Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 09 on 17 July 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Taittiriya Upanishad. In our last class, we dealt with the Shanti Path. As I mentioned earlier, the Taittiriya Upanishad is, from one point of view, a unique Upanishad. It has, in a manner of speaking, three Shanti Pathas. The first Tanvaka or section in the very first chapter, called Sikshavalli, typically begins with a peace chant called Shanti Patha. It starts with "Shanno Mitraha, Shambhurnaha," etc. There are slight variations in some of the words, particularly "I prayed to you, you heard my prayer, and you made me attain Brahman, so I am very grateful to you." Thanksgiving occurs in the twelfth section of this first chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad. Thus, the entire first section is dedicated to the Shanti Patha. The twelfth section also serves as a Shanti Patha, but with a slight variation: "I have spoken of you as the direct Brahman, visible Brahman, experienced Brahman. Now, many thanks to you, you heard my prayer," etc.

As mentioned earlier, the Taittiriya Upanishad has three chapters, technically four because Shankaracharya did not write a commentary on the fourth chapter, known as the Maha Narayana Upanishad. Therefore, it is not traditionally included in the Taittiriya Upanishad, though it should be considered part of it. The second Shanti Patha, found in the second and third chapters, is "Sahana Vavatu": "May Brahman protect both me and my teacher. May we be successful, the Guru in teaching me and me, the student, in understanding it as the Guru wishes to convey." We have been discussing this in our last class and are nearly halfway through it.

To elaborate on the Panchadevatas, the five Devatas are in the form of space, which is indicated but not explicitly mentioned. By mentioning what is called Surya and Varuna, etc., only some of these are indicated. We must add that by your grace, not only my physical body but also my mind, which is more important, and even more so that I can understand it, and still further importance that I should have complete faith in the teaching, so that I can translate it into what Swami Vivekananda calls Practical Vedanta, Anushthana Vedanta. This prayer has been completed. Its essence is that my body, mind, everything should be absolutely helpful to the maximum extent possible.

As I mentioned earlier, we must never forget: every breath we take, every step we take, is all by the grace of God. We are alive, by the grace of God. We can be active, by the grace of God. We can move our hands and feet, by the grace of God. In our last class, we discussed what is called Vishnumurthy. Vishnu is called Urukramaha, "the one with long strides." But truly speaking, Vishnu is Parameshwara or Eshwara, or what in English is called God, who is the creator, organizer, and destroyer. He is known as the God of creation, preservation, and destruction. Srishti, Sthiti, Laya Karta. He is everywhere. Therefore, the question of Vishnu having to travel somewhere does not arise. "Urukramaha" means having long strides.

So, what does this mean? When you pray, He is already with you. Consider this: suppose a baby does not pray. It is sleeping peacefully, unaware that danger, perhaps a serpent, is slowly approaching. As I see it, do you think a mother would stay quiet and wait until her child wakes up and cries before coming to its aid? It has been proven time and again that once we surrender ourselves to God, He is there to protect us.

But what about those who do not surrender? Surrendering is our acknowledgment that "I belong to you." However, God knows better than anyone else that everything belongs to Him. Just as we want to protect everything that belongs to us—every possession, every relationship—everything is a manifestation of Brahman alone.

So, what is the symbolism of "Urukrama"? The symbolism is that God is present; it is just that we are unable to recognize it. That is the first symbolism. What is the second symbolism? "O Lord, grant me your grace." What happens then? I too become someone who can cover great distances swiftly, like Vishnu with his long strides. What does this mean? If I have legs like Vishnu's, then I can progress rapidly in every phase of life. And this happens only when you carry me. When Bhagawan carries us, we can be anywhere in an instant. Thus, this prayer expresses that if you are gracious to me, I will reach you instantaneously.

This concept is beautifully explained in the Isavasya Upanishad in a paradoxical manner: "Tadejati, Tannaijati, Taddure, Tadvantike, Tadantarasya Sarvasya, Taduvu Sarvasya Asya Vahyataha." Brahman moves, yet it does not move. It is far, yet it is near. There is nothing nearer to us than Brahman, which exists inside and outside everything. This paradoxical language challenges our conventional understanding: in our state of ignorance, something that is far remains far, and something that is near remains near. But for the one who is omnipresent, what is far and what is near? The concept of space itself, indicated by terms like below and above, front and back, near and far, becomes insignificant.

