Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 53 on 21 May 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM SAHANAVATO SAHANO BHUNAKTO SAHAVERYAM KARAVAHAI TEJASRINAVATI TAMASTUMA VIDVISHAVAHAI OM SHANTE SHANTE SHANTE HARE OM May Brahman protect us both. May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge. May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge. May what we both study reveal the truth. May we cherish no ill feeling toward each other. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL So in our last class we have entered the first Anuvaka of the second chapter of this Taittiriya Upanishad. Now this second chapter is called by three names Anandavalli, Brahmavalli or Brahmanandavalli. Why is it called Anandavalli? Because there is a beautiful analysis of what is called Ananda here. And in this, this is a fairly long section, first section itself, a very long section. And we get what is called Upanishadsara Sangrahaha, the essence of all the Upanishads which means essence of all Vedas. It also means the essence of Bhagavad Gita, the essence of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and of every known scripture all over the world. In simple words what is it? It tells God exists and the realization of God is the only goal of life and one who realizes God he obtains the highest bliss. He enjoys everything at once all together. There is no enjoyment that is left out by being, becoming one with Brahman. So these are the some of the important points. What is the goal of life? What does one gain by the realization Brahman of God? What is the definition of Brahman? And where is that Brahman? And how can one realize Him? For this purpose, for the purpose of realization of God a beautiful process of creation is given here. This description of creation that is to say God Himself becomes this whole universe which means everything in this world is nothing but God. How come? There is a beautiful law that every effect must be the same as the cause. If Brahman is the cause of this entire universe then everything in this universe is nothing but Brahman. So it is not anything else other than Brahman. For the purpose of establishing this law that Brahman Himself descends through the pancha bhutas, the space, the air, the waters, the fire, the waters and finally the earth. Then all the plants that is food material comes out of this and we all eat and we survive. For what purpose? To go back. So this descending from God to the lowest creation is called involution, called Srishti. In a way of speaking going back from the lowest to the highest, to the cause. That is from cause to effect is called involution. From effect to cause and remain there as the even not as cause but as the ultimate reality that is the goal and that is called evolution. So the Upanishads, every Upanishad in its own way uses specific words, language, expression etc. but the essence is the same but the expression that we find in this second chapter of the Taittiri Upanishad is indescribable. So I also gave a long introduction in my last class. I have told you what are the three definitions of God or Brahman. These are the best two definitions of God or Brahman. Anywhere in this world probably we do not get exactly in that crystal clear manner but every saint's experience conclusively proves that that is the same experience therefore same description. There cannot be any other description. That is why the Ramakrishna often used to say all jackals howl exactly in the same way. Jackal here means all realized souls. They talk the same thing. They cannot talk about anything else. Language may differ. Expressions may differ. Essence does not differ. So I also gave why we are in this state of ignorance because of three limitations. Time limitation, space limitation and object limitation. I also outlined there are three types of differences. That is different species is one limitation. Differences within the same species is another limitation. Limitations or differences within the same object. As they say no two hairs even on a single person's body are exactly alike. However they may appear to be alike at a superficial glance. Everything is completely different. Interestingly no two eyes are same. No two hands are same. No two legs are the same. So every part of the body perhaps no two atoms in the body are exactly alike. But in their essence they are all absolutely one. So in this first section of the second chapter of this Taittiriya Upanishad there are three subject matter crystal clearly enumerated. First is about as I said that what is Brahman? What does a person gain, get, obtain by realizing Brahman? Then what is the definition of Brahman? And where is this Brahman available? And how does this person enjoys, attains to the highest bliss by being completely one with Brahman? That is the first topic of this first mantra. Second topic is to prove that everything is nothing but Brahman. A process of creation is given. It is not to eulogize the creation. It is not to describe the creation. It is to make us understand God alone exists. Everything else is only names and forms. So here we get how all the five elements have come from Brahman and every single second everything is going back again to God. That is the second topic that is there. Then to make these points very clear is the analysis of every individual, each one of us. I think this applies undoubtedly to every living creature. But here human body is taken and the human body is compared to a bird just for the sake of easiness of understanding. So just as a bird has a head and two wings and a tail. So each one of us have got these things and with the help of