Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 73 Ch2 4-5.1 on 08 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: Recap of Manomaya Kosha
We just completed the third anuvāka of the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad called Brahmānandavallī. What is this third anuvāka? It is called Manomaya Kosha.
Understanding Kosha
Kosha means covering, and every kosha covers up our true nature, as it were. We have seen this Manomaya Kosha—the covering, the sheath which is only the mind. And what is the mind? Mind is that which has vṛttis—thoughts, good thoughts, evil thoughts, happy thoughts, unhappy thoughts, everything. So our mind is the very important part of our covering.
The Two Aspects of Maya
If the covering can be used, every covering can be used slowly to progress towards God. That is a point we have to understand very, very clearly. Sri Ramakrishna used to say Maya can be divided into two sides: Avidyā Māyā and Vidyā Māyā.
What is the role of Avidyā Māyā? It is not to bind us, because Māyā is our mother, and a mother can never bind. She will only want the welfare, the goodness, the happiness of her children. So Divine Mother also cannot do that. She wants our welfare. She wants all of us, her children, to come running to her.
A little bit of play, that's okay. But after the play, we have to rush—not get completely absorbed, involved in this play. And if we do not heed, then the mother will create some obstacle, some event which will make us undergo suffering. The purpose of suffering is not to make us suffer but to awaken us.
Just as when a person doesn't wake up with a call, then we go on putting pressure on his body. "Wake up, wake up!" We can shake, we can give a blow. Then only the person is likely to get up. So every misery is a tremendous grace of God, gift of God. That's what Holy Mother had said.
Review of the First Three Koshas
Annamaya Kosha
Coming back, this third kosha, Manomaya Kosha, we covered already. First is Annamaya Kosha, which is our obsession with this body, physical body and its adherents—external world, possessions, bank balance, houses, friends, relatives, etc.
Pranamaya Kosha
And higher than that, subtler than that, more pervading than that is the Prāṇamaya Kosha. So logically arranged, if prāṇa departs, physical body will not be there. And the prāṇa can be kept alive only by our thoughts.
Plenty of examples I had given earlier: that if a person is cherishing a happy thought, creative thought, a person will get rid of all tiredness, jump up. But if the same person is oppressed by negative thoughts, depressive thoughts, then his prāṇa—that means his energy, his enthusiasm—everything is affected.
Therefore, the Upaniṣad is so beautifully, so logically pointing out to us: if somehow we can worship this prāṇa—first Annamaya Brahma, then Prāṇamaya Brahma—then only we can enter.
The Meaning of Worship
Worshipping means using the instruments in the most appropriate manner. How do we know? Because that can be measured by progress in spiritual life.
Progress in spiritual life can be measured only in three ways:
- Sat (Existence/Truth): Are we becoming better people, holier people, purer people? Are we adhering to truthfulness, satsaṅga, satya saṅga? Are we seeking the truth? This is the sat aspect of Brahman.
- Cit (Consciousness/Knowledge): Our power of discrimination. The more we progress, the more things become clear. What is good, what is not good, what should be done, what should be avoided—that understanding becomes almost intuitive, instantaneous. That is the power. That is how we know we are progressing towards God. And the knowledge that we gain through this discrimination is: God alone is our mother, our father, our friend, our wealth, everything. Everything else goes away. Everything else deserts us at the required time. But these parents, jagatāḥ pitaro, they are never going to abandon us. So that is called right discrimination, viveka jñānam. And we progress in this viveka jñānam. More conviction, more mental strength will come. That is how we are progressing in cit.
- Ānanda (Bliss): We don't get happiness in trivial things. We get happiness only in eternal things, in God. So that is how we know that we were not so happy before. Then we are happy. The nearer we approach God, the more happy we become.
The Nature of Manomaya Kosha
Then we enter into the Manomaya Kosha. And, as I said, mind is nothing but a container which has all these thoughts. It is also the container. It is also the contained. When there are no thoughts, there would be no mind. When there is no mind, there will be no thoughts. So this mind is everything.
And that is what distinguishes: This is my father. This is my mother. This is my wife. This is my husband. This is my sister. That vṛtti jñāna, viveka jñāna, will be there all the time, and it will grow as we progress. Progress also in viveka jñāna starts growing up.
