Chandogya Upanishad 4.7-9 Lecture 138 on 14 September 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 Satyakama Jabala's Story

We are studying the story of Satyakama Jabala. So far we have seen, pleased by his purity of heart, intense faith, Śraddhā and Tapasyā.

Tapasyā means austerity. Austerity means the capacity to think deeply, undistractedly, concentratedly for a long time without being interrupted by any other thought. And whatever helps such a condition of the mind, whether reducing food or bearing the dualities like cold and heat, respect and insult, etc., etc., all these are only aids.

Important thing is to expand our consciousness through deep thinking. And when we think deeply, certain things reveal themselves.

The Nature of Divine Will

If we really reflect upon our experiences in the world, we see that certain things definitely happen. There is no force on earth, no scientific instrument which can stop things happening. And that's why almost every religion says, Inshallah, God's will, Allah's will, let thy will be done.

Or according to Hindu religion, let God's will be done. Or everything happens because of one's own prārabdha karma. Whatever be, it is a way of acknowledging that whatever happens is all by the will of God.

We speak out, but we are not convinced. Perhaps it can be changed by prayer, by tapasyā, etc. Usually it cannot be changed.

Why? Because until we learn our lessons and this world has only one purpose. Every experience that we go through in this world is meant to make us better and better and better people until the self-knowledge dawns that we do not belong to this world. We belong to God alone and for that whatever is necessary.

Like carrot and stick. If we are rewarded and we are encouraged to move towards God, that's one way. But if we are too stubborn, then a stick will be applied.

Stick means evil, misery, etc. So when we accept only very little, very, very little is in our actual control, even that little also, as Ramakrishna says, is actually not under our control. Like a cow tied by a farmer, even there is a little bit of freedom so far as the length of the rope gives the opportunity to the cow.

The Development of Śraddhā (Faith)

So also the owner of the cow. It depends how much length of the rope which he uses upon each particular cow. Even the illusion that we are free, that is a greatest illusion.

Neither we are free about ourselves and much less about other people. So to accept this fact upon deep reflection and once we really accept it, wonderful changes take place which will make us. So if something is not in my control, I cannot undo it and therefore I can only pray, I can only bear with it and that is the result of deep thinking and then along with that comes human life is too valuable so we have to go forward.

These are all the results of austerity. Once that understanding comes, we have no way but to rely upon the teachings of the scriptures and then we develop slowly Śraddhā. So pleased with the Śraddhā, in the words of the Guru, Guru Śāstra Vākyeṣu Satya Buddhi Avadhāraṇa, the great Śaṅkarācārya defines in such a marvellous way in his Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, what is Sādhana Catuṣṭaya Sampatti.

Says whatever the Guru utters is absolute truth because it is only God who is of the nature of Satyam Jñānam Anantam Brahma who is speaking and what is Satyam can never produce Asatyam. It is impossible. For God to say what is Asatyam, what does it mean? Asatyam means non-existence.

For existence, pure existence, to will something should not be there. Let something be non-existent. It simply is impossible.

For knowledge not to say that ignorance is impossible. For bliss, it is impossible to suffer. That is the nature of God and therefore slowly gradually our faith in the scriptures will increase and that's what exactly had taken place in the case of Satyakama Jabala and once it had happened, immediately he was merged completely.

The Divine Instructors

That is how we know and the inner divinity, potential divinity started to manifest and it came as if in the form of a bull, in the form of fire, in the form of a swan, in the form of a water bird. So first in the form of the Ṛṣabha, second in the form of the Agni, third in the form of Haṃsa, fourth in the form of a bird called Madgu. But these are just like our mouthpieces.

Just like any government attending an important meeting, the president or the prime minister is rare for them to attend such meetings. It is the duly elected representatives but they represent the views of the respective heads of the state. That is important.

Every Guru represents only God's words and God is pleased with Satyakama because he was truly Satyakama. Satyakama means a desirer of only truth. Truth means Brahman, desirer of God, desirer of Brahman, desirer of Ātman.

