Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 54 on 28 May 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU 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 In our last class, we started the second chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad, which is also called Brahmavali, Anandavali or Brahmanandavali. Because it discusses about Brahman, it defines what is Brahman. It tells us all of us are none other than Brahman. And one who knows that he or she is Brahman, he will be experiencing Brahmananda. Even the word experiencing is only for the lack of a good word. Language has its own limitations. This second chapter has nine sections called Anuvakas. And this second chapter is also called Upanishad Sarasangrahah. The very essence, summarization of every scripture in this world, the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and every other scripture. What does it detail? What is the goal of life? What does one gain by the realization of God or Brahman? What is the definition of Brahman? And where is that Brahman? And how can one realize Him? For that it also says one has to do meditation in the very cave of the heart through loving meditation or Upasana. And how are we related to Brahman or God? To explain that, the Upanishad gives an elaborate description of creation, involution. Not only creation but involution also. Step by step description. And it also gives us that we are not one person. We are five layered personalities. And the grossest layer is the most limited. Higher layers are subsequently less and less limited until we can go beyond all the five limitations. In my last class I was giving introduction. I have to continue a little bit. Then it will be easy for us to proceed. Om Brahmavid Aapnoti Param Tat Esha Abhyukta Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma Yuv Vedah Nihitam Guhayam Paramevyoman So Ashnute Sarvan Kaman Brahmana Vipashchite Thehe So we were dealing with that. He who knows Brahman attains the supreme. On the above Taittiriya Mantra, the following Rig Mantra is quoted as support. He who knows Brahman who is defined as truth, knowledge and infinity, which Brahman or God is hidden in the cave of the heart of every creature and especially available to human beings. Within that heart there is the highest, subtlest Akasha, Chidakasha. And Brahman being one or Jiva being one with that omniscient Brahman, when once he realizes, enjoys simultaneously all desires. So this is what is the meaning of the first mantra. So first of all we have to define what is Brahman. Even though I have given an introduction, but it will be good to recollect that one. Everything we see in this universe is unimaginably big. Try to think how many mosquitoes are there? How many human beings are there? Every single object, how many numbers are there? How many galaxies are there? Unimaginable. And it is a real statement. But let us try to picture something even bigger than that. Something so big that the bigness of every object is only a pale reflection of that bigness of Brahman. And here it means not physically or mentally big. It means when we remove, negate all limitations, what remains is called bigness or Brahman. So this is what the text calls that which is the source of everything in this world, Brahman. However big a thing is, even the biggest cosmos is only a creation. Creation in Sanskrit is called Karya. Karya means a product. Product means before it was not there, later it will not be there, in between the birth and dissolution it will be there. So it is limited by time, space and object. We will discuss a little bit about this one earlier. So that Brahman is described as infinite existence and consciousness. So let us think that we have so many dresses. But take one particular dress, a shirt for example, what is it made up of? Threads. What are the threads made up of? Ultimately cotton. What is the cotton made up of? You can put any word like atoms or particles etc. But what we have to arrive at is that there is something called existence. What is this analogy for? Supposing out of clay or out of this dress or cotton, a dress is made. Every single dress is big or small, even compared to itself. When a baby is dressed, exactly it fits him. And when he grows up, that very dress which was absolute fit becomes smaller in comparison with him. This is just an analogy. So take another analogy. Imagine there are 100 pots made out of clay. So every pot before its birth, it was clay. After its birth, it is called a pot to distinguish it. And what distinguishes it is called Nama, Rupa, Prayojana. The form, name and some purpose, utility. But does a second object other than clay called a pot really exist? No. Same pot with Nama, Rupa and Prayojana is called a pot. These are qualities, limiting factors to distinguish a big pot from a small pot, a square pot from a round pot etc. But basically every pot is nothing but clay. And if you remove from every object Nama, Rupa and Prayojana, what remains is absolute existence. And it definitely annihilates the distinction between a saint, a sinner, human being, non-human being, living, non-living. Everything is at once annihilated. Simply existence is there. That is what is called Brahman. So it is infinite existence and consciousness. In this particular section is what is called, this mantra we have read. Our earlier teachers have divided it into three parts or three ways of understanding. What is the first one? Like a Pithi saying and which will be a little bit expanded further and which will be explained in even more detail. These are the three parts. So when it is very brief it is called Sutra Vakyam. So in this second chapter, first section, what is the Sutra? Brahma