Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 57 on 18 June 2025

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

भुम् जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म् पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामिमुहुरुमु

ओम् सहनावभतु सहनावु भुनक्तु सहवीर्यम् करवावहे तेजस्विनावधितमस्तुमाविद्विशावहे

ओम् शन्ति, शन्ति, शन्ति, हर्ही ओम्

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.

We were studying the first anuvaka of the second chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad very beautifully called Anandavalli, Brahmavalli and both combined Brahmananda Valli.

The first section so far we have seen, a tremendous statement is issued by the Rishi

Brahmavid Apnothi Param - A knower of Brahaman attains the supreme, supreme means Brahman itself and what is the definition of that Brahman? Satyam Gnanam Anantham Brahma.

Absolute Truth, Absolute Conciousnes and Infinity or unbroken bliss, is the very nature of Brahman, And where is this Brahman to be attained? Within our own hearts. The heart, that is the capacity to understand through a purified intellect is compared to a cave Guha and it is there, but as soon as our intellect is purified, we can reealize that Brahman is there. But the teaching goes further, not only the Brahman is there, I do not understand this Brahman, as I undertand any other object. This is me, this is you, this is something else, but as I am that Brahman, that is called obtainment, realization. That is previously I forgot I was Brahman. Now through this process of sadhana I know I am Brahman and What would be the result? Whatever we have been striving throughh millions of births to obtain and what is it what every creature struggles to obtain conciously or uncouscously? Only 3. Let me not be limited by time called Death, let me not be limited by Knowledge called infinite knowledge or pure conciousness, let me not be limited by unhappiness, let me not hVE only have broken happiness. Let me ever enjoy unbroken bliss.And if one can become Brahman OR one can know that I am Brahman. And he will be experiencing these three. He is beyond death, beyond ignorance, beyond any unhappiness or suffering. Now in order to show, ok you told me about Brahman, but what am I supposed to do in order to realize that Brahaman? How do I slowly progress towards that Brahman? And then earlier he issued a statement that,

Yu veda nihitham guhaayam Paramevyoman.

That Brahman that Rishi explains is within each one of our hearts and you will realize it as I am Brahman. What difference does it make now? As we are now and after realization, now we think we are the body-mind complex.After realization we know that we are Brahman, pure consciousness, pure existence, pure bliss. But the question remains whether it is inside the Brahman of which we are talking, is it only inside? No, that Brahman is everywhere, it is everything, nothing is excluded from it. It is inside, it is outside, it is everywhere, it is within everybody. In fact, this description is not right.Excepting Brahman, nothing exists and that truth has to be shown now. And for that purpose, the Upanishadic rishis have adopted a particular process. And in short, that process is called karana-karya understanding. Karana means whatever we experience in this world, everything is an effect. And every effect must have a cause. But if we proceed further, even that cause of any effect must have another cause. For example, if you see a baby, baby is the effect, parents are the cause. And if you ask, are the parents the ultimate cause? No, no, they have come from their parents. And where from their parents? Even if you take that, like what is called the reversed pyramid, that is you go on analysing how this huge dimension has come. Because there is something below, there is something below, still something below. Ultimately, we reach that one substance, let us say, which is the cause of everything, but which doesn't have a cause for itself. That means that lost cause is not an effect, but only a cause. And that is called Brahman. For that purpose, the process of creation.

So for example, X and Y, man and woman get married, or in our case, biblical case, Adam and Eve, God created Adam and Eve. In our terminology, Puranic terminology, Ishvara had created, or even better, became as Brahma and Saraswati. And further, he became manifest as Vishnu and Lakshmi. Further, he manifested as Shiva and Parvati. So three functions, same being creates, sustains and destroys. So three different names, like if you go to the office, you are an office worker. If you go to play football, you are a football player. If you have gone to a hotel, you are a customer.  If you go for a swim, you are a swimmer. Same being, because of three important functions, is called Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. And I think the biblical, what is called three types of God, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, they are also nothing but the same representation. So the Rishi or the teacher, the Upanishadic teacher, wants us to convey,

there is no somebody called you or me or anybody, either living or non-living, everything is a manifestation of Brahma or effect of Brahma. And how can we understand it?

