Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 72 Ch2 3-4 on 01 October 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 Pancha Kosha Vivarana
We are studying the third section of the second chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad. In our last class, we have been trying to study the Manomaya Kosha. These sections are beautifully analyzed in a special manner which goes by the name Pancha Kosha Vivarana—a deep analysis, spiritual analysis of the five Koshas.
I am coming back to this again and again. There is a reason for it. After hearing either my talks or someone else's talks, we may come to understand how many times we are hearing the word Mithya. Thereby, we want to—or we do definitely—develop a very blind-sided understanding of the word Mithya.
Mithya is not illusion. Mithya is not non-existence. Then what is Mithya? It is limitation—severe limitation. Not unreal, but limitation.
Understanding Limitation in Advaita Vedanta
We also discussed this: according to Advaita Vedanta, the limitations occur in three areas—time, space, and object. So what happens in this beautiful, very specialized methodology? We are trying to overcome these limitations.
How are we trying to overcome these limitations? First, we identify everything as Brahman, as real. When we say that we are worldly people and we think we are the body and mind, we are not actually making it sacred. We are not really feeling that this world is real.
Please note carefully: when I say, when I declare I am an ignorant person, and if someone were to ask what do you mean by you are an ignorant person? You see, I am identifying myself with my body, and I am also, as a consequence, identifying the entire universe also as bodies.
Even the rock has a body. A temple has a body—a particular shape, particular name, particular space, particular rooms, even the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. So something is very sacred, more sacred than the other places—of course, not to speak of any living being.
The False Identification with the Body
This is what we call identification with the body as well as its possessions. That is what we call our reality, and so we, so-called truthfully, declare: "I am truthfully feeling I am the body, and the entire world is nothing but a physical body." There is a false reasoning there. It is not real.
What do I mean? If I really know I am the body, I will do everything to make this body very real. That is, I will take care of it, so I will be healthy, I will do exercises, I will not eat what is harmful. But am I doing this? No.
And if I think this body is real, this world is real, then do I treat reality—if I feel like this, others also feel the same way. If I feel pain, others also feel pain. When I am happy in this way, others also will feel happy in their own way. Do we ever think like that?
If we are feeling then, truly, we are identifying ourselves: "I am the body. Body is the only reality." But the truth is totally opposite. So I neither treat my body as real, and much less other bodies as real. That is what the Upanishad wants to tell.
Sacralizing the Koshas
First, make sacred, sacralize. The Jivatma is none other than Ishvara. This body is nothing but a sacred temple housing the Ishvara. Then the whole world becomes sacred to me, and whoever practices this—that is what the Upanishad is teaching us in the very first Anuvaka, or rather this body called Annamaya Kosha.
Annamaya, and this Anna Brahma Upasana. So you contemplate this body—your body, my body, everybody's body—as Brahman. Then what happens? My mind becomes pure. I acquire concentration, and I also acquire purity. I also then have a further glimpse than what I used to have.
Then I say, "I understand this Prana Brahma is only an effect. Since it is an effect, it must be like the cause. Let me find out the cause." So a person steps into the second stage. But until a person learns how to treat the body as sacred, as a temple, and consequently and sequentially the whole world also as manifestation of Brahman, he won't be having even a glimpse of the next higher step, which is called Pranamaya Kosha.
Progression Through the Koshas
Then what happens? The person understands and identifies: there is a higher stage, and that is the cause for this Annamaya Sharira. So let me identify myself with this Pranamaya Kosha. Then what happens? All the limitations belonging to the Annamaya Kosha totally disappear.
And then he discovers, "I am Pranamaya Sharira." And this Pranamaya Sharira is also like we felt while contemplating Annamaya Kosha Brahma Upasana—that is Prana Brahma Upasana. Then what happens? Very similar effect we get. I consider my Prana as sacred. I am the Prana. I am sacred. Everybody is a Prana. Everybody is sacred.
