Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 82 Ch2 6.1-3 on 10 December 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 Sixth Anuvāka
So we are studying the sixth Anuvāka of the second chapter called Brahmānandavallī of Taittirīya Upaniṣad. This is one of the most important sections in this Brahmānandavallī because it establishes the very existence of Brahman as far as logic can be used, rationality can be used.
The Upanishad gives us seven powerful reasons to prove the existence of Brahman.
The Seven Proofs of Brahman's Existence
Briefly, let us recollect so we would not forget:
First reason: Brahman exists as the intelligent cause.
Second: Brahman exists because it is also the material cause.
Third: Brahman exists because I, the Jīvātmā, exist.
Fourth: Brahman is the causeless cause. There must be somebody, there must be a cause which we cannot attribute. It has another cause—the final cause, the ultimate cause, which is also called the causeless cause. That is the ultimate cause from which everything else can be traced.
Fifth argument: Brahman is the source of joy because we all experience joy at the time of eating food or experiencing or having a pleasant experience of enjoying any object in this world. And the opposite also—whenever we are experiencing unhappiness, that causes us fear. Fear comes from what? Because fear is the fear that we may have to undergo unhappiness, whether it be a person or any other object in this world or any other condition.
Sixth argument: I am alive, and therefore, Brahman must be there.
Seventh final argument: Brahman is the source of fear, both fear and fearlessness.
Let us keep this in mind.
The Sixth Anuvāka: Existence and Non-Existence
Now, in the sixth Anuvāka:
Asanneva sa bhavati asad brahmeti veda cet
Asti brahmeti cet veda santam enaṁ tato viduḥ iti
If a person knows Brahman as non-existent, he himself becomes non-existent. If a person knows Brahman as existent, then all the knowers of Brahman know him as existent.
In other words, if a person says that Brahman or God doesn't exist—instead of using the word God—suppose he says, if a person says that existence doesn't exist, then he himself should not exist because he is also manifestation of existence only.
The Nature of Brahman: Sat-Cit-Ānanda
So that is why, wherever we see anything existing, anything having consciousness, anything experiencing bliss, that is the real reason why we should say God exists. That is why Vedānta tells us or defines Brahman or God as:
- Sat (existence)
- Cit (awareness or consciousness)
- Ānanda (the ultimate happiness of which we experience small driplets, small quantities)
Whatever we experience, we have to understand—there is no separate happiness apart from Ānanda. When Ānanda... and what is Ānanda? It is infinite. It is eternal. That which is beyond time and space, that is called ananta and nitya.
Understanding Happiness and Unhappiness
Then what is the unhappiness we experience? Less of happiness is called unhappiness. This is a wonderful thought we have to think about.
So what is happiness? Less of unhappiness. What is unhappiness? Less of happiness.
When Brahman is experienced in the form of Ānanda, Ānanda always simultaneously comes. For that, two conditions have to be fulfilled. For example, I am happy, you declare. This example is for the sake of easier understanding.
"I am happy."
"Why are you happy, sir?"
"Because just now I have eaten very nice sweet."
So, what is the cause of your happiness? Existence of the sweet and union with the sweet. And that knowledge—there is a sweet, and I obtained it. I made it one with me. I removed the duality between the sweet and myself. And this is the process of happiness. So that awareness should be there. So the object of enjoyment should be there. And I must attain union with it. That means I must remove the duality between us. And the resultant will be bliss.
But we don't call it bliss because every object is limited. So the result of coming into contact with that object is also limited in both time and space. And that which is that Ānanda which is limited by time and space, that is what we call happiness.
Even though I spoke many times on this: what is unhappiness? It is not opposite of happiness. Unhappiness is not the opposite of happiness. Unhappiness is less of happiness. Happiness is less of unhappiness. You think about it, you will understand it.
The Meaning of Belief in God
So now coming back, we were analyzing that some people say, "I don't believe in God." What he means is, "I don't believe in the existence of God." And if a person declares, "I do not believe in the existence of God," most probably that person is meaning, "There is another being apart from me and he doesn't exist."
But that is not the definition of God or Brahman. The definition of God is pure existence, wherever there is existence. If I am existing, that is called God.
The Difference Between Individual and Universal Existence
What is the difference then between my existence and God's existence? The difference is when I am thinking of myself as a limited object, limited by time, space and object—that is called individual existence. Remove these limitations—deśa kāla vastu pariccheda—and that is called God.
So generalized, unlimited existence is God. Specified and limited existence is what we call any object. That is the difference.
So if anybody says that "I do not believe in God," then it is as good as himself non-existing. But if anybody says, "I wholeheartedly believe in God, in the existence of God," as good as he himself exists.
