Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 55 on 04 June 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUH OM SAHANAVAVATO SAHANAV BHUNAKTO SAHAVIRYAM KARAVAVAHAI TEJASVINAVADHITAMASTUMA VIDVISHAVAHAI OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIHI HARIHI OM 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 In our last class, we entered into the second chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad, also called Brahmavalli, Anandavalli, or both combined together, Brahma and Ananda, Brahmanandavalli. This chapter has nine anuvakas. From here, the real Brahman knowledge, Brahma Vidya, Paramarthika Vidya, really starts. That's why a commentator has put it, This second chapter is the Upanishad Samasta Sarva Upanishad Sara Sangrahaha, the very gist, essence, summarization of every single scripture, not only Hindu scriptures, but every other scripture. So it deals systematically with a certain number of questions. What is the goal of life? What does one gain by the realization of God or Brahman? What is the definition of God or Brahman? And where is that Brahman? And how can I know Him, realize Him? Realization through the process of certain methodology. And for that purpose, there is also given the description of creation. So I have given quite an elaborate introduction, and I will also be repeating it, because the Upanishad gives three particular defining words of Brahman. Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam. Once we understand, that is the essence of the teachings of all Upanishads. And how to gain Him? Nihitam Guhayam, Paramev Yoman. What does one gain? Sarvan Kaman Saha, Pramana Ipastiteti. So let us delve deep into this without further delay. Om, you know whenever we start anything that is auspicious. So in Bengali, people usually what they do before starting any activity, especially going out, Durga, Durga. Mother, please protect me. And that is what is being said here. Only in the Upanishads you don't get Durga, Durga. We get Om. That is, let this activity be continued, be successful, unobstructed. That is a prayer to God, seeking the blessing of God. Brahma Vith Aapnoti Param. So Brahma Vith Aapnoti Param. Brahma Vith, Brahman, Vith means a person who knows. So Brahma Vith Aapnoti Param, attains the Supreme. What does it mean? Very briefly we will deal with that very soon. Tat Esha Abhyakta. And this Upanishad takes the statement from another Veda called Rig Veda. Actually all the Vedas are exactly the same. There was no such division called Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda or Adharva Veda. In fact, earlier there were only three Vedas. That's why Trayee, it is called. Veda Trayee, three Vedas only. Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda. In fact, there were no three Vedas. There is only one Veda, that is called Rig Veda. Rig Veda is a collection of mantras. That's why it is called Samhita. Samhita means a collection. And how those mantras have to be practically utilized, that is called the second part of the Veda, Yajur Veda or Brahmana part of the Vedas. And certain number of mantras, which are easy for us to chant, sing song way, like the earlier Gregorian music, certain number of mantras have been, which are very suitable, have been chosen. And that goes more or less by the name Sama Veda. And later on there was a great soul. He was called Atharvana Rishi. He must have been a vastly learned person. And he acquired largest number of followers. Because they found his teachings, what Swami Vivekananda calls practical Vedanta, very practical, both in the worldly ways and also in the spiritual way. And for us it may come as a surprise that most of the places, all over India for example, in fact all over the world, there is something called practice of black magic. What is black magic? Magic used with a wrong purpose, negative purpose, destructive purpose is called black. The same magic, if it is used for the betterment of oneself and others, and progress in life, that is called white magic. So same mantras, there were so many mantras and all mantras are because we go through so many problems in life, afflictions in life, we are possessed by desires, insatiable desires. So all mantras fall into only two categories. The first category is how can I get rid of all the obstacles and fulfill my desires. Usually, any time we undertake something, there will be a lot of obstruction, especially if we want to do something good. But the obstruction doesn't confine itself only to something good. Whatever we want to do, it is possible, any number of obstructions, any number of obstructions can come in. Now man is helpless. So he seeks higher aid, divine aid in the form of various devatas, etc. And that is where Atharvana Rishi prescribes if you are, for example, bitten by a scorpion or a snake, or if you have enemies, how to escape and how to counter, inflict injury on them. Of course, human beings' desires are not always good. Most of the time they are negative. We long for something which belongs to others. How to get what belongs to others? That also forms part of the black magic. Do they work? If a person pays in the form of tapasya, definitely they will work. Now don't be surprised if some powerful country wants to destroy some other country, it can use small bombs, or atom bombs, or hydrogen bomb, or mega bomb, or drone bomb. Many, many good things are misused for a wrong purpose. First we desire, and then we want to get it either by hook or crook. So Veda tells, you don't need to do anything. Here are certain ways, and you worship certain number of gods or goddesses with these kind of mantras. There is a likelihood if gods are pleased, then your wish will be fulfilled. For that we have to understand, can