Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 104 on 18 May 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM APYAYANTUM AMANGANIVAKPRANASYAKSHUH SHROTRAMADHU BALAMINDRIYANICHA SARVANI SARVAM BRAHMAHU PANISHADAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKURIYAM MAMA BRAHMANIRAKARO ANIRAKARANAM ASTVANIRAKARANAM ME ASTU TADATMANI NIRATE YAUPANISHADSU DHARMAH TE MAI SANTU TE MAI SANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HA RE HE 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. I am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL We are studying the fifth section of the eighth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad. In the last section, which is the fourth section, it was emphasizing the glory of Brahmacharya, celibacy. What is Brahmacharya? It is constant remembrance, continuous unbroken dwelling in God, Saguna or Nirguna. It doesn't matter. In order to praise this practice of Brahmacharya, let us remember that Brahmacharya, that means any type of, whether we are studying, whether we are doing japa, meditation, whether we are serving people, Karma Yoga, all are meant only to keep in our minds the thought of God. Ultimately, that thought alone remains and that is what we become. In order to praise it, we are seen in the first mantra, what is called Yajna. Yajna Atha Yad Yajnah Iti Achakshate Brahmacharyameva Tath Brahmacharya Nahi Eva Yognatha Tam Vindate Whatever Yajna's people do, it is nothing but Brahmacharya. That means whoever is remembering God, that itself gives the result of every type of Yajna. And if you remember, in the Bhagavad Gita, more than 12 types of Yajna's, including Rana Yama, control of food, control of the sense organs, control of thoughts, all these enumerated beautifully, we have discussed there. So what is Yajna? Converting one's life into a godly life, spiritual life. And what is godly life? Only to think about God and to depend upon Him solely and to surrender unto Him and finally become one with Him. So Brahmacharya, a person who is continuously thinking of God, he need not perform any Yajna's. Similarly, Ishtam. Yesterday we discussed this. There are two. One is called Ishtam. Another is called Poortha. Ishtam means what we call adoring God, worshipping God, etc. Japa, meditation, puja and Tirtha Yatra, all these fall under this category of Ishtam. But that also, that puja has to be accompanied by similar type of service to God in the form of the society. Because God alone is manifesting as the society, as the world. And we are also none other than God. So actually speaking, we are not serving anybody. We are only serving our own selves. So whether a person performs puja or whether a person does social service, whatever spiritual practice a person does, what does it do? Gives us the result of devotion to God. And devotion makes us think about God. And that is called Brahmacharya. So if somebody is thinking of God, he need not worship. That is why Shri Ramakrishna's beautiful saying that Sandhya merges in Gayathri. Gayathri merges in Om. Om means what? Continuous, unbroken remembrance of God or Brahman is called Om. So he says, Ishtam iti achakshate. Whatever is known by the word Ishtam and we have to include Poortham also. That Brahmacharya meva. It is nothing but Brahmacharya or continuously if a person is remembering God, it will give the result of yajna, puja, etc. And in the end, Atmanam anuvindate. What does the worship of God give to us? God realization. What does Brahmacharya give us? God realization. So Brahmacharya is equivalent to practicing other sadhanas. So that is what he said. Then today onwards, we are entering into the second mantra, Atha yath satrayanam iti achakshate brahmacharya mevatat brahmacharya nahi eva satah atmanah stranam indate. Atha yath maunam iti achakshate brahmacharya mevatat brahmacharya nahi eva atmanam anuvidya manute. So what? Herein, two other types of spiritual practices are highlighted. One is called Satrayana. What is Satrayana? A very long time of yajna performed by many people. That is called Satrayana. And there are so many people who cannot do it. But if they remember God, they will attain to the same state. And in the second highlight, what is called Maunam? What is Maunam? Maunam means silence. Maunam means not talking about. But there is a beautiful definition of the word Maunam. Mananath, through continuous thinking, deep thinking of God, a person becomes a Muni. One who observes Maunam is called a Muni. And what is a Muni? He who continuously thinks about Manana, thinks about, dwells upon, contemplates, such a person is called a Muni. So Brahmacharya, what does a person get by doing Satrayana? He approaches nearer to God. What does a person get by doing Yajnas, Yagas, Satrayana, etc.? He will go to