The Spiritual Lifestyle
So we have to cherish positive thoughts which help us to grow, become purer, become more discriminative, and feel more happiness for longer periods of time. And for that purpose, we need a lifestyle—to lead a particular lifestyle. And that lifestyle is indicated through the Vedas.
Veda means knowledge. Knowledge means what? It also tells us the known knowledge—knowledge known to us through our body and mind. It also tells us that which is not available to the five sense organs, such as: God exists, other worlds exist, other life exists.
So what we have to understand is that this knowledge which is beyond the five sense organs, beyond the mind, is available only through the scriptures, through the Vedas. There is no other way. That is why all the Vedas are mentioned in this Manomaya Kosha, which we discussed very deeply.
The Structure of Manomaya Kosha
So imagine the Manomaya Kosha in the form of a human being or a bird. Human being—because the word pakṣa is used. Pakṣa means a wing.
So:
- Tasya, Yajurveda is the head (śiraḥ)
- Ṛgveda is the right hand or right wing (Ṛg dakṣiṇa pakṣa)
- Sāmaveda is the left-sided wing (Sāma uttara pakṣa)
- Ādeśa (following the instructions of the scriptures without deviating from them even a little bit) is the ātmā, the backbone
The Importance of Ādeśa
Ādeśa means commandments. "You do this." And if you do that, then we progress in life. When we are travelling by roads and suddenly there are street lights, then we come to that place—there will be a red light, a green light, traffic lights. So red light means stop, don't go forward. And green light means you must go forward. Otherwise, from behind somebody will push us. So there is no choice.
If we go to a doctor, he gives ādeśa. He doesn't beg us. "If you want to get well, these are the medications, these are the diets." We have to do that. This is ādeśa. Life is full of ādeśa.
And that is what we had discussed in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, first chapter called Śikṣāvallī, eleventh section: If you want to be happy physically, mentally, in every way, then we have to follow—you have to follow the commandments of the scriptures. That is what is being said here.
That is Ṛg Veda—it is called the right way. And the Sāma Veda is the left way. Ādeśa here means what? The instructions that we derive from these three Vedas: Yajur Veda, Ṛg Veda, and Sāma Veda. That is the ātmā, the very soul, the very support, without which Manomaya Kosha just collapses.
If our back breaks, if backbone breaks, any problem arises in our backbone, then even to stand up, even to walk, even to move would be almost impossible—I would say impossible. Like that, ādeśa means instructions and commandments.
Commandments means: "Oh, I am requesting you to do"? No, "I am commanding you to do." And for your own good. And if we do that, our present life will be pleasant. Our future life will be very pleasant. And ultimately we will progress and reach God, become one with God. That is what is meant.
Practical Vedanta
Ādeśa means Vedānta should be practical, not merely theoretical. This is also—some books you get, Imitation of Christ, Imitation of Buddha. So the imitation means there are two words: anusaraṇa and anukaraṇa.
So anukaraṇa means just imitate physically, externally, without doing anything. But that's not what we want. We dress like Christ, we dress like Buddha—that is not going to help us. Anusaraṇa is necessary, that is: I must follow. What did Buddha do when this situation arose? What did he do when the other situation arose? What did Sri Ramakrishna do? What did Holy Mother do? That's how we have to think about it.
So this is not only an instruction, but a commandment. The police instruct, when we are driving a car, that when the green lights come, you have to stop. When the red lights come, then you will have to stop. When the green lights come, you will have to start. You cannot sit there.
That is what is very important for us to understand. This is what Swami Vivekananda called Practical Vedanta: Put the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna or Swamiji or Holy Mother or Buddha or Christ into day-to-day practice.
Atharvana Veda: The Fourth Veda
Now the fourth Veda, which actually had been added by our ṛṣis much later on. Earlier there were only three Vedas: Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, and Sāma Veda. But later on, there was a ṛṣi called Atharvāṇa, and he had discovered marvelous mantras and remedies so that the body and mind can be kept very healthy.
And why go on praying to God when there is a remedy available readily? We should not trouble God. Only when everything fails, then only we should call upon God. So this is what we have to learn.
That's why it is said, puccham means like the legs, like the tail of a bird. Without legs, you want to escape danger—you want to run, you can't run. You want to reach a destination, you can't reach a destination.