somebody really harm us, or can somebody really do good to us? The categorical answer to that is no. Nobody can harm us, or nobody can help us, because we follow the theory of Karma Siddhanta. We get what we deserve. If we have to suffer, no way is there to escape that suffering. It comes through some medium, earthquakes, or too much of rain, or scarcity of rain, or locusts come and eat all the ripe crops, or somebody comes and steals everything, some form or other. Our own Purva Janma Karma Phala, if it is bad Karma Phala, it has to come in the form of suffering. Suffering is the ultimate value judgment. Similarly, if we have done something good, it has to come through some means. Even lottery ticket also doesn't come. That is why it is called lottery, lucky, lucky dip, lucky draw. Like that we go on calling it. So anyway, this big expression of mine, long expression, is to clarify certain points. So Veda is only one. For the sake of convenience, it has been divided into small sections, each given its own name and purpose, how to use it for our devotees, what is called Upasana, which is usually identified with the third stage of life, which is called Manaprastha. There are a few people, very few percentage of people, who are free completely from this Grihastha Ashrama and they have deep desire to progress in spiritual life and they can take a vow, I want to dedicate my life purely to spiritual progress. So that is what, really speaking, is most important for us. So here we are dealing with the second chapter. Very beginning itself it says that the highest goal of life is Brahman. Sri Ramakrishna puts it simply, a goal of life is realization of God. Swami Vivekananda puts it you are potentially divine so convert that potentiality into actuality. Be divine and here and now. So a very straight forward teaching Brahmavid Ahamnoti Param. Brahmavid, you have to become aware of Brahman. It is not a choice. In fact, you want to become Brahman all the time. Oh, do I really want to become Brahman? Yes, of course. Remember those three unconscious prayers in the case of most living beings, unconscious prayers in the case of a few awakened persons. Let me never have death. Let me be existing all the time. Let me never be Brahman. Sat aspect. And let me never be unconscious. Let me always be consciousness. Here Jnanam means pure consciousness. Chaitanyam, Shuddha Chaitanyam. Whatever we call knowledge is nothing but partial state of consciousness. Every little bit of knowledge is only a partial very minute manifestation of that consciousness. Of course, nobody wants to suffer. So, it is better to die if the suffering becomes too much. Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya Mrutyorma Amrutangamaya What does it mean? It means I want to be Brahman. I want to be God. God doesn't have death because He doesn't have birth. God is pure consciousness without any form or name. God is the very nature of infinite bliss. Ananda Swaroopa. Sat Chit Ananda. And that Sat Chit Ananda is mentioned here. So, exactly Satyam stands for Sat. Jnanam stands for Chit. Anantam stands for infinite bliss. Unlimited bliss. That is called Anantam. But when we are familiar with this description of Brahman as Sat, Chit and Ananda here He changed just one word instead of Anandam as Anantam. So, a Rig Mantra defines it and this Upanishadic Rishi finds it. That's what He wants to express and here is the best expression. So, why not I borrow it? I am not stealing it. There is no copyright because all knowledge all existence all happiness belongs only to God. So, when we are taking from God, we are not stealing. We are not violating copyrights. Why? Because in the final understanding Brahman is as if borrowing from Brahman. Because who are you? Brahman. Who am I? Brahman. What is this mountain? Brahman. What is this dog? Brahman. What is this elephant? Brahman. What is this person who eats dog's flesh? Brahman. That is why in the Bhagavad Gita's shloka you remember learned Brahmana. Learned Brahmana Learned Brahmana and a chandala, a dog, a cow, an elephant, an eater of dog's flesh. They are all none other but Brahman only sporting in the form of I, you and everything else. So, there is no stealing or copyright violation. This has been the statement of a great Rishi. After realizing Brahman, spontaneously the expression came out. What expression? The definition of Brahman. Actually, Brahman doesn't have any definition because whatever can be defined is within the realm of thought and whatever is made up of thought or whatever is thought in by our mind that is limited by time, by space and by object of which we discussed elaborately in our last three classes. So, therefore here Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma So, the definition because the first opening statement Brahmavid Aapnoti Param, a Naira Brahman, he attains the highest. These words Aapnoti Param, especially the word Aapnoti attains is a beautiful Bhashyam by Shankaracharya, but very briefly I will discuss about it a little later. So, what is the definition of Brahman? Brahman, we call it in English In Sanskrit, we don't call it Brahman. We say short vowel, ending with short vowel, Brahma is the highest supreme reality but if it is the creator Sanguna Brahma, then long vowel, Brahma, creator So, we are only for the sake of distinguishing, otherwise confusion will arise In English language, that is why we use the word Brahman to distinguish from creator Brahma So, Brahmavid Aapnoti Param, Vid means Nair. So, what does Vid mean? I am a Nair of a tree. What is the problem? I have knowledge of the tree, but the tree is separate and I am separate and the means, the instrument through which I obtained that knowledge of the tree, that is different and when