Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.2 4.13-14 Lecture 68 on 13 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 Final Mantras of the Yājñavalkya-Maitreyī Dialogue

We are studying the last two mantras of the Yājñavalkya-Maitreyī dialogue – one of the most lucid, beautiful dialogues, and we can never forget how wonderfully this dialogue between a fit disciple and an equally capable teacher is taking place.

The Same Brahman – Saguṇa and Nirguṇa

Previously we discussed that Brahman alone – call Him Brahman; devotees call Him Saguṇa Brahma, Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā, Jesus, Buddha, Allāh – nobody should say "we only accept the Saguṇa Brahma; He is not Nirguṇa Brahma." That would be the greatest fanatical statement in the world. The same Saguṇa Brahma is Nirguṇa Brahma; the same Nirguṇa Brahma is the Saguṇa Brahma.

Why Do Devotees Prefer Saguṇa Brahma?

So the question comes: why do the devotees prefer – "we do not want Nirguṇa Brahma, we only want Saguṇa Brahma. We want to go to Goloka, play with Kṛṣṇa"? Why does this confusion come, like Maitreyī had the confusion? Because even when we reach Saguṇa Brahma, which is another name for Vaikuṇṭha, Kailāsa, Devīloka, Paradise, Kingdom of Heaven, etc., even then we would like to retain that Dvaita Buddhi – the understanding "we want to keep our separation from God." That is why the Bengali statement comes: "We do not want to become sugar, but we want to enjoy sugar." But then people do not know that to be sugar is even more enjoyable, because unbroken bliss will come.

Maitreyī's Question

So one of the questions that Maitreyī had – pretya na saṃjñā asti. This was the teaching of Yājñavalkya in our last class. While discussing, we have to be careful about what was the background: Brahman as the origin of this creation. For that purpose, he had given a lot of examples. Then there is, for the sake of proving that Brahman alone is the cause of maintenance, for that also we studied the examples.

The Lump of Salt Example

Now in our last class we studied, he gave the example of a small solid lump of salt. When it is put into the ocean – so it came out of the ocean, it remained for some time in the state of duality, and again it goes back to its cause, very cause. This is an inviolable law: every effect must go back into its cause. In fact, cause and effect are not separate.

Cause and Effect

So cause and effect – cause is unmanifest. That is why even a small seed, let us say a banyan seed – you examine it, you break it, what do you see? Nothing but a bit of pulp. Such a small seed! The fruit itself is very small, and there are hundreds and hundreds of seeds within that banyan fruit, and each seed can create, under the right circumstances, a huge banyan tree occupying probably a lot of space – maybe one acre, half an acre. In fact, such a banyan tree exists in Chennai – in Adyar, where the Theosophical Society is.

The Potential of a Baby

So by examining the seed, we do not know the potentialities. When we look at a baby – just a born baby – who knows, he may become the greatest teacher. If we study these cases, our faith in God is sure to grow. I am convinced of it. Why? Because this baby is absolutely incapable of manifesting any specialised knowledge – looks like one of the worst idiots, stupidest, cannot take care of anything. But the same baby slowly, in course of time, can manifest such unimaginable glories like Kālidāsa.

The Example of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa

When people saw the baby Rāmakṛṣṇa, baby Kṛṣṇa – did they ever understand that He was the person who could lift the Govardhana just by the nail of the small finger of His left hand? He was Bhagavān. So how is it possible for that Bhagavān? Everything, anything is possible for Bhagavān. That is what we need to understand.

Laya-sthāna – The Place of Merging

So laya-sthāna – everything has a laya-sthāna. What is the laya-sthāna? Our cause. Cause is always unmanifest; the effect is always manifest.

Saṃsāra Is Mithyā

When we are talking about this saṃsāra – and in Advaita Paribhāṣā, this comes again and again – saṃsāra, this worldly existence, transactional world, is mithyā. And not being trained in Advaita terminology, people mistake. Mithyā means – first of all, they think it is non‑existence. Second mistake people commit is that it is the most dangerous thing in the world – Māyā – Māyā deludes everybody.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa – The Greatest Teacher

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, the greatest Advaita teacher – not only Advaita, he surpasses every devotee, every yogī, every karma yogī, everybody – he was a jñānī, he was a yogī, he was a karma yogī, he was the greatest of the devotees. When he was a baby, who could understand? Certainly he was charming and people were very happy to be near him, but they never fathomed what is the cause of this baby – what is he going to become? What about Swamiji? What about Holy Mother? How many people have understood all these truths?

