Chandogya Upanishad 1.11.4-9 Lecture 149 on 25 October 2025
Full Transcript (Not Corrected)
Opening Invocation
ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :
Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.
ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।
सर्वम् ब्रह्मोपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म
निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म
निराकरोद निराकरणमस्त्व निराकरणम् मेऽस्तु।
तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते
मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ
śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi.
sarvam brahmopaniṣadam mā’haṃ brahma
nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma
nirākaroda nirākaraṇamastva nirākaraṇam me’stu.
tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste
mayi santu te mayi santu.
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Translation
May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me who am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace be unto all.
Introduction to the Story of Uṣasti
We are studying the story of Uṣasti, which occurs in the very first chapter of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad in the 10th and 11th Khaṇḍas. We have completed the 10th section, and the most important part is the 11th section.
Background: Uṣasti's Predicament
In our last class, we saw how Uṣasti was living in a famine-stricken country and wanted to earn some money so that he could maintain his family. Suddenly he heard that the local king was performing a great sacrifice. He took a little bit of good food—and that too from a person who was eating a very inferior type of beans. But when it comes to the question of keeping prāṇa, keeping alive, anything goes.
Holy Mother's Recollection of Famine
Remember, Holy Mother used to recollect: once there was a famine in Jayrāmbāṭi, and Rāmacandra Datta had accumulated some rice. What a magnanimous person he was! As soon as he heard people were starving, he opened his small stores. He used to prepare khicaḍi.
Holy Mother was only 6 or 7 years old at that time, and one day a girl came with completely unkempt hair, looking wild. She was so hungry. There were some animals—cows kept in the cow shed. For them, usually we give a kind of flour that comes after husking the grains; fine powder comes, which is mixed with water and is nutritious, and it is given to the cows. The funny thing is, a non-nutritious part—that is what human beings eat in the form of lūci, etc.
Anyway, this girl was so starving that her eyes fell on a small trough which is meant for the cows to drink, along with that powder. So she went, fell upon it, and started eating whatever was available, even though Rāmacandra Datta and Holy Mother were shouting, "Please do not eat! There is no need! There is nice khicaḍi here!" But who will listen? Such was the condition. We could also be in the same condition.
Uṣasti's Situation Continues
So this Uṣasti was in that condition. We have to keep remembering: even though another person had polluted food by eating, some of it he gave to Uṣasti. Half of it he had eaten; half he carried for his ardhāṅgī, for his wife. But she also obtained meanwhile some food by begging, and she was happy. The Upaniṣad tells she got much better food. How come? Because she must have done greater puṇyam than her husband. Anyway, she kept whatever her husband had given, and then next morning, Uṣasti was heard to be speaking: "If somehow I could get a job as the manager of the priest in this yajña sacrifice that is being conducted by the king, then I can earn some money."
His wife gave him whatever he had given her. Having satisfied his hunger and having got a bit of strength, he approached. Then there were three priests: Udgātā, Prasthautā, and Pratihartā.
Uṣasti's Warning to the Priests
He sat near them and warned them: "If you do not know the deity whom you are going to praise and offer things in the sacrifice, then your head will fall off."
And we also discussed—not that the head will fall off, but the result that is obtained without knowing that would be very inferior.
The King's Response
Meanwhile, the king saw him, approached him, asked for his introduction, and was so glad: "I had been searching for you! Now you yourself have come. Please take charge of them."
And Uṣasti told him: "I am not here to demand more money. I am not after money, only because I am starving. I have a family. I have to maintain my family. And it is the duty of the king also to help his people, both in poverty and prosperity."
So the king, having come to know him, offered, and Uṣasti said: "You pay me exactly as you are paying to the other people. You don't need to pay me anything extra. That will do for my survival."
And the king gladly offered him: "Please take charge. In fact, I was in search of you. Only because I could not get you, I had to offer this." That much we have seen.
The Eleventh Section: The Real Story
In this second part of this story, which is continued in this eleventh section, the real story will come. So, just to recollect:
Understanding the Principal Priest and Assistants
The principal priest is called the Udgātā. Ud means "loud"; gāthā means "he who sings loudly." Usually some mantras taken from the Ṛg Veda are very suitable to be sung, like Gregorian music. There are some people who are specialized in that, and their singing would be extraordinarily melodious. If you have heard some Vedic priests and the chanting of the Vedas—called Vedic chanting—that also can be conducted in quite different ways.
