Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 102 on 11 May 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM APYAYANTUM AMANGANIVAG PRANASCHAKSHUH SHROTRAMADHU BALAMINDRIYANICHA SARVANI SARVAM BRAHMAHU PANISHADAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKURIYAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKAROTANIRAKARANAMASTVANIRAKARANAMME ASTU TADATMANI NIRATE YAUPANISHATSU DHARMAHATE MAYI SANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HARE OM OM May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me. We are engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. OM Peace Peace Peace be unto all. In our last class, we have been studying the third section of the eighth chapter. And so far we have covered three of the mantras. So in the fourth mantra it is said ATHA YAHA ESHA SAMPRASADAH ASMAT SHARI RAT SAMUTHAYA PARAM JYOTIH UPASAM PADYA SVENA RUPENA ABHINISH PADYATE As I mentioned earlier, these few of the sections now are dealing with what happens when a human being enters into the Sushupti or deep sleep state. So what happens? First of all, Samprasadah becomes full of joy, full of happiness. ASMAT SHARI RAT SAMUTHAYA That is, giving up the identity with both the gross and subtle bodies. PARAM JYOTIH UPASAM PADYATE So he becomes one with that supreme light of the lights, who is called Atman, who is called also Paramatman. And once the person becomes completely united with Paramatman or Saguna Brahma or Ishwara, what happens? He is no longer the individual. He remains Svena Rupena in his own real nature, Abhinish Padyate. He manifests, he remains, he shines. That is what happens. And then what is the nature? The Upanishad is telling, so every Jiva giving up his Jivahood, he becomes Paramatman. And once he attains to that, so long as he remains in that state, what happens? And this is your true nature. Atma means your own self. And what is the difference between Jivatma and Paramatma? You are immortal. So long as you are in that deep sleep state, identifying yourself with Ishwara or Saguna Brahman, you are immortal. Because the mind is not functioning, which means you are beyond the limitations of time, space and causation. Because the mind means limited by time, space and causation. That is its nature. And you also become fearless. Just as a person when he knows that I am completely fearless because there is nobody within a billion miles of me can sleep with absolute feeling of security. So this person also becomes fearless. And I explained yesterday, fear comes from two sources. One is I may lose what I have, I may not get what I expect. These are the only two sources of any fear. And at that state, this Paramatma, that is this Jivatma, who identified himself, I am not Jivatma, but I am Paramatma. Even if he doesn't remember, I was Jivatma, somehow I was suffering in the waking and dream states, but now I have somehow reached my own state in this Sushupti. No. The very nature of this Sushupti is he doesn't remember once upon a time he was the Jivatma. He doesn't even remember I am in this state of Sushupti, deep sleep. What does he feel? He feels I am immortal, I am fearless and I am Brahman. And then another name for that, Paramatma, that is this Jivatma who shed his Jivatma identity, who discarded his Jivatma dress. And that is all we have to do. We don't need to put on the dress of Brahman, because Brahman, there is no dress, because there is no dress, there is no address, because there is no name, form or quality. And he remains as he is so long as he is there. Esha, then for him a new name is given. It's called Truth. And now this word Satyam is going to be explained with some wordplay by this Upanishad in the fifth mantra. Trini Aksharani So a little bit of play on the words. This word called Satyam is divided into three syllables. Sat is first. Tu, that is second. And Yam is the third one. So Sa, It and Yam. But I said Sat. It has to be understood as Sa. Sa, S-A, plus Trith, Est, one T, consonant T, plus Y-A-M. And the Upanishad gives what does these three words signify really. So Sa, Trith and Yam. These are the three syllables. And Sa stands for that which is immortal. Trith stands for that which is mortal. And Yam stands for that which is the manifester or the cause or the controller of these two. So we will explore this. But it doesn't take long time. Very briefly we can understand this. Sa, the letter, the symbol Sa has been equated with Sat. Sat means pure Sat. And that is the immortal because pure existence has no mortality. When existence takes the form of a name and acquires a name because it has a form and every form is distinguishable from other forms with some qualities. So form, name and qualities. So these three what is called Trith. So the Sat is immortal. The Trith is mortal. That means Nirguna Brahma and Saguna Brahma. Brahman has got two aspects. Nirguna Brahma is not the cause of anything. But Saguna Brahma, that's why it is called Sa-Guna. If you still remember every day we sing Holy Mother. That Gunas, each Guna. So that Satva-Guna represented by Brahma stands for creation. Rajyo-Guna, that which maintains sthiti, by controlling this world so that nobody can transcend or transgress the laws. And Tamo-Guna represented by destruction or mergence into the cause, represented by Shiva. And sthiti represented by Vishnu. Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. Srishti, sthiti, laya. So these three words we have to take it for granted. Sat means it is pure existence. Then in course of time, every Upanishad practically describes how this Srishti has come. Including here also we have seen but only Agnatejas, Jalam and Prithi are given here in this Chandogya Upanishad. Long back we have discussed about it. If you still remember. But the other two, Akasha and Vayu are also to be included in brackets. So what does it mean? Later on the Upanishad is going to tell this Brahman becomes a Setu, an embankment. And why? Here it is telling, this word Satyam represents both first of all Nirguna Brahma, second that syllable Uth, just pure consonant without any vowel, that represents Saguna Brahma or Srishti, this entire created world and which is called mortal because even though it is immortal but our perception of this is mortal and that is why it is called mortal. That is why that which is born is sure to go back from where it has come and then both these aspects, Nirgunam and Sagunam, they are not different but it is the Brahman that controls both the mortal and immortal. It is the Brahman who grants both the prayas and srayas, worldly happiness as well as spiritual happiness and that is why the Tantras are very great. Says the devotee of Divine Mother, he doesn't lack anything, he enjoys this world and he also attains Mukti because the Divine Mother is the giver of what we call Dharma Artha Kama which represents prayas and Moksha. All these are called Purush Arthas. Four Purush Arthas of this Moksha, liberation is called Param Purush Artha. All these are there lying on the earth. That is why there is a beautiful song in Bengali of Ram Prasad, I am on Pridhate Jabi, O mind, let's go and take a walk. There is a beautiful tree and that tree is called Kali and that tree bears always, there is no season, Paramasi, 12 months and full. At any season, it doesn't become less, always gives full. What does it give? These four fruits, Charifal, four fruits and let me sit there and enjoy whichever fruit I want. That is why we have to understand a Jivanmukta can enjoy even this world much better than a worldly person because he is not fearful I am going to lose anything and he is not fearful I am going to become old and those ideas also we are going to see. We have already seen what we are going to see. So this is the meaning of the word Satyam. Another name for Brahman is Satyam. This word Satyam has got three syllables that is Sa, Rt and M and Sa stands for absolute supreme reality and Rt stands for the Saguna Brahma or this entire created universe which is called mortal and both of them are controlled by the Nirguna Brahma called Brahman and anybody who sticks to truth, who understands this truth then that person will enjoy everything at the same time whether he is alive that means whether his body is alive or whether his body goes he knows I am Brahman. These are called Jivanmuktas. That Supreme Brahman controls both of them and then what does he do? Controlling means what? Not like a dictator controlling but like a mother who controls everything because she knows whatever my child needs how, what he needs how much he needs at what time he needs and which form he needs everything she knows and she gives at the correct time. So, and that is what is called Yam the last syllable Sa, Rt and Yam that Yam is the representation of the controller of this entire universe and then one who understands this meaning of the word Satyam which is nothing but the meaning of the word Brahman which is nothing but the meaning of the word Realization. So, day after day not only at night but at every given time Here Swarga Loka means what? Becoming one with Brahman not Indra Loka. So, this is the meaning it wants to tell. Why does it want to tell us? So, it is telling us that you will have to contemplate Brahman as Satyam and then very soon we come that is what we have seen in the Taittiriya Upanishad also the very first instruction Satyam Vada Dharmam Chara So, this Upasaka of this Parabrahman in the form of Satyam regularly merges into Parabrahman every day, every night and then he enjoys it but what happens to him after death? So, he attains Krama Mukti some people interpret it as Krama Mukti but according to Sri Ramakrishna's teachings the Divine Mother can give Mukti, Sadyo Mukti that's why Sri Ramakrishna says liberation can be divided into Moksha can be divided into several categories one is Sadyo Mukti Akashmata Mukti suddenly a flood of knowledge opens, I am Brahman or it may be Swapna Siddha in dream some great soul comes and initiates us immediately we become awake as soon as we come out of that dream state, we know we are Brahman or Kripa Siddha Sri Ramakrishna wanted to bless people a very interesting point we have to note down here we all know on 1st January 1886 Sri Ramakrishna became a Kalpataru and that is celebrated on the 1st of January every single year all over the world by the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and in every branch of this Ramakrishna Ashrama now Sri Ramakrishna is the Parabrahma for a devotee or for the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Swami Vivekananda etc now the interesting point here is Sri Ramakrishna he entered into Samadhi on that day at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and he blessed everybody by touching, by mere look by mere wish so people had different experiences did they get Mukti? most of them did not Sri Ramakrishna said may your consciousness be awakened Chaitanya Hoka but what we need to understand by this is, was Sri Ramakrishna withholding Mukti from them or was he giving Dharma, Artha, Kama only no, like all embracing Divine Mother every mother wants to give everything she possesses at once to each one of her children but then the mother knows I am ready to give but are my children ready to receive, this is what we have to remember here every devotee received only