higher Lokas. How? Because the performance of these Yajnas produce what is called virtue or Punyam. And what does Punyam do? It gives higher happiness. Higher happiness means approaching nearer to God. So when a person does virtuous deeds, what happens? Not only he gets higher happiness, but that also purifies his mind. We have seen it earlier. Chitta Shuddhi is one result of virtuous deeds. And what happens when Chitta Shuddhi happens? He understands the truth. God alone is real. Everything else is just temporary. And then he becomes more and more devoted to God and approaches God. And actually, the nearer we approach to God, we become more holy, pure. Our knowledge becomes firm. What knowledge? That God alone belongs to me. I belong to God. No one else belongs to me. And I do not belong to anybody. There is a beautiful song that tells in this world, In this world, nobody belongs to you and nobody loves you. Nobody can save you. Only God can do it. So this is what is in this second mantra that if you are observing Brahmacharya, which means continuously thinking about God, not mere repetition of God's name called Japa, but remembering the truth, God alone is real. Everything is unreal. That is what is called the purpose of Brahmacharya. He gets the result of performing thousand, million Satrayanas. And then if somebody is practicing another spiritual discipline called Maunam, that is thinking deeply about God, that is called Brahmacharya. So he is convinced that God alone is real. So he takes refuge in God. And in the end, what happens? He will obtain the knowledge of God and he understands that he does not exist. Only God exists. So that is the meaning of this, highlighting Brahmacharya. And that is what Sri Ramakrishna says, if a man is thinking of God that serves all purposes, he need not do anything else. So as I said, what is Satrayana? It is a grand Yajna performed by many sacrificers and over a year or more and such as there are some things like Atirudra or Maharudra for the good of the world, especially in South India, these are performed. But it takes a long time and it also requires the cooperation of many, many people. And just as the Upanishad was playing with words, particularly in these chapters, the Upanishad is in a playful mode. It wants to play with words, but for good purpose. And here Satrayana is one such word the Upanishad wants to play. But how does it do? It divides this word Satrayana into Sat and Trayana. Sat means God, Sat means Brahman, Trayana means one who protects a person who performs this Yajna or who lives in Brahmacharya, observes Brahmacharya, which means continuous thinking of God, then that God takes care of him and protects him. So Satrayana is the name of a big and long Yajna. But here Sat and Trayana, that is to say one gets the protection from Paramatma. And then it says Tat Brahmacharya Meva. What is called Maunam is Brahmacharya. So what is this Maunam? Manana literally means silent. But a person who is doing Upasana, that is he stops vain talk, worldly talk and thinks only about God. So this is what he wants to highlight these two special spiritual practices. One is called performance of Satrayana, another is called observing complete silence but thinking about God. But if you take the meaning of the Maunam, only in the very superficial sense, it is keeping quiet. There are people, Dambhu people, they cannot speak. It doesn't mean that person is a spiritual person. The observance of silence is to facilitate thinking about God deeply. Now he wants to highlight another two practices. One is called fasting or not eating, what we call Ekadashi, Vruta, etc. Another is called living in the Aranya, that means Vanaprastha. Vana means Aranya. And here also, this again the Upanishad plays on both the words Anashakaya and also Aranya. Just let us enjoy the fun. But here goes the third mantra. So these are the two highlighted. Then there is another topic is there, but I will just read out, but we will discuss the meaning after that. So he says, tat aramadiyam saraha, tat asvatthaha, somasavanaha, tat aparajitaha, purna brahmanaha, prabhu vimitam hiranmayam. Let me first read out the translation. Now what people call a course of fasting is really Brahmacharya. For this Atman never perishes, which one obtains by the means of Brahmacharya. And what people call the life of a hermit is really Brahmacharya. For verily, Ara and Jna are the two oceans in the Brahman world, in the third heaven from here. And therein is a lake. And then there are also two big oceans, Airam and Madiam. And there is a Ashvatthaha tree continuously producing Somarasa. And there is a city called Aparajita in that Brahmaloka. So Aparajita, the unconquered city of Brahma. And within that there is the golden hall, Vimitam, specially built