Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Introduction Lecture 07 on 14 February 2026

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum

Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI

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 to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

We are studying the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. I have given you some introduction, especially of the Saṁbandhavākyam — Śaṅkarācārya's introduction before he begins his real commentary on this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. Śaṅkarācārya does this to each one of his Upaniṣads.

In this particular Upaniṣad, the essence of it is that rituals and as well as contemplations are very necessary to make a person fit. They are not to be discarded, but one should not stop with them, and this is a wonderful point which we are going to discuss a little bit later on.

The Importance of the Author

So before starting the Upaniṣad, we will have to first of all understand who is this author. In any modern book, first of all there would be on the flap page, cover page, both inside of the cover, front as well as the back. There would be an introduction about the author, and the symbolism of it is very great.

So the author must be an authentic person. Whether the book is on poetry or music or medicine or science, the authenticity, the value of the book totally depends upon the direct experience of the author. Therefore here also, there is no exception. That is why whenever we study the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa or the Holy Mother or Swami Vivekananda, we salute the author.

For example, before reading the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa — and most many devotees do it practically every day — we are reminded: What is the mantra? That shows Śrī Kṛṣṇa's greatness. His words are able to bring about permanent and infinite joy and peace into the heart of everyone who studies and who puts into practice the teachings of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which are embodied of course both in the Bhāgavatam as well as in the Bhagavad Gītā.

Similarly, whenever we want to read the Gospel of the Holy Mother and when we wish to study Swami Vivekananda's works. Even if it is a very fiction book, very light book, there also we have our own discrimination. There are some authors who can weave their imagination as if it is happening right in front of our eyes like a drama, like a cinema. We choose only those authors. What is the purpose? To get at the truth, and if it is entertainment, to forget time. And Brahma jñānam makes us rise beyond time, space, and causation, beyond every possible limit.

Another name for limit is māyā. And then after knowledge dawns, we can come back and we can enjoy the māyā, just as a person who settles down all his household problems and more or less is assured that from now onwards your life will go on so well. Such a person is able to watch a drama or a cinema with the greatest joy, or a cricket match or a football match, etc.

But if we are worried, and even if we are watching even from the front place, then our mind will not be there. So the mind should attain to that tranquility, and that attainment of tranquility, which almost means control over the mind — that is the purpose of rituals and that is the purpose of the contemplations called upāsanas. They form two steps as it were: First step leading to the second step, second leading to the last step, which is to make us pure, receptive, and endowed with complete faith. Then we are ready to take a leap beyond the māyā itself.

Remembering the Ṛṣis

Now we have to remember the author gratefully, because an author, especially in spiritual matters — ṛṣis, the munis — we have to salute every day because they are the greatest discoverers of truth.

A ṛṣi is one who is called mantra draṣṭā. Mantra means truth. Truth, of course, ultimate truth. Brahman is infinite, but some aspect of it some people realize. So when personally they realize it, and then they become blessed, and they try to convey it to us. So we have to salute, remember: I am ever so grateful. That is part of the ṛṣi ṛṇa.

Introduction to Yājñavalkya

Since the whole of the Śukla Yajur Veda is the work of one single great person called Yājñavalkya, we have to remember him, bow down to him again and again, because it is one of the biggest works and his life is a most exalted, purified life. Just a few incidents — most of these ṛṣis, their lives are hidden. No great person ever wants to reminisce. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had very few reminiscences, Swamiji even less, but even when they reminisce, it is only for the welfare of people like us.

His Early Life and Guru

So Yājñavalkya — he was the disciple of Vaiśampāyana, as we come to know about it from the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. So his guru became angry. We have narrated that story in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, and the guru asked him not to use the knowledge that he had imparted to this Yājñavalkya. Perhaps the very name Yājñavalkya — we do not know who his father was, mother was, how he grew up — but he was one of the greatest sages, there is no doubt about it.