So he was completely absorbed. Time was not noticed by him and so one day at dusk as he sat down, completely absorbed because completely receptive, suddenly a Vāyu Devatā, these are Devatās, Vāyu Devatā, these are called Ādi Devatās, the rulers, God manifesting in the form of the heads of various departments to do the Sṛṣṭi, Sthiti and Laya on his behalf.

The Four Devatās and Their Teachings

So the Hiraṇyagarbha or Sūtrātmā or Vāyu Devatā, Prāṇa Devatā and then here particularly Vāyu Devatā and afterwards Agni Devatā, afterwards Āditya Devatā, we will see the inner meaning very shortly and finally the Prāṇa Devatā.

These are the Devatās, manifestations of God who have taught the Satyakama. Each one, each Devatā taught clearly one fourth of the knowledge about Brahman. So four Devatās, four parts, the knowledge of Brahman is complete but each part is sub-divided into four sub-parts.

So four into four, sixteen and sixteen, the number sixteen in Vedanta is very important. Ṣoḍaśa Kalā Pūrṇaḥ. Kalā means part, not art.

One meaning of Kalā is part, another meaning of Kalā is art and art also is a part of God only, life only. So each one taught one fourth, the knowledge of Brahman is complete and what does it mean? Teaching not like an ordinary teacher speaking words like Śrī Ramakṛṣṇa used to touch. May your consciousness be awakened.

He used to write sometimes, sometimes by look, sometimes by touching, sometimes writing something on the tongue. In many ways Śrī Ramakṛṣṇa used to awaken their inner consciousness. So when a Devatā does this, immediately the realisation will come.

Why These Four Specific Devatās?

And why these four Devatās? Because Satyakama must have been worshipping, contemplating Vāyu Devatā, Agni Devatā, Āditya Devatā and Prāṇa Devatā. How do we know? When Gopāler Mā had the vision of her Gopāla, she saw, she had been seeing as if a mother is seeing all the playful antics of her child. How did Gopāla's mother see? Why did she see only those things? Because she has been contemplating upon that aspect of Gopāla and what does Gopāla do? By hearing from the Bhāgavatam etc.

This is what Kṛṣṇa used to play with his mother, with his father, with his brother, with his friends. Both male and female. So what Gopāla's mother had been doing for nearly 35 years and that became a concrete reality.

And that is exactly what happened in the case of Satyakama Jabala also. And that is what we have to understand from the teachings, narration of this Chāndogya Upaniṣad. Fourth chapter.

The First Teaching: Directions (Vāyu Devatā)

Now what were the things that we have seen? First Vāyu Devatā came and told about, so I will teach you one-fourth of Brahman consisting of four parts, the directions, four directions, the eastern, the western, the southern and the northern. And we have also seen what happens when a person becomes identified with this aspect of Brahman called Prakāśavān, the aspirant becomes one. Just as Brahman is Prakāśavān, that is radiant, so also because this aspirant has removed the separation, separate identity and became one with that aspect of Brahman, he will also be radiant exactly like Brahman.

And if he has got any lingering desires after the fall of this body, he will go and experience and enjoy all the worlds. That means wherever he goes, that place becomes radiant because he is the root cause of the radiance. This is how we have to understand.

The Second Teaching: Worlds (Agni Devatā)

Then we go next. So having taught the one-fourth of the aspect of Brahman, Vāyu Devatā also said that Agni will teach you another one-fourth aspect of Brahman. And so next day at dusk after all the cows settled down for the night's rest, then Nachiketa invoked the fire and was absorbed.

Absorbed means what? He was completely identified with fire. Just as this is a psychological fact we have to understand, when a student makes his mind receptive to the teachings of the teacher, then he becomes one with the teacher's mind. That is called transmission of knowledge from a mind which has that knowledge to a mind which is ready to receive the knowledge.

Until this receptive capacity or becoming one with the teacher's mind, the transmission will not take place. And it is true in every respect. If two wires, broken wires, electricity will not flow and both wires must be of the same quality.

One to give, another to receive. If one is able to transmit, the other is not sufficiently strong, equally strong, then even when the transmission takes place, it gets burnt out. That is what we call fuse is burnt out.

