Wiki Vedanta - User contributions [en]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.6 Lecture 37 on 30 May 2026

2026-07-27T18:32:06Z

Sachidanand: Devanagari script, missing words and miscellaneous corrections

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
== Introduction to the Sixth Section (Uktha Brāhmaṇa)==
A great discussion on what ''Brahman'' is and how to realise ''Brahman'', how to know “That I am ''Brahman''”, that discussion was going on in a great ''Gurukula'', a school under the guidance of a great ''Rṣi'', and the discussion was: — what is this world? What does it consist of? This is the topic of the 6th ''Brāhmaṇam'', the 6th section of the first chapter.

So everything is located only in the mind. Life is mind. Happiness is mind, unhappiness is mind, bondage is mind, liberation is mind, good is mind, evil is also mind. So the ''Upaniṣad'' wants to tell us, to summarize in fact, all that we discussed in this first chapter.—What is life? Who am I? What is the goal of my life, and how to know, realise who I am, and remain happy forever? So learn, grow, become free by knowing who we are. This is the essence of not only the sixth section but every section. We have seen that the entire first chapter is called ''Madhukāṇḍa''. Everything is related, connected, inseparable from everything else. Everything is the creation of ''Brahman''. Rather, ''Brahman'' or God is manifesting as this entire universe, and for that purpose, the ''Upaniṣad'' has described what we had studied so far in these five sections of the ''Bṛhadāraṇyaka'' first chapter of the ''Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad —''how creation started. God or ''Brahman'' manifested as the presiding deities or five elements, —first as subtle, next as gross. Then these five elements became everything that we know of – the living, the nonliving.

Then we have seen in the last section, the fifth section, because creation is the first part, sustenance and maintenance is the second part, and food is necessary. So God has created food for all the three beings: that is, the presiding deities called ''Ādhidaivika'', then this external world which we experience, then we the individuals – ''Adhyātmika''. So ''Adhyātmika'', ''Adhibhautika'', and ''Ādhidaivika'' are an inseparable triangle, and so in this, the same analogy of the triangle is being taken, and the essence is being squeezed in this sixth section. Why? Because we are in the world; we are the world. We are not separate from the world; we are part of the world. And yet each one of us identifies only with this body-mind complex and experience the entire universe. So also every living creature experiences everything. So this experiencer–experienced process is going on throughout. Thus, we identify ourselves with this body -mind, and this body-mind is called ''Pīṇḍāṇḍa''. The entire universe (or ''Iśvara'') is called ''Brahmāṇḍa'', and what is this whole ''Brahmāṇḍa''? So this ''Upaniṣad'', in this last sixth section, wants to simplify, summarize, and squeeze the essence.
==The Threefold Nature: Nāma, Rūpa, Karma==
What is the whole creation consisting of? Three things, and three in one, one in three. When we say three things, it is not that there are three separate things. When we say triangle, every angle is connected and inseparable from every angle. Every angle is connected with the other two angles. So what are those three angles, and what is its name? It is called ''Uktha'', and this particular sixth section of the first chapter is also well known as ''Uktha Brāhmaṇam''.

So what is this word? Many of our readers or hearers get confused: is it ''Ukta'' (UKTA) or ''Uktha'' (UKTHA)? The correct name is ''Uktha'', not ''Ukta'', and this name carries a profound philosophical meaning and purpose. So the correct name is ''Uktha'', '<nowiki/>''Ukta'<nowiki/>'' means “that which has been spoken, said”. For example, ''Nārado-ukta'' – what is said by Nārada, ''Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa-ukta'' – spoken by Rāmakṛṣṇa,''Vivekānanda-uktha'' – what Swami Vivekananda said, spoken, taught. This word ''Ukta'' (without the hard consonant) is rooted in “to speak”. But this ''Brāhmaṇam'' is NOT ''Ukta Brāhmaṇam''; it is '<nowiki/>''Uktha Brāhmaṇam''', and it has a completely different, multi-layered spiritual meaning. So, in ritualistic terms, ''Uktha'' refers to a Vedic hymn or a praise of gods or goddesses, or a recitation, especially from the ''Ṛg Veda'', but in ''Vedānta'' it has a deeper metaphysical definition: So ''Uktha'' means what:

उत्तिष्ठति अनेनैति उक्थम्" ॥ (phrase from BU 1.6)

(''uttiṣṭhati anena eti uktham'')

– that from which everything originates, springs forth, in which it abides, and unto which it returns. So we can exchange this word ''Uktha'' with ''Brahman''. The whole universe, it comes from the cause called ''Brahman'', and it abides in ''Brahman'', and it merges back into ''Brahman''. This universe is never separate from ''Brahman''. For that, every teacher has to repeat the words again and again. Take the example of a pot: a million pots have been made from clay. What is a pot? It is nothing but clay plus ''nāma'', or let me put it this way: clay plus ''rūpa'' plus ''nāma'' plus ''prayojana'', also called herein in the sixth section: ''nāma'', ''rūpa, karma'' – but we have to rearrange it as – ''rūpa'' plus ''nāma'' plus ''karma''.
===Example of the Pot===
In the case of the pot, let us understand it. Clay is useless: you cannot drink from it, you cannot store things, you cannot cook food. So it has to be made into a particular shape called form. Suppose I make it in the form of a glass. What is the purpose? I have to drink water – that is the purpose. So I have to give a name. Every form must have a separate name to distinguish it, to make our day‑to‑day life easier. Several times I gave the example: you can easily understand if there are two glasses made out of clay, and one is painted as black , another is painted white. If I have to ask somebody, “Will you please bring that glass?” that will not serve the purpose; it is redundant. I have to say, “Please bring that white glass” or “bring the small glass” or “bring the glass which is on the lower shelf, not on the higher shelf.” So first there is a formation; that is called form. And since there is not one form (if) there were only one pot, there would be no need for adjectives like small, big, left side, right side, black colour, white colour, yellow colour), no, but because objects are almost infinite – human beings are infinite, animals are infinite, every species is almost infinite – we have to give special names: “this is a cow”, “this is a speckled cow”, “this is an American cow”, “this is a Jersey cow”, etc. First comes the form, and that form is given a name. If there are three or four brothers in the same family, or even twins or triplets, then to separate each one from the other, the mother has to give separate names and put three separate signs on each child so that one child will not have double or triple his drinking of milk.

Thus, the whole universe – that is to say, ''Brahman'' assumes forms – and every form, to specify, to separate, to use it properly for communication, has to be given a particular name. Every object that is called an object – every pot is an object, every book is an object, every person is an object, every animal is an object, even the non‑living is an object – every object has some purpose for the subject; that is, it fulfills ''karma''. In the example of the pot: what is the ''rūpa''? Clay in the form of a small glass – that is the form. So you have to give a name: “This is a baby glass”, “small glass”. Whether it is milk or water, that serves the purpose of the baby. But for an adult, it should be a bigger glass, so on so forth.
===Karma as Utility===
Where does ''karma'' come in? ''Karma'' means ''prayojana'' (utility). A potter makes a pot for drinking water. The same potter makes, out of the same clay, a plate for eating food, another pot for cooking, another pot for storing, etc. Another thing out of clay is a brick, for making walls, houses, etc. So a house: what is its ''karma''? To shelter people, protect people from cold, heat, rain, etc., also to protect them from enemies and thieves, and also to house guests and friends. That is the ''karma''. ''Karma'' means ''prayojana''. So we have name, form, and ''prayojana''.
===Inseparability===
What is the whole world? Take any object. First point: we have to understand these three are inseparable. If there is a form, there must be a name to distinguish it from every other form. Every object has a specific name so that our knowledge will not be wasted, time will not be wasted; we should hone in , hone on that particular object and convey it to others as well. That is how knowledge is conveyed. So every object has a purpose, and they are inseparable. The whole world consists of name, form, and action. ''Karma'' means action or ''prayojana'' (utility). They cannot be separated. If you separate, if you destroy one, everything will be destroyed. For example, you destroy a cooking pot, then the name is also destroyed : not only cooking pot is destroyed, that utility called “cooking” is also destroyed – ''karma'' is destroyed, also its name is destroyed.
==Destruction and the Real (Sat)==
If we want to destroy the world, then we have to destroy ''rūpa'', ''nāma'', and ''karma''. How are we going to destroy? Destruction means nothing that is existing can ever be destroyed. ''Sat'' can never be destroyed; that is why it is called ''Satyam'' – why that is why it is called ''trikāla abhādhitam'' (it never changes). As I said, a pot is nothing but clay in a particular form, with a particular name, with a particular purpose, but it is nothing but clay. So, a pot weighing one kilogram is nothing but one kilogram of clay – not even one billionth of something extra added to it. An ornament made out of gold is nothing but pure gold. What we call it – “this is a nose ring”, “that is an ear ring”, “this is a necklace”, “this is a bangle”, “this is a waist ring”, etc. (– all are only gold).

So the ''Upaniṣad'' wants to tell us that the whole world we are living in, of which we are a part, consists only of ''nāma'', ''rūpa'', and ''karma''. As I said, it would have been better if we rearranged it – ''rūpa'', ''nāma'', and ''karma''. These are the three words that this particular section, called ''Uktha Brāhmaṇa'' (don't forget the etymological meaning), so what is the meaning of ''Uktha''? That from which everything arises – which is the material cause and the intelligent cause, which is the cause? Everything that came out is an effect. Every effect must have a cause, and that cause from which this whole universe has come, it is called ''Brahman''. So here, the whole world is nothing but ''nāma'', ''rūpa'', and ''karma''. So, the meaning of the word ''Uktha'' means the original cause, and the original cause is ''Brahman''. ''Brahman'' became the form, ''Brahman'' became the name, ''Brahman'' became the function (''karma'').

If we can understand it, what is the benefit we get? We learn to look upon everything – I see a tree; it is nothing but ''Brahman'' with form, with name, with ''karma'' (''prayojana''). So whatever I look at (look at meaning not merely looking through the eyes), whatever I smell, whatever I hear, whatever I taste, whatever I touch – everything is nothing but ''Brahman''. This is called '<nowiki/>''sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ brahma'''.
==Śabda Brahma, Rūpa Brahma, Prāṇa Brahma==
Speech – this marvellous psychological explanation wants to say: what is this ''nāma''? We understand: “This is a person; he is the son of Daśaratha; his name is Rāma; he is a young man, very beautiful, very powerful, expert, skillful in archery,” etc. That is not what the tracing of the origin, that is done in this sixth section, means. What it wants to say is: ''nāma'' means general sound; ''rūpa'' means general form; ''karma'' also means the expression of ''prāṇa'' – ''karma'' means ''prāṇa''. How does the sixth section arrive at this beautiful analysis? That is what we have to understand. What is the symbolism? How do we understand?

Let us take the example of sound. Every name is nothing but sound. I say “Rāma” – that sound. I say “you” – that is a sound. I say “dog” – that is a sound. So every ''nāma'', every name, is nothing but sound. But this sound is the general, like clay, and this sound – it does not have a specific form, does not have a specific name, does not have a specific ''prayojana'' or utility – and that is called ''Śabda Brahma'', ''Rūpa Brahma'', ''Karma Brahma''. Let us analyze it briefly, then a little bit more in detail.

Just imagine that there is a huge block of marble. What is it? Marble, that's all. But the moment a sculptor looks at it and then he carves (that is, carves the figure of, let us say, Kṛṣṇa), what does he do? He separates the form of Kṛṣṇa from that block of marble. He chips away what is non‑Kṛṣṇa; what remains is Kṛṣṇa. Another sculptor, he chips away and calls it Jesus. Michelangelo, he was such an expert sculptor that he chipped away in such a marvellous way –O it is indescribable! Those who appreciate know what I am talking about. Similarly, painters do that. They cover it up (with a white piece of canvas) and then superimpose upon it a particular figure or figures – it could be a man, and even a man is not one particular figure but hundreds of parts: this is a hand, that is a leg, that is an eye, that is the tuft of hair, etc.

So what are we talking about? ''Śabda Brahma''. ''Śabda'' is like clay, and any name can be brought out of ''śabda''. All the ''śabda'' comes from our marvellous study of ''Oṃkāra''. ''Oṃkāra'' is called ''śabda'', and that ''Oṃkāra'' does not have any specific object – ''Oṃkāra'' is not a specific object; it is called ''sarvanāma'' (a pronoun). ''Oṃkāra'' can stand for Rāma, for Kṛṣṇa, for Kālī, for Jesus, for Buddha, for every blessed thing in this world. So if you understand what I am talking about, that general material from which ''nāma'' is derived– that is called ''śabda'', and that ''śabda'' can be sculpted. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa in his own beautiful way is trying (to convey)– there is a body of water: some people call it ''pāni'', some people call it water, some people call it ''jala'', some people call it ''aqua''. You can have any name you want because there are other languages. Every language has its own specific sculpting of ''śabda'', but meaning the same object. So this is the idea that this sixth section wants to convey to us: when you are looking at anything in this world, first you say, “Oh, this is my friend; his name is, for example, Rāma. This is a saint, he called Rāmakṛṣṇa.” That word “Rāmakṛṣṇa” is derived from that block of unspecified sound, and the same block of sound can be used to bring out infinite numbers of names according to infinite numbers of objects. I hope I am conveying the idea of ''Śabda Brahma''.
===Rūpa Brahma===
But, as I said, first ''Rūpa Brahma'' (form). Take the same huge block of marble, there are sculptures – there are more than ten thousand objects carved: small leaves, flowers, trees, lakes, birds, human beings, wavy waters – everything is there in that sculpture. That is the greatness of the sculptor. But what is the general foundation? That block of stone – call it marble, call it granite, call it black stone, by whatever blessed name you want. When it is in this state of unformed, that is called – what we call ''Rūpa Brahma''. Take an everyday example: you take some dough and make it into one form – you call it bread; make it another form – you call it ''chapāti''; make it another form – you call it cake. You can have, according to the capacity of your imagination, any number of names and any number of forms. Every form must be given a particular name to separate it. Even when somebody is burning some ''chapātis'', we can specify and say, “That first ''chapāti'' is burnt too much, but the one that is less burnt, you bring and serve it to me.” So every form has an unmanifest, unspecified form, and that is called ''Rūpa Brahma''.
===Nāma Brahma===
Every name has got an unspecified sound – that is called ''Nāma Brahma''.
===Karma Brahma (Prāṇa Brahma)===
What about ''karma'' then? Yes, ''karma'' means action. Action means – the manifestation of ''prāṇa''. That is why ''prāṇa'' is the block out of that ''Prāṇa.'' ''Prāṇa'' means energy. That is why ''Prāṇa Brahma'' – unspecified, unmanifest as action – is called ''Prāṇa Brahma''. So from that ''Prāṇa Brahma'', as soon as a form comes, as soon as the name comes, immediately it has to react, and that reaction, which is continuously going on in this world, that is called the world. The whole world is nothing but – ''prāṇa'', ''rūpa'', ''nāma''. But all the three – ''prāṇa'' (that is, unmanifest energy), ''rūpa'' (unformed material), ''nāma'' (unspecified sound) – all these three are nothing but manifestations of ''Brahman''.
===Example: Rāmakṛṣṇa===
If you analyze, take for example – here is Rāmakṛṣṇa. What is Rāmakṛṣṇa? – the form that we see is Rāmakṛṣṇa; the name which distinguishes this particular form from every other form in this world, even if Rāmakṛṣṇa had three hundred brothers, every brother can be separated. He had three brothers, so he is not Rāmakumār, he is not Rāmeśwar; he is only Rāmakṛṣṇa, not to speak of other people. That form, which is named as Rāmakṛṣṇa, what is he, nothing but a bundle of energy. That energy fills his ''sthūla śarīra'', ''sūkṣma śarīra'', and ''kāraṇa śarīra''. So let us take mind and body. The body and mind are full of purpose: “I am hungry, I want to eat” – so that when it is manifested, he seeks food, he eats– that is an action of ''prāṇa''. That un-manifest ''prāṇa'' thinks, “I want to dedicate my life only to God” – that is what we call spiritual life, that is also called ''sannyāsa''. Even if you have not heard about this, if you are devoting ten minutes of your everyday life to think of God, you are leading ten percent spiritual life, because God means spirituality. If you are thinking for one hour– you are leading one hour spiritual life (I am talking about sincere thinking about God). If you are thinking for ten hours (or) twelve hours, then to that extent your spirituality is twelve hours of spirituality. The rest of the time, if you are thinking of worldly things unrelated to God, that is called worldly life. But if you are leading the same rest of the hours as a preparation for those twelve hours of thinking of God, then that is also part of your spiritual life only. It should be like that, whatever we do. That is why

"अश्नन्, गच्छन्, स्वपन्, श्वसन्, निमिषन्, उन्मिषन्" (phrase from Bhagavat Gita 5.9)

''asman, gacchan, svapan, śvasan, nimīṣan, unmīṣan''

– in the ''Bhagavad Gītā we get'' – breathing in, breathing out, you are closing the eyelids, opening the eyelids – you are breathing in, breathing out, whatever this body does, what should be done?

"ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति य: । लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥" Bhagavat Gita 5.10॥

''Brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ, lipyate na sa pāpena padmapatram ivāmbhasā''.

So everything I am not doing – in fact, I am not doing. It is not my thinking that makes me think; really it is God only, in the form of ''Prāṇa Brahma'', in the form of ''Rūpa Brahma'', in the form of ''Nāma Brahma'' – he is doing everything. I am not doing anything this is the idea that this sixth section wants to convey.
==The Use of the Word ''Cakṣu''==
But for the “form”, this sixth section uses the word ''cakṣu''. ''Cakṣu'' means “eye”. But as I said, whatever is done – this ''cakṣu'' means what –that unspecified original form, ''Rūpa Brahma''. That is called ''Chakṣu''. ''Nāma Brahma'' – that unspecified ''Brahman'' in the form of unmanifest sound – that is called ''Nāma''. ''Karma'', ''prāṇa'' – that which is not functioning in any particular way. If we can analyze the whole universe in the marvellous psychological light thrown by the sixth section, we can understand the marvellous thing about this sixth section: the whole universe is nothing but – ''rūpa'', ''nāma'', and ''karma'' – form, name, action (''prāṇa)'' – that's all.
==The Great Lesson: Unity Behind the Three==
What is the great lesson that at the end of this section the ''Upaniṣad'' says? –That when name, form, and action seem separate, they are actually unified. The ultimate essence behind all three is ''prāṇa'', and that ''prāṇa'' is called ''Hiraṇyagarbha''. That ''Hiraṇyagarbha'' is another name for ''Īśvara'' or ''Brahmā''.
==Satya and Amṛta: Covering and Immortality==
What is our problem? –The ''Upaniṣad'' beautifully points out: this body‑mind complex – the physical body – is called ''amṛta''? No, sorry, ''satya'' – it is called ''satya:''

"अमृतं सत्येन छन्नम्" ( phrase from verse BU 1.6.3)

''(amṛtam satyena channam'')

–''Satya'' because whatever we are experiencing, that is the truth. For us, it is my truth; for you, it is your truth. What your body is doing – that is called ''satya''. This truth (everything is ''Brahman'') is covered by this ''satyena channam''. Here ''satya'' means (we should not understand it as ''satyam jñānam anantam brahma'') our understanding that “I am the body” is the root cause of all problems, and as we are situated now, we are all convinced that “I am nothing but the body – ''annamaya kośa''” – and that is called ''satya''. This ''satya'' covers the truth.

–For the mind, the ''Upaniṣad'' gives another word: ''amṛta'' (immortal). By ''amṛta'', the ''Upaniṣad'' here is telling us what is called ''sūkṣma'' and ''kāraṇa śarīras''. So by ''satyam'' (gross body) and by ''amṛta'' (subtle and causal body) – why is it called ''amṛta''? Because even when this body falls off, the mind never falls off. In the fifteenth chapter of the ''Bhagavad Gītā'', we have seen that when the ''jīvātman'' departs,

The exact original text from the verse is actually: [1]

मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति (extract from Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15, Verse 7)

(''manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati'')

– it takes along with it all the four ''kośas'': ''prāṇamaya kośa'', ''manomaya kośa'', ''vijñānamaya kośa'', and ''ānandamaya kośa''. Is it immortal? Is it deathless? What is deathless? ''Amṛta''. Even the subtle body and causal body are not truly immortal, but in a relative sense they are immortal, because when a person attains knowledge of the ''Ātman'' or ''Brahman'', even this will be totally destroyed. This ''amṛtatva'' (like the immortality of the gods) , is only for a longer period of time. That is why, if you remember, ''ātyantika pralaya'' – when the final ''pralaya'', which is called the dawn of ''Brahman'' knowledge, with that, then not only the body but even the mind consisting of subtle body and causal body will also go away. That means all three bodies (gross, subtle, and causal) and all the three experiences (waking, dream, and dreamless) – everything wwill go away.

But the ''Upaniṣad'' wants to tell us: when we feel the pain of this body, and ''prāṇa'' departs from the body, the body becomes formless, nameless, actionl-ess. Therefore, for us, we think that is the ''satyam''. But this ''amṛta'' – that if we can somehow separate our identity from the body‑mind and shift it to the mind – what is it to me? “I am the ''sūkṣma śarīra'' and ''kāraṇa śarīra''” – I attain instantaneously ''amṛtatva''. A tremendous meaning is hidden in this statement I just made.
===Suffering in Every Stage of Life===
That means what: – if the body is suffering – from youth, people think youth is not suffering; old age is suffering, disease is suffering, death is suffering, but childhood is not suffering, youth is not. How little our knowledge, our intellect, really works. Every child – a baby – maybe an ant has bitten him, a mosquito has bitten him –the child does not know what has bitten him, but it feels the pain intensely. Remember when a mosquito or an ant bites you and me, we do not feel so much. But when the same bites a small baby three months old, two months old, six months old, the baby cannot even tell, “Something has bitten me” – just imagine that agony. And sometimes it has sometimes stomach upset; gas comes out, and except weeping, it cannot indicate that something is wrong. The mother and doctor have to guess what is the problem with the child. No animal can express what is troubling it.

What about youth? How many disappointments! “I am attracted to that person, but I am not getting that person; that person is attracted by somebody else. So I lose. I wanted that job; I do not get it. I wanted that subject, but I do not get it , for whatever reason.” Do you think youth is free from suffering? No. Youth has a tremendous manifestation of the optimum energy level and health level – it can really work hard and enjoy hard – but that does not mean it is automatically happy. It is one thing to have the capacity; it is another thing to think that a person is happy. Happiness and unhappiness – these come from a different source, they come from understanding. Therefore, if anybody thinks youth is a happy time of life – terribly mistaken. Every age has its own problems and both positive and negative ideas.
===The Veil of Satya===
What is important is ''amṛtaṃ satyena channam''. ''Satya'' means what we think as ''satya'' – that is, “I am the body complex, I am my possessions, I am this body” – this so‑called “I” and “mine” – this alone is the truth. When we say “this world is the truth”, we actually mean the body and the possessions, nothing else, and that is our truth. We are living in that truth – we should not kid ourselves that we are free from that truth. But this ''satya'' (this identity with the body complex) is covering up something – a tremendous sense of immortality that is called ''amṛta''. As I just now said, this body lasts only for a short time, but the ''sūkṣma'' and ''kāraṇa śarīras'' last until we obtain liberation – for a very, very long time. Therefore, the identity with this body – that is the toughest. We have to get out of this veil which covers the truth.

Supposing somebody succeeds in it, and then he succeeds in identifying – that is actually the practice of ''sthitaprajña lakṣaṇas –'' “OK I do not have so much money, but I am getting sufficient food. I have a simple small house which serves my purpose. I have simple dress that is sufficient, so my needs are few" – and this understanding belongs to the mind. When this understanding (called knowledge) is reality to us – we make it this reality, not thinking “Oh, I wish I had this, I had that” – no, “I am quite happy with what I have.” Such a person really enjoys that ''amṛtatva'' given by that attitude. This is called spiritual attitude. That is what the ''Upaniṣad'' wants to point out. In comparison with this body, the other four ''kośas'' are extraordinarily long‑lasting, and in fact, they disappear only when we get true knowledge of our own selves. So ''amṛtaṃ satyena channam'' – so what we need to understand now is why we are so much obsessed with our identity with this body.
==The Journey Through the Kośas (Taittirīya Upaniṣad)==
The whole thing is beautifully explained again in the ''Taittirīya Upaniṣad'': how we can slowly develop our spirituality by making “''Annaṃ'' is ''Brahman''”. What do we mean by “''Annaṃ'' is ''Brahman''”? That what we see as this physical external universe, identified as the body – physical body. Because if I am identified with my physical body, I see only the world ''Brahman'' as the physical universe, and that is called ''Annaṃ''. If I can slowly convert it, the deeper thought comes: “What is this ''Annaṃ Brahma''? It is nothing but forms, names, and ''prāṇa''. Nothing but – what are all these three? Nothing but ''Īśvara'', ''Brahman'', ''Saguṇa Brahma''.” So if we can convince ourselves – but the same ''Saguṇa Brahma'' has other aspects: it is also ''Prāṇa'', it is also ''Manash'' it is also ''Vijñānah'', it is also ''Ānanda''. So our journey must start with this. The first journey is summarized in this sixth section: look with the discerning eye – the discriminating eye – and then you will notice the whole thing is nothing but consisting of form, name, and function.
==Concluding Summary==
Before I close, again I want to repeat: you see this person – what is he? He is Rāmakṛṣṇa. You see that form (for our photograph and to think about him). What is his name? Rāmakṛṣṇa. What is the name of that particular form– distinguishable from everybody else. And what is he? Nothing but ''prāṇa''. What is this ''prāṇa''? His ''prāṇa'' is manifesting in the form of the entire physical body, his eyes, his five sense organs, five senses of action, and mind. So we see that one, and he has a purpose. The ''prāṇa'' activates his mind; the ''prāṇa'' also activates the physical body. So the whole what we call Rāmakṛṣṇa is nothing but ''prāṇa'' plus ''rūpa'' plus ''nāma''. That is our first understanding. Because of ''prāṇa'', it is ''prāṇa'' which activates the mind, and that mind can be at the ''annamaya kośa'' level, ''prāṇamaya kośa'' level, ''manomaya kośa'' level, ''vijñānamaya kośa'' level, ''ānandamaya kośa'' level, gradually- that is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said. He clearly said that – "I saw how his ''kuṇḍalinī śakti'' gradually (what is ''kuṇḍalinī– it'' is a combination of these three – ''prāṇa'', ''rūpa'', and ''nāma'') slowly rising above the ''annamaya kośa'' ,represented by three ''cakras'' – ''mūlādhāra'', ''svādhiṣṭhāna'', ''maṇipūra'' – it went to the ''anāhata'' and he saw everything is full of light. What is this?What is this? Then he went up, then he saw in the form of dim knowledge, then brighter knowledge, finally complete knowledge!

So this is how we should look at any person: it is nothing but this is the form, this is the name, and ''prāṇa''. Just for our understanding, I want to add the word: ''prāṇa'' means 'characte'r. So when you are looking at any object, you are looking at the ''rūpa'' and ''nāma'' and judging the character– “This is an unripe mango. This is a ripe mango. This is a sweet mango. This is not such a sweet mango– ” Every object that we experience, we are dividing it into these three – ''rūpa'', ''nāma'', and ''karma''.

Tomorrow we will talk about the specifics and, if possible, give the essence of the first chapter. I will try.
== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh ॥''

May Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.4 Lecture 34 on 17 May 2026

2026-07-27T15:52:15Z

Sachidanand: Devanagari script, missing words and miscellaneous corrections

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
==Discussion in the Gurukula==
There was a great discussion in a sacred Gurukula. The students, real seekers of Brahman, have started a discussion. What is Brahman? What did our Āchārya teach us, and how can we implement and progress and realise that I am Brahman?
==Recap: Duties of a Householder (Seventeenth Mantra, Fourth Section)==
So in our last class, with regard to that, in the seventeenth mantra, the last mantra in the fourth section, we were discussing about what are the duties of a householder. That is to say, who is a householder? Anybody who thinks "I am the body and mind", he is a householder. Such a person's desires will be confined only to the satisfaction of the body and of the mind, and at best, he wants to have higher happiness by going to higher lokas called svargalokas. Varieties degrees of happiness are described there of such the six higher lokas according to Hindu division. Hindus have divided every state of experience anybody can go through into fourteen lokas, starting with this earthly world, bhūloka. There are upper six lokas—six lokas plus our earth where we are form half of the world, and below us there are six lokas, or seven lokas are there. Total fourteen lokas are there.

Now the point is we are very fortunate to live in this earthly world, because this is called karma bhūmi. Other worlds, higher or lower, they are considered only to exhaust our karma phala, either puṇyam or pāpam. We will be going to those lokas either to experience higher happiness and thereby exhaust our puṇyam, or descend to the lower lokas and exhaust our pāpams. But one has to come back to this earthly world to do sādhanā.
===Two Types of Desires===
So here is a person who is involved, who has also evolved into a human being—not an uncouth, uncultured human being, but one who has awakened to some higher faculties, and he realized human life is precious. Such a person can cherish two desires.

One: "I want to be happy in this world or higher lokas." But after experiencing for some time again and again through a lot of labor, such a person realizes what I want is not temporary, which is ephemeral, which is lasting for only a very short time. "I want permanent happiness." That is the second category of people, of which the Gita beautifully describes: out of a million people, perhaps one person awakens to the fact that spiritual life, godly life, is the only life worth.
===The Prescription for the Householder===
So there is such a householder, and he thinks "I am the body and mind." He has faith in the scriptures, and the scriptures describe higher lokas. So he says, "I want to be happy in this world as well as in the higher worlds." For such a person, the scriptures prescribe certain things, actions to be done according to one's caste ( we say though it is not a good word, actually) and according to one's stage in life: varṇa dharma and āśrama dharma.
===The Five Required Items (pāṅktam)===
So we presume this person is a good person, and he goes to the teacher, spends several years, learns all about life, comes back, and he has unfulfilled desires pertaining to the body and mind. Such a person performs, he desires, "I want to perform this ritual." For that, the Vedas tell us that you require five things. What are the five things?

First, he himself should be of young age, capable age, capable of undertaking this ritual. He must have his wife. You may be wondering why such a person should require a wife. Because, a person imbued with worldly desires, he will be thinking, "If I get a woman, a wife, then not a free life, but a duly married life, then the rightful actions can be discharged, duties can be discharged. So he requires five items — this is called pāṅktam. Pāṅktam means a group of five.

So through that, he has to discharge his varṇa dharma, āśrama dharma, which have to be discharged through the proper performance of pañca mahāyajñas, five great remittals of debts, of which we have discussed in the past and yesterday also.
====The Five Constituents====
So first is himself, called yajamāna. Second is wife, called patnī. Third is called the son. Fourth is called human wealth: money, animals, servants, and many other objects for the performance of yajña, yāga, etc And he must have control of mind, a deep faith in God, etcetera. So that is called divine wealth. So yajamāna (the performer, sacrificer), his wife, his son, human wealth, and divine wealth. All these five are indispensable if a person wants to properly discharge all the pañca mahāyajñas.
==Evolution and Awakening==
We presume such a person does it throughout life, throughout many lives, and he slowly awakens, he becomes evolved. Then,

आवृत्त-चक्षुः (''Āvṛtta-cakṣuḥ'') अमृतत्वम् (''Amṛtatvam'') इच्छन् (''Icchan'')

(wishing for Immortality, he beholds the inner Self with his eyes closed — a phrase from the Katha Upanishad Verse 2.1.1)

So:

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।

क्शुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १४ ॥

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata | (phrase from the Katha Upanishad Verse 1.3.14)

—Arise, awake, approach learned ones, sit humbly at their feet and serve them, please them, ask them, "What type of life should I lead?"

''तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया |''

''उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: || Gita 4.34||''

Tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā |

Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninastattvadarśinaḥ || Gita ''4.34||''

===From External Ritual to Upāsanā===
So this evolved person, he says, "I have done physically all those things. Now from external ritual I want to progress into higher action, that is called upāsanā."

So such a person now he turns his mind, and the Upaniṣad or the Veda tells us. But the Upaniṣad also tells us that as long as a person doesn't get married, doesn't get a son or sons, performs all the yajñās, yāgās, he cannot evolve. That is why I mentioned yesterday the appropriate duties apportioned to one's own caste and to one's own stage of life. They are called āśrama dharmas, and due discharge of these dharmas inevitably does certain things. Due performance, proper performance of these duties is called karma yoga. Karma yoga, in other words, is nothing but getting rid of our debts to these five beings: our ṛṣis, gods (presiding deities), our ancestors, every other human being, and everything in this world—nothing is left out. When we are grateful for our life, for our health, for our happiness, for our fulfillment for everything, we have to give them back. Giving them back what we receive. And this is a continuous process, constant process every second. For example, breathing in borrowing oxygen from the vaiśvadevatā, and we have to give back what is helpful to other creatures like the trees, etc. through the proper giving away of carbon dioxide, etcetera.
===Citta Śuddhi and Its Results===
So when a person properly discharges the duties, his mind becomes pure. This is called citta śuddhi. The result of karma yoga is citta śuddhi. What does citta śuddhi do? First of all, it purifies the mind. Secondly, it generates puṇyam. Puṇyam is the ability to squeeze happiness irrespective of any circumstance. Thirdly, mind becomes concentrated. Fourthly, mind gradually expands, identifying itself not only with one's own family, but with one's village, one's state, one's country, the world in which one is living, later on with every human being, with every non-human being, because the great fact to which even today we have not awakened is that everything depends upon everything in this world. Nothing is redundant. We cannot say it is useless, "Let us get rid of it." God has not created anything that is redundant. Everything helps us in some way or the other. So that is called the sacred attitude, holistic attitude in scientific terms, but sacred attitude: looking upon the whole universe in which we are living—that includes our body and mind, sense organs, everything—and that is looking upon everything as manifestation of God, which again and again has been taught to us.