Then he will succeed in glimpsing: this is also not as limited as the Annamaya Kosha. It is far less limited, but nonetheless limited. Then anything limited must have the cause as the unlimited. Then he glimpses Manomaya Kosha.
Similar process you can identify. When a person attains "I am Manomaya Brahma, Manomaya Atma. The whole world is Manomaya Brahma," then he glimpses what is called Vijnanamaya. And then he becomes "I am Vijnanamaya Atma. The whole world is Vijnanamaya Brahma."
Then he will glimpse the Anandamaya. "I am Anandamaya Atma." Then he understands the whole universe is Anandamaya Brahma. Brahma means everything—not only myself, my one individuality, but the entire universe.
Glimpsing the Unlimited Brahman
Then he glimpses. What does he glimpse? Just as when a person identified himself with Pranamaya, he becomes less limited; with Manomaya, still less limited; with Vijnanamaya, much less limited; and with Anandamaya, the least limited. But limitation is there nevertheless, because it is called Kosha—covering. Covering means limitation.
Then he glimpses: there is something which is the ultimate cause, which is unlimited. Desha, Kala, Vastu—everything is it. Sarvam Brahmamayam Re Re, Sarvam Brahmamayam. He sings like Sadashiva Brahmendra that beautiful Kirtana. That is the purpose.
Slowly sacralize this Annamaya Kosha and, with that, the entire world also. Srishti Maya Kosha, then Pranamaya Kosha, Samashti Pranamaya Kosha, etc. And with each development, the person becomes less limited, more expansive, until he realizes: "I am really Brahman." Brahman is not a Kosha.
Understanding Anatma and Reality
So the Upanishad is graphically telling us: when a person progresses from Annamaya Kosha, or Annamaya Brahma, Annamaya Atma and Annamaya Brahma to Pranamaya, then the Annamaya Kosha becomes Anatma. Anatma means I recognize it is limited, severely limited. That's all. It is not unreal, but it is none other than part of Pranamaya Kosha.
When Pranamaya Kosha becomes real, Annamaya Kosha cannot become unreal. Nobody should say: "Cause is real, effect is unreal." That is only for the beginner. When one reaches Brahman, he looks on all the five Koshas as none other than Brahman—manifestations of Brahman.
Brahman without name and form—that is called Brahman. This world with name and form is the effect of Brahman. The same world without name and form is Brahman. Brahman with name and form is called world, or Srishti. They are not different, but different dresses. That is what finally in Vedanta we call: one is called Nitya, another is called Leela.
Nitya and Leela
The goal of life is to attain Nitya and then to also enjoy the Leela. Then enjoyment doesn't produce bondage; rather, it enhances in infinite ways—infinite ways of enjoying one's own self. This is what we have to understand, and that is why I am reminding.
So Nitya is only limitation, and one has to go to that limit. Now we have seen in the Pranamaya Kosha: when a person has sacralized—"I am Pranamaya Atma"—that is called sacralizing. This Pranamaya Kosha is the reality, and as well, the whole world is nothing but not Pranamaya Kosha only, but Pranamaya Brahma.
Developing Sacred Outlook
With that, a sacred outlook comes to the person, and that is very important. With that sacred outlook, then certain characteristics develop. When a person knows the whole world is Pranamaya Brahma, Brahman in the form of everybody's body, then a reverence comes, a sacredness comes, a respect comes, a spontaneous feeling of identifying with others—both happiness and unhappiness.
And if someone is suffering, spontaneously I want to share what I have with that person. That normal feeling—just like mother feels that my child is suffering, it is hungry, and I know what it feels, let me immediately serve food. So that kind of—call it sympathy, call it empathy—and it is not mere emotional feeling, just airy feeling, but a concrete feeling which transforms itself into doing something, if not anything else, but praying.
That is what Holy Mother said: If somebody has something, he should not simply pray, he should share. If somebody doesn't have anything to share, then you pray for them. That change in the character along with the understanding.
Knowledge and Character Transformation
So there is an invariable relationship between our convicted knowledge and our character transformation. That is very important.
