Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 13 on 14 August 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Taittiriya Upanishad This first chapter called Sikshavalli has 12 sections and the first section is devoted to Peace chant Shanti Patha as well the 12th section also only slight word differences are there in the 12th Anuvaka that is because as if the student has been granted the grace and was able to successfully complete then we enter into the 2nd section and what is the 2nd section about? how to pronounce what is called science of phonetics so the section starts so if we have to study Veda and why is Veda to be studied? so that we can be as happy as possible in the world in this world in the higher worlds and finally the only purpose one and only purpose of every scripture of any religion is to lead one back to God what it means is we go on touting saying through our mouths we have come from God and if a human being has given birth to a child it will not be a dog it will not be a rat it will be a human being so every species must produce the same species what does it mean? it means the cause and the effect cannot be different the effect is nothing but the cause with form name and particular purpose in mind or with particular quality so we have come from God because every religion or most people they believe we have come from God and God commanded us to live this kind of life and we will have to go back to God so the purpose of every scripture is to lead us to God but we forget occasionally how do we know we forget? because first of all we do not think about God secondly our nature if God is the creator cause, ultimate cause then we also must have the same nature we cannot be different the law of cause and effect whatever be the nature of the cause effect also will have the same nature then we think that He is somewhere He is limited somewhere means what? He is limited maybe He is like a human being but maybe He is having tremendous amount of personality capacity knowledge compassion etc but He is not much different from each one of us I am a human being and He also must be human being the moment we say God is elsewhere we are making Him another object in the world just like ourselves so that is a wrong concept of God and then we forget God the consequence is we behave as if we are not having divine nature we are having what is called demonic nature asuri gunas and then as a result we suffer and nobody wants suffering therefore everybody wants happiness and happiness is the very person of God another name for God is happiness another name for God is existence another name for God is consciousness or infinite knowledge and that is what we also want but we forget we confine ourselves so the purpose of every scripture is slowly gradually but surely to lead us to God and in these steps every scripture can be divided into three categories first of all you study the scripture study doesn't mean one has to be literate one can hear also one can listen to a talk one can listen to parents one can listen to wise people and thus become cultured etc so the first step is how to study the Vedas and for the study of Vedas one must learn how to read the Vedas and how to speak the Vedas how to chant the Vedas for that purpose the science of pronunciation and this is what is called science of phonetics has to be evolved and as we discussed earlier Sanskrit language is considered to be the best language not only because of the phonetics it is the best language suited for even the advanced computer science unfortunately nobody had really gone deep into it everybody hints at it but few venture into it and do something about it so in the second section completely how to understand how many alphabets are there and how they are divided and when the sounds when we are speaking because the teacher has to convey only through sounds and the student also has to repeat after him and the student when he grows up he has to convey the same thing that is why you notice if parents are Welsh then the language will be Welsh if they are from the Ireland then the way of pronunciation will be Irelandic pronunciation if they are from America then the pronunciation will be American pronunciation if they are from South India it will be South Indian pronunciation South Indians can easily recognize which person however nice English he may be talking but by the way the person pronounces unless of course he is born and brought up in that particular culture so very important is the important place is the phonetics and that was dealt with in the second section and there are six disciplines are necessary first of all what is it Varnaha so what is the Varnaha means sound pitch where from a particular alphabet is coming and we have earlier also dealt with it that they are coming from the beginning of the throat middle of the throat whether the tongue touches the upper part of the mouth or the lower part of the teeth whether the lips get combined or not so we have seen that is called Varnaha Swara means where we have to put how beautifully