means Brahman or God. Vith means the person who realizes. What does it mean? Not like I know a table. I know a tree. No. I am Brahman. That is called Brahma Vith. What happens? Apnoti. At once he understands. Apnoti means attains. But we have to understand it. Apnoti means understands. That until now I am thinking I am not Brahman. Now I know I am Brahman. So what does he gain? Param. Paramapurushartha. Moksha. Brahmananda. Liberation. So such a person. Param Apnoti. Brahma Vith Param Apnoti. Param means Paramapurushartha. There is only one Paramapurushartha. That is called Moksha. Moksha means freedom from ignorance. Knowing one as one really is. So this Sutra Vakya. What it says? The knower of Brahman attains the highest. And what is this highest? So it is described as Infinite Purnatva. That means that which is beyond three limitations. I hope you remember. What are the three limitations? Time limitation. Space limitation. Object limitation. So that is called Purnatva. And that is why in some Upanishads we get Purnamadaha Purnamidham. Purnam means Param. Param means Brahman. That is Brahman. This is Brahman. Or that is infinite. This is infinite. This visible creation is also infinite. Because infinite can never be divided, subtracted, added or multiplied. We have to understand. So what is this? Purnatva. Another name. God. Simple language is what Sri Ramakrishna calls God or God Realization. So Param means Moksha. Param means to know I am God or I am Brahman. Param means to go beyond all the three limitations. That is what he says. So anyone who has this knowledge that I am Brahman truly attains Moksha. Only then he attains Moksha. And thereafter there is no limitation for him. Other people. That means those who think God is different, I am different. Most of the devotees like us are like that. No matter how great we are, in many other ways, we remain in the samsara as only bound people. So even if we are so-called religious people and we do so many rituals, bhajans, pilgrimages, japas, etc., until we gain this knowledge of Brahman, we are still considered as religious samsaris. That's all. Even a person who does great japam, tapam, upasana is a upasaka samsari. If they don't understand I am Brahman. That is why Totapuri Maharaj was forced to ask Sri Ramakrishna to even remove that lost thought called I am Brahman. Brahma akara vritti. So the Upanishad goes to mention all these rituals, pujas, pilgrimages, meditations, japams, study of scriptures, singing of bhajans, pranayama. Everything is useful, but only they are not the goal. They are the means. So moksha, the ultimate liberation, there is only one way to it, to gain this knowledge, aham brahmasmi. So this Sutra Vakyam, brief statement, leads to three important questions. What is Brahman? How can I know Brahman? And then what do I get by Brahman? So this is Brahma Vidha Apnoti Param. As I mentioned, the first division is very brief statement, but that remains enigma, secret. That's why so many sutra literature Brahma Sutra, Yoga Sutra, Dharma Sutra, etc., commentary is necessary. Otherwise, we can end up misunderstanding those things. So the second part starts. That is called vritti. Here, one point we have to note, some devotees, as Sri Ramakrishna often mentions, Ami cheeni kheete chai, cheeni hote chai na. I don't want to attain, to become Brahman. I want to go to Brahman and enjoy. So Vaishnavas say, I want to go to Vaikuntha. Shaivas say, I want to go to Kailasa. Devotees of Mother say, I want to go to Devi Loka, like Madhur Babu had gone. But then, once they reach there, God will not tolerate any distinction. I may think, I want to be separate from God, but God will, out of His infinite mercy, cut me down because He will not have peace of mind with all these devotees hanging around. So He will immediately say, My children, this is your real nature. So go to Vaikuntha. No harm in that. Cherish any understanding about Vaikuntha, Kailasa. No harm. But know this for certain. Once you reach there, you may want God to be separate from you. It is impossible for God to be separate from any one of us. So, the next comes a little more elaboration. So this is a little bit of Bhashyam. What is that? Upanishad wants to answer. What is Brahman? Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma. This is a quotation from Rig Mantra. This is called Lakshana Vakyam. So Lakshana means a definition. So here, interestingly, it is very beautiful to understand. Intellectually, every object can be known as a separate object only through some adjectives called Visayasanas. The object is called Visayasya and the qualities or characteristics like color, size, smell, etc. That is called adjectives. Simple example, Shankaracharya gives that there is a blue lily or blue lotus. It is big, Neelam, and Mahat. It is Sugandhi, very fragrant. And it is Neelam. It is of blue color. And therefore, what are these three adjectives? So these adjectives apply to many objects, not one single object. So what applies to many objects is called an adjective. But another way of understanding what is an adjective, what is its function, that which separates any single object from other objects is called adjectives. For example, in this very example, there are many lilies. Red lilies are there. Red lotuses are there. They are not very big and they are neither fragrant. So to distinguish, if we ask somebody, you go and get that blue-colored, very big, very fragrant lotus only. Bring only that one. So what happens? These adjectives separate every single object. Suppose some of you who are listening become too intelligent for me and put a question. Supposing there are side by side two lilies answering these adjectives, big, blue, very fragrant. Then