is why when this body dies, that is called pralaya. There are different pralayas. The first pralaya is called nitya pralaya – when the whole universe is merged in its very cause – that is deep sleep – suṣupti. Suṣupti becomes that – suḥ + supti come together because of the rule of sandhi conjunction. So the whole world – it does not disappear, it does not get destroyed – temporarily it is kept in abeyance. That is why it is called the kāraṇa śarīra – the causal body. And we are most happy there because – when there is no effect, even the cause also is forgotten – and that is the state of deep sleep. We have seen that one.

The Laya Aspect

Now Bhagavān is creating, Bhagavān is sustaining, Bhagavān again goes back into Bhagavān. So whom is Bhagavān creating? Himself – or He Himself is manifesting as the five elements as everything in this universe. Whom is He maintaining? Himself – but in the form of the manifested every object in this world. And where does He go back? All this world goes back into Himself. For that purpose, Yājñavalkya is teaching in this twelfth mantra that everything has to go back to its original cause after some time.

The Twelfth Mantra – Merging Back into the Cause

For this, this twelfth mantra is: sa yathā saindhava-khilya udake prāstaḥ udakam eva anuvilīyate, na asya udgrahaṇāya eva syāt, yathā yathā āditaḥ lavaṇam eva, evam vā are idaṃ mahad bhūtam anantam apāraṃ vijñāna-ghanaḥ eva, itebhyaḥ bhūtebhyaḥ samutthāya, tāni eva anuvinaśyati, na pretya saṃjñā asti, iti are bravīmi – this is the teaching.

All Mantras Are Beautiful

All these mantras are so beautiful – we have to remember. But if you do not want to remember all the Sanskrit words, etc., the essence is: Bhagavān, the Lord – He is creating, He is sustaining, and He is taking everything back. He is like a child playing with Himself. So khelati brahmaṇā dayā – there is a beautiful song of a great soul. In Sanskrit, Sadāśiva Brahmendra expressed it: brahmaṇā dayā – in this created universe, Bhagavān khelati – it is a play, it is a līlā. How does He do it? ahaṃ haṃsaḥ so'haṃ haṃsaḥ so'haṃ haṃsaḥ so'ham iti – "I am Brahman, I am Brahman, I am Brahman – Brahman I am."

The Five Elements

So then a few details are given. All the five elements have come from myself, and they remain as if separate from me for the sake of līlā, and as if they are again going back – as if evolution had taken place, as if involution had taken place. This is all "as if" – that as if is translated as līlā. That is why the life of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is called Līlāmṛta – Śrī Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Līlā Prasaṅga. Prasaṅga means amṛta – actually, in the context of Bhagavān's līlā, both the Gospel (Kathāmṛtam) and the biography with elaborate commentary by Swami Śaradānandaji – it is called Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Līlā Caritra – the story of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's līlā as an avatāra in this world.

The Law of Cause and Effect

Now, we will deal with the truth that whatever has come – that is called effect – and it is the law: every effect must go back into its cause. And we have to remember a simple principle: when object is withdrawn into subject, both subject and object disappear. Similarly, when the effect merges into cause, you cannot say "cause remains." Cause is a cause so long as we know the effect. Effect is an effect only in the duality of cause and effect. If one goes, the other also disappears along with that. This is a very beautiful point – please keep in mind.

The Salt Example

Now I will read the mantra and we will discuss: sa yathā saindhava-khilya udake prāstaḥ udakam eva anuvilīyate, na asya udgrahaṇāya eva syāt, yathā yathā āditaḥ lavaṇam eva, evam vā are idaṃ mahad bhūtam anantam apāraṃ vijñāna-ghanaḥ eva, itebhyaḥ bhūtebhyaḥ samutthāya, tāni eva anuvinaśyati, na pretya saṃjñā asti, iti are bravīmi – Yājñavalkya started teaching at the last part of this mantra: na pretya saṃjñā asti – "After the death of any object, there is no special individual, particularised consciousness." Iti are bravīmi – "So this is the teaching" – iti ha uvāca yājñavalkyaḥ.

Maitreyī's Doubt

Now why did I mention this? Because in my last class I mentioned that after hearing this twelfth mantra, Maitreyī got only one doubt in this whole episode of the dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyī. The only question – real question – of course in the beginning: "What am I going to do with all this wealth if it does not contribute to my unbroken bliss?" But after receiving this one, she says: "I have a doubt."

The River Merging into the Ocean

That means Yājñavalkya was telling that once we merge in Brahman like a river merges in the ocean, then that particular river's name, particular colour, form, particular taste – you may be surprised – different waters have different tastes because of the soil with which the water comes into contact. I have observed it: the milk in Hyderabad is a very special milk – very tasty. When curds are made – yogurt is made out of that milk – then it becomes wonderful, tasty. I feel like eating more. But when you eat the same thing in Vārāṇasī or other places, I have seen now it does not have the same taste. Belur Maṭh milk has a very special taste now. It is all because of the waters. Anyway, what I am trying to tell here: when a river has a form, it has a colour, it has a taste – all not because intrinsically it has – it is only water, but with some of the elements that it comes into contact with, its form will change and its taste will change. Of course, the names will change – same Gaṅgā river, some places it is called Bhagīrathī. Like that, different names may be there.