modulation we have to understand what is called pitch and then Matra where we have to put emphasis when you refer to Oxford dictionary then they will give certain peculiar signs and even those syllables which indicate where it has to be emphasis has to be placed is a very tough thing even today I could not crack how they do that so this is called Matra so while chanting Vedic Mantras Udatta Anudatta etc. etc. will come and then we also have to understand properly whether it has to be short vowel long vowel or Pluta whether three times we have to prolongate etc. then Balam whether it should be uttered for example I said Ka Te in Jainite is called consonant is called Ka Ka etc. Ka Cha Ta Ta Pa Enjana means consonants first consonant Ka doesn't require so much of strength but the second one Ka requires tremendous then Sama Sama means modulation and that also has to be learned Santana neither too fast neither too slow but medium speed one has to do when a child what is called Hindu child in the olden days of course then he learns all these things he becomes perfect especially for one reason in the olden days there was no written form and therefore they have to carefully hear and the Vedic Rishis emphasize it's very important to imitate the teacher exactly even a little bit of what is called mispronunciation not really mispronunciation but placing emphasis that can lead to what is called Samasa error instead of one type of Samasa where it can instead of Tat Purusha Samasa it can become Bhagavari Samasa in which case the meaning is completely altered it may be even the same and therefore all these things have been taught this is called the science of phonetics it is called the science of Siksha and that is what we have dealt the important point is it cultures I also mentioned earlier that when a person speaks as it should be spoken then that person also becomes refined not only in speech but it also affects the moods therefore a cultured person when he speaks when he acts people can understand and that is what in modern language they say he is a very good gentleman gentleman does not mean a person who is always gentle but a cultured person a language itself is given it may take one year two years it does not matter thereafter so the teacher goes on chanting and the student will be capable and in those olden days they are focused upon this they are not cluttered with thousand things nowadays you also must have noticed they will never have any background at all they will have no back so they have become such a slaves to the background music and what type of music God alone knows I can never understand what type of language it is going on anyway this person is capable of distinguishing every letter of the alphabet properly so he will be able to speak properly so that he can also understand and he can also convey right understanding to other people so this capacity to understand oneself is the most important thing to understand yourself and to be able to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most  important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so this is the most important thing to understand yourself so God means existence God means pure consciousness God means bliss these three are not three separate qualities but there are three ways of trying to understand God so when God's grace that means  but an enlightened person even while going through this it is the body which is suffering the mind which is suffering and I am not the body that identification will be absent in the case of an enlightened soul in our case we are very much in the mind so finally that knowledge comes God is beyond time beyond space that means at all times he is and at all places he is which means there is no time where and when God is absent and therefore God means Sat Chit Ananda. So His grace is always there at all times for all people at any spot. What is the problem? We have to unfurl our sails, that means we must develop the capacity to receive them and for that purpose Upasanas are to be taken into consideration. So this is the third step, really speaking. First step is learn how to read and utter and chant Vedas, the science of phonetics or pronunciation. Second step is Karma Yoga, go on doing karmas. Certain things should be done, certain things are absolutely forbidden, prohibited, nishiddha karmas. One should not even think about it and if we do that, slowly we start travelling towards the light of God, towards Sat Chit Ananda. How do we know? We become Sat, means we become good, we become pure, we become holy. Not only we become holy, whoever comes into contact with us, we have the capacity to influence them. Then our Chit, our right knowledge, our power of discrimination and our power of renunciation, both will develop. What is called Sadhana Chitustaya Sampatthi slowly unfolds, develops. That is how we know when we open ourselves to God's grace, automatically just like the breeze, it affects the sails and makes the boat moving. That is what happens and an inseparable component of this is called Ananda. So if we