Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 67 2.2-2.3 on 27 August 2025
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 the Study
We are studying the Brahmananda Valle section 2 of the Taittiriya Upanishad. In our last class, we have been studying the Pranamaya Kosha, the sheath of the vital breath.
Recollection of Previous Teaching
Just to recollect what we have discussed:
"Anadvai Prajah Prajayante Yah Kascha Pradhivigum Shritah
Atho Anenai Vajivanti Athainam Atha Enapi Yantyantatah"
From food, verily, are produced all creatures whatsoever dwell on earth. By food alone, furthermore, do they live. And to food, in the end, do they return.
The Nature of the Physical Body
Just as a pot made of clay originates from the clay, exists in the clay, and returns to the clay even after it is broken, like that, the physical body is fundamentally nothing but food.
The Principle of Cause and Effect
We have to remember again and again: whatever is the cause alone is the effect. Every effect is nothing but the cause. Again, to keep in our minds, let there be a billion different types of ornaments made up of gold. But they are nothing but gold. There is only one object called gold. And in Sanskrit, very interestingly, this is called Vastu.
Shankaracharya uses that word Vastu. "Eya Vastu Upalabhyate" - By whatever manner, we should know that Vastu. And to know a Vastu, an object, is to become that object.
The Process of Knowledge
Even in our normal process of knowledge, when I am thinking about, let us say, a tree, for the time being, I become a tree. And that is called vritti. That is called knowledge. The knowledge of the tree completely identifies with myself. So for the time being, I become the tree. Only we don't say, "I have become the tree." We say, "I know the tree."
Whenever we use that expression "I know," we have to understand, I have become that object. Supposing I do not become that object, I may be looking at it, smelling it, listening to it, but I am not paying attention. Until that vritti or thought - that I am hearing this person speaking, I am seeing a tree, I am smelling a fragrant flower, or even incense stick - I will have no knowledge.
The moment the thought, the mind (mind means thoughts), takes the shape "I know," that means I have become identified with the object.
The Ultimate Goal: Becoming Brahman
But what to speak of Brahman? As Shankara says: A person may go whole life, may do japa, may do meditation, may study the scriptures, may go on pilgrimage, may do all the good works - more than what even the scriptures recommend - until he obtains that vastu, he knows that "I am the vastu."
They are all not - they may be helpful, but the person has not really achieved any true knowledge. So that is why, beautifully, this mellifluous Sanskrit, Shankaracharya expresses, especially that marvelous, incomparable book called Vivekachudamani. That is the best book, if we want to understand these beautiful, helpful, self-help suggestions by any book. That is one book: Vivekachudamani.
The Teaching of Brahman
Now coming back, this Taittiriya Upanishad, first of all, in the second chapter, says that you are Brahman. When you know you are Brahman, you will enjoy everything. There is nothing that remains unfulfilled.
"Brahmana Saha" - But "Saha" means, having identified oneself with Brahman, that person enjoys. Brahman means everything, enjoys everything. So becoming one with everything is called the Ananda. That is called Brahmananda. That is why this is called Ananda Valli, Brahmananda Valli.
The Five Koshas: Layers of Existence
Starting Point: Annamaya Kosha
So in this Pranamaya Kosha, how to attain that? Through transcending, from wherever we are. And where are we? At the very ground level, bottom. And what is that bottom? Annamaya Kosha.
And in that Annamaya Kosha also, there are different layers. And where are we? At the lowest part of the Annamaya Kosha. What is the lowest part of the Annamaya Kosha? It is to identify ourselves with what belongs to us.
Examples of Lowest Level Attachment
For example, if someone is attached to money, the person knows very well, "I am not the money," or attached to a car, he knows better than anybody, "I am not the car," or attached to a house, he knows best, "I am not the house."
And yet, if some threat comes: "You give up your money, give up your car, give up your building, give up your business" - that is what the mafia usually does. So if you don't give up, "we will kill you." How many people have been killed? Why were they killed? Because they could not give up that identity with money, with car, with house, with purse, etc. That is the lowest level.
The Body as Identity
Slightly better than that level is called Annamaya Kosha. That is pure identity with this physical body. As we have seen in the Chandogya Upanishad, Virochana, as soon as he heard, "Whatever you see as reflected in a pool of water or in a mirror, that is you" - What do we get reflected? Our own physical body.
So he was satisfied and no more desire to know whether this is Atman or not. He went back, he preached. This is also one of the greatest attachments. Body is the greatest attachment. Even highly advanced spiritual souls sometimes fall for - maybe a man falls for a woman or for money or for name and fame, honor and reputation, any one of these things.