The Unity of the Devatās

So we have to understand this particular fact. A student erases his studentship. That means he makes his mind absolutely one with the mind of the teacher and the transmission takes place.

Then only the transmission can take place and not otherwise. So in this part, then the Vāyu Devatā said that Agni Devatā will teach you. Agni will teach you means Agni Devatā will teach you.

One Devatā is telling to another Devatā. I can go further and say it is not one Devatā telling about the other Devatā. I am not capable of teaching you the other one.

But it means I will teach you today in this form one-fourth about Brahman. Tomorrow I will teach you in another form, another one-fourth part of Brahman. Day after tomorrow also I will teach you one-fourth of Brahman in the form in another form and fourth day also I will complete the teaching in another form.

In other words, one should not think Vāyu, Agni, Āditya, Prāṇa, they are four separate gods. No, no, they are not separate gods. They are four manifestations of one Brahman.

That is very important for us to understand. So we have seen the east, the west, the south, the north. That means all the space.

Understanding Space Through Objects

And we cannot recognise space unless there is an object. Keep this point in view. When there is a small piece of cloud floating in the sky and we say, it is floating in the sky.

How did you recognise it in the sky? Because of the piece of cloud. Similarly, you don't know what is space unless there is an object. This beautiful point has been brilliantly brought out both by Vidyāraṇya in Pañcadaśī as well as Sureśvarācārya's Bhāṣyam also on Śaṅkarācārya's Bhāṣyam called Vārtika.

Sureśvarācārya's Vārtika. Just as light reveals an object because unless there is light, an object cannot be cognised. But what we fail to understand, if there is no object, a light also cannot be cognised.

So both of them, each other, they reveal. The light reveals the object. Simultaneously, the object also reveals the light.

Because as soon as you see the object, you understand, oh, there is light. Even though it is all subconscious thinking, how could I see an object? Because there is light. So just as if there is no light, object cannot be cognised.

So when there is an object, light also is simultaneously cognised. Even though we do not pay attention to it, even if there is light and there will be light with or without object, but there is nobody to cognise that light and this also applies. If we do not have unhappy experience, we will never know what is called happy experience.

Similarly, if we don't have happy experience, we will not know what is unhappy experience. Since mind, which consists of these dualities, is totally suppressed for the time being, in deep sleep state, we have neither experience of happiness or unhappiness, good or evil, honour or dishonour, gain or loss, victory or defeat. These are all characteristics of the mind.

Therefore, tremendous amount of only I am there. When a person says, but I am not aware, when are you telling you are not aware? You are telling this, giving this statement in the waking state. In the waking state, only when you are aware of something, you are aware of yourself.

But that is not so in deep sleep state. You are 100% aware, but there is nothing to be aware of. It is pure self-awareness.

That is what you have to understand here. So this God is pleased, Brahman is pleased. So he is manifesting himself in the form of knowledge, in the heart of Satyakama Jabala.

But as if these are the instruments through which that divinity is self-revealing itself in the heart, in the Hṛdaya Kohara of Satyakama Jabala.

Agni Devatā's Teaching: The Three Worlds

So what is the next day at dusk, as soon as Satyakama Jabala was completely merged, that means he became identified with Agni Devatā. So Agni Devatā is revealing its own knowledge to himself in the form of Satyakama Jabala.

Says Pṛthvī, Antarīkṣam, Dyauḥ, Samudraḥ, Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, Mahaḥ or Samudraḥ. I will quote also from the Taittirīya Upaniṣad very soon. So because if there is space, that space has to be revealed, otherwise it won't become Prakāśa.

Only when there is an object, you know, oh there is an object. Simultaneously with the awareness of the object, space is also revealed, light also is revealed and without the light and space reveals the object and in its turn the object also reveals the light as well as the space. So he says that this earth and the heavenly world, this world, heavenly world and in between worlds, that means the whole creation divided into Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ plus that vast body of water called ocean, that is one-fourth of Brahman.

That means whenever you are walking, I am walking on Brahman. Walking on the earth means walking on Brahman. Even if you have put on shoes, it doesn't matter.

