Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 83 Ch2 6.3 on 17 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

I'll format this spiritual discourse with appropriate headings and proper punctuation while preserving all the original content. Let me organize this text for better readability:

Introduction to the Text

We are studying the sixth section of the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, which is called Brahmānandavallī.

Sanskrit Text: Asanneva sa bhavati asad brahmeti veda chet, asti brahmeti chet veda, santam enaṃ tato viduḥ. Iti tasya eṣa eva śarīra ātmā yaḥ pūrvasya. Atha ataḥ anu praśnāḥ. Uttā avidvān amuṃ lokaṃ pretya kaścit anagācchati, aho vidvān amuṃ lokaṃ pretya kaścit samāśnute. Sa so'kāmayata bahu syāṃ prajāyeyeti, sa tapo'tapyata, sa tapastaptvā, idaṃ sarvam asṛjata, yat idaṃ kiṃca, tat sṛṣṭvā tadevānupraviśat, tadanupraviśya, sat tyacca bhavat, nirukta cāniruktam ca, nilayanaṃ cānilayanaṃ ca, vijñānaṃ cāvijñānam ca, satyaṃ cānṛtaṃ ca satyam abhavat, yat idaṃ kiṃca, tat satyam iti ācakṣate, tadapi eṣa śloko bhavati. Iti ṣaṣṭho'numākaḥ.

The Remarkable Nature of This Section

This is, they said, a most marvelous section. Therein, after hearing the teaching of the teacher, the students had some doubts—and wonderful doubts.

The Central Question

What is there to doubt? If everything is Brahman, because the cause of this whole creation is Brahman, and what is an effect? Nothing but cause with name and form.

Understanding Vidvān and Avidvān

So, there are, we imagine, two types of people:

The Vidvān (The Knower): Who is a vidvān? Earlier we have seen, a person who believes Brahman or God exists and strives his level best to become one with Him. He is called a vidvān. And one who leads a very good life because he believes God exists.

Everything is Sat. Sat means good, pure, holy. I believe in goodness, purity, holiness. I have complete belief in the scriptures. And the scriptures are nothing but God only. God in the form of knowledge is manifesting in the form of the scriptures. And therefore, all the scriptures are nothing but God only. And I believe in the scriptures. That is called śraddhā.

And so if anybody believes in the scripture, then he believes in God. Because scripture means jñānam. That is why it is called Veda. Veda means jñānam. It is nothing but God.

The Psychology of Belief

And then if a person has true belief, that person is driven, possessed, is directed to behave according to that belief.

Earlier I have given several times, several examples. If you believe that this is poison, in spite of the label that this is a very healthy something, then if you believe in the opposite way, you will not accept it. But if you, in spite of the label—"this is poisonous, it can kill you"—but if you believe it is not going to kill you, on the other hand, it is going to make you a much better person, then definitely you follow.

This psychology we have to understand. And accordingly, we have to judge ourselves—not others, but ourselves. Do I really behave according to the direction of the scriptures? Then I believe in the scripture. Then I believe in God. And the result also will be more and more happiness, purity, holiness, power of discrimination, and of course, ānanda. That is how we understand we are progressing. That is what we call measurement.

Measuring Spiritual Progress

How to measure whether we are progressing towards God or not, whether we are progressing in spiritual life or not?

On the other hand, however much a person may be a master, a professor in a university—he knows all the Vedas, all the commentaries, and he can explain beautifully—but his life goes in the opposite direction. We have to say that he is only just like the vulture. It soars so high, but all its attention, all the time, not one day, one time, but throughout its life, it will be only towards the most abominable things.

And according to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, a body, even though if a person is alive, that body is nothing but a corpse, rotting corpse, carcass. There is no difference.

The Fundamental Question About Liberation

So, if Brahman—everything is Brahman—a knower is Brahman, an ignorant person is also Brahman. And so when, as soon as this body falls, then will the ignorant person attain Brahman? Similarly, the realized soul, the real knower of Brahman, will also become Brahman.