Progression to Pranamaya Kosha
Then if a person is a little more intelligent - and it will come to everybody without exception - the next stage will be Pranamaya Kosha. If we take the three-body example, so when a person gets rid of his attachment to the Sthula Sarira (gross body), then only he will be able to go to the Sukshma Sarira.
Two Levels of Annamaya Kosha
But even in this process of Annamaya Kosha, there are two levels:
- Lower Level: To be identified with one's own individual body and not care for anybody else. That is the first level, worst level, lowest level.
- Higher Level: He rises above his individuality. Still he is identified with the body, but now he is identified with others also.
Simple example: Before marriage, every man, every woman is identified with his or her own body. As soon as they get married, they become identified with each other. Both of them become identified with each other. And as soon as children start arriving, then their identity... So you see, first one individual, then two individuals, then as many children, so many individuals.
Spiritual Advancement: Universal Identification
But if any person advances in spiritual life, then he considers himself as the same self with everybody else, including a dog.
Example of Namadeva
If you remember, Namadeva carried a pot of Ganges water from Varanasi to Rameshwaram. And there is a belief that one should carry Ganges water and then with that water bathe Lord Rameshwara. Then only the result will be 100%.
So many pilgrims were there, they used to travel together. So as soon as they reached the outskirts of the temple at Rameshwaram, everybody hurried inside the temple or were hurrying. And Namadeva saw a donkey dying of thirst and he had this Ganges water.
Immediately he ran there and he made the donkey drink. Everybody was discouraging: "All your punya, virtue will disappear." But he said, "No, I see Lord Shiva here, living Lord Shiva, so I am feeding."
Will he get? The question should not be asked, not whether he gets or not. He already got. He was able to see the Divine Lord.
The Universal Principle
That is to say, as soon as we start identifying with the larger whole, already we are identifying with a greater principle which is called God. So slowly it has to be expanded and that is the purpose of this pancha kosha prakriya or the process.
First we identify with our individual body. Then we consider this individual body as holy, as pure, as a temple of God. And that we should not forget. This is not my body, this is God's body and God is within everyone. And then slowly proceed forward to actually transform one's life in accordance with that knowledge.
And that is called the mergence, the unity of the individual with the universal: vyashti and samashti.
Anna Brahma Upasana
So when a person practices this anna brahma upasana, he becomes identified with this entire world. So another point to be noted down here is: what is the reality for such a person, for all of us? Our body is the reality.
But for a spiritually advanced person, also body is reality, the external world is the reality. But not one particular body, but everybody. That is the difference: everybody is God, everybody's body is God.
And therefore any distress a person sees anywhere, he experiences it as his own. Like Swami Vivekananda identified himself with all the people who were suffering so much when there was earthquake in what we call modern Turkey.
So this will be our universal experience if we are practicing spiritual disciplines. So annamaya kosha becomes atma and along with that everybody becomes an atma.
Universal Vision
So that is how we have to look upon the whole universe, physical universe, external universe as manifestation of God. But that is only we climbed from the ground to the very first step. What is the first step? To identify with Virat Brahma, universal Brahma. Virat means the entire external creation.
And how is it to be done? Because entire external world, even though it is a resultant of the five elements, but mostly what is appearing outside as very gross is called prithvi tattva, the element called earth.
The Nature of Annam (Food)
Earth in this Taittiriya Upanishad is called annam. That is what he wants to say. Everything comes from the earth. Everything is a product of earth. Everything is sustained by earth. Everything goes back to earth.
When a Christian dies, the funeral prayer will be "dust unto dust." That is what they mean: that God has created this dust and it belongs to God. It is God and again it is sustained by God and it returns back to God.
The Universal Law
This is the law. Every cause produces an effect, sustains the effect and takes it back. The whole world is nothing but the cause and that cause is called prithvi. Herein, it is called annam. Simple.
So from food, verily are produced all creatures whatsoever. "Creatures" we should understand in a larger sense. Creatures means not only living creatures, not only human beings, everything.
So a tree is our brother or sister. That's what Saint Francis used to call - I don't know exact words - but about birds, "sister birds." So everything is sister. Everything is a brother. Everything is atman, what is called prapancha annarupena atman.
The Cyclical Process
That is what he says and every creature originates from annam and every creature is sustained. So long as life is there, life is maintained only because of annam and in the end, they merge themselves into annam.
