Aitareya Upanishad Lecture 13 on 16 September 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are continuing the Aitareya Upanishad, Chapter 1, Section 3. We have come to the 13th mantra. Now, what happened? Bhagwan had created the worlds, created the rulers of the worlds, created all the bodies, and created the food. Everything is ready. Only one thing is awaiting, and that is the owner, the conscious being, the Jeevatma. He has to come because all this preparation, like the construction of a house, is meant for somebody to live and continue his life. Bhagwan Himself has entered into this. And then, earlier we saw Bhagwan also created hunger and thirst. That is to say, desires. That is to say, the activities should be continued through desires. Samsara, like a Brahma Chakra, should go on and on and on. Everything is ready.

Now, in our last class, we were dealing with the 13th mantra.

sa jAto bhUtAnyabhivyaikhyat.h kimihAnya.n vAvadiShaditi .sa etameva

puruShaM brahma tatamamapashyat.h . idamadarshanamitI .. 13..

So Saha, that Parabrahma, Jataha, as Jeeva, Jeevatma, what did He do? He entered into them. Then Paramatma, as Paramatma, the creator, having created all these beings, He named them. This is a table, this is a tree, this is a mountain, this is everything. How? Through the Jeevatma, as Jeevatma, manifesting through the body-mind.

Because what is the whole world? Different Namas, different Rupas, and every Rupa has to be distinguished from every other Rupa. What it means? Naming. This is a table, this is a chair, this is a book. What is the process involved here? That this object called table, this object called chair, this object called book, they are complete, completely separate, different. If I want any one of them, I can specify either to myself or to somebody, this is the object I want or anybody wants. And then, even if it be the same object, this is a small table, that is a big table, this is a white-painted table, that is a blue-painted table, etc. These are called Viseshanas or certain characteristics by which every single object can be separated from the other object.

Then what did he do? Now let me lead the life of a Samsara. That means let me become a Samsari. That means let me forget I am Brahman. Let me mean I am a Jeevatma. So this Aham, which is the only name for Paramatma or Brahman, as soon as it confines itself, limits itself to body-mind, it becomes Kara. Whatever is added after Aham is called Kara. I am plus the body. I am plus the mind. That is called Ahamkara, and all Jeevas have become.

Then what happened? We have seen the marvellous commentary of Shankaracharya in the previous section, and this one also. This Jeeva goes through crores and crores of Janmas right from the non-living inert to the living, and it evolves, becoming a human being, going through several, many births. One day, he wakes up. Then he leads a life of Dharma. He tries to give up Adharma. One day, he gives up Adharma. This is called Chitta Shuddhi. The mind becomes pure, and then it understands, developing the quality of discrimination. This is real, this is not real, this is permanent, this is impermanent, this is changeless, this is ever-changing. And he wants that which is permanent, that which is real, that which is unchanging, and his own true nature, Sat Chit Ananda, drives every Jeeva to look for a solution, how he can become Sat Chit Ananda. He develops intense yearning. Somebody, whoever is there, let it be God, Guru, a realized soul, come and help me. I want to get out of this samsara.

Then Parama Karunikaha, a divine grace in the form of a Guru with complete Kripa, grace, comes. What does he do? He makes the yearning student listen to Vedanta like a sleeping person is woken up by playing a huge drum, Vedanta Dindima. Dindima means a percussion, a big percussion instrument, but it is not an ordinary sound, Vedanta sound. What is that Vedanta sound? "You are Brahman, you are not Jeevatma." And then this Jeevatma, through Shravana first, then Manana, then Nididhyasana, one day he realizes. Then he sees. What does he see? "Sa etam eva purusham brahma." He sees etam Jeevatma eva purusham. "I am the Jeevatma. I was thinking I am Jeevatma, but Jeevatma, in fact, doesn't exist. What exists is Paramatma. I am that Paramapurusha. I am that Brahma." That was his realization at the end of the Guru Upadesha.