Therefore, by your grace, may I attain you as swiftly as possible. This immediacy is exemplified in stories such as Gajendra's cry for help, after which God was immediately present, or when Draupadi prayed and Krishna came to her aid instantly. These stories are told to illustrate that God is always beside us—that is the first significance. What is the second significance? Take the example of Vamanavatar, where God incarnates as a dwarf and approaches King Bali. Even the names are meaningful: "Vamana" means dwarf. Picture this scenario: a child is playing, wanting to have fun, with no one else around. Meanwhile, the father, standing six and a half feet tall, walks by. The child looks at the father longingly. What does the father do? He immediately bends down lower than the child and joins in the play. Sometimes, the child wants to ride a horse. Helpless, the father becomes whatever the child desires—a dog, a donkey, a horse—enduring kicks and urging to move faster. Why are you so slow, etc., etc.? This is the relationship between a child and a parent. In the same way, when we become like children, God responds accordingly.

What is the second story? There was once a king who, like a Brahmana, performed a grand ritual known as a Yajna. He took a vow: "Whatever Brahmana comes to me, whatever they desire, I will offer without limitation or restriction. They need only express their desire, and I will fulfill it." The name "Bali" means sacrifice or offering—thus, "I am a complete offering." God then decided to bestow His grace. Why? It is said that if a person realizes God, at least seven generations of their lineage are liberated. Bali Chakravarti, who was he? He was the grandson of Prahlada, the greatest devotee to have ever lived on earth.

So, God decided to accept Bali's offering. Taking the form of a Brahmana—akin to a father bending down—God approached. Immediately, Shukracharya, the Guru of the Rakshasas, intervened. By the way, the term "Rakshasa" should not apply to Bali Chakravarti or Prahlada; it should apply to Brihaspati. Why Brihaspati? We just prayed to Brihaspati. He might take offense if I refer to him as a Rakshasa. You know why? He understood. He knew that Bhagawan Vishnu was coming with the intention to ruin his disciple, to disrupt the relationship between himself and Bali. Bali had been obedient to him all this time, and now this individual was coming to take Bali completely out of his control. So, Shukracharya advised Bali not to promise anything to Vishnu. However, Bali, the disciple, considered himself fortunate. While everyone else ran to God to ask for things, God Himself had come to him seeking something. He resolved not to miss this opportunity, despite his Guru's advice. In fact, he disobeyed his Guru. In spiritual matters, if a disciple feels that he understands better and can gain greater spirituality, he is permitted to ignore his Guru's teachings and move forward. There is no doubt about it.

As soon as Vishnu arrived, Bali offered, "Whatever you desire, I will give." We know the rest of the story. Vishnu asked for just three feet of land—land being where something can securely rest. Bali granted the request. With the first step, Vishnu covered the earth; with the second, he covered heaven—thus, everything was covered. But where would Vishnu place his third step? Bali then said, "Place your foot on my ego and destroy it forever." This is what Bhagavan Vishnu did. Immediately, he promised, "I will protect you forever. No one will be able to harm you because you are my child, my own."

These mythological stories should be interpreted in a particular way. However, some people, perhaps in jest or out of curiosity, offer a third interpretation: Why did God become small? Because the giver is always larger and the receiver smaller. That is why Vishnu appeared as a dwarf.

Regardless, what's important for us is that we strive to become like Bali Chakravarti. By praying to Lord Vishnu, "Make me like your greatest devotee, Bali Chakravarti," let me also become a sacrificial offering in your Maha Yajna, which manifests as this entire universe—the grandest drama in existence.

So this is a prayer: "May I swiftly progress towards Brahman. Like Bali Chakravarti, may I also become an offering to God." This interpretation is particularly intriguing.

Now, let's continue. Here, "Brahma" refers to Hiranyagarbha or, in mythological terms, what is called Brahma the creator. The role of Brahma is singular—creation. However, the same Brahma, when nurturing and protecting his creations, is called Vishnu. And when he helps his creations rest and rejuvenate, preparing them for the next cycle of activity like a baby, he is known as Brahman.

From the standpoint of Advaita (non-dualism), Brahman is Hiranyagarbha—the universal mind encompassing all subtle minds. Hiranyagarbha is responsible for our understanding and cognition.

Furthermore, Hiranyagarbha sustains us, providing nourishment and life force, taking the form of Vayu Devata (the deity of air). From a cosmic perspective, our ability to live is attributed to Hiranyagarbha, who is invisible. The visible form of Hiranyagarbha is Vayu Devata—Vayu, the deity of oxygen and air. We all know the vital importance of oxygen; no living being can survive without it. Prana, the life force, is equated with Vayu. Thus, Vayu, Prana, and Hiranyagarbha are synonymous concepts.