by the Lord Himself for what purpose? For His own dwelling. Now let us go to the simple meaning. What is called Anashakayana is none other than Brahmacharya. Or in other words, if anybody is observing Brahmacharya, then that gives the same result as a person who is observing complete fasting or complete control over his body and mind. So this word Anashakayana means Upavasa Vrata, that is called fasting. Ekadashi, some people don't eat, that is called Anashakayana, fasting. And there are various types of fasting, but two types of fasting are highlighted, not here, but in other scriptures. One is called Krichra, another is called Chandrayana. Do not be much bothered about the Sanskrit words, I will give you the meaning. Krichra means, so somehow voluntarily causing some discomfort, some type of Tapasya to the body to cultivate sense control. So when a person fasts, though he is hungry, he has to bear it. When somebody has fever and he has to bear it, that is called Tapasya. When somebody has pain in any part of the body, that is Tapasya. If somebody has to leave either family members or in the office or in the outside world, create some discomfort, unhappiness through their behavior, talk, etc. And that is also, if we can tolerate it without thinking of revenge, that is also called Tapasya. So all these fall under Indriyanigraha or controlling of the body and the mind. So if you remember in the Vivekshavadamani, Shankaracharya gives a beautiful definition, titiksa sa nigadhyate. So if there is sufficient amount of trouble given by others, Sahanam and Sairam Krishna had emphasized it beautifully. In Bengali alphabet, there is the word Sha and it is in three ways, Sha, Sha and Sa. So if we say Shakata, a chariot, a cart, it is one. And then Sattaha, Asattaha, so that Sa is another Sa. Then we say Shadvidha, six ways, Shanmukha, Sha, Sha, Sa, Sha. Why three letters, same letter is there in three ways, called you forbear, you forbear, you forbear. Je shoy, she roy. He who can forbear, he survives happily. Anyway, he was a fun, not only fun master, but also fun master. Now here also, this Krichra means some type of voluntary discomfort to the body so that our mind can think freely about God. And we also develop that power of tolerating uncomfortable situations, physical or mental. This is called Krichra. And then there is another type of Pratha, it is called Chandrayana. What is Chandra? Means the moon, just as the moon, every 15 days. So from Amavasya, that is full dark night, it grows and grows little by little, Prathama, Dvitiya, Tritiya, etc. So and then it becomes full moonlight and then again it starts reducing itself until full darkness comes. So a person who wants to fast, he performs this particular ritual called Chandrayana. What does it mean? So on the Amavasya day, he perhaps fasts and from the next day, he takes one fistful of food. Next day, Dvitiya, two handfuls of food. Like that he goes on increasing. Third day, three handfuls. Fourth day, four handfuls. And on Purnima day, 15. And from next day, 14, 13, 12, etc. According to the full moon, from full moon to Amavasya, reducing. From Amavasya to full moon, increasing. Some people do it as a special type of spiritual practice. That is called Chandrayana. But all of them come under the Anashakaya, means fasting. And therefore this fasting, some people prefer that one. And really there are so many people, I am surprised, shocked at their willpower to reduce their fat. They go on only drinking vegetable juice, grass juice and so many other things. So the scriptures suggest that one has to take care of the body. But if somebody cannot perform these things and most of us cannot, excepting a bit of fasting occasionally. But if somebody wishes to do this Chandrayana Vratham, but is not capable of doing, there is an alternative method. That is called offering some Dakshina to a Brahmana. And then there is a mantra for that. Krichraartham Tubhyamaham Sampradhate. That is, I give so much of wealth that I can afford. As I cannot perform Krichra, that means let me get the same effect, the same result. So what it means is, the Upanishad tells, somebody has specially taken the idea of fasting on several occasions and especially the Desert Fathers, we find some people fast so whole week, excepting once in a week. So if special days come, they don't eat anything at all. This is the speciality of the Desert Fathers. So we find these people. So that if somebody is continuously remembering God and even if this person doesn't fast, cannot fast, that is equivalent to that. That is, the result of fasting is obtained by a person who is observing Brahmacharya. And here also the Upanishad plays with this word. A-Nashakayana. Nasha means destruction. A-Nasha means it's opposite. Like Himsa, you put the prefix A, it gives the opposite meaning. You take the word Shuchi and add a prefix called A and it gives the opposite meaning Ahimsa. So the Upanishad is playing. Nashaka means one which destroys. Eating too much also destroys. So here it is playing Na-Ashaka, Ayana. Ashaka means eating. Na-Ashaka means not eating. So one who doesn't eat. That means who is fasting and it is a, Ayana means a path, a discipline. So it is a discipline of fasting and it says such a person will never come to destruction. That means he will only move forward, not anything else at all. So that is what it means. A-Shahi Atma Na-Nashyati and this person who practices this particular Tapasya or austerity of observing fasting etc. So what happens? Yam Brahmacharyena Anuvindati. It is equivalent to Brahmacharya and Brahmacharya is equivalent to non-fasting because the purpose of both is to not to forget God but continuously remember God. So like that a person progresses in course of time, realizes God. That is the meaning he wants to say. Then he wants to put this one what is called Aranya. So we know Aranya means forest but he wants to say that in Brahma Loka there are two oceans Arnavavu and they are called Ara and Ranya and anyone who is living in an Aranya or Vanavasa what is called Vanaprastha, this is the third Arshama according to Hinduism. So you must remember it is not going to a forest but it is to feel I am in a forest. That is nobody belongs to me. Everybody belongs only to God. God alone can save me. Nobody can save me. That is what Sri Ramakrishna calls Nirjana Sthaan. Jana means people. Nirjana means no people. It doesn't mean merely absence of people externally. It means there is nobody in this world who belongs to me. I also do not belong to anybody because I came separately, I go separately, I eat separately and I sleep separately, I dream separately. Nobody knows about it. So like travellers in an aeroplane or in a train. So people get in and when the destination is reached, anybody whose destination it is they have to get down. Sometimes aeroplanes you see that they go to another city and some people get down, some people again come and occupy and then it hops to another city, another city, another city. Train also when it reaches a particular station some people get down, some people get in. So in this life also some people come in, some people go out. Even in our own family we are born at a particular time and then brothers and sisters they come at their own proper time and they depart also when the time comes. Really nobody belongs to us. We do not belong to anybody. We belong to God and everybody belongs to God. God alone will always be with me. Therefore He alone can save me. That idea is called Vana or Vana Prastha and if somebody is continuously thinking about God and that is called living in the Aranya. Even in a city if somebody lives in his own house surrounded by lakhs of people, it does not matter. If he practices this feeling in this world only God belongs to me, I belong to God. It is like living in a Nirjana Stana in a forest land. But here again Upanishad is playing Ara and Ananya. What are they? There are two oceans in Brahmaloka and whoever observes Brahmacharya he will be going to that Brahmaloka where these two oceans called Ara and Ananya and therefore whoever observes Brahmacharya as if he is living in Brahmaloka and that Brahmaloka contains these two oceans called Ara and Ananya and the meaning which the Upanishad wants to convey to us is if we are thinking about God and that is called Brahmacharya, it is as good as living with God, in God, as God. That is whoever observes Brahmacharya so it is as good as fasting or any other type of Tapasya or austerity and in the same way whoever is observing Brahmacharya as if he is living in a forest thinking continuously about God, not disturbed by anything, anybody, any event etc. naturally when a person goes on so continuously remembering God then at the end also they remember so they all attain God only and they never return back. Again Upanishad giving a small bit of advertising, okay I observe Brahmacharya, I think continuously about God and or I reach God and where God dwells that is called Brahmaloka. Therefore we have to understand here something very important. What is Vaikuntha? When a person continuously is remembering nothing else excepting Narayana, he is living in Vaikuntha. If somebody is continuously only thinking about Krishna is living in Goloka. A person who is continuously thinking about Shiva, he is living in Kailasa. So it is these are not like America or Australia, some far away countries. This is when we remember God that is called living in Vaikuntha, Kailasa, Goloka etc. It's Devi Loka or Paradise etc. And when a person is so absorbed in God, he experiences with God all the joys of God that is called Brahmananda. That is to say they obtain absolute freedom. They can go to wherever they wish or whatever they wish instantaneously becomes fulfilled like a person who sleeps under what is called a Kalpavriksha or wish-fulfilling tree. All that they need to do is wish. So this is what this fourth mantra wants to convey to us. Those who reach through celibacy, these two C's named as Ara and Nya, they are in the world of Brahman. For them surely is this world of Brahman. That means they reach Brahman where these two C's Ara and Nya are there. For them there is freedom of movement in all the worlds. And living in the forest is called Brahmacharya. So if somebody is observing Brahmacharya it is equivalent to doing every other type of spiritual practice. So this is only a phrasing of the Brahmacharya which is nothing but nothing to do with married life, celibacy. Because you know Krishna has married more than 16,000 wives but not 16,000. As many Jivas are there, every Jiva is a Gopi or a beloved. Every devotee who loves Krishna, is a devotee of Krishna, is a beloved of Krishna. So that is why that all Munis, Rishis, everybody, they are born just to enjoy the company of Krishna there. So this is what the Upanishad wants to tell us. That is called Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka means that which gives us gradual liberation, Krama Mukti. So if somebody is continuously thinking of God, first he reaches the Saguna Brahma, later on he reaches the Nirguna Brahma. Along with the Saguna Brahma, he becomes merged in Nirguna Brahma. Then the Upanishad wants to convey to us that where is this Brahmaloka and it is giving a small description. So according to one scriptural what is called description, there are 14 worlds and the same 14 worlds have been reduced as we have seen in Taittiriya Upanishad, especially Bhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha. So all these 14 have been reduced to three. Bhuloka means where we are living right now. I am the body, I am the mind. Whoever identifies with the body and mind is living in Bhuloka. Then above there are other worlds are there. Below there are seven what is called Naraka Lokas are there, Patala Loka etc. Similarly, the Upanishad wants to convey that where is this Brahmaloka. That is called Swaha and that Swaha only contains other Lokas also like Mahaloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka etc. So the Upanishad wants to say from us, from Bhuloka, when you say the third Loka, don't pay too much of attention to these descriptions. It means there are so many other Lokas are there. That means so many different degrees of happiness available. So Brahmaloka is the highest dualistic happiness is there. Of course, limited by time, space and causation. Just from our Bhuloka, the third one above that is called Brahmaloka. This is only a description. Don't pay, as I said, too much of attention to this. It is to say when a person's mind becomes very pure, he reaches that or he enjoys, experiences that highest dualistic happiness. That is all we have to understand. So then again advertisement. What is this advertisement? In Brahmaloka, there are wonderful things that yield. There are trees and there are lakes which yield nothing but pure Ananda. That is why it says, Tad Airam Ammadiyam Saraha. There are lakes and one is called Iram, another is called Madiyam, Madha, Madhya. That is like liquor. And then there are lakes and if you just sip that waters of the lake, you will be intoxicated with that divine joy. Not only that, Tad Ashwathaha Soma Sabanaha. There is a tree and it is curiously named as Ashwathaha and that tree, what does it yield? That marvelous intoxicating special juice called Somarasa. Soma Sabanaha that is yields wondrous Somarasa and you perhaps remember Soma is a kind of plant it seems and you can take any plant. Don't worry about the names. So for example, this cocoa. Cocoa also has a special type of this one. Palm tree, you know those who want to drink palm juice and they just tap it, injure it a little bit and tie a small pot and drop by drop some juice falls into it and then that is not only very tasty and it is also very intoxicating. If you remember, the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna like Swamiji etc. wanted to tap such a palm when Sri Ramakrishna was suffering in Kashipur garden house and there was a small pond and on the banks of the pond there are some palm trees are there. Even in our here Varanasi, there are so many palm trees are there and sometimes the palm fruits fall down and they are extremely sweet and out of that varieties of sweets are made. One bond also is there speciality and it is sweet and it has a very special flavor which we don't get anywhere else. So what I am