Technology as Extension of the Body
By the way, we all know we have marvelous gadgets discovered by science. What is a telescope? Extension of the eyes. What is an airplane? Extension of our leg. What is a telephone? Extension of our ear. Everything is extension.
So even if there is what is called a telephone and there is a person who is deaf, he cannot take any advantage of it. Similarly, if a person is blind, he cannot see what is happening, even if something is being broadcast from the other side of the world. And if a person has no qualification, there is no use travelling.
What is the purpose of travelling? If you don't have any purpose, you might as well stay at home and take rest. There must be—"I want to go and visit Lord Viśvanāth. I want to hear this musical concert," etc. There must be some noble purpose. And that purpose should never be an inferior purpose.
The Importance of Health
So, the body—and nowadays, as you know, many people suffer mental irregularities. That is, some people are mad, so that mental depression, worries, etc.—mental illness has become too much, because physically we are getting many things. And so, we are not spending much time on physical work, excepting certain sectors of agricultural workers like that.
Most of the people, even the assemblies, assembling a car, a machine, etc.—now, people are inventing robots, so they can do that. The point here is that if a person is not healthy, he cannot enjoy life. That is what is meant.
So now, thinking of this, the Atharvana Veda has discovered lots and lots of methods: how to keep the body healthy, how to keep the mind also healthy. Some with mantras and some remedies. Physically, this particular plant, the juice of this particular plant can relieve one from, for example, the pain of the bite of a scorpion or save a person from a snake bite, etc. These are all available in this Atharvana Veda.
There are so many mantras, and those mantras are meant for keeping our own body and mind in the pink condition, they say—in the optimal condition, they say—so that we can use it for a higher purpose.
That is why this Manomaya Kosha: Aṅgī tathā Atharva Āṅgirasa. Atharvāṇa or Āṅgirasa—some say they are two separate ṛṣis, some say it is the name of one and only one ṛṣi. And mostly he discovered it or he invented them, and that is why it is called puccham, like legs. They can help us a great lot, and that is what we have to understand.
Summary of Manomaya Kosha
So the body must be healthy and pure, full of energy. The Prāṇamaya Kosha must be full of enthusiasm for progressing towards God. The mind should be pure, expanded, and concentrated, and deep desire for higher truths. All these are included in this Manomaya Kosha.
And Vedas give us every type of knowledge, both secular as well as spiritual, whereby we can definitely progress in spiritual life. That is the essence of this Manomaya Kosha which we discussed.
Entering Vijnanamaya Kosha
And now we enter into the next kosha. And here again, I will have to remind you: unless we worship the mind as Brahman, Mano Brahmeti—Mano as Bhṛgu understood later on, that is the practical example given in this very Taittirīya Upaniṣad.
So when a person says, "This is not my mind. This is a mind given to me by God for a particular purpose. I understand. What is that purpose? I have to think of God. I have to progress towards God." And that is very important for us to understand.
The Progressive Understanding
If we can do all the directions of the Vedas, follow the directions of the Vedas—do this and don't do that—mind becomes, first of all, pure; secondly, it becomes concentrated; thirdly, it expands its understanding and identification. And slowly, this individual mind which is compared to Brahman—that is to say, it is not your mind, it is not anybody's mind, it is God only—should be established there.
Once we have that firm understanding that my mind is a gift from God, my prāṇa is a gift from God, my body is a gift from God, similarly my buddhi which we are going to enter is a gift from God—if we can understand, that is called Brahma upāsana: Mano Brahma upāsana, Anna Brahma upāsana, Prāṇa Brahma upāsana, Mano Brahma upāsana.
And we presume this disciple to whom this instruction was being given, or disciples—they have followed exactly as the Guru commanded them, and then they understood. What happens as a result of that? He becomes Manasā Spatiḥ. We have seen earlier in the Śikṣā Vallī, he attains Svarājyam. That means his powers become so expanded that nothing will be out of reach for him. He can understand anything, and he can also use that thing in the proper manner, dharmic way. And that is what we have seen earlier.
The Discovery of Higher Koshas
So if a person does this, then suddenly his vision opens up: "Oh! Interior to it and far subtler than that and far pervading than that, then this Manomaya Kosha is another kosha." That is called Vijñānamaya Kosha.