He was the one of the not only knowers of Brahman, one of the greatest knowers of Brahman, and one of the greatest expounders of the highest philosophical teachings. Not only that, he was a master of how to present things in a very logical way. In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, especially in the second middle part called Muni Kāṇḍa or Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa, the instrument used is called upapatti. Upapatti means that is how to present to earnest students the highest teachings of Vedānta in the most possible rational way. So that is why it is called Upapatti Kāṇḍa, whether it was for Janaka Mahārāja or whether it was for the other great people who challenged his greatness.

So it is very appropriate for us to remember, to remember his lotus feet, and the more devotion we have to the lotus feet of such great people, the more receptive we become.

His Teaching Role

So we do not know his parents, we do not know how he grew up, but this much we know: he joined the hermitage of one great saint called Vaiśampāyana, and he was one of the brightest pupils. That we know. So maybe he knew it, we do not know. His guru asked him — but there is another story — that his guru was not well, so he asked him to teach to others: "O Yājñavalkya, what I taught you, now you must give it to your junior students. I am not directly able to take classes for them. You please do it."

So Yājñavalkya, he digested that — means he understood what his teacher Vaiśampāyana had taught him. And therefore the story goes that he vomited, and the other disciples, assuming the forms of partridges of the three worlds, have picked it up. But really speaking, he taught other students. He was not only a greatest student, he was also a greatest teacher.

Who is a greatest teacher? He who is capable of teaching to his pupils in the most effective manner. That means a teacher who could come down to the level of each and every student and convey the teaching so that that can really be understood, received by that particular student. Such a person is the most effective teacher, most revered teacher.

The Symbolic Story

So the symbolic meaning of that: other people are like small birds. So he digested it like a mother wolf digests the food it had eaten, and by the time it reaches home, the cubs are waiting for it, and it vomits. And then what comes out — very interesting phenomena — as soon as the mother reaches, all the cubs go and start licking its cheeks, and that creates a reaction that whatever she had eaten, she vomits. But by the time she has half digested that food, and that is exactly the type of food, like the milk of a cow to its calf and even to people like us. So that is what Yājñavalkya had done.

Yājñavalkya's Devotion to Sūrya Deva

But he also had tremendous devotion to Sūrya Deva, Āditya Deva. Āditya means he who gives light. Light always represents knowledge. So Sūrya Deva also represents energy, and without energy, even if one has some desire to learn, one cannot really learn, because even what we call enthusiasm, that is also an explosion of energy only, and that should come from some source, and that source is Sūrya Deva.

As if we ourselves have that energy — no, it is actually we are created by the sun, we are sustained by the sun, and we are again taken back into the sun. And that is how the whole universe is running. We discussed this point, and this is called the holistic view: sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya. This is called Brahma cakra in some of the Upaniṣads.

Obtaining the Śukla Yajur Veda

So this Yājñavalkya had further quest than what Vaiśampāyana had taught, so he worshipped wholeheartedly, contemplated upon the sun. And that means he became one with the sun, and whatever knowledge is the sun, that became Yājñavalkya's. So that is popularly known as Śukla Yajurveda, or the Yajurveda which is called White Yajurveda, because it is coming from the sun.

It is also called Vājasaneyi. Vājasaneyi is that which comes from the sun. Vājasaneya — we have come across this one in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. The father of Naciketa, he was called Vājasaneya, because he is distributing plenty of food, and food comes from the sun. That's why he became famous as a Vājasaneya. So this whole Veda is also called Vājasaneyi.

The Power of Contemplation

So this Yājñavalkya, he had been obtained by becoming one with the sun, and that is the same process: when we become identified with our teacher, then we become — we obtain the same knowledge as the sun. That is why contemplation is the best means of receiving whatever knowledge God has to give, guru has to give to each one of us. Contemplation is a marvelous thing.

As an example: Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted devotion to Śrī Rāma. The embodiment of Rāma bhakti is Hanumān. Therefore when Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa meditated wholeheartedly and became identified with Añjaneya, like Añjaneya he became the greatest devotee of Rāma, and he became Rāmamaya, full of Rāma, and that's why he continuously beholds Rāma.

Similarly, when Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted to obtain the vision of Brahman in the form of Kṛṣṇa, meditated upon Rādhā Devī, who is the very embodiment of Kṛṣṇa bhakti. Through that he became Rādhā, and he obtained same quality, and he had the vision of Kṛṣṇa.