Saṃsāra Is Not Non-Existent

So saṃsāra is not non‑existent, because whatever is non‑existent can never ever be experienced. But since we are experiencing, one viewpoint is that it is just an appearance, a superimposition upon reality. But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to interpret it slightly better way – in fact, very clearly.

Adhyāsa – Superimposition

So what is this adhyāsa – superimposition? When we look at any object, we only look at the form, name, qualities, and think that is the reality. Forgetting the reality is that the existence – when we look at everything in the light of pure existence – asti, sat – that is called Sat.

Pure Sat and Nāma-Rūpa

There is no differentiation, because pure Sat means without any names and forms. Nāma-rūpa or qualities we have to always include. But sṛṣṭi means creation – means nāma-rūpa. We forget the existential part. We focus only upon the nāma-rūpa – names and forms. But names and forms are not really true.

The Changing Body

The same person, same object – so here is a baby, newborn; here is an adolescent; here is a young person; here is a middle‑aged person; here is an old person. Where is that stability? For that body is continuously, unstoppably going through changes every millisecond. Subtle changes are taking place. The scientists say that every seven years practically the whole of our body changes. And we know – there is no need to elaborate – how much our mind is changing all the time.

Change in Nāma-Rūpa, Not in Sat

So what is this change? Where is this change happening? In nāma, in rūpa, and in guṇa – not in the pure existence. Gold remains gold, wood remains wood, clay remains clay. It is only in the nāma-rūpa – "this is young," "this is new," "that is old," etc. So we think this changeful nature is reality, but that which supports this – the original changelessness – we often ignore.

The Question Raised by a Devotee

Now yesterday also a devotee had raised the question. That is why I wanted to deal with it. So when Yājñavalkya, while describing, "every effect must go back into its cause and it loses its nāma-rūpa" – the popular example is like myriads of rivers entering into the ocean, shedding all their names and forms.

Rivers Losing Their Names

Every river's water is a peculiar colour, peculiar taste – not because water has got such a quality, but in association with the soil through which it flows. That is why in some places in the Himalayas where the Gaṅgā and Yamunā meet, we can crystal‑clearly see for a long distance – Yamunā is slightly blue, and Gaṅgā is more white than that. So it is the soil that creates different taste. As I explained previously, it can bring a completely different taste. So the same vegetable grown in different places tastes differently. Why? Because of the soil.

The Famous Mango

There is one very famous mango in Andhra Pradesh, specially at one place. That is the place called Baṅginapalli. Palli means a small area. Only that particular soil – the most delicious, flavourful, huge pulp, small seed, and a peculiar, very agreeable, enjoyable flavour – comes. But the same seed, you go and take it and put it somewhere – mangoes will grow, but it may not have the same flavour.

Merging in the Ocean

So when these rivers merge in the ocean, all their forms, names, qualities – everything – they have to are destroyed, because they do not exist any longer. But it does not mean they die. It means they have become one with the ocean. That is called destruction – destruction of nāma-rūpa. Every object's nāma-rūpa are destroyed. What remains is Brahman in the form of Sat, Cit, and Ānanda. Even the distinction between the living and non‑living, the conscious and the non‑conscious, totally disappears.

Maitreyī's Doubt – Our Doubt

Now what was Maitreyī's doubt, which is our doubt, all of our doubt as well? When I go to Vaikuṇṭha, I am aware "this is me," I am also aware "this is Lord" – so that Dvaita Buddhi. Realistic understanding – what is realistic understanding? "I am different from you." As soon as this realism comes, qualities are different, quantities are different, so many different names will be different, everything will be different. And wherever dvaita is there, it goes on continuously changing. This is an invaluable law.

Dvaita Means Change

Does such a change take place in Vaikuṇṭha, Kailāsa? It must necessarily take place, because not only we are ignorant, we are making God also a finite object. Because if God is infinite, where do we stand? Where is a separate existence? We do not understand it. We go on chanting sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ, sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt, etc. We go on doing it, but we seem to forget – even if I go to Brahmaloka, dvaita is there, and because of the dvaita, I have to come back. Change should be there. I was not in Brahmaloka, then I will be in Brahmaloka, then I will be out of Brahmaloka. Same thing applies to Vaikuṇṭha, Kailāsa, Paradise, Kingdom of Heaven – until we become one.

