Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 64 2.1 on 06 August 2025

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Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु

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 to Brahmananda Valli

So we are studying the first section of the second chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad, very beautifully called Brahmananda Valli, and from now onwards starts what is called Panchakosha Vivarana.

The Five Kosha System

So for the sake of Upasana, beginning with Annamaya Kosha, each Kosha is imagined like a human body, but for the sake of easiness, clarity, comparable to a bird's body. Just as any part of our body or bird's body or any animal's body, if some part is missing, then the body will suffer; it would not be complete, that means it would not be able to live properly and fulfil the purpose.

Our life has a purpose. What is the purpose? Even though we are unconscious of it, the purpose is to go back from where we have come from: Karana, cause. We have become Karyas or manifestations, and from manifestation we have to go back to our original cause.

The Journey Through the Worlds

And the Upanishadic Rishi imagines our journey like a five-storied building. We were living on the roof, then we came down to the very lowest level, the ground floor, and then it has become very uncomfortable, full of misery. So then we had a glimpse of upper floors, then we have seen through the description of the people living in those upper stories, and that description is called the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Puranas. They are all describing there are higher and higher worlds, and each higher world gives us increasingly greater happiness, incomparably greater happiness.

The Measure of Happiness

And to give an idea how much that incomparable degree of happiness will be there, so in this very second chapter called Anandam Imamsa we get: if a person is very happy in this world, he owns everything, he doesn't lack anything, and he is a very strong person, and he is also a great intellectual, he is also living a very pure life, and what would be his happiness? That is one measure of human happiness, and a hundred times more—hundred means not exactly hundred but incomparably higher, greater, longer lasting, more satisfying—will be the happiness of this immediate higher loka, and that higher loka happiness is compared as one measure of that higher loka.

Thus about ten lokas, ending with Satya Loka or Brahma Loka, ten lokas. So the amount of happiness a person derives in Brahma Loka is incomparable, and correspondingly his desires also will be less. And at the stage of Brahma Loka there would be only one desire: "I want to be myself. I do not wish even to continue in Brahma Loka, but I would like to be my own self," which is taught by every spiritual teacher: Tattva Masih, the what that. And through realisation he understands, "I am Brahman, Aham Brahma Asmi."

So that is the ultimate goal of this Upanishad. But how to attain to that? How to go to the upper worlds? For that purpose, this Panchakosha Vyavarana.

Levels of Identification

External Identification

At what level most of us are living at this given time? At the very lowest level called the external world. We are identified with the external world, and if you recollect the Mandukya Upanishad with Gaudapada's Karika, you can see how different people become identified even not even with their body but with external possessions.

So the grossest form of Mahamaya manifesting in the form of identity: I am my house, I am my property, I am my bank balance, I am my family, and in that so many variations are there—my village, my language, my food, my religion, my particular aspect of God. These are all identifications with the external possessions, not even the body.

Annamaya Kosha - Body Identification

Higher than that is the identification with the body, and that identification with the body is called Annamaya Kosha. So our entire focus is how to get happiness—any type of five types of happiness through five sense organs. They are all totally related to this body, physical body, and this physical body is the lowest Kosha.

Understanding Kosha

Kosha means covering. Covering means that which hides, completely covers up, doesn't allow us to know what is inside, and that is called a Kosha, like a scabbard trying. But at the same time there is a positive meaning: just as a scabbard protects a soul within from inclement weather, from getting dented, rusted, etc., etc., so this body also not only it covers up from one side, it also protects us from the other side. And we have to take that positive aspect and consider our body as a great friend.

In fact, it is a temple, it is called a city of Brahman. So we have to consider it as very sacred, just as if someone you revere—not only respect but you revere—a great spiritual personality, or even ordinary persons when they get what is called Prasada.

The Concept of Prasada

What is Prasada? It is the same food that we eat which is available at every street corner, but if the same thing is associated with God by offering physically or mentally, immediately it becomes as sacred as God. That's why we call it Prasada. Same thing is now looked upon as something very reverential, very sacred.