So for that purpose, Upanishad is telling the famous process of creation. Here we have to understand, I have mentioned many times, you also know it,that if you think of this, what is called creative process, there are two theories adopted by two different people.

The dualists adopt parinama vada, whereas the advaitims adopt the vivatta vada. Something appears as something else because of our ignorance, that is called vivatta vada, apparent modification or superimposition. But like milk really becoming curds, curds becoming buttermilk, etc., that is called parinama vada. So when Ramanujacharya's followers were questioned, how can the same thing transform itself into something else, then original something will be lost. Once the milk is transformed into yogurt, there would be no more milk, only yogurt.

And if the yogurt is churned, it will be separated into butter and buttermilk. So your Brahman becomes, disappears, because it has become the world, the yogurt can never go back and become milk again. Then they have to say, no, God has very special power. He can remain as he is and he can also transform himself and that transformation is not apparent, but real.

The world is real, dream world is real, sleep world is real, everything is real and it is divided into certain classifications. So everything is real. According to advaita, no, there is only Brahman, Brahman cannot become anything else, but you mistake Brahman. Simple example is shown. First example to show what is called vivarta vada or apparent modification or appearance.

We mistake in semi-darkness a rope for a snake, but another beautiful example, okay, one rope, one snake. But what about this entire universe which consists of unimaginably fragmented multiverse, how do you explain it? Well, supposing you are standing in front of a huge wall and imagine that wall has got a thousand very small pieces of mirror, square or round or whatever. And every of that it reflects only one being which is in front of them. So even though that one person is standing, but he is reflected as according to the number of mirrors that are there. Not only that, if you put such kind of mirrors in all the four walls, not only there would be as many reflections, so each mirror will be reflecting the other mirrors and you can as far as you can see, you can see yourself there. This is a beautiful example, but it is all you have not become, but you are only appearing because of those mirrors. And what are those mirrors? Our mind is that mirrors, every thought is a mirror. So when you look at a sweet, that's one mirror. When you look at your enemy, that's another mirror. So whether it is living or non-living, every thought, every vritti, every pratyaya that is generated, because the mind creates, produces these thoughts, every object becomes a mirror.

And it comes to us in the form of a thought. So how many friends, how many enemies, how many relatives, how many unwanted relatives, etc., etc., we view each object as if our mind has become a separate mirror for that with regard to that particular object. Therefore, the being is only one. The reflection is not real. It is only one who is standing in front of that reflecting medium. He alone is real.

Sri Ramakrishna takes the example of supposing there is midday sun, brightly shining, ten pots are there, they are all filled with water, and in each one of them the sun is being reflected. So how many suns are there? Eleven. One original and ten reflected. Break one pot. How many? Nine reflected suns, but one original sun. And break another eight pots.

How many? One reflected sun, one original sun. Break that last pot also. How many? The devotee has answered, not understanding what Sri Ramakrishna was driving at, that one real sun is there. Sri Ramakrishna laughs and says, No, you cannot say what is there, because that mind is not there. When mind is not there, only aham remains. And whatever is added to aham, that is called the reflection of pure aham. So that aham, you don't say aham brahma asmi. No need. It is only for our dull understanding that we use that word aham brahma asmi. At least does that person feel that aham? No. Because when there is only one, when you are alone, you don't say, I am so and so. Mind you, even if you are alone, because you are ignorant, I am ignorant, so I am so and so. I remind myself. But actually it is not right understanding. Why? Because I am acutely aware of my physical body and different limbs of my body, along with the mind, different thoughts. So they are all what is called separate as it, identity as well as separate.  Both I am feeling. That's why I have to remind, I am so and so, I am so and so, etc.

But what happens in deep sleep? You forget your body and mind and you don't say, I am in sushukti.Only upon waking up you say, I am in the waking state or I am in the so called dream state or I am in the deep sleep state, where there is no mind, one doesn't say aham, even aham or brahma asmi. This is only for the purpose of teaching, aham brahma asmi, tatvam asmi, etc., all are there. So this is the real purpose. So we have to remember the law here. What is the law? An effect can never be different from the cause. A pot can never be different from the clay. An ornament, there is no second object besides the gold called an ornament. Ornament is the same gold, same object but with a particular shape, name and purpose.