this, the pancha kosha viparana. First of all there is this annamaya kosha. I think by this time all of you must be familiar with that. Annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, manomaya kosha, vijnanamaya kosha, anandamaya kosha. Kosha means scabbard or something, a cover. A cover is not a thing that is covered. Therefore within this covers, five covers, there is that truth, reality are called Brahman. So the purpose of it is you ascend slowly but surely from the grossest state of consciousness which is the body and every grossest is severely limited and the higher body within that is subtle, more pervasive, more powerful and the corresponding ananda also will be more. So pranamaya kosha is superior to annamaya kosha. Manomaya kosha is superior to pranamaya kosha. Vijnanamaya kosha is superior to manomaya kosha. Anandamaya kosha is the subtlest, thinnest, most pervasive cover. But even that is a cover. A cover is that which limits. So one has to go beyond that cover. But just as Ramakrishna says, you can only reach the roof by climbing the stairs, first floor, second floor, third floor, etc. If you imagine that there is a five floored house, then each floor has to be transcended. And where most people live is called the annamaya kosha or ground floor. Then inside higher than that is the pranamaya kosha, etc. We have to imagine. And if we can stretch our imagination, we can also equate the seven chakras with some of these things. Say the first three chakras, we can equate with annamaya kosha, etc. So whatever language is used, the truth they want to express cannot be different. With this small introduction, we will straight away enter into the second, the first anuvaka, the second chapter. First I will read the entire mantra and then we will try to understand step by step. आत्मण आकाश संभूतः आकाशा द्वायोः वायोः अग्नेः अग्नेः आपः अध्व्यः पृतिवी पृतिव्यां ओषदह्यः ओषधिभ्यो अन्नम् अन्नात् पुरुषः सवायेश पुरुषो अन्नरसमयः तस्य इदं एवशेरः आयं दक्षिनः पक्षः आयं उत्तरः पक्षः आयं आत्मा इदं पच्चम् प्रतिष्ठा तद पेश शलोको भवति इति प्रतमो अनुवाकः As I mentioned, Brahma with Aapnoti Param, Brahmana Vipashchiti is the first part, most important part. तस्माद्वा इतस्मात् आत्मणः आकाशः is the process of creation according to Taittiriya Upanishad. If you still remember, recollect, in the Chandogya, five elements are not mentioned but they are included in brackets. Only Agni, Artejas, Aapaha and Prithvi. So this is the process is given, more elaborate than even Chandogya Upanishad and Aviracharya takes this as a standard for explanation. And then the human body is as it were compared to a bird, just as a bird climbs from the ground to the lowest branch, then higher branch, then still higher branch, etc. So compare every human body and all these are bodies. What is a body? Anything that limits the consciousness, Chaitanyam or Brahman, that is called body. So in one popular model, as we know, there are three covers are there. Sthula Sharira, gross body. Then Karana, Sukshma Sharira, subtle body. Karana Sharira, the causal body. But here Upanishad takes Panchakosha Vyavarana. That is five koshas are there. So that is what we are going to see. Now let us dive a little bit deeper into this meaning. But you have to recollect the definitions that we have discussed in our last class. Then only it makes sense because I am not going to repeat the whole thing. It is only to remind ourselves. In this sentence three things are mentioned. First of all, God Brahma or Brahman in English language we say. In Sanskrit we don't say that N. Brahman doesn't come. Only Brahma will come. But to distinguish Brahma from the creator, a long vowel is added to Brahma. Brahma, creator. Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. But to make it even more clearer in English we add one N. Brahman. So Brahma with. So there is God. That is a proof because whatever the scripture tells us that is the proof. And what is the scripture? The scripture first of all is the God made into sound. Sound Brahma, Shabda Brahma is called scripture, Shastra. That is why every religion accepts that God revealed. Everything, their scriptures have come from God. It is a simple way of saying. It is not that God is separate and what He teaches is separate. But God is the word. Bible perhaps describes this beautifully. In the beginning was God and in the beginning was the word and the word was with God. Simple way of saying God can be understood only through a word, through an expression. Knowledge cannot be passed on without some sort of expression. So every scripture is nothing but God only. That is why Mother Saraswati is the very embodiment of knowledge. Who is Saraswati? God as Gnanam. God as Satya Gnanam. God as Ananta Gnanam. That is called Saraswati. Satyam Gnanam Anantam. But in an accessible way. That is called Saraswati. And Saraswati and Brahma are not separate. They are not husband and wife. One is the essence, knowledge. Another is the expression. Similarly Vishnu and Lakshmi, they are not two separate. If you can understand the symbolism behind Mother Kali. Kali means Kala and Kala cannot be separated from Mahakala. Mahakala. What exists is only eternity, timelessness. But through our limited mind, when we try to look at eternity, it is to be divided as what we experience as time. That is the past, the present and the future. So Srishti is nothing but the past, present and future which is limited actually. So here we have to understand Brahma and Saraswati, Vishnu and Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati cannot be separated. So you can say consciousness plus its expression. That is what it is. So three things. The first statement in this