So our journey starts with considering this physical body as the very temple of God, and we have discussed also in Chandogya Upanishad about this Brahmapuri, and within that there is a Dahara Akasha, and that Dahara Akasha is nothing but Brahman manifesting. Even though Brahman is everything, as we have seen even in that beautiful Upanishadic stories, so in what is called Vidyas Sandilya Vidya: Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma, everything is Brahman, but we have to feel it, and that is how our journey starts.

The Noble Lineage of the Body

And not only this physical body, but this physical body, its origin is very great. Swami Vivekananda, when he was used to give talks in UK, he used to tell: several centuries back there were some highway robbers, and they were very well known to people as the most cruel but very powerful robbers, and there are people who trace their lineage to those robbers, and they feel very proud. "Don't think I am an ordinary person!" This was the culture. Somehow they feel proud, which I think is not a bad idea, because once a person starts feeling proud tracing, connecting, relating oneself to something, a strong personality, etc., so if a person has that ability to relate to something higher, stronger, then easy it will be for that person to do the same relationship with something sacred, something belonging to God.

Swami used to tell them: whereas every Hindu tries to trace his lineage to a Rishi. So this body is coming from a Brahmin lineage, from a great Rishi—Gautama Rishi, Vishwamitra Rishi. This is another way of finding ourselves, identifying ourselves with something much higher, much more sacred, much more spiritual. So this is how the journey comes.

The Five Layers of Maya

So Vedanta philosophy divides that all the Maya can be divided or subdivided into 5 layers, and none of the layers reveal the truth. But then, just as if something is covered with 5 layers and we have no clue whatever is inside, but if we are curious and start peeling off one after the other the covers, so the outer cover—imagine—is very, very gross, thick, black, dusty, very gross, but the layer within is much more superior, subtler, softer, more revealing.

The Lamp Analogy

And we have to imagine that: just take this imagination—there is a brilliant lamp giving 5000 watt light, and it is covered with 5 layers correspondingly thicker and still more thick and very, very thick, etc. That would be very good way of understanding: as we go on removing the outer most layer, you see a faint light seems to be illuminating. The fourth layer, when we remove the fourth layer, the third layer will be even more brilliant, and not only brilliant, it is also self-revealing. With the help of the light, anything that is light that reveals itself, we don't need to know, we only have to remove the covering.

Vritti Vyapti and Phala Vyapti

And incidentally, the Vedanta uses two words: vritti vyapti and phala vyapti—extraordinarily wonderful concepts, deep concepts.

Vritti Vyapti

Vritti means a thought. So when you pay attention, for example looking at a tree, then you see that you are able to perceive that object. Imagine that you don't know what it is, but you know it is something. That is the function of the vritti vyapti. Vritti means thought, as if this tree was hiding and your thought has uncovered that object, and yet you do not know it is a tree, it is an apple tree, etc., very desirable fruit, etc.

Phala Vyapti

Then somebody comes and enlightens you: "Oh, that is an apple tree, and it is very healthy fruit, and if you can eat one every day, you will be a happier person." So the first is there is something there—that is called vritti vyapti. Your thought pervades that object and reveals that object without making you understand what it is, but it is something. Then somebody comes and enlightens you, lights you up, and that is phala vyapti. Phala means a knowledge about that particular object is revealed to you—very beautiful word: uncovering an object and obtaining a right knowledge about it.

Application in Daily Life

With regard to every object, these two processes simultaneously come. For example, you are walking and you perceive a person from a distance, and he looks like a familiar person. "Is he the person I know or not?" So this is called vritti vyapti. And then as the person or as both of you approach nearer and nearer, "Yes!" your memory lights up and says, "Yes, this I know, this person, he is my neighbour, close friend," etc.

So with regard to every object, we require these two types of revelations or help—helps to make us understand what that object is.

The Self-Illuminating Nature of Light

But now change this analogy: suppose a light is covered up, and then you remove one by one. So that removal of what is obstructing that light is called vritti vyapti. But when you remove the last obstacle, then the light appears. Now in this case, the second thought, phala vyapti, is not necessary. Why? Because a tree doesn't reveal itself, "I am a tree," but light reveals itself, "I am the light." Not only it gives light, it illuminates everything, it also illuminates itself. That is called self illumination.