So from food, verily are produced all creatures whatsoever dwell on earth and by food alone furthermore do they live or sustain. And to food in the end, do they return.
So this example: any number of ornaments made out of gold. What is the point to be remembered? An ornament is not an object. An ornament is nothing but whatever metal it is made up of. In this case, gold is the only object.
Understanding Objects and Their Essence
It is whatever is the weight of the gold, that is the weight of the ornament. There is no second object. Then what is an ornament? Same gold without any shape, namaropa is called gold. Same gold with a particular shape, a particular name, a particular purpose, that is called an ornament.
It could be an earring, nose ring or it could be a bangle or it could be something that is worn around the legs in India when dancing is done. Many ladies wear, ladies and gents also, whoever is dancing, they put on, that is called nupura, anklets or it could be a necklace.
It is nothing but gold. If it is made out of gold, but with a form, a name and a purpose. And so there is no difference between an amoeba and the highest evolved human body or a mountain, Himalayas mountain.
The Sustaining Power of Annam
Then Upanishad proceeds. How are the products sustained by annam?
"Annam hi bhutanaam jayashtam" - Food alone is the eldest of all beings and therefore it is called the financier for all.
"Tasmat sarva ushadam uchyate" - In this mantra, the Upanishad is telling us, annam hi bhutanaam jayashtam. Here annam means the cause, which is the earth.
Understanding Earth as the Five Elements
Remember, earth does not mean only earth. Earth is most grossest way manifest, but all the other four elements are there. That is why earth is very gross. Water is much more subtle. Fire is even more subtle. Air is even more subtle. Akasha, even the subtlest of all things.
So prithvi, all creatures are the outcome of this earth, which is called annam. And this annam or earth is called jayashtam. Jayashtam means eldest.
The Meaning of "Eldest"
Here is a peculiar meaning. "Eldest" means what? Suppose parents give birth to a son and afterwards there will be other children. So they all call him "our eldest brother," "elder brother," whatever. What does it mean?
Jayashtam means: that which was before we came. So this whole creation, before it came out, what was there? Earth was there. Therefore, it is called jayashtam.
Not only that, the principle is: whatever effect, it is sustained by the cause. An ornament, golden ornament is sustained by gold. A silver ornament is sustained by silver. A pot is sustained by the clay. A piece of furniture is sustained by wood because it is nothing but wood.
Understanding Sustenance
Sustaining means what? Like we go to poor houses taking some wood and we give sustenance to them? No, it is without which one cannot survive. Without gold, an ornament has no existence. Without wood, a furniture has no existence. Without clay, any number of products like pots, small, big have no existence.
And here also since we are born out of food - not only food, we have to understand food, water, warmth, air or oxygen and space. All these things are necessary. We are sustained by them. Here, for the sake of easier understanding, it is said annam.
Annam as Medicine
Therefore, the prithi devata, she is called the devata. A cause is called devata, God or Goddess.
So "annami bhutanam jayashtam". Therefore, it is called "sarva aushadham". It is the penance, it is the medicine.
What does the medicine do? It removes all diseases and we suffer from regular diseases which Ramakrishna used to call. That by borrowing this body, we are paying rent to Divine Lord, Divine Mother.
So what is the sustenance here? What is the medicine? So hunger is the medicine. Hunger is the disease. Thirst is the disease. Cold is the disease. And asthma is a disease. And our legs are not functioning. That is a disease.
But there is a medicine. Food is the medicine. Water is the medicine. Warmth is the medicine. Oxygen is the medicine. And movement is the medicine.
That is why he said what makes us function and manifest our potentiality, that is called "jayashtam aushadham uchyate".
Deriving Spiritual Principles
So with this, we have to understand, certain derive, certain principles. We are coming from annam. Annam means prithvi devata. Whenever I use, we use, the Upanishad uses the word annam, we have to understand that word prithvi or the earth.
So when modern science uses the word, "this is earth," "that is mountain" - that is not what we mean. So the origin of everything that we call in this creation, you can say, for the sake of easier understanding, atoms. Don't go on questioning. Atoms also, whatever it is, for the sake of understanding.
The Atomic Understanding
So everything comes out of atoms. Here also, great truth is there. It is not that something comes, separates itself from atoms. Certain atoms combined together is called one thing. Certain other atoms combined together is called another thing. Atoms themselves are manifesting as everything in this creation.
So the earth goddess is manifesting herself as this entire physical external creation, entire creation, discovered, undiscovered, etc. And it is also sustaining. Sustaining means not only eating. So if the Himalayas is sustained by earth, that means it is supporting also.