If you are walking up and down in the aeroplane, that is also you are walking only on Brahman only. So if you are walking, a baby is walking on mother's body, mother is Brahman. So if a baby is taken up in the arms of the father, father becomes Brahman.

The baby becomes, also participates in Brahma Līlā. So whenever we see the up, look up and think about the higher worlds or look at Samudra, oh this is Brahman, this is Brahman, this is Brahman. When you look towards the east, west, south, north, above, below and Hinduism adds four more directions.

We call them Āgneya, Nairṛti, Vāyavya, Īśānya. The conjunction between east and west, Āgneya, Nairṛti, Vāyavya, etc. Īśānya, so eight, that means every part of the space. That means Ākāśa, entire Ākāśa, that's what it means.

And so without space, the world cannot be created. If you want to have workshop, then you require, you have to establish workshop, you require space, sufficient space, not only for the workshop, but for the material, for also yourself to work properly, everything requires appropriate space. So second teaching through the Agni Devatā is, first creation of this space, then whatever is in the space, all the worlds are created.

We have seen that also in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad and also in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad itself.

The Third Teaching: Maintainers (Āditya Devatā)

Then third pāda, that is the one-fourth of Brahman knowledge was imparted by whom? Āditya Devatā. And what was his teaching? We are going to discuss it, Agni.

When you see fire, it is God. When you see the Sūrya, that is the Sun God. When you see the Moon God.

When you see the Vidyut lightning, this is one-fourth of Brahman. Why is it told? Because these must be prior creations for the maintenance of the whole creation. Without fire, without the Sun, without the Moon, without the lightning, it is impossible for life to thrive.

That is the important thing. And we have to understand, first God created the space, then He created all the worlds, then He created the maintainers, Ādi, Daivika, all the Gods who should maintain every bit of this creation, every atom of this creation in the form of Agni, Sūrya, etc. And if you think deeply, the birth, the sustenance and the destruction of the body, everything comes from them and it goes back to them.

Meanwhile, it supplies continuously. Heat is supplied, food is supplied, medicines are supplied and everything is maintained by Vidyut. Vidyut means lightning.

What does lightning say? That is the rains. Rains is a very important maintenance by God for the Jīvātmās, all the living creatures, non-living creatures to be maintained.

The Fourth Teaching: Individual Soul (Prāṇa Devatā)

And then the fourth Pāda in the form of Prāṇadevatā.

Because, okay, there is space, there are worlds, there are Gods who are maintaining. But if I am absent, the whole creation becomes absent. So I must be a Jīvātmā.

Jīvātmā is a small manifestation of Paramātmā, Cidābhāsa plus mind plus body. Only then the whole external world can be cognised, can be enjoyed, can be interacted. Every transaction should take place.

And for that, Prāṇaḥ, Cakṣuḥ, Śrotram, Manaḥ. Prāṇaḥ is that Prāṇadevatā. Who else can talk about Prāṇadevatā better than Prāṇadevatā itself? So without Prāṇaḥ, nothing can be experienced.

You cannot attend these Chāndogya Upaniṣad classes. Absolutely not possible if there is no Prāṇaḥ. And I cannot speak without Prāṇaḥ, even if I am alive.

My mind must be functioning to be able to recollect what I understand, keep it in memory and express it through the mouth in appropriate words, with appropriate order and in a voice sufficient to be understood by everybody. All this must be only the action of the Prāṇa. And that Prāṇa does it in the form of Cakṣuḥ, Śrotram, Manaḥ.

Cakṣuḥ means what? Eyes. Śrotram means what? Ears. And mind, Manaḥ.

That means all the entire physical body, entire subtle body, both are the means for experiencing this creation. Without Jīvātmā, Sṛṣṭi becomes meaningless.

Summary of the Four Parts of Brahman

So we will just discuss briefly.

Let us look at these four parts. The first creation is space, also called Ākāśa. Space is absolutely necessary before we indulge in any activity, small or big.

The second creation is this entire world, consisting of this earth and the heavens and all the worlds in between. And what is called limitless ocean represents the second section of Brahman. So first space, then creation of the worlds, and then maintainers, those who look after the worlds.