Śaṅkarācārya's Commentary: True Belief Shows in Action
This is the superficial meaning. But the real meaning, the commentator, Bhāṣyakāra Śaṅkarācārya, brings out. And these points we have discussed, but because I wanted you to keep it in memory very strongly:
If anybody says, "I believe in God" and leads a life absolutely in accordance with that belief, he will be a satpuruṣa. He will be a person of discrimination and knowledge. He will be more happy than anybody else, even if he doesn't have objects of enjoyment. That is the difference.
The Example of Saints
Śaṅkarācārya brings out this idea beautifully. You look at some saints. Practically speaking, they are living under the tree. They may have a pair of loincloths. And other than that, practically they do not have any other possessions. But they are the most happy people we find.
Now, what do we think? A person is rich. He is having many objects. So he should be happy. Never commit the mistake of saying he is a happy person. A rich person can be very unhappy and a poor person can be more happy. Observe carefully—so, it is not the possessions, it is not the objects. This is one argument.
The Example of Deep Sleep
Second argument is deep sleep. And deep sleep is a state of pure Ānanda. But usually we identify Ānanda with excitement. Previously, my mind was calm and quiet. Suddenly, I get some enjoyable object. I enjoy it and I feel more happy in contrast to what I was before. So that is what we define happiness as—more excitement.
But that is a completely wrong understanding. That should be removed immediately. When the mind has no desires, desirelessness as well as happiness, that is equated and it is a psychological fact, not only a spiritual fact, but a psychological fact. That is why śrotriyaḥ akāmahataḥ.
The Śrotriya and Akāmahata
In this very Upaniṣad, we are going to discuss in the future sections when ānandamīmāṁsā comes in the eighth section. Śrotriyaḥ akāmahataḥ—you will get the same happiness as a person going to Brahmaloka gets and a person who realizes Brahman. Both their happinesses will be—right from the beginning of the happiness of a smallest insect to the happiness of the highest realized saint—a person experiences unbroken, unlimited happiness which has nothing to do, no dependence upon any object. That is what is going to be said.
True Faith (Śraddhā) and Its Effects
So here, a person who believes in God, what happens? He lives a life accordingly. Belief is called śraddhā here—not merely belief, not merely faith, but śraddhā. Absolute, undoubting faith, which sits like a ghost upon our heads. And when a person really believes, "God is watching me, God is everywhere"—God means God is everywhere.
If a person truly believes in the existence of God, and that is called in Sanskrit śraddhā, then that person's whole life will change. If we see any person who claims that "I believe in God," but there is no change in the behavior, character, then he doesn't really believe in God.
On the other hand, if a person says "I do not believe in God" and then he does many immoral things, adharmic things, that would be the result if a person truly doesn't believe in God. Why? Because one of the reasons for believing in God is bhaya (fear). And this person, he doesn't believe in God. And he will not have any fear. And he thinks he can do whatever he likes.
The Real Proof of Belief
So finally, what we need to understand: it is not what we profess through our mouth, but it is what actually—how we behave, how it controls our day-to-day life, both body and mind. That alone is the real proof that either we believe in God or we do not believe in God.
And aside note: if somebody says, "I do not believe in God," but lives a very righteous life, actually he is a believer in God, whatever—in spite of whatever he says. And the contrary is also true. This is the beautiful meaning that we get.
Asanneva sa bhavati asat brahmeti veda cet—if somebody truly says, "I do not believe in God," his whole life becomes asat. It doesn't mean he becomes a non-existent. It means he becomes a very, very miserable person.
On the other hand, if somebody truly says, believes and says, "I believe in the existence of God, I believe in purity, in dharma, in righteousness, and the result of karma phala is inevitable"—this is how we have to understand.
Why Does Doubt About God Arise?
So, one of the questions the Bhāṣyakāra brings out: why does the doubt about God or Brahman arise at all? And for that, we also have discussed in other classes as well as in this class also.
So, what is it? That whenever we see an object, and then we say, "There is an object." That means that object exists. So, we have to understand: if God is existent, he should be experienced as we experience any object in this world. That is our normal understanding. If something is existent, then we have to be able to experience it.
The Five Characteristics of Existence
And how do we experience any given object? So, for that, five characteristics are mentioned. Five characteristics. What are they?
- Jāti (species/class)
- Guṇa (quality)
- Kriyā (action)
- Dravya (substance)
- Sambandha (relationship)
Illustration of the Five Characteristics
Let us illustrate, even though some of you might remember. Suppose somebody has gone on a holiday, he went to a mountain top and he comes across a beautiful plant which is producing marvelous flowers or fruits, whatever it is. Let us take the example of marvelous flower—very beautiful, very fragrant, very pleasant, and it makes us get uplifted.