So we are looking at such a logical way of stepping. First you put one foot on the first step, then lift up the second foot, put it on the first step, then lift up one foot, put it on the second step. That is how we reach the roof.
Without identifying with the lower koshas, we can never reach the higher kosha. Very important to understand. Identification means they are all sacred. Body is sacred. Prāṇa is sacred. Mind is sacred. Intellect is sacred. Ānanda is also sacred. All these belong to God.
The Transitional Mantra
So the mantra concludes that with regard to this, a Ṛk mantra is quoted. And that Ṛk mantra we have already seen beginning with Vijñānamaya Kosha indicating Prāṇamaya. We have seen in the Prāṇamaya indicating the Manomaya. We are seeing in Manomaya indicating the Vijñānamaya Kosha also.
So this is how we progress. So that is how Upaniṣad continues the same process through the Manomaya to Vijñānamaya to Ānandamaya Koshas. And ultimately revealing Brahman alone as the only support. Everything is Brahman—as the adhiṣṭhāna, as the only support. All the koshas, including Ānandamaya, is also a kosha.
The Fourth Anuvaka: Vijnanamaya Kosha
Now we enter with this background into the Vijñānamaya Kosha. So in this fourth anuvāka, which is called Vijñānamaya Kosha, this Taittirīya Upaniṣad continues the Pañca Kosha Viveka. And this is how the mantra goes:
Yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha
Ānandam brahmaṇo vidvān na bibheti kadācaneti
Tasyaiṣa eva śārīra ātmā yaḥ pūrvasya
Tasmād vā etasmāt manomayāt anyo'ntara ātmā vijñānamayaḥ
Tena eṣa pūrṇaḥ sa vā eṣa puruṣavidha eva
Tasya puruṣavidhatām anvayaṃ puruṣavidhaḥ
Tasya śraddhā eva śiraḥ
Ṛtaṃ dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ
Satyam uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ
Yoga ātmā
Mahaḥ puccham pratiṣṭhā
Tad apy eṣa śloko bhavati
This fourth anuvāka also ends with—there is another Ṛk mantra to support what we have been talking about, this Vijñānamaya Kosha. Like Annamaya, Prāṇamaya, Manomaya, etc., this will continue until Ānandamaya Kosha only.
But Ānandamaya Kosha, it doesn't say there is something interior to it, but we have to understand: even kosha, the very usage of the word kosha means it is a covering, it is a limitation. Anything that is covered or limited cannot be Brahman. Brahman is—Brahman can cover everything, nothing can cover, nothing can limit Brahman. That is the idea.
The Structure of Vijnanamaya Kosha
So here also there are certain repetitions. So what is it?
Tasyaiṣa eva śārīra ātmā
Just like as we compared Annamaya, Prāṇamaya, Manomaya as a human being or as a bird, so bodily comparison: This is the head, these are the right and left hands, this is the backbone, and these are the legs, etc.
Yaḥ pūrvasya—referring to earlier.
Therefore, tasmād vā etasmāt manomayāt—so once a person understands, first he understands, "I am Manomaya Kosha." The moment he understands, the other two koshas—what are the other two koshas? Prāṇamaya and Annamaya—they become koshas only then.
The Nature of Koshas
Please keep in mind: when a person is identified with anna in this body, it is not a kosha—it is Brahma only, it is the reality only, it is the truth only. But as soon as he gives it up, like a person discards an outermost dress, then Prāṇamaya becomes the Brahma, then only Annamaya becomes a dress.
Kosha means that which is not Brahman, not reality, not the truth. Similarly, when a person through worship, as soon as he enters into Manomaya Kosha, then that Manomaya Kosha becomes Brahma, and Prāṇamaya and Annamaya become non-reality—only then.
But when a person ascends still further, identifies with this Vijñānamaya Kosha, then only Manomaya Kosha also becomes irrelevant. This is the process we have to understand.
Therefore, there is no way intellectually we can identify: "Now I contemplate on Prāṇamaya, so Annamaya becomes a kosha. Now I contemplate on Manomaya, then Prāṇamaya becomes a kosha." No, it must be some definite experience in spiritual life. That is what we need to understand.
Understanding Vijnanamaya Kosha
So what is this Vijñānamaya Kosha? A fourth kosha consisting of... So for the sake of contemplation, even this Vijñānamaya Kosha is to be imagined like a human being. These are the common sentences we get, like before.