So wherever there is light, even the faintest light, you have to only look at it. So first, "What is that?" and that is necessary to pay attention. Then you know, "Oh, it is a light," because we know by looking at light that it is light. But by looking at a tree, at a rock, at another person, it is not easy to find out unless that person is revealed in light.

The Journey Inward

So why am I mentioning this one? The interior we go, the more we uncover these coverings one by one, the atman is called jyoti—not only jyoti, jyoti rajyoti. So as we go on removing the grossest, thickest coverings, more and more revelation of the atman, because the atman is illuminating all the coverings, even the physical body, but it is revealing more and more as we go inside.

Why Seek the Spiritual Journey?

So our sages want us to know that you don't need to suffer. So the question comes: why do we want the spiritual journey? Because too much of limitation. Limitation means what? Your life is limited, your knowledge is limited, your ananda is limited, your sat, your chit, your ananda—all the three are limited. But what do we want? We don't want limitation of life, limitation of knowledge, limitation of happiness.

So the sages, through their teachings called Upanishads, revealed to us that you are that, you are sat, you are chit, you are ananda, you are satyam, you are jnanam, you are anantam. So that's what we have seen in this beginning of the second chapter itself: that everything is brahman, and that brahman is defined as satyam jnanam anantam brahma. The teaching is fine. How to realise it? For that purpose, this panchakosha vevarana is started.

Karya Karana Sambandha

Even though I discussed so many times, I want to just remind you very briefly: this is called what is—what Vedanta calls it—karya karana sambandha, relationship between the cause and effect, relationship between the effect and the cause.

The Truth About Cause and Effect

What is the truth about cause and effect relationship? The effect cannot be different from a from its cause. For example, a golden ornament, a ring for example, cannot be different from gold. Nothing additional has come. So when you see an ornament, it is not gold plus something else, but same gold in a particular form with a particular name for a particular purpose. That is called an ornament. But there is no addition with gold, there is no addition something called pot to the clay, there is no addition something called furniture. Furniture is nothing but wood only. Just imagine that one, don't go on being clever and say there are iron nails and there is glue and other material. This one is an example.

Application to Spiritual Practice

So why are you suffering? Because I don't know my own real nature. This scripture tells us your real nature is your brahman, but my experience is different. That is why you will have to practise spiritual disciplines.

And what is the first obstruction? This body. But treat it as a very useful instrument. Use this very body, for example: you can go to a temple, you can prostrate, you can sing hymns, you can read spiritual books, you can prostrate in front of a spiritual person, you can do japam, you can do meditation, you can do service to other people. Same body which can make us demons can also make us gods and goddesses. So this is the process.

Individual and Cosmic Elements

So from the gross, because we are at the gross level, slowly transcend. How to transcend? So there are two elements there: one is the individual element, another is the cosmic element. Individual element is our body, cosmic element is the whole universe. And what is the relationship? That the whole universe is made up of one single material called annam, called prithvi. That is how we start.

When we go a little deeper, the whole universe is consisting of prana—individual prana, cosmic prana, individual mind, cosmic mind, individual intellect, cosmic intellect, and individual ananda, cosmic ananda. So they use a beautiful word: ananda maya. Maya means pracharya or full of that particular thing—full of prana, full of annam, full of the thought, full of intellect, full of bliss, etc.

Starting the Journey

So since we are at the grossest level, we have to start our journey. And what should we do? First thing is consider our body as very sacred, and then relate ourselves to the particularly what we call the universal called virat annam. I am annam, that means I am the individual body. Virat is the whole universe, and just like me, the whole universe is made up of food. Everything is food only. The whole body is food at this level.

So the mountains, the rivers, the forests—you name anything, living, non-living—everything is food. And for that purpose, first of all, how does this creation come down? So this is just a background. Even though many times we discussed, we have to make it more intimate with this thought.

The Cosmic Creation Process

So we have seen we are still in the second half of the first anuvaka of this brahmanandavalli. First it says that one who knows brahman, he attains the highest: brahma with apnoti param. And then definition of brahman: satyam jnanam anantam brahma. And when a person knows I am brahman, what does he get? So vashnute sarvan kaman brahmana sah vipasyate. Such a wise person enjoys everything. His bliss, his ananda will be uninterrupted ananda, infinite ananda, right.