And that is what the teacher wants to drill into our brains for that purpose is what is called srishti krama. And as we have seen in the Chandogya, only three elements are taken. Agni or Tejas, Jalam and Prithvi. But we have presumed the other two also because that also is indicated in the Chandogya later on. But here it is all the five. This is the famous srishti krama.

So we will go into that now. This is the first mantra only, first anuvaka, first mantra only. This is the first mantra only. These are the five elements. That which is there in that parame vyomni as aham aham, that is indicated here, atman. And that atman is none other than Brahman. First manifestation is called akasha. I use deliberately the word manifestation instead of creation. Because whenever we use the word creation, say a carpenter creates a furniture out of wood with the help of some instruments. So carpenter is separate, the furniture is separate, the instruments are separate. But here everything is considered as one only. Because Brahman manifests. And before I go further, I have to add these are very important points.

When we say Brahman manifests, it is not that really Brahman manifests. My mind is perceiving Brahman as manifested as space, air, fire, water and earth. This is how we have to understand with regard to gospel, with regard to other Upanishads also I mentioned many times. Does God assume different forms? There is one way of expressing that when you become a round mirror, a better example would be if God is water and you are a rounded vessel, then that water appears to be round. If you are like a square utensil, then water becomes like square. And if you are colored glass, green, yellow, etc., the water also appears to be colored. So this is how we have to understand if there is no utensil, water will be absolutely what is called shapeless, etc., will be there. And that process we will talk about it. But for the movement, the Rishi presumes that we have not yet introduced to these concepts.

So he says God or Brahman or Atman is appearing, manifesting as Akasha and Akasha manifests as Vayu. So space is extraordinarily subtle and less subtle is the air and still less subtle. That means more and more and more grossified. So therefore air is grosser than space, fire is grosser than air, water is even more gross and of course this earth is even grosser. So this is the process from space air is born, from air fire is born, from fire water is born, from water earth is born. This is the famous five elements, everything that we see outside us as this body and within this body as mind, everything is a combination of these five elements. Really they are not five elements, only one element called Akasha is now manifesting by progressively becoming grosser and grosser.

And here also we have to remember this is only very brief description. So we have to remember other Upanishads also. First of all these are extraordinarily subtle, they are called Tanmatras, that is you can feel them, you can guess them, but you cannot really experience them excepting through guess work. They are called Sukshma Panchabhutas and out of that the Sukshma Prapancha was born and then they became gross elements. And those gross elements that is for example subtle Akasha became gross Akasha, subtle air has become gross air, subtle fire has become gross fire, subtle waters became gross waters, subtle earth has become gross earth. So this is the first understanding, then not only these had become gross, not only these five subtle elements have become five gross elements, that means our sense organs can experience them. Tanmatras cannot be experienced by the five sense organs, but five gross elements can be experienced by the five sense organs. And means our body, my body, our body, anybody's body is nothing but a combination of these two. That is the first point, but these gross elements have not become the what is called elementals, that means the outcomes, the manifestations, the effects of these five gross elements are not just from these five gross elements, they have become combined.

So each one of them combined with each of the other elements, for example space has become combined with the air, fire, waters and earth. And the air has become combined with the space or Akasha and then Agni, waters, earth etc. etc. So what is the proportion, very briefly only I am telling, 50, these five gross elements, they retain 50% of themselves. For example Akasha had divided itself as it were into two parts, 50% and another 50% and that second 50% becomes divided into four, the other four elements. So it goes and mixes one, twelve, twelve and a half, twelve and a half, twelve and a half, twelve and a half. So that 50% of the space divides itself into four and one, twelve and a half mixes with air, twelve and a half with fire, twelve and a half with waters, twelve and a half with earth. Similarly the air also retains its 50% for itself and then it becomes, the other 50% becomes, so twelve and a half becomes mixed with space, twelve and a half with fire, with waters, with earth etc. So each one of the elements retains 50% of itself and the other 50% goes and mixes up with the other, this is called Panchikarna or peculiar mixing up all these things. So the Tanmatras, subtle elements and the mixed up five gross elements, both these combined, they are all called elements and whatever is the outcome is called elementals, elementals. So a tree and it has branches, it has seeds, it has flowers etc. etc. So whatever we see is called elementals, all these elementals are caused by the five subtle elements and five mixed up gross elements. And these subtle and mixed up five gross elements together are the manifestation of Atman or Brahman and that is not clearly mentioned here. That's why I am giving you that one. And then one more point, every one of these gross elements, they have got one one particular manifestation or quality.