what he could according to his receiving capacity, the giving capacity is infinite but the receiving capacity is only but very small but to some people Sri Ramakrishna liked this Saguna Upasaka Rishik was a Saguna Brahma Upasaka Pratap Chandra Hajra he was a Rishika Brahma Upasaka Kali Padghosh he was a Rishika Brahma or Saguna Brahma Upasaka, all of them they wanted Sri Ramakrishna to come at the end of their lives because they may not remember even who they are but he promised and he fulfilled that promise so there are some people who are not ready for Sadyo Mukti instantaneous liberation for them they will have this beautiful knowledge they will enjoy day and night but after death they can attain Brahma Mukti but if somebody is really very keen upon it and how can he be keen about it, that is going to be described in the very next section thinking of what is called, describing what is called Brahmacharya about the glory of Brahmacharya and how many manifestations of Brahmacharya are there, which we will see very shortly so this Upasaka that means, a Upasaka is segregated from a non-Upasaka, why? because everybody merges into that Parabrahman that is what the Upanishad is trying to convey to us but every person upon waking up doesn't realize that he is becoming one with Brahman, who realizes only an earnest Sadhaka and what does this Sadhaka do? He will be studying the Upanishads regularly perhaps he is studying this Chandogya Upanishad 8th chapter and Oh! I did not know everybody, every day every night, I am entering into oneness with Paramatma, I said Ahara Harva means day or night, how can we have this experience of Sushupti some of you may be doubting about it, the answer is very clear, even while listening to my talk some of you may be having that Sushupti experience I have absolutely no doubt about it, for a short time or for a longer time whatever it is and then you have entered into that oneness with Brahman, of course without realizing, so day time how many times we enter into that Brahman according to the scriptures in between every thought we become one with Brahman but apart from that whenever we become a little bit unmindful or enter into that state called Tandra Nidra or dozing state, then we are entering into that state of Brahman not only that if you think a little bit deeper you can also get this answer whenever you are enjoying we are enjoying something there is a split millisecond when we become one with the object, their subject object distinction is completely lost and that is the moment when we become at one with Brahman so not only night but all the time so a knower who has this knowledge because of the teachings of the Guru or teachings of this Upanishads through the Guru, medium of the Guru to understand the Upanishads properly one must listen to the exposition of a person who knows what he is talking about therefore Ahara Harvai every day, every night Sargam Lokameti means he becomes one with that Paranjyoti that supreme light of the lights which is called Parabrahman and then so long as he is there that is called Anandamaya Kosha so this Paramatma grants to this Upasaka contemplator, what does he give that so long as the Upasaka is alive he will give both intellectual knowledge with right understanding and also enjoyment of this world but if he dies and still certain remnants of desires are there then he will go to Brahma Loka, there he will fulfill his small desires there he will very soon realize that all these are just bubbles, it is not even real water and then his mind unobstructed thinks only about Brahman and inspired by the presence of Brahma who is also supposed to take classes or give Upadesham because remember Brahma is none other than the distilled Vedas, Murtibha that is the very what is called the very images of Vedas, if Vedas are given a human form that is what we call Brahma with four faces that is why we give so this Upasaka during the living time enjoys this world and he goes into Brahma Loka after death and from there he becomes more enlightened and finally merges in Brahman but then if he is what we call a more serious student no I want that ultimate knowledge of Brahman in this very life then along with this contemplation he has to develop certain qualities which will make him fit to receive that Shravana of Mahalakya that is the what that Tattvamasi etc and then contemplating upon it and he transforms his life and one day he will become what we call Jeevan Mukta or Videha Mukta whatever it is so Upanishad continues Nadushkrutam Sarve Paapmano Atahni Vartante Apahata Paapmahi Esha Brahma Lokaha a beautiful description of this Brahma Loka earlier we saw the word Swarga Loka and that is called Brahma Loka and that Brahma Loka should not be identified with what we call the highest of the 14 worlds Brahma Loka but here we have to that is the Loka experience where the contemplator is thinking only about Brahman so Atahya Atma Sa Setu Ho so this Atman becomes the embankment and Vidruthi and it holds on he is the what is called sustainer the maintainer of what Esham Lokanam he holds up if Brahman doesn't hold up these worlds then they cannot remain and then he says A Samvedaya Samveda means to separate Samveda means separate very well but he holds it so that both will not separate from each other both means the mortal and the immortal the Nirguna and the Saguna what is called Nirguna Brahma and Saguna Brahma that is called Setu as an embankment who holds a river which holds a river without flooding and destroying crops lives etc so Setu he becomes a beautiful embankment Setu and then day and night he is holding up that means for eternity he is holding up then what is the nature of this Brahman or this Setu when once a person realizes his identity with that Brahman old age death any affliction suffering any unhappiness but not only that if somebody had done lot of Punya he will not remember in that state of this is all description of that Brahman with whom we become one in which state in the Sushupti state that's why we don't remember we are sinners or saints neither our merits nor our vices nothing is remembered there therefore and therefore all the sins sin means we have to understand causes of suffering they will not touch anybody so long as we are one with that Brahman Paranjyoti Brahma Loka Swarga Loka and that is why Brahma Loka has acquired a new title it is called Apahata Papma that is untouched by Papma Papma means sin now this Atman is the dyke embankment for the safety of these worlds neither the day nor the night crosses this dyke nor old age nor death nor sorrow nor merit nor demerit all evils turn back from it for this Brahman world is free from evil this self is not circumscribed by time which determines all that is born nor is it affected by merit and demerit for all these are only temporary products so what is this Upanishad talking about earlier it said after giving a description now you contemplate in that Dharakasha if you still remember the first section itself he who believes in the Vedas and believes in the words of this Upanishad and he knows my body is an instrument and within that instrument there is a within this instrument which is called Brahmapuri there is a Hridaya Akasha that is like a lotus within that lotus there is an Akasha called Chit Akasha pure consciousness and that Akasha is none other than this Brahman about which we are talking he is also called Paramatman and one who contemplates it then he becomes one with that Paramatman and that Paramatman is described as a Setu so Setu means embankment a bund and then what it does it protects the field from any damage that comes so God is like that bund controlling this universe how does he control because you see if you are playing a game there are some laws of game L A W S not L O S S so life is also a game really speaking and it has its own rules there are health games health laws there are also mental health laws there are also moral laws Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana Samadhi so there are also spiritual laws without which we cannot progress we cannot effort to break them because if we break them inevitable consequence in the form of suffering will come but who is maintaining like police like security guards that if anybody transgresses these laws then they will be punished if anybody obeys them they will be rewarded it is that Paramatman alone so this whole universe and everything in this universe each individual object or living creature functions governed by hundreds and hundreds of laws so we get a beautiful idea is what is this Paramatma not only as a law giver but as a law maintainer that is what is called Vishnu and in Brihadaranyaka Uparshat we get it in the 3rd chapter 8th section Agnivalika teaches Gargi if the rivers are flowing perfectly if the seasons are manifesting perfectly all because of the inviolable moving perfectly all are because of maintaining this inviolable laws not only the physical laws laws of health, laws of moral or what is called ethical values and spiritual values that is why God is called Dharma Rakshate Rakshitaha He is called the what is called Dharma Setu He is the maintainer of Dharma He is the foundation of Dharma in Konda Kopanishad also we get this Ishwara is called Setu so what does He do? He protects everything that is the meaning of and then what happens because He is protecting Bheda means disharmony Bheda means chaos confusion, disharmony Sambheda means great chaos great confusion great disharmony but you add one A which gives the negative meaning Shoka at the beginning Ashoka Shuchi add one A Ashuchi so Bhedaya Asambhedaya or Sambhedaya or Asambhedaya means perfect harmony, perfect rhythm that is why He is called rhythm perfect balance perfect law and this is the glory of Paramatma because He is the organizer, He is beyond time and day and day and night He is not sleeping so the sun shines because of Him, the wind blows because of Him, the fire burns because of Him the lightning lights up because of Him everything runs smoothly without deviating all because of Him because He is Vishnu because He is watching everything He is controlling everything but He Himself is beyond all time because He is beyond time then there is no Jara old age, Mrutyu death, Shokaha that is suffering Sukrutam or there is nothing called Punyam or Papam that means He goes beyond the body mind concept, He knows I am pure Atman, I am really Paramatman and therefore no Papa or evil or sin evil means what? Suffering Papa means what? Suffering same meaning so there are three types of Karmas as we all know that is Sanchita Karma accumulated results of Karma Agami which has not yet fructified but is going to be fructified in the future and which has started fructifying called Prarabdha but a Upasaka being identified with Brahman he gets out of this vicious bondage of Karmaphala that is called Mukti and therefore the Paramatma is given a title Apahata Patma Esha Brahmalokaha so this is the fifth chapter that is we have started here this is the first mantra in the fifth chapter and the second mantra again this is a very simple mantra so again describing the glory of that Paramatma what happens when a contemplator of this Brahman becomes gives up an attachment to both the gross body, subtle body and enters into this deep sleep state called Sushupti and becomes