how do you distinguish? Because bring other adjectives, that which is left side, that which is right side, that which is nearer to the bank, that which is further from the bank, or if you find a small bird sitting there, that lily upon which the bird is sitting. So somehow you have to point out which excludes everything. So what is the function of an adjective? That it excludes every other object of the same species or every other object from that object. But we need to understand there are many objects. So we want to get hold of one object. And therefore we have to give precise adjectives. Big book, red book, torn pages book, left-sided book, right-sided book, etc. So the function of an adjective is to eliminate every other object excepting that which is pointed through this adjective. But Shankaracharya, he brings in another beautiful idea. Here about Brahman, Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam are not merely adjectives but a very, what is called, Lakshana Vakyam, a defining adjective. This is distinct from. So what is the distinction between an adjective, what is called Viseshana, normal Viseshana with a Lakshana Viseshana. The difference is normal adjective only excludes every other object excepting that one particular object. There are so many objects. Remember this. Keep that in mind. But definition is it excludes an object from every other object in this world. It applies only to one particular object and these Viseshanas do not apply to anything else. Simple example, there is the sun. So how many suns are there? Only one sun is there. Meaning, how many Brahmans are there? Only one Brahman. So to distinguish one object from among many other objects is called an adjective. But to distinguish every single object from that one particular object and make it only one, not many objects, that is called a definition. This fine distinction is applied here when we try to understand what is Gnanam, what is Anantam and these are the defining characteristics of Brahman. Now we go to the second question. How can I know Brahman? You don't need to go anywhere. It is not in the Himalayas, Manasarovara or on the top of Mount Athos. No, wherever you are, it is all the time in you, within you. Where are you looking for me? I am with you. I am near you. So the Upanishad, this particular chapter tells Yo Veda Nihitam Guhayam Paramevyoman We have discussed, you should recollect what we discussed. Narayana Upanishad, Narayana Sukta and many other Upanishads also tell us. Even Chandugya, which we have been studying, tells in the eighth chapter, the very first section itself is Brahmapuri, etc. So, Yo Veda Nihitam Guhayam He who knows, that means we should know. Nihitam, it is sitting there, hidden. Where? Guhayam. Guha means buddhi. But if it is in the buddhi, why am I not able to know it? Because it is deeply hidden. So within that buddhi, there is a purified buddhi. In that purified buddhi, there is a great space called Chidakasha, which is called Paramevyoman. In that Paramevyoman is this Brahman. All the time there, beyond the limitations of time, space and object, but deeply hidden for everybody excepting a knower of Brahman. And why is it hidden? Because, Kathopanishad says that Brahma, the creator, created all our sense organs facing outward. So that is why we are looking outward. We are not looking within ourselves. But after a long time looking, we are actually looking for God only in the form of infinite existence, infinite consciousness, infinite ananda, infinite bliss. That is not an adequate word, but we are forced in English language. So after a long search, when we finally understand that we are not going to get what we are seeking outside, we turn our search within. That is called amrutatvam ichchan. Who can turn the search inside? Only a person who has come to a 100% definite conclusion that what I am searching is not available outside. And that word outside includes our mind also, antahkarana also. That means which is beyond the body and mind. That is what we need to understand. So you don't need to go anywhere, wherever you are, even the architect area in the freezing cold when you are living in that igloos. If you feel that urge to think about God, what do people do? Wherever they are, very naturally, very instinctively they close their eyes and start thinking about God. That closing eyes is called antarmukhinatvam. So a wise person desiring immortality turns his attention inwards to see that Atma which is his own inner self and which is always there saying aham, aham, aham. But we are denying it saying aham kara, aham dehaha, aham manaha, aham sthula shariraha, sokshma shariraha, karana shariraha, etc. So third question is what does a realiser, a knower of Brahman gain? The answer should be counter question. What cannot he gain? So what is the result of knowing I am Brahman or getting moksha? So the Upanishad quoting from this Vedic mantra says So says one who knows Brahman experiences every desire that is every single object that can be experienced in this world simultaneously. Billions of, billions of objects simultaneously he can experience how? Because he is not an individual he is the universal along with the all-knowing Brahman. means Sarvajna, Brahman. So what is moksha? Unbroken bliss that is. So this is the second part. What is the third part? Vritti. The rest of the Upanishad is elaborately commented upon This Vritti Vakyam called Bhashyam also and then we have already, I have already given what is Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantam. So what is Sathyam? Just briefly to recollect first we take up the word Anantam. Anantam means limitless. So the Upanishad wants to convey that there are three limitations. The