Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 119 Summary on 26 August 2026
Full Transcript (Not Corrected)
Opening Prayer (Śānti Pāṭha)
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu
ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ हरि ॐ
OM SAHANAVAVATO SAHANAV BHUNAKTO SAHAVIRYAM KARAVAVAHAI TEJASVINAVADHITAMASTUMA VIDVISHAVAHAI OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIHI HARIHI OM
OM May Brahman protect us both. May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge.
May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge.
May what we both study reveal the truth. May we cherish no ill feeling toward each other.
OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL
Introduction: The Second Chapter – Brahmānandavallī
We are summarising the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad – very aptly and beautifully called Brahmānandavallī. This second chapter has got nine sections, and the second chapter deals with the attainment of Self‑knowledge – who we really are. This second chapter, especially the very first section, is called the very essence of every scripture in this world – whether someone calls Brahman as God, as the Creator, etc. That is what the true nature of God is – Brahman. So it is called Upaniṣad-sāra-saṅgrahaḥ.
The Main Chapter
And this second chapter is the main chapter of the entire Taittirīya – also every other scripture, as I just now mentioned. And the very first section is the very essence of every scripture. Why do we say so? Because it beautifully discusses that God or Brahman exists. Seven reasons are given for the existence of Brahman, and this Upaniṣad points out: one who realises Brahman – not "that is Brahman" – not "that is Brahman", but "I am Brahman." What does he gain? By knowing one's own Self as Brahman, one enjoys infinite, eternal existence, consciousness, bliss – Ānanda.
The Three Parts
And this second chapter also tells us the way to know – how to know "I am Brahman." So we have seen the entire Brahmānandavallī can be divided into three parts:
- Very briefly, like a four‑word introduction – in any good book written by knowledgeable people, every talk should contain, every book should contain three things: (a) what I am going to speak or write about, (b) elaborate it, and (c) the summary of what I wanted to convey to you. That is how even the Upaniṣad in the very first section exactly deals with these things.
Desire and Attainment
Now, people usually – all of us – we only desire something. First, we should know something exists. Second, it is obtainable, attainable. Third, there is a way to obtain it. And the most important part is: what do I get? After all, there may be something, and it may be obtained or gained, but what do I get out of it? Only wasted energy, wasted time? No.
The First Statement: Brahmavid āpnoti param
So the very first thing it tells – so beautifully, even from the viewpoint of how a book should be written or a speech should be delivered – this is a beautiful guideline for that. So what is it? Brahmavid āpnoti param – "A knower of Brahman attains the highest." What is that highest? He experiences the bliss of this infinite universe. Whatever creature is experiencing bliss – if we combine all these blisses together of every individual creature – that is what the knower – a person who knows "I am Brahman" – obtains. And at the same time, not one by one, because when a person becomes infinite or knows that he is infinite, then in infinity there is no thing called "part." Infinity does not know what is called attachment.
Attachment and Duality
If there is attachment, wherever there is attachment, there will be detachment also – because attachment means what? "I am nearer, closer to this object." But at the same time, if I am nearer to somebody, I am further away from everybody else. That is called duality. Where there is cold, one is aware of heat. Where there is happiness, one is aware of unhappiness. Where a person is aware of respect, of honour, of gains, the opposite also will be there. If somebody says "I am born", the opposite – "I am going to die" – will always be there, and we do not want to think about it. That is why we go on postponing: "I am young – there is still a lot of time for me to give up the body. I will think at that time." Foolishness, of course, can go no further than this, because every day we are witnessing in front of our eyes – there is no guarantee. The senior‑most does not necessarily die first, and the youngest one the last. No – death can come at any time, at any place, to anybody, under any circumstance, in any way.
Death Can Come at Any Time
A person may die very happily. My mother was such a fortunate woman – she was travelling in a bus, and suddenly her breath stopped; in one second she passed away. So there are people who just had a nice dinner. One such swami whom I know very well – a great swami, Swami Vidyātmananda – he was in France in our Vedānta centre, and he had a nice dinner. He really enjoyed. The only thing is, I think he might regret that the dessert had not been served – and in between these two, he suddenly collapsed; within a fraction of a minute he passed away. So he enjoyed life until that second. Nobody knows when death is going to come.