Now, in that person's excitement, that person turns to you or me, says, "I have seen this marvelous thing." So, what would be our question? "What is that object?"
Then we say, "It is a flower." We don't know that particular flower, but we know what a flower is. So, this is called Jāti. So, "A marvelous fruit I have come across, very tasty." "What is it?" "It is a fruit." We know other fruits. Therefore, we imagine it must be one of the fruits. This is how we confirm existence. This is called jāti or species belonging. Is it an animal? Is it an insect? Is it a bird? Is it a plant? Or is it a human being? So, a peculiar type of monkey. We know what a monkey is. So, that particular species may not be—this particular monkey which we experience—but we know what the other person is talking about. This is called jāti.
Then guṇa. There are some flowers which are non-fragrant, practically non-beautiful, non-colorful, etc. But somebody comes across some flower extraordinarily colorful, beautiful, very fragrant, very big and full of honey. How do we know? A lot of honey bees are humming all around it. So, that is called guṇa, quality—small, big, white, black, so tasty, non-tasty, bitter. All these are called qualities. This is called guṇa. So, if somebody mentions a guṇa, "I can't describe how it is, but it is very tasty," so we understand. Yes, yes, because we have tasted things similar. It is called guṇa.
Then kriyā. Kriyā means action. What is action? Suppose in a huge crowd, we want to go home and our driver is somewhere. So, we go and announce to the organizers, "There is—I have a driver, his name is Rama, Ramu, and he is our driver." Immediately they announce, "Ramu the driver, Mr. So-and-so wants to go home." Or a cook—marvelous cook, lousy cook, whatever it is. "Oh, this person's preparation I have tasted, and it is very good." How do we know? Because of the cooking action, driving action, whatever action it is. And we all know "this person is a killer, this person is a donor, this person is unselfish," etc., etc. Through kriyā only we come to know. Selfishness and unselfishness, by the way, cannot be judged by the color or taste. It is purely whether a person is generous, donor, helpful, etc. So, this is called kriyā.
Then dravya. As I said, this dravya can be divided into whether it is plant kingdom, insect kingdom—every object must belong to one of these, I think, four or five classifications.
Then, sambandha. So, a mother goes in a huge crowd and says, "My son, his name is Kṛṣṇa. I am missing him." So, "Kṛṣṇa, your mother is searching for you. So, come wherever you are." What is this? It is called sambandha, relationship. So, who is this person? He is the uncle, aunt, mother, father, sister, brother, or boss, whatever it is. There is some relationship.
Every object in this world is experienced only through these five categories: jāti, guṇa, kriyā, dravya, sambandha.
Brahman Beyond the Five Categories
What is the point? Point is: Brahman doesn't belong to any species. He doesn't have any guṇa—that's why he is called nirguṇa. He doesn't do any action because he is called niṣkriya. He is not a dravya because he is infinite, and he doesn't have any relationship, nisaṅga.
How do we know that such a person exists? How do we know? Because he is only manifesting through all these qualities, which we will see. Tat sṛṣṭvā, tad evānupraviśat. In this very section, we are going to get.
So, so 'kāmayata, bahu syāṁ prajāyeya iti. Then tat sṛṣṭvā, He created everything, then He entered into everything in the form of existence and consciousness and bliss.
So, Brahman cannot be directly experienced. That is why it is said: if you see existence of anything, then Brahman exists. Because Brahman is the non-manifesting, pure, abstract idea as existence, as consciousness, and as bliss.
Therefore, if I am existing or anything existing, Brahman exists. Everywhere we see existence, then everywhere we see knowledge, because we are acting, interacting, because of what? Because of awareness. So, that specified awareness belongs to us. We created. But that non-specified, abstract consciousness is called Brahman or God.
The Experience of Ānanda
And then we experience, as I mentioned earlier, both happiness and unhappiness. And whenever we experience both happiness and unhappiness, that is only experience of Ānanda. If it is more, we call it Ānanda, sukha. When it is less, we call it duḥkha. There is nothing called something opposite to Ānanda, pure duḥkha. Such a thing doesn't exist at all.
The Comparative Nature of Happiness
So that is why, if a person is earning 1,000 rupees and he compares himself to a person who is earning 10,000 rupees per month, then he becomes unhappy. "How I would become happy if I can make 10,000 rupees." Then perhaps he might be promoted. He might be earning 10,000 rupees. Then as soon as he reaches that position, momentarily he feels, "Now I am very happy because in comparison to what I was getting, now I am getting much more. I am a happy person." That is called looking from down to up.