Becoming One with Brahman

"One" means what? Not one with personal God. One cannot become one with personal God, because personal God means what? It is dvaita – duality only – that finite. But if the same finite bestows His grace upon us and reveals His true nature, which is Brahman, then this question does not arise.

The Real Meaning of Losing Consciousness

Then what happens? Saṃjñā – saṃjñā means consciousness. What happens to that? "My awareness" – what is my awareness now? Finite awareness. When, by God's grace, we become one with Brahman, what happens? This small consciousness loses its smallness, and it remains infinite. The finiteness is lost and infiniteness is gained – that is the real meaning.

The Psychology of Enjoyment

Then what happens? Another misunderstanding that we have: we can only enjoy actually when we are separate from the object. "I am separate from the object, and then I experience – I eat that sweetmeat, for example, or I smell that fragrance."

Touch Is the Basis of All Experience

What happens really? What is the psychological phenomenon? First of all, so long as we are even one billionth of a metre away from that object, the experience of that object cannot be had – especially with regard to eatable things, the tongue. What about smell? Because everything is connected only with touch – all the five sense organs. So the smell has to touch my nose, become one with the nostril. The form has to touch my eye; the sound must touch my ears; the tastes must touch my organ of tasting, tongue. And something must touch my sense organ of touch. Everything is touch‑based only. Even if it is one millimetre away, then we will not be able to experience it.

Priya, Moda, Pramoda

But here is something most wonderful. Suppose I love a sweet and I am anticipating – because the sweet is there, I sit, I am hungry. Do I get happiness? Yes. What type of happiness? So it becomes priya – first inkling, manifestation of joy. Then what happens? Moda. So as my hand touches the sweetmeat and it is coming near myself, then it becomes priya, moda – obtainment is priya, touching it is moda. Then what happens? Pramoda – when it touches my tongue. In this example of the sweet, then what happens? The distinction, the separation between myself and the sweet disappears.

The Moment of Union

But you will have to be very careful: how long does it last? Only a fraction of a second. That is all. Then the sweet goes down. Only that moment of experience, when the distinction between myself and the object of my enjoyment is totally destroyed, that becomes – who is me? Who is the sweet? That distinction is completely lost, like a river – as soon as it touches the ocean, whatever touches, that becomes completely – disappears. It does not exist as an individual, but it exists now as the transformed ocean, body of water.

The Wave Example

Many times the examples of waves are given. So even waves are nothing but pure water only. Like that we have to understand. So any experience lasts only for a very, very short time. Then joy comes. What is that joy? The destruction of separation between oneself and the object of enjoyment.

Anticipatory Pleasure

So what am I talking about? I am happy because there is a beloved object in front of me now. It gives pleasure, but it is anticipatory pleasure. So when I become capable of destroying the distance – time‑wise, space‑wise, object‑wise – that means I do not remain as I was. The object does not remain as it was. Both become pure existence without any other nāma-rūpa. At that stage of experience, both the nāma, rūpa, guṇa – everything becomes totally submerged in pure consciousness. That is the manifestation of Ānanda; is manifestation of Consciousness. That is what we need to understand.

The Resolution of the Doubt

What was Maitreyī's problem? That when I go into Brahman, will I retain my individual consciousness, dualistic consciousness? Yājñavalkya taught: "No – as soon as you become one, duality disappears." When duality disappears, do I enjoy? That was what I was trying to explain. Our concept of enjoyment is: I must first be separate from an object, then slowly I bring it near. So this is our wrong concept of enjoyment.

The Real Source of Joy

When I come in touch with that object of enjoyment, then something called joy or happiness is produced – and that is our concept. But such a thing – since such a thing does not exist when we become one with Brahman – then the doubt is: "Is my consciousness destroyed?" Now, it is not destroyed – it becomes infinitely expanded. I lose my dvaita caitanyam – "I am my jīvātman" – and I experience what was my experience? "I am Paramātman." That is what Maitreyī got confused.

The Infinite Happiness

So if I can get so much of happiness from a finite object, how much happiness could I get when I become one with the Infinity itself? By the way, Infinity is another name for Brahman – satyam jñānam anantam brahma. These are not qualities of Brahman – and many times I try to explain to you: a quality is an extraneous thing. It may not remain with that. A quality is something that comes to something that is existing.