The Glories of Annamaya Kosha
So this prithvi devata are the grossest of the five elements, that is annamaya kosha. And it has got certain special powers, glories. What are the glories?
- Karanatvam: It is the cause, everything is the effect.
- Brahmatma: Just like gold pervades the entire ornament, big or small, just as wood pervades every piece of furniture made of wood, just as earth pervades small or big pot, whatever is made out of pot and nothing else. That is called brahmatva. All pervasiveness, the material cause pervades all the effects. Therefore, it is called annabrahma, prithvibrahma.
- Jestatvam: That is, first it was there, then only we or the entire creation has come out. That is called the primacy or eldest. The cause must exist. Without cause, there can be no effect. So Anna existed before the birth of any individual. Therefore, everything is annamaya atma and it is sarva ushadam.
The Cyclical Nature of Existence
Ushadam means that which cures a disease. And then whatever is the effect, it not only originates from the cause, it is continuously supported by the cause. And it will, upon disintegration, go back into its cause.
So supposing there is a house made up of bricks, glass, nails or iron, rods, etc. And if the house is demolished, the iron goes into the iron, the glass goes into the glass, and the wood goes into the wood, and the bricks, etc. go into the process. The whole thing is a cyclical process and which is beautifully called brahmachakram.
The Practice of Anna Brahma Upasana
So this is how we have to do the upasana. There is no difference. I have come from food, I am sustained by food, and I go back to food. You also are originating from food, sustained by food, go back to food.
Whether living, non-living, mountains, rivers, earth, forests, all living creatures, everything goes back to that original cause. And that is what is being said. That original cause is called Brahman.
So do not simply say that "I alone am Brahman." But first you should realize: "I as a separate individual do not exist. I am but a product and the cause of my production is annam." Here annam means earth and that process we have to take.
So earth is an effect, it goes back into waters, etc. Finally it reaches Atman. That is why everybody is none other than pure Brahman.
Results of the Practice
So the goal is to go on contemplating upon this truth and slowly transform our life, behave accordingly, seeing God everywhere. If we can do that, then we obtain the result of this contemplation. This is called Anna Brahma Upasana.
Two types of results are posited:
For Sakama Upasakas (Those with Desires)
Those who have got still some more desires through this contemplation of Anna Brahma. So the Upanishad tells, he gets annam. Annam means what? Not only eatable food, his whole life becomes a mark of joy.
Whatever he sees gives greatest joy. Whatever he smells, whatever he tastes, whatever he hears and whatever he touches, everything becomes, the whole earth becomes paradise in his mind because of this Anna Brahma Upasana.
So that is the result for those whose minds are not completely pure and who are not that pure. Those who do not want to have liberation but higher enjoyment, for them this result will come. These are called Sakama Upasakas.
For Nishkama Upasakas (Those without Desires)
But if they are Nishkama Upasakas, and who can become Nishkama Upasana Upasakas? Only those who have done this many times and they have enjoyed, and now they understand this going and coming.
"Shrine Punye Martya Lokam Vishanti Evam Trayee Dharmam Anuprapannaha"
So in the Bhagavad Gita we say, you earn some virtue, Punyam, you go to higher loka. Remember, higher loka means experience of higher happiness. There is no other geographical location.
Your mind, when it attains, approaches nearer to pure consciousness, that is called higher loka. So a person who goes to Indra Loka, for example, that means his mind has become like Indra's mind through contemplation of Indra as oneself. That means his mind has become less impure, more pure, more clear.
So it reflects more Brahmananda about which we will see later on. So it is not going and coming. And ordinary people, they are told, "you go and you come." So there is no going and coming from the consciousness point of view. It is only ignorance that says, "I go and I come."
The Dream Analogy
To understand this point, you have to imagine a dream. You imagine you went to a first class restaurant, your favorite food you have not eaten for a long time, and they are the best cooks in the world and you enjoy it.
Is your happiness of eating that first class food in that dream restaurant, eating dream food by you as the dream self, is it any less than physically going and doing? That is why it is said, "Manayeva Manushyanam Karanam Pandhamokshayoh".
Advanced Practitioners
So whoever does this Upasana, and we are talking about those who do not want the physical, external, limited result of this Upasana, they are called Nishkama. Kama means desire. They have only one desire. They want to become liberated by knowing "I am Brahman."
For them, what would be the result? Those persons are ready to be born in a poor family, but in a pure family, in a spiritual family.