myself, the instrument and the object come into harmonious relationship, the resultant the result is called Gnanam, I have knowledge of the tree. So, I am the Nair, tree is the object my mind and sense organs are the instruments and when it is used properly, then the result will be, I have knowledge of the tree which earlier it was indefinite, vague but now clear even that is not very clear. What is inside? When you just look at a small plant of grass, you only see the outside, Nama and Rupa through five sense organs it may be having some smell, it may be tasting but do you know everything about that even one blade of grass? Absolutely no, but to some extent and that knowledge goes on improving. Usually that is the definition, what is called knowledge, Brahma Vith means knower but here Brahma Vith means when I know about a tree or about an animal or about somebody else, I don't become a tree I don't become that object, I don't become that person, I remain separate but I have some knowledge of these various objects, I am the subject, knower of here is a tree, here is another object, here is another person, so they remain separate, I remain separate but when I come to know Brahman, I don't say Brahman is an object sitting or standing somewhere outside me, what is the knowledge? Knowledge is there are no two things called I and Brahman only one pure existence I am Brahman, Brahman is me and this I and Brahman are also for the sake of conveying this knowledge to other people who do not know otherwise when I am Brahman I don't go on thinking because thinking requires mind but there is no mind here, it's pure infinite eternal consciousness Nitya Shuddha Buddha Chaitanya that is the meaning of Brahmavit, knowing Brahman not knowing some other object but knowing I am Brahman the Guru comes and says Tat Brahman Tan Asi you are that Brahman and through sadhana, through this is called Shravana when he goes on meditating his understanding becomes better and better, more clarified less doubts until every doubt is completely eliminated and what remains is called Nididhyasana I am Brahman, I am Ramakrishna, how talk use it to devotees of Kali come will become almost like Kali how her hands would be like that he will talk not as Ramakrishna but as mother Kali Gopalarma when some people used to ask questions she will tell because she was following the path of Bhakti I am a foolish ignorant person I know nothing I will ask my Gopala and who is that Gopala so she becomes identified with her true self not with this limited purified though but limited body and mind then the answer is crystal clear, when some curiosity mongers come and ask irrelevant questions just to keep up face others are asking if we keep quiet they may think we are inferior people they put some useless unwanted silly questions and Gopalarma she used to say my Gopala says you are a useless curiosity monger I am not going to answer your questions and that would be even more embarrassing coming from the mouth of Gopalarma he cannot do anything yet they are exposed to all the other people so Brahmavith means to know I am Brahma naturally in this world with this limited mind with this worldly mind why are you working I am earning money and why are you earning money so I can buy various enjoyable objects, house or food material or first class car, formula A car or I can go to places as a first class traveler with first class ticket on the aeroplane I can go to western foreign countries etc. so this is what we think naturally the Upanishad wants to advertise to tempt what do you get the counter question will be what will you not get you will get everything that is called param, supreme means what you will get everything and not for a short time you will get everything for all time together that is called param that is called supreme even that word get means not that he gets because he becomes everything sarvam kalvidam brahma so when a person has everything he doesn't say I want to desire he just enjoys it that is called brahmananda so this is the meaning brahmavith apnotiparam a person through spiritual practice knows I am brahman is continuous he doesn't fear death because he became immortal amrutaswaroopa and there is nothing no object unknown to him because he is every object from our point of view he is everything even that word everything is only in the human realm we should not use that word when a person is what we call in nirvikalpa samadhi he doesn't go on saying I am brahman I am brahman I know everything I am swimming in the ocean of bliss to whom is he going to tell how is he going to tell there is no body there is no mind and he cannot even think but there is only aham aham ami ami that is the only thing that goes on vibrating and that is what after sometime even that ami ami also swami vekaranda's song of the samadhi he says that after sometime even that experience of I am also disappears bujhe pran bujhe jar he who has experienced he understands what I am talking about so this is what the upanishad in the very beginning wants to tell that is why god realization is the most worthy pursuit because we don't want to die we don't want to be ignorant and we don't want to suffer we want to be god and that is attained by knowing that I am god previously I was god only whether I am in a state of ignorance or knowledge a person is what he is but in the state of ignorance a person forgets like a king an emperor after nicely eating food he goes into a dream state and then afterwards he has a what we call nightmarish horrible dream so he was running enemies were running after him to chop him off into pieces or he was caught imprisoned and being beaten black and blue and every blow brings unimaginable agony and then he suffers oh lord is there somebody