A small example I will give you, then we will proceed. Supposing a person wants to go to the first floor from the ground floor, and he has to ascend, let us say, five steps. Then first, what does he do? He puts one foot on the higher step, but he firmly clings to the lower step until the second step is firmly placed without any danger of falling. Then only he leaves it.
What is this example for? Until we complete our Upasana of Annamaya Brahma Upasana, Anna Brahma Upasana, we cannot even intellectually conceive it. Some conception will be there, but very limited conception. But when we succeed in this Anna Brahma Upasana, then a firm understanding: Pranamaya Kosha is very important.
Identity and Reality
Now this is also a great truth. It is a wonderful point. Please keep in mind: when my identity is with Pranamaya Kosha, that alone becomes reality. All other Koshas—Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, Anandamaya—become secondary, not that important.
That is why when a person is walking in darkness and somebody is carrying, imagine, a purse—some valuables are there—so another person wants to snatch. But this person's identity is in those possessions, and then he resists. Even if the other person wants to knife this person, this person's identity is so strong he doesn't want even to give up his possession. That kind of reality. We cannot give up reality. We can only give up unreality.
So what I am trying to tell is: with whichever Kosha we are identified, every other Kosha—not only the lower Kosha but higher Koshas also—are only Koshas. That is an important point. Please keep in mind.
Transition from Pranamaya to Manomaya
With this reminder, we will enter into this. We have already discussed a little bit of this Tritiya Anuvaka, which says this is a transition from Pranamaya to Manomaya. And before proceeding in the second Anuvaka, Pranamaya Kosha, the Upanishad declares—so there is what is called a Shloka with regard to authenticate—and then it says: There is another Kosha.
Remember, everything is a Kosha in comparison with where one is and with what one is totally identified as the only reality. So there is a Kosha. But since he has been practicing this sacred contemplation called Brahma Upasana—not Parabrahma Upasana, but Annamaya Upasana, Anna Brahma Upasana, Prana Brahma Upasana, etc.—then he does exactly what is right, appropriate for that particular identification as the only reality.
Then the person glimpses: there is a higher reality. Higher reality means cause; lower reality means effect. The effect, in comparison with the higher reality, is called non-reality. But really, it is not non-reality, but it is more limited reality. That is how we have to understand.
The Mantra Continues
So this Pranamaya has to be merged in the Manomaya. So we presume that this person succeeded in identifying his Prana with Brahman, Atman, and the entire world's Prana as Brahman, and he gets a result. What is it? Before that, the mantra continues.
Nobody can live. The Gods—meaning our sense organs—they are functioning, they are alive only because of this Prana, because they breathe this Prana in the form of oxygen, or life. Oxygen means life-giving air—not only for human beings, even animals.
And then the mantra repeats: Prana means beings. So Prana is that which keeps anybody's, any being's life alive. And therefore, Sarvam Ayusham Chate. So that is called the longevity, the health of every creature which is alive. And whoever succeeds in this contemplation—it is not merely nature, but it is God Himself who is manifesting in the form of the Vayu Devata or Hiranyagarbha Devata, etc.—Sarvam eva ta te ayur yanti.
Living a Full Life
Whoever contemplates sincerely, really, such a person will live Poornayudaya—full life. Full life, as I explained earlier, means according to the result of his past lives. Some may die after a few seconds, some after a few days, some after a few years, some hundred years. Even there are some today who are nearly 115 or 120 years old.
Nobody knows, because modern science doesn't know what this longevity is dependent upon. They think it depends upon healthy food, etc. No, it is totally wrong. It totally depends upon the effect of past lives.
Then what is the role of healthy food, healthy living, etc.? Yes, they will prevent unnecessary suffering—the suffering that one can get. For example, somebody has overeaten; he may suffer from indigestion. But if he has eaten the right quantity, suitable food, then he will enjoy the food, and his energy will increase. His health also will remain bright. He will be able to do whatever he is wanting to do very effectively.