One is straightforward. Another is just to do two or three letters—sorry, two or three words—and then go back and then try to do. Then add one more word. Then go back to the second word and complete it. And add one more word. This going forward and then coming back and still going forward—there are various ways of chanting. Some of them are quite difficult. Even if one learns, one has to be extremely alert to see that they don't forget to go back and forth exactly in the specified times or numbers.
The Three Assistants
Anyway, so Udgātā is one who is the main singer. He is assisted by three people, but here only two people are mentioned:
- Prasthota – What does Prasthota do? He invites the deity.
- Udgātā – Then he sings the hymn which is already there in the Ṛg Veda.
- Pratihartā – He is one who bids the deity farewell.
Like in any meeting, somebody is there to garland, to welcome. Then the speech is given by the invited guest. Then the last person will be thanking one speaker or all the speakers, sometimes giving the very essential summary of what the person had spoken. So this is the same sequence: welcoming a guest, offering them food, and then seeing them off.
The Different Vedic Priests
This is how we have to remember. But this is only with regard to one particular Veda:
- Ṛg Vedic main priest and three assistants
- Yajur Vedic main priest and three assistants
- Atharvaṇa Veda's main priest and three assistants
And this Atharvaṇa Veda priest is called Brahmā. This Brahmā is a master of all the four Vedas, so often he works like a supervisor or manager of a company. So this is how it goes on.
Fourth Mantra: Prasthota Approaches Uṣasti
Now we will continue. We have already seen the king coming and asking for introduction. Now in this eleventh section, we go to the fourth mantra:
Atha enam prastotā upasasāda
Prastotā, yā devatā prastāvam anvāyatā, tāṃ cet avidvān prasthoṣyasi, mūrdhā te vipatiṣyati iti
Mā bhagavan avocaḥ, katamā sā devatā iti
Translation and Explanation
Prasthota, an assistant to this Udgātā, approached this Uṣasti, Uṣasti Ṛṣi, and then he told: "Hey Bhagavān, Uṣasti, you warned us before you got introduced to the king. 'Hey Prasthota, you are about to sing the glories of the devatā. Do you know that devatā? And if you do not know, and avidvān, tāṃ cet anvāyatā prasthoṣyasi, if you dare to sing the praises of that devatā without knowing who that devatā is, te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti—your head will fall down,' iti."
"Thus, Bhagavān—that is yourself, O Uṣasti"—the Prasthota is addressing Uṣasti as Bhagavān, meaning a superior person who has superior knowledge, because he would not have warned these three priests unless he knew what he was talking about. If anybody questions, "Do you know the answer to this question?"—if he is examining a person, that means that person should know, has already known the answer to that.
So: "Hey Bhagavān, you, addressing me thus—mā means here mām." The Sanskrit word mā has got two meanings. Mā means niṣedha—"do not do this." Do not be proud that you are young, you are beautiful, you are rich, you are powerful, etc. That is one meaning of the word mā: "do not."
Another word is mā means mām—"me." "You addressed me thus, you warned me thus. I really do not know. I am humbly approaching you. What is that devatā?" Iti.
Fifth Mantra: Uṣasti Explains Prāṇa Devatā
So then, Uṣasti is answering because he knows what he is talking about. This is given in the fifth mantra.
Prāṇa as Breath and Life Force
What did Uṣasti say in reply to the request made by Prasthota: "Please teach me about that devatā"? He said: Prāṇa devatā.
In Sanskrit, prāṇa is often translated into English language as "breath," because breath is prāṇa. Just think about it. What happens if you stop breathing? What would be the first effect? Prāṇa will be going away. Because what we are breathing through the nostrils is only an action, but what we are breathing is prāṇa devatā.
Understanding Devatās in Daily Life
Several times, many times, I explained to you: when we are eating food, it is Pṛthvī devatā, also called Annapūrṇā, Anna devatā. That is, Anna devatā is not like a separate person, individual, standing with a lot of food and distributing food to whomsoever approaches her. No. She is sustaining us in the form of anna.