It is said Rādhā always puts the collyrium of Kṛṣṇa, like a person — as it is said when somebody puts on the collyrium of the paste made out of frogs, he will always see the snakes. But we are supposed to have jñāna añjana vimlanayana vikṣane moha jaya. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is a himud in the kaṇḍanā bhava bandhana.

Like that, Yājñavalkya became Sūrya Deva through contemplation, and whatever is the Sun God, Āditya Deva, Yājñavalkya became the same. That's why the whole Śukla Yajur Veda is called Vājasanaya. So that is how he obtained, and part of that Vājasanaya or Yajur Veda — and every Veda has got Brāhmaṇa, etc. — comes at the end, this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

Relationship with Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad

And by the way, Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad also belongs to the same. Again, some of our commentators tell us that Īśāvāsya is called Mantra Upaniṣad — that is the essence of the Vedic teaching in almost aphoristic manner. Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad has only 18 mantras, but its explanation is this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. It is called Brāhmaṇa Upaniṣad — Brāhmaṇa means here nothing to do with caste Brāhmaṇa. It is elaborate explanation.

Just imagine: 18 mantras of the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad required this voluminous explanation, and it is the same. Aham Brahmāsmi mahāvākya also occurs here, and the most famous jñāna yoga methodology called neti neti (not this, not this) also occurs in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

The Meaning of Neti Neti

Somebody asked: why there are two words? One neti would have been good. Neti means na iti — whatever we experience is not the highest truth. It is only partial truth, limited truth, truth limited by time, space, and causation. It goes by the name mithyā.

So why two words? Because first of all, it is through mind we accept or reject or modify something — kartuṁ akartuṁ anyathā kartuṁ. So it is the mind which can decide: I want this, I want to do this, I don't want to do this, I want to do something else. So this, whatever we understand, is within the realm of this limitation, since mind is limited like a small vessel. Even if it goes to the ocean, it can only bring to its limit. It cannot take one drop extra, which is — Rāmakṛṣṇa illustrates in the form of a small ant approached a hill of sugar, and while it can only eat one grain and it can carry another grain, but in its foolishness it thought, "I want to next time I come, I carry the whole hill."

We are like that. Through the mind we cannot carry. Then what is the way? To become one. So let the limited become merged in the unlimited. Then what remains will be...

The Story of Janaka Mahārāja's Contest

Coming back to the story of Yājñavalkya: so he became very famous, and he was living in the kingdom of Mithilā. Now there was a king there. He was called Janaka Mahārāja. Probably he was the famous Janaka — he was known as — we do not know whether he is the same Janaka of Sītā's father, but we know definitely the Janaka Mahārāja, under the tutelage of Yājñavalkya, had become one of the greatest, greatest sages.

Janaka's Search for a Guru

So once this Janaka Mahārāja, he understood: I require a guru, a teacher. I know so many things, but there are many many more things to be learned, and not only that, what I learned has not given me what I wanted, which is called liberation or mukti. For that I have to sacrifice everything.

So he wanted to flush out who is the greatest knower of Brahman, Brahma jñānī — not mere paṇḍit, but a person who has realized himself, and not only realized himself, but who is capable of conveying it. There are so many paṇḍits, there are so many sādhus — not only they are scholars, but they are experienced people. Anubhūti is there, but unfortunately, by the grace of God, they are not equipped with that intelligence or special talent of conveying their teachings appropriate to the receiving pupil.

Some people — it is very interesting to understand — some people's knowledge is very limited, but they have the highest capacity to convey to their students what little they know. Very effective teachers. There are great teachers who are not capable — even though they know, they are vastly learned, but they don't have that special talent. So that talent is necessary. The grace of God in the form of authority is necessary.

The Announcement

Janaka Mahārāja wanted to find out, so this story goes: announced, whoever is the greatest knower of Brahman in my kingdom or outside my kingdom, he will be given one thousand best cows, and their horns adorned with, covered with gold, which is a lot of wealth in those days. Cows are supposed to be the greatest, what is called, money exchange, because there was no money, bartering system. So cows gave milk, cows produced cows, they can cultivate the lands, and then harvest.