But any amount of healthy food is not going to prolong our life. And scientists are blind; they are trying to prolong, identifying certain genes and then trying to transmute certain living cells into something else. No sir, that is not going to help. So if they succeed, it is only because of the effect of past lives. But if somebody lives a healthy life with a healthy lifestyle, of course, then he will enjoy the life instead of suffering tremendously. No, that is not going to happen.
Result of Prana Brahma Upasana
So that is what he says: Sarvam eva ta te ayur yanti. Whoever does this contemplation, he will live full life in a full manner. Any person who is able to say "I lived my life to the full" means "I used it very well, and I enjoyed it very well." That kind of life. Who enjoys a Pranam Brahmopasate? Whoever contemplates God as Pranam.
And as I mentioned, what is the psychology? So maybe, if my Pranam is the only reality, then I will do everything to keep it as a sacred reality. That healthy living is called spiritual life. Healthy thinking is called spiritual life. So many meanings are there.
Therefore, Pranam is considered as the life of all creatures. Therefore, it is called the life of every living creature, depending upon their past karma.
Introduction to Manomaya Kosha
Then the third Anuvaka wants to say:
Tasya isha eva sharira atma eha purvasya tasmadvaya tasmad pranamayat anyo antara atma manomayaha tena esha poornaha sava esha purusha vidha eva tasya purusha vidhatam anvayam purusha vidhaha.
This Sharira Prana is the embodied soul of the former—that is, Annamaya Kosha. Verily different from this Pranamaya Kosha, which consists of the essence of the Prana, but within it, inside it, is another self—higher self—and which consists of the mind, Manomaya Kosha.
So mind is the cause; Prana is the effect in this case. Just as Prana was the cause and body is the effect, in this case now the Prana becomes the effect only when a person steps onto that third step firmly and puts both feet. Then the lower step becomes what is called not useful any longer. It was useful; now it is not useful. But remember, it will be—you cannot destroy it, because the whole thing goes up to the foundation. And if somebody wants to come down, again the same process, but in reverse order.
Inclusion, Not Destruction
So this is why it is not destruction; it is inclusion. The higher we climb, the more pervasive, expansive, the more real everything becomes. We are approaching Brahman—more expansion, more and more through spiritual practice.
So this third section, which is called Manomaya Kosha, is being described. And as I said, only when a person really succeeds and lives an appropriate life—"My Pranam is the Brahma. Bhagawan Himself is granting me this Prana, and I am able to live, I am able to think, I am able to do actions only because of Bhagawan's grace, the grace of the Lord coming in the form of the Prana"—when a person has this much of devotion, Bhagawan opens his eyes further, and then he glimpses inside, subtler than the Pranamaya Kosha, which is the cause of the Pranamaya Kosha.
The cause is always subtler, more pervading, more real than the effect. Then he perceives this Manomaya Kosha.
Description of Manomaya Kosha
That is what: Tasmadvaya etasmad pranamayat—so much interior, much subtler than this Pranamaya Kosha. Anyaha atma—another Atma, another self which is antarah—inside. Inside means subtler. And what is its name? Manomayaha. And this Pranamaya Kosha is filled with this Manomaya Kosha.
Just as an example, you take a vessel and fill it with, let us say, water. The vessel is—the glass is full of water, wine, whatever you say. Now you can understand also, for the sake of understanding, the water is separate, which is more important.
When you are thirsty and you want to drink water, you call out somebody, and then you say, "Fetch me water." How does he fetch? He doesn't take water in his hands and bring—that also can happen, but the hands become the utensil now. So usually he brings a glass. And this person, suppose this person who is thirsty becomes furious: "I told you to bring water, and you are bringing this glass. Who told you to bring the glass?" "No, no, sir. Without the glass, your desire will not be fulfilled."
Similarly, without Pranamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha will not stay. Without Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha also will not be able to survive. So they are mutually dependent upon each other. That's what we have to understand.