"Tatam tatamamam pasyat." Tatamama means intensely pervading everywhere. Only Brahman, pasyat. A Jeevatma sees everywhere. First, he realizes, "I am Brahman." Then afterward, he opens his mouth. Such people who survive after realization are called Jeevan Mukthas. What does he do? He saw not only "I am Brahman," there is nothing else excepting Brahman. Wherever I see, in front, back, above, below, east, west, south, north, everything, there is nothing called Jagat. That is called Jagat Mithyavada. There is no Jagat. "Brahma eva jagadrupena nama rupadvara bhasate." I see the same Brahman with a thin covering of names and forms. If he is a Jeevan Muktha, the world will still appear. A tree will be a tree. A tiger will be a tiger. Not that he sees only Brahman. But what is his specialty? While we see a tiger as a tiger, this Jeevan Muktha sees this tiger, only Brahman inside, but putting on as if the name, the form of a tiger. That is all. So he is not frightened because there is nothing excepting Brahman. "Idam adarshanam iti." This is the real realization.

This is what we covered in our last class. The Bhagavad Gita also states, "aneka janma samsiddhaha tato yati param gatim." When, through many lives of being born as a human being and adopting the path of Dharma, a person attains Chitta Shuddhi, then he awakens. What does he do? Awakening means developing discrimination. This is beautifully described in the Mundaka Upanishad. "Pariksha Lokan Karma Chitan Brahmanaha Nirveda Maya." So, some great spiritual aspirant examines everything as temporary, momentary, not what he wants. He desires something eternal. Nirveda means complete dispassion; he doesn't want anything in this world. There are two types of this state. A beggar might say, "I don't want anything," but it's a declaration of hopelessness. However, the awakened soul says, "I have the power to have everything, yet I know this is useless." We saw in the Katha Upanishad how Nachiketa had developed this kind of vairagya.

Similarly, every spiritual soul has to go through the same thing; they don't want anything. Such a person is reborn as a real Brahmana. Then what happens? As soon as that Nirveda, intense dispassion, arises in his mind, the grace of God immediately comes in the form of a Guru. That means after a long time, Parama Karunikena, an embodiment of grace in the form of an Acharya, Atma Gnana Prabodha Guru. Who can tell him who the Sadhaka really is and how does he do it? Through Shabdikaya, Prabodha Shabdikaya, that is, awakening teachings. And what is that awakening teaching called? Vedanta Mahabheri. It is Vedanta not only Bheri, Mahabheri. That means nobody can ignore those teachings. Tat Karna mole. He comes very near to the ears of that earnest yearning student. Then what happens? Anadimaya Yasuktaha. In the Chandogya Upanishad Karika, we get the first Agama Prakaranam, "Anadimaya Yasuktaha." As if he has been asleep since countless Janmas, then he gets up. And in the Katha Upanishad, which was a favourite of Swami Vivekananda, "Uttishthata, Chagratha." And then the person has no option but to get up. Why no option? Because he deserved it. Why did he deserve it? Because he had been pursuing the path of only Dharma. Chitta Shuddhi had happened. Only then discrimination will come. And then what does he do? Then this Guru, Aparoksha Taya, that is, you must have, my child, direct realization. And he gives that Mahavakya. "Tat Tvam Asi, Ayam Atma Brahma, Prajnanam Brahma, Aham Brahmasmi." Hundreds of Mahavakyas are there. And the disciple devotes his entire life, maybe lives, to realizing what the Guru had given him. Then at the end, by the grace of the Guru, by the grace of God, "Aparoksha Taya Purusham Pratyagatma Bhutam Apasya." He realizes, "I am Brahman." Who is that Brahman? Aparoksha Taya, not as seeing an image in a mirror, as something else. That is called Paroksha. Indirectly, directly he experiences. And then he says, "Aham Brahmasmi." Not only I, everything is nothing but Brahman. There is no difference in this world. And this has been expressed.

Some great souls, most of them, do not express. They become silent. But some, like Vamadeva, as we find in the Taittiriya Upanishad, express through profound statements.

"Ha O Ha O Ha O Aham Annam Aham Annam Aham Annam Aham Annado Oham Annado Aham Annada Ahag Shloka Kruta Ahag Shloka Kruta Ahag Shloka Krit."

They declare, "I am everything. I am the subject. I am the object. I am the enjoyer. I am the enjoyed. I am the food. I am the eater of the food. I am the food that is eaten." This sentiment is echoed in the Panchadashi, which is nothing but Vidyaranya Swami's reflection after realizing, Aparoksha Bhavena, directly, not indirectly.

"Aho Shastram Aho Shastram Aho Guruhu Aho Guruhu Aho Gnanam Aho Gnanam Aho Sukham Aho Sukham."