Upanishad is not going to tell us. It is left for the commentator to tell us. That's why commentators are very necessary. We already know about these three limitations. Time limitation. Anything that is born before its birth is not there. That is called Praag Abhava. Abhava means non-existence. Praag means before. Before means before birth. So before the pot is born that pot is not existing as a pot. And it exists for some time. Time will come it will go back into its original cause which is called clay and that is Antya Bhava. That is when it comes to an end to us, for us to experience as a pot and never again it is going to be the same pot. That is the final losing. Remember, it doesn't lose existence. It loses its Nama, Rupa, Prayujana. That's all. So time space Vastu limitation. Anantam, the very word infinity means there is no spatial limitation. So if space, Akasha itself is limitless you cannot think what is beyond this space. Your very concept at the edge of the universe foolishly we say but that edge of the universe also what is there beyond that. Automatically we ourselves we use that word it comes out, blurt out. That means we cannot imagine what is outside space. But according to scripture space itself is also limited. Why? Because it is a product. Whatever is a product it is limited. How is Ananta limited? First of all before its birth space was not there. Only Brahman was there. That's why Atmana Akashaha Sambhutaha So before space was born Prathabhava before birth it was not there. So then it was born. What does it mean? In this infinitude that there was a point of time when it became manifest. After some time it won't manifest. Every day it doesn't manifest to us when our mind stops thinking. In between thoughts, when we are unconscious, when we are in deep sleep, this limitation all the three limitations will not be there at all. So space is, there is no spatial limitation for space. There is no time wise limitation but time wise limitation is there for space because before its birth it wasn't there. After birth it is experienceable. That's why time wise it is bound. Of course there is no object other than space and therefore time limitation is there. Vastu limitation is not there. But usually these are the three limitations. Time limitation space limitation and object limitation. What is this space limitation? If you are here in your house you are not there anywhere else. Not to speak of anywhere else. You are not even one centimetre from wherever you are occupying space. If you want to move, you are moving into a new space actually. Even one millimetre if you move your hand your finger, your head then you are changing. But when you have moved your hand you are not in the earlier position. So this is called space wise limitation. That's why we give a telling example if someone is sitting in a chair, you can't sit exactly in the same space that that person is occupying. So this applies to every object in this world but not to space because it is called ananta. Only time limitation is applicable. Then postuparichcheda I know I am repeating but these ideas have to go deep into our mind. For example, if you are a male human you are not a female human. If you are a human you are not an animal, you are not a tree, you are not a rock you are not a water you are not fire not only that, you are only this particular individual you are not even anyone of your family. A clip is not a clock a clock is not a table, a table is not a wall, a wall is not a tree. So an object can only be its own self. By being itself it excludes everything else. For example if some wise crack says supposing the clock suddenly is transmuted itself into a table. The answer is when it transmutes it is no longer a clock, it is only a table. So being a clock it will remain only a clock that on the second object limits this first object. Every single object in this universe limits every single object in this universe. That is called Vastu Parichcheda object limitation. So Anantham, it is beyond the three limitations which is called Brahman. Akasha is only an example. What is Satyam? So we are all in this world for us everything is Satyam. House is Satyam. Car is Satyam. Street is Satyam. Death is Satyam. Birth is Satyam. Growing up is Satyam. Everything is Satyam. But what is the definition of Satyam? Trikala Abadhitam Satyam. That which never changes in the past that means that which remains. To give an analogy and you have to remember every analogy has got a limitation. You should not take an analogy as what is called absolute truth. So if there are thousand pots, every pot excludes every other pot. Every pot is not born at the same time. One after the other only they are born. Even if the same machine makes and then they exclude each other. There will be minute difference even if you produce thousand pots through the same mould. That's why it is said there are no two hairs alike in this whole world. So all these pots are excluding each other in some way or the other through some adjectives big, small, left side, right side and colour etc. shape, size etc. So what is Satyam? We think everything in this world is Satyam. It is not Satyam. Why? Because it is called Karyam. Karyam means that which is born. What does it mean? Before its birth, pot is not there. After its destruction, pot will not be there. So time wise limitation, space wise limitation, object wise limitation. So this entire universe, everything is not only born at a particular time, even what is foreign doesn't remain the same. Otherwise there will be no grown up person at all in this world. We will be the same what is called fetuses in mother's womb. We won't even come out. But continuously, uninterruptedly everything