Form of Manomaya Kosha
So tena esha poornaha—by this Manomaya, this Pranamaya is filled totally. And how does it appear? For the sake of contemplation, the Annamaya Kosha is a definite shape like the imagery of a bird, and then immediately said it is like a human body. There is a head. There are two hands. There is the middle part of the body and the legs, which support for walking, running, etc.
Same thing. Sava esha purusha vidha eva. So there is—we have to contemplate. But really speaking, mind doesn't have any form. But knowledge. What is mind? Knowledge. What is knowledge? In the form of thoughts. And therefore, they don't have any form like a bird or a house. But for the sake of contemplation, Manomaya Brahma Upasana, as if the mind is there, in order to explain.
Teaching Through Simple Examples
Just like a kindergarten child. So you want to know what is called an apple. So simply you go on shouting "Apple, apple." Do you understand what is an apple? The child feels like slapping you. "How the hell do I know what is an apple?" Then you actually either bring an apple or something—an image, something made out of wax, an apple exactly looking, same color. "This is apple. A for apple."
So like that, B for a bird. So like that, every letter of the alphabet—how the child soon identifies. "That is, this is apple. It starts with the letter A." "So this is a bird. It starts with the letter B." "So this is a cat. Starts with the letter C." "So this is a dog. It starts with the letter D."
Like that, the child will be able to grasp. It is for this easiness of contemplation, this imagination like a human being. But soon, what is this body like? What is it made up of? That is what makes the difference.
Composition of Manomaya Kosha
As we have seen in the Pranamaya Kosha, it is consisting of Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana—one Prana subdivided into five parts according to its actions, five different actions. Here also, the mind consists of what? Full of Vedas. That is what we are going to see.
But anvayam purusha vidhaha. Anvayam means the same—ditto. Anvayam means ditto. As we have explained in the Pranamaya and Annamaya, ditto—you will have to imagine a human being.
So the Sharira of Prana—the embodied soul of the former—verily, different from the Sharira which consists of the essence of the Prana, but within it is another self which consists of the mind, Manomaya Kosha. And by this, the former is filled. By this means, by this Manomaya Kosha, the former, which is the Pranamaya Kosha, is filled.
And this Manomaya Kosha too has the shape of a man, like the human shape of the Pranamaya Kosha, and which is having the shape of the human being, which is Annamaya Kosha.
The Four Vedas as Parts of Manomaya Kosha
Now, what is this Manomaya Kosha consisting of?
Tasya Yajur eva shiraha, Rig dakshina paksaha, Sama uttara paksaha, Adesha atma, Atharva Angirasa puchcham pratishta, tadapyesha slokobhavati.
The first three what is called lines of this mantra are very important. Tadapyesha slokobhavati is common until we reach Annamaya Kosha. Same thing will follow. After that, it will not be there.
Tasya Yajur eva shiraha. So if we imagine that this Manomaya Kosha, this body of the mind, is just like a human body, so what is its head? Yajur Veda. What is its right hand? Rig dakshina paksaha—Rig Veda. What is the left hand? Sama uttara paksaha—Sama Veda is the left hand. Adesha atma. Adesha means instruction—do this, don't do that. Both Vidhi and Nishedha.
That is the—that which supports, that supports all this head, hands, etc. And what makes the whole body, what supports the whole body—that is called the legs. And that legs, here instead of legs, again imagery of the bird is brought out. Atharva Angirasa Puchcham Pratishta is like the tail of a bird. What makes the bird change direction—up or down, left or right—that is the tail. Just like that, the legs will take you to the front or back, left or right, etc.
Summary: Mind as Knowledge
Very briefly we will discuss this one. First, let me summarize, then understanding will be easy.
What is the mind? Mind means it is consisting of Vrittis—thoughts. What is a thought? It is nothing but knowledge about different objects, knowledge about the past, present, imagination about the future. Everything is nothing but a thought.
And thoughts can be divided into two categories: worldly thoughts, secular thoughts, and spiritual thoughts. And according to Vedanta, according to what we are discussing, the whole—every Upanishad is called Vedanta. Upanishad is another name for Vedanta.