सहस्रशीर्षापुरुषः, सहस्राक्षः, सहस्रपाद् |

Sahasraśīrṣāpuruṣaḥ, sahasrākṣaḥ, sahasrapād |

etc., in Viṣṇu Sūktam, Nārāyaṇa Sūktam, Puruṣa Sūktam, everywhere. The continuous refrain is everything is the body of God. Every single part is a body of God. Nothing is actually redundant. That is the most wonderful truth we have to understand.
===Inner Ritual as Upāsanā===
So when a person reaches a certain stage of development, he says, "I have had enough of this now. I want to turn this external ritual into an inner ritual, and that is called upāsanā." That is much more important. But unless a person really does these external rituals, etc., simply sitting and saying "I don't need to do all those things" will not help us. We cannot evolve, for everything—nursery school, elementary school—everything is a necessity. Middle school, high school, then college, university—these are all graduated steps, and we cannot neglect even one step. So tall hese are called external rituals, and they produce citta śuddhi. Citta śuddhi sharpens our understanding, and finally we understand the goal of life, as Sri Ramakrishna says, is 'God realization.'
===Vairāgya: Genuine Dispassion===
Now, what does this person feel? "I am married, I have children, so many births. I have gone to higher lokas, came down, but I still don't feel the sense of fulfillment. I still feel dissatisfaction, tremendous dissatisfaction. I am not a happy person." But don't say every unhappy person is an evolved person. No, this person was very happy performing, having a wife, having children, performing duties—tremendous amount of higher happiness he gets. But at the end, he realizes these are all achieved through hard labor, and they are all ephemeral. Every happiness has to be re-earned, because nothing will be permanent. Such a person awakens and says, "I feel unfulfilled." That is called vairāgya, dispassion—not because of śmaśāna vairāgya, prasūti vairāgya, jobless vairāgya, mārkaṭa vairāgya. No, it is because the person has really evolved and says, "There is a higher goal."

Very clearly he can understand. There is a beautiful incident. Once Swami Narendranath approached Sri Ramakrishna: "I am very unhappy, so please bless me that I may progress in spiritual life." Sri Ramakrishna, he was testing Narendranath: "Why don't you have to complete your college education?" Then he said, "I wish I could forget whatever I have learned so far. I thought that was the goal earlier. Now I understand, by your grace, these very things are great obstructions for my future life. I wish I could forget everything and restart my life." Sri Ramakrishna was of course highly pleased, and Narendra was telling his real experience actually, not simply temporary vairāgya.
===The Five Koshas and pāṅkta Upāsanā===
So what shall this person do? He must discharge the same pañca mahāyajña in the form of upāsanā. And I also interpret it in this way. Since we have been studying the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, we are familiar with the pañcakośas. So we can say pāṅktam, a group of five. We have to transcend with the help of these five kośas. Every kośa, remember, has to be sacralized, looked upon with sacredness, as manifestation of God. Body is God, mind is God, external world is God; somebody who is friendly is God; somebody who is inimical is even more of God. Everything in this world is there to push me nearer to God. That is how I understand.

So this person, how he ascended or he is going.—we have seen in the Bhṛguvallī also practically what Bhṛgu had done. So this person wants to do this upāsanā. This is called ahaṅgraha upāsanā, pāṅkta upāsanā. Pāṅkta upāsanā means my own personality containing all the five elements, five types of wealth—the performer, his wife, his son, and human wealth and divine wealth. This is called pāṅktam, five types of wealth.

So my mind is the myself (yajamāna), etc. We will see this: my speech is my wife, and my prāṇa is my son, etc. We will see the eye as well as the ear—that completes the five elements. So he turns these external very things into internal contemplative instruments. And what does he want? "I want fulfillment." How are you going to get fulfillment? When I perform this upāsanā, I will become one with Brahman, and that very briefly we will discuss. This is called pāṅkta upāsanā, and this pāṅkta upāsanā is another name; it is called ahaṅgraha upāsanā.
===What is Ahaṅgraha?===
What is ahaṅgraha? "Ahaṁ brahma asmi," "Ahaṁ ātmā asmi," "Ahaṁ īśvaraḥ asmi." This feeling, like Sri Ramakrishna, by doing upāsanā of Hanumān, felt "I am Hanumān," completely identified. Upon completion of meditation on Rādhā, he felt "I am not a male, I am a female like Rādhā. I am Rādhā, and my only thought is Kṛṣṇa." So, that is called ahaṅgraha upāsanā.
===The Four Āśramas as Stages of Mental Development===
So the Upaniṣad is telling that especially they say in vānaprasthāśrama (the stage of withdrawal), and incidentally, whether it is brahmacaryāśrama, gṛhasthāśrama, vānaprasthāśrama, or sanyāsāśrama, they are all stages in mental development, nothing to do with age, even though age can help us. We have to crystal clearly keep this point in mind: when I know what is life and what is the goal of life and how to reach my goal of life, I have completed my brahmacaryāśrama. When I start practicing karma yoga, bhakti yoga, rāja yoga, jñāna yoga—whether it is Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Buddhism, whatever -ism—I experiment taking that path which is suitable, which gives me greater joy, either through bhakti or jñāna, whatever, and I start progressing. That is called gṛhasthāśrama. And in the end, when my mind matures, I don't want anything else in this world. I want to disidentify myself from this body and mind. The world is nothing but our own body and mind, and every day we experience it through what is called suṣupti avasthā, and how much peace of mind—that is called ānandam—we get. So this is what is beautifully being outlined here.

So detachment from body and mind is called vānaprasthāśrama, and when we succeed, identifying ourselves with the divinity within, that is called sanyāsāśrama. This is how we have to understand, really.
==The Upaniṣadic Teaching on Ahaṅgraha Upāsanā==
So let us briefly discuss what the Upaniṣad is telling, how this ahaṅgraha upāsanā has to be done.

(phrases from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 1.4.17):

मन एव अस्य आत्मा वाक् जाया प्राणः प्रजा ||

Mana eva asya ātmā vāk jāyā prāṇaḥ prajā || (phrase extract from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 1.4.17)

Please keep in mind that these fivefold objects necessary to complete any ritual, we have to keep in mind. The person who has decided, determined "I want to perform this ritual" - he requires his wife, requires his son, requires human wealth, the instruments, the firewood and the cows, the milk, the curd, etcetera, and the ritwik (the priests who perform all those things)—that is called manuṣya vittam (the human wealth)—and certain divine qualities, divine wealth. Only with this, will the ritual be really successful. So now the Ṛṣi wants to convey, having reached this higher stage of life, the person now turns all externalities into internal activity which is called upāsanā. So he requires these five also, and why he requires these five, that is also going to be explained.
===The Five Internal Equivalents===
So the mind is the himself. His speech is his wife, and his vital force or prāṇa is like his progeny or son. Then there are only three: manas, vāk, prāṇa. What about the other two?

चक्षुर्मानुषं वित्तम् ('Cakṣu manuṣya vittam).

So the eyes are called the human wealth. Why?

चक्षुषा हि तद्विन्दते (Cakṣuṣā hi tattvindate)

So it is the 'I' which discerns everything, which can experience, which is the giver of the greatest knowledge from the outside world. Then from the inside world, inner 'I' which is called discrimination, the intelligence that can discriminate our experiences and come to the right conclusion. And viveka (discrimination), in Sri Ramakrishna's words, is "everything is temporary; God alone is permanent." And so everything has to be gradually given up. Given up means not throwing out, but to develop: "I have no relationship with this external world. I have no relationship, no attachment to this body. No attachment to the mind." This is called withdrawal. This is called vānaprasthāśrama, really speaking.

So this knowledge through the 'I' gives us the knowledge. How does it give? Let us proceed to the next one.

श्रोत्रम् दैवम् | श्रोत्रं नहि तत् श्रृणोति ||

Śrotram daivam | śrotraṁ nahi tat śṛṇoti ||

So marvelously, this Upaniṣad is telling us. Our ear is called daivi vittam. The first is the eye: the eye is the manuṣyavittam (human wealth), and the second are the ears: śrotram is called divine wealth.
===Why are the Ears Divine Wealth?===
Why are the ears? Because when a person hears about God, about the highest life, that is called śruti. That is why Vedas are called śrutis. Through hearing only—when we read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, the works of Swamiji, the vāks of Ramana Maharshi, or Upaniṣads or Bhagavad Gītā—we get that knowledge, and that's why the ears are most important. And when the same ears are used in worldly life, we remember Madhu and Kaiṭabha. So we desire: "Everybody loves me to hear, everybody appreciates me, they love me." Nothing can be further from truth. Nobody loves us. We have seen that in this very first chapter, that excepting one's own ātman, nobody loves anything else. If anything is loved, it is not loved for the sake of that object. A wife is not loved for the sake of the wife. Son is not loved for the sake of the son. Wealth is not loved for the sake of wealth. Body is not loved for the sake of the body. The different sense organs are not loved for their sake, but for the sake of the ātman, because ātman is of the nature of ānanda. We love ānanda. We come from ānanda. We live because of ānanda, or we live in the hope of getting ānanda. If I am not happy right now, even if I am happy right now, that I am in such a higher type of happiness, degree of happiness, higher qualitative happiness and for a long time, as long as it is possible—and only when we reach God, this condition can be really fulfilled.

Therefore, all this knowledge comes to us from studying the scriptures, from coming in association with satpuruṣas (great people), etc., by hearing the scriptures, etc. That is why the ears are called divine wealth, and with the help of the divine wealth, our eyes must examine this world: "Is the scripture speaking the truth?" So when we see that which has 'birth' is continuously changing, ending in that final change called 'death', everything is ephemeral excepting pure consciousness. And that observation with the eye of discrimination, and if the discrimination is proper, then slowly (may take many lives) dispassion comes. Passion turns into dispassion. Dispassion means passion turned towards God. That is called dispassion, not śmaśāna vairāgya. That affection, that attachment which does not attach itself to a higher thing, that is called frustration, not higher attachment. Vairāgya should never be understood in a negative manner. Vairāgya means "this is a lower happiness, but I am in search of higher happiness," and when I get higher happiness, lower happiness becomes natural, automatic.

Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example, taking of course from the śruti. Sri Ramakrishna's mouth never speaks anything except in scriptures. Even though he said "I have not read much, I have heard much, and my mind retains in memory everything that I had heard." So this person turns inward. Inward means Godward. So that is called vairāgyam, and that which after discrimination doesn't make us turn towards God—there is a great defect in that discrimination. It is frustration. I would call it frustration. And a frustrated person is not a happy person, and nobody wants to cultivate the company of a frustrated person.

On the other hand, Sri Ramakrishna says we have to cultivate holy company. Who is a holy man? I defined earlier. You will have to exercise your mind to remember, but one characteristic: by whose presence, in whose presence, we become terribly happy without any objects to give us happiness. The mere sannidhya (presence) is enough to make our mind go up, and the more it goes up, the more happiness we feel. The higher a person progresses, the greater would be his happiness, the longer would be his happiness. This is how we have to judge.
===The Mind as Yajamāna===
So the whole world—"Am I the body and mind?"—that is a thought in our mind. That is why this yajamāna is called mind. That is why it is said:

मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः ||

Mana eva manuṣyāṇāṁ kāraṇaṁ bandhamokṣayoḥ |

Mind alone is the root cause of both happiness as well as bondage, liberation, as well as happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, everything. Mind is everything. And what our mind thinks, they are called thoughts. If they are holy thoughts, pure thoughts, spiritual thoughts, then that is called real progress. And if a person's mind is filled with these thoughts, then what he speaks is nothing but his thoughts. The whole Gospel is nothing but the thoughts of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Holy Mother is nothing but the understanding in the form of spoken words—that is the Gospel of Holy Mother. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, the Bhagavad Gītā is nothing but the thoughts of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa Himself. That is why it is called Bhagavad Gītā; directly from the mouth of Bhagavān, these things have emanated.

So the mind is "I am the mind." Where does the ahaṅkāra, 'I', reside? In the mind. Therefore it is considered ātman means myself, my real self. And then if my mind is pure, then I am a spiritual person. If it is impure, that is called "I am a worldly person," I am identified with anātman. And then a person whose mind is filled with holy thoughts, he will speak only holy thoughts, and his deeds will be only holy deeds. And that is why, to perform holy deeds, a person requires energy, and that energy is called prāṇa, and that prāṇa represents that power to translate our thoughts, our speech into real actions. Just imagine you go to Sri Ramakrishna and he never talks. Then it is very difficult to understand what Sri Ramakrishna really wants to convey. Fortunate few are those people whom he touched and awakened their kuṇḍalinī. That is a different issue. But usually, if a person is keeping quiet, we will not know what this person is, because speech betrays a person's personality.
===The Role of the Five: Summary===
So through these five—the ears which give us the knowledge of the scriptures (incidentally, that also gives us the worldly knowledge: how to create bombs, how to destroy, how to rob a bank or other human beings, how to kill—all these things are the outcomes). A great American general once made a statement: "Wars are born out of the thoughts of people who are warmongers. So peace also should spring only from the minds of people who are whose nature is peace and who want peace." This is a beautiful teaching we have to understand.

So this ahaṅgraha upāsanā is to understand that God has given me a mind, and this mind is meant for cultivating higher thoughts. And of the higher thoughts, cultivating ahaṅkāra: that is, "I am a servant of God, I am a friend of God, I am the parent of God, I am a child of God, I am the beloved, I am the lover of God." All these things must come only from higher—lower to higher mind in spiritual progress, and accordingly the thoughts also will come.

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव |

त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव |

त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव |

त्वमेव सर्वम् मम देव देव ||

Tvameva mātā ca pitā tvameva |

Tvameva bandhuśca sakhā tvameva |

Tvameva vidyā draviṇaṁ tvameva |

Tvameva sarvam mama deva deva ||

If this sentence, teaching did not come from the mouth of people, we would never have understood this. That is why the mind must be pure; then speech will follow the mind like a chaste wife follows her husband, and like the obedient, loving child follows the footsteps of his father especially so, this prāṇa—that means our expressions of our thoughts in the form of concrete actions—follow our thoughts and our speech. And for that, the first instrument is the ears, śruti. You can also say the Vedic scriptures. And this śruti must be verified. The śruti says everything is ephemeral. Is it true? How do we know? Exercise your eyes. See every day how many people are dying, how many are being born, how many behave so cruelly, how many are robbed, how many people are doing good in this world. If anybody thinks there are no good people, that there are no people who are well-wishers of this world and sacrificing their life for others, we will be terribly, terribly mistaken. Just as there are evil people, I think even more good people are available in this world.
===The Essence of this Upāsanā===
So this is the upāsanā: "My mind, I am the mind. I have to purify, I have to transform my unripe ego into the ripe ego."

And for that, I have to perform, I have to hear the spiritual advice — how to live the life, and I must verify how I should live, how my guru is living, how Sri Ramakrishna lived, how Ramana Maharshi lived, how the ṛṣis and munīs lived. As Sri Ramakrishna says about the ṛṣis, when somebody remarked and passed a bad remark, he said, "Never say such a thing. Early morning, these people used to get up even though they were householders, go away far from home, spend the whole day in deep thinking, forgetting the world, thinking only of the ātman, and come back in the evening, to satisfy their hunger with roots and fruits, and take a few hours of rest, and that is why they became the ṛṣi." By definition, a ṛṣi is a mantradraṣṭā:

ऋषति जानाति इति ऋषिः ||

Ṛṣati jānāti iti ṛṣiḥ |

One who knows spiritual truth, real truth, he is called a ṛṣi. So we must become ṛṣis.

For that purpose, God has given us the body. Body consists of five sense organs. They can be directed, misdirected, they can be ill-directed, they can be well-directed, and that direction should come after hearing the scriptures, after cultivating holy company, we come to know about it, and then we must verify whether the scripture is telling the truth. Open your eyes, jāgrata. Not only "arise, awake"—why was Sri Ramakrishna so happy, even though he possessed so little from the worldly point of view? Why are so many swamis so happy, so satisfied, so pleased with themselves with their simple life? They must be getting some happiness from somewhere devoid of all these external objects ,which we are convinced without them we cannot be happy. We should understand we cannot be happy with them. Whatever tends to give us happiness also tends to give us its opposite effect, and maybe in greater degree.
===The Goal: From Withdrawal to Merging in Brahman===
So this is the essence of this ahaṅgraha upāsanā, which ultimately leads—first it leads to withdrawal, which means what is called detachment, non-identification, neti neti from the external world, from the body, from the mind, etc. And this available pure mind is now directed towards God. That is called upāsanā. Finally, even that instrument through which we are approaching God, itself is discarded or it melts finally in the Divine. Then there is like a river:

नामरूपे विहाय समुद्र भवति ||

Nāmarūpe vihāya samudra bhavati |

Every river that merges in the ocean loses its name, form, taste, colour, everything, and thereafter it is known only as the ocean. So this jīva completely gives up jīva bhāva and becomes merged in Brahman. There afterwards, others can call such a person "He is Brahman," but if body and mind are alive, they are called jīvanmuktis. This is the essence of this pāṅkta upāsanā.
===The Result of Ahaṅgraha Upāsanā===
And then a person who realizes this ahaṅgraha upāsanā:

तद् इदम् सर्वम् आप्नोति यः एवम् वेद ||

tad idam sarvam āpnoti yaḥ evam veda |

One who performs this ahaṅgraha upāsanā, pāṅkta upāsanā (pāṅkta means mind, speech, prāṇa, the eyes, and the ears)—what does he get? What does not he get? He gets everything. He gets Brahman. Brahman means everything.

तदिदं सर्वमाप्नोति, हि य एवं वेद ॥

''Tad idaṁ sarvam āpnoti, hi ya evaṁ veda'' |

He who succeeds in performing the ahaṅgraha upāsanā, and then only aham remains. Graha falls away automatically.
===Conclusion of the Fourth Chapter===
This is the essence of this ahaṅgraha upāsanā. With this ahaṅgraha upāsanā, the seventeenth mantra is over, and with this the fourth chapter is over. And what is the essence of this? So this is what Swami Vivekananda had come to teach: uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata.
==Summary of the First Chapter==
So, in this first chapter, we have seen how this sṛṣṭi has started. That is the līlā of Brahman, brahma līlā. It is also called brahma cakra. Saṁsāra is called brahma cakra. But if we forget it is brahma cakra, that is what in Hindi they call it "cakkar meṁ paḍ gayā"—"I have fallen into delusion, misunderstanding," etc.

So after Bhagavān first created, started the sṛṣṭi, pañcabhūtas: first subtle pañcabhūtas, then gross pañcabhūtas, then creation of the gods, then creation of the human beings, then he divided everybody into these four varṇas. I am afraid to use that word "caste" because that is inevitably associated with birth, which is an absolute anomaly. It should not be understood. It is only through quality, guṇa: which guṇa is dominant—sattva, rajas, or tamas? And then Bhagavān created satyam and dharmam, and to put the satyam and dharmam into practice, Bhagavān has created this varṇāśrama dharmas in the form of "do this" and "do not do that." So for every stage of varṇa, for every stage of life, there are certain duties appropriate for that stage of life, and the discharge of those appropriate dharmas takes us, helps us evolve further.
===Evolution Through Varṇas===
In both varṇa, a śūdra becomes a vaiśya, vaiśya becomes a kṣatriya, kṣatriya becomes a brāhmaṇa—and I will also tell you in the next class., so a person develops gradually. Intelligence: that development of intelligence ends in the rebirth as vaiśya, that is, "I want to earn more and more, I want to know more and more." Who can become a successful businessman? Only an intelligent person. And then, to protect what one earns, one requires strength. For that, I must develop tremendous strength, not only to earn but to enjoy and to protect—yoga and kṣema. And then after some time, I must make everything external into the internal; that is called becoming a brāhmaṇa.

So a brāhmaṇa is a spiritual person. Everything is spiritualized. Spiritualizing whole life is called living a brāhmaṇa's life. These are marvelous thoughts that the Upaniṣad wants us to grasp, understand, retain, and ponder over and slowly develop.

We will talk about these things in our next class.
== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः ||

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh ||''

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.4 Lecture 30 on 03 May 2026

2026-07-13T20:54:25Z

Sachidanand: /* Invocation */ devanagari script, minor text edits

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
----

== The Central Questions of the Seekers ==
So there was a great discussion among the seekers of Brahman: What is the nature of Brahman? What is the relationship between me and Brahman? And how can I attain that Brahman? Especially, this is the essence of the mantras 9th and 10th in the 4th section of the 1st chapter.

To recollect what we had discussed: Brahman alone seems to wander in ''saṃsāra'' through ignorance. And thinking that "I am not Brahman," and through the grace of God , the grace of Guru, the same ignorant Brahman — which is called ''jīvātmā'' — slowly recognises: "I was never a ''jīvātmā.'' I was always, I was, I am, and I will be Brahman only."
----

== The Pūrvapakṣa: The View of the Opponents ==
As we discussed in the last class, there were so many ''pūrvapakṣīs.'' In a sense, what they want to say is that the ''jīvātmā'' is from the beginning only a separate soul wandering in this ''saṃsāra,'' but he wants to get rid of this limitation. So he does spiritual practice — especially what is called ''upāsanā. Upāsanā'' means becoming like the object of meditation. Just as when we approach a blazing fire, we feel more and more heat, and if we become one with fire, we also are known as only fire — similarly, when a person approaches God — and the definition of God is either ''sat-cit-ānanda'' or ''satyaṃ jñānaṃ anantaṃ brahma'' — so this person, who was not Brahman, by spiritual practice slowly he changes his nature. He who was limited now becomes unlimited. "सर्वं भवति" (''Sarvam bhavati).'' This is one of the views of the opponents, especially a person called Bhartṛprapañca.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya's Refutation: Karma and Jñāna Cannot Change Nature ==
Śaṅkarācārya refutes this view and says: first of all, the nature of a thing can never be changed either by ''karma'' — action — or by ''jñānam'' , or knowledge.

What does knowledge say? It only reveals what is. It cannot change anything. What can ''karma'' do? It can only remove the obstructions and then reveal the nature of an object. For example, if sugar is covered with dirt and dust, and then we employ certain methods to clean it up, the pure sugar will come out. So that cleaning process doesn't change what is not sugar into sugar — it removes the obstacles. So, then the knowledge will reveal: this is the nature of the sugar. But either ''karma'' or ''jñāna'' — both cannot change the nature of a thing. It is impossible.
----

== Can a Jīva Become Brahman? Bhartṛprapañca's Claim ==
So this is one (point). The second is: how does one ''jīva'' become Brahman? And especially there was a person called Bhartṛprapañca — he was a very powerful opponent, long before Śaṅkarācārya, and many people followed Bhartṛprapañca's views.

Bhartṛprapañca claims: even though we are all ''jīvas,'' by doing ''upāsanā'' — and remember, ''upāsanā'' is also an action; it is a mental action, but for any mental action the physical body must cooperate. Normally you cannot lie down on a soft bed and try to contemplate on God. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa could do that; Swami Advaitānandajī could do that — people who have absolute control over their mind can do that. But ordinary people cannot, because the tendency of the bed is to make a person fall asleep.

So here we have this beautiful ''sādhanā.'' That is what Bhartṛprapañca claims: you go on thinking about God, you forget yourself, and then slowly ''jīvātmā'' becomes Parabrahma.

And the same logic applies whether you meditate, whether you do action, or whether you obtain knowledge. No — a ''jīva'' can never become Brahma.
----

== The Advaita Answer: Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi ==
Then what is it that Advaita Vedānta wants to teach? That what you are calling yourself — "I am a ''jīvātmā''" — it is a wrong opinion. You are suffering under the delusion that "I am not Brahman." Just like a prince who was kidnapped and brought up by some street beggars starts thinking: "These are my parents. I am also a child of a beggar. I have nothing." Until somebody comes and recognizes him and then tries to prove it — it will take quite a long time for that person to say: "How can I be a prince?" But in the course of time, truth will come out. Because if we are Brahman, it has to come out — even after a zillion births. But if we are not, no amount of washing the black skin of a rat is going to turn it into a pure white-skinned rat. It is not going to be possible.

So therefore what is it? This Mahāvākya — ''Ahaṃ brahmāsmi'' — is one of the most powerful of the mantras. It is telling us that you were, you are, you will be Brahman. But for some mysterious reason — and no school of philosophy was able to tell (us the origin of this) — especially Advaita Vedānta says that you are suffering from ''avidyā.'' And where does this ''avidyā'' come from? That was a very interesting topic.

Even today, accepting or evading a straightforward reply — even Advaitins are forced to tell that there is no such thing called ''avidyā,'' because consciousness is pure. Pure consciousness is pure ''jñānam.'' Pure knowledge can never entertain even a bit, an iota of ignorance. So it is, therefore, not there.
----

== The Purpose of Spiritual Practice: Gauḍapāda's View ==
Then what about this ''saṃsāra?'' Well, as we saw yesterday — according to Gauḍapāda — the whole purpose of spiritual practice is to understand that actually what you are seeing is none other than Brahman. But because of some coverings on your mind, you are thinking: "This is not Brahman. This is the world." Brahman is one; the world is multiplicity. Brahman is unlimited; the world is limited. Brahman is only one — so no difference, internal or external.

Three types of differences: — no species difference (no ''vijātīya-bheda)'' ; — no difference between two objects of the same species (no ''sajātīya-bheda)''; — no internal differences (no ''svagata-bheda)'' . So ''vijātīya, sajātīya, svagata-bhedas'' are not there. Brahman is ''bheda-rahitaḥ.'' But I am thinking everything is differentiated. It is because of some power called ''avidyā.''

So just like a person mistakes a harmless, innocent rope for a snake — there was not, there is not, there will not be any snake there. What was there is only revealed. If this person had come during daytime when there is light, he would not have mistaken it. If it were completely dark, he would not have had that illusion (either). Only when there is a phantom, creative, semi-darkness present — then you will come to make that mistake.

And Brahman is not something which can be objectified. Brahman is beyond both the subject and object. And then how is it to be done? —"न तु विषयी करणम्" , ''Neti, neti'' — this will come later on. ''Na iti.'' So this is not a denial of Brahman but a negation of everything other than Brahman — that is, the entire universe.
----

== The Four Fruits of Action and Mokṣa ==
''Mokṣa,'' according to the ''pūrvapakṣī'' or opponents of Advaita, is not something that can be produced. Because — if you remember — what are the four fruits of any action? If something is not there, you can produce it. If something is there already but not here — elsewhere — then you can go there and obtain it. If something is covered with dirt, you can clean it. If something is broken, you can repair it. Every action must bring one of these four effects.

So Brahman cannot become old, because it is eternal. Eternal means time doesn't affect it; space doesn't affect it. So no subject can affect it. It is not an object. Therefore, it is not something which can be produced, which can be found elsewhere — it is everywhere. And it can never be cleaned up, because it is ever clean. ''Nitya, śuddha, buddha, nityamukta.'' Therefore, the conclusion is: ''jñānāt eva mokṣaḥ.''

So the text — that is, our Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, especially mantras 9th and 10th of the 4th section — strongly declares that ''mokṣa'' is to remove the wrong notion— that is called ''mokṣa.'' And as soon as this is removed, what is original will unfold itself, uncover itself. It is just covered up.
----

== Vāmadeva's Declaration and Sarvātma-Bhāva ==
For that, certain examples are given. And what is that? Vāmadeva declares: "I am Manu, I am the Sun" — that means, "I am the whole creation." That is called ''sarvātma-bhāva.''

Remember, that is how the discussion started. How did Brahman become everything — ''sarvam?'' How did it become ''sarvam?'' The answer is: it has not become. It was, it is, it will be everything. As I mentioned yesterday, as I discussed yesterday— this idea of ''sarvātma-bhāva'' will not apply in the ordinary sense.

Even in deep sleep, you don't say: "When I am awake or dreaming, I always feel I am an individual, but when I go into deep sleep, I attain everything." No. Because what is deep sleep? It is just being bereft of all superimpositions. So from the viewpoint of Brahman, this word ''sarvātma-bhāva'' doesn't even exist.

Only because we are thinking through our mind that "I am frightened of something" — then somebody comes and says: "Why should you be frightened? Dādā Madhusūdhana is there all the way. Where is he? He is there in the entire forest. So whenever you are scared, you just call brother Madhusūdhana, and at every step, at any step, he will reveal himself to you and escort you to the other side of the forest" — which forest is comparable to a ''saṃsāra.''

So ''sarvātma-bhāva'' means: I don't have any desire. The moment I say there is something different from me, I have a desire — either positive or negative. The moment I feel I am everything, then desire will disappear — which, translated into psychological language, means I am a very, very happy person. Nothing else.

And also we have seen earlier — especially in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad — (द्वितीयाद् वै भयं भवति) ''dvitīyāt vai bhayaṃ bhavati:'' fear always comes from the second. If anybody thinks Brahman is separate from me, Brahman becomes the cause of fear. When the same person realizes: "I am none other than Brahman — there is nothing else other than me" — then that very Brahman becomes ''abhaya-kāraṇa:'' all fear goes away. What is this fear? We also discussed: the fear that what I have I may lose; the fear that what I am desiring I may not get. Both of these fears will disappear when a person realizes "I am Brahman."
----

== The Relationship Between Karma and Jñāna ==
So what is the relationship now between ''karma'' and ''jñāna? Karma'' is external; ''jñāna'' is internal. ''Jñāna'' is in the form of thought; ''karma'' is in the form of translating that thought into action.

So Bhartṛhari also says: "Why not we combine and obtain ''mokṣam''?" — combine what? ''Jñāna-karma-samuccaya.'' This is called the combination of knowledge and karma. Why not we do that?

Śaṅkara says: I already explained to you — the nature of a thing can never be removed, destroyed, or obtained either through knowledge or karma. So there is no need. We are already free, but we are thinking — like the person in the dream (who), after eating a full meal, feels "I am starving, I am terribly hungry," or he is in the safest place and he is feeling — "somebody has dragged him out and is beating him black and blue."

So liberation is not the result of ''karma;'' liberation is not the result of ''jñānam.'' But both of these help us only in removing our wrong notions. This removal of our wrong notion — that is the meaning of ''Ahaṃ brahmāsmi.'' As soon as I remove (it), then ''Ahaṃ brahmāsmi'' is not something to be practised — it is something to be experienced. And when I deny everything, when that notion that "I am not Brahman" is totally destroyed, then there is no need to say (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि) ''Ahaṃ brahmāsmi,'' because I know what I am.

That is the essence of the 9th and 10th mantras. With that, sections 9 and 10 are completely over.
----

== The Next Mantras: The Description of Creation ==
Now starts the next few sections in the 4th section of the 1st chapter, subdivided into several mantras. So from the 11th mantra almost to the end, it is describing how this world is created. We have already seen it, I think, in the 8th mantra of this very 1st chapter — but now from another angle, the Upaniṣad wants to tell us: what is this creation?

Before we proceed, we have to keep two points in view.

This 1st chapter is called ''Upadeśa-kāṇḍa,'' and this ''Upadeśa-kāṇḍa'' is also called ''Madhu-kāṇḍa.'' What is ''Madhu-kāṇḍa?—'' The chapter called Honey. Honey means here: that which brings unbroken bliss. How does it come? It doesn't come from outside — I remove the obstacle, and then I know I have neither death nor ignorance nor suffering. I am ''satyaṃ jñānaṃ anantaṃ-rūpam, sat-cit-ānanda-rūpam.'' That is the truth about it.

But for a beginner, for a student, this idea that "I am ''sat-cit-ānanda''" should not be taught — when we study the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, how many times does Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa caution us! For a beginner, you should not say that all these gods and goddesses are false, that one has to think "I am Brahman." This especially half-digested this understanding was being propagated by Pratāp Chandra Hājrā.

Then we have seen Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa telling (Pratāp Chandra Hājrā) in a very diplomatic way: "You are a great person — you may be fit to understand." That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is trying — diplomacy. Inside, he knows: "You are the worst of the fools, the lowest of the Ajnyanis, ignorant people — a pure ignoramus." But Hājrā was also fortunate in so many ways. He had the company of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa — unbroken company of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa for several years. I would say he was more fortunate even than Swami Vivekānanda and other disciples who used to come now and then. But here is a person who lived outside the door of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa for several years together — so he was watching Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, though never understanding Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

Second thing: the very ''satsaṅga'' of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa — how many fortunate souls, whether they knew or not, whether they understood or not, who could gain the company of an ''avatāra-puruṣa,'' not even an ordinary person!

Thirdly, even the Guru of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa — Totāpurī — and he and this Hājrā, (and) Haladāri — practically they used to spend their time studying the Adhyātma Rāmāyaṇa etc. So in every way he was fortunate. But as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: the Divine Mother keeps — in every drama there will be Jaṭilā and Kuṭilā — that is what is called the sarcastic or funny characters, to make the drama a little more realistic.
----

== Finding Where We Are: An Honest Self-Assessment ==
So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is telling us: for beginners, to teach that everything is Brahman is not only not-helpful but it is positively oppressive and negative. Therefore, we will have to understand this one — we have to find out where we are.

Swami Yatīśwarānanda Mahārāj used to tell: the first duty of every spiritual seeker is to find out where he is. Honestly, he has to objectify himself and find : "Do I really believe in God? What is the percentage of my belief in God? How much is my life transformed by this belief of mine of the existence of God? How much percentage of longing for God, yearning for God, do I have? Am I really trying to change my old ''saṃskāras'' into new ''saṃskāras?''" Because without this — as we are seeing in the daily messages — without change in our life, without slowly reducing our non-spiritual qualities and strengthening the spiritual qualities, spiritual practice — however much ''japa'', ''dhyāna'' we do — is practically useless.

So we will have to understand this fact. And from a practical point of view also — how many times I had emphasized: what is spiritual life?— it is an attempt to become more and more happy. And a person cannot be a happy person unless he becomes a good person. And a person cannot be a good person unless he understands the reality. So a person, who has more knowledge — real knowledge — he becomes more and more a good person, and his ''ānanda'' also will increase.
----

== Applying the Kośas to Our Own Experience ==
So let us judge ourselves — where we are. And what is our normal spiritual seeker's experience?— "I am a body. I am a person. I am male or female. And I see the world in front of me. And everything in this world consists of several parts, and every part is totally different from every part."

Let us take from ''ānandamaya-kośa:'' am I uniformly happy in the same way all the time? How many times - I suffer; I feel depressed, I feel lonely, I feel restless? Apply it to all the other ''kośas.'' How many times is my mind changing? "I think this is good — after some time, probably I am wrong, this is not good." Then another thought comes — maybe a good thought. How long are we able to sustain it?

So we have to understand that the mind is changing. One thought is different from the other thought. One minute I am thinking about God; another minute I am thinking of some worldly object, maybe (a) worse thought. Then what about the body? The body consists of several parts — so every part is different. You take a cot: there are legs, there is a thick plank, and there are some hooks to hang the mosquito curtain. So every leg is separate; so the plank on which we sleep is separate; everything is separate. My hands, my legs, my eyes, my ears — every single part of my body — my liver, my heart, my kidneys — everything is different.

