Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.3 Lecture 83 on 07 November 2026 Q&A

Q&A: Understanding Ādhyātmika and Ādhibhautika

Question: Today you mentioned that eyes, you know, belong to ādhyātmika. And I was surprised by that because I thought that the demarcation line is the ādhibhautika, which as you today defined as the power of sight for example, so doesn't that mean that at least the physical eyes actually belong to ādhibhautika? Because they are external and the power of seeing is what is ādhyātmika.

Answer: Yeah. So what to understand is that all this what we call myself, the world and the presiding deity, the presiding deity only is manifesting as these three. You understand? As these three. If we are stuck with one thing saying I am this individual, that is called bondage. Yeah. So the idea is that really 'I' doesn't exist, it is an illusion, actually who is seeing? God is seeing. Whom is he seeing? He is seeing Himself. For that to understand that point, recollect my often quoted experience of a dream. In dream you are speaking with somebody. With who is that person with whom you are speaking? Who created him?

Question: I did.

Answer: And you are seeing the sun and the moon and the air, the fire, the water, the earth, the mountains, the stars, all the uncountable trillions and trillions of objects, are you not seeing in dream?

Question: Yeah.

Answer: And upon waking up, how many things are there? Only you, the waker 'I' alone has divided as if and playing that game. Now you understand? We through pūjā, pūjā means we have to understand this individuality doesn't exist. What exists is only infinity.

Question: It is true.

The Meaning of Jñānam and the Goal of Pūjā

Answer: And that is why I explained four parts of the pūjā. First purify, understanding becomes better, jñānam will come. What is jñānam? That everything which I call my body is God, part of God's body. Everybody's body is part of God's body. Everybody's mind also is part of God's mind. He alone exists. There is a beautiful song if our devotees are listening. Swami Vivekananda used to sing one particular Sufi song,

तुझसे हमने दिल को लगाया, जो कुछ है सो तू ही है।

tujhse humne dil ko lagaya, jo kuch hai so tu hi hai.

I have joined my heart, oh Lord, to Thee, I have offered myself to Thee. Whatever exists is only you, I do not exist. And what is the funny thing? When 'I' disappears, the concept of 'you' also disappears at the same time. Understand?

Question: Yes.

Answer: That is the goal. That is the purpose of, call it pūjā, call it meditation, call it karma yoga, whatever blessed name you want to call it. Okay?

Question: Okay. Clear. Is it clear?

Answer: It is clear.

Question: Very good. Jai Thakur.

Q&A: The Dreamer vs. The Waker

Question: In the dream state, the three, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika, all three is the dreamer, right Mahārāj?

Answer: Correct. One dreamer, waker, don't say dreamer. It is the waker who had divided himself as the three.

Question: Right.

Answer: Even in dream, supposing electricity has gone off and it is midnight. Can you see anything?

Question: No.

Answer: So who is the presiding deity now?

Question: Still Āditya only.

Answer: Ah, light.

Question: Light.

Answer: And suppose a person is blind, does it make any difference? Whether it is day or night?

Question: No.

Answer: And if you go to the, nearer to the sun, transcend this what we call this sphere whatever you call it. Is there day and night?

Question: No.

Answer: It is an illusion isn't it?

Question: Yeah.

Answer: So what I'm trying to tell you, at the time of dream we forget that the one waker had made himself, so that one waker is the Īśvara, he divided himself if he has to dream he has to divide himself into the presiding deity, that means the creator.

Question: And the individual.

Answer: And the,

Question: And the world.

Answer: Object. Everything, upon waking up what does he say? A mountain has come and fell upon my head?

Question: You won't say. You know why?

Answer: Right. You know why?

Question: Why not?

Answer: If the mountain had actually fallen down...

Question: I wouldn't be there to say anything.

Answer: Yeah. We can't say.

Alright. So that is the concept, if that is the truth. In other words, simple words, nothing exists excepting God.

सर्वं खल्विदम्

sarvaṁ khalvidam

That is the realization which every scripture of every religion wants us to lead to.