The Knower of Brahman
But a jñānī of Brahman knows that "I am not subject to birth and death. I am pure existence." Modification of existence is called birth, sustenance, and death. But no – a jñānī of Brahman knows: "I am never born. So I am not going to grow up, I am not going to die." This automatically comes to that person. So this highest – Brahmavid āpnoti param – can be translated in devotee's language as liberation, going to Vaikuṇṭha, Kailāsa, etc. So God realisation.
God Realisation Is the Only Goal
Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: "God realisation is the only goal of life – not one of the goals of life, only goal of life." That is why the ṛṣis divided life into gradual progress towards God – or towards knowing that "I am God." And in the end, the fourth stage is fully knowing "I am God."
The Three Questions
So the very first statement – "A knower of Brahman attains the highest" – very naturally raises three basic questions:
- What is this blessed Brahman?
- What is the method of knowing Brahman?
- What is the result of attaining this Brahman?
Brahma-lakṣaṇam
In Sanskrit, beautiful words – even if you know a little bit, you can enjoy thoroughly: Brahma-lakṣaṇam – what is the definition? What is called Brahman? Without this definition, we cannot transact in this world at all. So even when you apply for a school – "I am the child of such‑and‑such parents. I just passed my high school. I want to enter into college or university. I have studied these subjects" – that is called self‑introduction. So Brahma-lakṣaṇam – if we desire anything, we must know what it is. "I want a car" – what is a car? And what can a car do to me? And how to obtain the car? Of course, obtaining the car means how to make it run, also – all these are there.
The Definition
But when a person attains Brahman, there is no question of knowing anything else – just to know "I am." That is the highest goal. So what is the Brahma-lakṣaṇam given? Satyam jñānam anantam brahma. But here, as I said, first the Upaniṣad in the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad briefly states like this. First is called Sūtra-bhāga – very briefly, it gives a certain statement, and then it elaborates, and then it gives what is the result of attainment of Brahman. This should be the normal logical steps. But here, the very first thing it says: "Do you want the highest bliss – the greatest bliss, eternal bliss, unbroken bliss? Yes, of course – who says 'I do not want to be happy'?" So even if there is some perverted mind which says "I do not want to be happy" – that person is very happy in saying, in thinking, "I do not want to be happy," because we can never think, never speak other than what is desirable – which is called Ānanda or "happiness" in normal terms. But here it is called bliss – Ānanda.
Happiness vs. Bliss
Ānanda means what? What is the difference between happiness and Ānanda? Many times I have expounded, but I want still to tell about it, to remind. Happiness is what we think we are getting from outside – it is limited and it is conditional, and it comes, it goes – it depends upon many factors. Whereas bliss is my own nature. "I am happy" – why are you happy? That is no question at all – "I am happy" because that is my nature. Why is sugar sweet? Because that is its nature. It is like that. Why does a mother love her children? Because that is her nature – mother's nature. By the way, you have to understand: if any mother says "I do not love my children" or "some children," then you have to say that she is not a mother – motherliness is absent in her. She has given birth like an animal – but that is also we should not say "animal" – that would be insulting animals. You observe a cat, you observe even a rat, observe any bird – the divine motherhood is manifest everywhere. They will protect their young ones, even at the cost of their own lives.
The March of the Penguins
There is a beautiful film that had come long back – it is called The March of the Penguins. How much they suffer in order to feed! Eighteen miles they had to walk, passing through the test of so many birds of prey and hungry seals, etc. Only few survive, and when they survive, then they come and the chick is waiting. Father was feeding it for six months or so, and then his mother comes – the transference in that frozen area within a second from the warm feet of the father on to the warm feet of the mother – and then she brings out from within her stomach, goes on feeding – and this is an eternal process.
Sṛṣṭi, Sthiti, Laya
Sṛṣṭi – and the being who gives sṛṣṭi – that very being must sustain. Nobody else can do it. And ultimately, we go back from where we came. So first, says: "What do you gain? You want to be happy. You are in search of happiness – nobody will deny it. Then do not aim for smaller happinesses – because you have been doing it since so many births. Now you have seen every happiness, every pleasure you got is a limitation. But there is a definite source of infinite happiness."