Individually, for humans, Hiranyagarbha manifests as air, especially oxygen. For plants, it manifests as carbon dioxide—this aspect is called Vayu Devata. However, from a universal standpoint, Vayu is known as Hiranyagarbha. The term "Hiranyagarbha" is beautiful: "Hiranya" means golden, and "Garbha" means womb or embryo. Swami Vivekananda aptly described each soul as potentially divine—we are all Hiranyagarbhas, symbolically representing pure spirituality.

When Sri Ramakrishna visited Varanasi, he perceived the entire city, Kashi, shining like gold. He was so absorbed in this vision that he couldn't attend to mundane tasks like relieving himself, feeling it would defile the sacred atmosphere. This necessitated arrangements for him to travel outside Kashi into the forest.

Is that forest devoid of the golden hue? In God's eyes, everything is divine; only God exists. With reverence, I offer my salutations: "Namaste Vayu." You are the object of my salutations. And who are you? "Tvameva pratyaksham brahma asi"—you are the direct and experiential Brahman. As mentioned earlier, when someone saves you, you might say, "You came like a god to rescue me. Thanks to your help, I am alive." For us, the direct Brahman is God. Even a brief absence of Vayu Devata—for not just minutes, but even seconds—would lead to the extinction of most life forms. Therefore, even the sun and the moon, along with other deities, are secondary. The primary and most crucial deity is oxygen. We continually inhale and exhale approximately 16 times per minute, though agitation may increase this count. Some creatures need to breathe much more frequently—perhaps up to 200 times per minute.

So, for example, a rat is always frightened. Therefore, it has to stay alive by breathing in and out, in and out. When we are frightened, the same thing happens to us. Therefore, my salutations to you, to Brahman who is present to me, right in front of me, as a matter of direct experience. That's why he's called pratyaksham, which means directly experienceable Brahman. Brahman whom I'm experiencing every millisecond. So that breathing in, breathing out, etc., is the most wonderful thing.

At every moment, we have to add this word sham. Sham means that which is most auspicious. O God, you are manifesting in the form of the pancha devatas. The whole universe is nothing but the manifestation of the pancha devatas, the five elements. And of all the five elements, the vayu devata, the god of air, is the most directly experienceable. So my salutations, and be gracious and bestow your blessing. Through that, may my life become successful, and in this case, may my spiritual practice become more fruitful. So namaste vayu, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma asi. I know because I cannot exist without you. Therefore, you are my direct manifestation, and I am your direct manifestation. You are sustaining me every single second, so to say.

To repeat, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma vadishyam. Addressing directly, earlier indirectly, but now directly, tvam eva. You alone, pratyaksham brahma vadishyam. I emphatically say that I know.

Now, what is the lesson we have to learn? We are breathing every second. I am able to speak because of this vayu devata. Not only in the metaphorical sense, but if my vayu devata is affected, for example, if I have asthma, then words will not come out, sounds will not come out. Maybe some squeaking sounds will come, but understandable sounds will not come. If they do come, it is only because of you. Therefore, even to say that I am telling you are the most direct manifestation of Brahman, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma vadishyami. It is only by your grace that I understand, that I utter these words. For that, only your grace is needed.

So, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma. Sarvatra vadishyami. I will declare this everywhere at all times. We have to be very grateful that we are alive. How many of us are grateful? We have to be grateful to God, especially to the God of this oxygen. So, I am going to declare wide open to everybody: where are you looking for God? There are so many who think God doesn't exist. How can you say that? Without whose help, you are unable to even exist? That is the being who deserves to be called God. You are the Vishwaroopa Ishwara, universally present God. You are sustaining everybody, everything.

And then the prayer goes further. This is called gratefulness. We have to be grateful to the sun, to the moon, to the vayu devata, to the god of the waters. Water itself is God, not the god of the waters. Language can bring tremendous misunderstanding. This is a president of America. America is different; the president is different. Temporarily, he was given the power. That is not the sense. You are manifesting in the form of this universe. That is the idea. I could understand this again by your grace.

So, two beautiful words. These are the greatest discoveries of our ancient sages, Rishis: Ritam Vadeshyami, Satyam Vadeshyami. I speak the Ritam, I speak the truth. What is the big deal of difference between these two words? There is a slight difference. They are synonymous words, it seems, but there is a difference. What is the difference?