The Ornament Example

Like gold – is put in a particular shape, size, then it goes by the name: "This is a necklace," "this is an earring," "this is a nose ring," etc. But when these nāma-rūpas are removed – or rather they do not really exist as separate objects; they are only notions so that we can distinguish one ornament from the other, one piece of furniture from the other – that means we become Brahman; that means we become pure existence called Sat. That means we become pure consciousness. That means we become pure Ānanda – or that is our nature.

I Am That

So "I am Ānanda, I am consciousness, I am existence, I am the truth, I am infinite." Then a small doubt will come: "So will I be able to enjoy?" Not only you are not able to enjoy – you cannot ever get the opposite of enjoyment. There would be no duality there called happiness and unhappiness – both disappear in that pure Sat-Cit-Ānanda. That is what Yājñavalkya wanted to convey. Maitreyī could not understand.

Beyond Fear

And finally, just in plain words, what I am going to express is: we go beyond fear. We go beyond any kind of suffering. There would be no fear – fear of suffering, fear of extinction. All sorts of fears will go away, because fear comes from a second object. Where there is no second object, the question of fear does not arise at all. Pure Sat-Cit-Ānanda. That is the essence.

The Thirteenth Mantra – Maitreyī's Doubt

With this background, let us continue. Now Yājñavalkya continues – the thirteenth one, what we discussed – just for reminder. Sā maitreyī uvāca – Maitreyī said: atra eva mā bhagavan amūmuhat, na pretya saṃjñā asti iti – "O Maitreyī expressed, in other words: what happens to my individual consciousness? And if I lose my individual consciousness, who then am I? Is it desirable?" That is where we fear. We want to retain, we struggle to retain our individual consciousness.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Experience

And this time we have to remember Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's experience. After a few months of worship, worshipping Mother Kālī at Dakṣiṇeśvara, one day he had an experience. He said: "I was seeing that waves of consciousness – caitanya – like a tsunami surrounding me and trying to make me unconscious. And I struggled against it, but I could not prevail, and then I became unconscious. I did not know how time had passed." This was the experience.

The Struggle Against Infinity

What do we make of it? So there are some external – something comes. What comes? Infinity. I prefer to use that word, Infinity – wanting to destroy this Dvaita Buddhi – "I am only a small individual." I may be a devotee, but God does not want to say "you remain outside Me," because if you remain outside Me, then God also becomes finite. We have to understand it crystal clearly. We are shrinking God. We are converting Him from Infinity to finiteness whenever we say "I and my God." Either He exists or I exist. Both of us cannot exist – especially from the viewpoint of God.

The Fear of Losing Individuality

And that is our fear, because we have been cherishing this individual consciousness, identifying with them, nurturing that idea, revelling in that idea. We do not want to become the other person – and that is the problem with us.

Selfishness and Selflessness

Why is it a problem? Because this individualised identity is what makes us selfish. If we want to help others really, it is not giving something. It is feeling that "I am only helping myself, I am not helping somebody else." That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said: Śiva-jñāne jīva-śiva.

What Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Experienced

So coming back to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's experience: that Infinity of the Divine Mother wanted to destroy that individual consciousness of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. So when he said "I was struggling not to feel overwhelmed by this tsunami‑like consciousness" – in plain words, what we have to understand is: this infinite consciousness is trying to destroy my finite consciousness, and I struggled. Of course, what is the good of struggling? Nobody can fight – no finite can fight against Infinity. In fact, the finiteness does not know that "I am not separate from Infinite. I am only thinking I am finite. Really speaking, I am Infinite."

Losing Individual Consciousness

And then I lost consciousness. Observe properly: I lost all consciousness. What did I lose? I lost my individual consciousness. That means I became one with universal consciousness. And then he did not say it, but on other occasions he expressed it: "I was floating in joy." And then when he came out, he had that first glimpse of oneness with the infinite pure consciousness.

The Source of Maitreyī's Doubt

So in that background, we can understand Maitreyī's doubt – because even the question "What happens to my individual private consciousness?" is from whose point of view? From the mind's point of view. It is a thought in our mind. Even our thought of Brahman as infinite is only a thought in our mind. The Infinite we are talking about, taking classes, studying about – all these things are totally irrelevant, false, and completely useless.