beginning of this second chapter, first section makes it clear to us. Brahma, that is Brahman, is supreme reality. For the sake of easier understanding, we call it God. If you recollect from Vivekananda's Jnana Yoga, God is everything. There is a lecture. God is everything. Everything is God. So there is reality. There is God. If there is God, the inevitable conclusion is He should be realized. That is what is called Brahma Vith, knowledge of Brahma. That is the goal of life. So what is the second point in this first sentence itself? There is God and the scripture doesn't call it God. It calls it Brahma, supreme reality. And the goal of life is one should know that Brahman, Brahma Vith, that is today or after a billion, billion years through evolution inescapably we are being carried forward towards our own true nature because I do not exist. You do not exist. Whatever exists is nothing but Brahman. But we are forgetting our existence part and identifying with the Nama Rupa, names and forms. So first point is Brahman exists. Second point is the goal of life is to know Brahman. Third point is if doubts come, definitely doubts will come. What do I gain? How this happens? Because the whole life is nothing but to be alive. How long? We want to be forever. Let me be immortal. Let me be pure consciousness or herein called knowledge. Let me be the very nature of Ananda, Brahmananda. This is the essence. This is the unconscious prayer of every living creature and every non-living that is inorganic matter is slowly manifesting itself and it becomes organic. Then it evolves. It becomes human being and in course of time it reaches that it understands that Brahman exists and the goal of life is to realize Brahman and only by that I can pass the limitations. As we discussed earlier, what limitations? Time limitation. That means I want to be without past, present and future. That limitation when it is removed I become eternity, Nityam and space limitation. That is I want to be everywhere and then finally I just don't want to be and lead a miserable life. I don't want even one billy second of unhappiness, suffering, hardship. I want to be my own nature. Why these three desires? Because that is my nature. But I do not know it. That's why the scripture says. That is why I am telling you that Brahman exists and you are that Brahman and to know that you are Brahman you will have to do spiritual practice. Whatever practice we do to attain worldly goods is called Jnanam or Maya Jnanam or Brahma Jnanam and whatever practice we do, activity we do, striving we do to obtain God that is called spiritual practice. So what is the purpose of any striving? Finally to attain that Satchitananda and in the beginning we think we can get those things through the worldly objects. After long time we realise everything is limited and anything limited is not happiness. Na alpe sukham asti. When did we say in the last chapter called Bhumananda? Bhuma alone is Sukham, Bhumananda is Brahmananda. So a knower of Brahman obtains or becomes Brahman. But what does he get? Param Aapnoti. He attains the supreme most. What is that knowledge? By knowing Brahman one becomes Brahman. By knowing anything else other than Brahman we don't become Brahman, we don't become that object. If you know about physics or if you know about a tree you don't become a tree. If I know about another man I don't become another man. It may inspire me but I will never become. Even if I become like him, not him but I become Brahman when I know Brahman. How? How come? That is because I am not becoming another object. Brahman is not another object. Brahman is my real nature. So here Shankaracharya of course gives an indescribably beautiful commentary. So he says Aapnoti attains, reaches, becomes. To clarify the point Shankaracharya brings lot of objections called Purvapakshi. So the opponent. So he says if Brahman is everywhere then where is the question of attaining him because you don't exist. The very word attainment means you are separate from Brahman. Something you do and finally you approach him. But it is not possible to become. One cannot become another however much knowledge we have. For that the reply is we should, it is what you say is true with regard to Anatma, non-Brahman, worldly objects. But with regard to Brahman you are not attaining anything. You are merely removing that ignorance that I am not Brahman. Previously you are thinking I am not Brahman. Now after this spiritual practice you know I am Brahman. This is called attainment. And what is that attainment? Param. Param means everything. Supreme. Supreme means Brahman. Brahman means everything. Everything means there is no creation other than you. There is no God other than you. There is nothing else other than you. And that is the meaning of it. So before starting there is something called Mangala Anushasana. That is as soon as it is the habit for most of us as soon as we get up from bed our journey into the waking state starts by waking up. And the moment we wake up and we want to take even the first step that is a journey and therefore we begin with an auspicious mantra Durga Durga Om Narayana Shiva Shiva whatever. But it means remembrance of the highest God or Brahman. So therefore it says Om. I am going to teach you. Now you are going to be taught the supreme truth and let this be fruitful. That is why the Shanti mantra also comes. We have seen this meaning in Kata Upanishad and other Upanishads also. This is sincere prayer to God that O Lord that you protect both teacher and me. And may what the teacher gives in the form of knowledge or is trying to convey to me may he be able to convey it in the best possible