What a marvellous expression. "Oh, what a great teaching. Shastra means here teaching. What a great teaching my Guru has given. Aho Guruhu. What a great teacher I am so fortunate to have. And then, as a result, what happened? Aho Gnanam Aho Sukham. What a marvellous knowledge I got. And what is the result of this Gnanam? Aho Sukham. Oh, what an incomparable bliss. Ananda Swaroopah Asmi." And that is the purpose of Samsara. Why does God create? So that He wants to play a solitaire game. What is it? "Oh, I forgot myself. I don't want to remember I am Brahman. I want to remember I am Abrahman. I am married Brahman. Mayayukta Brahman. And I want to play for some time that I have forgotten. I am weeping. I am going through Trita Pass and then after some time, I will understand that I have to wake up. Part of the drama only. A script has been written earlier itself. And then the Guru will come. That also is in the drama only, script only. And then a scripture will come. That is also part of the script. And then He does Sadhana. That is also part of the script.

If you had watched Sri Ramakrishna's life or Thyagaraja or Bambinapothana or Ramprasad, etc. Same process. Absolutely no difference is there at all. Suddenly, because he got some nice scolding from the wife, renounces the world and goes, and suddenly the Guru comes. "You, Sishya, so you have understood correctly. You come away with me." How Sri Ramakrishna graphically describes. You take this medicine and you appear like a dead man and hear your conversations about you, how much they love you, and he gets up upon hearing. Why Samsara? Because those scoldings are necessary. And then only we wake up. And like this, he finally gets the Guru, practices Sadhana, and realizes Aparoksha Taya. Paroksha realization means Shraddha. Aparoksha means direct realization. And then, "Aham Brahmasmi. Everything is also Brahma." That is the final goal. After that, the drama ends. Shubham. This was what we actually discussed in our last class but could not complete it.

Now we go to the 14th. That is 3rd chapter section of the 1st chapter 14th mantra.

tasmAdidandro nAmedandro ha vai nAma . tamidandra.n santami.ndra

ityAchakShate parokSheNa .

parokShapriyA iva hi devAH parokShapriyA iva hi devAH .. 14..

The 14th mantra in this 3rd section of the 1st chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad ends with some words repeated twice: "paroksha priyaivaidevaha paroksha priyaivaidevaha." Whenever we see that, it indicates, "Thank God, this chapter is coming to an end."

Now, what is the essence of this 14th mantra? "tasmat." Because that particular Jeevatma, having gone through the samsara through innumerable births, once unable to withstand the sufferings, earnestly prays, adopts the teachings of the scriptures, becomes a fit person to receive the grace of God in the form of a Guru, and the Guru appears, giving him the correct knowledge. Actually, you do not have any suffering; you think you are suffering because everything is a dream. First, it is accepted on Shraddha by faith, then it is made into reality called realization, and then afterwards, not only here, there are no Jeevatmas at all, only Paramatma is there. That is called "Tasmat."

After this realization, this person is called "Idandraha Nama." He is called "Idandraha," and then the same thing is repeated, everybody calls him "Idandraohavai Nama." That means you are a Jeevanmukta. "Tam Idadram Santam." So that being who is called "Idandram," and I will come to the meaning of what is called "Idandram." "Santam Indraha Parokshena Iti Asakshate." What is "Idandram"? What we generally call in the Chandogya Upanishad, "Indradeva." In Puranas, what is called "Indra." That Indra is another name. Indra is the indirect name. "Idandra" is the direct name. And why is it called "Idandra"? Because he directly experienced Brahman, "Idam." Brahman is not somewhere else. Brahman is here and now. Not only here and now. If you are talking with somebody in front of you, what do you say if somebody questions, "Where is he?" "Oh, he is here and now." I am speaking with him, but still he is "Paroksha" only. He is not you. "Idandram" means I who considered myself as non-Brahman until now. Now I realized that I am that Brahman which is everything, and there is nothing besides Brahman. That is called "Idandram." "Idam." "Isha Vashyam Idagam Sarvam Yathkincha Jagatyaam Jagat Idam." That "Idam Indram." Who realizes "Idam"? "Ishwaraha." He is called "The Indraha." And then there is not really much in this mantra. "Paroksha Priya Yohe Devaha." You see, Devas, they do not wish to call him directly Indra. There is a peculiar explanation given. Great people, our elders, we should never call. Suppose your grandfather's or father's name is Ramachandra. "Hey, Ramachandra," like that you can't call him. He, Latu Maharaj, always used to address Sri Ramakrishna as "he." That means Thakur. And we call him Thakur. We don't call him, "Hey, Ramakrishna, you come here." But if you call him that way, he will never come at all. If at all he is there a little bit, he will disappear completely. Say, "Thakur, you are God." This person admires me. I want to bestow my grace upon him. Like that, he will come. So "Paroksha Priya," Devas are called. They are lovers of everything. Directly they don't want to show. They don't want to experience. Indirectly. So it is said like that. But what does it really mean? "Paroksha Priya" means what? If there is something, anything in this world, you can describe that object. It is here. It is green. It is small. It is fragrant. It is sweet, etc. We discussed it. Brahman can never be. This Shabda Avideyas cannot work. There is no relationship. There is no quality. There is no species. There is no uniqueness. So, through whatever words, they can only express what is not Brahman, what is limited, can never be unlimited. Therefore, "Paroksha Priya" means, "Oh, there is something which is indescribable." It is called Shrotrasya Shotram Manaso Manaha. Like that, it is the eye of the eye, ear of the ear, mind of the mind, etc. This is called Paroksha.