are more happy than before, that means we are progressing towards God and we cannot be happy unless we know what to do, what not to do. That is called Chit and we cannot have faith and do what is right and avoid what is wrong unless we become good people, unselfish people and these are the results of Upasana. So the Upasana, first renunciation, then Karma Yoga, Nishkama Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga means doing what God ordains us, commands us to do and refraining from what should not be done. Vidhi and Nishedha and then the mind attains a higher stage and that is called Upasana. Upasana, Yogyatma and slowly our normal experiences are transformed into something else. This is what we want to know properly, what is the purpose of the Upasana. So for that purpose, the third section is going to start. So this third, it is called Anuvaka. Anuvaka means section. Third section, it begins with another prayer for the successful study of Upasana itself. Upasana comes later on, but the very study of Upasana. First Anuvaka is Shanno Mitraha, Shambhurnaha, Shanno Bhavatvaryama etc. That is a peace chant. But this third section also starts with a prayer. What is that prayer? This is a prayer, let me successfully complete at least one of the Pancha Maha Yajnas. In fact, all the Pancha Maha Yajnas are involved here. I will talk about it right now. The prayer starts like this. So what is that prayer? Anuvaka is a little bit longer Anuvaka, but it starts with this prayer. What is that prayer? Saha, Nao, Yashaha. Three words are there. So having successfully completed how to pronounce etc. Now we have to understand, a student very easily understands. Saha means together. Nao means both of us. This is what is called dual number. Yashaha, what it means is may both of us obtain good name, good fame. Let both of us be well known all over as far as possible. What type of prayer is this? The student is praying because he came to the Guru because he heard the good name of the Guru. But just as, oh teacher, you are well known all over this area, then may I also have the same thing. May you also grow in fame. Why? Because when a person becomes famous, then he attracts other people also. If somebody comes to know, this person is a grand master, Ustad of music. And most people, if it is possible, desire to be enrolled under him and then want to learn. And why do they want to do that? Because they heard his name. Not only, many times they might have heard his way of rendering music. Ragas being the same and the Sahitya being the same. What makes the difference between a superior singer and an inferior singer is not the knowledge of the music. That both of them more or less have the same. But the way they can render and then make the other people also feel that, carry them along with them. The inner pith, meaning, the bhava, emotion, the knowledge that the song wants to convey. That some people are very happily able to convey. Otherwise, it becomes merely a meaningless music. That means temporarily I listen to it and it has no effect. True meaning. I am giving you an example. There was a time when Sri Ramakrishna's disciple, Swami Turiyanandaji Maharaj, Hari Maharaj, was completely immersed in the study of Advaita Vedanta. To such an extent that when Sri Ramakrishna used to come, especially to Balram Vasu's house, then so many devotees used to be informed. Lotu Maharaj Swami Advaitanandaji used to run here and there like lightning. And then he would say, Sri Ramakrishna is coming, be present there. And he will go to the next house. And fortunately, many devotees used to live in the nearby neighbourhood. So Lotu Maharaj will go. And then he is also carefully watching who has started, who has not started. And he will come back again and say, what is this? I already informed you. You have not started, etc. So like that, he used to urge the persons. Similarly, what happened? This Lotu Maharaj went and informed Hari Maharaj, who was day and night studying this Upanishads with Shankara's commentary. So he was not willing to go because he thought it was a waste of time. But Sri Ramakrishna specifically called him and then he went. And then during that time, Sri Ramakrishna pointedly asked him, why is it I do not see you nowadays? And he replied, Sir, not that I have lost my respect for you, but I am immersed in the study of the Vedanta. And then Sri Ramakrishna, either on that occasion or I do not remember, tells something very important. Two things have happened. Let us assume, two things have happened on this particular occasion. First thing is, after all, what is the essence of entire Vedantic literature? Brahma Satyam, Jagan Mithya. Brahman alone is the reality and everything else is false, misunderstanding, incomplete. This, if any one of us utter, it will have practically no effect because we ourselves, the utterer, the speaker, himself, herself do not feel it. But being Sri Ramakrishna, immediately it entered into the very depths of the heart of Swami Turiyananda. He said, yes, what is the point of wasting time instead of trying to do spiritual practice to realize this truth? What is the use of studying all these things? That is the first thing that happened. But then Sri Ramakrishna induced into him the second, even more important truth. No one can realize God without God's grace. And then he started singing a song. Oh mother, it is because of your grace, a person becomes learned, a person becomes famous, a person becomes very well known. Without your grace, nothing is going to happen. Somehow, that day, that particular song has entered even deeper into the heart of Swami Turiyananda. And he was only day and night trying to utter Brahman, Brahman. He started with tears in his eyes, praying Ma, Ma. He turned into a complete devotee of the Divine Mother. And from that time onwards, I am a mother's child. It is the will of the mother. So this is the essence of when a teacher is there, he can do these things. Anyway, what are we discussing here? That when a person becomes well known, then that person attracts people. And if there is no real greatness, it is an assumed or fake greatness simply by advertisements, etc., which many people try to do that. Very soon, people will come to know because there is a law, we can give only what we have. So if a teacher has true knowledge, he can convey that knowledge to, of course, an appropriate, worthy, receptive student only. So what is the meaning of this prayer? My Guru is famous because I have been sent by my father to learn and I myself have found out. My teacher, I am proud to have him as a great teacher. But I also want to be famous. I also want to be well known. Let him also be even more well known. Let me also be well known. So in Vedanta, we are supposed to do the opposite. Oh Mother, please do not spread this name. I spit upon it. So if I am well known, my privacy is gone. It is said that when Swami Vivekananda became so famous, at the end of that first day of the Parliament of Religions, he wept because his privacy is completely gone. His portrait started appearing at every street corner in Chicago. So Sri Ramakrishna never wanted any name and fame. No true teacher will ever want. But there is a divine law. When a seeking aspirant sincerely seeks, he is bound to come into a company of the teacher who is capable of giving. This both capable of giving, capable of receiving, both the receiver and the giver. There is a law which combines both of them. So what does it mean? In our Vedanta, we are taught from the beginning, every Jeeva that is born, especially a human being, has five debts. The very first debt is to the Rishi. What is the Rishi's debt? That whatever knowledge we are obtaining is coming from another person who worked very hard and he conveyed it to me. It is now my bounden duty to convey it to others. This is called Rishi Parampara. Therefore, I also want to learn from you. I am a sincere student and in the course of time, you will become old, every person has to die and then this tradition, Guru Parampara system has to be carried on. So if I learn properly and if I am also well known by God's grace, then students will come. Then I will be able to pay the Rishi Rina, the debt I owe to all these teachers of wisdom by passing on what I have learned from my own Guru to other people. And Shankaracharya in his commentary on this very Taittiriya Upanishad, he says what I have learned from my earlier teachers, my Guru Govinda Bhagwatpada and his Guru Gaudapadacharya who commented upon this, what is called Pada, Varna and Vakya. So with the help of the science of grammar, I am only following in their footsteps. What I understood, I am going to put it in my own words. But really speaking, the credit should not come to me because what I have learned and passing on to other people is only what I borrowed, really speaking, from other people. The credit must go to them. By the way, whenever Sri Ramakrishna heard something very, very useful or interesting or some knowledge from a new angle, he used to always acknowledge what is called my Guru Nanga, Nanga that is the naked one, that is Totapuri. He used to tell like that. You remember the story, why a brass pot has to be cleaned every day. When Sri Ramakrishna countered, but if it is a golden pot, what is going to happen? Well, we can tell to Sri Ramakrishna in that respect that even, Sir, a golden pot, if you don't use it and every day polish it, it also will acquire spots. It is a well-known fact. So there is also cleaning up even gold also. But the point is, Totapuri, if you are a realized soul, you don't need everyday meditation. But Sri Ramakrishna spoke that way to Totapuri Maharaj, but immediately he corrected himself. He said, later on he used to say, until unless we practice meditation, japa, dhyana, study of the scriptures, not forget God, until we realize God, until we become one with God, then we cannot forget. Because you know, one thing that we cannot forget is our own identity, I, I, I, everything else comes and goes, this I is permanent. It is the witness, unchanging witness of everything that is changing. So, I also, here the disciple is telling, I am so grateful to learn from you, I also want to convey it, but who will come to know, come to me, unless I am well-known. Therefore, let God not only give me the unobstructed capacity to learn what my teacher wants to convey to me, but I also want to be known, well-known, so that I can pass on what I received from my earlier Gurus, and my Guru himself received it from his Guru. This ancient tradition, God knows how long it is going, there must be an original teacher, and of course, the original teacher, only Ishwara is credited with that original teacher. Ishwara Gurunam Purvesham Uruhu, is the teacher of everybody else, so that is why, Sahanau, not only that, not only I should be learned, I should be intelligent, I should have the capacity, not only to understand, but to convey, both these are covered up in this prayer, let us be famous everywhere. But there is the next one, Sahanau Ishaha covers both, that is, let me become famous, who will become famous? A person who knows things doesn't become famous, only a person who not only knows, but is capable of teaching it to others, conveying it to others, then only people will realize, otherwise, nobody knows what this person is going to talk. We remember, when Swamiji wanted to study the Paniniya Vyakarana from a great teacher in Rajasthan, he became a student, and then he went and studied for three days, the very first Sutra, the teacher was unable to convey, and he told, I think I will not be able to teach it to you, meaning, perhaps, that you are too dull to understand it. But Swamiji was Swamiji, he went, sat down in meditation, in three days, he mastered, and then he came back and said, is this not what you are trying to convey, and the Pandit was astounded and said, unless God's grace is there, you would not have been able to understand, this is exactly what I understand, and what I wanted to convey to you, but failed to do that. So, I must not only be a learned person, I should have the capacity to convey it to you also, but he will be a person who understands, a person who has the capacity to convey, at best, he will be a professor, that is not the purpose. Sahanau Brahma Varchasam, that is, let us glow, as I know you are glowing with Brahma Varchas, because I have seen you, I lived so many years, Shweta Ketu, we have learnt, 12 years he stayed with the teacher, but never understood the greatness of the teacher, but there are some people who do understand it. So, I also pray for Brahma Varchas, Varchas means Tejas, Tejas means splendor, what is splendor, when somebody not only understands, but directly experiences Brahman, and then something comes out of him, his very face, his very body, his very presence conveys that something, intangible something. But the people feel it, whether people go into the presence of Shri Ramakrishna, into the presence of Holy Mother, so what did people feel when they came into contact with Holy Mother, a peace which they could never experience, even in deep sleep, and their personal experiences of everybody. That's why they used to run, anybody with a troubled mind, as soon as they reach Holy Mother, as if they have become children, completely free from worry, as if somebody lifted up their worries, and taken up all their burdens on their own shoulders, leaving the children completely free, as parents do, and that is what devotees used to feel, and that is what they used to say, we experience. Even though there was nothing much she could entertain them with, the type of food, etc., even her conversations are so very ordinary, seemingly ordinary, and now there are so many glowing reminiscences of people who have gone to Ramana Maharshi, as soon as they went near Him, all their questions, troubleings, rumblings, ramblings, everything comes to an end. So long as they are within the periphery of His powerful presence, their minds become completely absorbed, and they have forgotten even to ask, they came with a lot of questions. What is that? That is called the power of Brahma Varchas, Brahma Tejas. Something happens when a person knows completely, not only in spiritual knowledge, but even in secular knowledge. When we are in the presence of a Master, a physicist, or a musician, or a poet, or a sculptor, or a painter, anybody, then there is something, an awe, an aura comes out of them, that is called Brahma Varchasam. And how does this Brahma Varchasam come? Only when a person develops all the spiritual qualities, and not only develop, they become so very natural, which means they need not think a hundred times, they can just, as if it is the most natural thing, like the fragrance of a beautiful jasmine flower, or a night queen, or what we call a beautiful rose fragrance, just like that, very naturally, without their being conscious, it comes out, this is called Brahma Tejas. Not only that, sometimes it comes out so glowingly, it used to come out of Sairam Krishna. People used to stare at him and then he had to pray, Oh Mother, please do not manifest externally, go inside, etc. So, we all have to pray to Sairam Krishna, or our respective Ishta Devata, chosen deity, Oh Lord, I want to love you, grant me devotion, I want to come to you, grant me the capacity, grant me what is called all the virtues that are given in the Upanishads, Upanishadaha Gunaha, spiritual qualities, may we be endowed with them, and then only we can slowly move towards you and finally become one with you. This is a prayer, not only may I become famous, but this should have been come first, let me become endowed with Brahma Tejas, that means I become a realised soul like you, Oh Teacher, Hey Guru, but let me also be getting rid of the Rishi Rina, etc. So, Sahanau Yashaha, Sahanau Brahma Varchasam, and further after that the journey starts. Now, earlier in the second Anuvaka, how to pronounce, etc., now the second subject is taken. In practically every language, when two separate words come together and then they can become a single word, for example, post plus office, post office, it has become one word symbolising something, go to the post office. So, this is called Samhita, Samhita means two letters, two words come together, it is a big Sanskrit grammar, so it is also called Sandhi, two vowels, when they come near, they become Sandhi. So, this is, for example, this is beautiful, so Shanno Mitraha, and then another word we will take, Sham Naha, Sham is one particular word, Naha is another particular word, when these come together, that Anuswara, that rounded like O, that is called Anuswara, that becomes Shanno double Naha, according to the grammatical rule. And then this Samhita, Sam after Sa, the letter Sa, Sa itself is S plus A, A consonant plus the vowel A, and then one Anuswara, Samhi, but in Sanskrit, there is a, in this Sanskrit grammar, there is a rule, when certain type of letters, like Sa, etc., come after Anuswara, then what happens, here we are telling Samhi, Ha, then what happens, one new consonant without vowel is put earlier, So, Sa, Gum, that Gu without vowel, earlier it was Sam, so Sa, Gu, Anuswara, Sagum Hithaya, it is pronounced, when we are pronouncing, Sagum Hithaya, Maha Sagum Hithaya, but at the same time, we have to understand, it doesn't mean something different, Samhita, Samhita means coming together, Samhita, that is why a collection, that is also called Samhita, mantra Samhita, etc., then after this prayer, Atha, Athaha, Sagum Hithaya, Upanishadam, Yakhyaasyamaha, So then, what happens, now we are going to expound, Yakhyaasyamaha, we, that means the teachers, to the students, Athaha, now that you have learnt, in the first Anuvaka, how to pronounce properly, with the proper intonation, proper strength, and neither fast nor slow, as indicated by the teacher, Now, we are going to teach you, Upanishadam, Yakhyaasyamaha, we are going to comment upon, expound, explain in detail, what is called Upanishad, here Upanishad is not Brahma Vidya or Vedanta, here Upanishad means Upasana, how to do Upasana, but what type of Upasana, When two letters come together, and according to Sanskrit, they will be joining most of the time, and that joining is called Samhita, and there are so many such rules are there, but instead of simply saying, two words or two letters come together, just like that, All our experiences in this world, which seem to be like separate letters, for a person who does not know Sanskrit language, every letter seems to be separate, so in our experience, mother and father are separate, then the son and the fire are different, this world and the other world are different, so everything seems different, But in five, what is called subjects, we are going to teach you, how this familiar knowledge of combining words can also be combined to see the whole world as one undivided whole, Akhanda, and this is what we are going to teach, and this is what we will take up in our next class, I am going a bit slow, because this is such a profound subject, that for those who are first time hearing, I am assuming that, that these things, through the known, teaching the unknown, and that is the methodology, anybody has to adopt in the whole world, in the past, present or future, So a student is being taught, when two letters come together, when two vowels come together, a Sandhi takes place, or a Samasa takes place, and then it makes a beautiful meaning, Now having mastered that subject, use the same technique to look at the world, bring all your desperate, disapparate experiences, broken objects, separate objects, into one unified whole, that is the subject matter of this Upasana actually, Just as the Sadhaka, he has to slowly move towards God, as he moves towards God, God also moves towards him, and ultimately they become one inseparable whole, like that, when we look at this world, with the eyes of ignorance, we see everything different, but as we progress, then we see there is a relationship, When we progress further, we see that it is unity in diversity, and when we progress further, we see Ekam, Eva, Advityam, and that is the concept we are going to delve in our next class. Bless us all with Bhakti, Jai Ramakrishna.