So that is why it is said, "Athava yoginam eva kule bhavati dhimatam etadhit durlabhataram loke janma ek idrusham". So some people are unfulfilled with unfulfilled desires, but they are born. "Suchinam shrimatam gehe yoga bhrasthobhijayate".
But for those who have realized some of these desires, they are tired of those desires of coming and going, then they say, "Let us progress only in spiritual life. We are ready to be born in a pure family, even if it be a very poor family, even if we are deprived of all the enjoyable things."
But such a person, they do not suffer, they enjoy the highest joy. Study the life of either Sri Ramakrishna, even better, the life of Sri Ramakrishna's father, Kshatriya, his mother, Chandramani Devi. We don't know about their ancestors, but such a tremendous peace used to be filled in his presence. People used to run to both Kshatriya Ram and Chandramani Devi to get a little consolation. We have to recollect that.
Transition to Pranamaya Kosha
Then what is happening? For such people, there is another type of Upasana. Okay, you have realized Anna Brahma, now you must realize Prana Brahma.
Where is this Prana Brahma? It is within the Annamaya Kosha, separate from Annamaya Kosha, superior to Annamaya Kosha, subtler than the Annamaya Kosha.
Until now, body is God. God is body. That's why when Hindus go on creating any number of human bodies, even animal bodies, people do not understand that a person cannot have the energy, doesn't have the intelligence to understand God need not be a human being. He can be anything also.
In fact, He is beyond form and also formlessness. But until we understand that, it is foolish to discard all those things saying that they do not fulfill. Whatever helps, we have to take that help.
Understanding Kosha
So therefore, there is another Kosha. Kosha means that which covers. Kosha means that which hides through reality to us. That is called Kosha.
Example given is a sword is within the scabbard. So we are covered with five layers and we are seeing the outermost grossest layer and we are thinking whenever we look into the mirror, "Oh that is what me." No, now this person has become sufficiently purified called Chitta Shuddhi through this Upasana, not only Upasana, through this Nishkama Karma, transforming, behaving according to the knowledge that everybody is equal to me.
Nobody is superior or inferior to me. We are all coming from the same parent which is Mother Earth. For such people, Chitta Shuddhi, mind has become pure and because mind has become pure, they could understand that we are all the same.
So that is called identifying oneself with the Virat. Then only his eyes, perception, power of thinking becomes greater. "Oh, there seems to be something inside."
Bhrigu's Example
We will see this, how Bhrigu at first realized then after some time, for some time, he was very happy. After some time, he got doubts. "But I am still lacking something and so long as I am lacking, that is not the final goal."
So like that, this person who had become an expert, a perfect person in this Upasana, he proceeds and he also has faith in the teachings of the scriptures. "There is another subtler layer. I can clearly see it. Now let me identify myself with that Kosha." That is called Pranamaya Kosha.
That is what in this very first section of the Anandavalli, the Upanishad is trying to tell us.
Results of the Practice
So what happens? The result is Sakama Upasaka, he attains higher happiness. Nishkama Upasaka, his insight opens up and he will do, he will try to do now, enter into this Rana Upasana.
Introduction to Pranamaya Kosha
So that is what he is telling here.
"Tasmadva, Etasmad, Anna, Rasa, Mayat" - Very different from this, which consists of the essence of food. But within it is another Self, which consists of the vital breath, Prana.
The whole Pranamaya Kosha is nothing but filled with Prana. Just as the body is filled with external elements called atoms, Pranamaya Kosha is filled with Prana.
Not only that, so even in this Pranamaya Kosha, by this the former is filled. So by this Pranamaya Kosha, former means Annamaya Kosha is filled. Just like you see a pot and in that pot you fill it with water. Water is much subtler than the pot.
So just like that, the whole Pranamaya Kosha, the second grossest, but less grosser than the Annamaya Kosha, fills up this Annamaya Kosha, the outermost layer called this physical body. Within that there is something else. That is called Pranamaya Kosha.
Composition of Pranamaya Kosha
And what does it consist of? So it consists of nothing but pure Prana. Cosmically it is called Hiranyagarbha or Sutratma. And individually it is called Prana.
And by this Prana, by this Pranadevata is former, which means Annamaya Kosha is completely filled because Pranamaya Kosha becomes now the cause and Annamaya Kosha becomes the effect.
The Shift in Identity
So as soon as this happens, as soon as we succeed in identifying slowly with Pranamaya Kosha, what happens? Two things happen.