"Devaha" means what? Those who are wise people. They can only describe the indescribable through what is called paradoxical language like Isavasya Upanishad uses. Brahman is near, very near. Brahman is very far. Brahman moves all the time. Brahman doesn't move at all. He is inside. He is outside. Instead of saying that I cannot describe this paradoxical language, that is, if something is here, it is not elsewhere. Something is inside, it is not outside. If it is moving, it is moving. If it is not moving, it is not moving. At the same time, it is both moving and non-moving. That is not understandable by the human mind. But they have to indicate. This language is called paradoxical language. What is the purpose? Like the Koans of the Zen Buddhism. What is the purpose? To break down the resistance of the intellect that you can understand the arrogance of the intellect. "I can understand everything through description." No, you cannot. That is called Koan. So, "Paroksha Priyaha Ivahi Deivaha." With this, the 14th mantra has come to an end.

What does it mean in the English language? Therefore, He, the Supreme Self, is called Idandra. Why? Because having become Jeevatma, having roamed in this Samsara Sagara, Samsara Aranya for a very long time, he woke up one day and took surrender. Surrendered himself to the Guru and accepted Guru's teaching. Surrender means accepting Guru's teaching without questioning, with complete faith. That is called surrender. He practiced it. That is also called surrender. And finally, he became one with God. That ends the process of self-surrender. Self is getting merged with the Paramatma. That is called complete self-surrender. So, this Paramatma became, as it were Jeeva, and continued to be Jeeva. Then one day he realized that this is not my cup of tea, and then slowly travels back, and then he realizes I am what I used to think. I was a Jeeva. I am not Jeevatma. I am Paramatma. That is called, therefore, the Supreme Self is thereafter what is called Idandra. That means he who realized that he is Brahman. Idandra indeed is his name. Him who is Idandra, they mean everybody else calls indirectly Indra, for the Gods appear to be fond of cryptic epithets. Yeah, the Gods appear to be fond of cryptic epithets, but we don't need to make. Twice it is repeated to come to the end.

Now, we are getting somewhere to understand the meaning of it. What is it? The whole Upanishad wants to teach us that Atma alone exists. In the beginning, there is only Atma, but we, the students of these Upanishads, don't know that Atma alone is there. That means there is nothing other than the Atma. What do we see? All Jeevatmas, living as well as non-living, happiness, unhappiness, good, evil, the Sudwandwa Samudra. But having woken up, having taken shelter at the feet of a Sadguru, and then the teaching comes: there is only Atma. Agrah means what? Before creation. Agrah means what? After creation also. There is no creation. Brahman alone is appearing as the Samsara. But because of our unpreparedness, because of our identity with body and mind, we had to slowly evolve, and there are some fortunate souls, in the course of time, they evolved. They realized that this Samsara is not desirable, and what is the way out? We have to go out of Samsara. That is the solution, and what is the way? The teachings of the scriptures. So, the scripture has manifold usefulness. First of all, the scripture tells us, describes to us the real nature of Samsara. Why should we describe? Because this world, this Samsara, is not invisible to us. It is visible to us. We are living in it 24 hours a day. So, we are expected to have real knowledge. How? Sri Ramakrishna, what was his teaching? Here is a man; he gets married and he gets children year after year, and so many children are dying, and still, he doesn't awake. He thinks, "Oh, this child is gone; I will get another child." Another man, both brothers, they quarrel over one inch of the land, and they go to court. The only people who get benefit are the lawyers. You know why? Because a lawyer is a licensed liar. He has been trained on how to lie as if to convince you that is the truth. They are the only beneficiaries, nobody else. And then afterwards, he wakes up, takes refuge at the feet of great ones, absorbs the teaching, meditates upon it, and realizes one day. That is the real purpose.