The Nature of Brahman
How? It is not that it is somewhere – no, even if it is somewhere and I am separate from it, then that means there will come a time when it will remain, but I will pass away. No – "I am of the nature of eternal existence, eternal consciousness, eternal bliss." So, in a very clipped manner, the second chapter says: Brahma-lakṣaṇam – that is parā-prāpti-phalam – that is what is the result. This is like an advertisement: "You want to be happy, so you use this one."
What Is the Nature of Brahman?
Then what is the nature of this Brahman? If you are saying that Brahman is of the nature of Ānanda, then only there is a desire for me. But if Brahman Himself or itself is seeking Ānanda, then there is no use – one beggar cannot obtain anything from another beggar. And may be Brahman may be having some Ānanda – it may be as temporary as mine – that also will not do. It must be eternally, infinitely, unbrokenly happy. That infinite happiness is called Ānanda.
The Three Questions
So first: "If you realise – Brahmavid – a knower of Brahman – that means when we come to know 'I am Brahman, I obtain the highest.'" Then what is the second question that comes? "How can Brahman give me happiness? How can I be happy?" Because your nature is satyam jñānam anantam brahma – anantam means here unbroken bliss. So that is the truth – and that is pure consciousness – that is infinite bliss. Then only comes the third one: Brahma-vidhāna-prakāraḥ – "How to know that Brahman?" That means how can I progress in spiritual life gradually, slowly and gradually, and know that "I am Brahman."
The Three Parts of the Second Chapter
So this is what is dealt with in this second chapter called Brahmānandavallī. So we have discussed some of the points. So Brahman is to be recognised. "I have to reach Brahman." Where is this blessed Brahman? Parame vyoman pratisṭhitam yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyām – "You do not need to go anywhere – it is right there inside you in the very cave of your heart." Cave of your heart means in your consciousness – is Brahman, because everything is consciousness. "I am" – how do I know I am conscious? How do I know I am a young man, young woman – consciousness? How do I know that I am happy? If I do not know I am happy, then I am not a happy person at all. I must be conscious. "I have no desire" – that means I am very happy. Even if there is a hidden desire, then I am not happy, because any desire makes me feel "I am finite. I am not full. I am not anantam – I am santam – finite only."
The Qualifications of a Guru
All right – "I believe what my teacher tells. I believe what the scripture tells. My Guru does not tell anything excepting what the scripture tells. Only he lives the life, and he convinces me by his life." That is the understanding – or that should be the understanding about one's Guru. His life must be pure – śrotriya brahmaniṣṭha akāmatasya – he must be a thorough knower of scriptures by realisation. This knowledge is true like a scientific experiment – "I know it is true because I experimented it, so I know what result it will give – as good as 'two plus two is four'."
Removing Impurity
Then his whole life before God realisation is to make himself – herself – pure, purer, purest – then only remove all obstacles. Impurity is the name of the obstacle. When it is removed, the person understands: "I was thinking I was the physical body, I was the prāṇa, I was the mind, I was the buddhi (intellect), I was the ānandamaya kośa." In other words, "I am the waking, dream, and dreamless state." But when a person climbs to the highest roof – as we discussed in our last class – which is ānandamaya kośa, then his vision becomes perfect. He understands: "I am not a kośa – I am Ānanda." From ānandamaya kośa, he deducts maya kośa. What remains is only Ānandam – "I am Ānanda, and it is not limited." Kośa means that which is limited – without kośa, it is unlimited. Then that is what we want. Everything in this world wants to be itself.
Every Atom Seeks Freedom
Swami Vivekananda poetically describes this: "Every atom, albeit unconsciously, is flying towards freedom." It does not know where it is going, but it wants to be free. So how does it? Where is it flying? After reading this statement you might question: "What is Swamiji talking about? How do these very atoms – some of them together become the inorganic – until that time they become a little bit aware – that is called life starts – or they become organic, maybe amoeba. And during the course of time, slowly it evolves, developing the instruments called body and mind, towards – after a long, long time (of course, we are not aware of time, but this is only description from the scriptures) – after a long time, because of so many lessons learned during this long journey, the person's consciousness slowly awakens: 'I wanted to be happy. I wanted to enjoy life, but why am I suffering? Because I have deviated from the direct teachings of the scripture.'"