Then he looks up. But this fellow who joined later on, he is earning 20,000 rupees. The moment we compare ourselves to that fellow, we feel profoundly unhappy. "What right has he got?" Like that.
So what am I trying to tell you? Duḥkha is comparative. Sukha-duḥkha both are comparative reactions. So if I compare myself to those who are less fortunate, I feel very happy. And what I had before and then what I have now, if it is more, in comparison, I must feel happier. But what I had was much more, what I am now having is less. So comparing with oneself itself, comparing with other people creates either sukha or duḥkha. But both are only one Brahmānanda experience.
Why is it so? Because Ānanda is only one, just as existence is one, just as consciousness is one. This is how we have to understand.
Three Key Points to Remember
Three points keep in mind:
- If anybody truly believes in God, then his whole life must reflect his belief. Otherwise, it is not his faith. He is what we call fragmented personality, split personality. But if a person believes in God, then he must show his life, have more happiness and more purity, more unselfishness, etc., etc.
- That is the meaning of asanneva sa bhavati asat brahmeti veda cet. If somebody truly believes that God doesn't exist, he becomes very unrighteous and therefore unhappy person.
- On the other hand, if a person truly believes and behaves according to his faith, then he gets more purity and unselfishness, more knowledge and nearer to God, more Ānanda. Simultaneously, his character will be called santā or satpuruṣa. That is why Ramakrishna used to say, "Cultivate holy company, satsaṅga." So this person becomes more of a sat.
So that is the meaning of those sentences.
The Structure of Ānandamaya Kośa
Then we proceed further:
Tasyaiṣa eva śarīra ātmā yaḥ pūrvasya
Remember, this ṛk mantra is related to the Ānandamaya kośa. So that is being continued. Just like Vijñānamaya kośa, it has got—to the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda—that is the Manomaya kośa. And the same thing, when it comes to Vijñānamaya kośa, it becomes śraddhā, ṛta, satyam, ṛtam, etc., which is the nature of the Vijñānamaya kośa.
Exactly in the same way, for the sake of facility of upāsanā (contemplation), Ānandamaya kośa also is imagined like a person. And there, what is there? Priya, moda, pramoda—small happiness, more happiness, and still more happiness. That is there. So everywhere, this comparison is there for the sake of our contemplation.
The Creation: So 'kāmayata
So then, further reasons are given: where is this Brahman? What is the proof that Brahman exists? And that is being elaborated now here. So what is it?
So 'kāmayata, bahu syāṁ prajāyeya iti
Sa tapo 'tapyata, sa tapas taptvā
Idaṁ sarvam asṛjata, yad idaṁ kiṁ ca
Tat sṛṣṭvā, tad evānupraviśat
Tad anuprāviśya
So this is so 'kāmayata—Brahman desired. What did he desire? Bahu syāṁ prajāyeya—"May I become many. May I, the one without a second, manifest myself as this infinite number of objects."
The Analogy of Mirrors
Like what? Not like a species, for example, mosquitoes multiply in billions. Locusts multiply in billions. Not like that. Because every locust is different from the other locust. And the parents are different. The offspring is different. But that cannot be, according to Advaita Vedānta, attributed to the concept of creation in Advaita Vedānta.
So what is it? A person alone is there and he has put all round—all the four walls, bottom and top—mirrors which can reflect, and then he will see himself in billions and billions, countless. As far as he can see, he sees his own reflection.
Does he see exactly the same way? One way of understanding: if all the mirrors are the same type, then he will see himself exactly in the same way. But now you imagine that there is convex mirror, concave mirror, and green colored mirror, different colored mirrors, different sized mirrors, different shaped mirrors and with different types of coating upon them. Then, depending upon the mirror, each reflection of each image will look as if it is totally different from the other.
And this is exactly what we do in our dream state, as if we have created billions of mirrors and different types of mirrors, and we are looking at those mirrors ourselves.
Why Did Brahman Desire?
So, this is said, Bhagavān akāmayata. Why was it said Bhagavān desired? Because who can desire? A piece of rock cannot desire. A lifeless object cannot desire. So, there must be an existing something and it must be conscious and it must think deeply and then only creation will start.
All this is to prove not only Brahman exists, it is not like a clod of earth, a piece of wood or a splinter of rock, but it is fully conscious. And why does he do it? Because it is a pleasure. Why does a person play? Nobody plays for being unhappy. Everybody plays only to become very happy person. It is to prove all these things.
The Process of Creation
First of all, it is said that he creates and from the Vedāntic angle, creation means he himself is appearing in various mediums of reflection as this entire universe, just like our dream. Every time, we have to bring that idea of the dream.