So to know that we are brahman, everything is brahman, that means the whole universe is brahman, our bodies are brahman, the whole physical cosmos creation is also brahman. How to understand this related to brahman? For that purpose, the cause to effect, effect to...

The Five Elements

So first of all, brahman becomes the final first cause. Then it manifests as an effect, as in the form of space. Then in its turn, space becomes the cause and air becomes the effect. In its turn, air becomes the cause and the fire becomes the effect. And fire becomes the cause and waters become the effect. And waters become the cause and earth becomes the effect.

And the earth is nothing but called food, because everything that comes in this physical universe has come out of this earth element called earth. That is not the grossest earth that we see; it is a subtle principle. So the whole thing is a manifestation of that prithvi devata—means cosmic manifestation is called devata, and devata, second meaning is without whom we cannot live.

The Process of Grossification

And we also have to note down that when atman manifested as space, space has become very gross compared to atman. But compared to vayu air, akasha is very subtle. Compared to fire, air is very subtle. And this we discussed citing the beautiful thought from swami ashokanandas the world of infinite light in our last class. Remember that one.

So the further coming down as manifestations become more and more gross, more and more visible, and so more and more easily experienceable. That is a point we have to note down. So we are at this annamaya kosha level. Now we have to go to the pranamaya kosha level. With this background, which of course i have tried to teach in many classes, we will enter into the subject matter.

The Creation of Elements

So the second half of this first anvaka of the second chapter called brahmanandavalli goes like this: So from this self—so how you notice how the is taittiriya upanishad quietly first it mentions that in oira brahman attains everything, and when it comes to spiritual practise, how to know that i am brahman, that brahman is nothing but our own self. So quietly upanishad changes that word, substitutes that word brahman as atma. Notice it.

Atmanaha means fifth case, from this atman, etasmat means what—our own self which is within us. So that brahman is now equated with me, you, with everything else, especially that manifestation of consciousness what has come out. That atman became a little more gross, and that is called akasha. Akasha has come from his atma, and akasha further grossified itself: akasha vayuhu. So that akasha as quietly is manifesting in a much more graspable way, gross way, that is called air—vayuhu. Vayor agnihi. So again this vayuhu or air further grossified itself and manifesting as agni, which we can see—see fire. Wherever there is fire, it has two qualities: heat as well as light.

Now air you can only feel, you can't see the air. But when it comes to space, akasha, you can't see, you can't feel, but you can infer that there is something called, because whenever I am moving, I am moving in space only. I know there is space means emptiness. So this emptiness is there. If road is not empty, I cannot move. If my house is full of things, I cannot enter; it must be empty. If I want to sit on a chair, it must be empty, otherwise I cannot move into it.

So this is how: from the unimaginable it became the set place to manifestation called akasha. Akasha manifested as air. Air further grossified as fire. Fire further grossified as waters. Waters further grossified into earth. This is how it has come.

So from the self comes space, from space air, from air fire, from water earth. So the creation of these in the beginning subtle elements, then is followed by the creation of the five gross elements. This is called pancha sthula bhutas through a special process called pancha karana. Then comes what is the grossest element: prithvi.

From Earth to Human Being

Then upanishad continues in the same second section of the first chapter, first section of the second chapter, second half: from earth, plants and herbs, and from plants and herbs has come food, and from food comes a human being. A human being is in fact a product of food.

Understanding the Subtle Elements

We have to understand this particular mantra properly: prithivya. So this earth element we cannot know that earth element, because what we see—this clay or mud or stones in the form of mountains, etc.—and then everything, if you say forests, and that is also coming from this earth only. So the rivers that we see are not the real the cause of the earth, because it is very subtle element. These are just very gross manifestations.

So the fire that we see is gross manifestation of that particular element called agni or tejaha. And the air that we experience—we breathe in and out—and which is equated with prana, again has nothing to do with the subtle element called vayu. And the space that we experience is only a gross manifestation. Everything that we experience through this gross physical body is only gross manifestation of those five elements. Please keep this point in mind.