So what am I experiencing? — Difference, hat is called ''dvaita.'' So God is also different, ''jīva'' is different, worldly object is different. So — God, world and ''jīva'' , and between ''jīva'' and ''jīva'' — there is difference; between every two worldly objects there is difference; and both these are different from God. This is called — Dvaita Vedānta. That is where most of us are.

So we should not say the world doesn't exist. And what do we mean by the world? We only have two judgmental values about the world — really speaking, we don't think of the world analyzing it in the way I am doing. The only judgement, the only analysis, is: "Am I a happy person? Am I a healthy person? Am I a rich person? Are my desires being fulfilled? Or am I a person who is disappointed in life, deprived in life, depressed in life — feeling lonely, feeling) nobody cares for me?" What type of person am I?

So every experience in this world is divided into two values: am I a happy person, or am I a suffering person? Happiness and unhappiness are the final judgements.

So when a person turns towards God, he hopes to obtain higher levels, higher degrees of happinesses — from objective happiness to intellectual happiness, to aesthetic happiness, to moral happiness, and to spiritual happiness, or the happiness of one's own true nature: ''brahmānanda.'' Every action that we do, every thought we think, is only to reduce the unhappiness and to increase the happiness. There is nothing else other than this.
----

== The Creation: A Long Introduction ==
So why am I giving such a long introduction? Because for the next few mantras — almost until the end — the Upaniṣad is trying to tell us about the creation, the description of creation.

But earlier we have seen the creation: how the first person became — Manu and Śatarūpā. The male portion is called Manu, and he divided himself into two and from there, (they) became — the wife Śatarūpā became the cow, and Manu became the bull. So every male species, Manu had transformed himself into; every female species, Śatarūpā had transformed herself into.

Then there is one way of describing how this Brahman is manifesting — as if manifesting—remember, they are not following ''pariṇāma-vāda;'' they are only following the Advaitic view — ''vivarta-vāda.'' As if — as if there is a snake, but really there is no snake.
----

== The Analogy of an Organization ==
So here something interesting has happened. When you create an organization, an organization is only a name. Then there must be a building where your office is located; there will be some employees. And as soon as you think of the organization, the first thing that comes is: what is the goal?

Say, for example, you want to make a profitable business — you want to manufacture something as an example. Then you start an office. What is the first thing ? — you must seek people who have the knowledge, who can really work for you, and of course they will be paid, but they will also be divided into classification: there will be a CEO, there will be a vice president, and there will be different managers — national manager, regional managers, your own office manager, etc. etc. will be there And then you allot the duties according to their intelligence and so on. But the overall purpose is that all of them must coordinate. There should be no break in that coordination — that is why it is called an organization. Every part must work seamlessly to fulfil the overall, general, one purpose.

So for that purpose you divide. And our ancient philosophers have divided them in the the very beginning. Similarly, we see — Socrates also divided all human beings into four categories: the thinkers, the enforcers/the protectors, the suppliers, and the workers — roughly translated: ''brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas,'' and ''śūdras.''
----

== The Origin of the Four Castes ==
So as soon as God as if created this world, and to run this world he requires people — that is the speciality of these few mantras that we are going to discuss now.

So how first the ''brāhmins'' were created, then the ''kṣatriyas'' created, then the ''vaiśyas'' created, then the ''śūdras'' created — that is what want to be conveyed.

But just like the business: a visionary who wants to start a business organization has a vision. In that vision, he has to find out: "These are the people who are the brains; these are the people who enforce the directions given by the brains; this is how work has to continue. And there must be people to supply — office supply, or industrial supply, supply of different machines, engines, maintainers, etc. Then there must be workers who will be cleaning, maintaining, and seeing that the machines are running properly."

What a marvellous vision! Of course, God is all-powerful, all-knowing — so he will have this marvellous vision. So this is the origin of the four castes. That is what the Bhagavad Gītā , the essence of all Upaniṣads — ''"चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः" (first line of Bhagavat Gita verse 4.13) —'' also tells. There also he says: all the castes are created based upon what ''—'' a ''guṇa'' and ''karma.'' There is a deep relationship between ''guṇa'' and ''karma.''

If somebody is a ''sāttvika'' person, he becomes the brain, as it were — the capacity to think, the capacity to separate ''—'' the substance from the non-substance, to separate ''—'' the truth from untruth, the workable from the non-workable, the useful from the useless. But he is a thinker. And he cannot go on running the whole organization. So there must be some ''kṣatriyas'' — these are called law enforcers.

Who puts out the laws? It is the thinkers — the ''brāhmaṇas.'' That's why even today, ''brāhmaṇas'' have given us the ''dharmaśāstras. Dharmaśāstra'' means: "This is ''dharma,'' and it has to be followed in this particular way." So they give quite a good number of varied examples, so that (in) most of the situations we can understand — what to do and what not to do.

So here also the same thing: there must be laws. What is a law? That which ensures the smooth working of any organization — that is called a law. And this whole universe, this whole creation, is nothing but a huge organization. That is why Brahmā is the creator; Viṣṇu is the ''kṣatriya'' — that is why he has got the arms, ''cakra, gadā,'' etc. And there must be others to work. Then there must be somebody to punish and to replace worn-out parts, etc. continuously to renew — and that is called Rudra.

So everything is going on smoothly — this ''brahma-cakra'' is going on smoothly from the very beginning.

So the ''kṣatriyas'' are endowed with tremendous muscle power, will power to enforce these laws. But for any organization to run smoothly, one requires a tremendous amount of suppliers — right from the smallest needle to the highest electronic component. I am just giving an example — I know you know better than me — just how many times we travel in a bicycle, and how many parts this bicycle will have. Even an ordinary person has no idea. And if it is a sophisticated vehicle — I think a 52 or 12 aeroplane, or a stealth bomber — how many millions and millions of parts will be there! And if one part goes wrong, there could be terrible damage — including the pilot also; if he goes wrong, the whole plane will go down.

So we will (should) appreciate: how many times we are travelling by aeroplanes, but we hardly give any thought to it. But how many thousands of people examine it — as soon as the aeroplane lands, and before take-off, hundreds of workers: some to fill the gas or oil, some to examine every part of it. Only then they give the green signal: "Go." Then only is the plane travel-worthy, and they have to certify it.

But all this is done invisibly. Once I visited the Disney in America, and it was all so much fun — everything was tip-top. One has to visit that place to see the organizational power. Everything — just as an example I am giving — somehow when I was gawking at some of the things, travelling in a train from one place to another, one of my shoes had fallen down by the track. But the train will not stop. So I informed the conductor. He said approximately where. And then, within two minutes, before the train stopped, he was there present on the platform and he presented me my own slipper! Such efficiency many organizations have it, and that is why the West is able to progress through cooperation. Whereas in our wretched country, non-cooperation is the rule — that is why, in spite of brains and facilities, our progress is so slow. Only we are big in talking, organizing meetings, and other things. Anyway, coming back.
----

== The Vaiśyas, Śūdras, and the Binding Principle ==
So the ''vaiśyas'' — Brahman himself had become the ''vaiśya.'' And then there must be workers ''—'' right from the cleaning and mopping to keep everything tip-top, to supply tea and coffee, everything — they are called ''śūdras.''

And lest this appear to be a scriptural imagination: out of our experience, you look at any organization — you (will) find these four components are absolutely present there.

And then all this will not go smoothly unless there is a binding principle. And that binding principle has been mentioned in this Upaniṣad as ''satyam'' and ''dharma.'' S,o having created all the four castes, having put into motion a ''saṃsāra'' — or even before Brahmā put this ''saṃsāra'' into action — he created ''satya'' and ''dharma.''

That is why in the eleventh ''anuvāka'' of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Shikshavalli we get: ("''सत्यं वद धर्मं चर"),'' ''satyaṃ vada, dharmaṃ cara.'' What is ''satyam?'' To have a clear idea of what should be done, what needs to be done — that is called ''satyam. Dharma'' is to put it into practice without the least bit of deviation.

If I have no idea what I have to do, naturally I won't be able to do it. And if I have got an idea, but I must also have the strength to do it. And that is how ''satya'' and ''dharma''—both of them go together.

Somebody is truthful but cannot put it into practice. We are all like that. We can give advice — every barber gives advice on how to run the whole universe. But why does he remain a barber? Because he is only a blabberer — he is not really a thinker. So there are some people who know what should be done, but they do not have the practical skill.

So as if ''satyam'' and ''dharma'' are at the opposite poles of this world, this universe — as if they are not coming together. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: first you practise, then you preach. And whatever thoughts came into Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's mind, intuitively he put them into practice. That is why he is an embodiment of ''satyam.''

Swami Vivekānanda — Narendranāth — understood: "He may look strange to me; he may even appear to me abnormal. But I have never met a person, never seen a person, whose thoughts, words, and deeds absolutely tally." And this is Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's own definition of what is ''satyam:'' what a person thinks, what a person speaks, and what a person does — and these three things become absolutely unified. That is called the definition of ''satyam.''
----

== Satyam and Dharma in Practice ==
So Brahmā created ''satyam'' and ''dharma.'' What is ''satyam?'' To have a crystal clear concept of: what, where am I? What should be done? What good does it do? How should it be done? All these fruitful, positive, creative thoughts — that is called ''satyam.'' And to put it into practice in a systematic manner, not a haphazard manner — that is called ''dharma. Dharma'' is practice. ''Satyam'' is the clear idea (of) what should be practised.

So the whole creation now has to be run like a well-oiled machine — with the help of the thinkers, the law enforcers, the suppliers, and the workers — and they must all be united. That is what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says in the Gītā:

("स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः") ''svakarmañā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ —'' even a Sudra is not deprived of ''mokṣa.''

Rasik was the greatest example for devotees of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. There were so many other people — I will not speak of them today — but Rasik prayed for guidance, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa told him: "I will fulfil your desire, but you must fulfil my desire. Every night after your duties are over, you sit in front of your house, create a ''tulasī-mañca,'' and take ''harināma.''"

But then we are also doing ''harināma'' — what is the difference? The difference is: Rasik was, from his toenail to the hair of his head, an embodiment of ''śraddhā.'' There was never a crooked idea in his mind. How do we know? Because such a person is fit to go to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, to become Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. So when Rasik prayed: "Lord, I don't know — I am an ignorant person. But out of your infinite grace, you take me where you want to take me," And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa told him: "This is what you need to do. But if you do (that), I will come at the end and I will take you with me."

Where do you think Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa takes any of his devotees? He only takes (them to) — what does it mean in a common language — it means Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives them, removes their ignorance — that there is no "I" and "you," we are both one and the same—" तत् त्वम् असि" (Tat Tvam Asi) and "अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (Aham Brahmasmi). That is the final ''mokṣa.''
----

== The Final Warning: The Goal of Life ==
So this creation of the four castes, ''satya'' and ''dharma,'' is the very essence of the future classes. I am giving you an introduction.

And then the Upaniṣad also warns — as a final warning: he who gives up this body without reaching his own world — ''svam lokam'' — that means, without knowing "I am Brahman" — if anybody lives ,then, he will have to be reborn again and again, until he understands that "my ''loka'' is ''ātma-loka'' — I am Brahman."

These are the three important points: the creation of the caste; the creation of ''satya'' and ''dharma;'' and a warning that the goal of life is to manifest this divinity and know that "I am free." That is what Swami Vivekānanda has done. We will talk about it in our next classes.
----

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum ।''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh ॥''

May Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.4 Lecture 24 on 12 April 2026

2026-07-05T00:39:31Z

Sachidanand: inserted devanagari script mantras with translations and corrected texts to match the audio

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE , PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE, OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH.

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
----

== Recap: The Self Enters All Bodies ==
We are studying the fourth section of the first chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. The important point we discussed in our last class was that, having created, the Self, entered everything — all bodies up to the very tips of the nails. And the Upaniṣad gives a small analogy: like a razor which is kept in a most fitting case. That is to convey to us that there are no two things called the case and the razor. It means everything is Brahman.

Then what happened? He realized. What did he realize? — He is all. He is everything. So he said, "Having created, I realized that I am everything." If we understand that statement, it means all of us are Brahman only. Anything that is made up of clay cannot be anything other than clay. Anything that is made up of gold cannot be anything other than gold.
----

== The Danger of Seeing God as Separate: Becoming "Like an Animal to the Gods" ==
That is why the Upaniṣhad warns us that: if anyone, because of the course of ''avidyā'' or ''māyā'', looks upon God as different from oneself — as a deity to be worshipped externally — one becomes like an animal to the gods. That is, one becomes a servant to his own ignorance. This is beautifully explained later on.

But what it means here, in a sense that: God means what? First condition — anybody who is separate from us, and anybody about whom we think he is superior us — in strength, in beauty, in power, in position, in possessions — so what do we become? We start to depend upon them. A baby depends upon the mother. A poor man depends upon the society. A weak person depends upon the stronger person, etc. etc.

So, here God means what? — he who can help, he is a god — whether it be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a professor, or a musician, anybody. That is what we are doing. And here the Upaniṣad gives that the Gods do not wish us to become free. Just as if a man had possessed a thousand cows like Yājñavalkya, and if one of the cows is missing, he goes after that missing cow — he cannot take rest until that cow is found, because he doesn't want to lose the service of even one cow.
----

== Born Slaves: Dependence and the Five Kośas ==
So in this world, we are dependent upon everything. We are born slaves. That is why it is said our body itself is made up of food. We are born of food, we are sustained by food, and we are food, and we go back to food. And we can apply the same thing to all the five kośas. Every kośa is dependent upon every other kośa. This is a point we have to note down.

We think that the ''Ānandamaya kośa'', being the superior-most kośa, is not dependent —No! Suppose there is a person — he is weak, he cannot move; but he has a desire: 'I want to eat a lozenge, or a biscuit, or anything for that matter', but he can't move—so he has to call somebody and say, "Would you kindly give it to me?"

That is why, especially in the West — but the same disease is spreading all over the world, including India — people feel embarrassed to be served by their own grandchildren or children in old age. They think it is hurting their egotism: "I am dependent upon you." Any dependence — a foreign government rules, we are dependents. So any dependence is slavery. And the people upon whom we depend, those are called Gods. And these gods do not want to lose anybody. That is what this Upaniṣad wants to point out. One becomes like an animal to the gods — meaning one becomes a servant because of his own ignorance.
----

== Slavery to the Non-Self: Living and Non-Living ==
What is this ignorance? I am considering myself as separate from the other one. Not only slavery to living beings — we also have to consider, how many non-living things we have become slavish to—a good house, we are slaves to cars; even more slavish to our mobile phones; slavish to everything— living and non-living.

And that is why the Upaniṣad tells us: slavishness is ''Anātma''. Depending upon ''Anātma''. Seeing anything other than me as something different from me — and not only different, but (that) I am dependent upon it, considering the other object as superior to me, and I cannot survive, I cannot obtain anything, I cannot be a happy person — that slavish mentality leads (to) the real suffering (which) is to feel that — 'I am bound'!

But the Upaniṣad tells that there is nothing separate. The living, the non-living — "सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म" (Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma; all this is verily Brahman)— this is the very core of Advaita: 'Non-Duality'.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya: The Difference Between Individual and Brahman Is Ignorance Alone ==
So Śaṅkarācārya emphasizes that the difference between the individual and Brahman doesn't really exist. It is caused only by ignorance — by my ignorance, thinking that I am separate from Brahman. The moment I realize— "I am Brahman, I am the all," all fear and all limitation vanish. Remember, earlier we have discussed: 'the fear comes from the second'— "द्द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति" (dvitīyādvai bhayaṁ bhavati). And this is expressed in the fifth mantra of this fourth section.
----

== Creation as Projection, Not Production ==
"सोऽवेत्, अहं वाव सृष्टिरस्मि, अहं हीदं सर्वमसृक्षीति" (so’vet, ahaṃ vāva sṛṣṭirasmi, ahaṃ hīdaṃ sarvamasṛkṣīti) — so, after this vast projection —actually, this word '''projection'' 'is a very important word. The moment we hear "creation," like a potter creating a pot, our whole understanding becomes awry. But the moment we realize it is a ''projection'' — a cinema, film machine is projecting light and making it pass through a film, and what we are experiencing is nothing but the manifest projection of the light — everything is light.

How do we know? — Because you just stop the film moving machine, and only pure light will be there. That is why, before the cinema starts, —there is a pure white screen. After the cinema ends, — pure white screen. Without that screen, no projection will become visible, experienceable. What is that screen? — That is compared to our —'pure mind'. And what is that, reveals that screen? — 'Pure consciousness'.

So this is the fifth mantra — "ततः सृष्टिरभवत्; सृष्ट्यां हास्यैतस्याम् भवति " (tataḥ sṛṣṭirabhavat; sṛṣṭyāṃ hāsyaitasyām bhavati ya evaṃ veda). [extract of 5th mantra, 1.4.5]

And anybody, after studying this Upaniṣad, after getting this instruction, this valuable teaching; and he first hears it with faith, then he ponders over it , that is called Upāsanā, and he realizes it. Like Brahman realized, "I am everything." When we realize "I am everything," there would be no difference between Brahman and me. So anyone — not only Brahman, any person he, — "य एवं वेद" ॥ (''ya evaṃ veda)'', he understands, "I am Brahman, because I am a projection of Brahman. A projection of Brahman is non-separate from Brahman." He remains with that self-knowledge.
----

== The Seventh Mantra: From the Un-manifest to the Manifest ==
And then, in the sixth mantra, we get something about creation , that is why I did not give importance to that. So we will move to the seventh mantra (1.4.7), where it is said: first of all, this creation remained un-manifest. That is called "अव्याकृत" (''avyākṛta)''. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa calls it ''avyakta:''

"अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत।

अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना"।।2.28 ॥ (Bhagavat Gita)

(avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyakta-madhyāni bhārata

avyakta-nidhanānyeva tatra kā paridevanā।।2.28 ॥)

—What is birth? The un-manifest becoming manifest. And what is death? The manifest going back into its source,cause. That is called death.

— "Why are you so much grieving about this fact? There is no death. Bhīṣma is not going to die. Droṇa is not going to die. And you are not going to die. Not only that, Duryodhana is not going to die. You have taken a vow: 'I am going to kill Duryodhana and all his ninety-nine brothers.' No — that is not going to happen. You are going to kill only the outer layers, the dresses."
----

== The Kośas as Coverings: Why Even Ānandamaya Kośa Is a Cover ==
Every kośa is a dress. However fine it is, it covers, it doesn't reveal what we really are. That which covers our real nature is called a kośa. Even the ''Ānandamaya kośa'' is a cover. Why is it called a cover? First of all, it is experienceable. Anything experienceable — there is a division between the experiencer and the experienced, the subject and the object.

So if I am deriving ''ānanda'' from the reflection of that ''Brahmānanda'' in my own purified mind, I am only looking at the reflection in the mirror of ''Brahmānanda''. I have to break that mirror. Then the distinction between, the separation between — ''jīva'' and ''paramātma'', vanishes. Until that time, the mirror may be the cleanest mirror and it may show me as experiencing ''ānanda'' — but since it is a kośa, a kośa being like a scabbard, like a case which houses the treasure, we will have to overcome that, destroy that. Destroying means knowing that it is only my ignorance which is appearing as the ''pañca kośas''. There are no real, concrete ''pañca kośas''.

So this is supporting the Bhagavad Gītā's view— birth, or ''sṛṣṭi'', creation, is nothing but the un-manifest becoming manifest.
----

== Transaction Requires Manifestation: Nāma and Rūpa ==
What is the problem? The un-manifest is non-transactional. You cannot — like butter, it is un-manifest in the milk, but you cannot put it on your piece of bread toast and enjoy it— you will have to separate it. Similarly, this kośa separates us from Bhagavān. So everything is un-manifest.

For transactional purpose this, what remains invisible and non-transaction-able— if it has to become transaction-able, it has to become manifest. So then, from this un-manifest world, this manifest world has come. That is what the seventh mantra wants to explain:

"तद्धेदं तर्ह्यव्याकृतमासीत्त" (taddhedaṁ tarhyavyākṛtamāsīt) [extract of 5th mantra, 1.4.5]—This universe, before creation, remained undifferentiated.

"तन्नामरूपाभ्यामेव व्याक्रियत" (tannāmarūpābhyāmeva vyākriyatā)[extract of 5th mantra, 1.4.5]—Then it became differentiated into form and name. And therefore it was called as such —such and such. "This is a mango tree." So that mango tree is a form, and the word "mango tree" is a name. The name and the named — there is no difference. God and his name, there is no difference. But the difference is: the 'named' — we will be / we-are thinking - it is an object, and the name is 'the way to think' about that object. The 'name' is a 'thought'; the 'named' is an 'object'. This beautiful psychological trick is called by kalidasa

----

== Kālidāsa's Prayer: The Inseparability of Vāk and Artha ==
This beautiful psychological trick (insight) is captured by Kālidāsa—before he commenced writing the Raghuvaṃśa [verse 1, 2] , he prays to Śiva and Pārvatī:

— "वागर्थाविव सम्पृक्तौ" ,''Vāgarthāv iva saṃpṛktau [extract of Raghuvaṃśa verse 1, 2] . Vāk'' means speech — speech means name. ''Artha'' means the object — the named. Just as an object and its name are inseparable, so Pārvatī and Parameśvara , they are the mother and father of this entire universe. They are also inseparable. In other words, Brahman and Śakti are indifferent — you cannot separate them. You can think (of) them as separate, in concept they can be separated, but in reality you cannot separate them.

— "So I am going to write this beautiful poem called Raghuvaṃśa. Therefore, O mother and father — you are the creator and creatrix of this entire universe, and you are inseparable — this world also is inseparable, the object and its name are inseparable. So for the sake of beautiful poetry, the appropriate words should come from the depths of my mind, come to me in the form of thoughts, and I will put those thoughts as my written poem, the Raghuvaṃśa."
----

== The World as Name, Form, and Purpose ==
So in the beginning, ''avyākṛta'' means name and form are not there. But now they have become manifest— visible, experienceable, transactional. And therefore, how are they transactional? For example, you look at any object — you see ''nāma'' and ''rūpa'', that is all you see. You see the form and you give it a name to separate it from other objects. And then only, after having the knowledge: "this is such and such an object," do we start thinking: "How does it serve my purpose?"

If there are two glasses, and in rich people's houses certain glasses are separated and hung upside down — they are created like that, so called wine glasses — while if somebody wants to drink water, there will be an ordinary glass. They don't keep them upside down hanging. So because they drink from the hanging glasses, in course of time, they also become hanged.

So this world was un-manifest and not transaction-able. And without transaction, we cannot survive. Therefore, everything that is created, is divided into — ''nāma'' and ''rūpa''., and we have to add a purpose. So this is how creation means — only name and form.

I am just reminding you: the great scholar Vidyāraṇya said, 'What is Brahman?' — Brahman is nothing but ''Sat, Cit'' and ''Ānanda''. 'What is the world?-— ''Sat, Cit, Ānanda'' plus 'form' plus 'name'. 'What is Brahman?'— ''Prapañca'' , ''Sat, Cit, Ānanda'' minus form, minus name is called Brahman." — There is no difference.
----

== Praveśa Śruti: The Self Enters Completely ==
And then we enter into another beautiful portion of this, in the fourth section. This is called ''praveśa śruti'' — the scripture of entry. Having created, what did Saguṇa Brahma, or Īśvara, do? He entered. How much did he enter? —Completely. He is the hair of the hair. He is the nail of the nail. He is the toe of the toe. He is the back of the back. He is the hand of the hand. He is the leg of the leg. He is the eye of the eye. He is the ear of the ear, etc.

Then what is the difference? —Actually there is no difference. It is only because we are ignorant, we're thinking—the hand is different, the leg is different, and that they are not Brahman — that they are ''anātma''.

But what is the purpose of the Upaniṣad?

[extract of 7th mantra, 1.4.7]:

—"स एष इह प्रविष्टः" , ''Saḥ'' eṣa iha praviṣṭaḥ| —''<nowiki/>'Saḥ'<nowiki/>'' means that creator. '<nowiki/>''Eṣa''' means that which is in front of me. 'iha praviṣṭaḥ' : He entered .

— "आनखाग्रेभ्यो", ānakhāgrebhyo — up to the very tips of the fingernails

— Like a sword that is kept in a scabbard : "यथा क्षुरः क्षुरधानेऽवहितः",yathā kṣuraḥ kṣuradhāne'vahitaḥ,

—"स्याद्विश्वम्भरो वा विश्वम्भरकुलाये तं न पश्यन्ति अकृत्स्नो ।", syādviśvambharo vā viśvambharakulāye taṁ na paśyanti akṛtsno | — "The Self has entered into these bodies up to the tips of the nails, as a razor may be put in its case, or as a fire which sustains the world ,may be in its source— which is wood". When there is dry wood, we do not see the fire there. But that kind of seeing — "this is wood, that is fire; this is a hand, this is not a leg" — this knowledge springs from ignorance. So it is '''''avidyā'''''.
----

== The Upaniṣad's Practical Message: Turn Inward ==
So what does it mean? Why is this Upaniṣad telling us this? The Upaniṣad wants to convey: to us "All right, sir, you have been told about Brahman, how he created this world. And the goal of life is that you have to claim that : 'I am none other than Brahman,' because Brahman alone is manifesting, or projecting himself as this world. What is this world? Nothing but names and forms. But if you forget the names and forms, the substance is nothing but Brahman. Okay — now we are suffering because of the limitations. And the limitation is caused by ignorance. What is ignorance? Focusing on the forms and names but not on the substance. And this ''nāmarūpa'' is called ''anātma'', non-self."

So to help us, the Upaniṣad is telling us now: "Forget about ''nāmarūpa''. Focus upon Brahman. And where is this Brahman to be focused upon? In the ''sanctum sanctorum''. Where is this ''sanctum sanctorum''? — that is there within."

In order to teach us that lesson, then this '''''anupraveśa''''' — entering into the creation , means: you look inside yourself. And how do you look inside yourself? — Because you have to consciously direct your attention, which is now looking outward, must be made to turn. And that turning — whether from outside to inside or inside to outside — can take place only, by the aid of consciousness. And that consciousness is to be realized as Brahman.
----

== The Witnessing Consciousness: Sākṣī ==
But we cannot, simply by hearing "your consciousness, and as consciousness you are Brahman," (absorb it) — it will enter through one ear and go out through the other. That means Brahman is available for contemplation in the mind as the witness consciousness, ''sākṣī''. I dealt on this subject for quite (a) long time.

We have two eyes — not "eye," but the capital-letter "I." One is the participating I. — "I am sitting, I am looking, I am hearing, I am talking, I am eating," and so on. The other is witnessing. — Witnessing: "I was in the waking state. I was in the dream state. Then I entered and enjoyed uninterrupted rested for quite some time. And again I entered into the waking state. — I was the waker, I was the dreamer, I was the sleeper." Waker is different from dreamer. Dreamer is separate from sleeper. Sleeper is separate from waker. But those states are different. But I — like a person who enters into room A, leaves it, enters into room 2, leaves it, enters into room 3, leaves it, and enters into room 1 again — why room 1 only? Can I not enter room 4? Yes, that is called the '''''Turīya''''' state.— There is no room number 5. There is no room for room number 5.

So that fourth is not a fourth state. It is the only state which is manifesting as— state number 1 (waking), state number 2 (dreaming), state number 3 (deep rest). So Śaṅkarācārya says '''''anupraveśa''''' means — Brahman is available in the mind as the witness consciousness, S'''''ākṣī'''''.
----

== What Is Spiritual Life? Shifting from the Participating I to the Witnessing I ==
Now, what is spiritual life? — To shift the attention, to shift our identity, from the participating I to the witnessing I. There was a beautiful story. Let us remember this one.

Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa — either he heard it and repeated it, or he created it (he had a very creative mind, remember). So there was a Yogī, and there was actually another Yogī who thought that he was superior because he had obtained some special powers. So one day he came and wanted to exhibit his powers in front of the first Yogī.

"Do you know my powers?" "No." "What powers do you have?"

Just at that time an elephant was passing by. So the second Yogī looked and said, "May you die." Immediately the elephant fell down dead, and he looked at the first Yogī. There was no discernible expression on the face of the first Yogī.

Then the second Yogī looked at the elephant and said, "Now come out (back) alive." Immediately the elephant came back alive. And now the second Yogī was looking for an appreciation: "Oh, what a marvellous power you have!"

But the first Yogī was a true Yogī. He said, "What had happened? The elephant was passing. It was dead. It came back alive." And then he said, "What did you gain by that? Did you know the ultimate truth?" Supposedly the second Yogī learnt his lesson.
----

== Two Stories: The Futility of Mere Powers ==
So there is a story of two brothers. Perhaps you will remember — I am not going to repeat it. So they met after a long time, and the younger one wanted to show what he had achieved after twelve years of hard ''tapasyā''. So he walked on water, whereas the elder brother had to take a boat. "Did you see my power?" The elder brother (said), "What power? What? You have wasted twelve years of your time, which I could accomplish by just paying half an anna to the boatman."

So Śaṅkara says that we will have to become one with that '''''sākṣī'''''. What is '''''sākṣī'''''? Just witness. Somebody came and abused me — okay, I am witnessing. Somebody came and honoured me — okay, I am witnessing. What happened to me? Nothing happened. No change has taken place in me. That is a very difficult state, but that is a wonderful state.
----

== A Humorous Incident from the Life of Ramaṇa Maharṣi ==
Anyway, I just remember now, a funny incident that happened in the life of Ramaṇa Maharṣi. So Ramaṇa Maharṣi became very popular, especially after some Westerners recognized him and started coming. How much they understood, God alone knows. But some of them were highly devoted to him, and it is because of them that Ramaṇa Maharṣi's name became well known actually. They have written books also about him. Some of them were very genuine spiritual aspirants.

So what happened? Some fake sannyāsīns they came to know that Ramaṇa Maharṣi did not have a Guru. So one day one of those fake fellows, along with some of his followers, somehow these people gathered some good followers among them— the more fake it is, the more followers will be there — so he came and boldly declared in front of Ramaṇa Maharṣi: "Yesterday night, Lord Śiva appeared to me in a dream and commanded me to initiate you, because without a Guru, you cannot really obtain anything."

It was Ramaṇa Maharṣi's habit to just keep quiet. But one of the very intelligent followers of Ramaṇa Maharṣi — by the way, Ramaṇa Maharṣi did not physically initiate anybody as a disciple. Only he talked with them, that is all — and some of them took that as what is called initiation — '''''dīkṣā'''''. Now one of them was very intelligent, he said, "Yes, it is true that I also came to know that Śiva appeared in your dream and asked you to come to Ramaṇa Maharṣi and then initiate him. But I also had the same dream. But, one second after he commanded you and you departed, Śiva looked at me and said: 'I think I committed a mistake. These people , yoummust go to them and when they appear, you must take a big stick and beat them.' So just as you obeyed Śiva's commandment, I am also going to obey." So nearby there was a stick — maybe Ramaṇa Maharṣi's own stick, I don't know. So, he started — and seeing he was a hefty fellow — that fake guru and his disciples took to their heels.
----

== The Participating I Versus the Witnessing I: Ravana's Birth and Death ==
So why am I telling this story? If we identify ourselves with the participating I, we go up and down. We become very happy. We become very sad. We become victims of terrible emotional turmoil. But if we identify with the '''''sākṣī''''' — yes, I was born, yes, I was there. For that also, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's beautiful story is there. Once Śiva and Pārvatī were sitting on the Mount Kailāsa. Suddenly they heard a little, loud sound — ''dhum!!!'' — like that. And it is said, Pārvatī was startled and said, "Lord, what is that sound?"— "Rāvaṇa was born." And a few 1 or 2 seconds later, another similar sound was heard. "Lord, what is the second sound?" —"Rāvaṇa is dead."

Rāvaṇa is born. Rāvaṇa is dead. I am born. I am also going to die. What did I gain in the meanwhile? And that thinking is more useful to us than "I did this, I did that, I could have done that but I did not, I am going to do that." All these are useless thoughts.

Therefore, the '''''jīvātma''''' and '''''paramātma''''' are identical. But you have to turn your attention inward. — First identify with the '''''sākṣī jīva'''''. That is called moral life. That is called making the mind absolutely still.

That is called '''''citta vṛtti nirodhah.''''' ("योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥ —Yoga Sutra I.2) '''.''' And thereafter, one abides in one's own nature. So that is what is called the benefit.
----

== How to Become the Sākṣī: The Purpose of Spiritual Practice ==
How to become '''''sākṣī'''''? All our spiritual practices are for that purpose. And the Upaniṣad continues:

[extract of 7th mantra, 1.4.7]:

—"स योऽत एकैकमुपास्ते न स वेदाकृत्स्नो ह्येषोऽत एकैकेन भवति |", (sa yo'ta ekaikamupāste na sa vedākṛtsno hyeṣo'ta ekaikena bhavati )— if we do not realise that everything is Brahman, then we remain in deep ignorance.

—"आत्त्मेत्येवोपासीतात्र ह्येते सर्व एकं भवन्ति।" , (ātmetyevopāsītātra hyete sarva ekaṁ bhavanti) — The moment we turn our attention inside, then everything becomes one, because there is no second.

(extract from Chāndogya Upanisad 6.2.1) :

—"एकम् एव अद्वितीयम्" , (ekam evā advitīyam) —(In) Chāndogya Upanisad we have seen: 'you cannot distract, you cannot divide, you cannot subtract, you cannot multiply. Anything you can do, anything you do, infinite remains infinite only.

That is the ''śānti pāṭha'' also we have seen—"पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते" (PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE), —only the infinite remains, even though this universe has come. Come where? Where from does it come? Where does it stand? Infinite cannot change. That which is changeless— is called infinite.

So, therefore, a commandment is given here:

"तदेतत्पदनीयमस्य सर्वस्य यदयमात्माऽनेन ह्येतत्सर्वं वेद। यथा ह वै पदेनानुविन्देदेवं कीर्ति श्लोकं विन्दते य एवं वेद॥" (tadetatpadanīyamasya sarvasya yadayamātmā'nena hyetatsarvaṁ veda| yathā ha vai padenānuvindedevaṁ kīrti ślokaṁ vindate ya evaṁ veda)

[last line extract of 7th mantra, 1.4.7]— So, one who knows this will become one with Ātman. Everything is looked upon as a manifestation of one's own self.

And this, according to Śaṅkara, is the essence of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

—Atma iti (Eva) upasita, ('Meditate on the atman alone,')

And here a beautiful definition is given. What is Ātmā?