Therefore, apart from this Manomaya, there is another. And it is interior. And its name is Vijñānamaya. And this Vijñānamaya now becomes Brahman. And it pervades the Manomaya. Manomaya pervades the Prāṇamaya. Prāṇamaya pervades the Annamaya.
So Vijñānamaya becomes the ātmā. The Manomaya becomes filled with this Vijñānamaya. And we have to imagine the same like human being as we did in the Annamaya, Prāṇamaya, Manomaya. In the same way, we have to imagine.
The Five Limbs of Vijnanamaya Kosha
And how do we imagine? What are the five limbs? What is the head?
- Śraddhā is the head (śiraḥ)
- Ṛtam is the right wing (dakṣiṇa pakṣa)
- Satyam is the left wing (uttara pakṣa)—that is truth
- Yoga is the ātmā (backbone)—practically implementing what we understand intellectually in our day-to-day life, which is called Practical Vedānta
- Mahaḥ puccham pratiṣṭhā—the legs/foundation
Yoga: The Process of Transformation
Yoga—that process of transforming ourselves. That process of approaching Brahman nearer and nearer. And finally become one. That is called Yoga. That is why, whether a person is travelling in the path of Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Rāja Yoga, and Jñāna Yoga—that word yoga, that which brings us nearer to Brahman. And finally destroys that which separates, that separating factor.
And once that separating factor is completely destroyed, what remains is neither Jīvātma nor Paramātmā. There is no two ātmās. One without second. That is being indicated: Yoga Ātmā.
The Grace of God
And then, whatever we do, without Divine Mother's grace, without the grace of Brahman, without the grace of Īśvara, we will not succeed in anything. Sri Ramakrishna used to emphasize this so much.
Swami Vivekananda composed the second hymn that we sing at Vesper service. What is that second hymn? Om Hrīṃ Hṛtham—this refrain. Four times it occurs. What does it mean? Without God's grace, it is impossible to progress in any field of life. Be it secular, sāṃsāric, worldly—people think, "If I do hard work, if I do it intelligently, I will reap the benefits." No, sir.
It is only God's grace who is giving you that intelligence, who is giving you that energy, endowing you with that energy, who is giving you that instrument called body and mind and intellect, etc. He is only manifesting. And if He does not manifest, it is not going to work out.
So this is being told here: the grace of God. Whose grace? Brahman's kṛpā. And here that Brahman is called Mahaḥ. Mahaḥ means Hiraṇyagarbha.
Understanding Mahaḥ (Hiranyagarbha)
As we mentioned earlier, Hiraṇyagarbha represents the second body—sūkṣma śarīra. And the sūkṣma śarīra in another model called Pañcakosha model is named as Prāṇamaya, Manomaya, Vijñānamaya. Collectively these three things correspond to sūkṣma śarīra.
And the collective Prāṇamaya is called Sūtrātmā. Collective Manomaya is called Hiraṇyagarbha. Collective Vijñānamaya—that is called Mahat.
So that Mahaḥ puccham—this Hiraṇyagarbha in the form of Mahat forms the very legs. That which supports the entire body. And that which makes it possible for us to go where we want to go—either to move towards something or to run away from something. Legs are very, very important. That is what is being said here.
Detailed Explanation of Vijnanamaya Kosha
Now briefly we will discuss it. Tasya—that means this Vijñānamaya Kosha. That is very important for us: Vijñānamaya Kosha.
Vijnana vs. Manas
What is this vijñāna? What is Manomaya Kosha? When there are plenty of thoughts: "Shall I do this? Shall I not do this? Shall I do the other thing?"—unable to come to a decisive decision. Just supplying the pros and cons. That is the nature of Manomaya. Therefore it won't lead to either action or reaction. It merely presents. The mind, Manomaya Kosha, merely presents this information to its master, a higher or a superior intellect, who will decide out of all these available options which option should be the most desirable option.
And that is called taking a firm decision. "I want only this. No wavering about it. No regretting about it. I want. I have taken a decision. That is final." This is that decision. And buddhi or Vijñānamaya Kosha—that is its function.
Shraddha: The Head
So for that purpose it is said, what is the head of this Vijñānamaya Kosha? Śiraḥ—that is the head. Head, because if the head is okay, brain is okay, everything will be okay. If the decision, the intelligence to decide which is right, which is not right—and such people become the only successful people in the whole world, in any field of life.