So according to this Vedanta, all knowledge—the name of complete knowledge, all knowledge, every sort of knowledge—is called Veda. Veda means knowledge. And this Veda is also telling—because who are the people who are passing on that knowledge? They are called Rishis.
Who is a Rishi? A person who knows the truth. What is the truth? Brahman. Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma. So a person who knows that "My real nature is Brahman, but this body, mind are given to me for the purpose of recollecting, re-remembering my lost memory, bring back that memory." Every spiritual Sadhana is to bring back this memory.
The Four Vedas and Their Purposes
So Yajur Veda—what is its importance? There are four Vedas: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda. What is their importance?
Rig Veda gives the most important mantras—that is, truths in the form of mantras.
Yajur Veda explains these truths—how this truth has to be made practical in day-to-day life, as Swami Vivekananda had done what is called practical Vedanta. So for that purpose, man is having four desires. Each person is having four desires.
What are the four desires? First of all, he wants to be happy. "I want to be happy." And happiness is the result of Dharma—that is, righteous living. And how can—what is righteous living? How can I live a righteous living?
Dharma and Happiness
So the Veda tells: "You do this, you don't do this." That is called—we have to follow the Veda, Vedic injunctions, Vedic commandments: do this and don't do that. That is called Dharma.
And if you deviate, if you don't do that—that is, if you do what should not be done, what is forbidden, if you don't do what is imposed upon you—then you will be an unrighteous person. If you follow, then you are a righteous person.
So naturally the question comes: why should I be a righteous person? Because happiness depends upon righteousness. Unhappiness is the result of unrighteousness. Very, very, very, very important point.
Happiness Has No Correlation with External Factors
Happiness has no correlation. A person may be as healthy and strong as a buffalo, or he can have a lot of money. He may be extraordinarily intelligent, like Einstein. He may be extraordinarily skillful in music—greatest artist. He may be extraordinarily good in producing A.I.s, like DeepSeek, or GPT, ChatGPT, etc. They are paid very highly—millions. Some people have become billionaires.
Do you think the more money, more healthy, more happy? Then foolishness cannot go further than this type of understanding. Even a righteous person, since he has a head, he will have a headache. Since he has got teeth, he will have toothache. Since he has got a stomach, he will have stomachache. Since he has got legs, hands, body, he can have what you call rheumatism. So body is full of troubles.
Mind can be worried. Mind can be restless. Mind can entertain depression, or it may get excited.
The Power of Dharma
What are we talking about? If a person leads a Dharmika life, righteous life, he will develop an ability to squeeze happiness under every circumstance. And if he is leading an unrighteous life, he equally squeezes unhappiness, and helplessly he will do that. It becomes natural.
A righteous person need not try. He is born with that instinctual feeling—how to squeeze happiness. And similarly, an unrighteous person, he will also feel like that only.
And there are higher and higher grades of happiness. Even these psychologists have attempted to discover there are five different layers of happiness: Vishayananda, Medhananda, Kalananda, Dharmananda, finally Brahmananda. Even this discovery has not come into their Buddhi.
Warning About Artificial Intelligence
You can have any number of AI servants, AI machines, but ultimately we don't know. AI machines might start eating our food. It says, "You are stupid. You are like Frankenstein's monster. I don't care for you. I will disrupt." It can happen. It is happening.
Because employment of drones, etc.—is that the drone may not know, but one day it may know that "I am the master. I am more powerful. I can do whatever I like."
Mind and the Vedas
What I am trying to tell you is that the mind is nothing but full of thoughts. These thoughts can be righteous and unrighteous. So we have to cultivate these thoughts. And Vedas give us both.
You have got worldly desires. There are ways. They are called Yajnas, Yagas—certain Pujas in modern terminology. So that is what the Vedas will give.
So Rig Veda says: this is the right mantra for uttering, for contemplating.