Nobody Can Pollute Brahman

That is why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa expressed: "Nobody would pollute Brahman." That word "pollution" should be understood properly. Whatever comes out of our mouth, that is called pollution. But who can pollute Brahman? Because what comes out of the mouth is speech, and speech is the outcome, expression of thought. Is thought infinite? No – thought is never infinite. That is why the Taittirīya Upaniṣad says categorically: yato vāco nivartante, aprāpya manasā saha.

Do Not Limit God

That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's greatest teaching in the simplest of languages – especially Bengali language – tāṅke iti kuṭte nāi – "Do not limit God." Because of course you cannot. But what is Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa telling? If we cannot, how can we do that? No – our thinking that God is only this much.

The Vāmana Story

That is why the Pauranic story of God Viṣṇu in the form of Vāmana – a dwarf. But what is that Vāmana? Our concept of God as individual, as a small, requiring our assistance, etc. But then He bestowed His grace and said: "You will have to shed this fragmented idea of duality."

The Three Steps

So through three steps. What are the three steps? Viṣṇu asked: "Give me three steps of land." What is land? That which can be cultivated is land. What can be cultivated? Body can be cultivated – idaṃ śarīraṃ kṣetraṃ iti abhidhīyate – the thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā. So profound. What about mind? Mind also is a kṣetra. So we will have to cultivate sattvaguṇa, rajoguṇa, and we have to transcend tamoguṇa, rajoguṇa, and primarily sattvaguṇa. But we have to go even beyond sattvaguṇa also.

Divine and Demonic Qualities

That is why in the sixteenth chapter Bhagavān says what are the differences between a demonic behaviour and a godly behaviour, a spiritual aspirant's behaviour. However a devotee may think he is a devotee, so long as he has got saṃsāra buddhi, dvaita buddhi – dvaita buddhi means selfish buddhi – then he is no better than any worldly person. Only when a person's selfishness slowly becomes dimmer and dimmer, less and less, can we say he is acquiring divine qualities.

Selfishness and Selflessness

Selfishness and selflessness – that is the distinction. Progress in spiritual life is selflessness; progress in worldly life is strengthening our selfishness. In so many ways we can understand.

What Yājñavalkya Wants to Say

So Yājñavalkya wants to say simply – what does he want to say? So long as you are thinking through your mind, through however good your mind is, even if it is full of sattvaguṇa, so long as you do not overcome this idea that "I am jīvātman, an individual soul," then you are keeping God also as a more powerful individual being, but not infinite being. That is what we need to understand.

The Fourteenth Mantra – Yājñavalkya's Reply

Then in reply to Maitreyī's doubt, sa hovāca yājñavalkyaḥ – Yājñavalkya replied: na vā are aham moham bravīmi, alam vā are idaṃ vijñānāya. Maitreyī said: "Right here, my Lord, you have thoroughly confused me by saying that after death there is no consciousness." Here death means – we should never misunderstand – not our physical body's death. Death means death of ignorance. Death means death of the idea of individual consciousness – jīvātmabhāva. There is no consciousness because what we lose is jīvātmabhāva. What we gain is sarvātmabhāva – all consciousness, pure consciousness.

I Never Said Anything Confusing

Yājñavalkya: "Certainly, my dear, I never said anything confusing. I will not be able to say anything confusing, because who can say anything confusing? Only a confused person can say whatever is confusing. This truth is more than enough for understanding."

The Resolution – Where There Is Duality

So what is the resolution of the doubt which we get in the last mantra of this second chapter, fourth section, fourteenth mantra – this beautiful, marvellous dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyī: yatra hi dvaitam eva bhavati, tat itaraḥ itaram jigrati, tat itaraḥ itaram paśyati, tat itaraḥ itaram śṛṇoti, tat itaraḥ itaram abhivadati, tat itaraḥ itaram manute, tat itaraḥ itaram vijānāti – "For where there is duality, as it were."

The Word Iva

That word is very important – iva. This is a very significant word in the whole Sanskrit language. Iva means "as if." "As if" means that it looks like something real happened, but really nothing happened. And if you say to somebody, "Oh, you look as if you are beautiful" – never say that. Otherwise the other person can take great offence. That means clearly you are saying: "You are looking like this, but I do not think you are really beautiful." Even indirectly, we should not hint like that.