Whenever we are drinking water—let it be tap water, it doesn't matter—but tap water comes from a main tank. And the tank is filled by only the rainwater. And that rainwater is created only by the Jala devatā. This Jala devatā's greatest manifestation is in the form of the oceans, seas, then rivers, then tanks, then lakes, then small ponds, or even smaller—what is called utensils, our own tanks in our own houses, etc., or wells. But jala—water—is one, and that is Jala devatā.
Why Do We Call It Devatā?
Why do we call it devatā? Because the definition of devatā—I mentioned many times—is: that without which we do not even exist. That is called devatā.
- Someone cannot, does not eat food? He will not survive long.
- Doesn't drink water? He will not survive long.
- Doesn't breathe? He will not survive long.
- There is no warmth? He will not survive long.
- There is no space? He cannot move.
Why Ākāśa devatā? All the five elements—grossified elements—combined in a particular way, and their manifestation is this entire creation. We are its manifestation, simply known as birth. We are sustained every millisecond.
How many times we have to breathe! How many times we have to drink water, eat food, keep ourselves warm! That's why Bhagavān had created homeostasis within the body. Nobody can lie down, even for a millisecond, without moving this side or that side.
So all the pañca devatās are sustaining us every second. And when this body departs—body is only an indicator—mind also goes, because it is also made up of subtle five elements only. That means we as separate individuals do not exist at all.
The Text of the Fifth Mantra
So in this particular instance, it is said: Prāṇa.
Prāṇa iti ha vāca
Sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāni prāṇam eva abhisaṃ viśanti
Then what happens? So long as we are able to breathe, then we are glad. Remember, for whatever reason—maybe asthma, maybe the air is so polluted in a confined place, full of smoke when there is fire—then we are unable to breathe, as if our life is about to depart.
So we are glad by our very liveliness, being alive. We should celebrate and say, "We are alive! We are alive!" But we forget to be grateful to this Prāṇa devatā.
The Coming of the Rains
But you know, when the rainy season comes and there is lightning after a long heated summer, and the clouds are gathering, people's hearts are simply expanded, expansive and excited. Why? They go on shouting, "There is going to be food! There is going to be food!" But food has not come. But the means, the instrument for food—because when the rains come, the lands are cultivated.
Only nowadays, because we control the water canals, if there is excess water, we control them, direct them to the required places in various ways. So Bhagavān was doing that earlier. Now, because of the knowledge given by Himself, we are able to cultivate practically throughout the year.
Human beings are endowed with extraordinary intelligence. Previously, only one crop because only one season of rain. But now we don't depend upon seasons. Water is preserved in huge reservoirs and let out in the required amount of water at particular times, whenever it is required. And then the cultivated farmers—they cultivate three times, four times. We are ever in quest of how much we can squeeze from Mother Earth.
But scientists also tell us there is a limit. You can't go on planting the same crop. You will have to alternate so that the earth remains fertile, and so on and so forth.
The Connection Between Food, Breath, and Life
But the main thing is that prāṇam. What happens? We eat food. And when we are able to eat food, we become strong. When we become strong, we are able to breathe. And when we are able to breathe, we are able to live. That is the connection between Vāyu devatā. Actually, it is Hiraṇyagarbha in the form of all these deities combined together. So that is what Uṣasti wants to teach: Be grateful.
Reference to the Bhagavad Gītā
And what is the teaching we get in the third chapter of the [Bhagavad Gītā]:
Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca Prajāpatiḥ
Anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo'stu iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk
So when Brahmā created people like us, He also created devatās earlier than us. And then He created yajña. What is a yajña? Yajña: that which brings together us—the human beings—and gods, because of whom we are able to live together. And then what to do? We offer our pūjā, worship in the form of hymning, offering, etc., and they bless us.
Parasparam bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
So both of you will get benefit. They are pleased, and they bestow upon you. What do they bestow? Seasonal rains. When to give rain and when not to give rain. When they are pleased, they do that—in season, at the right time.
Example: The Mango Crop
For example, when mango crops—mangoes are full of blossoms and they have to ripen into small buds, and they become future fruits. But just when it is about to burst, there is a hailstorm, and that way the whole crop is destroyed. Very little produce will be there.