That is the third stage. So to maintain this creation, God Himself manifests as the sustainer in the form of fire, sun, moon and lightning. This is what Bhagavad Gītā says, And lastly comes the creation of the individual soul.

That is without Jīvātmā, all this is totally meaningless, useless. Even to cognise there is a creation, to think who created this hell, even to say that Jīvātmā is necessary. So Jīvātmā, every creature, living creature is Jīvātmā.

And every non-living creature is a potential Jīvātmā. Even whether it is a human being or a mosquito, all are Jīvātmā Swami. Having this body and mind, and they are maintained by the Mukhya Prāṇa, eyes, ears, all the sense organs, organs of action, organs of knowledge and mind.

And this was described as the fourth part of the Brahman.

Connection with Taittirīya Upaniṣad

Are we talking about some new idea, or are we only recapitulating what we already know? Let us recollect what we discussed in the first chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad called Śīkṣāvallī. There in the fifth section, Bhūr iti Vāyuḥ Suvar ity Ādityaḥ Mahar iti Candramāḥ Candramāsāv āva Sarvāṇi Jyotīṃṣi Mahī yante This is called Sthiti.

First it is called Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka, etc. But this is creation. Then we have to understand, Bhūr iti Ṛcaḥ Bhuvar iti Sāmāni Suvar iti Yajūṃṣi These three represent knowledge.

Knowledge means thoughts. Thoughts are represented by the mind. That's why it is said, Mahar iti Brahma Brahmaṇāv āva Sarve Vedāḥ Mahī yante Bhūr iti Vāyuḥ Prāṇaḥ Bhuvar iti Apānaḥ Suvar iti Vyānaḥ Mahar ity Annam Annenav āva Sarve Vedāḥ Mahī yante So, only with the help of the Prāṇa, Prāṇa means energy, all the entire, both gross and subtle bodies are possible only because of the Prāṇa.

Even the deep sleep state called Suṣupti, even though temporarily it is not functioning, but it is maintained without Prāṇa, there will none of these three states will be there. And this is what again being repeated in different circumstances, with different expression of words, but exactly the same truth. So, we have discussed first part, what is that? All the directions, all the space is Brahman.

We discussed the second part, what is it? That all the Lokas, everything, this world, upper world and everything is vast, infinite and Samudra, Samudra represents water. Without water, Prāṇa is impossible.

The Third Teaching in Detail: Haṃsa (Āditya Devatā)

Now, we come to the resume, the third part of Brahman, seventh section.

So, what happened? Brahman manifested in the form of Haṃsa and then Haṃsa means swan, Paramahaṃsa, but it is called Āditya Devatā, Sūrya Devatā. It is telling about the one-fourth of the Brahman as the third part. So, this is what it is telling.

Before departing, Agni Devatā foretold, don't worry, do not think only you have got only two parts of Brahman and the other two parts who is going to complete. No, no. Tomorrow at dusk, you be receptive and then another Devatā will come, Āditya Devatā will come.

Haṃsa means swan. Soham Haṃsaḥ, Soham, that is the real meaning of Haṃsa. Just as swan moves effortlessly in the space, so Sūrya Devatā, another name for Sūrya Devatā is called swan.

And swan is so pleasing because Sūrya Devatā is the one who is so pleasing. The Rasagullā that we eat or the non-vegetarian we love so much. Everything is the Prasādam of Sūrya Devatā only in the form of food.

So, this Āditya Devatā will come and he will teach you, instruct you in the one-fourth of Brahman, third part of one-fourth of Brahman.

The Teaching Sequence

Gāḥ upārudya samidhām ādhāya paścād agneḥ prāṅ upaviveśa Exactly same description in all the four ones. At dawn of the next day, he drove the cows towards the teacher's house and towards dusk.

At the place where the cows come together and take rest, he kindled the fire there, penned the cows, laid on fuel and sat down near them behind the fire facing the east. Then as soon as he became receptive, then what happened?