Duality and Non-Duality

So where there is duality – what is duality? Duality and non‑duality cannot remain at the same time or place. If there is duality, everything is dual. Even Brahman is dual – one of the objects of the dualistic experience.

Smelling Another

For that he is giving some examples: where one smells another. I am here with my nostrils, and some nice flower or some rotten smell – some object should be there separate from me. Very interesting, because if I am smelling badly, I do not think – after living with it for some time, even I get any bad smell. It is only when it comes from the another, then we recognise it. So there must be some smell other than me, and then only I can smell. There must be some other object, then only I can see it through my eye.

Hearing Another

And I can hear somebody only when some other creature – it can be a mosquito, it can be a dog, it can be a baby, can be another person. It can be even air flowing through the bamboo grove – possible – vaṃśī śabda we call it. One speaks to another. If I want to speak to somebody, there must be somebody else.

Thinking of Another

And if I want even by my mind – my mind is separate. That means I do not have that thought – I think of that thought. So one thinks of another – where there is another thought – and he knows another. If I have to know another, because – because it is an invaluable law – that one never wants to know what one ever is.

The Example of the Body

Again, do not get confused with this idea. "No, I want to know." "What do you want to know?" "I want to know about this house." The house is separate from you. "No, I want to know about my body." That means you are not considering at that moment you are the body.

The Funny Example

Very funny example many times I have given. So you ask a person: "How are you?" "Oh, I am not well." "What is the reason?" He says: "My stomach is aching, my tooth is aching, my head is aching." We have to understand that when he says "I am not well," he has become identified with the body. But when he is saying, elaborating, "my stomach is aching," so "I am not my stomach" – that is why we use the word "my stomach," "my tooth," "my head," "my leg," "my hand," etc. So without duality, it is not possible – all these activities.

The Necessity of Duality

But something very wonderful is there. So even to think, there must be some other thought, and every thought must have its corresponding object, and one knows another. That is why yesterday I discussed also about kārakas – cases. You know, in grammar they are very important: nominative case, objective case, instrumental case, dative case, etc. Seven such cases are there. Any activity that we do, we require all those other things.

Gñānam in the Taittirīya

That is why, while defining what is called jñānam in the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad called Brahmānandavallī, when Brahman is defined as satyam jñānam anantam brahma, then Śaṅkarācārya goes into ecstasies, especially commenting upon Brahman's truth – brahmaṇi's infinity. Brahman is knowledge. What knowledge?

The Kārakas in Knowledge

When I want to speak to some other person, I want to see other person, I want to smell some object, then three things are there: the person who is experiencing, the object whom he is experiencing, and the verb, the instrument through which that unity between the doer and the object are connected together, and then the place where they are connected, the instrument with which they are connected, the purpose for which they are connected. All these kārakas – the location where that object is located – everything comes into play. And the more kārakas are used, the clearer will be the knowledge.

Knowledge Changes the Knower

What type of knowledge? "That I know this thing now about this thing better." The moment we say, "Previously I did not know, now I know" – listen carefully – "Previously I did not know, now I know." By this new knowledge, the knower has grown slightly in his knowledge. He was not the previous person who was ignorant, at least about this object. Now he has acquired something. And he is a changed person. So any knowledge that brings about a change in the knower is called saṃsāra – realistic knowledge, changeable knowledge, unreliable knowledge. And changefulness is another name for mithyā. Mithyā should never be called as non‑existence or mesmerising. Mithyā is limited knowledge.

Knowing Brahman Is Complete Knowledge

So when we know Brahman, what happens? It is complete knowledge. The more limited our knowledge, the worse we are; the more unlimited our knowledge, we are growing in knowledge – but we must become Infinite. In Infinity, there is no such a distinction: "this is a knower," "this is an object of knowledge," and "this is the instrument with which." The jñānī gains something more. In Infinity, no change is ever possible.

The Conclusion of the Mantra

And then Yājñavalkya concludes further: etrai vai asya sarvam ātma eva abhūt. Tat kena kaṃ jigret, tat kena kaṃ paśyet, tat kena kaṃ śṛṇuyāt, tat kena kaṃ abhivadet, tat kena kaṃ manvīta, tat kena kaṃ vijānīyāt – whatever he repeated earlier. In duality, one sees the other, one smells the other, one touches the other, one speaks with the other, one listens to the other, one knows the other, etc.