So it is said—and I believe it wholeheartedly; you also must—when the gods are displeased, they upset the seasons. So, untimely rain and untimely stopping of the rain. Ativṛṣṭi, anavṛṣṭi—too much of rain and too less of rain, etc.
We are thinking, "Oh, it is nature—dumb, unconscious nature is doing." For a Hindu, everything is God's creation. Every religion accepts: it is God who created. God is the creator. If God is the creator, what can He create? Can He create anything wrong? Can He create Saturn?
So who is Saturn? Only in this regard, who is Saturn? Of course, created by God. And why did God create Saturn? To exhaust our negative karma. And He created various angels to exhaust our puṇya karma, meritorious deeds. That is the simple truth.
And this is put in a beautiful formula: No one can make us either happy or unhappy. It is only other people become instruments to reap our own past karma phala—even sometimes present karma phala also.
Summary of Prāṇa Devatā Teaching
So Uṣasti said: breath is an English translation; it is prāṇa. For every living creature, they merge into breath alone. They are born because of the breath. That's why even the Bible mentions: having made an image, God breathed into everything that He created, and they came to life. What He is telling: He is able to enter into them. He entered into what He created.
So all these creatures merge into breath alone. We are the outcome of breath. Breath means here prāṇa. Prāṇa means Vāyu devatā. Vāyu devatā means here Hiraṇyagarbha.
From breath alone do they rise or are born, and breath alone sustains us. And this is the deity, O priest, that belongs to you, belonging to the prastāva, to the hymn called prastāva. And if without knowing this, if you had sung it, then you would have got very little result.
Knowing the Devatā Brings Superior Results
That's why in the Vedas it is said: pure rituals without meaning—they also give some result. Much superior result is got by doing what we call knowing the devatā and then doing contemplation. I will come to that beautiful point, having completed all the three devatās.
So without knowing this, if you had sung, then as a result of this, the king who has employed you—he would have got very small result. Result will come, but it will be very, very small result.
Prāṇa Devatā: The True Deity of Prastāva
So Prāṇa devatā is the true deity of prastāva. How? Because all the creatures, movable and immovable, merge into breath at the time of dissolution, and again from breath do they rise at the time of the creation.
In Sanskrit, especially in Vedānta, movable means cara; immovable means acara. Acara doesn't mean things like stones, etc., but trees, especially the plant kingdom—they only move where they are. Their roots are spread; there is also movement only, truly speaking. They grow; there is also movement. They require ākāśa for their growth, and every tree has certain dimensions, maximum dimensions.
So that which can move with legs, with wings, etc.—that is called movable. And that which just spreads a little bit, unable to move any further.
A Note on Mountains as Devatās
Fortunately, it is said in our Hindu Purāṇas: previously the mountains could fly, because they are not stones—they are devatās. Parvatarāja Kumārī is a beautiful South Indian song, and Pārvatī is the daughter of this parvata. How can a human being or divine being be born out of an image, out of what is called a stone, piece of stone? No, no!
Himālayo nāma asty-uttare diśi
Himālayo nāma nāgendra rājaḥ
This is devatā; there is a devatā. So Himālaya is one of the deities, and he married—I think I forget his wife's name—but that is Pārvatī's mother.
So there is nothing that is not consciousness, that is not caitanya. Everything that exists is nothing but Brahman. Only cit and ānanda are not manifest. That is what we need to understand.
Conclusion on Prāṇa Devatā
So because all creatures, movable and immovable, merge into breath at the time of dissolution—which automatically means again from breath do they arise—janma, sthiti, and laya happen from that source. That source is prāṇa. Therefore, this is the deity belonging to the prastāva. And without knowing this, if you had sung it, the result you would get would be very small. That's why you had been warned. Therefore, you did very well.
Now Uṣasti is praising: "You did very well—not to start singing without knowing, but you came to me, humbly acknowledged your ignorance, and begged me to enlighten you, and I have enlightened. Now you go and you start. Now you know what is the devatā."
As I said, what is the symbolic significance? I will come to that after completing this.
Sixth Mantra: Udgātā Approaches Uṣasti
Now we will enter into the sixth mantra. So he is approaching him. He is addressing Uṣasti—exactly same meaning.