Here, a doubt will come. Let us, well, after all, why does Parabrahma want to play Leela? Why does he want to appear as if he has become the Jeeva? As if he has forgotten his nature. The answer is only God knows. We don't know. Only we are in this condition now, just as Brahman. What is the Upanishads talking about? About whom? About us. What are we called? Jeevatmas. And then we want unbroken existence and infinite knowledge and unbroken happiness. Can we get it? The scripture assures us not only we can get it, but that is our destiny sooner or later. That is why we have to do. If this is the essence, the next doubt that comes is, why should we go on? Every book, scriptural, spiritual book, whether it is Gospel, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Prakarana Granthas like Vivekachudamani, they go on telling the same thing. Why do we go on? One class is enough. Yes, if one class is enough for you and then you progress and then you become a Mukta Purusha, God bless you.

But what do you say? "I doubt." Some drunken fellows are talking like this. Then "Vinaga Vinaga Thinaga Thinaga Vemuthiya Nau Nau." So by eating a bitter fruit and all the neem leaves, and it is quite good. So we have to go on hearing until we realize ourselves, and then the scripture is no longer necessary because we have reached the destination. So this doubt, why should we go on through all these Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc., is to reinforce our faith in the scriptures, in God, in Guru, in our destination, and especially that I am quite capable of realizing God. That is the purpose; otherwise, even one class or one minute is more than sufficient.

There was a funny story, incident really. There was Swami Turiyananda, Ramakrishna's disciple, and there was another disciple of Swami Brahmananda called Swami Prabhavananda, and they were living, I think, somewhere in Kolkata or Haridwar. I don't remember, and these Prabhavanandaji and others wanted to have a Gita class to study under Swami Turiyananda. Among the direct disciples, he was the one who memorized many Upanishads along with Shankaracharya's Bhashya. So they wanted to study, and Swamiji said, "Yes, come tomorrow at such and such a time." And these students went there, and Swami gave the essence as an introduction, and then maybe the first shloka, "Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra." Then when class is over, they said, "Until you realize my teaching, what I taught, don't come back," and there was no second class afterwards. So we are also like that, and we should have the class, but I won't say that until you realize what we have taken in today's class, don't come back, okay, because I also need the Upanishad.

Now we are entering into the chapter two of the Aitareya Upanishad. Now everything has been given, so a beautiful description is going to give that there are three births of the Self. So we have seen earlier one is from the father, one is from the mother, and another is one's own Self, or it is also said that one can go to this Manushya Loka, Pitru Loka, and Deva Loka also it is said. But whatever it is, what are these three births, and this is a very peculiar part of this Aitareya Upanishad, as if each one of us as Jeevatma undergoes as the three types of births. In fact, this is much better than Chandogya Upanishad. It talks about Panchagni Upasana. Contemplation on five fires. What does it mean? Five fires? Every fire is called a Janma. So this Jeevatma, through some great good accumulation of Punya, goes to the Pitru Loka, Svarga Loka, and then again it comes down as soon as the Punyam is over, that is, as soon as your payment is over to the hotel, they will not keep you one second longer. In fact, they always tell you if you have to go early morning before seven, you will have to quit your room.

So this Svarga Vasi is also like that, and we don't know. Then how does that Svarga Vasi come down, takes birth? So first, he becomes mixed up with the clouds, then he comes down in the form of the vapour, then water, then what is called the clouds, the rains come down, and then all the plants grow up, and in the plant, he becomes the plants. And this plant is eaten by the father, and he enters into the father. And the father eats these plants, and that whatever he has eaten becomes what is called the Purusha Bija, the Retas, the semen, and that semen is discharged into the female, and then this Jeevatma starts growing. So the mother, the father, the plants, the rain, and the clouds, this is how Jeevatma comes along, and this is what is called Panchagni Vidya. Fortunately for us, here only three births are there. What are the births? First of all, the father, then the mother, and then one's own self. And this is what is going to be described here for us.