And I also forestalled this answer earlier. And I told you, quoting Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, a very beautiful saying: "Everybody will get food. Nobody will go without food. Some will get early. Some will get very late. Everybody will be freed—some sooner, some later." That is what Holy Mother also meant.

The Two Questions and Seven Proofs

Now, this is the answer. So these two questions bring [the inquiry]: whether really Brahman exists or not. For that, in these coming sections also, seven reasons were given and we have already explored some of these reasons.

So upon hearing the teachings of the teacher, these were the two questions that were put.

The Point of the First Question

What is the point of the first question? That even if a knower after the fall of the body attains Brahman, and how did he become a knower? He had to practice spiritual disciplines, hard practices for a very, very long time—maybe many, many lives. And then he dies, that means body falls, and he becomes merged in Brahman.

But on the opposite side, there is this ignorant person who is not only not leading a spiritual life, he is leading what we call a very worldly life, disregarding all the moral rules and regulations, etc. Then will that person also attain to God-realization?

So if there is no difference, why should one go through all these troubles, hardships, tapasya, austerities, etc.? Very legitimate question.

The Undoubted Answer

An undoubted answer that is given is: everything is Brahman. And that is going to be proved. Everything is Brahman. Whatever we see, whatever we hear, whatever we experience. So, pratibhāvana—every thought proves the existence of God. That's going to be explored further, which we will come to very soon.

Both Will Attain

So, what is the answer? Yes, both will attain. And one, the knower or the learned person or the knower of Brahman, he did not become overnight a knower of Brahman. Like you, at one time, he also led an indifferent life. But in course of time, slowly, slowly, he turned his attention towards God.

Why did he turn? Because every action has its own effect. So, if somebody leads what is called an adharmic, unrighteous life, the consequences will come sooner or later and that's very painful.

So, we all learn how to keep our health, both physical as well as mental. And then, after a long evolution, after many a life, then one day our mind becomes totally merged and we know: "I am Brahman." There are no I and Brahman. Only Brahman exists.

The Transformation: Brahma Asti to Brahma Asmi

So, "Brahma asti"—Brahman exists—is converted into "Brahma asmi"—I am Brahman.

So, like that, the person who is leading an unspiritual life, just like the knower also, he will also progress, he will also become free. But just because the body falls, one doesn't become Brahman. That is why Hinduism advocates punarjanma or rebirth. Every rebirth is an opportunity, a fresh opportunity, so that we can turn our lives towards God.

So, that is the answer given. Existence of Brahman is proved.

The Most Wonderful Proof: Self-Awareness

But the most wonderful reason: How do I know God exists? Even to ask the question, "Does God exist?" I have to exist and I have to be conscious. Therefore, consciousness and awareness and then the quest for truth.

Because who is going to ask these questions? A worldly person certainly is not going to ask these questions. That is why it is said, after listening for so many years under a competent or complete realizer of God, a teacher, only then these doubts will come. That means the person has already studied about God, is practicing a spiritual life. Now and then, doubts creep up.

The Proof in Sat-Cit-Ānanda

So, a great assurance: your very existence—remember, Brahman is defined as Sat-Cit-Ānanda. Existence is Brahman, consciousness is Brahman, bliss is Brahman.

Therefore, if you have to ask a question, you have to be and you have to be aware. Your existence itself is a proof because Brahman is defined as existence. Your consciousness awareness is also defined—not particular awareness, but generalized awareness is called cit.

And then who asks these questions? A person asks only when he has a desire. What is the desire? "I don't want to be suffering and I want to be having more and more bliss, happiness."

And this person says your very desire for bliss stems, originates from your past experience of happiness. So you have experienced various types of pleasures already many a time, every day in fact, and every day unbroken bliss for several hours at a time, going beyond time, space and causation. That is called ānanda svarūpa, a Brahman, of which in my last class, I have dealt with the last part of the talk.

The Nature of Ānanda

Purely what is ānanda? Everybody is experiencing bliss only. If it is limited, it is called sukha. If it is more limited, it is called duḥkha. But it is not a separate experience, it is nothing but ānanda.

Therefore, my existence, my awareness, and my experience of sukha and duḥkha conclusively proves that Brahman exists.

Brahman and Jīva

But when all the creation is taken together, that is called Brahman. And when individual existence is taken, that is called jīva. And the jīva and Brahman, jīvātmā and paramātmā, they are not two separate things. It is only my mind which creates the problem.

So we have seen in the Gospel also: mind alone is the cause of both bondage and of liberation also.

The Process of Creation

The Basic Understanding

So now, the basic understanding: So Brahman created—and why did He create? How did He create? And then what did He do after creation? Those are the questions we are going to deal with in this present class as far as possible.

Kāmayata: The Divine Desire

So Taittirīya Upaniṣad outlines: So, kāmayata, sa ha akāmayata. Saḥ means Brahman. So, akāmayata—He desired.

The Objection

So an objection comes. Because when we say Brahman created, why did He create? Because He desired to create. Whatever we do, first we desire to do. "I want to go for a walk." That desire comes. Then only I might go for a walk. "I want to eat." Then only I go and eat. For every action preceding to that action, there is a thought and that thought is called a desire.

Very funny thing, psychology. Suppose any one of you raises an objection: "Now, sometimes I don't want to do anything." There is the desire in my mind. So is that also a desire? Yes, yes. "I have done lot of things and I will have to do lot of things. But at this time, I can rest and enjoy. So I desire to have rest and to enjoy my present time. So I don't want to do anything."

Therefore, whether I want to do something or I don't want to do something, both stem out of the desire only, thoughts only.

Desire Implies Consciousness

So, "sa kāmayata." So that statement says one thing: Who can desire? A piece of rock, a non-conscious object, a clod of earth, doesn't desire because it exists no doubt. So one-third of Brahman is manifest there. What about two-thirds? Are they absent? No. They are present, but they are not manifest.

Just like a child, a baby Einstein. So he is going to become a great physicist. But at this time, it is only potentially there. Like that a rock, a clod of earth is a potential brahmajñānī. But at this stage of its evolution, it is not manifesting.

Life and Awareness

So the first manifestation towards knowing "I am Brahman" is called life. And along with life, simultaneously, comes what is called awareness. Life means what? Not only "I am," but "I am alive." That awareness that "I am" is called cit-caitanya.

And then comes, follows: "I want to be this, that, the other thing. So I have to do. I have to enjoy. First, I have to desire. Then I have to obtain. Then I have to enjoy it."

The Four Śaktis

So first of all, there is icchā śakti, then kriyā śakti, and then only comes what is called bhoga śakti. But even before that, there is another, simultaneously—jñāna śakti.

If I don't know something, I cannot desire it. So jñāna śakti creates a desire. What is the desire? Either I want it, or I don't want it, or I know it is there, but I don't want to think about it. So these three expressions of jñāna śakti most often manifest as icchā śakti. And then it has to be put into action. And the result has to be experienced.

So we can say: jñāna śakti, icchā śakti, kriyā śakti and bhoga śakti.

What Brahman's Desire Implies

And so Brahman also, by stating this, that Brahman desired—what is first? Brahman exists. Because a non-existing thing cannot desire. Then Brahman is conscious and it knows. Something is there. So then only it desires.

What does Brahman know? Brahman knows everything. Brahman is called all-knowing. Brahman is called sarvajña. So sarvajña will have sarva-icchā. "I want to be everything."

We Mirror This Desire

And we also unconsciously do the same thing. No man is satisfied with little bit food. Suppose you are eating some tasty food and it is so tasty, you feel like eating more. But your stomach is limited and you eat to the full stomach. After that, the stomach refuses to accommodate even one grain.

Like when Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, having become an insect, had swallowed one grain of rice sticking in the akṣaya pātra. For that small insect, that grain almost filled its entire stomach until, as we say, the throat. And then he said, "I am satisfied." And then what happened? Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam—Durvāsā and all the other hundred people, even if one grain of rice by whatever way, if they can put it in their stomach, what is called from the beginning of their life, 84 lakhs of lives, all that food will be vomited. That was the condition. So they ran away without looking at Bhīmasena, who was trying to call them for food.

Knowledge Determines Desire

So, if somebody knows 1%, his desire will be 1%. Somebody knows 100%, his desire also becomes 100%. That is what is being indicated in this "sa kāmayata."

He desired. He means Brahman. God. God desired means what? First of all, God exists. Non-existing something cannot desire. Second, He is aware. An unconscious person cannot desire. Third, He knows what to desire and how to obtain it.

God as All-Knowing and All-Acting

So, God is sarvajña and He is sarva-jñānamaya and He is sarva-kriyā śakti is there and sarva-bhoktṛtva śakti is there and that is simply indicated in the Bhagavad Gītā in the fourth chapter, 24th verse: "Brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma haviḥ." Everything that is done in this world is done by God only, just like we experience everything in our dream. We are Brahman so far as our particular dream is considered.

Brahman Is Not Inert Matter

So Brahman, sa akāmayata—and that is to deny that the cause of a pot is clay. But when we look at the clay, it is existing, but it doesn't have consciousness, awareness. Similarly, gold, out of which any number of ornaments can be done, is a non-conscious object.

So, is Brahman like that? Because we accept He is the cause and this entire world is the creation, effect. No, He is not like a clod of earth. He is full of consciousness, infinite consciousness, jñānam.

As we saw earlier, these are explanations of the definition of Brahman: "Satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma." That's being elaborated here in a slightly indirect manner.

Brahman as Both Cause and Effect

So everything is Brahman. So Brahman as cause alone is Brahman. Brahman, same Brahman as the effect is also Brahman. Then what is the difference?

The difference is, when Brahman is alone, that is to say, who is asking these questions? I am asking. You are asking. How are we asking? We are asking because we have a mind. And if we don't have mind, we don't ask at all.

The Example of Deep Sleep

Whatever may be our limitations both in the waking and dream states, as soon as we enter into that marvelous state called suṣupti, you know what happens? No questions at all. Because I have become everything. The entire jāgrat prapañca, the entire svapna prapañca, and the division between subject and object, both of them became merged as the cause. That's why it is called kāraṇa śarīra, kāraṇāvasthā. That is called suṣuptyavasthā.

That is why if everything is me, there is nothing to be desired. I am everything. I have become everything. Therefore, there is no desire. There is complete fulfillment of every desire. And that is called bliss. So long as I am in that state, I am so blissful. That is the explanation given.

Philosophical Schools' Views

And then, Śaṅkarācārya, of course, in his commentary, he says, why this question has arisen? Because there is a school of Buddhism which says everything is an appearance, nothing is real. For that, the counter-answer is, according to Advaita Vedānta, nothing exists, everything exists, and that what you call nothing is what we call Brahman, because He is only appearing as everything.

And then, according to another school of philosophy called Mīmāṃsā, so this creation is called līlā.

The Līlā Theory

Again, that raises some questions. So, līlā is okay for God, and I am feeling so much of suffering. For that, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa answers a devotee, "Why does God create so much of suffering for me?" And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa puts a counter question, "Who are you, sir?"

So, this līlā theory is acceptable only, only when we believe Brahman exists. And this līlā theory is only acceptable only when we are ignorant, when we are the effects. Because when in deep sleep, you don't ask this question whether Brahman is nitya or līlā. Similarly, when a person enters into nirvikalpa samādhi, he also doesn't ask because there is nobody to ask, there is no mind to ask, there is no answer.

Who Asks These Questions?

So, one very important point we have to keep in our mind is: why are these questions or by whom are these questions raised? Only by the mind, and that mind which partially understands and partially ignorant.

Because if it knows completely, there are no doubts. If it doesn't know anything, even to ask a question, even to entertain a doubt, there must be a thinking mind. So, a completely ignorant mind has no problem. A completely illumined mind has no problem. And we fall in between. And that's why these doubts will come.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Clarification

So, of that, this entire "Why did He create?" Because for His own entertainment. But, "Why did He create me?" The counter question would be, "Are you somebody separate from Brahman?" This is the final answer. Here Rāmakṛṣṇa clarifies just now. He said...

So, what did this Brahman do? So, this question again, who is asking? I am asking. Why am I asking? Because I see the creation. And in this creation, I see myself as limited, as separate, and everything completely separate from me. And sometimes my experience is good, sometimes not good, sometimes I am happy, sometimes I am unhappy. I want to be alive all the time. I want to be happy all the time. I want to know everything, but I am not.

The Real Answer

So, the question comes, "Why did God create?" The answer is, He did not create you. He is only appearing as you and He is sporting just as you make your own enemy, your own prison in your dream, your own goondas in your dream, who are chasing you in the dream. Just like that, Bhagavān creates both happiness and unhappiness, good and evil. This is the answer.

The Role of Mind

What is the point I am trying to convey to you? That all these questions, whether I am ignorant or knowledgeable, arise because of the mind. So long as there is a mind, it is a limitation. That limitation of nāma-rūpa is called creation.

So, so long as we are limited, we have to satisfactorily answer. Why should we answer? Because we need a plan to live our life which leads us to less evil, less suffering, more happiness, more bliss. This is the simple reason. This is how a person transcends annamaya kośa, prāṇamaya kośa, manomaya kośa, vijñānamaya kośa, and ānandamaya kośa.

Creation as Manifestation

So it is said when we say Brahman creates, Brahman simply manifests itself as names and forms. That is all we have to understand. For that, so many analogies are given, just like you see waves in an ocean manifesting themselves.

What is an ocean? A body of water. What is a wave? A small bit of water raised by the force of wind as if it is separate, but you take out the wave from the ocean, it would not exist. Wave also is water. Ocean is also water, but a tiny surface drops of water are by the force of wind raised a little bit and moved a little bit. That's what we call waves. But both wave and ocean, as water, they are one, but as form, one is without wave, another is with a slightly different [form]. This is how we have to understand.

The Nāsadīya Sūkta

So that's why it is said in many of the sūktas. There is one sūkta called Nāsadīya Sūkta. So at the beginning, all this universe was then undifferentiated. Then it became differentiated by name and form.

So what was there before creation? Who can tell? Because to tell, to ask what was there before creation, and for somebody to answer that question, there must be some already creation, name and form, mind should be there. But in reality, there is nothing else but Brahman. That's what He wants to say.

The Practice of Tapas

Brahman's Tapas

So what did this Brahman do? He desired. And then what did He do to fulfill His desire? So He knew what to become. He desired to become means He knew what to become. "I want to become this creation." So He has got that knowledge. How can I become this creation? So that is called "sa tapo'tapyata." He performed practice austerities.

This idea of austerity is the very essence of the third chapter of this Taittirīya Upaniṣad. So, "sa tapo'tapyata, sa tapastaptvā": "Annaṃ brahmetyavyajānāt, prāṇo brahmetyavyajānāt, mano brahmetyavyajānāt, vijñānaṃ brahmetyavyajānāt, ānandaṃ brahmetyavyajānāt."

And then he went beyond. He never came back and asked—he means Bhṛgu—never came and asked Varuṇa, "I am a brahmajñānī, what is the other state beyond Brahman?" Ānanda is Brahman. And once he knew ānanda as Brahman, then he never came back and asked, "Teach me about Brahman."

What Is Tapas?

So what is tapas here? And Śaṅkarācārya, a brilliant commentator, he gives us very simple, very beautiful, very profound answer. What does he say? What happened? These students, they have heard deeply about the teachings given by the teacher. So they are having these doubts. So what happened? So they do tapas.

Bhṛgu did tapas. What does it mean? Normally, tapasya means physical austerities. In this case, tapasya means deep thinking. "This is what my teacher told me. And I should understand it where there would be no scope for not even a single doubt in all eternity." And that deep thinking is called tapasya.

Brahman's Tapas: A Different Meaning

But in the case of Brahman, slight difference is there. What is this Brahman? Let me first give you an example.

The Cooking Experiment Analogy

So what happened? He first Brahman—let me give you an example first. Supposing you are experimenting with various ways of cooking and you are trying different combinations. And like western people, very scientific type of people, they were no doubt. "This much salt I added, this much time I cooked, this much oil I poured, what are the ingredients, how much measure of ingredients and at what stage I added"—everything will be recorded.

And so, after many experiments, one particular experiment turned out to be extraordinarily tasty dish. And that is what is called McDonald's products—completely scientifically arranged: how many ingredients, in what quantity, and in what order of cooking, at what temperature and for how long each item. That's why the taste will be like a scientific experiment, exactly the same all over the world.

So imagine you have created and then you noted down and then it was wonderful. So after some time you felt a desire: "That was a very tasty thing. I feel like eating once more." So what do you do? You go back to your notes, recordings and repeat the same thing. And you don't need to think now. You don't need to experiment because you have already done it scientifically, noted down everything and then you experiment. You just follow the steps and you get exactly the same result.

Following the Great Ones

Follow a great person, you will get the result he got. Follow a bad person, you get the result this person got. That is why: "Mahāpuruṣa yena gatena panthānā"—by which path the great person traversed, let us follow. That is called imitation of Christ, imitation of Buddha, imitation of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, etc. Imitation of Holy Mother, etc.

Brahman's Mold

So, Brahman, having the desire, He thought, "I created it earlier also. So, let me follow the same." So, it is said, Brahman had prepared a mold and then every time He wants, He would melt this creation, pours into the same mold, and exactly it comes out in the same way.

That is why it is said, whether it is Satya Yuga, Tretā Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, Kali Yuga, there I, you, everything is only a repetition of what He has been doing since eternity. What a marvelous thing.

So, having remembered, and that process of remembering or referring to the recorded notes is called the past austerity. And having referred to the notes, then what did He do?

The Act of Creation

Idaṃ Sarvam Asṛjata

So, he brought all the molds that he had already prepared, a huge mold. "Idaṃ sarvam asṛjata." He created, he poured this raw material. What is this raw material? That is He himself.

That is why He said He is both the upādāna, material cause, He is also the what is called nimitta, nimitta—intelligent cause, and He alone is the instrumental cause.

The Dream Analogy

So, He—like our mind is the intelligent cause, our mind is the material cause, our mind is the instrumental cause—and these three create the material, which is the waking state, memories, and put them into our dream world. We create, just as we create our dream world, so also this Brahman also created this entire world here.

"Idaṃ sarvam"—idaṃ means this experiential creation, sarvam. Everything—"asṛjata"—He has created. "Yad idaṃ kiṃca." "Īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ, yat kiṃca jagatyāṃ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā, mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasvid dhanam."

So, Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad is only re-echoing the same sentiments.

Why Did Brahman Create?

And so, the doubt that I mentioned: Why did Brahman also create? He is all blissful. Why should He create? Because this—again, you have to understand, this question was not asked by Brahman. This question is asked by Brahman, what is called deluded people, deluded minds like ourselves.

So, why did He do? Because in the past life, we did so many things and therefore, this creation goes in two ways.

The Two Purposes of Creation

One is, we as human beings in our many past lives did so many, both righteous and unrighteous deeds, and we have to experience, otherwise, we cannot progress in spiritual life. And therefore, first of all, we have to experience our own what we call resultants of our past lives, called prārabdha karma.

And at the same time, it is a new opportunity for us to fashion our future consciously, willingly, and with great effort. That is called spiritual struggle. Then we will progress. Otherwise, we will digress, we go down. That is, we again go back what is called into involution, fall down.

But the law of life is we go on evolving first the physical instrument, then the mental instrument, and then progress further until we go back to the cause from which we have been manifest. That is the idea.

Anupraveśa: The Divine Entry

Tadeva Anupraveśat

So, what did Brahman do? "Tat sṛṣṭvā," having Himself become this entire universe, "tadeva anupraveśat." He entered.

So, there is a big, what is called anupraveśa bhāṣya. I am not going into the details, but the essence of it is that, you know, in our normal day-to-day life, supposing a person wanted to have a new house. So, he purchases a plot of land and with the help of civil engineer and workers, he builds a house. So, having built the house, he enters into it.

Did Brahman Really Enter?

Did Brahman enter into this world? No. Because He was the house, He is the creator and He cannot enter for what reason? Because He is anantam: "Satyaṃ jñānam anantam." He can't enter.

But then what is the meaning of that? That means, just as we enter, having created the dream world, we enter into the minds of our enemies, our friends, our family people, foreigners, everything that we see, living, non-living, with life, without life. We enter. If you see a rock in your dream, you entered into that rock. "I decided to exist as a rock, not manifesting my awareness and bliss." And that is how you decided and you became.

The Anupraveśa Doctrine

This is called anupraveśa śruti. It is a very mind-boggling commentary is there. Not one commentary, but more than three commentaries are there. We get it here. We get it in the Chāndogya. We get it in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka also.

But the point is, Brahman alone became the material cause. Brahman alone has entered, as it were, as the intelligent cause. That is called cidābhāsa. Everything is called cidābhāsa.

Anupraveśat means what? He started identifying Himself. "I am a man, I am a woman, I am a dog, I am a donkey, I am a mosquito." That is how we have to understand this anupraveśa.

The Dualities of Creation

What Did Brahman Become?

And then what did He do? He became everything. And then how did... So the Upaniṣad is telling, dividing this creation into two parts: the manifest and then the unmanifest, the definable and the indefinable, and that which is having a support, that which is not having a support.

So these are the... What did it do? How did it become or what did Brahman become?

Sat and Tyat

"Tat anupraviśya"—having entered into the creation. "Sat ca tyat ca abhavat"—sat ca, tyat ca. He became sat and tyat.

"Niruktam ca aniruktam ca"—that which is definable and that which is not definable.

"Nilayanaṃ," that which is support, that which is not having a support.

"Vijñānam ca avijñānam ca"—that which is conscious, that which is not conscious.

"Satyaṃ ca anṛtam ca satyam"—here, three points are there.

The Three Levels of Truth

Satyam means vyāvahārika satyam, transactional reality. Brahman became a transactional reality.

Then secondly, He became anṛtam. Anṛtam is equivalent to asatyam. That is untruth. But there is nothing called untruth. Everything is truth in different ways of manifestation. Because Brahman is satyam, it can never become asatyam. But there is a lower manifestation of reality. It is called prātibhāsika satyam. That is the second satyam.

Then everything, both the transactional truth and the what is called reflected truth, prātibhāsika satyam, He is the manifestation of everything, "satyam abhavat."

So: pāramārthika satyam, vyāvahārika satyam, prātibhāsika satyam. This is how we have to understand.

Understanding the Three Truths

So I am talking to you now. You are listening. This is called vyāvahārika satyam, second type of satyam.

Then, suddenly, for a few seconds, your eyes close and you have a dream. You are somewhere doing something. That is called prātibhāsika satyam. Or what is called a low, very low [level]. Dream is an example. So within the waking state, dream state, compared to waking state, dream state is less manifestation of reality. That is called prātibhāsika, reflected truth.

But there is a pāramārthika satyam, which is unchangeable, which is infinite. Satyam, that is the definition of Brahman.

So, truth is divided into three: pāramārthika, vyāvahārika and prātibhāsika. It is really very simple to understand, but we will talk about it in our next class.

Closing Prayer