one with Paramatma earlier certain descriptions are given their old age or death or suffering or any type of evil cannot touch and even time will not be able to touch and therefore he becomes great. Further description is given in this second mantra therefore O Sadhakas you must try to reach this Setu become one with that Setu through Sharanagati complete self surrender that means you become one with that Setu or embankment remember do not forget Setu means that Brahman who is manifesting in the form of both the mortal and immortal etam setum tirthva that means he becomes one with this Brahman what happens at that state if he was blind in the both gross state and subtle state because even we can dream we have lost our eyesight in dreams also but once we reach here there is no body consciousness so whether the capacity to see and the capacity not to see capacity to be born capacity to die capacity to change capacity to become old or suffer diseases all these remember as possible only in the waking and dream states with the help of the gross and subtle bodies but not nobody says I am born I am old I am suffering I am blind, I am deaf etc that is being described here so a blind man in the waking and dream states doesn't become a blind man that means he will be a perfect sighted person if he is struck by any evil but in that he can be struck only in the waking and dream states but not in this state of one man with Ishwara or Saguna Brahma Avidya Bhavati he remains completely free from being afflicted Upatapisan Upatapa means mental affliction so Vidya means physical affliction Upatapa means mental affliction so if somebody is suffering from mental problems even you know we know billions and billions of people and we are also not free from mental problems really so but when we enter any even the greatest crazy fellow even Hitler, even Saddam Hussein even the most ferocious tiger or tigress, lioness if the moment they enter into that state of pure one man remember everybody becomes one with Brahman then there is no mind where there is no body bodily afflictions will not trouble where there is no mind afflictions that belong purely to the mind all this depression, excitement etc. Uddarsha, Anudarsha nothing will trouble that person Tasmagva etam setam tirtha naktam ahareva avinishpadhyate for a person who has crossed this setu, remember cross means not you cross a mountain or a river, no here it means becoming completely one with that Brahman and then here another name for that Brahman is called setu embankment, naktam that is what is called naktam that is night it becomes crystal clear like daylight because there is no ignorance there, there is no darkness there there is not even the light that we know here so nishpadhyate it is bright light only so sakrudvibhatohi eva esha brahmalokaha this brahmalokaha is ever filled with jyoti rajyoti the greatest jyoti light, therefore barely on reaching this dyke or setu if one was blind he ceases to be blind if one was wounded he ceases to be wounded if one was afflicted he ceases to be afflicted therefore barely on reaching this dyke even night becomes day for this Brahman world is never in ignorance it is ever illumined remember we have studied the Bhagavad Gita especially the end of the second chapter sthita prakashana for an awakened person what is darkness night means darkness to ignorant people becomes crystal clear for the enlightened people that is why they are called enlightened people so this Paramatma is free from all those night and day, old age death, merit demerit, everything his continuous experience in that state is aham brahmasmi and these are the results that are given there person becomes absolutely one with sat chit ananda only one note I want to put it very often we use this word light jyoti we have to distinguish two lights one is called the ordinary light we know, sunlight sunlight works only what we call from our viewpoint only in the day time if the sun is covered by clouds light will not be there if I become blind it will not be there so at night the sun of course from the viewpoint of the sun there is no night or day you have to remember that from our viewpoint what is midnight at one place becomes early morning at another place becomes evening at another place, becomes midday at another place becomes morning, mid morning in another place depending on the geological location but the point here is that I cannot see, we cannot see you cannot see without light so it could be sunlight, it could be torch light it could be lamp light it doesn't matter, light is necessary and if there is no light there will be darkness but then you know what this light we are talking about this relative light illuminates the darkness but there is another light which is called the light of Brahma Brahma Jyoti, Jyoti Ra Jyoti there it illuminates both light and darkness also so this light if it is not there it doesn't know there is darkness but that light we everyday experience it when it is dark what do we say oh I am not able to see it is dark who is telling it that Jyoti Ra Jyoti is telling because it is a witness both for light as well as darkness a relative light is in opposite to the darkness so darkness cannot bear witness to light light cannot bear witness to darkness this is a distinction we will have to understand this it is called pure consciousness and Sakrut Vibhadaha means what is ever shining this is the beautiful mantra in the 5th chapter so we are going to talk about it in future Om Jananim Shardam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padmetayos Ritva Pranamami Muhurmaho May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Jai Ramakrishna