And then we have seen earlier that when we are discussing as Jeevatma, "Oh, this is a beautiful abode for me. Ayam Avasataha, Ayam Avasataha, Ayam Avasataha," thrice, three abodes, and that is going to be elaborated, commented, explained in this second chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad. What did we complete earlier? The first chapter, having three sections, we completed. Now we are entering into the second section of the second chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad, and what is its subject matter? That about the three abodes, that is what he wants to say, and this is beautifully described in our other Upanishads.

anādi avidyā vāsanayā pravarttamāne asmin mahati samsāracakre vicitrābhiḥ karmmagatibhiḥ vicitrāsu paśu pakṣi mṛgādi yoniṣu punaḥ punaḥ anekadā janitvā kenāpi puṇyakarmmaviśeṣeṇa idānīmtana mānuṣye dvijanmaviśeṣam prāptavataḥ

Because of this beginningless avidya, enveloped by avidya, pashu, pakshi, mruga, adhi, several births, first inorganic, then organic in the form of insects, plants, birds, animals, lower human beings, etc., punaha punaha, again and again, thousands and thousands, anekadha, in various ways, janitva, having been born and having gone through all sorts of things. Just imagine how many cows, how many chickens, how many goats, how many rabbits, how many imaginable birds, they're being factory produced and butchered mercilessly and tinned for people to buy, and all these we have also gone through so many times.

So having gone, ultimately, unable to bear the three tapa, then somebody, a few people, take up kenapi punya karma viseshena, as a result of the so much of punyam accumulated from many, many births, idanintanam, that is, in this birth. Which birth? manushyas birth manushye vijanma visesham praptavataha. So having obtained this beautiful body, then awakening, developing this discrimination, what does he do? He turns towards God, like the chick of the homa bird. That is what some Upanishads describe. How punyam, if anybody turned towards God, becomes a devotee and wants to get out. Devotee means he who believes in God, and belief in God means he, who wants to obtain mukti, that is the one, and that is what he wants to tell.

Now, there is something very interesting. Our Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, etc., are very logically arranged. If we can find out that logical connection, so there is something called sangati—what is sangati? What is the relationship between the previous chapter and this chapter? Some people write books, a series of books—Book number one, Book number two. So what is the relationship between Book number one and Book number two? This is called a series of books. So here also, a series of chapters—what is the relationship?

In the first chapter, the whole samsara, how it came to be created by God, was described. And then, that was the culmination, the ultimate creation of Bhagwan—avasatha—that is, he obtained a beautiful body. And that has been repeated thrice, why? Because three types of bodies. So there, the samsara was described in all its details. And what for? The marvellous description of samsara. And Shankaracharya gives us the hint: "For what? Vairagya Siddhyartham. You foolish fellow, you had lakhs and lakhs of parents, lakhs and lakhs of children, lakhs and lakhs of wives, husbands, and you had been born in every imaginable type of birth. And how many times you have been butchered, eaten? Of course, you have also eaten everything. Now, when are you going to wake up? This is called vairagya siddhyartham—for infusing dispassion within us."

Many people read newspapers, so you just skim the newspapers. But there is one column, usually on the third page, it is called the obituary column. And if you go through that, you will see many of your more known friends, your juniors, your seniors—many of them. So they are all described as good men. Why are they described as good men? Because they are dead men. Only a dead man is a good man. And so, you have to wake up to the truth. Nobody will think you are a good man. But if you want to be a good man, you have to become a dead man and get ready for that. So, vairagya siddhyartham.

And then, there is something very interesting that also comes. In the past, we have seen in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that there were Brahmavadinis. Not only Brahmavadi but Brahmavadinis. That means women who are interested in the highest teachings of Vedanta. What is the highest teaching of Vedanta? Vedanta itself is the highest teaching. That means there is what is called Dvaita Vedanta and Visishta Dvaita Vedanta, but Advaita Vedanta. So, great Brahmavadinis like Gargi and Maitreyi, we get in the second chapter, fourth section—Maitreyi Brahmanam, not Yajnavalkya Brahmanam. Maitreyi Brahmanam—how she followed her husband: "If you want to become a sannyasi, I am also going to become a sannyasini. Yes, just as you attain Brahma Jnanam, I also want to attain Brahma Jnanam." And that is being hinted here.