For example, sound is the quality of space and then space has become, Akasha has become Vayu. Now Vayu is a grosser manifestation of Akasha. And this Vayu inherited that something called Shabda or sound plus it has its own special quality called Sparsha. That is why when cool air, hot air is felt by you, by your skin, that touch, oh it is hot and it is cold etc. Hard and soft, cold and heat, these are the effects felt by the skin. So we come to the fire. The Akasha manifested as Air and Air or Vayu, Vayu has manifested as fire. So the fire inherited because there is Akasha and Vayu in it and therefore Shabda, Sparsha and fire has got Rupa form and then it became waters. Now the waters inherited all the three qualities and obtained a very special quality of its own. It is called Sparsha or taste. And then all these four combined together further grossified, became Sthula, more manifest and so the Prithvi, the earth, it not only inherited these four qualities but has its own special quality called smell Gandha. So each one can be experienced through these five qualities. So God also has created this human body and this Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa or Gandha, sound, touch, form, taste and smell, they are experienceable through the five sense organs of knowledge. So how do we experience them? You see through our ears we can hear the sound, Shabda. Through our skin we can experience touch, Sparsha. Through our eyes we can experience the forms and through our tongue we experience the taste, the quality of the waters and through our nose smelling organ, Grana, through our nose. So you see all the five elements can be experienced through all our five sense organs and every elemental is nothing but a combination of Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa or Gandha and so everything has got can be experienced through these five sense organs. So that is a point we have to keep in mind. So whenever we see that is representation of Agni, whenever we feel touch that is the representation of space.

Whenever we touch something that is fire, air, so through our skin and through our eyes they form, through our tongue they taste, through our nose they smell. We are continuously  experiencing all the five elements. All these five elements are none other than Brahman and I who is only a product of these five elements combination of both gross and subtle is nothing but Brahman. So in that sense everything is nothing but Brahman. So these few points please keep in mind. So this is how from the Atman the space, the Atman has manifested, grossified as space and the space grows further grossified as air. Air grossified as fire, fire grossified as water, water grossified as earth. This is the Srishti Krama and then these are the main elements. A combination of these both subtle and gross results in what? That's what he wants to say here further. From the earth all the what is called food, plants, means anything that quenches the fire of our hunger, thirst etc. that is called Osha means that which burning is burning. That means without which we cannot live and that which is supplied in order to make us sustain and live and that is in this case it is called Dayaha means plants. So plants, plants means food. You have to understand that which quenches all or that which sustains is called Osha and incidentally in medical field Osha means medicine. So when our life is in danger the doctors try to keep up that life with some medicine like that after creation. If we have to survive then these medicines are necessary and that collectively that medicine is called food. So what is earth? Nothing but food. Osha Dayaha and these plants etc. they have become Osha Dhyo Annam. Remember earth is manifesting in the form of food and this food that is what it is said through the plants because we have to eat etc.

So that becomes Annam.

Annam means not what human being alone eats. Whatever sustains us, whatever keeps us alive that is called Annam. Annam and Annat Purushaha. From this food human being is born. Here Purusha means what? Human being, every human being, every Jeeva also. So from the food what happens? Our parents, our grandparents ate the food and the finest part of that food became as I explained earlier in the man it becomes the seed. In the woman also it becomes the seed respectively called Shukra and Shonita and they combine together and the result is the birth of a new creature. So Annat Purushaha and therefore what is the conclusion? Sava Esha Purushaha and this human being, that means this body including the mind, Annat Prasamayaha is nothing but the essence of food. Such a marvellous concept. So what is food? What is Annam? That which eats that is called Annam. Annam, that which is eaten that is also is called Annam. If you remember Chandogya Panchayat in the seventh chapter we have seen that whatever we eat it must become Satvik Ahara. So when the food becomes Satva then the remembrance becomes clear. Then we remember, our remembrance comes, memory comes back, we are none other than Brahman. I will explain this when the time comes but it's important here for us to understand that everything is food and many times with a little bit of fun try to explain. A beautiful person, man or woman, nicely dressed, is walking in the forest and a hungry tiger looks at him. How does it look? Oh, today I am fortunate, there is beautiful sufficient food for one day. He is walking in front of me, not to speak of tiger, even when a mosquito approaches it loves us. It is singing song, beautiful humming song to lullaby, we are food. So I am both the eater and the eater. I eat food, not only what I eat through the mouth but what I experience through all the five sense organs is nothing but food.