As we say in our language, if a donkey wants to become a musician, it is not possible for it. Does every human being qualify himself or herself to become a musician? No. Can every human being become a good cook at least? No. Can everybody become a good driver? How many incidents we are getting every day? Unable to take a decision, some car crashes, or some poor fellow who is travelling by a motorcycle or a cycle, or even on the footpath, and the instantaneous death. These are the irresponsible people whose minds are distracted, worthless people. Not only they do so much harm—so they may be all right. Sometimes they can also die. They may be all right, but how much misery they are creating to the other people.
So, a right decision at the right time without any hesitation—that faculty belongs to this Vijñānamaya Kosha. So, śraddhā is necessary. Very psychological word.
The Meaning of Shraddha
Śraddhā means what? What the Vedas are talking is absolutely right. That is at the very highest spiritual level. But what is meant here, śraddhā, that means, "I have taken the right decision. I have considered all the pros and cons. It is not going to do any harm to other people, or least harm. And this is the best decision which will be for the good of many people." That is called śraddhā.
But especially here, śraddhā indicates that I have been following the footsteps of my parents, my grandparents. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, "I decided at one point of time in my life, I will lead a life exactly like my father had led—absolutely orthodox, absolutely strict, absolutely not deviating from the path of truth, even a little bit." And that is called śraddhā.
Therefore, in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, we get śraddhā āviveśa—the Naciketas was possessed. When a person is possessed, there is no choice for that person. So we must have intense faith.
How Shraddha Arises
But the question that comes is: how does śraddhā arise at all? You see, somebody—just imagine a small example. Somebody, your well-wisher, my well-wisher, some well-wisher tells, "You go here, and you meet this person, or you buy this, and that will do you good." And we follow. And we find, through experience, really it has done us good. Then our faith in that person's instruction becomes firm. With each passing experience, experiment, our faith becomes deeper, stronger, unshakeable.
So that is how you follow the Vedas. You chant, for example, what is called Śrī Sūkta—you will become rich. You chant Kanakdhārā Stavam—Mother will bestow her grace. But sometimes, because of our karmaphala, the karmaphala may come late, but we should never doubt.
So many of the rituals, they fructify inevitably in this very life—like Darśanārtha did, Putrakāmeṣṭi, etc. And as a result, our faith: "I am getting the direct benefit. I am the witness. I did this, I am getting this result." That is how, slowly if I perform what should be done and avoid what should not be done—iṣṭi and niṣedha—my life is slowly has taken a better turn. "I am going to progress in spiritual life" through experience.
My experience confirms that my faith in the Vedas, in the scriptures, and consequently in God, becomes firm and firmer. So that is why, without śraddhā, if I don't believe in the decision I have taken, I will only do a half-hearted job. That is why, complete faith: "This is a good decision, and it is the only decision"—and such a person has belief in that, and he will definitely try to do his level best. That is why śraddhā is called the head.
Ritam: The Right Wing
And then, śraddhā in what? Śraddhā in the teachings, in the instructions of the Vedas. Ṛtam, as we have seen earlier, is that which is taught to us by the Vedas. Ṛtam means that is absolute truth, absolutely the very best. That complete faith in the teachings of the Vedas is called ṛtam.
Ṛtam means knowledge—Vedic knowledge is absolutely true. That firm faith, that is called ṛtam. That's why it is called the right hand.
Satyam: The Left Wing
Then, merely knowing that medicine—medicine will do? Sri Ramakrishna used to illustrate this beautifully. You know what he said? There is a kind of, some kind of mixture of certain herbs, etc. It is called siddhi. When a person eats that siddhi, and then he will enter into an ecstatic state, intoxicated state, like liquor, etc.
So Sri Ramakrishna used to say, he has given many examples. Two examples I will give you here.
The Example of Siddhi
One example is: simply saying, closing the eyes and saying, "Siddhi, siddhi, siddhi, I am getting intoxicated, I am getting intoxicated"—is not going to work out, because something has to be done. But the person, he brings the ingredients, he prepares that medicine, and then he, with a prayer to God, he swallows it, and he waits for the effect. And the effect will follow.