is changing and by definition whatever is, was not, is and will not be there is called limited. That is Antah. So, every pot has a time before which it was not. There will be a time when it will not be there. Only for a short period of time it will be there. Even during that short period it goes on changing. Therefore, whatever is changing, that's why we also accept it. Oh, I was a young man. Did so many things. Now I have become old. I can't see. I can't hear. I can't move. I can't taste. I can't even sleep. So, that which is changing is Asatya. In this analogy, but the clay, so before the pot was made, it was clay. As a pot, it is clay. And when the clay, what is called potness, that is, the form, the name and the characteristics are destroyed. It doesn't become clay. It was clay all the time. There was no second object called pot. All that exists was only clay. Every ornament is nothing but gold all the time. Every furniture is nothing but wood all the time. What a marvelous thing. So, this is called Satyam. If we understand our bodies are changing, minds are changing, and as I explained many, many times, every being has a waking state, dream state, dreamless state, again moving in the same circle again and again and again until one knows I am Brahman. So, that changeability is there all the time. But how do we know that I am the same? Because all of us claim, yesterday I went to deep sleep. Today morning I woke up. And yesterday night I had a very weird dream. The I is not changing. The experienceable object is changing. But the experiencing witness, Sakshi Chaitanyam, that is called Chit, which is otherwise called Brahman, that is never changing. So, that's why Brahman is not an object. It is not even a Karana. Karana is also limited if you go into deep intellectual thinking because Karana did not remain as Karana. It became a Karya. So, that Karana became something else, completely so-called seemingly different from it. Therefore, so long as there is a Karya, Karana is limited by Karya. Karya is limited by Karana. But Brahman has nothing to do. Once you understand, once a pot understands I am clay, thereafter it forgets that I am a pot. As a pot, it never thinks that I am the clay. As a pot, should never think, I am a clay pot. So, no. Once it understands I am clay, it has to forget I am a pot. Because we are of limited understanding, we have to understand this one. So, that is the meaning of Sathyam means that unchanging witnessing Sakshi Chaitanyam alone is called Gnanam. So, Sathyam is the Karanam, unchanging reality called Brahman. Gnanam. What is Gnanam? Even though we are going from birth, I am a baby, I am a young man, etc. I am in the wake. I am the waker, I am the dreamer, I am the sleeper. That also goes through. But that I is only witnessing as if witnessing. That is very difficult to understand. What is the difference between witnessing and what if he is witnessing? There is a lot of difference. If opportunity comes, we will talk about it. So, that unchanging witness is called Gnanam. That is the ultimate meaning of Gnanam. So, this is how we have to understand Sathyam, Gnanam. Usually when we say Gnanam, I have knowledge of a tree and it is as I already talked about it. I have knowledge of a tree today and tomorrow I discover something more, add to it. My Gnanam is changed, my idea of that tree is changed. So, the knower changes, the object of knowledge also has changed that way and the instrument also has changed because without a changed instrument a better knowledge cannot come. If our intellect is 1%, our understanding will always be 1% only. It will never grow. The moment I discover something, now my intellect has become 2%. The instrument has become 2%, etc. Therefore, Brahman is Sathyam, Gnanam, Anantam, Brahma. How do we know this Brahman is located? You don't need to go anywhere. Within the intellect of every seeker and there is a supreme space of which we will talk later on. We don't need to go anywhere. Our body keeps that mind in a healthy body, a healthy mind, pure mind. In that pure mind, Brahman is there. Ultimately, we say this inside and outside, that is also Brahman. So, when we become an observer, then we negate everything, body, mind, time, space, causation, everything and then what remains is Brahmananda. Then, we never again look back. Once we have higher knowledge, lower knowledge will never return back. I told you many times, once a person understands better, he can never again pretend that his understanding is of the same which was 10 years back. It is impossible even to imagine that I know less. Even he cannot pretend also. So, by realizing that Brahman as what? I am Brahman. So, all unfulfillment, all desires completely vanish because Brahman means all the joys combined together. Not only that, not only that, when we become Brahman, even what we call dukkha also becomes absolute joy. How do you say that? Because I am pretending like a double acting, double role acting actor. I am Krishna. I am Duryodhana. I am Rama. I am Ravanasura. Now, who torments whom? Who kills whom? In a little more detail, we will talk about it. So, therefore, there is no dukkha. The pretending, the acting, what is called Ravanasura whose heads are being cut is a sheer joy for the Rama because it is not real. And what is pretence? Maya is even more beautiful, even more enjoyable than Brahman itself. What a beautiful thoughts! I think I will stop here. We will top these beautiful thoughts and enter actually into the meaning of the text and proceed quickly from our next class onwards. Om Jananim Sharudam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Saritva Pranamami Moham Moham. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna.