Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 09 on 17 July 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Taittiriya Upanishad. In our last class, we have been dealing with the Shanti Pathak. As I mentioned earlier, this Taittiriya Upanishad is, from one point of view, a unique Upanishad. It has got, again in a way of speaking, three Shanti Pathas. The first Tanvaka or first section in the very first chapter called Sikshavalli, the beginning of course of every Upanishad, there should be a peace chant called Shanti Patha. It starts with Shanno Mitraha, Shambhurnaha, etc. Similar, almost similar, except slight variations in some of the words, especially using I prayed to you, you heard my prayer, and you made me attain Brahman, so I am very grateful to you. Thanksgiving occurs in the twelfth section of this first chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad. So the very first section itself, entire first section is only Shanti Patha. The twelfth section as well is a Shanti Patha. But just a little, I have spoken of you as the direct Brahman, visible Brahman, experienced Brahman. Now many thanks to you, you heard my prayer, etc. And as I mentioned earlier, Taittiriya Upanishad has got three chapters, actually four chapters. Because Shankaracharya hasn't written a commentary on the fourth chapter, which goes by the name of Maha Narayana Upanishad. So it is not included in this Taittiriya Upanishad, but it should be included in the Taittiriya itself. So from second and third chapters, the second Shanti Patha is Sahana Vavatu, May Brahman protect both me and my teacher. May we be successful, the Guru in teaching me and me, the student, in receiving it, in the same understanding that the Guru wants to convey to me. This is the so-called second, I would say, Shanti Patha. In our last class, we have been dealing and we are almost in the middle of this. So what are we talking about? That all the Panchadevatas, five Devatas in the form of the space, which is indicated, but not every five elements, Panchadevata is not specifically mentioned, only some. By mentioning what is called the Surya and Varuna, etc., only some of these are indicated. So we have to say, we have to add, etc., and then to indicate that by your grace, let not only my physical body, but by my mind, which is more important, and even more important is that I should be able to understand it, and still further importance that I should have complete faith in the teaching, so that I will be able to translate it into what Swami Vivekananda calls Practical Vedanta, Anushthana Vedanta. So that prayer has been done. What is it? That let my body, mind, everything be absolutely helpful to the maximum extent that is possible. So as I mentioned earlier, we should never forget, every breath we take, every step we take, it is all the grace of God. We are alive, grace of God. We are able to be active, grace of God. We are able to move our hands and feet, grace of God. So in our last class, we came at what is called Vishnumurthy. Vishnu is called Urukramaha, long stripes. But really speaking, Vishnu is Parameshwara or Eshwara, or what in English language is called God, who is God, generator, organiser and destroyer. He is called God, Srishti, Stithi, Laya, Karta, and He is everywhere. Therefore, the question of Vishnu has to travel somewhere, that doesn't arise. Urukramaha means long stripes. That means what? You pray, He is already with you. Supposing you don't pray, so a baby doesn't pray. It is sleeping happily and great danger, maybe a serpent is slowly approaching the baby. A mother, as I look at it, do you think a mother will keep quiet until let my child wake up, let him cry, then only I will come? This is proved again and again, that once we surrender ourselves to God, He is there to protect us. What about those people who do not surrender? Surrendering is our cognition that I belong to you. But God knows better than anybody that we all belong, everything belongs to Him. Just as we want to protect everything that belongs to us, every possession, everything that we are related to. So everything is manifestation of Brahman only. So Urukrama, what is the symbolism? Symbolism is God is available, only we are not able to cognize. That is the first symbolism. What is the second symbolism? O Lord, grant me your grace. What do I become? I will also become a long-striped person. What does it mean? If I have legs like Vishnu, then I can travel any distance very, very quickly. That means may I progress in every phase of life very, very quickly. And that happens only when you carry me. When Bhagawan carries in a trice, we can be anywhere. So this is a prayer that if you are gracious to me, I will reach you. When? Instantaneously. This is beautifully explained in the Isavasya Upanishad in a paradoxical manner. Tadejati, Tannaijati, Taddure, Tadvantike, Tadantarasya Sarvasya, Taduvu Sarvasya Asya Vahyataha. Brahman, it moves, it doesn't move. Taddure, it is very far away. Tadvantike, it is the nearest one. There is nothing nearer to us excepting Brahman. And it is there inside and outside everything. Which means nothing exists excepting Brahman. Paradoxical language, it moves, it doesn't move. It is far, it is near. In our state of ignorance, something is far, it is far. If something is near, it is near. You can't talk in the opposite way. That which is near is very far and that which is very far is very near. But He who is everywhere, what is further, what is near? The concept of space itself, which is indicated by the usage of the word that below and above, front and back, near and long distance. This is all nonsense. So that is how we have to understand, by your grace, may I be able to obtain you as quickly as possible. This is indicated as soon as the elephant God, what is called Gajendra, cried out. Instantaneously, He was present. And when Draupadi prayed, immediately Krishna came out. These are all stories to indicate to us that God is right besides us. This is the first significance. What is the second significance? This Vamanavatar, God incarnating as a dwarf and approaching King Bali. Even the names are beautiful names. Vamana means dwarf. What is it? When a child, simply you have seen so many times, a child is playing and it wants to play. No one else is there. And this six and a half feet dad is moving about. And then the baby wistfully looks at the father. What does he do? Immediately, he bends down lower than the baby and wants to play with him. Or sometimes the baby wants to ride a horse. The poor dad has no option but to become whatever the child wants him to become. It could be a dog, it could be a donkey, it could be a horse, anything he wants. So immediately, he will be kicking the dad right and left and then move forward, move forward. Why are you moving so slowly, etc., etc. This is the relationship between the baby and the parent. Similarly, when we become the babies, God also will be like that. That was the first meaning. What is the second? A story that there was a king and one day he was doing a ritual like a Brahmana. He organized a big ritual called Yajna. And the vow he had taken is, whichever Brahmana comes to me, whatever he wants, I will offer it to him. I will not ask you to limit it and you ask something which I also want to give you. No, simply you express your desire, I will give you. The very name Bali, Bali means sacrifice, offering. I am a complete offering. Then God decided to bestow His grace. Why? Because it is said, if a person realizes God, his seven generations at least, they also will become freed. And who was Bali Chakravarti? He was the grandson of Prahlada, the greatest bhakta ever lived on this earth. So immediately, God wanted to accept the offering. Bali means offering, complete offering. So he came in the form of Brahmana. That means he came in the form that can be understood like a father bending down. So immediately Shukracharya, the guru of these Rakshasas. So by the way, the word Rakshasa should not apply to Bali Chakravarti, Prahlada, etc. It should apply to Brihaspati. Why Brihaspati? Just now we prayed to Brihaspati. Maybe he will take offense if I talk about him like a Rakshasa. You know why? He understood. He had the capacity to understand. Bhagawan Vishnu is coming and for what purpose? To ruin my disciple. To spoil the relationship between me and my disciple. My disciple has been obedient to me all this time. And now this fellow comes. As soon as he comes, he will take away my disciple completely out of my control. So he advised him. As soon as he saw Vamana, the Devdwar, he said, Oh, this Mayavi Vishnu, what is his concept of God? God is a Mayavi. He is coming. Don't promise anything to him. And Bali Chakravarti, you know the disciple, what he said? He said, how fortunate I am. Everybody is running to God to get something from Him. And God Himself is coming to me to get something from me. So I am not going to lose this opportunity in spite of the Guru's advice. That means he went against the Guru actually. He was disobedient to the Guru. In matters of spiritual importance, if a disciple thinks that my spiritual life, I understand better, I will gain more spirituality, this permission is given. Yes, he can ignore the Guru's teachings and go forward. There is no doubt about it. So as soon as he came, he asked me, whatever you want, I will give you. And then, of course, we know the story. I just want just three feet of land. Land means what? Where something can be kept, some object can be securely placed. And immediately, Bali Chakravarti has granted. And with one foot, he covered the earth. With another foot, the heaven. That means everything is covered. But where is the third foot? Third foot of the land. And then Bali said, I, I means ego. Put your foot on my ego and destroy it forever. And that is what Bhagavan Vishnu had done. And immediately, you know what he said? That I will ever, forever protect you. Nobody will be able to harm you because you are my baby, my child. These mythological stories must be interpreted in a particular way. But some people, out of a little bit of curiosity or fun, they give the third interpretation also. Why did God become small? Because always the giver will be bigger and the receiver will be smaller. That is why he had become a dwarf. Anyway, what is important for us is that we also must become like Bali Chakravarti. So by praying to Lord Vishnu, make me like your greatest devotee, Bali Chakravarti. Let me also become a sacrificial act in your Maha Yagna, which is in the form of this whole universe doing this biggest drama in the world. So it is a prayer. May I travel fast towards Brahman. So like Bali Chakravarti, may I also become a Bali, an offering to God. This is what is more interesting interpretation. Then we will continue. Here, Brahma means Hiranyagarbha or in mythological terms, what is called Brahma, the creator. The role of Brahma is only one, creation. But the same Brahma, when he is protecting his children, nourishing his children, looking after his children, then he is called Vishnu. And the same Brahma, when the children, his creation are tired, to put them to bed and then to give them complete rest, so that they can get up next morning and follow the play like a baby. So this is called Brahman. Brahman here, from the Advaita standpoint, is called Hiranyagarbha. Who is Hiranyagarbha? He is the universal or every combination of all the subtle minds. He is called Hiranyagarbha. And then what happens? We get his mind, his understanding. So that, let my understanding be better. But the same Hiranyagarbha, he also has to sustain us, to give us food and to make us alive. And that Hiranyagarbha in the form of Vayudevata. So when we are looking from the cosmic point of view, our ability to live is because of Hiranyagarbha, who is not visible. Invisible Vayudevata is called Hiranyagarbha. Visible Hiranyagarbha is called Vayudevata. Vayu means the god of oxygen, air. We all know how important this oxygen is. No creature can live, no living being can live without that which gives life. Prana is called Vayu. So Vayu, Prana, Hiranyagarbha, these are synonymous words we have to understand. So individually, the individual manifestation of Hiranyagarbha is we see in the form of air, especially in the form of oxygen. And the same individual for plant kingdom, it is what is called carbon dioxide, that is called Vayudevata. But from a cosmic point, universal point of view, the same Vayu is called Hiranyagarbha. Beautiful word Hiranyagarbha. Garbha means ombu. Hiranya means golden ombu. This is what exactly Swami Vivekananda said, each soul is potentially divine. We are all Hiranyagarbhas, potentially divine. And symbolically, he is called Hiranyagarbha. Hiranya means gold. Gold means what? Atman, pure spirituality. When Sairam Krishna visited Varanasi, he saw the whole Kashi, Varanasi, as shining like gold. He could not even attend to his personal, what is called, leaving water and going to laboratory, etc. He could not do it because he felt it will be making the place impure. So this Madhur Babu had to arrange for him some boat so that he could go outside the Kashi in the forest. So is that forest without golden color? Everything is in God's eyes. Is only God, nothing else. So this is my salutations. Namaste Vayu. So you are my salutations to you. And who are you? Tvameva pratyaksham brahma asi. You are the direct, experienceful Brahma. I also explained it earlier. If somebody saves you, says, you have come like a God to help me. Because of your help, I am alive. So who is the direct Brahman for us? God. Because if the Vayu Devata takes leave of us for not many, not five minutes, even for a few seconds, so most of the life becomes extinct. That is why even the sun and the moon and all other Devatas are secondary. The first Devata, most important Devata is this oxygen. Every minute we have to go on breathing and breathing out. Only 16 times they say. But when we are agitated, we may do more number of times. But there are creatures who have to breathe not 16 times, maybe 200 times. So for example, a rat is always frightened. And so it has to keep alive by breathing in and out, in and out. When we are frightened, the same thing happens to us. Therefore, my salutations to you, to Brahman who is present to me, right in front of me, as a matter of direct experience. That's why he's called pratyaksham, means direct, directly experienceable Brahman. Brahman whom I'm experiencing every millisecond. So that breathing in, breathing out, etc. is the most wonderful thing. So at every time we have to add this word sham. Sham means that which is most auspicious. O God, you are manifesting in the form of the pancha devatas. And the whole universe is nothing but the manifestation of the pancha devatas, five elements. And of all the five elements, the vayu devata, the god of air, is the most directly experienceable. So my salutations and be gracious and bestow your blessing. And through that, may my life become successful. And in this case here, may my spiritual practice become more fruitful. So namaste vayu, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma asi. I know because I will not be without you. And therefore, you are my direct manifestation, I am your direct manifestation. And you are sustaining me every single second, so to say. And to repeat this one, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma vadishyam. Addressing directly, earlier indirectly, but now directly, tvam eva. You alone, pratyaksham brahma vadishyam. I emphatically say that I know. Now what is the lesson we have to learn? We are breathing every second. I am able to speak because of this vayu devata. And not only in the metaphorical sense, but even if my vayu devata, if I have got some kind of problem, breathing problem, for example asthma, then words will not come out, sounds will not come out. Maybe some squeaking sounds will come, but understandable sounds will not come. If it is coming, it is only because of you. Therefore, even to say that I am telling you are the most direct manifestation of Brahman, tvam eva pratyaksham brahma vadishyami. It is only your grace that makes me understand, that makes me utter these words. For that, it is only your grace that is needed. So tvam eva pratyaksham brahma. It is sarvatra vadishyami. I will declare this everywhere at all times. So we have to be very grateful that we are alive. And how many of us are grateful? We have to be grateful to God, especially to the God of this oxygen. So I am going to declare wide open to everybody. Where are you looking for God? There are so many idiots who think God doesn't exist. How can you say that? Without whose help you are unable to even exist? That is the being who deserves to be called God. And you are the Vishwaroopa Ishwara, universally present God. You are sustaining everybody, everything. And then the prayer goes further. This is called gratefulness. We have to be grateful to the sun, to the moon, to the Vayu Devata, to the God of the waters. Water itself is God, not God of the waters. You see, language can bring tremendous misunderstanding. This is a president of America. America is different, president is different. Temporarily, he was given the power. That is not the sense. That you are only manifesting, only you are manifesting in the form of this universe. That is the idea. And I could understand this again by your grace. So, two beautiful words. These are the greatest discoveries of our ancient sages, Rishis. Vritam Vadeshyami, Satyam Vadeshyami. I speak the Vritam, I speak the truth. What is the big deal of difference between these two words? So, there is a slight difference. They are synonymous words. It looks like that. But there is a difference. What is the difference? That what is called Satyam, the right knowledge. Satyam means true knowledge. Truth means true knowledge. True knowledge must be proven in three ways. First of all, it should accord with the scriptures. Second, it should be my experience. And thirdly, it should be rational. Simply saying whatever comes to our mind will not do. In Vedic terminology, this is called Shruti, Yukti and Anubhava. From these three sources, applying all these three sources, whatever knowledge without contradiction from all the three sources that I obtain, that is called Satyam. That is called Satyam, truthfulness. And how do we know? Right knowledge always leads to know the truth and it will make you free. Always right knowledge leads to the most excellent results. That is the understanding. But if it is wrong knowledge, definitely it is going to give some pain, some suffering, etc. So from these three things, from the scriptures, from my own what is called actual experience called Anubhava and having pondered over it, thought over it with right understanding, that is called logical way of thinking. What knowledge I get, that is called Satyam. But that is only intellectual study. Okay, I know the truth about it now. What about it? It must be applied in today's practical life. What Swami Vivekananda called practical Vedanta. So Ritam. Ritam means what? Whatever knowledge I obtained, I must live my life. That is why if you remember Bhagavan Buddha's eight-stepped way of obtaining Nirvana. What is the very first thing? Right understanding. Right understanding obtainable through these three instruments. Shruti, Yukti and Anubhava. And then only he says the right speech, right livelihood, right living, right speech, etc, etc. So the very first thing is to obtain right knowledge. And once we obtain right knowledge, actually what happens is right knowledge will not allow us to live a wrong life. Suppose you come to know that such and such a food material is a poison. Then you will not be able to, once you have that knowledge, you will not be able to eat it or drink it. So if I go this way, it will land me in great trouble. So I will have to suffer Tapatraya. Then we will not do it. But why are we doing so many wrong things? Because even though intellectually we may say, but we are not convinced of it. Okay, in my case, there is an exception. Even if I lead a wrong life, then I need not suffer all these things. Some funny incidents also can happen through this. Girish Chandra Goswami used to take bath in the Ganges in his old age. Earlier he used to say that these are all bunkum, that I don't believe in all those things. And then some devotees who knew about this, now suddenly had become superstitious. He goes and takes bath every day in the Ganges. So they laughingly asked him, so in your old age you have developed certain superstitions like taking bath in the Ganga. He said that, Girish Chandra Goswami was very sharp actually. He said, you have misunderstood me. I am not taking bath to make myself pure and holy, to become holy. This body had been touched by Sri Ramakrishna several times. So if I take bath in the Ganga, the whole Ganga will become pure by my touch. What a marvellous thing. Not that he was such a fool to declare such things. That shows how much of faith he had in Sri Ramakrishna. Once a person has faith in Sri Ramakrishna or Christ or Buddha, then his very understanding becomes totally different. Then he will look at everything from the viewpoint of Sri Ramakrishna's vision. And Sri Ramakrishna used to revere Ganga water. Whenever worldly people used to talk, he used to sprinkle a few drops and the whole thing will become pure according to him. Same idea Holy Mother also used to give. Same thing Swami Vivekananda, direct disciples, everybody has used. Interestingly, whenever this world famous Swami Vivekananda used to visit Holy Mother, which was only on few occasions, he used to sprinkle himself with Ganges water again and again and again. Maybe I am not that pure to approach Holy Mother. And who is Holy Mother? She is the very embodiment of purity, holiness. So the more we have faith in Sri Ramakrishna, the more we revere everything. Of course, we know that not that Ganges is especially great. A Brahma Jnani sees everything as Brahman only. Brahman means everything is pure. There is nothing, there is no impurity at all. So coming back, once I have this right knowledge, it must be directed and my whole life should be guided by it. That practical way of living because a person obtained that right knowledge, that is called rhythm. And this concept of rhythm in course of time had turned into Dharma. The whole Indian scriptures next to the Brahma Jnana, that is why even Vedas are divided into two parts. First part is called popularly Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda. But truly speaking, many people talk the first part is called Dharma Kanda and the second part is called Jnana Kanda. So rhythm means whatever right knowledge I have, put it into practice. That is called rhythm, that is called Dharma. And this Dharma has become expanded in later times and turned it into Karma Siddhanta. That every person whatever I do, either through thought or speech or through action, the result will be inevitable result. Even Buddha used to tell that. So Sathyam Udhishyam, Ritam Udhishyami, Sathyam Udhishyami, Tanmam Avatu. That Brahman in the form of Hiranyagarbha, Tat means here Hiranyagarbha who is none other than Brahman, Mam Avatu, may he protect me. That means what? May he make me live the right type of life. And that is why the Ramayacharya Sharanagati also starts with the initial two things. What is that? First is a Sankalpa. I will do only what pleases the Divine Lord. That is called Sankalpa. And then whatever displeases Him, I will not even think about it. These are the very first steps. So let that Brahman in the form of the Hiranyagarbha protect me always so that I will not think wrongly, I will not speak wrongly, I will not act wrongly. And if I can surrender myself to Him, He will definitely prevent me even from doing anything wrong unconsciously. Ramakrishna used to say, if a devotee surrendered himself to the Divine Mother, she will not allow him to do wrong even unconsciously. As an example, Ramakrishna himself used to give. One day, Holy Mother tied a small bit of spices because after food, if anybody chews them, the mouth becomes pure, holy rather, and good smelling. So if we are speaking to somebody, so many people, such rotten smell comes from their mouths. It is unbearable, intolerable. But if we eat a little bit of these spices, like cloves or what is called elaichi, etc., then our mouth also feels fresh and also good. Some people nowadays, you know, they spray some kind of good smelling, this one, and they have no other option. But if we eat good food, this kind of smell will not come at all. So let that Divinity save me. So in the manifestation of the Panchadevatas, let Hiranyagarbha save me. Me only? What about my present? What is my present goal? I want to study the scriptures, especially this Upanishad called Taittiriya Upanishad. That may He bestow His