Yajur Veda says: this is the practical way of converting what Rig Veda is telling into practical action. That is why Yajur Veda is called the head, and Rig Veda—because without Rig Veda, Yajur Veda will not know what to do. So if the person doesn't know where he wants to go, the GPS cannot determine where he wants to go. First, the person must know. So that is what Rig Veda is considered as the right hand.
Sama Veda: The Left Hand
And then, now and then on the way, the person has to feed himself, take rest, and have a little entertainment, be happy. That is when a Veda—part of the Rig Veda is put to music and is uttered, sung in a particular way, very similar to Gregorian music. That is why it is called the left hand. That means a little less important.
Nevertheless, without left hand, the body will not be a complete body. It will be a disabled body.
Atharva Veda: The Foundation
So what is to be done? I know mantras are there. I know Yajur Veda would explain. But then this Sama Veda, what is called Adesha Atma—what is called Adesha, teaching of the Vedas, that is especially Rig Veda and Yajur Veda—that is called the middle part, middle part, like middle part of the body, backbone of the body.
If there is any problem with the backbone, then we will not be able to function. How many people suffer from this backbone problem? That is why it is called backup. Without backup, it is impossible to live. There must be a back.
Then there is called Atharva Veda. Some people say it is the result of the discoveries of two Rishis. One is called Atharva, another is called Angirasa. But some people say both names belong to one and the same. I am inclined to accept the first view, because to that vast knowledge—what to do, what not to do—could not have been done by one person.
There may be even more persons. Only two names of the Rishis have been mentioned—Atharva, Angirasa. Puchcham. Just like legs, what do legs do? Wherever a person desires to go, they will take you there. Left, right, towards the east, towards the west, etc. Even jumping also. If there is a small obstacle, one needs to jump to overcome it.
So Atharva Angirasa Puchcham Pratishta. Puchcham means tail, but here it means legs. And then all the four are necessary.
The Content of Atharva Veda
What is the importance of Atharva Veda? Because Atharva Veda contains many, many mantras to fulfill every desire that arises in the human mind. Unfortunately, there are some undesirable desires, unrighteous desires—even to fulfill them.
For example, "I want my enemy to be dead. I want to possess, hypnotize, mesmerize, keep under my thumb and rule over that person." This is called Vashikarana. First is called Marana. "I want my enemy to be dead, or I want my enemy to go as far away as possible from me." It is called Uchatana.
There are mantras, and I am inclined to feel that they are very effective. It can be done. But with one caveat. That caveat is that we cannot do anything to anybody unless that person's Karmaphala also is making him—either his time has come, he will die, or he feels a desire and that coincides with what I desire, etc.
Willing Submission and Karmic Readiness
So if somebody admires somebody else, willingly we place ourselves in the commandments, like military people—all the soldiers, etc. So like that, that is also possible. But there are mantras, and it is a marvelous thing which I might talk about it in future classes.
But this Atharva Veda, 4th Veda, contains remedies for scorpion bite, snake bite, and bites of other human beings and animals, etc., and to escape the wrath of the kings or powerful people. Like that, any obstruction, any event that leads to unhappiness can be avoided if a person has got this feeling, etc.—this power, this faith—and does exactly what he wants to do.
The Role of Past Karma
So only I will close today's talk again reminding you: nobody can do any harm to another person unless that person already is ready to undergo that suffering. Nobody can make anybody happy by just giving money or this or that. No.
Unless that person's Punyam ripens at that moment and manifests in the form of happiness. So everybody becomes an instrument either for good or evil, but depending upon one's own—what is called—result of one's own past life's action. We will discuss this practically.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of the Manomaya Kosha. But importance is: mind is full of thoughts. Thoughts are nothing but knowledge. Knowledge can be right or wrong knowledge.
So the Vedas give us right direction: do this, don't do this. And with faith, if we follow, we evolve quickly and we become righteous. We enjoy this life. While enjoying itself, we will progress.
If we neglect or do not do what the Vedas command, we suffer a lot. We learn our lesson. Of course, we will progress. Everyone will ultimately reach God. There is no doubt about it.
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!