The Purpose of Life
And then slowly he claims – that is the very purpose to aid, to help a person – first by teaching how life should be lived, what is the goal of life, and then actually experimenting and experiencing, going through ups and downs. His third eye – the eye of wisdom – opens up, and immediately he understands: "I have lost something at my home – but why am I running either and either, searching in the wrong place?" And then he wants to return home – but by that time he is far away from home. That is called returning home, which is called Vānaprasthāśrama – "I must – everything that I want is in my own home." And then he progresses slowly, and he has forgotten where he has hidden his own treasure, and he goes on thinking, searching, and at last the treasure becomes his – which is called Sanyāsāśrama.
The Jewish Wisdom Tale
I cannot refrain myself from telling a beautiful story. It is a Jewish wisdom tale. There was a poor rabbi, and for many years he suffered so much. He was praying to God: "O Lord, I am not asking to give me enormous wealth. I am only asking to maintain my family, my starving children – just to give enough." And God was gracious. One day He appeared to him and said: "Joshua, there is a bridge five miles from here – go there. And beneath the bridge there is a great treasure hidden." And the person had complete faith – like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa in dreams. So next day he took a shovel and other instruments, and he went and then he started digging.
The Soldier's Dream
Now there was a guard posted on the bridge so that nobody can damage it, because it is a very valuable bridge aiding business, etc. And the guard was astonished – this old man in ragged clothes was digging something beneath the bridge. So he went and asked him: "What are you doing?" The rabbi was very straightforward – without hiding, he said: "This is what happened – I saw yesterday night, I saw a dream. God directed me to dig here. He said there is a great treasure." Then the soldier started laughing and laughing and said: "You must be mad to believe in such weird dreams. Look here – yesterday night I also had a dream. In that I seem to have gone to the house of a poor rabbi, and underneath his hearth there is a great treasure – that is what I saw. Then I woke up." And the rabbi understood the message: God had directed him here to direct him – "You do not need to go anywhere – you dig in your own house." Then he thanked the soldier and went back, started digging beneath his own hearth. He discovered tremendous valuable jewels, etc., treasure, and he was very happy.
The Meaning of the Story
This, as I said, is a wisdom story. What does it mean? It means a person who is in search of the greatest treasure which is called God should approach a teacher – a qualified teacher, Guru – and he must sit humbly. And then "Why did you come?" – "I want to realise God." And then the teacher trains him, and then ultimately he gives final instructions: "God is hidden in your own heart. You do not need to search either and thither. You go and you sit calmly, and you turn your attention inward, and you will get the greatest immeasurable treasure called God Himself." So this is a very beautiful story, and these stories are meant not to be entertained but to meditate upon them.
Brahman Is in the Heart
So Brahman is to be recognised nowhere else. If I do not recognise Brahman in myself, I cannot recognise Brahman anywhere else. So how to obtain Brahman? Yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ parame vyoman pratiṣṭhitam – "That Brahman is within each one of our own heart." That is what Swami Vivekananda meant: "Each soul is potentially divine."
The Witness (Sākṣī)
So then that Brahman, that God, is acting as the witness. So that Sākṣī – that is the first thing we have to recognise. Open your eyes: "I am happy. I am aware I am happy. I am not happy. I am aware I am not happy." "This is cold" – I am aware of it. "It is hot" – I am aware of it. So whether there is a thought about anything, I am aware of it. Whether there is no thought about some things, I am aware of it. So I become a Sākṣī for both bhāva and abhāva – for the existence and non‑existence of every thought that passes. And every thought – we should not forget – represents one object in this world. So when we try to focus, this Sākṣī is eternal because it is witnessing the waking state, it is witnessing the dream state, it is also witnessing the deep sleep state. Slowly that is how we contemplate upon it, and the Guru initiates into Mahāvākya – the word to that – and then soon after, after some effort, by the grace of God alone, the sādhaka realises Aham Brahmasmi.
The Result
So we already have seen what is the result: sa aśnute sarvān kāmān saha – eternally he enjoys everything. Now the doubt may come: "How do we know that Brahman exists?" For that purpose, in the very first section, after stating these marvellous truths about one's own Self – "Each soul is potentially divine. The goal of life is to unfold, to manifest this divinity" – whole life is an opportunity, and whole life we have been given the opportunity to practise Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jñāna Yoga – and all the four yogas together.