Tam haṃsaḥ upanipaty abhyovāda approaching in the form Āditya Devatā or the Sun God, Satyakāma, he said, Satyakāma ō Satyakāma iti And then as usual, this is also same thing we have discussed, it is a repetition, bhagavān itihā pratiśuśrava

So, Āditya Devatā in the form of the swan flew to him and addressed him, ō Satyakāma, yes revered sir, he responded, Brahmaṇaḥ somya te pādaṃ pravakṣyāṇi Repeating what Agni Devatā told, he somya, he pleasing child, receptive child, te to you, Brahmaṇaḥ pādaṃ pravakṣyāṇi I am going to instruct you in one fourth of Brahmaṇa, this is the third, one fourth, bravītu me bhagavān iti I am ready to receive it, I am all attention, O my great guru, bravītu me, may the lord instruct me.

Satyakāma Jabala understood, this is not a bird, this is Bhagavān in the form of Āditya Devatā Who is more qualified to talk about this maintenance of this world, about Āditya Devatā, than Sūrya Devatā tasmai ha ovāca and keeping in mind, Satyakāma Jabala, this Āditya Devatā, ovāca gave the instructions and up to here, common words only, Agniḥ kalā, Sūryaḥ kalā, Candraḥ kalā, Idyut kalā, eṣa vai somyā, catuṣkalāḥ pādo, Brahmaṇaḥ, jyotiṣmān, nāmā

So, fire is one part, the sun god is one part, the moon god is one part, and the lightning god is one part, and eṣa vai somyā this indeed, vai means indeed, ō pleasing one, because you have received so beautifully, I am pleased with you, every teacher becomes pleased when the student understands it exactly how the teacher understands, catuṣkalāḥ pādo, consisting of four parts, and this is one third of Brahmaṇa, or third teaching about one fourth of Brahmaṇa, consisting of four parts, what are the four parts, fire, the sun, the moon, and the lightning, and then what is the name of this, Brahmaṇaḥ, jyotiṣmān, nāmā, it is nothing but light, full of light, so that means what, all this light alone can produce food, maintain the world, and take back everything at the end, recycling is done, so creation, maintenance, recycling, everything is done by these adhiṣṭhāna devatās, dear boy, I am going to instruct you about one foot of Brahmaṇa, one part of Brahmaṇa, please instruct me revered sir, and then the Sūrya Devatā, Āditya Devatā said to him, fire is one part, the sun is one part, the moon is one part, lightning is one part, this indeed, dear boy, is one foot of Brahmaṇa, consisting of four parts, therefore this Brahmaṇa is called effulgent, radiant, full of light.

Results of This Teaching

So what is the result of this, and again exactly same way, one who knows what I have just now taught you, anybody, not only you, anybody in future and in past also, catuṣkalaṃ pādaṃ Brahmaṇaḥ, is one fourth of the Brahmaṇa, jyotiṣmān, is full of light, ity upāste, effulgent, full of effulgence, and he contemplates, what does he become, he becomes one with jyotiṣmān Brahmaṇa, and then what happens, jyotiṣmān asmin loke bhavati, he becomes radiant with light, and then if he has got desires, after the destruction of the body, fall of the body, jyotiṣmato lokān jayati, he goes there, and wherever he goes there, he eliminates entire creation, it is a mistake, the world gives us a happiness, but if we are ready, we produce happiness, and that is, we mistakenly think that the world is giving us happiness, but we are giving to the world, we are giving the power of happiness to a sweet, and then we are mistakenly thinking, the sweet is giving me happiness, if you are not happy, the sweet can never make you happy, and then after death, he will go to these worlds, and makes everything light up with his light, because he has become one with that Brahmaṇa called jyotiṣmān, and then whoever, catuṣkalaṃ pādaṃ Brahmaṇo jyotiṣmān ity upāste, not only Satyakāma Jabala, and he had attained, until he attains, the next teaching will not come, that is an important point, you will have to note down, and then he says, madguṣ te pādaṃ vakṣyati, so there is a bird called madgu, water fowl, and it is going to teach you the last pāda, one fourth, about Brahmaṇa.