So the teacher, perhaps Aitareya Rishi, is telling, "I'm going to describe something. So, Apakramantu Garbhinyaha—among the women, that means there must have been many, many women students. So, they must be married people, and some of them, quite a number of them, must be garbhinis, that is, they're pregnant, expecting. And my dear children, I am going to describe a detailed process of how Jeeva is born from the garbha. It's a little bit delicate matter. So, this is a hint for if you don't want to hear or you feel shy to hear about it so graphically being described, you better go out for this class. Later on, I will tell you safely when you can come. So, Apakramantu—let those who are pregnant, garbhinyaha striyaha, Apakramantu—please withdraw, go home, or go away to some distant place, etc."

Then comes the first mantra in the second chapter:

OM puruShe ha vA ayamAdito garbho bhavati yadetadretaH .

tadetatsarvebhyo.a~NgebhyastejaH saMbhUtamAtmanyeva.a.atmAnaM bibharti

tadyadA striyA.n si~nchatyathainajjanayati tadasya prathama.n janma .. 1..

How do I understand? Earlier, he said, "Avasatha" means janma. Three janmas are there, and this is going to be the description about the first janma. In brief, the summary of this first mantra is this: there is this man and woman; they're married according to Vaidika rites, and they are all great practitioners of dharma. And then what happens? The husband and wife come together. And earlier, just now I described Panchagni Upasana. That is, one who knows how the Jeeva from the last birth, how he comes into, enters into the father's body, and then from the father's body, it becomes the retas, semen, and the semen is discharged into the woman. And there would be, along with the stree bija, that is a woman's seed also, they join together, and the foetus is born. And that foetus becomes part of the woman's body itself. And the woman accepts this as her own, a part of her own body. She doesn't feel any different. This is some foreign object because, you see, science tells us if a foreign object or body enters into our bodies, unable to harmonise, we can get diseases like COVID, etc. Now, there is some peculiar disease is going on in Kerala, and like that, they can kill people also. So, even if a foreign limb of somebody, either a kidney or a heart, is introduced, the doctors have to give what is called anti-rejection medicine. But when a husband gives his seed, puts his seed into the woman, then it doesn't act like a foreign object. On the contrary, it acts like one's own. So, this is what he wants to tell—these three facts: the Jeevatma enters into the male body in the form of food, and that Jeevatma takes the best of every part of the father's body, becomes the essence, what is called creative energy, creative seed called retas. And that has to be mixed with the woman's seed. And when they join together in the appropriate manner at a particular point, the foetus is born. And that foetus is not considered as a foreign body, and that would be the mother of that foetus, even though she knows she can't have the child without the husband's seed. But as if the husband himself has entered into her womb in the form of this would-be some foetus, that is what is important. And she considers this husband as her own child. Here, but it is not really the husband; it is the Jeevatma. Only father and mother become the instruments for him to come out, and that would be the third janma.

So, the first janma is in the form of semen. The second janma is when the husband and wife join, and both of their seeds get mixed up, what they call X and Y in modern science, and it becomes combined. It starts splitting or multiplying into multi-cells, and slowly the foetus is formed. That is the second janma. The mother nourishes the second janma as if she is nourishing her own body. At the end of nine months, she bestows, as if the baby comes out—the first birth from the father, the second birth within the mother, and the third birth as the individual self or the individual seed. That is what is wanted to be conveyed in this first mantra.

If you understand this, now a pregnant woman should move away from the place. In man, the soul, meaning the previous Jeevatma, which, after the end of the previous birth, might have gone to Svarga Loka or whatever Loka, again enters into the samsara sagara because it has to evolve. So, it enters the transmigratory cycle, samsara chakra, or brahma chakra. What does it become first? It becomes that germ, which is called the seed in the father. That seed is called retas, a beautiful word, actually. The Upanishad tells us if the essence is gathered from all the limbs of the father, the male parent, not one particular part, as if the entire body of the father—remember, only the body, not the mind. Remember, not the mind because the Jeevatma himself brings all the mind. Poorva janma, the mind will be there only one time until the final death, the final death to the mind when it realizes God.

In man, that soul has entered, and it is called retas, that seed. It is the essence from all the limbs. Man holds this essence of himself in his own body until he becomes married. After marriage, when he has union with the wife, he casts the seed into the woman, and then he procreates. This means that retas becomes mixed with what is called shonita, shukla, and shonita. Shonita is the seed in the woman, and the foetus becomes. That is the first birth. Three births have been indicated. This is the explanation of the first birth. In today's class, I will stop here, and then we will discuss further what is the second birth and what is the third birth, etc., in tomorrow's class.