The Loss of Individuality

But as soon as – whether it is Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Kṛṣṇā, Sarasvatī, Godāvarī, whatever river it is – as soon as they merge in the ocean, all the names, forms, tastes, specialities, special qualities – everything become merged and it becomes one ocean. It becomes only salty water. So that special consciousness – "I am Gaṅgā, I am Yamunā" – that is lost. So this statement created a doubt for Maitreyī, which I will very soon come back to in today's class.

What Was Yājñavalkya Telling?

What was Yājñavalkya telling? "As a lump of salt dropped into water dissolves completely into the water and cannot be pulled out again, but wherever one tastes the water it tastes salty." Let us discuss this first. We have seen this one also – that how Śvetaketu was taught: "My child, you bring a lump of salt, put it in a glass of water, and come back after a few hours – and then do you see salt? No. So you taste the upper part of the water – how does it taste? Salty. How does the middle part taste? Salty. How does the bottom part? It is also tasting salty only." What is the teaching there? The teaching is: even though it is not seen, it is there. That is the idea.

The Causal Form

So everything when it merges – they are all like seeds in a tree – it is there. So what is the point we have to learn from this? The Vedānta – and higher form of Vedānta – teaches us that Māyā is existing within Brahman itself. Saguṇa Brahma is there in the Nirguṇa Brahma. So all this entire creation in its causal form, which is called Saguṇa Brahma, is there already in Brahma. If it were not there, it could never have come out. That is the logic to prove that it is there.

Brahman and Śakti Are Non-Different

Of course, it raises some very important theological arguments which we are not going to go into at this stage, but what the scripture wants to convey through Yājñavalkya is: whether you look at it as Saguṇa Brahma or look at it as Nirguṇa Brahma – in thinking, both are same – there is absolutely no difference. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wants to convey: Brahman and Śakti are non‑different. Then what is the difference? Why two words? Further, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa explains: when we are looking at that something called Brahman without any activity, I call it Brahman. When I am looking at the same Brahman with activity – and by activity, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa means only creation, sustenance, and again merging back – and that is a very activity.

The Three Activities

You start an activity – it continues for some time and then it comes to an end. I discussed this point, but just to remind you: start reading a book from page 50 – that is the beginning of creation. You read for some time – that is called sustenance. And then you put a book‑mark and either go to sleep or do something else – that is called laya – sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya. So you cook food – sṛṣṭi. You eat the food for some time, you get energy, and then it becomes empty – and then you will have to repeat the same process. You breathe in – that is sṛṣṭi. Keep it for a short time within yourself – that is sthiti. And then let it go back from where it has come – that is the laya.

Everything Has a Beginning and an End

So every creature, everything – including the non‑living – there was a time when Mount Everest was not there; now it is there. It is still growing, they say, and after some time again it will go back. It is all because of the tectonic elements colliding with each other beneath this earth, whatever it is. It was not there, it is there, it will not be there. That is why there is a beautiful saying: "A thousand years a city, a thousand years a desert" – coming back.

The Salt in Water

So what happens? You take a bit of salt and put it in water, and after stirring a little bit, you will not see any salt – but it is there. So in the same way, when this creation goes back and merges, what happens? You cannot see it, you cannot experience it – both the experiencer and the experienced, the subject and the object – both of them merge back. And this process is there. This is a marvellous fact.

How Do You Know the Salt Is There?

But how do you know it is there? How do you know the salt is there in the water? You taste it from whichever part – from the top, from the middle, from the bottom – you just know some prabuddha. He put questions: how do I taste from the middle? How do I know it is middle? Well, if you are that dull, then you take up, you make three holes and plug them in and fill it with water and then put salt. So first you take a spoon and taste it from the top. Then you open the plug at the middle of the glass, pull it out, and you take a spoonful of water – and same thing you do at the bottom. So they all taste salty only.

The Meaning

That means what? This whole creation is part and parcel of Brahman only. But we have to remember it will be in the causal form. If Brahman was not the cause, then creation could never have come out. It is a profound truth we have to understand. That is why sṛṣṭi is going on – it will go on. There is no beginning, there is no end – anādi, ananta. That is a marvellous fact.

The Fear of Death

So, after giving this example of salt being put in the waters and stirring, and you do not get it – you do not get that lavaṇa – but you know that lavaṇa is not dead. What is Yājñavalkya teaching Maitreyī? We all fear death – that is called kāla. We all fear "my wealth may come down; wealth may increase" – when it increases, it is okay; when it decreases, it creates panic. But death is the greatest fear. Anything permanently taken away from us – that is called death. So everybody fears death because we are not knowledgeable to know what is there beyond death.