manner. May I be able to understand it without much difficulty. Only this is possible only by your grace. And if there is by chance any misunderstanding let that be destroyed. Let there be a continuous flow of giving and receiving. The Guru or God in the form of the teacher is giving me. Let me not have any obstacle in receiving it. And may I not be troubled by the three sources of affliction, unhappiness. Adhyatmika, Adhipautika and Adhidaivika. This prayer since we have discussed it earlier that's why I did not go again through that. And I also expect that you go number 9 through the other talks and also recollect the meanings so that we don't waste so much time. And if you have noticed a lot of repetition is going on because repetition is the very heart of trying to talk about scripture. If you squeeze the whole of the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna what is the essence you get? God exists and you have come from God. You belong to God. You have forgotten that your real parent is God. And you are searching for your parent that means for security, peace, etc. But you will never get in this world. You go back to God and there are different ways of reaching from wherever you are, whatever you are. That is your path. That is the essence of Sri Ramakrishna's entire gospel of Sri Ramakrishna which Swami Vivekananda condensed. That is the essence of the Upanishads as well as the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Each soul is potentially divine and the goal of life is to realise your true nature and you adopt any method, any yoga, any religion and reach God or know who you are. And that is the essence of every religion and everything else is only secondary retake. So in this one word three things are God exists, affirmation and to know God is the goal of life. That is the direction given and one who knows I am Brahman, param apnoti, attains to the highest, to the supreme, to God, becomes God. Becomes God means a person realises he was, is and will be God only but for a short time he had forgotten. But now he removed that ignorance of course by the grace of God and he realised I am Brahman and then this Yajur Vedic Upanishad is taking aid of the Rig Veda, a mantra and this Rig Vedic mantra is a marvellous mantra. Mantra means the teaching of the Veda is called mantra. The teaching of Shrutis are called mantras. But if it is the teachings of secondary scriptures called Smriti they are called Shlokas. So here we are getting a definition given by the Rig Mantra as the Rishi who is teaching. Remember every Upanishad is nothing but conversation, dialogue between teacher or teachers and disciple or disciples. But here we are not told who is the teacher, who is the disciple but doesn't matter. Somebody is talking to somebody and the record of that talk without giving out who is speaking to whom is this Upanishad. Some Upanishads like Kathopanishad is a conversation between the Guru called Yama Dharmaraja and the apt disciple called Nachiketa. But if you take Isavasya Upanishad then you will see straight away it starts. It is not to presume somebody is talking to somebody but sometimes these people don't want to mention their names even if they are conveyors, the disciples also respect their teachers wish and do not want to reveal. After all it doesn't matter and so if I am to give a talk let us say in a western country where people know nothing about Shri Ram Krishna, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda. I don't quote their names. I just give their teachings. This is what Hinduism tells that God exists. He created you, me, everything. So we are not different only we are communicating ourselves in different languages. That includes the understanding, talk, knowledge about God and goal of life etc. and whatever helps us that is a good teaching. Whatever hinders us is fanaticism. So here the Rig Mantra, all Vedas are the same. Only Veda Vyasa divided it. Before Veda Vyasa there was nothing called Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharvana Veda. They are all one mass of knowledge and it became too much for one person to grasp and so Veda Vyasa or Krishna Dwaipayana came, collected whatever he could during his time and he edited it, classified it into four divisions and each division he had taught to each one of his disciples who were four in number. And that is how these Vedas have been called different Vedas but really there are no four different Vedas, only one Veda. That is what we have to understand. So this Rig Veda, the definition of Brahman is perhaps the most valued definition and that is why this Upanishad is borrowing from the other Veda or part of the same another Veda. Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam, Brahma. This is the definition and as I mentioned in my last class that there is nobody can give a better definition of God than this. And I also analysed those words. What is Satyam? Whatever exists without any change for eternity is called Satyam and whatever changes that is called Asatyam, Anrutam, Mithya. And the word Jnanam, a little bit more complicated. Jnanam means knowledge. For example, if somebody says so I know about this cow thoroughly. Now the cow is different, the person is different, the knowledge of the person also is different and the process of knowing is different and his knowledge also can change. How can it change? Suppose this person, he has researched about the cow and he has understood, he thought he understood. One day he noticed something different and then he adds and then whatever he knew has now become a little more comprehensive. And so he changed as a result of that knowledge. His knowledge