What is called Satyam is the right knowledge. Satyam means true knowledge. True knowledge must be proven in three ways. First of all, it should accord with the scriptures. Second, it should be my experience. Thirdly, it should be rational. Simply saying whatever comes to our mind will not do. In Vedic terminology, this is called Shruti, Yukti, and Anubhava. From these three sources, applying all these three sources, whatever knowledge is obtained without contradiction from all the three sources, that is called Satyam. That is called truthfulness.

How do we know? Right knowledge always leads to the truth and will make you free. Right knowledge always leads to the most excellent results. That is the understanding. But if it is wrong knowledge, it is definitely going to cause some pain, some suffering, etc. So from these three sources—the scriptures, my actual experience (Anubhava), and logical thinking (Yukti)—the knowledge I get is called Satyam. But that is only intellectual study. Okay, I know the truth about it now. What about it? It must be applied in today's practical life. This is what Swami Vivekananda called practical Vedanta.

So, Ritam. Ritam means what? Whatever knowledge I obtain, I must live by it. That is why, if you remember Bhagavan Buddha's eightfold path to obtaining Nirvana, the very first thing is right understanding. Right understanding is obtainable through these three instruments: Shruti, Yukti, and Anubhava. Then only he speaks of right speech, right livelihood, right living, right speech, etc., etc. So the very first thing is to obtain right knowledge. Once we obtain right knowledge, right knowledge will not allow us to live a wrong life.

Suppose you come to know that a certain food is poisonous. Once you have that knowledge, you will not be able to eat it or drink it. Similarly, if I know that a particular path will lead to great trouble, I will avoid it to avoid suffering. But why do we do so many wrong things? Because even though we may say we understand, we are not truly convinced. We might think, "In my case, there is an exception. Even if I lead a wrong life, I won’t suffer the consequences."

Some funny incidents also illustrate this. Girish Chandra Goswami used to take a bath in the Ganges in his old age. Earlier, he used to say that these are all nonsense, and he didn't believe in such things. Some devotees who knew this asked him, "So in your old age, you have developed certain superstitions like taking a bath in the Ganga?" Girish Chandra Goswami, who was very sharp, replied, "You have misunderstood me. I am not taking a bath to make myself pure and holy. This body had been touched by Sri Ramakrishna several times. If I take a bath in the Ganga, the whole Ganga will become pure by my touch."

What a marvellous thing! Not that he was such a fool to declare such things, but it shows how much faith he had in Sri Ramakrishna. Once a person has faith in Sri Ramakrishna or Christ or Buddha, their understanding becomes totally different. They will look at everything from the viewpoint of Sri Ramakrishna's vision. Sri Ramakrishna revered Ganga water. Whenever worldly people talked, he would sprinkle a few drops, and the whole thing would become pure according to him.

The same idea Holy Mother also used to give. Swami Vivekananda, the direct disciples, everyone used it. Interestingly, whenever the world-famous Swami Vivekananda visited Holy Mother, which was only on a few occasions, he would sprinkle himself with Ganges water again and again. Maybe he felt he was not pure enough to approach Holy Mother. And who is Holy Mother? She is the very embodiment of purity and holiness. The more we have faith in Sri Ramakrishna, the more we revere everything.

Of course, we know that it's not just that the Ganges is especially great. A Brahma Jnani sees everything as Brahman. Brahman means everything is pure; there is no impurity at all. So, coming back, once I have this right knowledge, it must guide my whole life. That practical way of living because a person has obtained that right knowledge is called ritam. This concept of ritam, in the course of time, turned into Dharma.

The whole Indian scriptures, next to Brahma Jnana, emphasize Dharma. That is why even the Vedas are divided into two parts. The first part is popularly called Karma Kanda and the second part is called Jnana Kanda. But truly speaking, many people say the first part is Dharma Kanda and the second part is Jnana Kanda. So, ritam means whatever right knowledge I have, I put it into practice. That is called ritam, that is called Dharma. This Dharma expanded over time and turned into Karma Siddhanta. Whatever I do, either through thought, speech, or action, will have inevitable results. Even Buddha used to say that.

So, Satyam Vadeshyami, Ritam Vadeshyami, Satyam Vadeshyami, Tanmam Avatu. That Brahman in the form of Hiranyagarbha, Tat means here Hiranyagarbha, who is none other than Brahman, Mam Avatu—may he protect me. What does this mean? May he make me live the right type of life. That is why Ramanujacharya's Sharanagati also starts with two initial things. The first is a Sankalpa: I will do only what pleases the Divine Lord. That is called Sankalpa. And then, whatever displeases Him, I will not even think about it. These are the very first steps. So let that Brahman in the form of Hiranyagarbha protect me always so that I will not think wrongly, speak wrongly, or act wrongly. If I can surrender myself to Him, He will definitely prevent me from doing anything wrong, even unconsciously.