— "सर्वम् आप्नोति इति आत्मा" (''Sarvaṃ āpnoti iti Ātmā)'' — one definition of Ātmā is —that which obtains everything, that which obtains infinity. That is called Ātmā. Therefore, ''Ātma iti upāsīta''. With that, the seventh mantra is over.
----

== The Eighth Mantra: The Source of Ānanda — Why the Self Is Dearest ==
Now we are going to enter into the eighth mantra. This is also one of the most marvellous analyses of what is called the source of '''''ānanda'''''. And the mantra goes like this:

[extract of 7th mantra, 1.4.8]:

—"तदेतत्प्रेयः पुत्रात्‌ प्रेयो वित्तात्प्रेयोऽन्यस्मात्सर्वस्मादन्तरतरं यदयमात्मा।" (tadetatpreyaḥ putrāt preyo vittātpreyo'nyasmātsarvasmādantarataraṁ yadayamātmā|)— "This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else, because it is the innermost.

— "स योऽन्यमात्मनः प्रियं ब्रुवाणं ब्रूयात् प्रिय रोत्स्यतीतीश्वरो ह तथैव स्याद" (sa yo'nyamātmanaḥ priyaṁ bruvāṇaṁ brūyāt priya rotsyatītīśvaro ha tathaiva syād)— If one holds the Self as the most dearest object to one's own self" — if he has to look at another person who thinks the non-self is most dear,

and addressing that second person, if this ''Ātmajñānī'', the knower of Ātman, speaks of him that, "What you hold dear is going to be destroyed; and रोत्स्यती (rotshyati) - you are going to weep because of that" — and it will come to pass, ''tathā evāsya''. It is going to happen like that.

In short, what it means is: ''anātma'' — anything non-self, anything finite, anything other than God — it is not going to survive, because only Ātman is there. So, it is not that there is something other than Ātman. But people think that God is sitting somewhere. Even if they happen to believe in God, He is sitting somewhere — He is the creator, He is all-powerful, He is all-knowing, He is all-compassionate, and He can do whatever He likes. "But I am not He. He is separate." If anybody thinks like that, then that notion itself — that is called ignorance — that notion itself will be destroyed, maybe after a thousand births, because ''avidyā'' is going to be destroyed by ''vidyā''. But ''vidyā'' is never ever going to be destroyed. Whatever is destructible is going to be destroyed. Whatever is non-destructible is ever going to remain exactly in the same way.

स य आत्मानमेव प्रियमुपास्ते न हास्य प्रियं प्रमायुकं भवति'''॥1.4.8॥"''' (sa ya ātmānameva priyamupāste na hāsya priyaṁ pramāyukaṁ bhavati||)
----

== Meditate Upon the Self Alone as Dear ==
Having said this, the Upaniṣad says:

—"त्मानमेव प्रियमुपासीत" " (ātmānameva priyamupāsīta) — One should meditate upon the Self alone as dear."

And then it concludes: what is the result? What does a person get?

—स य आत्मानमेव प्रियमुपास्ते न हास्य प्रियं प्रमायुकं भवति'''॥1.4.8॥"''' (sa ya ātmānameva priyamupāste na hāsya priyaṁ pramāyukaṁ bhavati||)

"He who meditates upon the Self alone as dear — what he holds dear will not perish." And what is this person holding dear? —''Ātmānam'' — one's own Self. And one's own Self is something that will never perish.

That is to say: slowly develop love for Ātman, and slowly develop — through discrimination, proper discrimination — that everything is temporary. Whatever is temporary is called non-Self. Whatever is limited, whatever is bound— by time, space and causation — is very temporary and it is going to be there, and every second we are experiencing it — my body, which I loved so dearly, it was not what it was before I started this sentence. And by the time I utter the next sentence, even the present will be past and the future will become the present. It is continuously moving at mind-boggling speed.

So this is a verse and Śaṅkarācārya quotes this verse very often —"What is the essence of this mantra?" That Ātman — one's own Self — is dearer than everything else. Here Ātmā means Paramātmā.

Because if I say Paramātmā is separate from my Ātmā — then I become ''jīvātmā''. And ''jīvātmā'' is a product of ignorance. It is limited by the very word ''jīvātmā —t''here is birth, there is growth, there is change, there is death — what is called the six s''aḍ vikāras—'' ''asti, jāyate, vardhate, vipariṇamate, apakṣīyate'', etc. (षड् भावाविकारा : जायते अस्ति विपरिणमते वर्धते अपक्षीयते विनश्यति इति ।").

So this Ātman is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, and dearer than everything else.
----

== Why Is the Ātman Dearest? The Psychology of Love ==
So, the question that comes is: why is the Ātman dearest, and how is the Ātman dearer than everything else? Beautiful light is thrown by Śaṅkarācārya. This is according to non-dual Vedānta.

Remember: the word Vedānta is used by — Dvaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, and Advaita. Whenever we say Vedānta without mentioning Dvaita or Viśiṣṭādvaita — we have to take it for granted , we are talking about Advaita Vedānta.

There are only two things that every one of us loves equally. There are only two things, what are they?— "I love happiness." When I say "I love," I don't love ''duḥkha''. I don't love anything that makes me suffer. I only love happiness. And whatever gives me happiness — that object, that instrument — is the, I love it because— not because of that object, because it becomes an instrument for me to experience happiness.

So what is our goal? Happiness is the goal — unbroken, eternal, infinite happiness.

And if I have to experience happiness, let us never forget: first of all, I should not encounter death. There should be no broken existence. So unbroken, infinite existence — called ''Sat, Asti'' — that is must be there. If I want to be happy, I have to be alive. Not only that, I have to be aware — that I am alive and that I am very happy. That is why we cannot separate — ''Sat, Cit'', and ''Ānanda''.
----

== The Object Is Only a Means; Happiness Alone Is the Goal ==
So with regard to this, there are certain points. So, why do we run after any object? We desire an object., we run after an object if we think, whether it gives happiness or not that is a separate issue — but because we think, it gives us happiness. That means the object is not our goal; it is only 'the means'. What is the objective?— Happiness alone is the only objective. That is the first point.

What is the second point? — Of these two, happiness and the object of happiness , which is primary? Happiness alone is the primary. And why? Because, once we squeeze all the juice from the sugarcane, are you going to love that sugarcane from which all ''rasa'' is completely squeezed out? No, not at all. And you see, after your stomach is filled, you don't love the food anymore — until you become hungry again. It applies to wife, husband, children, friends, enemies, everything, religion, everything — and including God, we come to that point.

So the question that comes: why do I love happiness? Because that is my very nature. I am happy only '''when I remain as myself.''' This is a principle we have to understand very clearly. I am happy when I forget all the limitations. I go beyond time, space, and causation, and at that time I remain as my own self. '''That remaining as my own self is called happiness.'''

Now the secondary thing is: I love the means of happiness only because it helps me to unveil the happiness which is really coming from within myself. The moment any object stops giving happiness, my love for it also disappears. And it may even turn into hatred.
----

== The Law of Diminishing Happiness: The Example of Three Cups of Coffee ==
One of our senior Swamis used to give a beautiful example. Suppose you go to a friend's house late afternoon. First thing he offers is a good cup of coffee or tea, whatever it may be. And you are very happy and longing for it, so you enjoy it. And then, seeing your happiness, suppose he offers a second cup of coffee. You may reluctantly accept it and drink it — but you notice it doesn't give the same amount of happiness, because only the first sip, first cup will fulfil your desires. And if the friend forces you with a third cup, you are ready practically to beat him up. You get so much annoyed with him.

So there is something called ''alam'' — sufficient. "I cannot bear more than this one." That is the nature of every object. Once I squeeze happiness through an object, I no longer need that object. I no longer love that object. I even hate that object. That object becomes a means of hatred for me.

'''So the desire for happiness is unconditional.''' But the desire for the instrument or object of happiness is only conditional. What is that condition? So long as it gives me happiness, I love it. The moment it ceases to give happiness, I will not love it anymore.
----

== Ātman Alone Is Happiness; Anātma Is Unhappiness ==
Then the third point we have to learn that: '''Ātman alone is happiness, and ''anātma'' is unhappiness.''' Why is ''anātma'' unhappiness? Because everyone truly loves only the Ātman. Every love we have is only genuine love for the Ātman. But children, possessions, house — all such things belong to the realm of '''''anātma''''' only. We love them only because they give us happiness. The moment — whether it is husband or wife or children or friends, anybody — stop giving me happiness, that is, start giving me unhappiness, I hate them. I want to run away from them as much as possible.

So it is a conditional love. What is the condition? So long as I get happiness, so long only I love. Any object — take for example your phone. So long as the phone is working properly, then I am happy. The moment it starts delaying even for a second, or going back, or shuts itself off, powers itself off, or restarts— then I go for the next phone. In fact, it is this principle: maybe the latest iteration of the phone, it gives me more happiness by giving me more freedom, faster — that is what makes us buy new things. But really speaking, it is only an instrument of happiness, if at all. But that which can be the instrument of happiness inevitably can also become the instrument of unhappiness.
----

== Even God Is Subject to This Principle ==
So it applies to God also. If we are devotees of God and if God doesn't fulfil our desires — how long are you going to stand by that God? In fact, we don't love God even when we are meditating, sitting so-called, you label yourself as a devotee. The moment you spend some time and God becomes an object of boredom — you don't get any happiness from Him — then you excuse yourself, get up, and do anything except thinking about God. And if God doesn't save you when you are expecting him to save you, he doesn't fulfil your desires, many people become disbelievers, non-believers, because they think, "This God is a useless God, not a useful God."

That means our love for God is a mistaken love. We consider God as the biggest object, for our happiness, helping our happiness. But when we understand it is not going to happen, then we discard God. That is how we have not yet developed.
----

== True Love: Loving God Without Condition ==
Then what is the true love?— "O God, I love you because I am happy just by loving you. I don't want anything from you. If I want anything from you, you become an instrument, you become an object — I don't want that one."

Then the question comes — a very important question. The Upaniṣad itself says: a ''jñānī'' identifies himself with everybody, loves everybody equally, is unselfish towards everybody, sacrifices everything for everybody.

How come? — Because here he says the ''jñānī''<nowiki/>'s love is not as an individual, not as an object — every object is a subject to a ''jñānī''. That is called, in plain language: "I see God in you." Love thy neighbour as thyself. Love God as yourself — beautiful words full of meaning.

So the ''jñānī''<nowiki/>'s love is what is called selfish love. Why do we call it selfish love? Because he thinks everything is my own self. That selfishness is a different selfishness than thinking that, "I am this individual and everything should cater to my own happiness." That is why the ''jñānī''<nowiki/>'s love is universal love. And there is a beautiful Sanskrit name for that: '''''Sarvātma bhāvanā''''' — "I am everything. I became everything. I am everything." '''''Sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ Brahma (सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म).'''''
----

== The Nearest Object Is the Self: The Psychology of Love Concluded ==
Then another point is also raised — these are all hints we get from the great Śaṅkarācārya. Why do I love anything at all? Because I love whatever is nearer and intimate to me. And what is the nearest object to me? Only the Ātman. Children are separate — they are born at some time and they go at some time, or I may go. But I am close to them only so long as I think that —they are mine.

Why does a mother love her children? Only because she thinks, "This is me — I in the form of my children." She doesn't love the neighbour's children. She doesn't love anybody else's children. If some danger comes, she will rush to save only her children — not because of her love for her children, but because of her knowledge that —"I am my children."

And a ''jñānī'' extends this to the whole universe, living and non-living. Whereas a mother can only extend it at best only to herself. But it is also said: a monkey carrying its young one, if it has to walk on glowing hot charcoal, will put its child on its body and walk on it. Everything is like that. There is a great lot of truth in it.

So Ātman is the nearest to us. And therefore, that which is nearest means what: not separate from me, but me only. That is why we love our Ātman. And the nature of our Ātman is '''''Ānanda'''''. And this love is equivalent to ''Ānanda''. When I identify with myself, I feel extremely happy, and vice versa.

Therefore, this is called the psychology of love. The Ātman is dearer than anything. That anything and everything is called ''anātma''.

Beautiful points are still there. We will talk about them in our next class.
----

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुरुम्।

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.4 Lecture 24 on 12 April 2026

2026-07-04T02:18:55Z

Sachidanand: /* Opening Invocation */ inserted sanskrit verses, missing texts and corrected some before editing stopped after 7th mantra. Will try re-login and see if it allows editing...saving whatever achieved

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुरुम्

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु

Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum

pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
----

== Recap: The Self Enters All Bodies ==
We are studying the fourth section of the first chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. The important point we discussed in our last class was that, having created, the Self, entered everything — all bodies up to the very tips of the nails. And the Upaniṣad gives a small analogy: like a razor which is kept in a most fitting case. That is to convey to us that there are no two things called the case and the razor. It means everything is Brahman.

Then what happened? He realized. What did he realize? — He is all. He is everything. So he said, "Having created, I realized that I am everything." If we understand that statement, it means all of us are Brahman only. Anything that is made up of clay cannot be anything other than clay. Anything that is made up of gold cannot be anything other than gold.
----

== The Danger of Seeing God as Separate: Becoming "Like an Animal to the Gods" ==
That is why the Upaniṣhad warns us that: if anyone, because of the course of ''avidyā'' or ''māyā'', looks upon God as different from oneself — as a deity to be worshipped externally — one becomes like an animal to the gods. That is, one becomes a servant to his own ignorance. This is beautifully explained later on.

But what it means here, in a sense that: God means what? First condition — anybody who is separate from us, and anybody about whom we think he is superior us — in strength, in beauty, in power, in position, in possessions — so what do we become? We start to depend upon them. A baby depends upon the mother. A poor man depends upon the society. A weak person depends upon the stronger person, etc. etc.

So, here God means what? — he who can help, he is a god — whether it be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a professor, or a musician, anybody. That is what we are doing. And here the Upaniṣad gives that the Gods do not wish us to become free. Just as if a man had possessed a thousand cows like Yājñavalkya, and if one of the cows is missing, he goes after that missing cow — he cannot take rest until that cow is found, because he doesn't want to lose the service of even one cow.
----

== Born Slaves: Dependence and the Five Kośas ==
So in this world, we are dependent upon everything. We are born slaves. That is why it is said our body itself is made up of food. We are born of food, we are sustained by food, and we are food, and we go back to food. And we can apply the same thing to all the five kośas. Every kośa is dependent upon every other kośa. This is a point we have to note down.

We think that the ''Ānandamaya kośa'', being the superior-most kośa, is not dependent —No! Suppose there is a person — he is weak, he cannot move; but he has a desire: 'I want to eat a lozenge, or a biscuit, or anything for that matter', but he can't move—so he has to call somebody and say, "Would you kindly give it to me?"

That is why, especially in the West — but the same disease is spreading all over the world, including India — people feel embarrassed to be served by their own grandchildren or children in old age. They think it is hurting their egotism: "I am dependent upon you." Any dependence — a foreign government rules, we are dependents. So any dependence is slavery. And the people upon whom we depend, those are called Gods. And these gods do not want to lose anybody. That is what this Upaniṣad wants to point out. One becomes like an animal to the gods — meaning one becomes a servant because of his own ignorance.
----

== Slavery to the Non-Self: Living and Non-Living ==
What is this ignorance? I am considering myself as separate from the other one. Not only slavery to living beings — we also have to consider, how many non-living things we have become slavish to—a good house, we are slaves to cars; even more slavish to our mobile phones; slavish to everything— living and non-living.

And that is why the Upaniṣad tells us: slavishness is ''Anātma''. Depending upon ''Anātma''. Seeing anything other than me as something different from me — and not only different, but (that) I am dependent upon it, considering the other object as superior to me, and I cannot survive, I cannot obtain anything, I cannot be a happy person — that slavish mentality leads (to) the real suffering (which) is to feel that — 'I am bound'!

But the Upaniṣad tells that there is nothing separate. The living, the non-living — "सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म" (Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma; all this is verily Brahman)— this is the very core of Advaita: 'Non-Duality'.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya: The Difference Between Individual and Brahman Is Ignorance Alone ==
So Śaṅkarācārya emphasizes that the difference between the individual and Brahman doesn't really exist. It is caused only by ignorance — by my ignorance, thinking that I am separate from Brahman. The moment I realize— "I am Brahman, I am the all," all fear and all limitation vanish. Remember, earlier we have discussed: 'the fear comes from the second'— "द्द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति" (dvitīyādvai bhayaṁ bhavati). And this is expressed in the fifth mantra of this fourth section.
----

== Creation as Projection, Not Production ==
"सोऽवेत्, अहं वाव सृष्टिरस्मि, अहं हीदं सर्वमसृक्षीति" (so’vet, ahaṃ vāva sṛṣṭirasmi, ahaṃ hīdaṃ sarvamasṛkṣīti) — so, after this vast projection —actually, this word '''projection'' 'is a very important word. The moment we hear "creation," like a potter creating a pot, our whole understanding becomes awry. But the moment we realize it is a ''projection'' — a cinema, film machine is projecting light and making it pass through a film, and what we are experiencing is nothing but the manifest projection of the light — everything is light.

How do we know? — Because you just stop the film moving machine, and only pure light will be there. That is why, before the cinema starts, —there is a pure white screen. After the cinema ends, — pure white screen. Without that screen, no projection will become visible, experienceable. What is that screen? — That is compared to our —'pure mind'. And what is that, reveals that screen? — 'Pure consciousness'.

So this is the fifth mantra — "ततः सृष्टिरभवत्; सृष्ट्यां हास्यैतस्याम् भवति " (tataḥ sṛṣṭirabhavat; sṛṣṭyāṃ hāsyaitasyām bhavati ya evaṃ veda). And anybody, after studying this Upaniṣad, after getting this instruction, this valuable teaching; and he first hears it with faith, then he ponders over it , that is called Upāsanā, and he realizes it. Like Brahman realized, "I am everything." When we realize "I am everything," there would be no difference between Brahman and me. So anyone — not only Brahman, any person he, — "य एवं वेद" ॥ (''ya evaṃ veda)'', he understands, "I am Brahman, because I am a projection of Brahman. A projection of Brahman is non-separate from Brahman." He remains with that self-knowledge.
----

== The Seventh Mantra: From the Un-manifest to the Manifest ==
And then, in the sixth mantra, we get something about creation , that is why I did not give importance to that. So we will move to the seventh mantra, where it is said: first of all, this creation remained un-manifest. That is called "अव्याकृत" (''avyākṛta)''. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa calls it ''avyakta:''

अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत।

अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना।।2.28 ॥ (Bhagavat Gita)

(avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyakta-madhyāni bhārata

avyakta-nidhanānyeva tatra kā paridevanā।।2.28 ॥)

—What is birth? The un-manifest becoming manifest. And what is death? The manifest going back into its source,cause. That is called death.

— "Why are you so much grieving about this fact? There is no death. Bhīṣma is not going to die. Droṇa is not going to die. And you are not going to die. Not only that, Duryodhana is not going to die. You have taken a vow: 'I am going to kill Duryodhana and all his ninety-nine brothers.' No — that is not going to happen. You are going to kill only the outer layers, the dresses."
----

== The Kośas as Coverings: Why Even Ānandamaya Kośa Is a Cover ==
Every kośa is a dress. However fine it is, it covers, it doesn't reveal what we really are. That which covers our real nature is called a kośa. Even the ''Ānandamaya kośa'' is a cover. Why is it called a cover? First of all, it is experienceable. Anything experienceable — there is a division between the experiencer and the experienced, the subject and the object.

So if I am deriving ''ānanda'' from the reflection of that ''Brahmānanda'' in my own purified mind, I am only looking at the reflection in the mirror of ''Brahmānanda''. I have to break that mirror. Then the distinction between, the separation between — ''jīva'' and ''paramātma'', vanishes. Until that time, the mirror may be the cleanest mirror and it may show me as experiencing ''ānanda'' — but since it is a kośa, a kośa being like a scabbard, like a case which houses the treasure, we will have to overcome that, destroy that. Destroying means knowing that it is only my ignorance which is appearing as the ''pañca kośas''. There are no real, concrete ''pañca kośas''.

So this is supporting the Bhagavad Gītā's view— birth, or ''sṛṣṭi'', creation, is nothing but the un-manifest becoming manifest.
----

== Transaction Requires Manifestation: Nāma and Rūpa ==
What is the problem? The un-manifest is non-transactional. You cannot — like butter, it is un-manifest in the milk, but you cannot put it on your piece of bread toast and enjoy it— you will have to separate it. Similarly, this kośa separates us from Bhagavān. So everything is un-manifest.

For transactional purpose this, what remains invisible and non-transaction-able— if it has to become transaction-able, it has to become manifest. So then, from this un-manifest world, this manifest world has come. That is what the seventh mantra wants to explain:

"तद्धेदं तर्ह्यव्याकृतमासीत्त" (taddhedaṁ tarhyavyākṛtamāsīt)—This universe, before creation, remained undifferentiated.

"तन्नामरूपाभ्यामेव व्याक्रियत" (tannāmarūpābhyāmeva vyākriyatā)—Then it became differentiated into form and name.

सौ नामायमिदरूप इति तदिदमप्येतर्हि नामरूपाभ्यामेव व्याक्रियतेऽसौ नामायमिदरूप इति स एष इह प्रविष्टः। — then, it became differentiated into form and name.

And therefore it was called such —such and such. "This is a mango tree." That mango tree is a form, and the word "mango tree" is a name. The name and the named — there is no difference. God and his name, there is no difference. But the difference is: the named is thought of as an object, and the name is the way to think about that object. The name is a thought; the named is an object.
----

== Kālidāsa's Prayer: The Inseparability of Vāk and Artha ==
This beautiful psychological insight is captured by Kālidāsa. Before he commenced writing the Raghuvaṃśa, he prays to Śiva and Pārvatī.

''Vāk'' means speech — speech means name. ''Artha'' means the object — the named. Just as an object and its name are inseparable, so Pārvatī and Parameśvara are the mother and father of this entire universe. They are also inseparable. In other words, Brahman and Śakti are indifferent — you cannot separate them. You can think of them as separate in concept, but in reality you cannot separate them.

"So I am going to write this beautiful poem called Raghuvaṃśa. Therefore, O mother and father — you are the creator and creatrix of this entire universe, and you are inseparable — this world also is inseparable, the object and its name are inseparable. So for the sake of beautiful poetry, the appropriate words should come from the depths of my mind, come to me in the form of thoughts, and I will put those thoughts as my written poem, the Raghuvaṃśa."
----

== The World as Name, Form, and Purpose ==
So in the beginning, ''avyākṛta'' means name and form are not there. But now they have become manifest, visible, experienceable, transactional. And therefore, how are they transactional? For example, you look at any object — you see ''nāma'' and ''rūpa'', that is all you see. You see the form and you give it a name to separate it from other objects. And then only, after having the knowledge "this is such and such an object," do we start thinking: "How does it serve my purpose?"

If there are two glasses, and in rich people's houses certain glasses are separated and hung upside down — they are created like that, called wine glasses — while if somebody wants to drink water, there will be an ordinary glass. They don't keep them upside down hanging. So because they drink from the hanging glasses, in course of time, they also become hanged.

So this world was unmanifest and non-transactional. Without transaction, we cannot survive. Therefore, everything that is created is divided into ''nāma'' and ''rūpa''. And we have to add a purpose. So this is how creation means only name and form.

I am just reminding you: the great scholar Vidyāraṇya said, "What is Brahman? Brahman is nothing but ''Sat, Cit'' and ''Ānanda''. What is the world? ''Sat, Cit, Ānanda'' plus form plus name. What is Brahman? ''Prapañca'' — ''Sat, Cit, Ānanda'' minus form, minus name is called Brahman." There is no difference.
----

== Praveśa Śruti: The Self Enters Completely ==
And then we enter into another beautiful portion of this fourth section. This is called ''praveśa śruti'' — the scripture of entry. Having created, what did Saguṇa Brahma, or Īśvara, do? He entered. How much did he enter? Completely. He is the hair of the hair. He is the nail of the nail. He is the toe of the toe. He is the back of the back. He is the hand of the hand. He is the leg of the leg. He is the eye of the eye. He is the ear of the ear, and so on.

Then what is the difference? Actually there is no difference. It is only because we are ignorant that we think the hand is different, the leg is different, and that they are not Brahman — that they are ''anātma''. But what is the purpose of the Upaniṣad?

''Saḥ'' means that creator. ''Eṣaḥ'' means that which is in front of me. He entered — up to the very tips of the fingernails. Like a sword that is kept in a scabbard. "The Self has entered into these bodies up to the tips of the nails, as a razor may be put in its case, or as a fire which sustains the world may be in its source" — which is wood. When there is dry wood, we do not see the fire there. But that kind of seeing — "this is wood, that is fire; this is a hand, this is not a leg" — this knowledge springs from ignorance. So it is ''avidyā''.
----

== The Upaniṣad's Practical Message: Turn Inward ==
So what does it mean? Why is this Upaniṣad telling us this? The Upaniṣad wants to convey: "All right, sir, you have been told about Brahman, how he created this world. And the goal of life is that you have to claim: 'I am none other than Brahman,' because Brahman alone is manifesting, or projecting, himself as this world. What is this world? Nothing but names and forms. But if you forget the names and forms, the substance is nothing but Brahman. Okay — now we are suffering because of the limitations. And the limitation is caused by ignorance. What is ignorance? Focusing on the forms and names but not on the substance. And this ''nāmarūpa'' is called ''anātma'', non-self."

So to help us, the Upaniṣad is telling us now: "Forget about ''nāmarūpa''. Focus upon Brahman. And where is this Brahman to be focused upon? In the ''sanctum sanctorum''. Where is this ''sanctum sanctorum''? It is there within."

In order to teach us that lesson, then this ''anupraveśa'' — entering into the creation — means: you look inside yourself. And how do you look inside yourself? Because you have to consciously direct your attention, which is now looking outward, and make it turn inside. And that turning — whether from outside to inside or inside to outside — can take place only by the aid of consciousness. And that consciousness is to be realised as Brahman.
----

== The Witnessing Consciousness: Sākṣī ==
But we cannot, simply by hearing "your consciousness, and as consciousness you are Brahman," absorb it — it will enter through one ear and go out through the other. That means Brahman is available for contemplation in the mind as the witness consciousness, ''sākṣī''. I dealt on this subject for quite a long time.

We have two eyes — not "eye," but the capital-letter "I." One is the participating I. "I am sitting, I am looking, I am hearing, I am talking, I am eating," and so on. The other is witnessing. Witnessing: "I was in the waking state. I was in the dream state. Then I entered and enjoyed uninterrupted rest for quite some time. And again I entered into the waking state. I was the waker, I was the dreamer, I was the sleeper." Waker is different from dreamer. Dreamer is separate from sleeper. Sleeper is separate from waker. Those states are different. But I — like a person who enters into room A, leaves it, enters into room 2, leaves it, enters into room 3, leaves it, and enters into room 1 again — why room 1 only? Can I not enter room 4? Yes, that is called the ''Turīya'' state. There is no room number 5. There is no room for room number 5.

So that fourth is not a fourth state. It is the only state which is manifesting as state number 1 (waking), state number 2 (dreaming), state number 3 (deep sleep). So Śaṅkarācārya says ''anupraveśa'' means Brahman is available in the mind as the witness consciousness, ''sākṣī''.
----

== What Is Spiritual Life? Shifting from the Participating I to the Witnessing I ==
Now, what is spiritual life? To shift the attention, to shift our identity, from the participating I to the witnessing I. There was a beautiful story. Let us remember this one.

Rāmakṛṣṇa — either he heard it and repeated it, or he created it (he had a very creative mind, remember). So there was a Yogī, and there was actually another Yogī who thought that he was superior because he had obtained some special powers. So one day he came and wanted to exhibit his powers in front of the first Yogī. "Do you know my powers?" "No." "What powers do you have?"

Just at that time an elephant was passing by. So the second Yogī looked and said, "May you die." Immediately the elephant fell down dead, and he looked at the first Yogī. There was no discernible expression on the face of the first Yogī. Then the second Yogī looked at the elephant and said, "Now come back alive." Immediately the elephant came back alive. And now the second Yogī was looking for an appreciation: "Oh, what a marvellous power you have!" But the first Yogī was a true Yogī. He said, "What had happened? The elephant was passing. It was dead. It came back alive." And then he said, "What did you gain by that? Did you know the ultimate truth?" Supposedly the second Yogī learnt his lesson.
----

== Two Stories: The Futility of Mere Powers ==
So there is a story of two brothers. Perhaps you will remember — I am not going to repeat it. So they met after a long time, and the younger one wanted to show what he had achieved after twelve years of hard ''tapasyā''. So he walked on water, whereas the elder brother had to take a boat. "Did you see my power?" The elder brother said, "What power? What? You have wasted twelve years of your time, which I could accomplish by just paying half an anna to the boatman."

So Śaṅkara says that we will have to become one with that ''sākṣī''. What is ''sākṣī''? Just witness. Somebody came and abused me — okay, I am witnessing. Somebody came and honoured me — okay, I am witnessing. What happened to me? Nothing happened. No change has taken place in me. That is a very difficult state, but that is a wonderful state.
----

== A Humorous Incident from the Life of Ramaṇa Maharṣi ==
Anyway, I just remember now a funny incident that happened in the life of Ramaṇa Maharṣi. So Ramaṇa Maharṣi became very popular, especially after some Westerners recognised him and started coming. How much they understood, God alone knows. But some of them were highly devoted to him, and it is because of them that Ramaṇa Maharṣi's name became well known. They have written books also about him. Some of them were very genuine spiritual aspirants.

So what happened? Some fake sannyāsīs came to know that Ramaṇa Maharṣi did not have a Guru. So one day one of those fake fellows, along with some of his followers — the more fake it is, the more followers will be there — somehow gathered and came to Ramaṇa Maharṣi. He boldly declared in front of Ramaṇa Maharṣi: "Yesterday night, Lord Śiva appeared to me in a dream and commanded me to initiate you, because without a Guru, you cannot really obtain anything."

Now, it was Ramaṇa Maharṣi's habit to just keep quiet. But one of the very intelligent followers of Ramaṇa Maharṣi — by the way, Ramaṇa Maharṣi did not physically initiate anybody as a disciple. He only talked with them. That is all. And some of them took that as what is called initiation — ''dīkṣā''. Now one of them was very intelligent. He said, "Yes, it is true that I also came to know that Śiva appeared in your dream and asked you to come to Ramaṇa Maharṣi and initiate him. But I also had the same dream. One second after he commanded you and you departed, Śiva looked at me and said: 'I think I committed a mistake. These people — when they appear, you must take a big stick and beat them.' So just as you obeyed Śiva's commandment, I am also going to obey." So nearby there was a stick — maybe Ramaṇa Maharṣi's own stick, I don't know. He started — and seeing he was a hefty fellow — that fake guru and his disciples took to their heels.
----

== The Participating I Versus the Witnessing I: Ravana's Birth and Death ==
So why am I telling this story? If we identify ourselves with the participating I, we go up and down. We become very happy. We become very sad. We become victims of terrible emotional turmoil. But if we identify with the ''sākṣī'' — yes, I was born, yes, I was there.

For that also, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's beautiful story is there. Śiva and Pārvatī were sitting on Mount Kailāsa. Suddenly they heard a little, loud sound — ''dhum'' — like that. And it is said Pārvatī was startled and said, "Lord, what is that sound?" "Rāvaṇa was born." And a few seconds later, another similar sound was heard. "Lord, what is the second sound?" "Rāvaṇa is dead."

Rāvaṇa is born. Rāvaṇa is dead. I am born. I am also going to die. What did I gain in the meanwhile? And that thinking is more useful to us than "I did this, I did that, I could have done that but I did not, I am going to do that." All these are useless thoughts.

Therefore, the ''jīvātma'' and ''paramātma'' are identical. But you have to turn your attention inward. First identify with the ''sākṣī jīva''. That is called moral life. That is called making the mind absolutely still. That is called ''citta vṛtti nirodha''. And thereafter, one abides in one's own nature. So that is what is called the benefit.
----

== How to Become the Sākṣī: The Purpose of Spiritual Practice ==
How to become ''sākṣī''? All our spiritual practices are for that purpose. And the Upaniṣad continues: if we do not realise that everything is Brahman, then we remain in deep ignorance. The moment we turn our attention inside, then everything becomes one, because there is no second — we have seen only one, infinite. You cannot distract, you cannot divide, you cannot subtract, you cannot multiply. Anything you do, infinite remains infinite only. That is the ''śānti pāṭha'' also we have seen: only infinite remains, even though this universe has come. Come where? Where from does it come? Where does it stand? Infinite cannot change. That which is changeless is called infinite.

Therefore, a commandment is given here. One who knows this will become one with Ātman. Everything is looked upon as a manifestation of one's own self. And this, according to Śaṅkara, is the essence of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. And here a beautiful definition is given. What is Ātmā? ''Sarvaṃ āpnoti iti Ātmā'' — one definition of Ātmā is that which obtains everything, that which obtains infinity. That is called Ātmā. Therefore, ''Ātma iti upāsīta''. With that, the seventh mantra is over.
----

== The Eighth Mantra: The Source of Ānanda — Why the Self Is Dearest ==
Now we are going to enter into the eighth mantra. This is also one of the most marvellous analyses of what is called the source of ''ānanda''. And the mantra goes like this: "This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else, because it is the innermost. If one holds the Self as the most dearest object to one's own self" — if he has to look at another person who thinks the non-self is most dear, and addressing that second person, if this ''Ātmajñānī'', the knower of Ātman, speaks of him, "What you hold dear is going to be destroyed; you are going to weep because of that" — and it will come to pass, ''tathā evāsya''. It is going to happen like that.

In short, what it means is: ''anātma'' — anything non-self, anything finite, anything other than God — it is not going to survive, because only Ātman is there. It is not that there is something other than Ātman. But people think that God is sitting somewhere. Even if they happen to believe in God, He is sitting somewhere — He is the creator, He is all-powerful, He is all-knowing, He is all-compassionate, and He can do whatever He likes. "But I am not He. He is separate." If anybody thinks like that, then that notion itself — that is called ignorance — will be destroyed, maybe after a thousand births, because ''avidyā'' is going to be destroyed by ''vidyā''. But ''vidyā'' is never ever going to be destroyed. Whatever is destructible is going to be destroyed. Whatever is non-destructible is ever going to remain exactly in the same way.
----

== Meditate Upon the Self Alone as Dear ==
Having said this, the Upaniṣad says: "One should meditate upon the Self alone as dear." And then it concludes: what is the result? What does a person get? "He who meditates upon the Self alone as dear — what he holds dear will not perish." And what is this person holding dear? ''Ātmānam'' — one's own Self. And one's own Self is something that will never perish.