All Yogas Are Interdependent
As I mentioned, nobody can afford to say "I only will practise either devotion, or concentration, or Karma Yoga." One becomes dominant, but all the other three must be there to support – they cannot be separated, like a four‑lane motorway – any lane you can take, but you cannot take any lane even though you are free; it depends upon your car, depends upon your alertness. So if you are forgetful and very slow reactor, you will have to go through the slowest lane, etc.
The Seven Reasons
So now that is what is being given. "Is there Brahman at all? Yes." How is it? Seven reasons are given. For that purpose, an elaborate description of sṛṣṭi started: Tasmād vā etasmād ātmanaḥ ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ; ākāśād vāyuḥ; vāyor agniḥ; agner āpaḥ; adbhyāḥ pṛthivī; pṛthivyā oṣadhayaḥ; oṣadhībhyo 'nnam; annāt puruṣaḥ; sa vā eṣa puruṣo 'nnarasamayaḥ.
Tracing Back to the Cause
My parents are this earth. My mother is the earth. The mother of earth is waters. The mother of waters is agni. The mother of agni is vāyu. And the mother of vāyu is ākāśa. And the mother of ākāśa, so to say, is Ātman. So if we go on tracing back from the effect to its cause, and then that cause becomes an effect in its turn – this is what we also discussed in our last class. When we say "I am not the body," it means we have to add: "I am not only the body – I am something other than the body. So I have to include prāṇa. I am not only the prāṇa – I am also the mind. I am not only the body, prāṇa, and mind – I am also the intellect." Intellect here means ānanda, cit consciousness. And then this consciousness leads me to that highest experienceable Ānanda called kośa-ānanda – that is called ānandamaya kośa. But ānandamaya kośa is also an effect, and every effect must have a cause. The final cause must not have any other cause excepting itself.
The Goal Is Happiness
So we have seen that the goal of life is to be very happy. And how do I become very happy? By knowing that my very nature is of happiness. And as I mentioned many times, if I am happy, I have to exist to experience my own happiness. And then I am existing, I am happy – but if I am not conscious of my existence, if I am not conscious that I am not only existing, but I am happily existing – that cit – all the three go together. So you have to say any prāṇī – so it is Sat – it exists, and it knows "I exist" – it is conscious, "I exist" – and it is striving for happiness. Of course, it gets limited happiness called kośa-ānanda, pratibimba-ānanda.
Bimba-Ānanda and Pratibimba-Ānanda
Bimba-ānanda is a term which means original Ānanda, but when it is reflected through the pañcakośas, when we are in the highest kośa – ānandamaya kośa – pure Ānanda will be there. But when I am coming down to the vijñānamaya kośa, it becomes a bit less. When I come to the manas – mind – it becomes even less. When I come to the prāṇa, it becomes even less. And when I come to the body, it becomes even less. It does not become less, but our capacity to experience it becomes less and less.
The Sṛṣṭi Prakaraṇam
So the sṛṣṭi-prakaraṇam also comes until the fifth section. So from the fifth it starts. The explanation about this sṛṣṭi starts in the first section and continues until the fifth section. And then after hearing, the student goes on: three questions come. "You are talking about the existence of Brahman. So what is this blessed Brahman? How do we know it exists?" To give a brief answer: "You, the questioner – even to ask me this question, you have to be existent. Nobody can say 'I do not exist.' Even to say 'I do not exist' – who can tell? A dead body will not tell 'I exist.' It is only a conscious being that can tell not only 'I exist,' but 'I am aware I exist.'" That is the beautiful argument we have to keep in mind.
The Three Questions
So for that purpose, the student will get three answers. What are the three questions? Two questions were explicitly asked, and one more implied question. Total three – two questions were explicitly asked and one question is implied there. Addressing the Guru, the disciple says: "If I realise Brahman – or if anybody realises Brahman – then he attains Brahman. Very good. But suppose there is an ignorant person – he is not even aware that Brahman exists. So after death, what happens to the knower and to the ignorant? Does an ignorant person – because according to your teaching, from Brahman's viewpoint, there is no knower and there is no ignorant person. Everything is Brahman – sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma."