The Plant Kingdom

So prithivya osha—osha means what is called fire. Ush means heat, dha means that which cools it down, removes that. Oshadi means what? You are burning with fever, and the doctor, physician, gives you a medicine, and immediately it comes round. So what is that we are suffering? What is that burning? But that is not the only one: you may feel thirsty, you may feel cold, you may feel heat, hot in summer season. All these are the limitations of what is called anna maya kosha.

So everything that is born is, first of all, these plants—plants, roots, fruits, trees, leaves, bark, everything that we call plant kingdom. And from plant kingdom came the insect kingdom, bird kingdom, animal kingdom. That how many countless billions and billions and billions and trillions and trillions of life has come out is all come out from this oshadi, and oshadi means what? Food, and that becomes food because we eat—you eat rice, you eat chapati, eat bread—and that is called annam.

Everything is Food

So from this annam came everything. Everything means not only human body, but every living creature. Only living creature? Non-living thing also has come. Just look at it: a tree dies and it is not alive, but at one time, at one point of time, it was living. It is called many living creatures become what is called fossils we call it. So everything is food only. Even the stones are—they also food? Yes, may be there are creatures. Metals are food. If metals can be food, why not stones be food also? So the whole earth is called annam.

The Human Being

So annat purushaha. Purushaha means human body. Human body is human being. What is this human being? Is nothing but consisting of three bodies: the gross, the subtle and the causal. And the physical body, gross body is born out of food. How is it born? So the parents are living, they eat food, and a part of that food becomes the seeds—the male seed and the female seed—and both of them come together, and the result is the babies, whether it is human baby, animal baby, insect baby, plant baby, whatever babies.

Why Human Body is Special

So why is specially mentioned purushaha? So Shankaracharya gives: because every other manifestation of life is generally not fit for doing spiritual practise and realising God. Only a human body. Not even devas, even though there is nothing wrong—devas can be the divine beings, gods and goddesses. And you have to remember two types of gods and goddesses: one is adhishtatra devatas like lakshmi, saraswati, agni devata, vayu devata, etc., who are direct manifestations of brahman in maintaining this creation.

The other types of devatas—because they were at one time human beings, they have done lot of virtuous actions, as a result they have become gone to higher lokas only to enjoy higher types of happiness, like rich people living in perfectly what is called most beautiful, spacious, well-equipped, well-furnished homes, etc., travel in the best of the vehicles, etc. So they are also nothing but gross only.

So a deva generally doesn't take to spiritual life. Why? Because the happiness is so overwhelming, he will not have the time or the deep thinking that this is also very limited. But there will be—there could be—a few people like Indra, and they can also become enlightened. It is the knowledge of brahman is not bored for them, but it is very difficult.

And those who obtain the lowest lokas, naraka lokas, they also don't have the desire, because just as when you have terrible headache, how difficult it is to focus your mind on god. Therefore, those who are suffering too much, their minds are absorbed in suffering. Those who are enjoying too much, their minds is also absorbed in enjoyment. So they have no opportunity to think about higher things.

But a human being is placed in a unique situation where his happiness is not too much or suffering is also not too much. So in spite of them, he can divert his mind and slowly evolve further. This spiritual teaching is for that kind of evolved human being, and such a being is called purushaha here.

So it is as it is said by shankaracharya: three great good fortunes—to be born as a human being, to obtain the company of the holy, and to cherish a deep desire for realisation. This is really as a great, great good fortune we have to accept it. So that is why it is mentioned, because purusha alone can study these upanishads, think about other lokas, and strive to attain, etc.

Understanding Our True Nature

Therefore the upanishad here concludes: therefore this a human being is in fact a product of food. And we will discuss a little bit further also. But what we have to understand: many times in a slightly light manner I have discussed, when a tiger, especially a hungry tiger, or a wolf, or any wild animal looks at the body of a young man or a young woman beautifully dressed, do you think the animal is looking, "Oh, how beautiful this person looks"? It is full of flesh, full of blood, like we perceive a ripe mango—just ripe for plucking and eating—any fruit for that matter. So also we see, they see us as food only.