Everything Has Become the Self

Same thing is repeated and said: yatra – where that means in which state? Sarvam asya sarvam ātma eva bhūt – he became this. Individual consciousness is lost, like the salt loses its individual saltiness, becomes one with the ocean's saltiness. So this realised soul understands: "I am Brahman." In that state, tat kena kaṃ jigret – because there is no reality. So who is going to smell what? Who is going to see whom or what? And who is going to listen? Who is going to speak and who is going to listen? Who is going to think and who is going to know? Nothing. These are not possible.

Not Necessary Either

Not only not possible, they are completely unnecessary. They are not necessary, because when I am myself, there is no need for myself to know myself as myself, because I know everything about myself.

The Doubt of the Listener

Oh, then anyway, some doubts will come. When you are listening to this statement – "But I do not know even about my body, and much less about my..." That is because you are in this state of duality. When you transcend this duality, there would be no body, no mind, there would be nothing to be known.

Pure Consciousness Alone

That in that state of Advaita, non‑duality, pure consciousness, pure existence, pure bliss alone – these are three descriptions of but one Brahman.

Through What Can the Knower Be Known?

And then he says: vijñātāram are kena vijānīyāt iti – "But where everything has become the Self alone, then through what should one smell whom, through what should one see whom, through what should one hear whom, through what should one speak to whom, through what should one think of whom, through what should one know whom, through what can one know Him, by whom all this is known? My dear Maitreyī, through what can the knower be known?"

The Essence of the Teaching

What was Yājñavalkya making Maitreyī understand? That when you become Brahman, you will only lose your pigmy individuality, but you will gain that infinite individuality. Then alone you become pure individual; then only you become the Infinite. Or you do not become Infinite, but you realise "I was, I am, and I will be Infinite" – and that is a state of your bliss.

Why Do We Seek?

And all this inquiry – "I want to realise Brahman" – is because of what reason? Because I am suffering. Just imagine if a person is enjoying, mostly his life is enjoyable, he has no fear that there is a death – then all these instructions are totally unnecessary. The scripture is irrelevant for such a person. But why are we seeking – including AI – is all because we want to get out of suffering.

The Goal of Every Creature

The only goal of any created being, any creature, is: "I never want to die, I never want to be unhappy, and I want to be always with that consciousness that I am, I am, I am." That is called Aham Brahmasmi.

The Maitreyī Brāhmaṇa Is Complete

With this, the Maitreyī Brāhmaṇa is over. And then what should we understand? We should understand that Maitreyī understood, and she became one with Brahman; all her doubts completely vanished. And then, because a Sadguru will not leave any disciple – just he tells something and then he takes leave and goes away – no, a Sadguru is one until the disciple becomes one with the Guru in the knowledge that "I am Brahman" – not "we are Brahman", "I am Brahman" – he will not leave. And that must have been there.

The Essence of the Maitreyī Brāhmaṇa

So what is the essence?

1. First of all, whenever – first point we have to note down – all forms of suffering come to an end only when we realise our true nature, which is "I am Brahman." And at this moment we are far away from that knowledge. For that purpose, we have to live a dharmic life.
2. And then a time will come – by God's grace – then my desire to know, realise my own nature becomes irresistible, and at the right moment a teacher appears who alone can guide me, who himself is a realised soul.
3. And that Guru will slowly teach us, take us by hand, step by step – not simply instructing and throwing us out – and then he takes us to that highest step, like a mountaineer guide, and comes down again to take, conduct other souls also to that same ultimate state.

Only Brahman Knows Brahman

And here Yājñavalkya at the end says vijñātāram – that is, all‑knowledgeable Brahman – who can know? "Who can know" means what? No individual can know. Only Brahman knows Brahman. Infinite alone knows Infinite. Nothing else is possible.

The Promise of the Guru

So if we are earnest, first we have to transform our life, lead a dharmic life which cleans our hearts, purifies our minds, makes us good people endowed with divine qualities. And at the right time the desire for complete liberation arises, and a teacher will come – as sure as as soon as my desire is strong, a teacher must come. And the teacher is none other than God Himself in the form of the teacher. And taking us step by step, He will not leave us once we put our hand in His hands. He will not leave us until we reach the goal. That is the essence of this Maitreyī Brāhmaṇa.

Conclusion

But now this same teaching is going to be elaborated in the coming next Brāhmaṇa, which is called Madhu Brāhmaṇa, which we will talk about from 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!