The Questions Are Wrong
So these two questions are purely from an ignorant point of view – not logical at all. The questions are wrong. Why are the questions wrong? Because the teaching is: everything is Brahman. Brahman is the root cause – this entire creation has been explained, and it is nothing but – any effect is nothing but the cause only. I have explained to you, O my beloved student – you have not grasped properly. It is not that a person is going to attain. It is not that some people will attain Brahman and some people will not attain Brahman. Everybody will attain. That is a wrong question. There is no need to attain Brahman. Both a wise person and an ignorant person – both are Brahman, whether they know it or not. Only the wise person knows "I am Brahman." The ignorant person, even though he is Brahman, thinks he is not Brahman – it is only a thought process, that is all. Even the knowing person got that knowledge only after sitting at the feet of the Guru practising all these things. So your questions are wrong.
The Implied Question
Then what is the implied question? The implied question is: "If what you say is true, then only these questions are relevant. But what is the proof that Brahman exists really?" So for that purpose, seven reasons are given to prove the very existence of Brahman – which we will come very soon, today itself.
Transcending Limitations
But to transcend this limitation – first limitation, second limitation, like annamaya kośa, prāṇamaya kośa, etc. – a beautiful imagery is given. Imagine that you are like a human being – you have got a left side, right side, back side, your legs which are carrying you, and your head. So tasya idaṃ vai śiraḥ – "This is his head." idaṃ dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ – "This is the right side." idaṃ uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ – "It is the left side." idaṃ ātmā – "This is the backbone." idaṃ puccham pratiṣṭhā – "It is kept firmly supported by the legs, by the foundation," etc. So that is how you go on meditating and transcending – that not only "I am this one body, one mind," but "I am universal."
Identifying with the Universal
So first one identifies with Virāṭ Brahma, then with what is called Hiraṇyagarbha, then with Īśvara Himself. The entire universe is identified with oneself. Slowly but surely the person is going to grow up. So the sixth and seventh sections deal with these two questions, with the implied question whether Brahman exists or not.
The Eighth Section – Analysis of Ānanda
Now, in order to understand why Brahman exists, the eighth section deals with the analysis of progressively greater Ānanda. So if a youth – young man – very strong, very healthy, very intelligent, very idealistic – if such a person is the emperor of this entire earth, or entire physical creation, entire galaxies, everything – then that Ānanda he attains – that beautiful Ānanda. But that is one measure of entire human happiness – the highest human happiness. But immediately the Upaniṣad appends at the end: śrotriyasya ca akāmatasya – "one who does not have desires" – even a person who is sleeping does not have any desires. No – a person who realises "I am infinite" – only such a person will not have any desires. Even that person gets this Ānanda because he has realised "I am Brahman." Without going to any higher loka, he obtains the same happiness.
The Twelvefold Progression
About twelve times or so it is repeated until Brahmaloka is reached, and every higher loka gives one hundred times more happiness than the lower loka. That one hundred times should not be taken as a mathematical truth – "one hundred" means indescribably, infinitely higher happiness – limited though, only language‑wise – "so much happiness" – no comparison with the lower Ānanda. And at every stage: manuṣya-gandharva, karma-gandharva, then karma-deva – nāma, then prajāpati, Indra, Bṛhaspati, Prajāpati – all these goes on and on and on, I think around twelve times or so. It is the highest measurable, temporary happiness – that will be not Brahman's Ānanda, but Brahma Loka Ānanda. And when a person reaches there along with that, this person – remember, he is doing so much of hard austerity – so that person also realises he is progressing – that more and more he becomes like a cleaner mirror and reflects the reality, which is like a mirror reflecting the light of the sun. And when he reaches Brahmaloka, almost like a person's kuṇḍalinī arises and reaches Ājñā Cakra – as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says – and then he understands even Brahmaloka Ānanda is infinitesimally smallest, incomparably smallest Ānanda because it is external. If you go somewhere, you will have to come back – but no coming, no going. When I myself am Ānanda, wherever I go I am a person of Ānanda.
The Purpose of the Analysis
This is the analysis we get beautifully, but as I said, what is important is not to remember how much Ānanda we get in higher lokas. But through that also, the scripture wants to prove that higher lokas do exist, and every higher loka, as I say, is nothing but a state of higher consciousness. That is what we have to understand – not a geographical location, higher and lower. So then his vairāgya becomes more. Śrotriyasya ca akāmatasya – a person who knows "I am Brahman" – he does not need to go anywhere. He knows "I am Ānanda." Even Brahmaloka Ānanda is available only in Brahmaloka – until one reaches Brahmaloka, one will not get that Ānanda. So that is what the Upaniṣad in this second chapter wants to convey in the eighth section.