That is to say: slowly develop love for Ātman, and slowly develop — through discrimination, proper discrimination — that everything is temporary. Whatever is temporary is called non-Self. Whatever is limited, whatever is bound by time, space and causation is very temporary, and we are experiencing it every second. My body, which I loved so dearly, is not what it was before I started this sentence. And by the time I utter the next sentence, even the present will be past and the future will become the present. It is continuously moving at mind-boggling speed.

So Śaṅkarācārya quotes this verse very often. What is the essence of this mantra? That Ātman — one's own Self — is dearer than everything else. Here Ātmā means Paramātmā. Because if I say Paramātmā is separate from my Ātmā, then I become ''jīvātmā''. And ''jīvātmā'' is a product of ignorance. It is limited by the very word ''jīvātmā''. There is birth, there is growth, there is change, there is death — what is called the six ''ṣaḍ vikāras'': ''asti, jāyate, vardhate, vipariṇamate, apakṣīyate'', and so on.

So this Ātman is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, and dearer than everything else.
----

== Why Is the Ātman Dearest? The Psychology of Love ==
The question that comes is: why is the Ātman dearest, and how is the Ātman dearer than everything else? Beautiful light is thrown by Śaṅkarācārya. This is according to non-dual Vedānta. Remember: the word Vedānta is used by Dvaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, and Advaita. Whenever we say Vedānta without mentioning Dvaita or Viśiṣṭādvaita, we have to take it for granted we are talking about Advaita Vedānta.

There are only two things that every one of us loves equally. What are they? "I love happiness." When I say "I love," I don't love ''duḥkha''. I don't love anything that makes me suffer. I only love happiness. And whatever gives me happiness — that object, that instrument — I love it. Not because of that object itself, but because it becomes an instrument for me to experience happiness.

So what is our goal? Happiness is the goal — unbroken, eternal, infinite happiness. And if I have to experience happiness, let us never forget: first of all, I should not encounter death. There should be no broken existence. So unbroken, infinite existence — called ''Sat, Asti'' — must be there. If I want to be happy, I have to be alive. Not only that, I have to be aware that I am alive and that I am very happy. That is why we cannot separate ''Sat, Cit'', and ''Ānanda''.
----

== The Object Is Only a Means; Happiness Alone Is the Goal ==
So with regard to this, there are certain points. Why do we run after any object? We desire an object. We run after an object — whether it gives happiness or not is a separate issue — because we think it gives us happiness. That means the object is not our goal; it is only the means. What is the objective? Happiness alone is the primary objective.

And why? Because once we squeeze all the juice from the sugarcane, are you going to love that sugarcane from which all ''rasa'' is completely squeezed out? No, not at all. And after your stomach is filled, you don't love the food anymore — until you become hungry again. It applies to wife, husband, children, friends, enemies, everything, religion, everything — and even God, we come to that point.

So the question that comes: why do I love happiness? Because that is my very nature. I am happy only when I remain as myself. This is a principle we have to understand very clearly. I am happy when I forget all the limitations. I go beyond time, space, and causation, and at that time I remain as my own self. That remaining as my own self is called happiness.

Now the secondary thing is: I love the means of happiness only because it helps me to unveil the happiness which is really coming from within myself. The moment any object stops giving happiness, my love for it also disappears. And it may even turn into hatred.
----

== The Law of Diminishing Happiness: The Example of Three Cups of Coffee ==
One of our senior Swamis used to give a beautiful example. Suppose you go to a friend's house late afternoon. First thing he offers is a good cup of coffee or tea. And you are very happy and longing for it, so you enjoy it. And then, seeing your happiness, suppose he offers a second cup of coffee. You may reluctantly accept it and drink it — but you notice it doesn't give the same amount of happiness, because only the first cup will fulfil your desires. And if the friend forces you with a third cup, you are ready practically to beat him up. You get so much annoyed with him.

So there is something called ''alam'' — sufficient. "I cannot bear more than this one." That is the nature of every object. Once I squeeze happiness through an object, I no longer need that object. I no longer love that object. I even hate that object. That object becomes a means of hatred for me.

So the desire for happiness is unconditional. But the desire for the instrument or object of happiness is only conditional. What is that condition? So long as it gives me happiness, I love it. The moment it ceases to give happiness, I will not love it anymore.
----

== Ātman Alone Is Happiness; Anātma Is Unhappiness ==
Then the third point we have to learn: Ātman alone is happiness, and ''anātma'' is unhappiness. Why is ''anātma'' unhappiness? Because everyone truly loves only the Ātman. Every love we have is only genuine love for the Ātman. But children, possessions, house — all such things belong to the realm of ''anātma'' only. We love them only because they give us happiness. The moment they — whether it is husband or wife or children or friends, anybody — stop giving me happiness, that is, start giving me unhappiness, I hate them. I want to run away from them as much as possible.

So it is a conditional love. What is the condition? So long as I get happiness, so long only I love. Any object — take for example your phone. So long as the phone is working properly, then I am happy. The moment it starts delaying even for a second, or going back, or shutting itself off, or restarting — then I go for the next phone. In fact, it is this principle: maybe the latest iteration of the phone gives me more happiness by giving me more freedom, faster — that is what makes us buy new things. But really speaking, it is only an instrument of happiness, if at all. And that which can be the instrument of happiness inevitably can also become the instrument of unhappiness.
----

== Even God Is Subject to This Principle ==
So it applies to God also. If we are devotees of God and God doesn't fulfil our desires — how long are you going to stand by that God? In fact, we don't love God even when we are meditating, sitting so-called, labelling ourselves as devotees. The moment you spend some time and God becomes an object of boredom — you don't get any happiness from him — then you excuse yourself, get up, and do anything except thinking about God. And if God doesn't save you when you are expecting him to, if he doesn't fulfil your desires, many people become disbelievers, non-believers, because they think, "This God is a useless God, not a useful God."

That means our love for God is a mistaken love. We consider God as the biggest object, the biggest helper for our happiness. But when we understand it is not going to happen, then we discard God. That is how we have not yet developed.
----

== True Love: Loving God Without Condition ==
Then what is the true love? "O God, I love you because I am happy just by loving you. I don't want anything from you. If I want anything from you, you become an instrument, you become an object — I don't want that one."

Then the question comes — a very important question. The Upaniṣad itself says: a ''jñānī'' identifies himself with everybody, loves everybody equally, is unselfish towards everybody, sacrifices everything for everybody. How come? Because here he says the ''jñānī''<nowiki/>'s love is not as an individual, not as an object — every object is a subject to a ''jñānī''. That is called, in plain language: "I see God in you." Love thy neighbour as thyself. Love God as yourself — beautiful words full of meaning.

So the ''jñānī''<nowiki/>'s love is what is called selfish love. Why do we call it selfish love? Because he thinks everything is my own self. That selfishness is a different selfishness than thinking, "I am this individual and everything should cater to my own happiness." That is why the ''jñānī''<nowiki/>'s love is universal love. And there is a beautiful Sanskrit name for that: ''Sarvātma bhāvanā'' — "I am everything. I became everything. I am everything." ''Sarvaṃ khalvidaṃ Brahma.''
----

== The Nearest Object Is the Self: The Psychology of Love Concluded ==
Then another point is also raised — these are all hints we get from the great Śaṅkarācārya. Why do I love anything at all? Because I love whatever is nearer and more intimate to me. And what is the nearest object to me? Only the Ātman. Children are separate — they are born at some time and they go at some time, or I may go. But I am close to them only so long as I think that they are mine.

Why does a mother love her children? Only because she thinks, "This is me — I in the form of my children." She doesn't love the neighbour's children. She doesn't love anybody else's children. If some danger comes, she will rush to save only her children — not because of her love for her children, but because of her knowledge that "I am my children."

And a ''jñānī'' extends this to the whole universe, living and non-living. Whereas a mother can only extend it at best only to herself. But it is also said: a monkey carrying its young one, if it has to walk on glowing hot charcoal, will put its child on its body and walk on it. Everything is like that. There is a great lot of truth in it.

So Ātman is the nearest to us. And therefore, that which is nearest means: not separate from me, but me only. That is why we love our Ātman. And the nature of our Ātman is ''Ānanda''. This love is equivalent to ''Ānanda''. When I identify with myself, I feel extremely happy, and vice versa.

Therefore, this is called the psychology of love. The Ātman is dearer than anything. That anything and everything is called ''anātma''.

Beautiful points are still there. We will talk about them in our next class.
----

== Closing Prayer ==
''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.4 Lecture 21 on 04 April 2026

2026-06-23T04:17:39Z

Sachidanand: /* Opening "Devanagari script Invocation" /* Closing Prayer */ , Devanagari script of many mantras, missing words and sentences, and miscellaneous corrections

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

''Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate''

''Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣhyate''

''Om Śānti Śānti Śānti''

Om, that Brahman is infinite and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone. Om Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

== Conclusion of the Third Section: Prāṇa Upāsanā ==
We have completed the third section of the first chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. This third section has 28 mantras.This third section deals especially with Prāṇa Upāsanā.

As we have seen earlier, the first section is to become one with Virāṭ in the form of a horse — not an ordinary horse, but a very sacred horse. Every part of the horse has to be meditated upon as a part of this entire creation. And if we succeed, when we succeed, we become Virāṭ, the entire creation. The same thing is dealt with also in the second section, which is called Agni as Virāṭ upāsanā — the upāsanā of Agni as Virāṭ.

Then we have come to the third section- here, Prāṇa has been praised. We have to understand: here, Prāṇa means the Hiraṇyagarbha. And Hiraṇyagarbha is this entire universe. And therefore, by meditating upon Prāṇa, we become identified with Prāṇa.
----

== Prāṇa as Hiraṇyagarbha: Universal Identity ==
And this Prāṇa is praised as the most unselfish of every other organ. And it is confirmed by the Śruti, by this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: the Prāṇa of a mosquito, of a mouse, of an elephant, of a human being, of even a jīvanmukta, is absolutely the same. The identity of the Prāṇa differs according to the knowledge of the created beings, but the Prāṇa is exactly the same.

When a person has succeeded in thinking that, "I am the Prāṇa in everybody," he becomes totally identified with the entire creation — which is equal to identification with Hiraṇyagarbha, or Īśvara, or Saguṇa Brahma. And this Prāṇa has been praised — that means Hiraṇyagarbha has been praised. And these stories praising Prāṇa and Hiraṇyagarbha are factual statements that are valid even today, and they are very useful even today for upāsanā.

What happens when a person succeeds in thinking, "I am the Prāṇa of everything, I am Hiraṇyagarbha, then I am Īśvara, I am Saguṇa Brahma" — that is how far a sādhanā can proceed. But once the sādhanā proceeds only up to that extent, then Saguṇa Brahma alone can give us that final knowledge that - "I am Brahman." That is why the very last śloka in the Bhagavad Gītā — meaning, you become one with Saguṇa Brahma; then you take refuge in me, means become one with me, means you destroy your separate individuality — then says, "I will save you." In what form? — In the form of the knowledge. What knowledge? — ''Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.'' That is called mukti, that is called the supreme state of realization.
----

== The Abhyāroha Mantras: The Twenty-Eighth Mantra ==
And then, as I said, there are 28 mantras in this third section, and the last, 28th mantra is the famous Abhyāroha mantras. Āroha means slowly going up; abhyāroha — one by one. And as I mentioned, there are only three prayers: "I want to become Sat, I want to become Cit, I want to become Ānanda."

So here, whoever is performing this yajña — he is called Prastotā, the main singer of the Sāmaveda — these three mantras are to be repeated, as japa:

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

''Asato mā sadgamaya.'' ''Tamaso mā jyotirgamaya.'' ''Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya. Om Śānti Śānti Śānti.''

"O Lord, you take me from this limited identity — take me beyond time and space. May I become one without a second — that is, I will be crossing over death, the second that is the essence of the asat. From asat, may I reach sat — means infinite, eternal existence. And then let me have this knowledge— 'I am Brahman', ''Tamaso mā jyotirgamaya'' . And let me enjoy without any break, let me be ānanda-svarūpa — ''Ahameva ānanda-svarūpoh asmi'' (अहमेव आनन्दस्वरूप: अस्मि)."

Therefore, the final prayer asks to be led from mortality to immortality, from ignorance to knowledge, from suffering to eternal bliss. So whoever does the upāsanā of Prāṇa in this manner will become Universal Prāṇa, or Hiraṇyagarbha, or Īśvara, and sādhanā can go only that much. Then Īśvara grants him brahmānubhūti — the experience "I am Brahman."

With this, the third section has come to an end.
----

== Introduction to the Fourth Section: The Most Important Section ==
Now we are entering into the most important section of the entire Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. As I mentioned earlier, this is called Madhu Kāṇḍa, or Upadeśa Kāṇḍa. The main teaching of the entire Upaniṣad is compressed in this first chapter — and in this first chapter, in this fourth section — because this is where we get the '''Mahāvākya:'''

'''''"Ahaṃ brahmāsmi (अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि)"'''''

And very interesting points have been raised. If I do not know "I am Brahman," what is the problem? What would be the difficulty? Yes: if I do not know ''ahaṃ brahmāsmi'', I have to say "I am so-and-so." And when I say "I am so-and-so," I see an infinite number of things, and therefore I have fear always — either fear of not getting what I want, or fear of losing what I already have. The "yoga-kṣema (योग-क्षेमं)" problem will come. But if I know "I am Brahman," this problem of "yoga-kṣema (योग-क्षेमं)" will be overcome. Because as an individual I have death; as the universal I have no death at all.
----

== The Wave and the Ocean: Illustrating Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi ==
Just like infinite number of waves — every wave thinks, "I am a small wave, I am a helpless wave, and the bigger wave is coming to swallow me up." That is what actually happens. So "I am different from the ocean." But when this small wave realizes that "I am not a wave, I am water" — as a wave, I am different, the ocean is different; as water, there is no difference between me and the ocean. As pure consciousness, I am Brahman.

But if I think, "I am a little bit of consciousness along with body and mind" — because the moment we say "a little bit of consciousness," the body-mind idea must step in and we mix up: "I am the body, I am the mind, and I am also a bit of consciousness" — so this fear will come if I think I am not Brahman.

Then fear produces desire. What is the desire? Here, 'Fear' has been given a very beautiful meaning: 'fear means 'suffering', and the opposite of suffering is called 'ānanda'. So long as I fear, I suffer. And the only way I am trying to overcome this suffering is —the inability to think, I am not able to think that "I am everything." That is the root cause of all my problems. But if I can think "I am everything," I will have no wants, then I will have no fear.

That is why that beautiful statement: 'fear arises from the second'. The moment a 'second' is there — do I want it? I may not get it, or it may get me. That fear will be there. A desire will come. Every desire is nothing but the fulfilment or removal of the fear. What is that fear? —"I am not full, I am incomplete. I want to become complete, I want to become pūrṇa."

That is why the Śānti Mantra:

" पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते "

''pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate'' — this whole universe is nothing but a manifestation of infinity only. It is never finite. But if I do not know that truth, I think I am finite. And (this sense of) un-wholeness creates fear in me. Fear means desire. Desire means: I may lose what I have, I may not get what I want. Life is nothing but a struggle to keep what I have and to obtain what I do not have.
----

== Virāṭ's First Experience: The Origin of Fear ==
So here: the moment Sṛṣṭi, creation, started, that first being is called Virāṭ. The Virāṭ felt fear. Why did he feel fear? Because, he thought he was alone. Then he looked around and found out there was nobody, there was nothing accepting him. Then he realized: "Since there is nothing else but myself, what am I afraid of?" So fear only exists when we think there is a second person to hurt us, harm us, deprive us of happiness, etc.

And then — the second. So this self, this pure consciousness — where is that Brahman? That is called the hidden self. So here the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad says: the self entered all bodies; everything that is created, both living and non-living, up to the very tips of the nails. A beautiful example is given: a sharp knife, or sword — or in this case, a razor.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya on Advaita: The Core Essence ==
So if we see God only as a deity, to be worshipped externally, we are like an animal to the gods — meaning, we are servants to our own ignorance. And Śaṅkarācārya brings out the essence of this one. This is the very core essence of Advaita, non-duality.

So our great Ācārya emphasizes: the difference between the individual and — "I am the individual." Everyone thinks, "I am." And "Brahman" is caused only by that: "I am an individual, and Brahman is the universal, I am different from Brahman" — this is caused only by ignorance. But the movement through sādhanā, through upāsanā — various upāsanās. Nowadays, you worship Hanumān, do upāsanā of Hanumān — that is a better word, actually, than pūjā. Because when we use the word pūjā, immediately the idea comes: there is a temple or shrine room, and there are various objects are there — flowers, fruits, cloths, water, and various utensils of pūjā. That is what comes to our mind.
----

== What Is Upāsanā? The Example of Rāmakṛṣṇa ==
But no — upāsanā means, the first thing we have to understand: I sit quietly, I calm all my thoughts and by closing my eyes. It is a symbol — I am closing my mind, my thoughts, everything else excepting my 'Iṣṭa Devatā'.

So by doing upāsanā of Hanumān, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa became Hanumān. And Hanumān was doing upāsanā of whom? — Śrī Rāma. So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa first became Hanumān, then he became Rāma. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa first became Rādhā and (then) became Kṛṣṇa. And who are Rāma and Kṛṣṇa? —the same Brahman, imagined by a limited mind. So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa became —Rāma and Parabrahma. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa became —Kṛṣṇa and Parabrahma. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa became —Kālī and Parabrahma. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa became — 'everything'.

He said: "I have seen that something has grown and grown and grown and has become completely, fully, identified with this entire creation." That is what he expressed so many times. I also have voiced that thought— the Mother showed him: "Are you not eating through all mouths?" Eating is not merely the act of eating — that is, experiencing, the entire universe, through the five sense organs and through the five sense organs of action, and through thoughts. What do we do through thoughts? We create our own world. In fact, the whole world that we live in is our own creation, because everybody has their own opinion about every object in this world. So I live in my own world. A baby lives in its own world. An old man lives in his own world. A jīvanmukta lives in his own world. But ultimately, a jīvanmukta alone knows: "Everything is Brahman. I am Brahman." And then, he has already realised through nirvikalpa samādhi: "I am the all," and fear and limitation both vanish together.
----

== The Fourth Section: Puruṣavidha Brāhmaṇa ==
Before we go further into the commentary, first I want you to taste a few of these mantras. So let me first read out a few mantras of this fourth section of the Brāhmaṇa. This section has got 17 mantras. But this particular fourth section of the first chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka is called Puruṣavidha Brāhmaṇam. It is also called Brahmavidyā Brāhmaṇam. Brahmavidyā is taught especially in this fourth section. That is why that word Mahāvākya : ''Ahaṃ brahmāsmi'' (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि)— comes here in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

And ''Tat tvam asi'' (तत्त्वमसि) — comes in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. There are the other Mahāvākyas.

So let me read out so that we can all enjoy a little bit of this. And I am not going to read out everything because ,there is a lot of explanation about 'sṛṣṭi', creation.

But one point the section itself tells: having created, then what we call nowadays Brahmā — the creator — and in this case it is Prajāpati Puruṣa — he realized: "I am the creation." Not only "I have created," but "I am the creation." Like clay can say, "I am every pot, every single pot." Gold can say, "I am every single ornament," etc. That is how we have to understand.
----

== The First Mantra: Ātmā eva idam agre āsīt puruṣavidhaḥ ==
So the very first mantra in this fourth section:

आत्मैवेदमग्र आसीत्पुरुषविधः;

''Ātmaiva idam agre āsīt puruṣavidhaḥ'' — "In the beginning, this universe was indeed the self alone, in the form of Puruṣa."

So ''agra'' means "before." Before means what — before the creation— Ātmā was there. Let us remember: 'Ātmā and Brahman are one and the same'. So who was there? Only Brahman was there. That is why he is called Mūlakāraṇa — the causeless, ultimate cause of this entire universe. Whenever we tell "he is the creator," we must immediately also put in the second line: 'not only is he the creator, he is the creation—that is very important. That is what Swami Vivekānanda meant: "Each soul is potentially divine."

So in the beginning, before this creation started, was indeed the self — Brahman, Ātman alone. And he was called Puruṣa.
----

== The Meaning of Puruṣa ==
There is a meaning of the word Puruṣa — we will come to that later on. One very popular meaning is: ''puriśete iti puruṣaḥ'' (पुरिशेते इति पुरुषः) — "because he is to be sought after." And where is he to be sought after?

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says: if you want to meet a big landlord, he is always to be found only in a particular visitor's room, most of the time.

And here we have to say — not most of the time, but during our sādhanā period — we have to close all thoughts, desires, hopes, expectations of the entire external world and look within.

And that is why in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad we have seen: this is called '—Brahmapurī', a city of Brahman. And that is why it is called— the sanctum sanctorum.

And he is there within seven walls. What are those seven walls? They are called the seven cakras. It is also beautifully called in Sanskrit: ''garbha gṛha (गर्भ गृह). Garbha'' means — just as a foetus is so carefully produced, nourished, and looked after by the mother in her womb. Our human body has a womb — that is called the mind. And within that mind there is another womb — that is called ''dahara ākāśa''. And that ''dahara ākāśa'' is none other than this Brahman. So that is the meaning of Puruṣa.

That is why we have seen in both the Puruṣasūkta and the Nārāyaṇasūkta also:

स॒हस्र॑शीर्षा॒ पुरु॑षः सहस्रा॒क्षः स॒हस्र॑पात् ।

स भूमिं॑ वि॒श्वतो॑ वृ॒त्वात्य॑तिष्ठद्दशाङ्गु॒लम् ॥

''sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt,'' ''sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvā atyatiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam.''

That infinite Puruṣa transcends this created world — as if ,this is only just an infinitesimal part of him — indicating: within everything that is created, we can see the same Brahman, if we have the eyes we can see that Brahman.
----

== The Pañcakośas: Layers of Perception ==
If we are thickly covered with, for example, dehātmabuddhi, I am the annamaya kośa, then I see the entire universe as consisting of body — physical, concrete object.

When I progress a little bit and go inside, to the cause of this annamaya kośa —I see that I am the — prāṇa (prāṇamaya kośa) within everybody.

But this prāṇa is maintained, caused how it functions by the thought , that is called — 'manomaya kośa'.

And these thoughts are directed by a particular intent, purpose , that is called — 'vijñānamaya (kośa)'.

And the ultimate goal of every activity, and every activity starts with a thought — is nothing but 'to be myself', which is ānanda. That is called — 'ānandamaya kośa'.

But I don't want to limit myself with every thought, because every thought is a limitation.

So I want to become — that 'ānanda' itself, not identify merely with the thoughts of ānanda. What are the thoughts?— Priya, moda, then only ānanda comes. No — I want to be that Brahman, another name for — ānanda, sat-cit-ānanda.
----

== Brahman Before and After Creation ==
So this is the meaning: Brahman alone was there before creation. What about now? — Even now, Brahman alone is manifest, but in the form of the created, the creation.

Then what happened? This Brahman first , He became Saguṇa Brahma — that is, He divided himself into the subject and the object. The first manifestation of the creation —called Saguṇa Brahma. That Saguṇa Brahma has now become the entire creation.

But when that first manifestation of Saguṇa Brahma came, as if He looked around — and what did he see?

"सोऽनुवीक्ष्य नान्यदात्मनोऽपश्यत्, ''Sah anuvekṣya na anyat ātmanaḥ paśyati'' — looking around, he saw nothing other than himself.

सोऽहमस्मीत्यग्रे व्याहरत् ततोऽहंनामाभवत्;" ''Aham asmīti agre vyāharat, tataḥ ahaṃ nāma abhavat'' — so he first uttered, "I am — I." Who are you?

— He understood: "I am — I am."
----

== "I Am": The Name of God ==
In the Bible also, we have this expression. When Moses saw the burning bush, he understood it was God. And then he asked, "What's your name?" And he said, "My name is: I am." What else can he say? "I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not even the causal body. Then I am '''not''' the sthūla śarīra, sūkṣma śarīra, kāraṇa śarīra." When these three are removed, what does one say to oneself? "I am." Even to say "I am" is only for the purpose of teaching — it has nothing to do with Brahman sits and goes on saying —"I am, I am."

When do you say "I am so-and-so"? Only when you come across someone who doesn't know you. Not only who doesn't know you — even if everybody knows you, your mother knows you so well, but then unconsciously you say "I am." Only thing is: now you have no fear, you have only complete fearlessness. "My mother is here, so she will protect me. She will give up her life for my sake." And that very unconscious thought — you don't consciously think about it — that unconscious thought gives you so much of joy.

How do we know? Because even if it is pitch dark, the baby sleeps like an unconscious person. How the baby is able to sleep, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa describes so beautifully: that when the child doesn't see the mother, she gets confused, she starts crying.
----

== A Story from Dakṣineśvar ==
A beautiful incident occurred when the Kālī temple at Dakṣineśvar was opened, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was a young man — he was not even a priest, but he was the brother of the main priest, Rāmkumār. And a huge crowd had come; it was a great event.

Then suddenly a small child , he was crying. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa noticed, came running, and probably took the child in his arms and said, "Who is the mother of this child?" Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's voice was very, very powerful — it could carry to a long distance— (a) very piercing voice. And immediately the mother was there — probably she was also searching, just a few feet away. And immediately the child saw, and his face turned into joyful recognition: "My mom is there."

Later on, that person was 'M', he recollected: "Could be Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa himself , who was protecting me from the very beginning?" So then — that is the same thing that happened. So here, the person says "I am," and if there is nobody else, there is no cause for fear.
----

== Yoga and Kṣema: The Twin Fears ==
As I mentioned earlier: fear means desire. Desire means only two (things) — I want something I may not get, and I have something I may lose. That first (want) is called yoga. The second is called kṣema. So I am subject to yoga-kṣema. That is why Yamadharmarāja says: if a Brāhmiṇa guest is neglected, then ''āśā pratīkṣā'' (आशा प्रतीक्षा - phrase from the Katha Upanishad Chapter 1, Verse 8)— nothing but 'yoga and kṣema' — both will get destroyed totally.

So here, the Saguṇa Brahma looked. And what was the first thing? "I am." Because Saguṇa Brahma means: "I am conscious" , I am not one with Brahman. I may be very close to Brahman, but I have deviated, separated myself. That ignorance is called sṛṣṭi. We have to keep in mind: whether you call it creation or whether you call it ajñāna, it doesn't matter. But the moment that sṛṣṭi means that separation — happens, fear comes. But the first thing is: "I am."

As I said, he looked around. Accepting him, nobody was there. But he realized: "I am." That is why even today, the very first thing any creature says — ask a mosquito, suppose it can converse: "Who are you?" How does it start? "I am." Then only: "I am a mosquito, I am this species of mosquito, I am small, I am big, I am this, I am that," etc. But that stage has not yet come, because a mosquito has billions of things which can crush it — even air can crush it, heat can crush it. But here, Saguṇa Brahma was there.
----

== The Bṛhadāraṇyaka's Graphic Description ==
So the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad graphically describes:

सोऽनुवीक्ष्य नान्यदात्मन: — ''sah anuvekṣya na anyat ātmanaḥ'' — so, accepting himself, he did not see anything.

नोऽपश्यत् ''— Na apaśyat'' — looking around, he saw nothing other than himself.

Then, from that day onwards:

सोऽहमस्मीत्यग्रे व्याहरत्, ततोऽहंनामाभवत्; — ''sah aham asmīti agre vyāharat, tataḥ ahaṃ nāma abhavat'' — so that Saguṇa Brahma thought, "I am — I. " Because he can't say —"I am even a body" — "pure consciousness".

From that, the name ''aham'' arose. That is why:

तस्मादप्येतर्ह्यामन्त्रितोऽहमयमित्येवाग्र उक्त्वाथान्यन्नाम प्रब्रूते यदस्य भवति; — ''tasmāt api etarhi āmantrito 'ham ayam iti agre vyuktaiva atha anyat nāma prabhrūte yat asya bhavati'' — "Therefore, even now, when addressed or asked, one first says: 'Here I am.' Not really 'I am,' and only then does he speak any other name that he bears." What is the other name? Not "Rāmakṛṣṇa" — "I am a man, I am a woman, so I am so-and-so, I am not so-and-so," —all these things come.

So irrespective of country, irrespective of religion, irrespective of age, irrespective of class — ''aham'', "I am." Even today, "I am" is first. And then later on come: "I am a doctor, I am a patient, I am old, I am sick, I am about to die, I am young," etc. So, that is what we are doing.

Thereby, the Upaniṣad is indicating: the moment you say "I am," you are absolutely fine. But whatever comes after "I am" — that is called '''ajñānam.''' ''"I am"'' is sat. What comes after "I am" — that is ajñānam.
----

== How Did Hiraṇyagarbha Become Puruṣa? ==
स यत्पूर्वोऽस्मात्सर्वस्मात्सर्वान्पाप्मन अउषत् तस्मात्पुरुषह्; — sa yatpūrvo'smātsarvasmātsarvānpāpmana auṣat tasmātpuruṣah; — So now the question comes: the Upaniṣad is telling us that how he became a Puruṣa. So he gives a peculiar name. We need not go into the technical details of it, because there are two ideas about Hiraṇyagarbha. One idea is: he is the first creation — Saguṇa Brahma. The other is: it is a position in saṃsāra, just like a person goes to Brahmaloka.

And we have to keep in mind: when a person goes to Brahmaloka, it is not like going into the USA, somehow obtaining a visa, etc. No. Going to Brahmaloka means '''identifying oneself: "I am Brahmā.''' I am the creator." That identification itself is the loka, or the world. So when somebody says "I am ignorant," he is living in which loka? — Ajñānavidyāloka.

So the question is: how did Hiraṇyagarbha become Hiraṇyagarbha? The first view is: Brahman became Saguṇa Brahma — that is the first view. And the second view is: in the creation, he was also a human being, and he did a lot of yagānas, etc., and he rose up to Brahmaloka — he became Brahmā. So another name for Brahmā is 'Hiraṇyagarbha. That is what is said:

स यत्पूर्वोऽस्मात्सर्वस्मात्सर्वान्पाप्मन अउषत् तस्मात्पुरुषह्; — sa yatpūrvo'smātsarvasmātsarvānpāpmana auṣat tasmātpuruṣah; — because he burned up, consumed all evil, before everything else, he is called Puruṣa — the one who burns or consumes. That is to say, he did a lot of puṇyam. He became the purest. He became identified with the highest, purest mind. The purest mind is called Brahmā. And the purest mind becomes like the cleanest mirror reflecting one's own image, one's own form. That is what we have to understand.
----

== Encouragement: Anybody Can Become Brahmā ==
ओषति ह वै स तम् योऽस्मात्पूर्वो बुभूषति य एवं वेद || — oṣati ha vai sa tam yo'smātpūrvo bubhūṣati ya evaṃ veda || — And then the Upaniṣad continues: "Indeed, he burns up anyone who wishes to revel him. Thus knows he who knows this" — that is to say, this is to encourage each one of us: you can also become Brahmā. Anybody can become Brahmā. Naturally, some foolish question will come: "If everybody becomes Brahmā, how many Brahmās will there be?" That is not the way to look at it.

So if every river — small or big — and every raindrop falls into the ocean, how many oceans do they become? Only one ocean. That is how we have to understand this beautiful thought. So the idea is: anybody can become Brahmā, on the condition that he must become pure.

And just for your reference: let us refer to the eighth section of the second chapter of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad called Ānandamīmāṃsā. And then, a beautiful idea — there are higher worlds. The highest world is called Brahmaloka - Brahmana Loka Brahma-Loka (ब्रह्मन् लोक ब्रह्मलोक ). And there, he gets the highest dualistic happiness.

But then, immediately, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad also tells us that — "श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहत" — Śrotriyasya chākāmahataḥ" — so not only, he is not only a Śrotriya — a person who knows "I can become Brahmā." How does he know? Because he is devoted to this scripture. He has faith. The scripture is telling: "You are the Saguṇa Brahma. You are the Nirguṇa Brahma also."

But sādhanā, as I have said so many times, can take us only up to the Saguṇa Brahma. After that, sādhanā will not work, because that is Advaitam — pure Advaitam. But we should not worry: "What am I supposed to do after becoming Brahmā?" You don't need to do anything. Automatically, that state itself will take us to the other state.
----

== Key Titles of Hiraṇyagarbha: Aham and Puruṣa ==
So these are a few mantras I wanted to share with you. But important point is there. — What is it? — The Upaniṣad praises Hiraṇyagarbha by giving some titles. What is the first title? — ''Aham.''

That is what Ramaṇa Maharṣi finds out: "Who are you?" And then, some foolish fellows — years and years of meditation — say: "I am this, I am that." No — you are not this, you are not that. Simply say: ''Aham.'' Not saying, not thinking, but becoming ''aham''. That is called becoming Hiraṇyagarbha. So that is what we have to become. ''Aham. I am.''

So this Hiraṇyagarbha — he became Puruṣaḥ. How did he become? Because he did sādhanā. And what did the spiritual practice do? — He burned all his pāpams, or impurities. As he went on burning the impurities, what remained is called purity.
----

== The Three Steps of Purification ==
So we can even say there are three steps. Burn away — sthūla prapañca — not literal burning, but in knowledge. "I am not the physical body, sthūla śarīra." The entire sthūla prapañca will disappear.

Then the next thing is: "I am not the sūkṣma śarīra." The entire svapna prapañca, the dream world, will disappear.

"I am not even the kāraṇa śarīra." The entire kāraṇa prapañca will also go.

And that state — the universal state — is called Īśvara. As we have seen: if it is individual — bereft of these three, that is, the physical individual sthūla śarīra, individual sūkṣma śarīra, individual kāraṇa śarīra — such a person is called Prājña. And if it is universal, he is called Īśvara, Saguṇa Brahma. So that is the first meaning: ''aham.''

Second meaning: Puruṣa — "I am the Self, I am everything." And how did he attain? By burning out, destroying all his impurities. So the difference between oneself and everything else is because of this ajñāna. And the more we identify ourselves — and that is the purpose of every upāsanā, and that can be done only through upāsanā — and upāsanā should not only transform our mind and thoughts, but our physical, external behaviour and selfishness should disappear, as we have seen. Then we become the purest. Our mind becomes the purest.

That is what Patañjali Ṛṣi refers to: — "योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः" — ''yogaḥ citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ'' — when the mind is bereft of every thought, it becomes like a pure mirror. And that is what we have to achieve. So this is what is called washing away all these. That is why he is called Puruṣaḥ.