And āśramas, some of them are very famous because of their teachers, and sometimes there are thousands of students will be there. If you have heard about Tibetan Lamas, Swami Akhandanandji was describing some of the monasteries here — Tibetan monasteries contain more than 20,000 students. So thousands of students will be there. I think Yājñavalkya was one of them, and he was a householder. He was a married person. He was not only married, he was married twice.

Yājñavalkya's Two Wives

One wife was called Kātyāyanī — an ordinary, very good lady, chaste lady, but not interested in spiritual life. That is what we get in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. But another, Maitreyī — extremely intelligent, but highly spiritual, ready for Brahma jñāna. That also we see in the Yājñavalkya-Maitreyī dialogue that happens, by the way, in the second part of this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, which is called the chapter related with the Muni or Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa.

There we get this Yājñavalkya-Maitreyī beautiful saṁvāda will come, and with so many other learned people. Anyway, but he was a Brahma jñānī, he was a householder, he was a Brahma jñānī. What does it tell us? Like Nagamahāśaya, one can be a householder and one can be also a Brahma jñānī.

We do not know whether he had any children — there was no mention at all — but his name and fame had spread, and naturally he required some resources, because the students used to go in those days to gurukula and live there with the teacher until they complete their education. Then once it is complete, then they come back home with the blessings of the teacher, and the teacher gives a ceremonial, what is called, well-wishing. And there also, like our universities, they give convocation address, how they should behave. And we have seen in the Śīkṣāvallī, 11th section, how this, etc. — beautiful universal convocation address, which was, is, and will be valid for eternity. These are the true spiritual values which ultimately everyone has to seek if a person wishes his or her own welfare.

Yājñavalkya at the Contest

So that is how this Yājñavalkya was trying to train his students. Of course, we have to understand that every student will not be eager to be a Brahma jñānī, but the guru has to maintain. So then Janaka Rāja knew it very well, and he announced as I mentioned. And then Yājñavalkya came along with a few of his disciples to this Mithilā, and then the king knew about it.

As soon as he came, he was given the announcement, and Yājñavalkya — this is the interesting, very interesting portion — immediately he called one of his sharp disciples and said, "Drive all these 1000 cows to our āśrama." And then naturally the student would have gone. That tremendous confidence that shows that he knows what he is, and he knows nobody else has his capacity. He is the, what is called, brahmavit uttama — the greatest of the knowers of Brahman.

Immediately, other people who also have gathered there with the fond hope of getting the cows — but only caveat is that only one person will get. There is no mention of that if most of you exhibit your capacities, talents, you will be — the cows will be distributed among them. No, only one person will get the first, only prize, first prize.

The Challenge and Response

Immediately the others challenged: "Yājñavalkya, do you think that you are the greatest of the knowers of Brahman?" Immediately the humorous part of him came out. He bowed down deeply to everybody and said, "No, I am only a desirer of cows. I never think I am the greatest knower of Brahman." "Of course, then you have to prove." "All right." And then he defeats everybody. We are going to come to that.

But this is a very interesting situation — that God-given confidence. Say, Rāmakṛṣṇa knew: "I am authorized to tell. My mother told me. It cannot be otherwise." Swami Vivekananda said that "My master speaks through me, and I know what I am speaking, because it is my mother, Mother Sarasvatī herself speaks." And Holy Mother confirmed it, that it is the great master, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, who made Narendra the most famous.

Yājñavalkya's Renunciation

So this Yājñavalkya story goes: here he had two wives, and as I said, only one wife was interested, following the footsteps of her husband. So then, our ancient Hindu division of life — so from Gṛhastha Āśrama he wanted to become a saṁnyāsī.

Why Not Vānaprastha?

Why did he not become a vānaprasthī? For that the answer is: there are two types of saṁnyāsa, stages of saṁnyāsa, well known. Especially Vidyāraṇya speaks of it so beautifully in his Jīvanmukta Viveka.