The Fourth Teaching in Detail: Madgu (Prāṇa Devatā)

And then what happened, saḥ śvo bhūte, gāḥ aviprastāpayāṃś cakāra, tāḥ etya aviṣaṇaṃ babhūvaḥ, tatra agnim upsamādhāya, gāḥ uparudya, samidham ādhāya, paścād agneḥ, prāṅ upopaviveśa, so at dawn of the next day, he drove the cows towards evening, at the place where the cows came together, he kindled the fire there, penned the cows, laid on fuel, sat down near them, behind the fire, facing the east, and he started doing upāsanā, of Brahmaṇa.

tam madguḥ uparuṣad abhyovādha, Satyakāmāḥ iti bhagavāḥ iti, haḥ pratiśuśyāvaḥ, when he became completely absorbed, Bhagavān came, Brahman came in the form of this madgu bird and having approached, upa nipatya, abhyovādha, addressed Satyakāma Jabala, Satyakāmāḥ ō Satyakāmāḥ iti bhagavāḥ itiḥ, yes Bhagavān, I am ready to receive whatever you are about to teach me, because by this time, Satyakāma Jabala had been instructed three times, please be receptive, ready, and he was ready, itiḥ pratiśuśyāvaḥ, thus he replied.

The Final Teaching

Brahmaṇaḥ somya te pādaṃ pravakṣyāṇiti, I am going to complete the knowledge of Brahman by giving you one fourth, already he had completed three fourths, bravītu me bhagavān iti, so Bhagavān, please instruct me, tasmai hovāca, for that recipient Bhagavān Himself is telling, important point, if we are not ready, Bhagavān is ready, but we are not ready, teaching will not be received, so Prāṇa Devatā instructed, what did he instruct, Prāṇaḥ kalā, cakṣuḥ kalā, śrotraṃ kalā, manaḥ kalā, eṣa vai somya, catuṣkalāḥ pādo, Brahmaṇaḥ, āyatanavān nāmā.

Dear boy, let me instruct you about one foot of Brahman, please instruct me revered sir, then the Prāṇa Devatā in the form of madgu bird said to him, Prāṇaḥ is one part, Prāṇa Devatā is talking about himself, so Prāṇaḥ, mukhya pand the mukhya prāṇa in the body, then I only energise the I and I only energise the ear, I only energise all the sense organs, also organs of action and also the mind, otherwise life will be meaningless, Prāṇaḥ is one part, I is one part, ear is one part and the mind is one part, this indeed dear boy is one foot of Brahman consisting of four parts named the repository, āyatanavān, that means the support.

Results of the Final Teaching

Anybody who meditates upon this kind of Brahman, he also becomes, āyatanavān means what, he will be able to teach exactly how he was taught to anybody who is ready and he can bless people by his very blessing, he need not pray, he can just wish and everything will be all right and then what is the result, sa ya etam evaṃ vidvān catuṣkalaṃ pādaṃ Brahmaṇaḥ āyatanavān ity upāste āyatanavān asmin loke bhavati āyatanavato ha lokān jayati ya etam evaṃ vidvān catuṣkalaṃ pādaṃ Brahmaṇaḥ āyatanavān ity upāste.

Exactly what is the result, he who knows this, that means he becomes identified with this Brahman called āyatanavān, this one foot of Brahman consisting of four parts and called āyatanavān brahmā and meditates on it as a repository, becomes a repository himself in this world, he who knows that means he who have become identified with this āyatanavān brahmā consisting of four parts, that is earlier he said what are those Prāṇa, cakṣu, śrotra and then what is the next one, catuṣkalaṃ pādaṃ Brahmaṇaḥ, mind, that means the mind and the body and this is the last one fourth, that is to say every living creature, every jīvātmā, so jīvātmā is there and who is maintaining all the jīvātmā's, the adhiṣṭhāna devatā's and the adhiṣṭhāna devatā's for the sake of this jīvātmā created all these three worlds, all the 14 worlds and for that before that space was created, thus the whole creation has come, then what happened that he became a repository, he became radiant, he became jyotiṣmā and whatever results were promised, he became.