First thing is that "I am the Annamaya Kosha. I am Annabrahma. That is the reality is pure physical body." That disappears. That Atma becomes Anatma.
But there must be an Atma. And so what happens now? Pranamaya Kosha becomes the Atma. "I am Pranabrahma." Instead of saying "I am Annabrahma," which he was telling before, man is telling, spiritual aspirant was telling, now the same person says "I am Pranabrahma."
"I am nothing but pure Prana." And for the sake of Upasana, remember this person has scriptural knowledge that you are not Annamaya, you are Pranamaya. He has to do Pranamaya Pranabrahma Upasana.
The Human Form Visualization
For that purpose, this Pranamaya Kosha is being now in details, being described. So by this, that means by this Pranabrahma, Annabrahma is filled.
"These two, that means this Pranamaya Kosha too, has the shape of a man, like the human shape of the former. So the sheath of the foot is the human shape of the latter."
We have seen earlier how this, the left hand is left the wing, right hand is the right wing, the head is the Saraha, and the backbone is the support, and the legs are they, that which gives support to this, or the backbone is the Atma, and the legs is the support. We have seen that one exactly in the same way.
Importance of Form in Contemplation
But what we need to keep in mind, really speaking, when we come from Annamaya to the Pranamaya Kosha, Pranamaya doesn't have any shape, but we cannot contemplate on a shapeless something, like people trying to meditate on Nirakara Brahman. That's not going to happen. It is not helpful.
So Upanishad out of kindness says, just as when you were doing Annabrahma Upasana, you said that this is my head, this is my left right hand, left hand, my backbone, and or the middle part of the body, and the lower part legs, "this is me," complete whole body, just like that, just like that, we have to imagine in the Pranamaya Kosha, "Pranayeva Saraha," etc. We are going to read that one.
But why this one? For the sake of contemplation, we have to do that.
The Five Pranas
So that is what is going to be said. I will read again once more.
"Tasya Pranayeva Saraha" - In this Pranamaya Kosha, Prana, remember the entire Pranamaya Kosha is nothing but Pranabrahma, but that Pranabrahma is now divided into five functions.
We know Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana. All these five are in combination is called Pranabrahma. But individually speaking, they are called Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Samana.
That is going to be described. These five Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana are going to be compared to the head, to the right hand, to the left hand, to the middle part of the body, and to the legs. That is what is going for the sake of contemplation.
Remember, it is not a fact. But since only Annamaya Kosha has got all these five parts, but all the other Koshas, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha, and Anandamaya Kosha, they do not have any shape, just like water.
When water becomes ice, you can make a snowman. You can shape it in any way you like, if it is frozen water. But as soon as it becomes water, it loses. But then if you want to think about that water, you pour it a red wine glass, and the water appears like red wine.
It is purely for the sake of contemplation only, you have to understand.
The Functions of Prana
So what is this? This function called Prana is the head, and that particular function called Vyana is the right hand, and Apana is the left side hand, Akasha, in this case, Samana function of the Prana is called Atma, or the central portion, "Prithvi Puchcham Prathishta". So Prithvi, that is comparable to the tail of a bird, here in the human bird shape, and the legs, because legs only, like a driver driving the wheel, go to the left, go to the right, etc.
So all the five parts of the Prana, they are imagined in the shape of a human being, earlier it is like a bird, and with regard to this, there is one Rig Mantra is there, beautiful imagery for the sake of contemplation.
Understanding the Practice
What we need to understand is, there is no other way, we have to imagine all this one. The whole Pranamaya Kosha is nothing but one Prana functioning in five different ways, and if the Prana does not function in this fivefold way, there is no way this physical body, Annamaya Kosha, is going to be sustained.
Same thing we have to understand, without Manomaya Kosha, which is within this Pranamaya Kosha, interior to Pranamaya Kosha, subtler than the Pranamaya Kosha, and it sustains the Pranamaya, that is the thoughts, thoughts means knowledge, knowledge in the form of thoughts, sustains the Pranamaya Kosha, and right understanding sustains the Manomaya Kosha.
Right understanding is called Vijnanam, and Vijnanam in its turn is sustained by Anandamaya Kosha, and Anandamaya Kosha in its turn is sustained by Ananda, or what we call pure Brahman, the supreme reality called Brahman.
Conclusion and Progression
This is how a Taittiriya Upanishad wants to help every spiritual aspirant, how you have to meditate, and how we have to slowly progress. These are very, very beautiful thoughts, beautiful ideals, we will slowly understand, in our try to understand, from next class onwards.
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!