trying to tell you that there is a tree called Ashwatha and it yields plenty of this juice and just now I remembered when Ramana Maharshi was at Thiruvannamalai. At the beginning of his stay at Thiruvannamalai, he was living in Patalagriha, that is to say basement. There was one what is called Shiva Linga, an image of Shiva and it was dark. Nobody was worshipping there. It was full of snakes, scorpions, mosquitoes, flies etc. and then Ramana Maharshi himself was telling pitch dark and one day he said, I noticed a light was streaming from a small chink from a corner of that cave and then he became curious and then he went and meddled with that a little bit and some small bits of stone came out and the hole became bigger and then he could crawl inside and then he saw that there is a whole city of Siddhas was there underneath that and then I don't know whether one occasion or other occasions, so he said there are some special type of trees are growing and there are so many spiritual people practicing severe disciplines there. Nobody knows that is called Siddha Puri. It is beneath the Arunachala hills and how do they manage to survive? So Ramana Maharshi is telling that there are some plants and if anybody goes and takes a small branch and breaks that branch, immediately a special type of juice comes out and they just take a little bit of that juice and that juice keeps them free from hunger and thirst for a few weeks. Now we have to trust what he says because he will never tell what is untrue. We have to trust so many things. Really there is a Brahma Loka and really also there is something what is called in Ashwathattri. Really there are two seas called and this Ar and Nya, Ara and Nya. All these things we have to take for granted only on faith because the scripture is telling. Vaikuntha is there, Goloka is there, Kailasa is there. Do you know that they are there? It is all faith only. Do you know God exists? It is all faith only. So we should never say I believe in God but I don't believe in all this what is called bunk. No, never say that. Whatever is written in the scripture we have to accept it as reality. So this Ashwathattri yields Soma Rasa that is joyous giving rasa. You can call it that is Bhagawan's name gives so much of rasa and then there is a small city within that Brahma Loka. There is a city. It is called Aparajita. Nobody can conquer it. Only one can become citizens of that tree, that city. How? By observing all these spiritual disciplines. That is why it is called Aparajita. Aparajita means that which can be conquered. Aparajita means that which can never be conquered and then there that Brahmana that is the city of Saguna Brahma that is there is also a beautiful hall where Bhagawan Himself He resides in that hall and that is Hiranyamayam made out of pure gold. That is why it is called Prabhu Vimitam. Bhagawan Himself by Himself He built that beautiful hall which is that in that city and that is called that golden hall. That is what He wants to say. So a person who does Upasana by observing Brahmacharya he attains to that Brahma Loka and from there this is the way of Krama Mukti, Gradual Mukti. He will not come down and along with Brahma he becomes merged in Nirguna Brahma. Saguna Brahma along with Saguna Brahma becomes merged in Nirguna Brahma. But this Krama Mukti is also not easy. All these special spiritual practices have to be practiced and then Yam Yam Abhikamo Bhavati Sankalpadeva Samutisthanti. Whatever desires such a person living in the Brahma Loka desires immediately through his mind alone he has fulfillment of every desire like we have fulfillment of our desires in our dream state. Sarveshu Lokeshu Kamacharo Bhavati. So Shankaracharya here he says it is not a physical country. It is physical Loka but it is purely spiritual Loka which falls under the mind and any Upasaka who goes there he will enjoy it. The essence of it is observe Brahmacharya. What is Brahmacharya? Continuously thinking about God and in order to make this remembrance of God continuous person can observe fasting. He can observe what is called so many Yagnas, Yagas or fasting or Maunam all the things that were mentioned in this fifth section. Such a person reaches this Brahma Loka where he gets what is called Brahma's Ananda. Not Nirguna Brahmananda but Saguna Brahmananda that is called Krama Mukti Ananda. With this the fifth section in this eighth chapter is over. What is the essence? Develop continuous remembrance of God. He is the only one. Everything else is unreal, temporary. You came from God and you are living in God. God is looking after you. Finally you will have to reach God. Why not consciously strive to reach God as soon as possible. That is what the Upanishad wants to convey to us. Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.