Sri Ramakrishna used to say, if a devotee surrenders himself to the Divine Mother, she will not allow him to do wrong, even unconsciously. For example, Sri Ramakrishna himself used to give: one day, Holy Mother tied a small bit of spices because after food, if anybody chews them, the mouth becomes pure, holy rather, and good-smelling. When speaking to somebody, the rotten smell that comes from their mouths is unbearable and intolerable. But if we eat a little bit of these spices, like cloves or elaichi, then our mouth also feels fresh and good. Some people nowadays spray some kind of good-smelling product because they have no other option. But if we eat good food, this kind of smell will not come at all. So let that Divinity save me.

So in the manifestation of the Panchadevatas, let Hiranyagarbha save me. Me only? What about my present goal? I want to study the scriptures, especially this Upanishad called Taittiriya Upanishad. May He bestow His grace not only upon me but also upon my Guru. Let His body, mind, social circumstances, and physical circumstances all be favourable so that He will be peaceful. A happy Guru will teach happily and only the right things.

More importantly, the Guru acquires the capacity to love. When a person is happy, they feel loving toward others. If they are not happy, they feel like getting rid of that person or object. So, if my Guru is happy, He will start loving me. Once that love comes, whatever is best for the beloved will be done. In this case, the Guru will not teach anything that is not in keeping with the spirit of the scriptures and the Guru Parampara (traditional lineage). He will uphold what is right.

Because the disciple has surrendered, Bhagavan Krishna says to Arjuna, "Bhakta Sakha Chaitanya," meaning, "You are not only my devotee but also my closest friend. Therefore, I will unravel the secret for you because you are my friend." This means that when we love someone, we never want to deprive them of the truth.

So let Brahman bless not only me but also my Guru. Additionally, if we are learning along with other disciples, let there not be any quarrel with them. Strangely, this very Taittiriya Upanishad stems from such a quarrel, which I will discuss later. For the health and longevity of the Guru, and for conveying what he knows through his experience without any distortion, may Brahman bestow His grace on behalf of the Guru so that he will be able to transmit it properly, and I can receive it properly.

For that, the disciple prays. Of course, the Guru also always prays. Every Guru prays automatically. You need not tell, "Oh Lord, you are making me, using me as an instrument. May I never feel that I am teaching. No, my Divine Mother is teaching." To make this point, emphasis is needed.

May He protect me. May He protect my Guru. Twice. Why twice? Because it emphasizes the importance. And as we know, every peace chant ends with three utterances of "Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all." Why three times? Because there are three sources of afflictions and sufferings: Adhyatmika (personal), Adhibhautika (environmental), and Adhidaivika (divine).

By mentioning these three, we always connect the present talk with the past. The Bhagavan Eshwara manifests Himself in this world.

So, when we say Eshwara or God creates this world, from the Advaitic point of view, we have to understand He is not creating; He is manifesting. Creation implies something separate from Him, while manifestation means that, like wood manifesting as furniture or gold manifesting as ornaments, everything is inherently a part of Him.

There are three sources of manifestation: Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika, and Adhidaivika. The whole creation is divided into these three categories, and any disturbance in any one of them can become an obstruction. Therefore, let Adhyatmika be peaceful, let Adhibhautika be peaceful, and let Adhidaivika also be peaceful. Let there be perfect harmony among all these things.

When we utter the peace chant, it should be said not only when undertaking spiritual activities but also for any activity, even mundane ones. Whether we are engaging in worldly tasks or spiritual practices, we require the grace of God. This is popularly expressed in many Indian languages: without Ishwara's will, even a leaf will not move, and even an ant will not bite. This indicates that nothing is possible without the grace of God. God manifests in the forms of Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika, and Adhidaivika, but we are given the privilege of individuality so that we can enjoy God even more fully.

In Vaishnava philosophy, it is said that God created Radha Devi so that He could enjoy the union between Himself and Himself. He became Radha to enjoy Himself. With this understanding, the Shanti Patha (peace chant) uttered thrice is complete. It is a marvellous Shanti Patha. Even an atheist, if they understand that God means the five elements, will not object to using the term Panchadevata instead of God.

From the next class onwards, we will talk about the introduction to the Taittiriya Upanishad. Even though I have given it earlier, I recognize the power of our marvellous memories, so we will revisit it.