One is called initial state, where a person is extraordinarily eager to become a knower of Brahman. This is called vividiṣā — veditum icchā, I would like to have Brahma jñānam, I am ready to renounce. Such people usually take to Vānaprastha Āśrama and do go through all the necessary steps.

But there are some people who have done that deep within the Gṛhastha Āśrama itself, and that's they reach a very high stage. That is called Vidvat Saṁnyāsa. Vidvat means he already had realized Brahman, but such people want to maintain the saṁnyāsa system of this our Vedic division of life.

May not be in one life, but everybody has to become a saṁnyāsī, either physically or mentally. It's very important for us to understand.

Examples from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Disciples

Among the Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's disciples, there were the 16 well-known monastic disciples, but Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also trained some people, asked them exclusively to stay in the Gṛhastha Āśrama, like Nagamahāśaya. Later on, M also became a saṁnyāsī — from Chandradatta, towards the end of his life he became a saṁnyāsī. He never wanted to see his family members.

So on the advice of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, he bought a very solitary place. In those days, nowadays it has become part of the busiest parts of the Calcutta — that is called the Konkur Gachi. And there Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also visited that place. He was expressly desired to go there, and only the direct disciples of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and devotees will be surrounded him, and he didn't want his family members to come anywhere there. That is how, uttering the name of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Rāmacandradatta passed away.

So every householder disciple of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had trained them how to be in household, and it is not possible for many of them to renounce and become saṁnyāsīs, but become mānasika saṁnyāsī — mental renunciation. And that applies even today. Every initiated disciple of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa — even today we consider Rāmakṛṣṇa and Holy Mother as our father and mother, and we are their children, and they are saṁnyāsīs, therefore we also have to consider ourselves as saṁnyāsīs.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Instructions

So he gave practical instructions also: after the birth of one or two children, then slowly one has to try to do sādhana to overcome his physical relationship, and both the husband and wife should live like brother and sister — guru bhāī and guru bhaginī. That is what he wanted. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's main teaching we have to take note here.

The Dialogue with Maitreyī

So we are talking about the life of Yājñavalkya, and he defeated everybody. And there is also the incident of how he taught, he offered — when Yājñavalkya wanted actually to renounce the householdership and enter into the stage called Saṁnyāsa Āśrama, he called both his wives, and he said, "I have quite a good amount of wealth. I equally divide that wealth, because I love both of you, and you accept it and give me permission to go out."

Kātyāyanī meekly accepted her part, but Maitreyī asked a very penetrating question: "You are very wealthy, and your wealth is so vast, and you have given even for those days quite a great lot. Will this bring me immortality which you had already gained?"

Yājñavalkya's Answer on Wealth

Yājñavalkya's direct answer was: the wealth will only make you, your life, a little bit more comfortable, like other wealthy people who have got better houses, better instruments, servants, some implements to ease the hardship of their life, but there is no hope of immortality at all.

Now what we have to note is: however wealthy a person is — nowadays they are trying to become billionaires, even trillionaires — but when we look at their life, certainly they are not ideal people, because they have their own headaches and they are not having peace of mind. Definitely we know about it, and wealth has, wealth, possessions have nothing to do — peace of mind is as an exclusive property of the mind.

And for that, tremendous amount of hardship had to be gone through to make the mind healthy, idealistic, as we have seen in the Ānandamīmāṁsā. That is, then such a person will get the highest happiness possible for a human being. But then you can have servants, you can lead a life of ease, but it has nothing to do — and we have to understand it in depth — even the slightest worry, slightest bad dream, slightest, what is called, presumed insult by other people, looking down, can upset those people's minds like anything.

We see Yājñavalkya being challenged by angry people sometimes, but then Yājñavalkya never lost his peacefulness, his repose. Like Bhagavān Buddha remained absolutely the same. These are some of the things we have to meditate upon when we recollect the life of Yājñavalkya.

The Three Steps to Realization

Ultimately, of course, then Maitreyī asked, "Then I do not want this wealth. Give me that wealth by which I can become like you, free from all limitations, bondage."