So, idaṁ sarvam asṛjata means he created the mediums and then he stood in front of the mediums and he is looking at his own reflections as if like our dream.
And then, is there anything that is excluded? No, yad idaṁ kiṁ ca. Whatever is there. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ, yat kiṁ ca jagatyāṁ jagat—there yat kiṁ ca, here yad idaṁ kiṁ ca.
Brahman Entering Into Creation
And then, tat sṛṣṭvā having what is called seemingly appearing as a different, tad evānupraviśat. So, he is enlivening everything, and he enlivens everything in two forms.
The first form is pure existence. A piece of rock is existing, even though that is called sat. That existence is called sat. Even though existence we can see, but we do not see cit and ānanda, but they are not absent, they are not manifest. That is what we have to understand.
But when we see any living creature, then there is existence, sat, there is consciousness called cit, and there is also what we call ānanda.
The Universal Nature of Ānanda
Now, very interesting question we have to put ourselves. When we are drinking pure mango juice, or you can substitute that example with anything—a first-class coffee, or somebody is drinking the best wine, whatever—that person becomes extremely happy. Person.
So, in the same way, a mosquito is successful in drinking our blood or any animal's blood. Mosquitoes have no such thing. They can smell blood, they can suck from any living creature. So, imagine.
Now, what is the point? The point is, when a mosquito is absorbed in enjoying itself in the form of drinking blood, etc., or an animal eating flesh, etc., and when we are drinking cup of coffee or mango juice, whatever it is, is there any difference? In the Ānanda, absolutely there is no difference. This is a point we have to understand.
There is nothing called, "It is getting less Ānanda and we are getting more Ānanda because we are more conscious." No, both are getting same Ānanda.
Rich Man vs. Poor Man
A rich man eating rich food, spicy food in an air-conditioned room. A poor man sitting under the shade of a tree, eating the most basic food material, roṭi with some hot chutney. He probably—the poor man—is getting more happiness because happiness is to be measured not through what objects we are enjoying, but how much those objects are contributing to our desire. The more our desire, the more our happiness. The less the desire, the less will be the happiness.
This is a marvelous topic we have to think about. Don't pity if a poor man is eating. A poor man not getting sufficient food, definitely he will suffer. But a poor man getting sufficient food, but roṭi, and a person who is sitting in a very costly hotel and eating what is called tasty food—if their hunger is 10%, their enjoyment will be 10%. And if a person's hunger is 20%, their happiness is proportionate. And if a person has got 100% hunger or thirst or tiredness, that person's happiness also will be exactly the same.
This is a repetition of what we have talked.
The Question of Attainment
Then you see what happened. So doubt will come. So the existence of Brahman is completely established. So what happens? Brahman exists because everything exists and whatever exists is none other than Brahman.
If that is true, then if a person leads an immoral life, he is also manifestation of Brahman. Will he attain Brahman or not? Secondly, if a person believes in God, leads a very pure spiritual, moral and spiritual life, will he also attain? If both of them are attaining same Brahman, then what is the difference between believer and non-believer?
The Difference Between Vidvān and Avidvān
Very briefly, we have discussed this point actually. This is only a recapitulation, so to say. Both of them will reach Brahman. But what is the difference?
A vidvān reaches probably in this very life. An avidvān must become a vidvān to reach Brahman. So he may take quite a long time, like a mosquito, has to go through churāsī lākh janma, 84 lakhs of births. Then he will become a human being. Slowly he will overcome tamas. He will overcome rajas. Then he will overcome sattva also. But he would develop plenty of sattva.
And what is the meaning of overcoming? We must not forget. So, having more tamas, that is our common nature. Reducing the tamas is called evolution. And the only way to do that is to increase rajas, manifest more and still more and still more rajas, and then the consequences also have to be experienced.
And then only the third step—without going through the second step, which is called rajas, one cannot enter into sattva guṇa. So, all the three guṇas also have to be used in the proper sense. Then, ultimately, one day will come when even the sattva guṇa is also to be transcended.
So, a vidvān, we take it for granted, is one who had attained to this what is called transcendent to all the three guṇas, guṇātīta. But avidvān means slowly he will have to climb to that same state of guṇātīta, then he will become free.
That is why Śrī Ramakrishna says, "Everybody will be liberated. Only some people will be liberated early in the day, some people may be late at night. Everybody will be liberated. There is nothing called somebody becoming non-existent of Brahman."
These are very beautiful thoughts.
Conclusion
Then, how did Brahman manifest himself? That would be the topic for our next class.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्
पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deviṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!