The Answer

Here is the answer. So what happens? The body merges back into its five elements – nothing worse. But what about the mind? We know that the subtle body, causal body, they do not die. No – they also die. That is why pralaya – nitya pralaya means every day forgetting the whole world, entire creation – and then prakṛti pralaya – that is to say, when a person dies, that is the end of that sporting in that particular body. But people fear. But Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said: "No, you do not need to fear." avyaktādīni bhūtāni, vyakta-madhyāni bhārata, avyakta-nidhanāny eva, tatra kā paridevanā – "So it is not death – from the unmanifest, it just became manifest for a short time, like an actor coming out from the green room onto this stage, living for some time, acting for some time, and going back again to the green room. Departing same way or through the other door – he is not dead; he is departing into the green room. He is not to death."

Every Creature Is Potentially Divine

That is how he wants to say that every creature is potentially divine, and it just goes back and remains there forever. So then some questioner may have doubted: "What is the guarantee that once we are born, we will not be reborn again?" Further, the answer also is given: what is the answer? For even once, also you are never born. It is only a delusion. It is called ignorance – it is called avidyā, it is called Māyā. It is our thinking that "I am born and I am living here and I have got this death – I fear death," etc. No – after knowing the only truth, then we come to know that there is no death at all. It is just a līlā, just thinking. All līlā is only in the mind. When there is no mind in deep sleep, there is no līlā, there is no sṛṣṭi, there is no sthiti, there is no laya – not even the concept of it. It is a drama, it is a cinema, it is a līlā.

The Great Being

Okay, so having given this – you take salt, put it into the ocean – then already it is the ocean – the salty taste had come from the ocean only. Then giving this one, he says: evam vā are – exactly – "O Maitreyī" – addressing Maitreyī: are means "O Maitreyī" – idaṃ mahad bhūtam – "this entire creation" – anantam apāraṃ vijñāna-ghanaḥ eva – "it is infinite, boundless, pure, concentrated consciousness." Itebhyaḥ bhūtebhyaḥ samutthāya, tāni eva anuvinaśyati – "from these beings it rises and into them it merges again."

Individual Consciousness and Universal Consciousness

What is that? We have to understand that even so, my dear, this great being – it is in fact, in reality, infinite, boundless, pure, concentrated consciousness. That is to say, our jīvātman – individual – we say "it is my consciousness" – that is because of ignorance, because of association with body and mind. But the same thing, when we look at it from the highest point of view, then there is nothing called "greater consciousness" – Paramātman – and "this is individual consciousness." Now the moment you say "that is universal consciousness," the very idea of individual consciousness sublates itself, destroys itself, because universal consciousness, within itself, it has all the so‑called ignorant expressions of individual consciousness. There is no individuality – only Paramātman is there.

Individual Consciousness Disappears

Then what happens? Individual consciousness disappears. That is what he wants to convey. "Disappears" means what? Not destroyed. "Disappears" means what? It breaks the limitations of time, space, and causation, and completely understands "I am never the limited consciousness. I am, I was, I am, and I will be unlimited consciousness." That is all he wants to say.

No Individual Awareness After Merging

Then during that process, Yājñavalkya is telling: when this phenomena happens – when an individual consciousness, breaking the bonds of everything it is associated with – the possessions, the body, the mind, etc. – merges back into that infinite consciousness called Ātman or Brahman – then na pretya saṃjñā asti – "that sense of 'I am an individual' disappears." That consciousness – awareness "I am such‑and‑such an individual" – it completely disappears. Iti are – "O Maitreyī" – bravīmi – "this is my teaching." Iti ha uvāca yājñavalkyaḥ.

Maitreyī's Confusion

Now this statement has created a great doubt in Maitreyī's mind: "Then I will not be there." What she did not understand is: your individuality will disappear, but your universality will never disappear. In fact, you are never even individual all the time – you are only universal – but you are thinking that "I am an individual." That individual awareness – that is called ignorance – disappears. Instead of that, we gain – each one of us gains – that "I" is cut off. Then "we" comes. But that "we" also is only because we are talking about it – otherwise, even neither "I" nor "we" ever exist. This is the truth.

The Next Mantra – Maitreyī's Question

So this beautiful thought is there. The next mantra – there are only two mantras left out. Maitreyī says: "Here you have confused me. You say I am as if destroyed, made non‑existent forever – this sense of 'I'." And then Yājñavalkya replies: "No, I never said anything confusing – but you have not understood properly. I will explain it to you properly." He says in the thirteenth mantra, and he explains it in the fourteenth mantra.

The Essence

What is the essence? We are going to say that so long as we are in this dualistic state, thinking that "I am this small individual among this creation of infinitely uncountable creation" – then that individual consciousness, which is false, which is because of ignorance, gets completely destroyed. But instead of that, we gain that universal consciousness. That is what he wants to say – that all problems come because of our sense of duality. Go beyond duality – even the questioner will not be there. When the questioner himself or herself is not there, even the question will also automatically disappear.

Conclusion

We will talk about it 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!