So the Udgātṛ priest, main priest of Sāmagāna, Sāmaveda, he approached him and uttered the same words:
"Uṣasti told me: 'O Udgātṛ, if without knowing the deity belonging to the Udgītha, you do sing it, your head will fall off.' Now I do not know what that devatā is. Please enlighten me—which is that deity?"
So Udgātṛ priest humbly humbled himself, requested him, became his disciple as it were: "Please teach me which is that deity which belongs to the Udgītha."
Seventh Mantra: Uṣasti Explains Āditya Devatā
And Uṣasti replies in the seventh mantra of the eleventh section. Uṣasti, same words he says, accepting a presiding deity of this Udgītha. He is called Āditya, the sun.
The Relationship Between Prāṇa, Āditya, and Anna
First one was prāṇa, but Āditya here. There is a relationship. The next is anna—food. So all these have got a harmonious internal relationship with each other: Hiraṇyagarbha, Saguṇa Brahma manifesting as these three.
So Uṣasti said: "This is Āditya—that is the sun that we see here." If there are other planets, they will have their own sun sustaining them. That sun will create Vāyu devatā. That Vāyu devatā will produce Agni devatā. That Agni devatā will produce both light as well as heat. He will produce water.
The Search for Water on Other Planets
That's why when scientists were searching for extra planets—if there are any—then the first thing they look for is water. Because without water, this is devatā—no prāṇī can exist. So all the five devatās should be there. All the five elements will be there. Only out of these elements—elementals—that is, the offspring, the productions of these five elements, is called elementals: elements, elementals.
The Effect of the Sun on Living Beings
So what happens? Uṣasti is graphically describing, and it is our day-to-day example. Especially if we are living—suppose one day you are living in a multi-storied building somewhere inside. I believe many buildings in Japan are constructed in such a way that they put in a particular slanted way some mirrors so that every house will get ample amount of sunlight.
So will it give vitamin A and D? Yes, definitely they will give. May not be as much—I don't know. They may give, but definitely they are living in the natural condition.
The Joy of Seeing the Rising Sun
Suppose you are living in a dungeon-like apartment, and one day early morning you go up. It's beautiful! The sun is rising! Do you know what effect that will have? That very sight of the rising sun, brilliantly shining upon you, making your face also shine—not like a Vaira Brāhmaṇa, but at least a joyful person.
What do you think the birds do? They go on singing early in the morning. What do you think the dogs do? They start barking. What do you think the other animals do? The moment they behold the sun: "Here is my Prāṇa devatā!"
So everybody is consciously or unconsciously very happy to approach this one.
The Teaching About Āditya
So he said, Uṣasti taught this Udgātṛ: "Tad Āditya"—sir, he said—"for all these creatures, every living creature (creature means living), sing to the sun when it stands on high. This is the deity belonging to the Udgītha. And without knowing this, if you had sung it, your head would surely have fallen off after you had been warned by me."
That means now the result you are going to get will be much more.
The Importance of Sunlight
So being thus asked, Uṣasti replied: "The sun." Why? Because all these creatures sing praises of the sun when it is high above.
And you know, several countries—people miss for several months the absence of the sunlight. And they suffer from a peculiar disease called SAD—S-A-D—that is, the deprivation of the sunlight. For that, they have to invent some kind of special lamp which gives the same properties, a little bit of imitating the sun. So that diseases will come.
Several times, when some of the vitamins are lacking, the doctors themselves advise: "Early morning sun—you walk at least for half an hour to 40 minutes, exercise—and also there is some stimulation, some special vitamin D, vitamin A, etc., and many other things are produced."
The Connection Between Ut and Udgītha
So when it is high above—when every creature sings the praise of the sun, especially when it is high—and this, the ṛṣi, connects: this is called gīta. Ut—ut means loud. Uccarati, Udgīta. Ut: loudness, above. Ut also means "above."
So when the sun is above, this gīta—this Vedic praise—will also be very powerful. It starts from the similarity of Pra. Prāṇa is the deity of Prasthāvi. Pra, prāṇa, prasthāvi—this is the deity, as before.
So exactly the same thing is going to follow.