Fear and Fearlessness
Then Brahman also becomes what is called the cause of both fear and fearlessness. That is part of the seven reasons we get. Then the Upaniṣad says: sa eṣa yaś cāyaṃ puruṣaḥ, yaś cāsāv ādityaḥ, sa ekaḥ – "One gets the knowledge that the supreme reality which is manifesting in the sun, and the reality with which you are able to recognise that highest reality in the sun – both are one and the same. There is no difference." Light is light whether it is there or not, but nobody can express this one: yato vāco nivartante, aprāpya manasā saha – "Nothing in this world can be described exactly. Only partially we can describe. Only through one's own experience – even any knowledge, even worldly knowledge, can only be proved through description."
The Seven Reasons for Brahman's Existence
Now, does Brahman exist? As I said, seven reasons are given. I am not going to elaborate – you will have to go back and listen to that.
- Nimitta-kāraṇatvāt – Nimitta means cause. Brahman is both the material as well as intelligent cause, because we see the effect, but wherever there is effect, there must be a cause. So because of that effect, Brahman exists.
- Jīva-rūpeṇa vartamānatvāt – You are asking the questions, so you are existent. Your existence proves existence itself. And Brahman is all existence.
- Jagat-rūpatvāt – We experience the whole universe and it exists. You cannot experience something without something existing there. So Jagat-rūpatvāt – we are experiencing ourselves, we are experiencing the entire world – and that is how the third reason is given, which proves the very existence of Brahman.
- Sukṛta-prasiddhatvāt – There is so much of ānanda, so much of knowledge – exponentially it is increasing now. So Brahman is called sukṛta. Sukṛta means svayam-kṛta – "self‑born." Self‑born means what? Brahman is not an effect. Brahman is its own eternal infinite cause.
- Vāsarūpeṇa prasiddhatvāt – Because Brahman is famous in the form of Ānanda. Even an ant, when it is carrying sugar, it is so joyful. When it eats sweet, it becomes very full – just keep some sweets in your house and see how ants come running from where. So if you want to collect some ants, put a little bit of sugar – you do not need to go hunting for them – they themselves will come and hunt you. Then that is called Ānanda – ānanda-rūpeṇa prasiddhatvāt.
- Śarīra-ceṣṭā-darśanāt – If there is a body and it is alive and it is doing something, what is it that directs all these activities? "I desire" – and "I have knowledge of this object – therefore I am able to desire." And "this is the way to obtain this particular object which fulfils my desire." All this is possible only because of that consciousness that is manifest in each one of us. That is the fifth proof of the existence of Brahman.
- The sixth one is we are all afraid: "I may die, I may be unhealthy, ill, or somebody may take away something from me, or I have applied for a college admission – I have applied for a job – I may not get" – all these are called the causes of fear. And where there is fear – that is to prove that – the Upaniṣad gives: "The sun shines, the wind is blowing, the fire is burning" – all these are given. Even death is running because of the fear of Brahman – that means because of the cause of Brahman. Brahman only in the form of the sun and the wind and the fire and death is acting actually upon itself. So Brahman is the cause of fear, and as well Brahman is the cause of fearlessness. When a person comes to know that "I am Brahman" – not only "I am Brahman" – everything is Brahman. That is the seventh reason given for the existence of Brahman, to prove logically that Brahman exists. So because of these seven reasons, Brahma asti.
Conclusion: The Essence of the Second Chapter
So this is the essence of the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad – called Brahmānandavallī. Now a third chapter is there – we have already seen it is called Bhṛguvallī. So here, very practically:
- How one should approach a Guru – that is the first point.
- He must have complete faith in the Guru.
- We must become receptive, and for that receptivity we have to practise tapasyā – austerity, meditation – not only meditation. Every one of our activities must be to get rid of selfishness and to transform our character, our life into a saint's life. For that, such upāsanas – contemplations – are also prescribed, and how we can obtain the vision that the entire creation is nothing but manifestation of Brahman with nāma-rūpa.
These are just only a foretaste, so to say. We will discuss the essence of the third chapter called Bhṛguvallī in our next class.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deviṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!