became more expanded and the process by which he attained has also become sharper, more well defined. Therefore it has also changed and any other person who is taught that knowledge also changes. So Jnanam means knowledge but that is why Satyam is given as related to this word Jnanam. What is it? That knowledge which never changes that is called Real Jnanam and everything else is called changing knowledge which is called Mithya Jnanam or Agnanam. For that I gave you beautiful examples. A man has a house with three rooms. Let us say they are room number A, B, C and he moves from room number A to room number B to room number C. What is changing? Every room is different from other room and the objects within three rooms are totally separate. But the person, he remains absolutely the same. What is this referring? This example refers our waking state. We have some type of knowledge. For dream state we have some other type of knowledge. In our dreamless sleep we have some other type of knowledge. But all those three are completely opposite to each other but the person who is going through is exactly the same person and day after day the person is going through the same experiences. So here Jnanam means pure consciousness. Consciousness illuminates the waking state, illuminates the dream state, illuminates the deep sleep state but it never undergoes. Just like any light it reveals to you every object. Even it reveals to you even darkness. When you don't see light that is called darkness. But the light itself will never change. No object can ever change. The sun will be the same and he doesn't even know that he is full of light. Even though in conventional language we call it the sunlight, light of the sun, heat of the fire, whiteness of the milk but really speaking they are inseparable. And Sri Ramakrishna simplifies this concept. If you are in the habit of regularly reading or studying the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna you can understand it. So Jnanam means pure consciousness and Anantam means infinity. Why this word is used? Limitlessness or infinity, no finiteness that means that which is not limited by either time or space or causation. So these three, all these three words independently they point out what is Brahma. Satyam Brahma, Jnanam Brahma, Anantam Brahma. But there is a intimate relationship between these three. What is it? I will discuss about it a little later on but very briefly it is this. Satyam, for example, you take a hundred pots are there and we are focused on the pots. We are only changing the size of the pot, the name of the pot and the utility of the pot. There are infinite differences even between same sized pots even though they are manufactured. But the clay out of which these pots are made, it never undergoes any change. Small pot, clay pot. Big pot, clay pot. Different square pot, clay pot. Everything is clay only. That means the cause of everything in this universe is Brahman. As soon as we hear that word we get doubt but the clay is inert. If Brahman is the cause of this whole world then he also may be inert like clay, like gold, like wood. To remove that doubt immediately this word Satyam is added with the word Jnanam. No, no. It is not inert. It is not Jada. It is pure Chaitanyam. Unlike clay, clay is pure Jada. Poor clay does not know I am clay. Somebody else has to tell. If you see a foolish fellow, he doesn't know I am a foolish fellow. Only other people call him foolish. A foolish fellow never calls himself foolish. If any foolish fellow calls himself I am foolish, he is the wisest person in the whole world. So the word Jnanam here means pure Chaitanyam which never undergoes any change. So that Shuddha Chaitanyam, Satyam, whatever is Satyam is the very cause of this whole universe and that is Brahman and Brahman is not inert or Jada like the Mrith. And then these two words have to be connected with Anantam. What is that Anantam? Means infinite. What is infinite? This Satyam has no limitations. This Jnanam has no limitations. And whatever has no limitations, we discussed it. That is that which is beyond the limitations of time, space and object. Kala, Desha, Vastu. That is called Anantam. So consciousness has no limitation. And why is consciousness no limitation? Why Satyam has no limitation? And why Anantam has no limitation? This is the subject matter. So here the definition of Brahman is that which is the only truth, that which is pure consciousness and that which is infinite. That is the definition of God, definition of Brahman. And if we understand it then there should be no quarrels between any given two persons. And where is this Brahman? He is within each one of us, all of us actually. But for the sake of Upasana, spiritual practice, said Yoga Veda, Nihitam Gopayam. He is there in everybody's heart. In the heart there is a big space, Mahakasha. That is called Parama Yoma. And anybody who understands I am that Satyam Gnanam Anantam Brahman and that Brahman is not different from me. I am not different from Brahman. Saha, Arshnuti, enjoys. Sarvan, Kama, every type of enjoyment. Brahmana along with Brahma. Vipashita, it is. He becomes a real Gnani. These are the beautiful subjects. They are a little bit difficult concepts. That is why I am taking time. But I hope in the next class I will clarify them. And once these concepts are clarified then you also will have a firm background for understanding Advaita Vedanta especially. We will talk about these subjects in our next class. Om Jananim Sharadaam Deveen. Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum. Adapadme Dayo Sritva. Pranamaami Mohur Mohuhu. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.