Return to the Teacher

Then prāptaḥ ācārya kulaṃ, tam ācāryo abhyuvāda, Satyakāmāḥ iti, bhagavāḥ itiḥ pratiśuśyāva, Satyakāmāḥ, fifth day reached the teacher's āśrama, prostrated himself before and then as soon as the teacher saw him what happened, a teacher addressed him, ō Satyakāma, bhagavān, O Lord, please tell me, pratiśuśyāva, that's replied, yes revered sir, brahmavit ivā vai somya bhāsi, kas tvā anuśaśāsā iti, anye manuṣyebhyaḥ itiḥ pratijagme, bhagavān stu evā me kāme brūyāt.

So what happened, so the teacher looking at the face, he said, brahmavit ivā vai somya bhāsi, your face is shining, you are shining like a knower of Brahman, Saumya, common word, that is Guru is telling my beloved child, you are already shining like a knower of Brahman, kas tvā anuśaśāsā iti, that is who had instructed you in all this, do you think the Guru doesn't know, he knows everything and yet he only came, Guru only came in the form of all these four Devatās, because he himself was a Guru, himself was a Brahma jñāni, he only came in the form of these and he only taught them.

Satyakāma's Response

So if anybody thinks Satyakāma was given this manual labour and then the Guru was enjoying sitting himself completely, that person will be, his understanding will be wrong, but he said, what did Satyakāma reply, how did, anye manuṣyebhyaḥ itiha pratijagme, yes I have been taught, I understood everything, but I want to confirm my realisation and you are my teacher, please do confirm, so instead of saying somebody else has taught, he said, we have to understand this, you only taught me, O Guruji, Bhagavān, you only came in the form of the four Deities, because anybody who contemplated, he should have by this time, he should have understood that Brahman, my Guru is Brahma, Guru is Brahma, Brahman is my Guru and Brahman is manifesting as the creator, as the everything is Brahman only, so all in the form of other Gods, assuming the forms of many, the fire, the sun, etc., they came and they taught me, but then itiha pratijagme, this is how Satyakāma Jabala replied to the Guru and said, bhagavān ta eva me kāme brūyāt, may my Guru be pleased, Bhagavān be pleased with me, but you must instruct me, what instruction Satyakāma is expecting from the Guru, because he has already become one, he said, please confirm, like Śukadeva went to Janaka Rishi and then he said, you please confirm what my father, my father told me, I am aware of Brahman, so you, I did not believe, I have some doubts, you please confirm and that is what Janaka also confirmed, after testing him for 14 days with dishonour as well as honour.

The Teacher's Confirmation

And then śrutam eva me bhagavadṛṣibhiḥ ācāryād hī eva vidyā viditā sādhiṣṭhaṃ prāpatyiti tasmai ha etad eva vāca atha ha na kiñcana viyāya iti, I have definitely heard from persons like your venerable self that the knowledge directly learned from one's own teacher becomes undoubted knowledge, most beneficial, that is what he said, I want you to confirm because I already know what you have taught me through these four forms, just now I told you that, it is not that without guru's knowledge somebody came and taught and then he became enlightened, no, guru himself, if you believe he is Brahmā, he is Viṣṇu, he is Maheśvara, he himself had come but assuming the four forms, taught him appropriately, made him realise the truth of what they taught, otherwise the next lesson will not come until yesterday's lesson or today's lesson is not mastered, only when it is mastered, next lesson will come.

So then he says, tasmai ha etad eva vāca atha ha, the teacher repeated what he already heard because the teacher is only repeating what he already taught in these four forms and then he said, this is what I taught you and that is what Satyakāma Jabala understood, na kiñcana vīyāya iti, vīyāya iti, so there is nothing left out because he taught everything earlier, merely he confirmed what he has already taught, so this usage of this word vīyāya means nothing is left out, twice indicates the end of the section or end of the chapter, end of a book etc.

Conclusion

This closes the story of Satyakāma Jabala, most marvellous story if you have heard what we discussed so far. If we become, until we become Satyakāma Jabala, it is not possible to receive anything, that's what Śrī Ramakṛṣṇa meant, the breeze of God's grace is always blowing, unfurl your sails.

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!