This is on the grossest level. Food means that which is enjoyed through the sense organ called the tongue—taste. But that is not the only meaning. Through all the five sense organs, we want to enjoy: beautiful fragrances, enjoy beautiful forms, hear beautiful sounds, touch beautiful things—means very good climate, spring season, neither hot nor cold, but extremely pleasant, everywhere there is greenery, etc. So whatever is taken in for enjoyment, that is called annam.

The Universal Nature of Food

So the whole purusha: just as when we look—a non-vegetarian looks at a chicken or at a sheep or a goat or a what is called cattle or any eatable type of food—a fish. So he is not looking, "I am looking at a fish." No, "I am looking at tasty food." So everything in this world, either in the gross way it is a food, or it is also in a gross way, in a subtle way, whatever is taken as an object of enjoyment is called annam only. The whole universe is nothing but annam, and all of us are annam.

The Definition of Food

And then the Upanishad also tells us by giving definition of this food: it says everybody is the eater of food, and everything that is—that eats is food. Everything that is eaten is also food. What is eaten is also food, what eats is also food.

What does that mean? That means: supposing there is a fish, and it goes on eating smaller fish, and in course of time a bigger fish comes. What does it do? It swallows the bigger fish. So with regard to the smaller fish, that big fish is the eater, smaller fish is the eater. But with regard to the still bigger fish, that big fish becomes the eater. So we are nothing but eaters and eaten at the same time, and that is what we will also come across.

So that is the whole—everything in this world is the outcome of food, is nothing but food, and that food is another word for that is called prithvi. The entire cosmos is that which is enjoyed, and that which is divided as enjoyer and enjoyed. Everything becomes enjoyer and enjoyed.

How Food Eats Us

So one sub-commentator also gives a beautiful idea with regard to this: how does food eat us? Because that is the word used by this Upanishad here itself in the definition of that which eats is called food. So he who eats food, he becomes food in turn. How does it become so?

One sub-commentator, very funnily, he puts it this way: there are many of us who go on eating and eating and eating, stuffing ourselves. Then what happens? A period of time comes, youth passes, maybe we become a bit old, and then that too much of eating becomes, spoils our health, and that food becomes poison, and that poison starts eating us. What is poison? That which eats the eater is called poison.

Until a person can eat and enjoy and digest, he is the eater, and what is eaten is the food. But when the same food is not—the person is not able to digest it, turns into what is called absolute poison, and it goes on eating up. Not only that, we know that in our—some microbes can enter, and they can eat our brain, they can eat our heart, they can suck our blood. And some people go swimming in some parts of the ocean or rivers; there are certain types of bacteria or microbes—they enter into the body, and they can literally be seen also. They will be eating our flesh—eating bacteria, etc.—or even small, very, very visible, grossly visible creatures are there, and there are some who go straight to the brain, start eating brain.

The Deeper Meaning

So what is the point? Point is: what is annam? What is eaten is also called annam, and what eats is also called annam. So each one of us, every object in this world, is both the eater and the eaten.

How does a chair becomes an eater? We have to exercise little bit of our brain: supposing the chair has become old, and here and there cracks have appeared, and somewhere a little bit splinter has come out, and without noticing it, a person has leaned against it, and then it pierces—he can die, he can become injured, and he can die also of this. So if a person is dying of diabetes, that is the example of too much of eating unsuitable food, etc.

So a person slips and falls down on the earth. The earth was wonderful before; now that he has fallen, so that very earth has become the cause of the destruction. Eating up means destructing. Eating up means making something else equivalent to us. When our bodies, the prana departs, life departs, then there is a dead body. What happens? Quietly it goes back into the five elements. Every body is made up of five elements, and all the five elements, after the death of the body, go back into their respective causes, elements. The food goes into the prithvi, the water aspect goes into water, the heat element goes into, the air element goes into the air, and the empty space in between the body goes back, removes the obstruction. Everything is made up of the five elements, and everything goes back to the five elements.

Conclusion

So by this, what does the Upanishad want to say? Trace back your origins to Brahman slowly, slowly. How is it to be done? We will discuss about it in our next class.

Closing Prayer

ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु

Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum

pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu

May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!