Eighth Mantra: Pratihartā Approaches Uṣasti
Now the assistant, the Udgātā, who is called Pratihartā, he comes. And exactly the same conversation—nothing changed. This is presented in the eighth mantra.
Yā devatā pratiḥāram anvāyattā—knowing this devatā, anvāyattā means without knowing which devatā you are going, your hymn is going to indicate. Without knowing, if you go on singing, surely your head would have fallen.
"Thus, Bhagavān—that is Uṣasti, Bhagavān—you told me like this. Therefore I am approaching you humbly as a disciple. Please teach me. Which is that devatā?"
Ninth Mantra: Uṣasti Explains Anna Devatā
So in the same manner, the Pratihartṛ priest approached Uṣasti Ṛṣi and asked him: "Which is the deity that belongs to the Pratihāra?"
And exactly in this ninth mantra, he says: earlier, first he said it is prāṇa. Then he said it is Āditya. Now he is telling anna.
The Relationship Between Prāṇa, Āditya, and Anna
And there is an invariable relationship between prāṇa, Āditya, and anna.
Annam iti ha vāca
Sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāni annam eva pratiharam ānani jīvanti
The devatā which refers to your particular hymn is called anna.
Sa eṣa devatā pratihāram anvāyattā
Tāṃ cet avidvān pratiḥariṣyo mūrdhā te apatiṣyat
Tathā uttasya māyā iti
Anna as Food and Pṛthvī Devatā
What did Uṣasti reply? Annam iti devatā—straightforward. It doesn't go roundabout. He says that devatā is called anna.
So whenever we eat anna, we should not think it is—what is called—some bad names. In the Western world, we use it. Very, very horrible. No—stuff. There is one name like that. No! It is Anna devatā!
Annaṃ na nindyāt tad vratam
Āpo vā annam
We will see in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad—we have seen, we are going to see again.
All Creatures Live by Food
So these creatures live because of food. For all creatures live when they partake of food. And this is the deity that belongs to the Pratihāra. And if without knowing this, if you had sung it, your head would surely have fallen off after you had been warned by me.
So being thus asked, Uṣasti replied: "Devatā is called anna—food."
Earlier we saw in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad: anna is also called Pṛthvī devatā. That is the grossest manifestation of Ātman or Brahman. Because every living creature, it lives only when they partake of food, when they digest it. And what they cannot digest will be food for somebody else. And what somebody else cannot digest, that will be food for others, etc.
That is the deity that belongs to the Pratihāra. The rest—up to "warned by me"—is similar to what has gone before.
Summary of the Eleventh Section
So the whole meaning of the whole—these 10th and 11th sections, especially of the 11th section—is: one ought to meditate upon the deities of Prasthāva, Udgītha, and Pratihāra in the shape of prāṇa, Āditya, and anna—breath, sun, and food respectively.
Thus ends the 11th khaṇḍa of the adhyāya. Thus ends the story of Uṣasti.
Symbolic Significance of the Three Devatās
As promised, I am going to talk about this particular significant symbolism.
The Importance of All Five Devatās
All the five devatās are absolutely important. But in this story of Uṣasti, three devatās are highlighted:
- Pṛthvī Devatā (Earth)
- Agni Devatā (Fire) – Āditya belongs to Agni devatā
- Vāyu Devatā (Air)
But we have to add the Jala Devatā (Water) and Ākāśa Devatā (Space) as well, because wherever one is, all the five will be there.
First: Prāṇa Devatā
Now first, Prāṇa devatā. As soon as a creature is living, it has to be sustained by food and the sun. So the first thing that sustains is prāṇa. It starts breathing—human being, animals, insects. And if there is no breathing, then that creature will not live.
Swami Akhandananda's Experience
Once, I think it was Swami Akhandanandaji—if I am not wrong—he was wandering, and one night he spread his blanket upon a piece of earth underneath a tree, and he was lying down. Suddenly somebody pushed him and said, "Get up! Get up!"
And he understood, because several such experiences he had. He hurriedly got up and removed this one, and then he saw there were some holes there in the earth where at night these snakes go and take rest. And they are unable to breathe because the swami was covering up all this. Even they require breath also!
So Ṭhākur had come in the form of that voice and warned him: "There are other creatures; because of you they are unable to breathe, they are suffering. You better move away—just move a little bit, few feet, few inches here and there."