And then the most famous teaching which echoes throughout the aeons: śrotavyaḥ mantavyaḥ nididhyāsitavyaḥ — very meaningful sūtra. The goal of life is God realization, as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: Ātmavāya, Ātmā has to be realized. Realized as what? I am the Ātman — not that there is a God. I am God, I am Brahman.

For that three steps are there. The most important step is śravaṇa — that is called initiation into mahāvākya. So in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka we get that mahāvākya: Aham Brahmāsmi. And by the way, the Ramakrishna Order of saṁnyāsīs, we are — our Veda is Śukla Yajur Veda. Our mahāvākya is Aham Brahmāsmi.

So then slowly he teaches Maitreyī what he meant and clears all her doubts. So all these teachings come.

Janaka's Enlightenment

So what happened? Janaka finally understood: there is nobody, I am so lucky in this world, and this is possible only by the grace of God. That is why Śaṅkarācārya tells in the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi: mahāpuruṣa saṁśraya.

So Maitreyī understood: I have a human body. And she also understood, not only manuṣya janma, I have the deepest desire. If that desire was not there, she would have meekly accepted: "OK, I have the desire, but not now, after sometime." No, "I want it immediately." That is possible only because of the, what is called, that mumukṣutvaṁ. Manuṣyatvaṁ, mumukṣutvaṁ — I want to be liberated, I want mokṣam.

But of course, mahāpuruṣa saṁśraya — that is the availability of a great realized soul who can guide me, who can take my responsibility, and like the first class physician of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, he will not simply utter the truth and then leave me. He will be with me, he will guide me, he will take me, and until I reach my goal, he is going to be forever with me.

The First Class Physician

Rāmakṛṣṇa's teachings are so deep: a first class physician is one, if necessary, he will throw the fellow down, sit on his chest, and open his mouth forcefully, like cows are being fed medicine through a small hollow bamboo tube, like that, until the person becomes cured. And here, curing of the worldly disease, a first class physician will not leave — janma janmāntara, he will be there, life after life he will be there.

"I have got these three. I am not going to lose a single minute."

Janaka's Complete Surrender

So Janaka Mahārāja also understood it, accepted him as his guru, and then he says, "Every time some teaching is given, I will give you 1000 cows for this invaluable teaching."

Finally, Janaka Mahārāja, by the grace of God flowing through Yājñavalkya, had realized. Then Janaka Mahārāja says that "I offer my whole kingdom along with myself," which goes without saying, "and do whatever you like."

Yājñavalkya, like Samartha Rāmdās telling to Shivaji, "Yes, I am going to be the king. You have offered me everything, but I will appoint you as my representative, and you rule it as if you are a dāsa." Like Bharata had really ruled over Ayodhyā for 14 years until Śrī Rāma came back: "I am only the bearer of your pādukās, and now that you have returned, it belongs to you, please accept it."

That is the exact attitude Janaka had. And once Janaka had realized this truth, then Yājñavalkya certified — the guru certified him, like the guru of Satyakāma Jābāla. He certified him that "Your face is shining like a Brahma jñānī." And Satyakāma Jābāla also certified his disciple Upakosala, whose stories we have read.

Fearlessness

And then what did he say? Abhayaṁ vai āptosi Janaka — "O Janaka, you have attained fearlessness." What is fearlessness? Abhayam bhavati — fear always stems from duality, and you have realized non-duality, therefore you don't have bhaya. That is a negative word. Positive word is: you will be enjoying, what is, swimming in the ocean of bliss, saccidānanda sāgara.

Conclusion

This is the story of Yājñavalkya and how he proceeds, and that is a wonderful story. As I mentioned, I will only give the gist of many of these rituals, etc., because I have already dealt with these upāsanas, etc., earlier. But wherever it is necessary, I will repeat everything. Probably most of the things I am going to talk about will be a repetition, but every repetition will be a new way of expression. And if you have forgotten, you will remember, and if you still remember, it will be reinforcement. This is what we will do.

Again, I will give you a small introduction how this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is divided, etc. Then we will also deal, probably in tomorrow's class, about the śānti mantra, which is a very special, peculiar śānti mantra.

Closing Prayer