who can rescue me and then suddenly he cries out in his dream perhaps so his wife puts what happened darling are you having a nightmarish dream he wakes up what I am the emperor yes yes you are an emperor you are going to be an emperor this is how advaita vedanta describes you are brahman you will be brahman but for a short time because remember time is a concept in the mind a long time a short time oh I have been suffering whole life if you remember many lives oh how many how long since how many births I have been suffering that's why I don't remember past births because all the negative things only will come up we have tendency to remember only the negative things so what are we talking about a person who knows I am brahman and he will be free from all fear he will know doesn't have any wants he will be an embodiment of brahmananda so that is what said and in support of that this second chapter takes a help of a beautiful mantra I don't know where from it has come this is from Rig Vedic mantra what is the definition of brahman because who is asking we are asking he is not asking so if we believe in this statement that a knower of brahman attains everything then what is called desire comes how can I realize that brahman what is that brahman so the definition satyam jnanam anantam brahma satyam is that which never changes trikala abadhitam satyam so I gave the example that there may be million parts and there they have a birth they have a duration what we call shelf life and there is a death they will be throwing back so srishti sthiti laya short time even a long time is nothing compared to infinity so what is satyam there whatever is changing whatever is subject to time space and causation or object that is not satyam and whatever we know it is all subject to this asatyam anrutam and that is called mithya remember mithya is not non existence like a person mistakes a rope for a snake so the snake is not mithya it is misunderstanding of the rope that misunderstanding is called mithya very important point so when even when we are looking at the snake in semi darkness or semi light there is no snake there all the time there was the rope there is the rope there will be the rope in day time there is rope in semi light there is a snake and when light is brought up it again becomes rope does the snake transform become rope no all the change takes place only in our mind that's all so that is the understanding we must have about this world a world is nothing but brahman with name and form and when we forget brahman's nature existence consciousness and bliss and focus upon changing nama rupa that misunderstanding in each one of our brains minds that is called mithya mithya is not outside mithya is inside so satyam what is this I have given an example or the scripture gives example a million pots all the pots small big different sizes different shapes different purposes different colors different smells but the clay that is permanent small pot nothing but clay big pot nothing but clay so as an analogy only we have to understand that clay is the mula karana and that karana is ever existent in comparison with the karya or the effect and this is how we start our vedantic class so like that there is a karana for this entire universe that is called brahman and these examples are given every pot is nothing but clay and the student understands it immediately a doubt creeps in what is that doubt alright sir is brahman like clay because clay is jada unconscious non conscious without any chaitanyam so just like that brahman is also jadam counter that one says no brahman is jnanam jnanam means pure consciousness so just like that I am in the waking state there are two I am a waker and I am the witness of the waker I am the dreamer at the same time I am also as a sakshi is witnessing the dream because upon waking up the person who identifies I am the dreamer doesn't remember because every second he is identifying with various things but there is a person oh I was imagining I was in Chicago I went to the parliament of religions and I came back and I woke up and I found myself in Varanasi so the person is only witnessing I was in Varanasi then I went to Chicago in my dream then I woke up then I find myself in Varanasi I was and I am and I will be myself so that sakshi and that sakshi's nature is pure awareness pure consciousness a clay may not know it is clay even I have to say it is a clay but that is only an illustration for better understanding not to give out the truth but I am or satyam or brahman as the original cause of everything in this universe from the creation point of view remember always and we say brahman is the cause only from our waking state dream state awareness only we are posing brahman as the mula karana do you ask whether brahman is karana or karya in your deep sleep state no so brahman is pure consciousness and the second definition of what is brahman called jnanam jnanam means that pure consciousness remember so when I know about a tree I am separate tree is separate instrument is separate resultant knowledge is separate but there is one who is looking so this participating I did not know what was this object then it studies then it comes to the conclusion this is a tree I know this is a tree and that is he changes previously I was ignorant of the tree now I am knower of the tree so it is everything is changing not only the tree is changing previously it was an unknown object now it is a known object the tree changed instrument changed and the knower changed resultant knowledge goes on changing with every forward step of analysis reveals more and more knowledge of the tree so whatever is changing that is not the real truth but that pure consciousness which is witnessing everything that is called