All Creatures Require Prāṇa
So you see, everybody requires Prāṇa devatā in some form or the other. Even creatures which live in the oceans, in the water—fish, whales, sharks, dolphins—every now and then they have to come up. There is no way they are going to survive.
So first, a person lives, and the moment he starts living, he starts breathing, and then he grows. But breathing alone will not keep the person alive. He has to look upon: "I have to eat food to keep myself up"—and that is where anna comes.
The Source of Food: Āditya
But then if we analyze—as we have seen this analysis many times—who is giving us food?
Gāṃ āviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmy aham ojasā
Puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ
"I am sustaining the entire creation." Creation means: "I am sustaining Myself. I am only manifesting in the form of this entire creation. I became the five elements, both subtle and gross, and then out of the combination of these, elementals have come."
The entire creation is called elementals. Prakṛti and vikṛti. Vikṛti is the outcome. Entire thing is vikṛti: ahaṅkāra, then the subtle body, then the gross body, then the entire world. That is how the expansion takes place.
The Role of Āditya and Prāṇa Devatā
So the Āditya goes on giving food and heat and light: food, heat, light. And the Prāṇa devatā keeps the person alive by producing oxygen, and that makes a person active. An active person has to do something, because every creature has a particular function to fulfill. And so it is possible to be born, to be alive, and to continue.
Every creature has its own allotted lifespan, and then in the end, that is what happens. A time will come—this particular instrument has done its job. It would not be able to continue further because it becomes decrepit, old, incapable—and then it will be given another dress, another body.
The Body as a Dress
In the Bhagavad Gītā, our physical body is compared to a dress.
Now, what is the worship? What is the devatā? We do it.
The Practice of Upāsanā (Worship)
Eating as a Ritual
First of all, we do rituals. While eating, eating is a ritual. Ritual means a sacred action. Sacred action, because we remember: this food is offered to our Iṣṭa Devatā, chosen deity, in the form of Prāṇa devatā.
Vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ deham āśritaḥ
Prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pacāmy annaṃ catur-vidham
Elaborately, when we discuss the fivefold activities of the prāṇa, especially in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, we have to remember: this prāṇa keeps us. Prāṇa means śakti—energy. Energy is meant to be expended in the form of activity. Activity means energy expended.
For that, we need energy. And that energy comes only through food. And that food is supplied only—not cultivated from the dumb nature—but it is God in the form of Āditya.
The Dependence on the Sun
Let all the scientists answer: suppose there is no sun—will there be life? Will there be prāṇa? Will there be anna? Nothing will be there.
This is what our Vedic ṛṣis want to teach us.
What is This Upāsanā?
So what is this upāsanā?
While eating: We have to remember that thanks to the Prāṇa devatā, I am alive.
While eating: Thanks to the sun, Āditya, and the soma, the moon—because of these two. And both are one and the same: Āditya and Candramā and Agni—three different forms—and they are all devatās. And because, thanks to them, they are supplying me food. So prāṇa makes us cultivate food, eat food, and that is how life is meant for manifesting the divinity.
Recognizing Devatā in Every Action
So:
- Whenever we are eating, it is Anna devatā, Pṛthvī Devatā, Annapūrṇā Devī
- Whenever we are drinking, Jala Devatā
- Whenever we are able to see, able to act, it is all because of the Agni devatā—remember, production of food, light, and heat
- Whenever we are able to breathe, then only we can live—that is called Vāyu devatā
- Every activity requires space, and we are unable to move without space. Only with space we can move. So when I am moving, thanks to Ākāśa devatā
When we are moving or doing anything, thanks to Anna devatā. When we are breathing, thanks to Vāyu devatā. So my very survival, my very existence, is because of them.
The Ultimate Realization: Aham Brahmāsmi
So I do not exist. And this is called, ultimately it will lead to: Aham Brahmāsmi—"I am Brahman."
That means: I do not exist. Only Brahman exists. I am not there. Only my mother is there. Ṭhākur is there. Mā is there.
This is the symbolism. Remember: with every breath, remember God. It means that I am because of these pañca devatās. And so, every second, my thanks.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :
Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.
May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!