The Example of Hidden Treasure
Similarly, somebody came to know there is a hidden treasure. So he goes there, and he starts digging at the exact place, and suddenly there is a metal—touching metal—huge sound, and his heart leaps in great joy. And then he understands that it is true that there is something here. And very soon after digging, he comes across a box, and that is a proof. He doesn't know what is inside, but his heart is beating faster. Then it is locked. So somehow, he forces the lock, breaks it, or he has a key, whatever it is—he opens. Only when the box is open, all the treasure that is there will be visible, and his joy knows no bound.
This is beautifully applied to the next kosha, Ānandamaya Kosha—priya and pramoda and ānanda. Hearing about something which is wonderful brings joy—that is called priyam. Whatever brings joy, that is priyam. We love only what brings joy. But when we obtain it, handle it, and really see it, experience it—that is called pramoda. And when we actually start using it and getting the result—that is called ānanda. Beautiful explanation—we will come to that.
The Practical Meaning of Satyam
But what is meant here is: Veda means this Vedic knowledge is absolutely true—that firm faith. But one must follow the instructions like a scientist's laboratory experiment. And that experimenting, putting into practice what we know to be true—that is called satyam.
Usually, nowadays satyam means truth-seeking, truthfulness, practicing of truthfulness—that is what we think. But here the Upaniṣad is telling, satyam means practicing Vedānta in our day-to-day life, from the time of getting up until we go to sleep. That is called satyam.
Yoga: The Atma
And yoga means what? Put this satyam through proper channel. There is a way of following any instruction. "This is first, this is second, this is last." For that, we have to have an appropriate place, appropriate circumstances. And that is called yoga. This word yoga—that is why yoga is called ātmā.
Ātmā means what? The very heart of the matter is called yoga. Whether it is Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, it doesn't matter. But putting into practice with the way it is supposed to be put into practice.
The Difference Between Satyam and Yoga
And this is very important for us, because already: "Sir, you told about satyam means practicing. What is the difference between satyam and yoga?"
Yes, the resolve to put into practice is called satyam. But it has to be done scientifically, step by step.
Simple example: one devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, he joined the Brahmo Samaj. Sri Ramakrishna's eyes fell upon him. Immediately he understood. He said, "What are you doing here? This is not your path. You are doing everything, but you are not following the right steps. You have to follow Bhakti Mārga, not this Brahmo Nirākāra path."
And the person understood by the grace of Sri Ramakrishna and immediately gave up Brahmo Samaj and became one of the greatest spiritual personalities of those times. He himself became a teacher, initiating many people. So that is called Yoga Ātmā.
Mahah: The Legs and Foundation
And then, what is the tail or legs? Mahaḥ puccham pratiṣṭhā. Mahaḥ means Hiraṇyagarbha. Hiraṇyagarbha means the grace of God. That is most important.
But what is it? Unfurl your sail. The breeze is blowing. The grace of God is always there. But we have to unfurl the sail. So grace of God is not waiting for us—it is all the time unstoppably it is blowing. Only when we unfurl our sails, put them right, start travelling, then only the breeze will come, will push the boat forward in the right direction.
So without God's grace it is impossible. That is why in the Bhagavad Gītā [the teaching is given]. So, the last ingredient to successfully complete any enterprise is the grace of God. And that grace of God is called Hiraṇyagarbha's grace. That's all. Hiraṇyagarbha means Īśvara only. Īśvara's grace, Bhagavān's grace, God's grace.
Transition to Anandamaya Kosha
And with regard to this, now the ṛṣi wants to take us to the next level, Ānandamaya Kosha. So he quotes one Ṛk mantra. With regard to this explanation, there is another mantra. Here śloka means mantra.
Whatever comes in the Upaniṣads, we should understand, not as śloka, but as mantra, because whatever comes in non-Upaniṣads, non-Vedas, that is called śloka.
Summary of Vijnanamaya Kosha
So, this fourth kosha, Vijñānamaya Kosha: we must have śraddhā and we must know what is reality, what is the truth. Put it into practice and put it into what is called practical way guided by yoga. And then, the grace of God which is already there will be aiding us, helping us only then.
And then, I want to take you now to the next kosha.
Conclusion
So, we have more or less completed the fourth, that is, Vijñānamaya Kosha. We will just recollect in our next class and proceed to the next kosha.
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!