And as I said, he becomes so by burning his impurities. ''Auṣadhi'' means burning — that is why we say ''auṣadha''. ''Auṣadha'' means medicine. What does it do? It burns away the disease. That is why it is called ''auṣadhi.''
----

== Ātmaivaidam Agre: Life as a Drama ==
So there is: आत्मैवेदमग्र आसीत्पुरुष: — ''ātmaivaidam agre āsīt puruṣaḥ'' — Hiraṇyagarbha-Virāṭ is the first creation, and that is why: "I am," he says.

So our life's struggles are nothing but just as we see a dream. But what is the difference? When we see a dream, then we think it is real. But when we see a cinema, we know — at least adults know — that it is a cinema. But when Hiraṇyagarbha sees this sṛṣṭi, he knows: "This is my seeing a cinema, a drama." That is why it is called Raṅganātha. So that is the meaning that we see.
----

== Fear and Loneliness in Saṃsāra ==
Then he became frightened: तस्मादेकाकी बिभेति (1.4.2)—''tasmāt ekākī vibheti'' — so the Upaniṣad is trying to tell us: "Why are you feeling lonely?" Because when do we fear? So when you find there is nobody — you are travelling in a forest, you are alone — you become full of fear.

Remember the story of Dādā Madhusūdana. A boy was very much afraid. What was that forest? Saṃsāra. And we are always frightened — always frightened. Only we forcibly suppress our fear, we want to overcome our fear. Fear means unhappiness. That is why we always have to be away from ourselves — when we are alone, we are terribly frightened. And that is called loneliness. Because we have never cultivated: "What am I? Who am I?" That idea has never been cultivated.

That is why, even today, a person becomes fearful when that person is alone. And then the Upaniṣad derives certain things, outlining our condition. So even today, a bachelor (thinks): "I am alone, I want a companion." So he gets a companion — not understanding that ,that is not going to solve loneliness. Loneliness is a psychological condition. Any amount of psychological condition cannot be cured by any physical element. That is why even a rich person is frightened, a poor person is frightened. Only a jñānī is never frightened — because he never thinks there is anybody besides himself.
----

== The Yogi and Alexander: A Story of Fearlessness ==
A murderer comes — "Oh, this is me only, acting in this sense." There is a beautiful story — Alexander had conquered a part of India, and he heard the name and fame of a Yogi. He came there and he talked with him. And then it was winter season, it is said. And Alexander sent news: "You must come and see me." The Yogi said: "I have no time to come and see you. You come and see me." And Alexander had no way excepting to come.

And so Alexander was pleased after talking a little with that Yogi and said, "What can I do for you?" He said: "You get the hell out of the sun ray which is warming me up in this winter season. You are standing — your shadow is making me shiver with cold." Only a Yogi can tell (say that). So it is said Alexander came and met him several times.

And then he was forced to go back, because his soldiers rebelled — years and years of separation from their families, wives, children, etc. Then he had no option. Then he requested: "Please come with me, I will look after you." The Yogi said: "No, I am quite happy here, I will not come."

Then Alexander, in his normal behaviour, took out his sword and said: "Don't you know who I am? I can cut off your head." And the Muni — the Yogi — laughed and said: "I have never heard a greater lie than this. Who can kill me? I am birth-less, therefore I am also deathless. I am pure consciousness." That is the idea.
----

== Closing Remarks ==
We will discuss about it in our next class. But this fourth section is the most important section. If we can get the essence of it, then the rest of it is only an explanation, as I have mentioned in my introduction.
----

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.

'''Jai Ramakrishna!'''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1 Lecture 10 on 22 February 2026

2026-06-08T22:52:06Z

Sachidanand: added Devanāgarī script for starting and closing Invocations and for some references from Gita etc., edited missing words/ sentences plus some corrections to match the audio & added a few words (put under parentheses) to bring clarity

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

= Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: An Introduction to the Madhukāṇḍa and Aśvamedha Upāsanā =

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

''Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate''

''Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣhyate''

''Om Śānti Śānti Śānti''

'''OM'''

That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
----

== The Śānti Pāṭha as Mahāvākya ==
So we are studying the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. And as we said, the Śānti Pāṭha is a very special Śānti Pāṭha — it is a Mahāvākya. We discussed about that. Then the next point of information: this ''pūrṇamadaḥ'' doesn't occur at the beginning of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, but it only comes at the beginning of the fifth chapter. But Śaṅkarācārya had given a brilliant commentary. What is the essence of that? That everything is Brahman — that and this, that Brahman and this Brahman. These are divisions made by us, the Jīvātmās, from the viewpoint of Avidyā. Really speaking, there is no "that" and "this." In infinity, this and that, here and there, above and below, small and big — do not exist. Infinite means just one single nature. That is called Brahman. We, of course, cannot think about it ('''अवाङ्मनसगोचरन्)''', but we are to meditate upon it — considering that every effect is none other than the cause, albeit with three modifications: Nāma, Rūpa, and Karma — in other words, form, name, and a utility.

When Brahman is looked at with this division — which Swami Vivekananda said - time, space, and causation — then it appears to be different from Brahman. That is what we call this universe. This universe includes all of us. But this universe is again subdivided into that which is consciousness, and that which is also called the subject, and in opposition to that, everything else is an object. Object and the cognition of an object, totally depends upon the subject alone. That is why, when we go into deep sleep, the whole universe disappears — because the cognizing subject, the cognizer, the pure consciousness, is not non-existent, but it is not associated with mind and body. That is why this universe doesn't exist, second doesn't exist.
----

== The Three-Part Division of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ==
Then we also have given a brief introduction that the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad has been divided into three parts. The first part is called the Madhukāṇḍa. This Madhukāṇḍa consists of two very special methodologies called Adhyāropa and Apavāda. Adhyāropa means accepting that this world exists, it is real, but there is so much of variation in this world. One must strive to rise from the lowest to the highest. For that purpose, the scripture prescribes first rituals, afterwards contemplations called Upāsanās, and afterwards entering into the second part of the Veda called Jñānakāṇḍa. So first Karmakāṇḍa, then Upāsanākāṇḍa, then Jñānakāṇḍa.
----

== The Principle Behind the Upāsanākāṇḍa ==
And this Upāsanākāṇḍa is nothing but internalizing — doing everything in the mind. Whatever we have been doing externally, now we must do it internally. And there is a great psychological principle involved here. What is that principle? Just before I go further, I will give you an example first. When we go into that state called dreaming, whatever thought comes, it becomes real. If I can really think I have gone to Kailāsa, or Vaikuṇṭha, or paradise, or hell — I will be there instantaneously. There is no gap between thought and experience. So the purpose of the Upāsanākāṇḍa is slowly to train our mind that we are in higher Lokas, even in the highest Loka, but finally in Brahman. The mind has to be trained. Really speaking, the mind of course cannot enter into Brahman, but it can think of various higher experiences. And higher experience means higher Ānanda, higher joy. So there is nothing higher in this dualistic world. In the dualistic state of happiness, the highest such happiness is called Brahmaloka — that is the limit. After that, it is only not Brahmalokananda, but Brahmānanda. That is also called Kośānanda — Ānandamayakośa.
----

== The Scripture's Gradual Method of Teaching ==
So the purpose of the scripture is to take the hand of the baby and slowly guide him so that he can progress step by step. The first step, of course, which has infinite variations, is called Karmakāṇḍa — purely ritualistic sections, and it is mostly external. Then slowly the scripture introduces partly external rituals and partly contemplations. That is why in our pūjā — I explained earlier — every pūjā can be divided into four parts.The first part is purification, called Śuddhi.

The second part is called Nyāsa — slowly getting rid of our egotism by saying: this is not my hand, this is your hand; this is not my mind, this is your mind; this is not my individuality, this is your individuality. This is called Nyāsa. Nyāsa means transferring my ownership to God. That is the second part.

And then we sit and do the third part, which is called mental worship. In mental worship, in contrast to external worship, we can imagine the best things possible. You can bring the lotus or the lily from the Himalayas — after all, it is a thought, it is an imagination. The freshest flower you can pluck from French gardens — the most beautiful, the most fragrant rose, any number of roses — and offer it at the feet of the Lord. The best food, the best fragrance, the best music, the best smell — everything the best. Mind has no limitation to its imagination. So that is where we have to train the mind. And then slowly, when the mind becomes capable of focussing, concentrating, identifying — then we do not require anymore these external rituals. Just like a child does not require a wax apple, a wax bee, etc. — once he learns what it is, once he understands what it is, this is an apple and this is a bird and this is a cat, then he does not need it anymore. The very word conveys its meaning. That is called Upāsanā. And this Upāsanā has several benefits, which I will discuss very shortly.

And then after that, the person becomes completely fit to enter into the last spiritual stage. For that he has to approach a Guru. For that matter, for everything we have to approach a Guru from the very beginning. Then God comes in the form of the Guru and takes the disciple slowly. But he must be a fit person — that is called Adhikārī. ''Sādhana-catuṣṭaya-sampannaḥ'' — endowed with the fourfold qualifications. And then the Guru tells the highest truth first, asks us to meditate, get rid of all our doubts, and then transform our life by identifying ourselves with the highest reality. This is the process.
----

== The Universal Pattern of Scripture ==
Every scripture practically starts only with external rituals — and in the rituals, do this and do not do that; you must perform this, you must never do these things. Do's and don'ts. And slowly the promised result is experienced. With each such experience verified, our faith in the scripture grows. Our faith in the Guru also grows — because scripture is nothing but Guru only— and the he is someone who also had followed the same pathway and has reached the goal, or is far ahead of us.
----

== Adhyāropa and Apavāda: The Two-Fold Process of Advaita Vedānta ==
So this is how scripture works. For that purpose, this Advaita Vedānta specially had designed and formulated a special process — and it is called Adhyāropa and Apavāda. What is Adhyāropa? Whatever we are experiencing at this present moment, and we are going to experience it for a long time to come — including Brahmaloka experience — it is all superimposition. Simply what it means is: it falls under the name of universe, cause and effect, duality — purely called Avidyā, ignorance. And slowly guiding us to recognize this fact — that is Adhyāropa.

Then the teacher says: now we have to get rid of this superstition. That is called Apavāda — removal of this ignorance. That is when the Guru initiates, and the process takes place through three steps: Śravaṇa, Manana, and Nididhyāsana.

Why are we talking about Adhyāropa and Apavāda? Because the first chapter, which is called Madhukāṇḍa, speaks about Adhyāropa, and the second chapter speaks about Apavāda. And this first chapter is also called Upadeśakāṇḍa. Kāṇḍa means chapter. So what is Upadeśa? That you are Brahman. But first you are a devotee, you are a believer, you are an āstika. And then you go on obeying the scripture through your experience. As you grow, your concept of — both yourself and of the world and of God — grow together.
----

== The Progression of Happiness Toward Brahman ==
And then slowly the teacher takes the student along. Yes, the lower state is also real — but there is a higher state, which is much more real. The more real, the more happiness comes. More reality, more happiness. Higher world, more happiness. Highest world, most happiness. Nothing can surpass that happiness of the highest world, which in other words is called Brahma-loka-ananda . Still it is a loka — still it is under ignorance.

But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says there is a vast difference between Avidyāmāyā and Vidyāmāyā. Brahmaloka falls under Vidyāmāyā — and that Vidyāmāyā helps us to transcend even that Brahma-loka-ananda by negating — "I thought this was the highest, now I realize it is not" — ''Neti, neti,'' Not this, not this.
----

== The Manifest and Un-manifest Worlds ==
And again, for this facility of easier understanding, the scripture divides this world into a manifest world and the un-manifest world. What is manifested is called the effect, and what is non-manifest is called the cause, the seed. I gave the example of the seed. And everything — every object that we experience in this world — consists of three things: a form, a name to distinguish it from others, and every object fulfils a particular prayojana, utility. A small pot to store small things, a bigger pot for storing more number of things. So ,whatever we experience through our five sense organs, that is called ''vyākṛtaprapañcam'', the manifest world. And every object in this manifest world has a name, has a form, and has a utility. But these are all called effects. And an effect is called an effect only in relationship with its un-manifest cause. So ''vyākṛta'', ''avyākṛta'' — manifest and un-manifest. But both of them fall under only the creation, which is called Avidya.
----

== Sādhanaprapañca and Sādhyaprapañca ==
Then the world is also divided, from another viewpoint, into Sādhanaprapañca and Sādhyaprapañca. We all have desires — I have to eat food, I have to drink water, I have to take rest — so my desires have to be fulfilled. And there are desires, objects to be attained, objects to be experienced — then we get pleasure, joy, happiness, etc. But in order to fulfil our desires, we also have to fulfil certain conditions — and that is called Sādhyaprapañca. So, Sādhana means striving to achieve something, and Sādhya means what is desirable, which we think will give us, help us experience more happiness. Nobody wants to experience pain. So that is Sādhyaprapañca. Even the greatest ascetics — which are galore, many, in every religion — they undergo the hardest suffering, but voluntarily. But that is only a payment — that is called Sādhanaprapañca. It is only spiritual practice. The purpose is to become spiritual, to become godly, to know that I am Brahman. So, the whole world is divided into that something which needs to be attained, and the means of attaining that one. So, the desired goal is called Sādhya, and the means to that is called Sādhana.
----

== The Structure of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: Chapters and Sections ==
In this Upaniṣad — the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad — every chapter is called an Adhyāya, and the sections that follow in every chapter, are for some reason called Brāhmaṇas. All these we have seen. So in the first three Brāhmaṇas — that is, the first three sections of the first chapter — we are introduced to three types of meditations, or rather, meditation on three objects. What are they? The first object is called Aśvopāsanā — meditation on a horse. The second is called Agniopāsanā — meditation on Agni Devatā. The third is called Prāṇopāsanā — meditation on Prāṇa Devatā.

Now we have to stop and think: a horse is to be contemplated, fire is to be contemplated, Prāṇa is to be contemplated. How are they to be contemplated? That this is not a horse, but this is — Hiraṇyagarbha. This is not Agni or fire — this is also — Hiraṇyagarbha. This is not Prāṇa — this is also — Hiraṇyagarbha. So what does it mean? It means: I am not this particular individual. In reality, I am that Hiraṇyagarbha only. This is the first step that is adopted in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.
----

== The Purpose of Upāsanā: We Become What We Contemplate ==
What is the purpose? Upāsanā — we have to remember. What is Upāsanā? Upāsanā in the English language is merely translated as — contemplation. And what a person thinks, in course of time he becomes that. If a person thinks of a bad quality, he becomes that bad quality. So a person, by meditating on evil, becomes an evil person. The quality called evilness, doesn't remain separate from him —that is the magic of the mind — we become one with that object. Just as the moment you think, "This is a tree" — your thought , and the object outside called a tree — become inseparable. Similarly, if I can think, "I am seeing this Hiraṇyagarbha" — I become Hiraṇyagarbha. But that thought has to be sustained; otherwise other thoughts will come. One flash: I am Hiraṇyagarbha. Another flash: I am a donkey. Another flash: I am a book. In fact, many of us do not realize — if I am thinking of a book, I have become a book; if I am thinking of a tree — I have become a tree for the time being. And if I have to think I am me, we have to think of me — that means we should stop thinking of any other object. So whatever we think we are, that we become. So — 'ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्' — Bhagavān says this great psychological fact.
----

== Why the Upaniṣad Begins With Upāsanās Rather Than Brahmavidyā ==
So, the first parts of this first chapter ,contain these Upāsanās. Naturally, the first question that comes to our mind is: when the Upaniṣad is supposed to teach us about the highest reality called Brahman, why is it talking about, you see — the Upaniṣad is not a fool. The Upaniṣad here means the teacher, the Ṛṣi who is teaching to his students — and he is not a fool. He may be having several students. The mental level of one student may be very low, another student may be much higher, and another student — a first-class first, like Yājñavalkya himself. So a real teacher must come down to the level of his student's capability of receiving, and give him what he is capable of receiving. Rāmakṛṣṇa says: 'a mother cooks the same curry, but she cooks it in different ways — very thin soup is given to the baby, because that is the capacity of the digestive power of the baby'. Similarly, a Guru also gives the same curry — the same teaching — but in different ways. And once the baby starts growing, like the student starts understanding better, then higher and higher levels of the same truth — the same Satyam — but given in different dosages. So slowly, from the terrible dilution, slowly and slowly, the dilution becomes less, until the highest truth, when the student is ready, will be given to that person.
----

== Overview of the First Chapter's Upāsanās ==
So let us see some details of this Upāsanā. We start chapter one, and this contains six sections. The first section contains two verses, and the second Brāhmaṇa consisting of seven. Both these —first section and second section — consisting of two plus seven, nine mantras — are devoted to the meditation on the horse and the fire ,used in the horse sacrifice. This horse sacrifice is called Aśvamedha Yajña, and this is the highest — considered to be the greatest ritual, the greatest Vedic ritual, rites. What happens if any person performs this one — it confers upon that person, upon the one who performs this sacrifice, that is why it is called Yajña. Yajña means sacrifice and one who performs sacrifice is called the sacrificer. So whoever performs this correctly, as a result of that performance, he attains — Brahmaloka, or Hiraṇyagarbha-loka, or Prajāpati-loka, which is the highest possible dualistic happiness.
----

== The Brahma Yajña and the Vision of Universal Brahman ==
But there is something very special about this Aśvamedha-Yajña. There are so many Yajñas are there. For example, all of us are entitled and advised to perform what is called Brahmārpaṇa-Yajña. Before eating anything, you utter that mantra: (ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् | - the first line of Gita 4.24 shloka) — the food is Brahman; the fire with which the food is cooked is also Brahman; the vessel in which it is kept is also Brahman; and the spoon or the hand which brings that food to the mouth is also Brahman; and the person, to whom it is offered is also Brahman; and the fire, that digests this food is called Vaiśvānara Agni — that is also Brahman. So the giver of the food, the cooker of the food, and the digester of the food — everything is Brahman. That is why it is called Brahma-Yajña — looking upon everything as Brahman.

And if somebody really can do it — the example of food, or reciting this ''Brahmārpaṇam'' just before the food, is not really Brahmārpaṇam. Any act that we do , including ( note: these are some of activities mentioned in the 2nd line of Gita 5.8 -'पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् || , and in the 1st line of Gita 5.9 -'प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्ण्न्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि |) — ''aśhnan (eating); śhvasan (breathing); gachchhan (moving); pralapan (talking); nimiṣhan (closing the eyes); unmiṣhan (opening the eyes);'' — whether we are breathing in, breathing out, eating, walking, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting — every action that we do through our five sense organs of knowledge, through the five sense organs of action, and through the mind — eleven : five of action, five of knowledge, plus the mind — through any one of these eleven, whatever we do, we will have to think: it is God who is breathing, it is God, whom God is breathing, it is God who is coming, appearing in the form of the food, etc.

I gave you also several times, just to remind: Annapūrṇā — means food; it is not that — there is a person called Annapūrṇā, she has plenty of food, ''annam'', and she gives us food. No , she comes in the form of the food to sustain us. Gaṅgā Devī is not that a Devatā giving us water — she comes in the form of water and then she sustains us. Agni Devatā comes in the form of the required warmth, the required fire. For our physical body, it comes like homeostasis, but for digesting the food, the same fire has to come in the form of— everything has to be digested, that is the digestive fire — that is called Vaiśvānara Agni. Therefore, different manifestations of that Agni sustain every creater, created being, every creature.

So God is creating, God is the created, God is the food, God is eaten, God is the eater — there is no division called subject and object. The subject becomes subject to one object, and that object becomes subject to another object. For example, when I am looking at you, I am the subject, you are the object. When you are looking at me, you are the subject and I am the object. There is no such hard and fast rule that - one is the only subject and everything else is object. No — it is the same Kṣetrajña, pure consciousness, which, having assumed one form, appears as the subject, the experiencer, and also comes in another form, as the object.
----

== The Dream Analogy: Subject and Object Are One ==
The example is the dream. You are the waker, and you are the only waker in your dream — there is nobody else coming and dreaming for you. So you, the waker-consciousness, divide yourself into — yourself as the individual in your dream, and also yourself as the objects: as your neighbours, as the trees, as the animals, as the insects, as the birds, etc. and as the non-living — a house, a mountain, a cloud, the earth. So you yourself have become both subject and object. When you are eating a potato - the potato is the object and you are the subject — the potato is enjoyed and you are the enjoyer. But if you are caught by a tiger, the tiger becomes the enjoyer and you become the enjoyed. But even in the dream, we are enveloped by that ignorance, so we think: "I am me, and everything else is separate." Upon waking up — who is the tiger? — You. Who is the potato? — You. Who enjoyed the potato? — You. So whom did the tiger enjoy?— You. Everything is — I, I, I. If we can create like that, what wonder is there— God can create this entire Sṛṣṭi — the whole creation.
----

== The Aśvamedha Yajña: Its Nature and Who Can Perform It ==
So now — what is the topic? Aśvamedha-Yajña. So three types of contemplations are given in the three sections: first on the horse, second on fire, third on this Prāṇa. But there is a commonality between these three. What is that commonality? — All three are objects of Upāsanā. Upāsanā means, 'you must strip all these three of their externalities and come to the core, which cannot be changed; every externality can be changed, but that core cannot be changed; you can change the form of clay, the name of the clay, the utility of the clay — but the clay itself, which is the core, cannot be changed'. So like that, when we strip off this Aśva — the horse — and the fire, Agni, and the Prāṇa, the Prāṇa, devata, vital force — then what remains is Hiraṇyagarbha. That is to say, we have to look upon everything as Hiraṇyagarbha.

All of a sudden, we can't become abstract mathematicians. We have to slowly learn what is 1 plus 1, what is 2 into 2, what is 4 minus 2 etc., — these are the fundamentals — and slowly progress. And a time might come in this life when we might become abstract mathematicians, abstract mathematics. And for that, tremendous intelligence is needed. So here, these three objects are to be done Upāsanā.

Upāsanā always means we have discussed this point — taking an ordinary object and, in our imagination, contemplating upon it — as the highest object, something very high. For example, there is a small piece of stone—if you are a devotee of Śiva, you call it a Liṅga — like Lord Viśvanātha. What do you see?— it is only a piece of stone established there. But how many millions of people, how many times they visit and feel themselves blessed! Similarly, another small piece of stone is called Śālagrāma, and that represents Lord Viṣṇu. Where is the resemblance — between a small stone, there is no resemblance at all — it is not even alive. But in our mind it represents — the Divine Lord. It helps us — just like an apple is given to a child and told repeatedly, — "This is a fruit called apple." So like that, slowly, slowly, our uncultured, uncultivated minds should be made more and more capable — capable of understanding higher concepts, higher knowledge. That is the purpose of the Upāsanā.
----

== The Aśvamedha Yajña: Historical and Ritual Description ==
So in this case, we will discuss about it. But briefly — this is not a horse, but this is — Hiraṇyagarbha, Virāṭ, the universal. And for that, a beautiful description is given— practically every part of the horse is described very beautifully. So what is the speciality? This is called Aśva-medha Yajña.

Before we go further, I have to tell you: nowadays in this 21st century, we do not know the mysteries of these Upāsanās. But in the olden days, they used to take — a cow, a horse, etc., even a human being — and then this ritual called Aśva-medha Yajña only kings can do it. A king belongs to kshatriya, the warrior class.

This (particular) ritual called the Aśvamedha Yajña can only be done by kings. A king belongs to the class called Kṣatriya — what is called the warrior class, according to Socrates. Because they are strong, they are endowed with Rajas, they are fearless — they are what we call rulers, or upholders of law, so that the society becomes a sane society, not an insane society. Just imagine: the rulers, the presidents, the prime ministers— when they become unwise people — what is called the selfish people — (there is) chaos— not only for themselves, because they are under the delusion: "We are unchallenged powers, we can do what we like" — but the Karmasiddhānta of Hinduism comes to the fore; these very people — sometimes they are shot dead, sometimes they are hanged, sometimes they may die naturally in this birth, but as a result of their evil deeds are being recorded by the highest intelligence, and accordingly the Karmaphala will come. That is why we see people — born blind: born disfigured; born with all sorts of diseases; dying very soon, with the greatest suffering — whatever, is all the result of past Karma. And every true Hindu believes it.

So what I am trying to tell: not only are there so many warrior classes, every person belonging to this warrior caste does not become a ruler. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa tells beautifully: there is one man — he is frightened of even a mouse; there is another person of whom even a thousand people are frightened to approach near to him— there is so much of variation between any given two individuals.

So a king — a Kṣatriya king— alone is entitled to perform this sacrifice. There are certain rules. So when a person decides (to perform it), it is also very expensive — no ordinary person can do it. So, not only should that person be a king; not only should he be a strong person; he should be a very powerful person; not only a powerful person — he should have plenty of wealth, because a lot of expenditure is involved. So, he selects one of the best horses that are available to him, and he lets that (consecrated) horse — out free. But, the horse is accompanied by thousands of soldiers, and the horse, according to its will, is made to roam near, to all the places that are possible. And if anybody opposes, the soldiers will fight with that opposition party and they subdue (them). Only when they subdue (them), the other party becomes docile, and they agree to pay what they call a yearly tithe (tribute), and they swear loyalty to this king.

So like that, the horse must return back after several years. And, if someone opposes, the soldiers of this king, have to defeat them, and then, when the horse reaches the original place, from where it was let out— then there would be (a) big ceremony. So many Brāhmaṇa priests have to come, and they will have to do a special ritual, in which the horse is sacrificed and its brain is offered to Vedic gods — especially Indra, etc. — and that is taken, just as we offer sweets and fruits to the Lord and accept prasādam. So the people who participated, including the Brāhmins, have to take it as sacred prasādam. ''Medha'' actually means brain— so that brain has to be offered in a ritualistic manner. This kind of thing was prevalent, and historians tell us that many people used to do it — sacrifices in the name of gods and goddesses, etc.

So then that person becomes great. Now all this description I am giving because such an Aśvamedha Yajña can be done — must be done — can only be done, by a very powerful, wealthy, intelligent king. Others cannot do it. What is the result? This person will attain to Hiraṇyagarbhaloka, which is also called Brahmaloka.
----

== The Aśvopāsanā: A Path to Brahmaloka for All ==
Now the question comes: even Brāhmaṇas cannot do it. Why? Because especially in those days, Brāhmaṇas— they voluntarily renounced wealth, lived the very simplest possible life — their lives are dedicated to the study of the scriptures, propagate the scriptures, and living holy lives. That is why they are called Brāhmaṇas. So those Brāhmaṇas cannot do it for the simple reason: first of all they don't want to do it, secondly they don't have the power to do it, thirdly they don't have the required wealth, etc. Not only Brāhmaṇas — other warriors also cannot do it. Of course, the question of Vaiśyas and Śūdras doing it doesn't arise at all.

But everybody has the right to ascend to Brahmaloka. So how is it possible? For that, the Ṛṣis have devised a special Upāsanā, a special contemplation — and that is called Aśvo-upāsanā. So in this, every part of the Aśva, or horse, is described, and every part is assigned to the whole universe. We are going to talk about it later on. So, every part of the horse — very minutely, very elaborately — is described, and then every part is compared to one part of the universe. The whole universe combined is called — Saguṇa Brahman, Īśvara, or Hiraṇyagarbha. That means: by contemplating this horse —special horse, and that is only a symbol — but that symbol is now contemplated as a universal symbol. And if somebody does it successfully, they need not do anything physical — they will attain to Brahmaloka. Because their mind is thinking of Brahman as Prajāpati or Hiraṇyagarbha — not as the supreme Brahman, but next to him, as Īśvara, Saguṇa Brahman, Śakti.

So the person takes this ālambanā — a support, a symbol, a lower symbol — to be contemplated as the highest accessible reality— that is the purpose of Upāsanā. And how the limbs of the horse — so vividly described, and the corresponding universe,om assigned for contemplation — that we will study in our next class.

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः ||

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum ।''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh ||''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.

'''Jai Ramakrishna!'''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.3 Lecture 16 on 15 March 2026

2026-06-01T03:17:14Z

Sachidanand: /"Devanagari script Invocation" /* Closing Prayer */ , missing words and sentences, and miscellaneous corrections

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

''Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate''

''Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣhyate''

''Om Śānti Śānti Śānti''

Om, that Brahman is infinite and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone. Om Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

== Introduction to the Third Section ==
So we have entered into the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. We have already covered two sections in the first chapter, and including this present third section, they are all supposed to be Upāsanās.

First, it is a contemplation on the horse. Taking a horse as just a support, we have to consider it not as a horse but as the universal Lord. In fact, in South India, there are some people whose Iṣṭa Devatā is Hayagrīva. The whole body will (not) be like a horse, only the face will be just like that of the horse. But He is the universal divine Lord. So — contemplation on an Aśva.
----

== Everything is Brahman ==
In fact, it should not be astonishing if we believe in the essential teachings of the Vedānta: - 'everything is nothing but Brahman'; 'there is nothing else excepting Brahman'. But because we have put the veil of ignorance on our eyes, we are saying, "I am an individual, and everything is separate from me." But the fact is — everything is nothing but pure light. For that, we also give the example of a cinema screen. A film is being watched. Every object that we see on that white screen, that white screen is compared to Brahman, and on that light falls. And that light is nothing but, transforms itself, as if, because of the filming — into the living, the non-living, everything. So in this analogy, the background is that — pure Brahman.

But our mind becomes like a mirror and our thoughts become like the film running. And the light in the pure mind is taking various shapes — Nāma, Rūpa, names and forms, which we call thoughts. And if the thoughts are believed to be outside, they are called objects; but if the thoughts, then they are called within us, as thoughts. Everything is nothing but Brahman.
----

== The Practice of Upāsanā ==
So we can take, what is point, we can take any object. In fact, Hindus are experts in it. They take a small piece of stone and project upon it, or superimpose upon it — the qualities of the dDvine Lord.

So ''Pratimā'' — we have discussed about it earlier in the Taittirīa as an introduction to the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. —there are various Upāsanās, and the crudest of them are called Pratimā Upāsanā. Just like a human being, we fashion — like Durgā Pūjā time, Kālī Pūjā time, Kṛṣṇa Pūjā time, Gaṇeśa Pūjā time.

Then ''Pratīka''. Pratīka is a symbol — a cross, a small stone as representative of Lord Śiva or Lord Viṣṇu, etc. Christians take the cross as the very embodiment of Jesus Christ. So every religion has evolved these means.

Then among these contemplations, there is one contemplation which is the highest contemplation. It is called ''Ahaṃ-Graha Upāsanā''. When Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa meditated upon Hanumān, he became Hanumān. "I am the Hanumān" — Ahaṃ Graha. What I was meditating upon is none other than me. And that Ahaṃ Graha Upāsanā is considered as the highest type of contemplation.
----

== The Aśvamedha Yajña ==
Anyway, we have entered into this third section. So the first section — we have taken the horse. And that too, not any horse, but a superior breed, and which is done only by powerful kings, very expensive. And as I mentioned, at the end of its wandering, everybody is conquered by the king who is doing this Aśvamedha Yajña. And the horse itself, when it returns, protected by the sole powerful armies of the king, then he becomes the emperor, the king of kings, then only he can perform.

Then it is a huge ritual. — time, money and effort are very necessary. But the Upaniṣad is very loving kind. It says, what about others? Any king — king of kings — who performs this Aśvamedha Yajña, he contemplates this Aśvam horse as Virāṭ. As a result, he becomes Virāṭ — Virāṭ, as I explained yesterday, is another name for Saguṇa Brahman.

But anybody else — mentally, they can do. We can do mental pūjā. In every ordinary pūjā, there is the third part called Mānasika Pūjā. And there we must have that buddhi, that intelligence, to bring the best things. Because thoughts do not require any expenditure. So the best flowers have to be imagined, the best perfumes, the best beauty, the best taste, the best climate — everything can be imagined. And for that also, out of its infinite compassion, the scripture gives us certain helps: "You imagine your heart as a lotus, etc.etc."
----

== The Three Upāsanās ==
So the first one is contemplation on the horse as Saguṇa Brahman. The second is contemplation of Agni as Saguṇa Brahman. In that respect, our Śaṅkarācārya writes several Bhāṣyams, enlightening our intellects to the extent that is possible by a human being.

So in the Agni Upāsanā — Sṛṣṭi — so in the beginning there was nothing. That is, before the creation, there was only Brahman. Then that Brahman somehow became creation Himself. And He was called Saguṇa Brahman. And that Saguṇa Brahman is manifesting as me, as you, as every object, as the living object, as the non-living object. Everything is nothing but Saguṇa Brahman.

Why do we call it Saguṇa Brahman? Because we are able to experience it either through our five sense organs or imagine through the mind — that is, within the scope of time, space and causation. And whatever is imagined through these limitations is called Saguṇa Brahman. When there is no limitation, that is called Nirguṇa Brahman.

The goal is slowly raising the mind, purifying it more, and enlarging its identity with more and more — until finally we identify first with the entire universe and later on with that pure, indescribable Paramātmā.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya's Bhāṣyam on Sṛṣṭi ==
So we have seen Śaṅkarācārya's Bhāṣyam. In the second section — Sṛṣṭi — that is to say, there is God. In simple words. But Vedānta doesn't use the word "God." It uses the word "that which is nothing." Nothing was there. But immediately it qualifies, lest some people may mistake. From nothing, nothing can be created. From something only, something can be created.

What is creation? Seeing the cause with names and forms is called creation. So everything is Brahman — exists. But it gives a peculiar name: ''Mṛtyu''. Mṛtyu means Saguṇa Brahman. And yes, we have seen that this is called the Ghaṭa Bhāṣyam. How Śaṅkarācārya takes a simple example of a pot — a pot made out of clay — and how clay is the ultimate cause of the entire creation of pots: small pot, big pot, blue pot, red pot, square pot, rounded pot, angular pot, etc. That is to make us understand, through this example, that the whole universe consisting of both the living and non-living is nothing but manifestation.

How can a non-living creature be a manifestation of consciousness? Not that it is devoid of consciousness, but with our limited sense organs — sense organs plus mind — we are not able to perceive it. Of the three qualities, we perceive, we experience, only one characteristic — that is called existence, ''Sat''. But everything is Sat, is nothing but ''Cit'' and ''Ānanda''. Cit and Ānanda are there; we are not able to perceive them — not because they are absent, but because our instrument is not adequate to see, to experience.

So that is called the Ghaṭa Bhāṣyam — very enlightening. That means God exists, not in the sense that we limit Him as good or evil. When I am happy, He is a good God — I give Him a certificate. When I am not happy, He is the most wretched person in the whole world. Again, it is my certificate based upon my experience.