jnanam and this jnanam and satyam and jnanam must be without limitations and to make that point here it is said it is anantam anantam means we discussed already you have to remember them three limitations are there that is time limitation if I am here I am here only at this very second next second I can be somewhere but this particular second I can't be anywhere only god can be anywhere everywhere and if I move from here to there I am confined only to that space I cannot be anywhere else and that is called space limitation and if I am a human being I am not a tree I am not a mosquito so the tree-ness the mosquito-ness it limits me because I cannot say I am both human being and a mosquito and a tree so every object in this world acts as a final limitation to every other object that is called vastu parichcheda and therefore anantam means pure truth pure existence pure knowledge and pure anantam it has it is free from all these limitations therefore to negate that karanam ichcheda it is said it is pure consciousness to negate consciousness is it like knowledge of a tree to negate that one no it is anantam anantam means limitless knowledge limitless knowledge means unchanging knowledge and that is what it is called anantam that is called anantam so brahman is defined we have to meditate upon these three definitions satyam jnanam anantam brahman then the next says naturally I understand I am brahman and brahman is satyam jnanam anantam and by knowing I am brahman I obtain everything I become everything I enjoy unchanging unlimited bliss all the time I go beyond space time and object limitation so how do I go about it yo veda nihitam guhaya you don't need to go anywhere he who knows knows means realizes nihitam guhaya is deeply hidden guha means that which is not easily knowable understandable or visible it is there but just as in dense darkness one cannot know it but one can know it even in dense darkness because that which illumines even dense darkness that is the nature of chaitanya even to say I experience dense darkness I see I am in dark I don't see anything even to have that knowledge this is darkness I don't have any knowledge I have the knowledge that I it is dark and I cannot see anything even that knowledge is that is called sakshi chaitanyam or pure consciousness so when we seek are we not seeking now yes we are seeking where are we seeking we are seeking outside that is why there is a so we go on searching until we are convinced what I am searching what am I searching my forgotten knowledge I am brahman that I am satyam jnanam anantam then my search externally outside through the sense organs is futile but I know it is there then inevitably I turn inside and that is called that is why when we meditate we close our eyes etc to better focus our thoughts within ourselves and where do we seek buddhi guhaya in the cave of the heart and that is what we have seen the very beginning of this 8th chapter chandogya upanishad and here in taittiri also we have seen that one how many types of upasanas we have been taught earlier so yo veda he who understands what does he understand what I am searching is not outside that is the first understanding when I understand it thoroughly I will search no more if I don't understand it I will be going on searching until I understand that what I am searching is not available outside then I know it is there but I am seeking in a wrong place then I turn within then he finds guha means cave cave means that which hides things here guha means buddhi, buddhi means understanding buddhi guha, hridaya guha nihitam, deeply hidden and what is there in that guha that there is a wonderful space called chidakasha that is called paramevyoma that is what swamiji said swamiji's poem if you remember I searched for you over the hill and over the dale I did not find you anywhere and in my desperation when I was about, I was suffering so much a gentle voice my child, where are you searching for me all the time I am near you, inside you, as you like Prahlada pointed out to Hiranyakashipu what you are searching is so near to you where? what you call your eye that is called the stambha or pillar you break your kara, you can't break aham, but you can break that kara and then you find what you are seeking is all the time inside beautiful Bengali song is there so the person realizes what does he realize? where does he realize? in the buddhi koha and what does he realize? I am brahman I have been searching in vain everywhere, but I know I am brahman now by the grace of the guru by the grace of god what would be the result? the moment he comes to know I am brahman, he becomes everything and enjoys what do you mean by enjoying? enjoying a sweet? no by knowing I am everything, I am the sweet I am the bitter fruit I am the good I am the evil I am everything, I am the friend I am the foe, I am the happiness, I am unhappiness I am the enemy I am the praise I am the insult like in our dream somebody comes and slaps us we are very angry with that person, who may happen to be a neighbor and upon waking up, I rush to that neighbor and then embrace him and say, what a horrible dream I dreamt that you were slapping me so I am everything that's why he said sarvan kama there is nothing, no object because everything is brahman but how does he enjoy? saha brahmana by knowing I am brahman and such a person who realizes I am brahman is called vipashita means a realized soul a knowledgeable soul and in these few sentences, the entire essence of the every scripture that was in the past, present and future has been outlined om jananim sharadam devim ramakrishnam jagad gurum pada padme tayo saritva pranamami mohar moho may Shri Ramakrishna holy mother and Swami Vekananda bless us all with bhakti, Jai Ramakrishna