grace not only upon me, but upon my Guru also. Let His body, let His mind, let His social circumstances, physical circumstances, everything be favorable, so that He will be peaceful, He will be a happy person, and a happy Guru will teach happily only the right thing. More important, the Guru acquires the capacity. When a person, if you notice, when you are happy, you feel like when you are loving that person. If you are not happy, you feel like getting rid of that person or that object. So if my Guru is happy, then He will start loving me. And once that love comes, whatever is best for the beloved, that only will be done, not anything else. In this case, the Guru will not do anything, He will not teach anything which is not in keeping with the spirit of the scriptures and with the spirit of the Guru Parampara, that is traditionally whatever is right. He will not keep anything. So because the disciple has surrendered, so that's why Bhagavan Krishna says to Arjuna, Bhakta Sakha Chaitanya, you are not only my devotee, my closest friend. Therefore, I will unravel the secret for you because you are my friend. That means I love you and whomsoever we love, we never want to deprive them of the truth. So let not only Brahman bless me, bless also the Guru. And not only that, if we are learning along with other disciples, so let there not be any quarrel with the other disciples. Strangely, this very Taittiriya Upanishad stems only from such a quarrel, which I am going to come to after I finish this one. So for the health of the Guru and for the longevity of the Guru and for especially conveying what he knows through his experience as it is without any distortion, may Brahman bestow his grace on behalf of the Guru so that he will be able to transmit on behalf of me so that I can receive it properly. And for that, the disciple prays. Of course, the Guru also always prays. Every Guru prays automatically. You need not tell, Oh Lord, you are making me, using me as an instrument. May I never feel that I am teaching. No, my Divine Mother is teaching. And then to make this point, so emphasis is to make emphasis. May he protect me. May he protect my Guru. Twice. Why twice? Because to emphasize. And as we know, every peace chant ends with three times the utterance of Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all. Why three times? Because there are only three sources of afflictions, sufferings. These are called Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. Why these three? Because I mentioned earlier, you should always connect every present talk with the past talk. The Bhagawan Eshwara manifests Himself in this world. So when we say Eshwara or God creates this world, first from the Advaitic point of view, of course, we have to understand He is not creating. He is manifesting. Creation means that something is separate from Him. Manifesting means like wood manifesting as furniture, like gold manifesting as ornaments, etc. So three sources are there. The whole creation is divided into three. And anything goes wrong with any one of them can become an obstruction. Therefore, let the Adhyatmika be peaceful. Let the Adhibhautika be peaceful. Let Adhidaivika also be peaceful. Let there be perfect harmony between all these things. Therefore, by uttering, let there be peace from the Adhyatmika. Let there be peace from the Adhibhautika. Let there be peace from the Adhidaivika. And when we really contemplate upon this peace chant, this peace chant should be uttered according to me and to many others. Not only when we are undertaking any spiritual activity, but when we are undertaking any activity, even to take one step, whether for the sake of worldly activity and not to speak of spiritual activity, we require the grace of God. This is what is so popularly expressed in Indian language, many Indian languages. Without Ishwara's will, even a leaf will not move. And without Ishwara's will, even an ant will not bite. Indicating the same meaning that nothing is possible without the grace of God. And God is manifesting in the form of Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. But we are given the privilege of using our individuality so that we can enjoy God much better. So it is said in the Vaishnava philosophy, why did God create Radha Devi? So that He can enjoy the union between Himself and Himself. And He Himself has become Radha so that He can enjoy Himself. So with this Shanti Patha of the Thrice, the real Shanti Patha is over. It is a marvelous Shanti Patha. And even if a person is an atheist, if he understands God means there are five elements, even a scientist who recognizes this, he will not have any objection to say, okay, instead of using the word God, we can use the word Panchadevata. From next class onwards, we will talk about a bit of introduction of Taittiriya Upanishad, even though I have earlier given to it because I know the power of our marvelous memories. We will talk about it. Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.