No — whatever God does is absolutely for the good of every person. So God wants us to run to Him and become one with Him. And if we are resisting it, He will have to pull us. That pulling towards Him is what we call our miseries, our difficulties, our problems in life. But if we are wise and look back and say, "If I have come a bit nearer to God, it is only because of these problems" — without problem, there can be no progress in life. Without a need, there cannot be creativity. The mother of every creativity, every action of creativity, is necessity.
----

== The Prāṇa Upāsanā ==
So that is what we have seen. And we have entered into the Prāṇa Upāsanā. I have given the gist of it, even though some beautiful points are there.

And Prāṇa is here highly praised. Now, there is a peculiar thing. This is actually how we can understand the Vedas or different schools of philosophy. But in the beginning, I just quoted the very first mantra: that Prajāpati — or Saguṇa Brahman —He manifested Himself as two of His children - one is called God. Another is called demon.

And God is one with all desirable spiritual qualities. And just the diametrically opposite thing is called ''Asura''. Naturally, in our experience, we see the demons — many, many, many more than good people. We can count on our fingers who is a good person. But it is very difficult. There is no problem in counting demons. Most of the people are demons only — there is no doubt about it.
----

== The Fight Between Good and Evil ==
Now, there is always a continuous fight between these two. And this is an allegory. Bhagavad Gītā is an allegory. The fight between the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas is the fight between the evil and the good. And this is the theme that recurs an infinite number of times in the Purāṇas, mythologies, in the Upaniṣads, in the teachings of everybody.

So what is Life? Life is the attempt to manifest one's own divinity when there is a force which is trying to press it down. Life is a manifestation of one's own true nature when some other evil force — which is called Māyā or Avidyā or ignorance — is trying to press it down. This was one of the famous definitions of life given by Swami Vivekananda to Khetri Mahārāja.
----

== Swami Vivekananda's Four Definitions of Life ==
Swamiji has also, just I am reminding you, has given three other definitions - Life is a school, Life is a gymnasium, Life is a circus.

By "school" Swami Vivekananda meant we are here to learn the lessons — actually, only one lesson: that I am Brahman - that is the only lesson we have to learn. But in order to really have that knowledge, we have to develop our physical, intellectual, aesthetical, moral and spiritual muscles. That is what Swamiji meant.

"Life is a gymnasium." Every action of ours will prove to one's own self that how much, how many, how much nearer one is approaching to God. But when once one understands who one is, one becomes free from all trammels.

And then life becomes a continuous swimming in the ocean of bliss. And that is what Swamiji said. "Life is a circus." A Jīvanmukta goes on witnessing everything, but it is nothing but a big circus. In the circus, there are serious people; there are also buffoons; there are also jokers. And all sorts of people are there, and they are there - everyone has a role to make the Līlā, the divine sport — complete. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa expresses this many times in the Gospel: Jaṭilā and Kuṭilā are necessary to complete the drama, the Līlā — the divine Līlā — make it most enchanting.
----

== The Gods and Demons: An Allegory ==
So the first mantra tells us there were two classes of Prajāpati's sons — the gods, that is the spiritual people, and the demons, that is worldly people - whom Kāṭha Pañcam beautifully distinguishes those who seek Preyas and those who seek the Shreyas - those who seek God and those who seek the world. Naturally, the gods were few and the demons many — which means most of the time, the gods get beaten black and blue.

So these two struggle with one another for mastery of these worlds. This is the symbolism. Life is a fight between the good and evil, until, inch by inch, we conquer the opposite and go to our real place - 'मन चलो निजो निकेतने' (Mono Chalo nijo niketane).

So then there was an occasion when, being overwhelmed by the demons, the gods consulted with each other and they came to the conclusion: "Let us surrender ourselves to God. Let us praise God." That is called Udgītha. So we can overcome by the grace of God, but we have to sing. And in that connection, context, a small story has been given.
----

== The Twenty-Eight Verses of the Prāṇa Upāsanā ==
So this third section, which is called Prāṇa Upāsanā — the praises of Prāṇa, the glories of Prāṇa , consisting of Prāṇa Upāsanā - has 28 verses. As I said, I am not going through the verses, but I will give you a real gist of every section. And I also highlight it with some of the important commentaries written by our great Paramaguru Śaṅkarācārya, which are very enlightening to each and every one of us — not only to me, but to all of you. Because, you are all very intelligent people. God is manifesting in you in the form of intelligence. So you should use it to understand God better and better.
----

== The Lesson of the Sense Organs ==
So the fight — I have already described — that one by one, the sense organs, they felt very egotistic: "I am sustaining the whole life." So the eye left - nothing happened, a bit inconvenient. After one year, it returned. So, it was shocked. It admitted defeat: "I thought without me, you will not be able to survive. Now I am humbled. Life was a bit defective without me, but it did not vanish." So, the other four organs also , that is - the nostrils and the ears, the taste and the touch — all of them took leave for one year. And when they came back, life went on joyfully.

So this is a great lesson we have to learn. Don't think blind people, deaf people are people, they are not happy people. Yes, life will go on. Happiness has nothing to do with the body. It has something to do with the mind.- and the mind is full of thoughts. And if the thoughts are positive — that is what many Christian preachers , they want the power of positive thinking. And that is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also preaches, only He calls it spirituality. Swamiji preached the same.
----

== The Holy Mother's Two Commandments ==
When the Mother said, "Don't ever forget, under whatever circumstance, that you have a mother — and be proud — I also have a mother, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa illustrates it beautifully, saying that even the maidservant's son, when he is being beaten, says, "I have a mother. My mother will protect me. I am going to tell about you to my mother." The child has complete confidence in the mother: "Mother is going to save me, rescue me." We have to become children of the Mother.

That is why the two commandments of the Holy Mother — I have spoken about, many times, and I am also going to speak about many more times throughout my talks, as long as I talk.

The first commandment is: 'never forget, you have a mother, and I am your mother'.

The second commandment is even more important than the first commandment: 'never forget, you are my child. Therefore, lead your life as my child. People looking at your life should not say, "Fie upon you!" Because, if you are leading, if you truly believe that I am your mother, you will not bring bad name to me. In fact, you will glorify her name — not by talking about it, but by living the life.'

So that is the Holy Mother's commandment: 'never forget, you are my child, and live in accordance with that knowledge.'
----

== The Selfishness of the Organs ==
So these organs became selfish. That is why the whole of humanity can be divided into the selfish and the unselfish. So every organ started thinking that: "I am doing it for my pleasure. And for that pleasure, I also have to give some service." So even though the eye is able to see — that seeing helps all of us — it is enjoying beautiful sights selfishly, for its own purpose. It doesn't share it either with the ear, or the nostril, or the tongue, or the skin. Every organ became completely selfish. A bit unselfish, but mostly selfish.

So the life can go on merrily, it is not important. it is not supporting the entire life.
----

== The Supreme Importance of Prāṇa ==
Then the turn of Prāṇa came. Prāṇa is the most unselfish manifestation, because Prāṇa is working 24 hours in the form of five activities: Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Udāna, Samāna. Anybody who is alive — it is because of the Prāṇa. And Prāṇa is not getting anything; it only helps each one of us to get individual experiences. It is because of the Prāṇa that I am able to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, to touch. Without Prāṇa, life is not possible.

So when the Prāṇa was about to depart, the whole personality felt as if a huge tree — well-grown, well-established, deep with its roots — is about to be totally uprooted. Sometimes you have seen some machines, they want to transplant one tree from one place and put it somewhere else. So they dig around to some depth, and then these machines sink deep and lift the whole earth, and the huge tree is put in a huge truck and taken to the new place. They have already kept it ready by digging, and they put (it there). It just takes but a few days for the tree to completely recover. But the old mud, etc., is still clinging to it. Therefore, it is never dead. It is as if a person had changed his home from one place to another place.

So when Prāṇa was about to depart, then the whole body and mind became agitated, and then they understood - without Prāṇa, it is not possible for them to survive. So it is the most important organ. And whoever protects us is called a Devatā or God. Therefore, Prāṇa is the most important manifestation of God — and that is why we are called Prāṇīs. Prāṇī means endowed with life. Otherwise, we will be dead people.

So the entire third section is devoted to the praises of the Gods.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya on Veda Pramāṇa ==
And in this connection, Śaṅkarācārya writes a beautiful commentary on the very understanding of what is called Hinduism, and in that Hinduism, what is called Veda Pramāṇa. I will try my best to summarise these concepts. Perhaps I may not be able to finish it in today's class, but it is very important for us to understand.

Just as a background, I will give you something. When Swami Vivekananda talked about Hinduism at the Chicago Parliament of Religions, he mentioned a very important point. Because there are so many religions, and every religion has got an authoritative book — and that is what we call a Veda. So the Bible is the Veda for the Christians and the Qurān is the Veda for the Muslims. Guru Granth Sāhib is the Veda for Sikhs. So, the three Piṭakas are the Vedas for the Buddhists, etc. We accept all these books as Vedas.

Now, what do we mean by Veda? You take, for example, any Veda — there are stories. For example, in this very Bṛhadāraṇyaka, you get so many small, small stories are there. Are they to be considered - God has infinite time, so to pass His time, He went on narrating so many stories? If you take the Bible, what Swami Prabhavanandaji beautifully says — "he begat, he begat, he begat." So David begat somebody; that somebody begat somebody else; that somebody else begat somebody else. Page after page, the Bible is filled with this description of lineage - is that also part of the Veda.
----

== The Definition of Veda ==
Swami Vivekananda, in his talk on Hinduism, he summarises and says a few things. We have to understand what Śaṅkarācārya wants to prove here, which we will come (to) a little later.

Swami Vivekananda says that whatever knowledge we can get through our five sense organs are marvellous!— that is not Veda. The Veda would never tell us something like, "The sun is rising in the east and the sun is going to set in the west." And even if they tell , it should not be considered as Veda. Why? Because there are two proofs — of which I will speak a little bit later on.

Veda means knowledge. What knowledge? Super-sensuous knowledge. What does it mean? Whatever facts, whatever knowledge, we can never get through our five sense organs — and we are not going to get it till the end of creation — that which gives us that super-sensory knowledge: for example, whether there is a Mūlakāraṇa called Brahman or God; whether there are higher worlds; whether we had past lives and future lives; whether after death one is going to reap the results of one's own action.

Because to reap the actions, one cannot do that in one life, so many religions don't believe either in the past life or future life. All the Judaic, Abrahamic, Semitic religions do not believe in it. But Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism — they all believe in rebirths. What is a rebirth? A chance — another chance for us to become better ourselves, and slowly to approach God. And God will give any number of such opportunities. Every new day is a new birth. After death of this body also, every new rebirth is a grand opportunity to pick up from where we have left off and to proceed further. This is — in a very limited sense — called by Charles Darwin as 'evolution'.

But Hinduism says not only is there a biological evolution — there is a geological evolution, a mathematical evolution, there is an intellectual evolution, there is a a spiritual evolution also — all taking place at different places in different people. One life is not enough, and therefore one life cannot give what we really require. This is the Hindu belief. Hindu means - Hindu, a Buddhist, a Sikh, and a Jain — they all believe in this. But, there are so many people, who do not believe, that is what we are going to discuss.
----

== The Limits of Science in Knowing God ==
So, that knowledge, whichever ordinary five sense organs — however intelligent a person is, however number of the finest instruments one may create, one has created, one is going to create — even the AI (Artificial Intelligence) — cannot give us the knowledge about God.

Therefore, the conclusion , we have to be crystal clear about it — God can neither be proved, nor can be disproved by science. I am repeating — The existence of God can neither be proved nor disproved by science. Because that is not the subject. For that, we have to take the experience of people who have actually experienced God, and how did they experience? By going beyond the sense organs, by going beyond the mind. And how do we know that what they are telling is true?
----

== The Four Characteristics of a God-Realised Soul ==
Because — I discussed this subject many times — any body can say I had seen God , any body can say — I had wonderful visions, and I am, I know I'm very near to God —there are enough number of fools who can claim and there are more than enough number of fools who believe it also. So what is the criteria? Because you know, every experience transforms our life. This is a scientific fact.

So you have seen a most beautiful thing; you heard the most a marvellous singing or instrument; you have tasted a very pleasant sweet, and you have smelt a most marvellous smell, and you have touched something which is indescribable. Most of these things are indescribable. For example, when Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was walking at the age of 7 or 8 in those vast green fields at the beginning of the rainy season — the whole sky was clouded with thick black clouds, and against that background, a number of swans, pure white, a flock of swans, was flying across. Seeing that sight, immediately he fell down unconscious. I am sure thousands and thousands of people must have witnessed the same scene. But for them, just some birds flying across. But for Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, it is the nearest, closest experience of experiencing God in the form of ''Satyam, Śivam, Sundaram'' — Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

So, what are we discussing? There are some people who have experienced these super-sensuous truths. But some people claim — how do we know? How do we know because, there are four characteristics.

The first characteristic: a person who has experienced God — and experiencing God is not like my seeing you and you are seeing somebody else, or yo u are seeing some object. No. Experiencing God means - realization of God. Realization of God means to know forever, without the least shred of doubt: "I am God" — ''Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.'' That is the final experience.

But this is the highest experience. One can have visions of Gods and Goddesses, and if they are true visions, we have to consider two points. First: a vision of God with what is called a small "g," not capital "G"— gods and goddesses, cannot be had without their grace. Any amount of whatever you offer is not sufficient for their grace. Out of infinite love, they appear to some people. That is the first point.

Second point: once a person has a genuine experience of a God or a Goddess, that person's life — their character — will be changed forever by the grace of God.

So the '''first characteristic''' is: a person becomes continuously joyful, whatever be the circumstances outside - that is the first sign.

'''Secondly''': he becomes totally unselfish, because to see a God or Goddess is to feel that the whole universe is nothing but - manifestation of God - so he becomes unselfish.

'''Third characteristic''': they love ,without any stint. A mother loves a baby or children because they are "my children." But in this person's case, it is completely unselfish love —so, it just flows, like the wind blows without stop - so completely, unselfish love.

'''Fourth is''': there is nothing they cannot sacrifice as a result of that love. They can give up their very lives.
----

== The Story of Dadhīci ==
I will tell you a small story and I will be talking only like this. So, once there was a fight between Gods and Demons. As usual, the Demons were about to overcome the Gods, and the King of the Gods was Indra. And he understood, that is why he was a king, very intelligent — "I cannot defeat them because I do not have sufficient weapons." Then somebody advised him that there was a great Ṛṣi, a Brahma Jñānī, and that he should approach him and ask him to give up his life, saying: "Out of your backbone, I will make a marvellous, irresistible weapon." His name was Dadhīci.

So Indra approached him — because even these people, they are not (necessarily) spiritual people, but they obtained their positions because of doing some good actions. They may not be spiritual people, but they are good people. They had faith in God. They performed rituals many times. As a result, they acquired merit. As a result, they went to higher Lokas, as we have seen in the Taittirīya. And one of them's merit was so great, he became a leader of all the Gods, called Indra. Indra means — it is a title ,like Prime Minister, like President.

So immediately Indra took his vehicle Airāvata — a huge elephant, which can travel at the speed of mind — and came to Dadhīci, fell flat, and as a beggar said: "Mahārṣi, this is our condition. We have been advised , if you can give up your body, then your body is so powerful, out of the backbone of your physical body, I can fashion one weapon, and nobody can resist that weapon."

Immediately , you know what happened? Dadhīci was so glad. "At least this physical body — anyway I am old and it is going to fall off itself , very soon —but that this could be put in the service of Gods, that is the greatest joy!" — and willingly, he entered into yoga and offered himself.

Pav Hari Baba , just to remind you —used to perform homas, and he entered willingly; he did everything, poured a lot of ghee, and he went and sat down in the midst of the fire and was consumed by that fire. And by the burning smell of the human body, people those who were living at some distance, came to know he had offered himself. That is called ''svayam āhuti'' — he offered himself. Yogīs can do that, and it is not a sinful thing on their behalf.

So Dadhīci gave up. Then out of his backbone somebody fashioned, and that is the most powerful weapon called Vajrāyudha , and with that, he was able to defeat the demons.
----

== Summary of the Four Characteristics ==
So this is a story that goes that - the four characteristics of a person who has experienced God — but to some extent, the same thing can be also predicted of people who have visions of Gods like Sarasvatī, like Mahālakṣmī, like Nārāyaṇa, like Śiva, etc. They can obtain extraordinary boons, but the most important thing is , their whole character will be totally changed.

So what is it? These people who have experienced God: they are ever happy; they become most unselfish; their love is unlimited and equal to everybody; and they are ready to sacrifice anything for the sake of anybody. They don't expect anything. Whether you deserve it or not, they are ready to give.

And to the extent, a person progresses in spiritual life, he also develops these four qualities. That is why Śaṅkarācārya's commentary at the end of the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā — on the subject called the characteristics of a realized soul, samadhiman puruusha , '''sthitaprajña'' '— is beautifully commented upon. And at the end Śaṅkara says: what comes so very naturally to a realized soul must be assiduously acquired by aspiring spiritual seekers.

You apply these four — whether to Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda, the direct disciples, Jesus Christ, Buddha, or great saints — every religion is still alive today not because of the mullāhs or priests , pujārīs, but because of the saints. So that is most important.
----

== The Subject for the Next Class ==
So what is the subject which we will have to discuss in our next class? That how do we know that Veda is really true. And in that context only, I am just reminding you: Swami Vivekananda said , that knowledge which we can never obtain through our five sense organs — with all the available. or would-be-available with future instruments — that is called Veda. And only those portions of the Vedas which give us that knowledge — that alone is to be considered as Veda.

If in the Bible, in the Qurān, in the Vedas, you see so many stories — they are called ''Arthavādas'', of which we will talk in our next class. They are just to motivate us, to make us enthusiastic and hopeful. But they have nothing to do with real , super-sensory knowledge.

So there are so many schools of philosophy before the present time. And at present, they are all called Vedānta. But Vedānta doesn't mean only Advaita Vedānta. Dvaita Vedānta, dualistic philosophy, qualified non-dualistic philosophy called Viśiṣṭādvaita, and non-dualistic philosophy called Advaita — they are gradually ascending levels of experience or progress we can see. And finally, the conclusion is: to know that 'I am Brahman', and to remain with that knowledge — unbroken knowledge — that is called the final ascent to the highest realization.

Beautiful concepts are given. We are very thankful to Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya. We will talk about Veda Pramāṇa — that means, whether the Bible is really an authority, is it coming from God? If it is coming from God, which part is coming from God and which part is inserted by human beings for the glorification or selfish purposes - that is what is called interpolation, and the consequences of which are beyond anybody's imagination — rivers of blood have flown by human interruption.

So we will talk about these subjects in our next class.
----

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.

'''Jai Ramakrishna!'''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.3 Lecture 16 on 15 March 2026

2026-06-01T02:56:38Z

Sachidanand: Devanagari Invocation, missing words and sentences, and miscellaneous corrections

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

''Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate''

''Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣhyate''

''Om Śānti Śānti Śānti''

Om, that Brahman is infinite and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone. Om Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

== Introduction to the Third Section ==
So we have entered into the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. We have already covered two sections in the first chapter, and including this present third section, they are all supposed to be Upāsanās.

First, it is a contemplation on the horse. Taking a horse as just a support, we have to consider it not as a horse but as the universal Lord. In fact, in South India, there are some people whose Iṣṭa Devatā is Hayagrīva. The whole body will be like a horse; only the face will be just like that of the horse. But He is the universal divine Lord. So — contemplation on an Aśva.
----

== Everything is Brahman ==
In fact, it should not be astonishing if we believe in the essential teachings of Vedānta. Everything is nothing but Brahman. There is nothing else excepting Brahman. But because we have put the veil of ignorance on our eyes, we are saying, "I am an individual and everything is separate from me."

But the fact is, everything is nothing but pure light. For that, we also give the example of a cinema screen. A film is being watched. Every object that we see on that white screen, that white screen is compared to Brahman, and on that light falls. And that light transforms itself — as if, because of the filming — into the living, the non-living, everything. So in this analogy, the background is that pure Brahman.

But our mind becomes like a mirror and our thoughts become like the film running. And the light in the pure mind is taking various shapes — Nāma, Rūpa — names and forms, which we call thoughts. And if the thoughts are believed to be outside, they are called objects; but if the thoughts, they are within us, then they are called thoughts. Everything is nothing but Brahman.
----

== The Practice of Upāsanā ==
So we can take, what is point, we can take any object. In fact, Hindus are experts in it. They take a small piece of stone and project upon it, or superimpose upon it — the qualities of the divine Lord.

So ''Pratimā'' — we have discussed about it earlier in the Taittirīa as an introduction to the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. There are various Upāsanās, and the crudest of them are called Pratimā Upāsanā. Just like a human being, we fashion — like Durgā Pūjā time, Kālī Pūjā time, Kṛṣṇa Pūjā time, Gaṇeśa Pūjā time.

Then ''Pratīka''. Pratīka is a symbol — a cross, a small stone as representative of Lord Śiva or Lord Viṣṇu, etc. Christians take the cross as the very embodiment of Jesus Christ. So every religion has evolved these means.

Then among these contemplations, there is one contemplation which is the highest contemplation. It is called ''Ahaṃ Graha Upāsanā''. When Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa meditated upon Hanumān, he became Hanumān. "I am the Hanumān" — Ahaṃ Graha. What I was meditating upon is none other than me. And that Ahaṃ Graha Upāsanā is considered as the highest type of contemplation.
----

== The Aśvamedha Yajña ==
Anyway, we have entered into this third section. So the first section — we have taken the horse. And that too, not any horse, but a superior breed, and which is done only by powerful kings, very expensive. And as I mentioned, at the end of its wandering, everybody is conquered by the king who is doing this Aśvamedha Yajña. And the horse itself, when it returns, protected by the sole powerful armies of the king, then he becomes the emperor, the king of kings — then only he can perform.

Then it is a huge ritual. Time, money and effort are very necessary. But the Upaniṣad is very loving kind. It says, what about others? Any king — king of kings — who performs this Aśvamedha Yajña, he contemplates this Aśvam horse as Virāṭ. As a result, he becomes Virāṭ. Virāṭ, as I explained yesterday, is another name for Saguṇa Brahman.

But anybody else — mentally, they can do. We can do mental pūjā. In every ordinary pūjā, there is the third part called Mānasika Pūjā. And there we must have that buddhi, that intelligence, to bring the best things. Because thoughts do not require any expenditure. So the best flowers have to be imagined — the best perfumes, the best beauty, the best taste, the best climate — everything can be imagined. And for that also, out of its infinite compassion, the scripture gives us certain helps: "You imagine your heart as a lotus," etc.etc.
----

== The Three Upāsanās ==
So the first one is contemplation on the horse as Saguṇa Brahman. The second is contemplation of Agni as Saguṇa Brahman. In that respect, our Śaṅkarācārya writes several Bhāṣyams, enlightening our intellects to the extent that is possible by a human being.

So in the Agni Upāsanā — Sṛṣṭi — so in the beginning there was nothing. That is, before the creation, there was only Brahman. Then that Brahman somehow became creation Himself. And He was called Saguṇa Brahman. And that Saguṇa Brahman is manifesting as me, as you, as every object, as the living object, as the non-living object. Everything is nothing but Saguṇa Brahman.

Why do we call it Saguṇa Brahman? Because we are able to experience it either through our five sense organs or imagine through the mind — that is, within the scope of time, space and causation. And whatever is imagined through these limitations is called Saguṇa Brahman. When there is no limitation, that is called Nirguṇa Brahman.

The goal is slowly raising the mind, purifying it more, and enlarging its identity with more and more — until finally we identify first with the entire universe and later on with that pure, indescribable Paramātmā.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya's Bhāṣyam on Sṛṣṭi ==
So we have seen Śaṅkarācārya's Bhāṣyam. In the second section — Sṛṣṭi — that is to say, there is God. In simple words. But Vedānta doesn't use the word "God." It uses the word "that which is nothing." Nothing was there. But immediately it qualifies, lest some people may mistake. From nothing, nothing can be created. From something only, something can be created.

What is creation? Seeing the cause with names and forms is called creation. So everything is Brahman — exists. But it gives a peculiar name: ''Mṛtyu''. Mṛtyu means Saguṇa Brahman. And yes, we have seen that this is called the Ghaṭa Bhāṣyam. How Śaṅkarācārya takes a simple example of a pot — a pot made out of clay — and how clay is the ultimate cause of the entire creation of pots: small pot, big pot, blue pot, red pot, square pot, rounded pot, angular pot, etc. That is to make us understand, through this example, that the whole universe consisting of both the living and non-living is nothing but manifestation.

How can a non-living creature be a manifestation of consciousness? Not that it is devoid of consciousness, but with our limited sense organs — sense organs plus mind — we are not able to perceive it. Of the three qualities, we perceive, we experience, only one characteristic — that is called existence, ''Sat''. But everything is Sat, is nothing but ''Cit'' and ''Ānanda''. Cit and Ānanda are there; we are not able to perceive them — not because they are absent, but because our instrument is not adequate to see, to experience.

So that is called the Ghaṭa Bhāṣyam — very enlightening. That means God exists, not in the sense that we limit Him as good or evil. When I am happy, He is a good God — I give Him a certificate. When I am not happy, He is the most wretched person in the whole world. Again, it is my certificate based upon my experience.

No — whatever God does is absolutely for the good of every person. So God wants us to run to Him and become one with Him. And if we are resisting it, He will have to pull us. That pulling towards Him is what we call our miseries, our difficulties, our problems in life. But if we are wise and look back and say, "If I have come a bit nearer to God, it is only because of these problems" — without problem, there can be no progress in life. Without a need, there cannot be creativity. The mother of every creativity, every action of creativity, is necessity.
----

== The Prāṇa Upāsanā ==
So that is what we have seen. And we have entered into the Prāṇa Upāsanā. I have given the gist of it, even though some beautiful points are there.

And Prāṇa is here highly praised. Now, there is a peculiar thing. This is actually how we can understand the Vedas or different schools of philosophy. But in the beginning, I just quoted the very first mantra: that Prajāpati — or Saguṇa Brahman —He manifested Himself as two of His children - one is called God. Another is called demon.

And God is one with all desirable spiritual qualities. And just the diametrically opposite thing is called ''Asura''. Naturally, in our experience, we see the demons — many, many, many more than good people. We can count on our fingers who is a good person. But it is very difficult. There is no problem in counting demons. Most of the people are demons only — there is no doubt about it.
----

== The Fight Between Good and Evil ==
Now, there is always a continuous fight between these two. And this is an allegory. Bhagavad Gītā is an allegory. The fight between the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas is the fight between the evil and the good. And this is the theme that recurs an infinite number of times in the Purāṇas, mythologies, in the Upaniṣads, in the teachings of everybody.

So what is life? Life is the attempt to manifest one's own divinity when there is a force which is trying to press it down. Life is a manifestation of one's own true nature when some other evil force — which is called Māyā or Avidyā or ignorance — is trying to press it down. This was one of the famous definitions of life given by Swami Vivekananda to Khetri Mahārāja.
----

== Swami Vivekananda's Four Definitions of Life ==
Swamiji has also, just I am reminding you, has given three other definitions - life is a school, life is a gymnasium, life is a circus.

By "school" Swami Vivekananda meant we are here to learn the lessons — actually, only one lesson: that I am Brahman - that is the only lesson we have to learn. But in order to really have that knowledge, we have to develop our physical, intellectual, aesthetical, moral and spiritual muscles. That is what Swamiji meant.

"Life is a gymnasium." Every action of ours will prove to one's own self that how much, how many, how much nearer one is approaching to God. But when once one understands who one is, one becomes free from all trammels.

And then life becomes a continuous swimming in the ocean of bliss. And that is what Swamiji said. "Life is a circus." A Jīvanmukta goes on witnessing everything, but it is nothing but a big circus. In the circus, there are serious people; there are also buffoons; there are also jokers. And all sorts of people are there, and they are there - everyone has a role to make the Līlā, the divine sport — complete. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa expresses this many times in the Gospel: Jaṭilā and Kuṭilā are necessary to complete the drama, the Līlā — the divine Līlā — make it most enchanting.
----

== The Gods and Demons: An Allegory ==
So the first mantra tells us there were two classes of Prajāpati's sons — the gods, that is the spiritual people, and the demons, that is worldly people - whom Kāṭha Pañcam beautifully distinguishes those who seek Preyas and those who seek the Shreyas - those who seek God and those who seek the world. Naturally, the gods were few and the demons many — which means most of the time, the gods get beaten black and blue.

So these two struggle with one another for mastery of these worlds. This is the symbolism. Life is a fight between the good and evil, until, inch by inch, we conquer the opposite and go to our real place - 'मन चलो निजो निकेतने' (Mono Chalo nijo niketane).

So then there was an occasion when, being overwhelmed by the demons, the gods consulted with each other and they came to the conclusion: "Let us surrender ourselves to God. Let us praise God." That is called Udgītha. So we can overcome by the grace of God, but we have to sing. And in that connection, context, a small story has been given.
----

== The Twenty-Eight Verses of the Prāṇa Upāsanā ==
So this third section, which is called Prāṇa Upāsanā — the praises of Prāṇa, the glories of Prāṇa , consisting of Prāṇa Upāsanā - has 28 verses. As I said, I am not going through the verses, but I will give you a real gist of every section. And I also highlight it with some of the important commentaries written by our great Paramaguru Śaṅkarācārya, which are very enlightening to each and every one of us — not only to me, but to all of you. Because, you are all very intelligent people. God is manifesting in you in the form of intelligence. So you should use it to understand God better and better.
----

== The Lesson of the Sense Organs ==
So the fight — I have already described — that one by one, the sense organs, they felt very egotistic: "I am sustaining the whole life." So the eye left - nothing happened, a bit inconvenient. After one year, it returned. So, it was shocked. It admitted defeat: "I thought without me, you will not be able to survive. Now I am humbled. Life was a bit defective without me, but it did not vanish." So, the other four organs also , that is - the nostrils and the ears, the taste and the touch — all of them took leave for one year. And when they came back, life went on joyfully.

So this is a great lesson we have to learn. Don't think blind people, deaf people are people, they are not happy people. Yes, life will go on. Happiness has nothing to do with the body. It has something to do with the mind.- and the mind is full of thoughts. And if the thoughts are positive — that is what many Christian preachers , they want the power of positive thinking. And that is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also preaches, only He calls it spirituality. Swamiji preached the same.
----

== The Holy Mother's Two Commandments ==
When the Mother said, "Don't ever forget, under whatever circumstance, that you have a mother — and be proud — I also have a mother, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa illustrates it beautifully, saying that even the maidservant's son, when he is being beaten, says, "I have a mother. My mother will protect me. I am going to tell about you to my mother." The child has complete confidence in the mother: "Mother is going to save me, rescue me." We have to become children of the Mother.

That is why the two commandments of the Holy Mother — I have spoken about, many times, and I am also going to speak about many more times throughout my talks, as long as I talk.

The first commandment is: 'never forget, you have a mother, and I am your mother'.

The second commandment is even more important than the first commandment: 'never forget, you are my child. Therefore, lead your life as my child. People looking at your life should not say, "Fie upon you!" Because, if you are leading, if you truly believe that I am your mother, you will not bring bad name to me. In fact, you will glorify her name — not by talking about it, but by living the life.'

So that is the Holy Mother's commandment: 'never forget, you are my child, and live in accordance with that knowledge.'
----

== The Selfishness of the Organs ==
So these organs became selfish. That is why the whole of humanity can be divided into the selfish and the unselfish. So every organ started thinking that: "I am doing it for my pleasure. And for that pleasure, I also have to give some service." So even though the eye is able to see — that seeing helps all of us — it is enjoying beautiful sights selfishly, for its own purpose. It doesn't share it either with the ear, or the nostril, or the tongue, or the skin. Every organ became completely selfish. A bit unselfish, but mostly selfish.

So the life can go on merrily, it is not important. it is not supporting the entire life.
----

== The Supreme Importance of Prāṇa ==
Then the turn of Prāṇa came. Prāṇa is the most unselfish manifestation, because Prāṇa is working 24 hours in the form of five activities: Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Udāna, Samāna. Anybody who is alive — it is because of the Prāṇa. And Prāṇa is not getting anything; it only helps each one of us to get individual experiences. It is because of the Prāṇa that I am able to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, to touch. Without Prāṇa, life is not possible.

So when the Prāṇa was about to depart, the whole personality felt as if a huge tree — well-grown, well-established, deep with its roots — is about to be totally uprooted. Sometimes you have seen some machines, they want to transplant one tree from one place and put it somewhere else. So they dig around to some depth, and then these machines sink deep and lift the whole earth, and the huge tree is put in a huge truck and taken to the new place. They have already kept it ready by digging, and they put (it there). It just takes but a few days for the tree to completely recover. But the old mud, etc., is still clinging to it. Therefore, it is never dead. It is as if a person had changed his home from one place to another place.

So when Prāṇa was about to depart, then the whole body and mind became agitated, and then they understood - without Prāṇa, it is not possible for them to survive. So it is the most important organ. And whoever protects us is called a Devatā or God. Therefore, Prāṇa is the most important manifestation of God — and that is why we are called Prāṇīs. Prāṇī means endowed with life. Otherwise, we will be dead people.

So the entire third section is devoted to the praises of the Gods.
----

== Śaṅkarācārya on Veda Pramāṇa ==
And in this connection, Śaṅkarācārya writes a beautiful commentary on the very understanding of what is called Hinduism, and in that Hinduism, what is called Veda Pramāṇa. I will try my best to summarise these concepts. Perhaps I may not be able to finish it in today's class, but it is very important for us to understand.

Just as a background, I will give you something. When Swami Vivekananda talked about Hinduism at the Chicago Parliament of Religions, he mentioned a very important point. Because there are so many religions, and every religion has got an authoritative book — and that is what we call a Veda. So the Bible is the Veda for the Christians and the Qurān is the Veda for the Muslims. Guru Granth Sāhib is the Veda for Sikhs. So, the three Piṭakas are the Vedas for the Buddhists, etc. We accept all these books as Vedas.

Now, what do we mean by Veda? You take, for example, any Veda — there are stories. For example, in this very Bṛhadāraṇyaka, you get so many small, small stories are there. Are they to be considered - God has infinite time, so to pass His time, He went on narrating so many stories? If you take the Bible, what Swami Prabhavanandaji beautifully says — "he begat, he begat, he begat." So David begat somebody; that somebody begat somebody else; that somebody else begat somebody else. Page after page, the Bible is filled with this description of lineage - is that also part of the Veda.
----

== The Definition of Veda ==
Swami Vivekananda, in his talk on Hinduism, he summarises and says a few things. We have to understand what Śaṅkarācārya wants to prove here, which we will come (to) a little later.

Swami Vivekananda says that whatever knowledge we can get through our five sense organs are marvellous!— that is not Veda. The Veda would never tell us something like, "The sun is rising in the east and the sun is going to set in the west." And even if they tell , it should not be considered as Veda. Why? Because there are two proofs — of which I will speak a little bit later on.

Veda means knowledge. What knowledge? Super-sensuous knowledge. What does it mean? Whatever facts, whatever knowledge, we can never get through our five sense organs — and we are not going to get it till the end of creation — that which gives us that super-sensory knowledge: for example, whether there is a Mūlakāraṇa called Brahman or God; whether there are higher worlds; whether we had past lives and future lives; whether after death one is going to reap the results of one's own action.

Because to reap the actions, one cannot do that in one life, so many religions don't believe either in the past life or future life. All the Judaic, Abrahamic, Semitic religions do not believe in it. But Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism — they all believe in rebirths. What is a rebirth? A chance — another chance for us to become better ourselves, and slowly to approach God. And God will give any number of such opportunities. Every new day is a new birth. After death of this body also, every new rebirth is a grand opportunity to pick up from where we have left off and to proceed further. This is — in a very limited sense — called by Charles Darwin as 'evolution'.

But Hinduism says not only is there a biological evolution — there is a geological evolution, a mathematical evolution, there is an intellectual evolution, there is a a spiritual evolution also — all taking place at different places in different people. One life is not enough, and therefore one life cannot give what we really require. This is the Hindu belief. Hindu means - Hindu, a Buddhist, a Sikh, and a Jain — they all believe in this. But, there are so many people, who do not believe, that is what we are going to discuss.
----

== The Limits of Science in Knowing God ==
So, that knowledge, whichever ordinary five sense organs — however intelligent a person is, however number of the finest instruments one may create, one has created, one is going to create — even the AI (Artificial Intelligence) — cannot give us the knowledge about God.

Therefore, the conclusion , we have to be crystal clear about it — God can neither be proved, nor can be disproved by science. I am repeating — The existence of God can neither be proved nor disproved by science. Because that is not the subject. For that, we have to take the experience of people who have actually experienced God, and how did they experience? By going beyond the sense organs, by going beyond the mind. And how do we know that what they are telling is true?
----

== The Four Characteristics of a God-Realised Soul ==
Because — I discussed this subject many times — any body can say I had seen God , any body can say — I had wonderful visions, and I am, I know I'm very near to God —there are enough number of fools who can claim and there are more than enough number of fools who believe it also. So what is the criteria? Because you know, every experience transforms our life. This is a scientific fact.

So you have seen a most beautiful thing; you heard the most a marvellous singing or instrument; you have tasted a very pleasant sweet, and you have smelt a most marvellous smell, and you have touched something which is indescribable. Most of these things are indescribable. For example, when Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was walking at the age of 7 or 8 in those vast green fields at the beginning of the rainy season — the whole sky was clouded with thick black clouds, and against that background, a number of swans, pure white, a flock of swans, was flying across. Seeing that sight, immediately he fell down unconscious. I am sure thousands and thousands of people must have witnessed the same scene. But for them, just some birds flying across. But for Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, it is the nearest, closest experience of experiencing God in the form of ''Satyam, Śivam, Sundaram'' — Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

So, what are we discussing? There are some people who have experienced these super-sensuous truths. But some people claim — how do we know? How do we know because, there are four characteristics.

The first characteristic: a person who has experienced God — and experiencing God is not like my seeing you and you are seeing somebody else, or yo u are seeing some object. No. Experiencing God means - realization of God. Realization of God means to know forever, without the least shred of doubt: "I am God" — ''Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.'' That is the final experience.

But this is the highest experience. One can have visions of Gods and Goddesses, and if they are true visions, we have to consider two points. First: a vision of God with what is called a small "g," not capital "G"— gods and goddesses, cannot be had without their grace. Any amount of whatever you offer is not sufficient for their grace. Out of infinite love, they appear to some people. That is the first point.

Second point: once a person has a genuine experience of a God or a Goddess, that person's life — their character — will be changed forever by the grace of God.

So the '''first characteristic''' is: a person becomes continuously joyful, whatever be the circumstances outside - that is the first sign.

'''Secondly''': he becomes totally unselfish, because to see a God or Goddess is to feel that the whole universe is nothing but - manifestation of God - so he becomes unselfish.

'''Third characteristic''': they love ,without any stint. A mother loves a baby or children because they are "my children." But in this person's case, it is completely unselfish love —so, it just flows, like the wind blows without stop - so completely, unselfish love.

'''Fourth is''': there is nothing they cannot sacrifice as a result of that love. They can give up their very lives.
----

== The Story of Dadhīci ==
I will tell you a small story and I will be talking only like this. So, once there was a fight between Gods and Demons. As usual, the Demons were about to overcome the Gods, and the King of the Gods was Indra. And he understood, that is why he was a king, very intelligent — "I cannot defeat them because I do not have sufficient weapons." Then somebody advised him that there was a great Ṛṣi, a Brahma Jñānī, and that he should approach him and ask him to give up his life, saying: "Out of your backbone, I will make a marvellous, irresistible weapon." His name was Dadhīci.

So Indra approached him — because even these people, they are not (necessarily) spiritual people, but they obtained their positions because of doing some good actions. They may not be spiritual people, but they are good people. They had faith in God. They performed rituals many times. As a result, they acquired merit. As a result, they went to higher Lokas, as we have seen in the Taittirīya. And one of them's merit was so great, he became a leader of all the Gods, called Indra. Indra means — it is a title ,like Prime Minister, like President.

So immediately Indra took his vehicle Airāvata — a huge elephant, which can travel at the speed of mind — and came to Dadhīci, fell flat, and as a beggar said: "Mahārṣi, this is our condition. We have been advised , if you can give up your body, then your body is so powerful, out of the backbone of your physical body, I can fashion one weapon, and nobody can resist that weapon."

Immediately , you know what happened? Dadhīci was so glad. "At least this physical body — anyway I am old and it is going to fall off itself , very soon —but that this could be put in the service of Gods, that is the greatest joy!" — and willingly, he entered into yoga and offered himself.

Pav Hari Baba , just to remind you —used to perform homas, and he entered willingly; he did everything, poured a lot of ghee, and he went and sat down in the midst of the fire and was consumed by that fire. And by the burning smell of the human body, people those who were living at some distance, came to know he had offered himself. That is called ''svayam āhuti'' — he offered himself. Yogīs can do that, and it is not a sinful thing on their behalf.

So Dadhīci gave up. Then out of his backbone somebody fashioned, and that is the most powerful weapon called Vajrāyudha , and with that, he was able to defeat the demons.
----

== Summary of the Four Characteristics ==
So this is a story that goes that - the four characteristics of a person who has experienced God — but to some extent, the same thing can be also predicted of people who have visions of Gods like Sarasvatī, like Mahālakṣmī, like Nārāyaṇa, like Śiva, etc. They can obtain extraordinary boons, but the most important thing is , their whole character will be totally changed.

So what is it? These people who have experienced God: they are ever happy; they become most unselfish; their love is unlimited and equal to everybody; and they are ready to sacrifice anything for the sake of anybody. They don't expect anything. Whether you deserve it or not, they are ready to give.

And to the extent, a person progresses in spiritual life, he also develops these four qualities. That is why Śaṅkarācārya's commentary at the end of the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā — on the subject called the characteristics of a realized soul, samadhiman puruusha , '''sthitaprajña'' '— is beautifully commented upon. And at the end Śaṅkara says: what comes so very naturally to a realized soul must be assiduously acquired by aspiring spiritual seekers.

You apply these four — whether to Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda, the direct disciples, Jesus Christ, Buddha, or great saints — every religion is still alive today not because of the mullāhs or priests , pujārīs, but because of the saints. So that is most important.
----

== The Subject for the Next Class ==
So what is the subject which we will have to discuss in our next class? That how do we know that Veda is really true. And in that context only, I am just reminding you: Swami Vivekananda said , that knowledge which we can never obtain through our five sense organs — with all the available. or would-be-available with future instruments — that is called Veda. And only those portions of the Vedas which give us that knowledge — that alone is to be considered as Veda.

If in the Bible, in the Qurān, in the Vedas, you see so many stories — they are called ''Arthavādas'', of which we will talk in our next class. They are just to motivate us, to make us enthusiastic and hopeful. But they have nothing to do with real , super-sensory knowledge.

So there are so many schools of philosophy before the present time. And at present, they are all called Vedānta. But Vedānta doesn't mean only Advaita Vedānta. Dvaita Vedānta, dualistic philosophy, qualified non-dualistic philosophy called Viśiṣṭādvaita, and non-dualistic philosophy called Advaita — they are gradually ascending levels of experience or progress we can see. And finally, the conclusion is: to know that 'I am Brahman', and to remain with that knowledge — unbroken knowledge — that is called the final ascent to the highest realization.

Beautiful concepts are given. We are very thankful to Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya. We will talk about Veda Pramāṇa — that means, whether the Bible is really an authority, is it coming from God? If it is coming from God, which part is coming from God and which part is inserted by human beings for the glorification or selfish purposes - that is what is called interpolation, and the consequences of which are beyond anybody's imagination — rivers of blood have flown by human interruption.

So we will talk about these subjects in our next class.
----

== Closing Prayer ==
''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.

'''Jai Ramakrishna!'''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Introduction Lecture 02 on 25 January 2026

2026-05-25T18:43:11Z

Sachidanand: Added Sanskrit lyrics, words missed and corrected a few minor errors

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

= Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Introduction and Commentary =

== Opening Invocation ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

''Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate''

''Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣhyate''

''Om Śānti Śānti Śānti''

Om, that Brahman is infinite and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone. Om Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

== Introduction to the Upanishad ==
We started the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. Yesterday I gave you considerable amount of introduction, and today we will take up the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad itself.

Let us recollect: Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad belongs to the Śukla Yajur Veda, and the author is Yājñavalkya. He obtained this entire Veda, the White Yajur Veda, by the grace of Sūrya Deva. Sūrya Deva is also equated with Īśvara because he is the giver of life. Giver of light means giver of life. He is both the subject as well as the object.

So this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is one of the not only biggest but I would say the best of all the Upaniṣads. Why? Because every idea that we get in any other Upaniṣad is also available here and in greater detail, and also what we do not get elsewhere, we get here and crystal clearly.

== The Three Kāṇḍas (Sections) ==
So this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad has got six chapters, but it can be divided into three parts.

=== 1. Madhu Kāṇḍa (The Honey Section) ===
What is the first part? It is called Madhu Kāṇḍa. Kāṇḍa means a section, chapter. So here Kāṇḍa is a chapter and Brāhmaṇa is a section. Now in this Madhu Kāṇḍa are the chapters called Madhu.

The word madhu means honey. What is honey? That in this world everything is Brahman, and Brahman is manifesting both as the subject as well as the object. Everything is a subject and everything is an object at the same time. There is an interrelation between the subject and the object.

Not only that, there is an interrelationship between every little thing in this Sṛṣṭi, manifested world. And as the scientific saying goes, if a butterfly flutters its wings here, there would be alteration in the course of the stars. This may not be an exact phrase, but very nearly that.

So we may wonder: how can this tiny insect's fluttering alter the course of those stars which in their turn, when they alter their course, you will have to understand what tremendous cataclysmic effect it can have on the entire creation.

==== Universal Interdependence ====
So this Madhu Kāṇḍa wants to prove to us what is called the interrelationship not only between the subject and object but between everything in this world. Is there a relationship between the iceberg which are found in the northern side, arctic area? Yes. If that ice starts melting, cataclysmic changes in temperatures take place all over at least our known world. So that is the effect. Everything is totally interdependent.

And what is it that we want? Why are we dependent? Because everybody wants Ānanda. In fact everybody wants three things: Sat, Cit and Ānanda. I want to be. I do not want not to be. Then I want to know. My infinite mind wants to know infinite, wants to have infinite knowledge. When a mind attains to that infinity, it cannot be called a mind any longer. It has to be called Īśvara, Sarvajña or Brahman.

Of course we all want Ānanda. What is Ānanda? Ānanda not limited by time, space and causation. That is called Ānanda. What is Sukha? That which is the Ānanda, which is limited by time, space and causation is called Sukha. And if it is more Sukha, it means less Duḥkha. If it is less Sukha, means more Duḥkha. This is how we have to equate.

==== Madhu Kāṇḍa as Upadeśa Kāṇḍa ====
And this first Kāṇḍa, chapter Madhu Kāṇḍa, the primary teaching is called Upadeśa. That is why it is also known as Upadeśa Kāṇḍa—the chapter giving Upadeśa. Upadeśa means spiritual teaching. And what is the spiritual teaching? That which leads finally to the knowledge of Brahman.

So Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad as well as some other Upaniṣads also—because the basic ideas are there practically in every Upaniṣad. For example, ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं , the very first mantra in the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad: that Īśvara, the ruler, he alone is manifesting as this entire world. Just as an example, clay alone is manifesting as any number of its products—small, big, different sizes, different shapes, different capacities, different even colors, etc.

You know, you are familiar, many sādhus, they take, there is a particular type of clay and if they melt it, put it in the water, it takes on the colour of the ochre. And in that, when white cloths are dipped, they also become colored. So different coloured earths are there. Nowadays people are discovering this earth has rare minerals and rare things that are needed by the most modern technical objects to create a mobile phone or to create a chip. These rare earths, rare materials, it is all nothing but pure earth.

But the point is not that. The point is that the earth cannot be existing without depending upon Brahman in the form of the sun. So the relationship between them is so: the benefactor, supporter, unsupported. So madhu, the word madhu means that one.

==== The Principle of Harmony ====
And whenever we are in harmony, in relationship, harmony always means relationship. When we are in harmony: first of all, body-mind harmony. Second, the individual and also the body, physical body also must be in harmony with the entire nature. Then this individual called a combination of body and mind complex along with consciousness must be in favourable relationship with everything in this world. Whether it is earth, water or fire—everything is necessary. So oxygen, air and space.

What happens? Without understanding this, when we pollute it, the consequences—like a person spitting into the space, it falls on his own head. This is what we need to understand this. So everything depends upon everybody else. And as I mentioned yesterday, all that relationships are categorized as five. And is a constant, life is a constant receiving and giving. And we are receiving and we do not wish to give.

And voluntarily to give after understanding this fact is called a यज्ञ (Yajña) a sacrifice. So पञ्च महायज्ञ (Pañca Mahā Yajña). So this is the first Kāṇḍa. And this is also compared to Śravaṇa.

Because once only we understand this, that I cannot be existing, I cannot be having knowledge, I cannot be happy unless I am in very close relationship, harmonious relationship with everything else in this world. Even the slightest differentiation can create big problems. Then if I understand this and transform our life, my life, then I will be the happiest person. But the purpose of all this harmony is to lead us to that ultimate Brahmajñānam. And that is the Upadeśa. One gets it. This is how the first part of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is divided.

=== 2. Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa or Muni Kāṇḍa ===
The second part is called Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa, or it is also called Muni Kāṇḍa. Yājñavalkya is the main teacher here throughout this second part, second chapter. And he is also called a Muni.

Yājñavalkya was an enlightened Ṛṣi, but he was leading a householder's life. We will come to the details later on. But he gradually progressed and he wanted to enter into Sannyāsa Āśrama. And that proves that the whole Hindu's life as per the teaching of the Vedas is to go step after step towards self-knowledge.

==== The Four Āśramas ====
So we have to confine ourselves to the first stage, learning stage as I said, Brahmacarya Āśrama, Gṛhastha Āśrama—practicing stage and experiencing stage. Third stage is the stage of withdrawal from the external and identifying with the internal. This is corresponding to the Vānaprastha Āśrama.

And finally when we are ready, we enter into that state of कैवलत्वम् (Kevalatvaṃ)—that is aloneness. That is identity with the universal self. No differentiation at all. Pure non-duality. That is called Sannyāsa Āśrama.

And Yājñavalkya beautifully illustrates this Sannyāsa Varṇa Sannyāsa Dharma through his life practically. That's what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had done, if we have the capacity to understand his life properly.

==== Manana and the Path to Śraddhā ====
So in this particular second chapter called Munikāṇḍa, after hearing, what is the next step? Manana. After Śravaṇa comes Manana. So the Manana has to be done. What is Manana? Removing any possible doubt.

And when all doubts are removed, we are convinced of the truth. That is called removal of doubt. If we still doubt, that's not conviction. That is not Śraddhā. When we succeed in that Manana stage, then we will be possessed or Śraddhā possesses us. Then our whole goal of life will be only towards Brahma Vidyā.

So this is also called, as I said, Munikāṇḍa, Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa. But not only this one Kāṇḍa—the entire Śukla Yajur Veda is attributed to Yājñavalkya. So it is also called Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā. So Vājasaneyī, that is, since he obtained this knowledge from the Sūrya Bhagavān. Saṃhitā means his experiences elucidated through statements.

So Yājñavalkya is the main Guru and he has debates over many—not ordinary scholars, but sādhakas in themselves. But he clears their doubts, helps them from wherever, where they are, to move forward to higher state. That is the second part.

=== 3. Khila Kāṇḍa (The Supplementary Section) ===
And then we come to the third part. It is called Khila Kāṇḍa. So in this part, we get many, many karmas, upāsanas especially, and rituals. It is called Khila Kāṇḍa because Khila means a compilation of many, many topics.

For example, how a husband and wife can convert their union into one of the greatest yajñas. So creation of a child is one of the greatest yajñas—whether we understand it or not. How much father and mother had to labor just so that their children grow up and try to become worthy. Parents can only try that much. But the sacrifice, their selfishness for the sake of the children is a great sacrifice.

But that's a lower meaning. Higher meaning is: because they are my children, I am instinctively sacrificing myself. That is what animals also do. Now, consciously, I convert into a spiritual practice. So, this is also included in this third part, which is called Khila Kāṇḍa.

==== Hindu Saṃskāras ====
So everything in life, right from birth until death—Hindu Saṃskāras, we call them. The whole life is full of sacraments. What is a sacrament? That which makes us sacred, pure, gradually takes us towards our goal, which is, in Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's words, God realization. That is called a sacrament. And there are many sacraments, but usually around 40 plus are counted—42 according to some. And there are some special textbooks which deal only with Hindu Saṃskāras.

==== Understanding Upāsana ====
So there are also various Upāsanas. We have dealt with this. What is Upāsana? That which takes us nearer to our own self. That is called an Upāsana. And we have to speak a little bit more about it, which we will do that when we are discussing the meaning of the word Upaniṣhad. Because Upāsana, Upavāsa, Upasādana—that is approaching the Guru, fasting, Upa, Upa is a prefix.

In a language, there are prefixes and also postfixes. And that enhances the meaning of the word or sometimes alters the meaning of the word. For example, Aśhoka was a great soul. He was full of sorrow, but he overcame following the teachings of Buddha. So that Śhoka turned into Aśhoka—that means Great Bliss. Śhoka, Aśhoka, Hiṃsā, Ahiṃsā, etc.

So these Khilakāṇḍa is like various baskets and having various mixed objects, grains, food materials, etc. They are not arranged in a systematic manner. Such supplementary sections are also called Anubandhās, appear in various parts of the Vedas. They are usually called appendices.

== Structure of the Upaniṣad ==
So each section, we said three chapters and each of these again sub-divided into two chapters. So Bṛhadāraṇyaka has a total of six chapters. Each chapter contains several sections and every section contains several mantras, and these sections are called Brāhmaṇa. We should not misunderstand the caste Brāhmaṇa, but as a section, a chapter sub-divided into sections.

== The Meaning of Bṛhadāraṇyaka ==
Now what is the meaning of this word Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣhad? First we will take out Bṛhadāraṇyaka. Bṛhad means huge. Āraṇyaka means a forest. So the name of this Upaniṣad is Bṛhadāraṇyaka.

=== Bṛhat - The Vast ===
So Bṛhat means very, very, very big. And really it is one of the biggest of the Upaniṣhads, and even the commentary of Śrī Śaṅkarāchārya upon this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is also the largest—even slightly larger than Chāndogya Upaniṣad. Chāndogya Upaniṣad is the next largest Upaniṣhad that we get.

So this Bṛhadāraṇyaka is large—we can understand it in two ways. It is large in size and large also in quality. Quality means the highest spiritual teachings we find them here. In fact that what we call:

असतो मा सद्गमय ।

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।

मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय ॥

''Asato mā sad gamaya''

''Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya''

''Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya''

These three mantras are called Abhyāroha Mantras—gradually moving from a lower step to the highest step. First we make our life healthy and strong, and secondly we use this life to obtain more and more true knowledge. And even a true knowledge of the world helps us in spiritual life.

Once we come to know everything in this world is changing, Nitya not dependable, then our mind becomes anxious to find out something upon which we can without any doubt depend. Of course once we know who we are, we are Brahmānanda Svarūpa. So then not only in the teaching but in size also—that is why this is called Bṛhadāraṇyaka.

Bṛhat—that is the meaning we discussed. So in this Upaniṣad we see that a distilled teaching of Vedānta is available.

=== Āraṇyaka - The Forest Teaching ===
Next word is Āraṇyaka. So Āraṇyaka means—you know when after Gṛhasthāśrama a sincere true Hindu retires, then as a preparation for Sannyāsa he wants to go to a solitary place or a forest. Forest in the olden days: outside you step outside their villages you find huge tracts of forest, and there it is not that every forest is infested with dangerous animals.

There are so many forests where it is very peaceful and of course there will be some animals, birds, insects—everything will be there. It is full of life but danger is very, very less. Everywhere there will be danger, no doubt about it. Every forest is not crawling with ferocious mammoth tigers and mammoth elephants. If somebody fears snakes he perceives snakes everywhere.

So because these profound truths require that solitude and no disturbance, Araṇya is a place where there is so much of solitude available and it also supplies most often roots and fruits and vegetables which can improve our sattva guṇa but at the same time very healthy also. And many ṛṣis and munis used to dwell there living a very simple life, cultivating whatever is available there very easily, not laboring the whole day. And rest of the time they used to hear, discuss—sometimes alone, sometimes in groups, most often in groups, most often under the guidance of a loving competent teacher—and preparatory for Sannyāsa life.

Saṃnyāsins also they also live in forest usually. So that is why Araṇya means forest, Āraṇyaka means that knowledge where people strive to obtain in forest areas. That is why it is called Āraṇyaka. And it is also studied in the vānaprastha state, in Āraṇyaka state. It is not meant for household—they have to live in a place where they can labor, they can earn money and they can educate their children, they can interact with society and carry on numerous activities but all as directed by this scripture, as guided: do this and don't do this.

We got this glimpse of it in brief in the eleventh section of the first chapter of Taittirīya Upaniṣad called Śikṣā Valli.

==== Forest Life and Spiritual Practice ====
So normally ritualistic parts of the Veda belong to the Gṛhastha, but the Āraṇyaka part belongs to vānaprastha because it is a preparation to progress into Sannyāsa state. But there are so many Upāsanas, and these Upāsanas can be done when we are not disturbed and they have to be practiced for a long, long time.

But if you still remember we see Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa that how Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is at night: as soon as the temple is closed he will run towards that Pañcavaṭī area which is a mini forest and full of snakes and people believed full of ghosts also because remember it was a crematorium, Muslim crematorium, belonged to a purchased by an Anglo Indian and Rāṇī Rāsmaṇi purchased it.

There it is a quite a big area now because of the huge buildings, shops, malls, everything that came, the whole beauty is completely destroyed. But even when my first visit to Dakhṣiṇeśvara was so memorable, there were very, very few shops, they were at a distance on the way to the temple. But once we enter into the temple compound it is all only those three buildings and then full of this ponds and other that forest area.

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to enter there and spend practically whole night until the time came for him to again do, take up his duties in the temple. And Hṛday as we know tried to disturb him and you have to recollect that incident.

==== The Upāsana Kāṇḍa ====
So in this Upāsana Kāṇḍa, meditative practice—so here the Vānaprasthis attain concentration, expansion, then their understanding becomes deep and that is where they do the Manana or deep thinking so that is how slowly the desire, the faith in God increases. As the faith in God increases the desire for the realization of God: He is my mother, my father, my guru, my friend, my well-wisher, everything. I don't have anybody in this world.

Here after attaining mental maturity, a person by this—maybe the same guru is initiated into the Vedāntic three-stepped sādhana: Śravaṇa, Manana, Nididhyāsana. And here Śravaṇa has a special meaning: not merely listening to the Upaniṣads etc., but obtained from a qualified teacher and given only to a qualified student—Mahāvākya Śravaṇa—and finding out usually to which Veda the guru belongs or the guru tradition belongs.

So each guru accepting one—one guru, one—sorry one, one Veda, and every Veda as we discussed has a special Mahāvākya. So for example this Yajur Veda has got अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (''Aham Brahmāsmi)'' etc. So that is the mantra given is also compared to a Āraṇyaka state because that is, everything is given up. Sannyāsa means complete transference of one's body, mind to God. That is called Sannyāsa.

== The Nature of Ṛṣis and Sannyāsa ==
And there were many individual Ṛṣis. In fact throughout every teaching of the Veda is nothing but a revelation by one spiritually advanced Ṛṣi or other. That is why it is called Ṛṣi: Ṛṣati Jānāti—one who realized a small bit of the Brahma Jñānam, and that is because the mind can—mind is limited so it can only grasp to its full.

Like an ant, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa compares them to an ant. It just takes one grain of sugar and it fills its stomach and then it takes one and then it thinks: next time I will come, I will carry the whole sugar hill which is never possible. It is like you touch any part of the ocean or Gaṅgā river, you have touched the entire ocean, entire Gaṅgā.

So once we have that idea that I am Brahman, that's it. No more. Afterwards if the body remains, such a person will be known as Jīvanmukta. And then he is specially controlled and regulated by Brahman himself in the form of Īśvara for the good of the world. Whether he does anything consciously or not, every breath of his will be for the welfare of the world. This is the power of vibrations.

=== Two Types of Sannyāsa ===
So a Saṃnyāsī—here we have to understand there were so many Ṛṣis who were realized souls. Yājñavalkya himself was not only a married person, he had two wives, but he was a Vidvat Saṃnyāsī. Sannyāsa is divided into two categories: Vividiṣa Sannyāsa and Vidvat Sannyāsa.

'''Vividiṣa Sannyāsa''' means one takes up Sannyāsa in a proper manner if there are no unavoidable responsibilities for the sake of progressing in spiritual life to obtain Brahma Jñānam. So he doesn't have Brahma Jñānam but he wants to obtain Brahma Jñānam. He is very keen to obtain. Vividiśa means to know and to realize Brahman, that deep desire. So that Īśa means desire: Bubhukṣā—desire to eat, Pipāsā—the desire to drink, Jijñāsā—desire to know. So Vividiśa—desire to know, to have Brahma Jñānam.

But the higher—as he progresses one day he realizes, then he becomes a Vidvat, means a realized soul. So Yājñavalkya was such a realized soul. Still he wanted to make that Sannyāsa ideal, there was no need for him to take Sannyāsa. Śrī Rāmakṛiṣṇa had no need to take Sannyāsa. Similarly Jesus Christ, Buddha or Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they had, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa , they had no need to become Saṃnyāsīs. Kṛṣṇa was a householder Brahma Jñānī, Rāma was a householder Brahma Jñānī.

But some people take for the sake of establishing an ideal and keeping it bright. That's why Swami Sāradānandaji says in his ''Great Master'' that Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa even though he was a married person, he took Sannyāsa and yet kept Holy Mother by his side because he was a Brahma Jñānī, true knower of Brahman—very interesting.

=== Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Example ===
Because Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa specifically asked, "I am a married person." Totāpuri replied, "If you are a Brahma Jñānī, then these relationships will all be burned by the knowledge of Brahman." That's why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted to test himself: whether I am a real Brahmajñānī or not. He found out through testing that his mind never wants to come down from that state of Brahman—only with great difficulty a little bit he will come down.

How much he will come down? If we have to have faith in Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's words: the person whose Kuṇḍalinī has risen to Sahasrāra, whose Jīvātmā became merged in with Śiva in Sahasrāra Cakra or thereafter, his mind can come down at best to the level of Anāhata Cakra, the heart Cakra—not more than that. It won't come below, because below means is not a non-spiritual state is called the three lower Cakras.

=== Householder Saṃnyāsīs ===
So these Saṃnyāsins, Gṛhastha Saṃnyāsins—that is, Sannyāsa is mental state, not a physical state. Some people take physical Sannyāsa when opportunity comes: they have no responsibilities, probably is not married, parents are dead and family is being looked after by others or there is none. He says, "Why should I waste my time in this world state? Let me take Sannyāsa and devote my life exclusively to a spiritual, to spiritual practice."

But many of the householders—for example, Nāga Mahāśaya was more than a monk as far as far as we know. Holy Mother never took physical Sannyāsa even though we should not think she is the Divine Mother, but from ordinary point of view she was the greatest householder Saṃnyāsinī, no doubt about it.

So there are so many householders who lived absolutely—even M lived like a Saṃnyāsī but fulfilling the commandment of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa to distribute among thirsting spiritual aspirants what little he had understood. But he lived—I will give a small example even though I had given it earlier.

==== M's Example of Detachment ====
Once a senior Swāmī—and of course our senior Swāmī is very much a junior to M who was very much older—and they wanted to keep company of M. Why? Because M never speaks any worldly thing. He speaks only what he understood, what he heard from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. He was also deeply learned man. He was a scholar in Bhāgavatam. That's why he named the very gospel as Kathāmṛta. That word Kathāmṛta I had taken from the Gopī Gīta:

तव कथामृतं तप्तजीवनं कविभिरीडितं कल्मषापहम् ।

श्रवणमङ्गलं श्रीमदाततं भुवि गृणन्ति ये भूरिदा जनाः ॥

''Tava Kathamritam Taptajīvanaṃ Kavibhir īḍitam Kalmaṣāpaham''

''Śravaṇamaṅgalaṃ Śrīmadātataṃ Bhuvī Grinanti ye Bhūridā Janāḥ''

So this Swāmī—I forget his name, he was elderly Swāmī—he visited one day all of a sudden. There was nothing called a phone and visits, and then M immediately with a joyful face came and he received him and then took him to his drawing room, visitor's room. And according to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's instruction, every sādhu, every devotee must be offered a bit of sweet or at least water. So he offered some sweets and some water.

And then the Swāmī later on was recollecting, "I noticed so many people coming into the house and going out of the house and he heard also loud weeping." He asked him, "What is that weeping for?" And then you know what M replied, without the least bit of change in his very serene spiritual face, "Oh Swāmī, in householder's life so many ups and downs will be there and please do not pay attention to them. Let us talk joyfully about Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa." And then they spoke for some time.

Of course we have to understand M was the speaker because he was considered as Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's representative. So after that the Swāmī went away but he came to know one of the children of M died that previous night or that day. But the serenity and the face of M never wavered because he understood the instruction of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa: "Live like a maid servant in a rich man's house."

So most of the people can be sannyāsins even while living in the household. No need to take external, but if somebody is free, if they want they can take Sannyāsa. And both Vānaprasthis and the renunciates they prefer to live in undisturbing places. That is why it is also called Āraṇyaka. Araṇya also means cultivating complete detachment by being away from worldly affairs which would be easier rather than being in the midst of worldly situations—try to cultivate detachment which will be very difficult.

That is why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to advise his devotees: now and then go into solitude.

== The Meaning of Upaniṣad ==
Now what is the meaning of Upaniṣhad? So Śhaṅkarācārya gives us beautiful explanation. This word Upaniṣhad is equivalent to Brahma Vidyā. How do we come to that? So according to Śhaṅkara this word Upaniṣad is divided into three parts: Upa, Ni and Sad. Sad is the root. Ni and Upa are the prefixes.

So these indicate that this Upaniṣhad helps us in gaining Brahma Vidyā and all the rules, practices required to attain that Brahma Vidyā and how one should get that Brahma Vidyā, the methodology.

=== The Root 'Sad' - Destruction ===
So let us look briefly at three of these things. Sad means that which destroys. What does this, we are talking about the Upaniṣhad or the knowledge, precisely the knowledge—not the book but what the book teaches. And that is Brahma Vidyā. If heard, if thought deeply and accordingly transform our lives, then it will give us the knowledge: I am what I am seeking. That is called ''Aham Brahmāsmi''.

And when a person attains to this state, two things will happen:

'''First:''' Avidyā, ignorance. What is ignorance? "I am not Brahman", that is ignorance, is destroyed. "I am Brahman"- is automatically revealed.

'''Second:''' So destruction of the ignorance, destruction of the result of ignorance which is called Tāpatraya, threefold suffering, and automatically—we don't need to do anything to obtain the knowledge "I am Brahman" because I am Brahman—and that is called liberation.

So ब्रह्माविद्या नशे संसार कार्य नाशः (''Brahma Avidyā Naśe Saṃsāra Kārya Nāśaḥ''.) So once the ignorance regarding Brahman is totally annihilated, destroyed, its result which is called Saṃsāra, that is the effect, is also completely destroyed.

=== The Analogy of the Rope and Snake ===
As an analogy, when light is brought, first of all the notion that this is a snake, and that is called Avidyā, and the result is fear, palpitation, heart attack—that also will be destroyed simultaneously. We don't need to say the result is to know that it is a snake. There is no need, because when Avidyā is removed we know instinctively what it is, what I am. And when the cause is destroyed, the effect also gets destroyed simultaneously.

So (with) cause destroyed, effect also is destroyed. So this Brahma Avidyā gives us two fruits:

'''Pratyakṣa phalam''' - destroys ignorance as well as its result which is suffering.

'''Parokṣa phalam''' - it immediately liberates us and makes us know, automatically without any effort, that I am Brahman.

Just as light, is brought into a dark room, it destroys the darkness and there is no need to say "you reveal." That is not a second act. Its purpose is remove the darkness, remove the ignorance of what things are there. Both take up, take place simultaneously and we know what are the things that are already there—just as an example.

=== The Two Results of Brahma Vidyā ===
So destruction of the ignorance and its effect and revelation, automatic revelation - that I was free, I am free, I will be free. These are the two results of this Brahma Vidyā and that is what the root meaning of Sad - complete, non-returnable, non-repeatable because it won't come again, of the destruction of Avidyā.

Beautiful thoughts are there. We will talk about them in our next class.

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum''

''Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.

'''Jai Ramakrishna!'''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]