Finally, that is what we have to understand. That is how whatever we experience is nothing but Brahman from this final point of view. So a human being is nothing but full of food and this food is called Prithvi, the entire earth is called food and whenever we use the word earth we have to understand food. Everything comes out of it, everything goes back into it and that is the cause of this most grossest form of food and this grossest form of food called earth comes only from water. It is only from our point of view that is the cause. From its point of view it is an effect of the waters and from the viewpoint of the waters the fire is the cause. From the viewpoint of the fire, air is the cause. From the viewpoint of the air, Akasha is the effect. From the viewpoint of the Akasha Atman. So therefore if we trace back it is Brahman who has become everything in this world and everything in this world is food and the definition of food is that which both is eaten as well as eats. So this food, for example, I am food, me as food, we eat rice, we eat chapati, we eat bread, we eat sweets, we eat fruits, whatever I eat, this is the processed sense but whatever I experience that is called food. That is how Shankara explains.

So that is finally it is Brahman. When somebody is experiencing me I am the eaten. When I am experiencing I am the eater. So each one of us, everything in this world is nothing but food only and Swami explained it very nicely but with a bit of fun. So a person goes on eating, eating, eating and that food becomes poison and that poison finally eats that person and then he dies. What happens after death? That is eaten by billions of other creatures and those creatures also are eaten up. So this is a process of effect becoming cause, cause becoming effect, again effect becoming cause, again cause becoming effect. This continuous unending eternal process is called Brahma Chakra, the veil of Brahman. So this is the meaning. So as I mentioned why is the scripture giving the description? So that we trace, merge the effect into its cause. That cause is merged into its effect. Finally everything is merged in Brahman and therefore when that knowledge comes through that process then we become free from this bondage of this one. And to understand this we also have to wait for the third chapter called Bhrigu but I am giving you a hint for today, for now.

See there was a great spiritual seeker called Bhrigu and like Swetha Ketu's father Aruni, so here also the father of Bhrigu is called Varuna. Not the Varuna Devata but a great Rishi called Varuna. He was a great Brahma Gnani. And when this boy had grown up, sufficiently became pure, he wanted nothing else excepting Brahman and he was given the insight, he need not go anywhere, that his own father now can turn into a teacher of Brahmagnana. So he approached him. So he said, teach me about Brahman. And then what did father do? Father do, he said, he did not tell, this is Brahman. He said, find out, So find out where from you have come and find out where from that where from you have come has come, that means the cause of you, that means there is earth and then waters and then fire, air, space and finally Brahman. But for that purpose you will have to do Tapasya, austerity. What is austerity? Deep thinking, unwavering, concentrated thinking and then that thinking alone can remove all ignorance and reveal the truth. Tapasya means that which gives us knowledge by removing ignorance is called Tapasya.

Eating less, standing on one leg or observing certain peculiar rules, they are all helpful only for the concentration of the mind. Chitta Ekagrata, Chitta Shuddhi, Chitta Vaishaliyata and finally Chitta Vyakulata, that is the process.

Now important point I wanted to tell that Bhrigu heard it, he patented how long he practiced this Tapasya, thinking about Brahman, we do not know. We do not know, but then what he did, he realized, annam brahme devyajana, this whole visible universe, external universe including which includes our own body, physical body, it is nothing but Brahman. Brahman means that from which we came, that which sustains our life and unto which we return back, that cause is called Brahman. So annam brahme devyajana, that annam, annam means what, the whole earth is nothing but annam, so the I, the you, that person, this person, that object, this object, everything is nothing but Brahman. Then he thought he realized because he only came to the first cause, not its cause, but what is Brahman here, annam brahme, everything is absolutely the same. There is no distinction between me and a piece of rock and a mosquito and a learned person and a dog, a dog-eater, an elephant, a cow, good person, bad person, everything is me only. What a great step, but he realized when he reached the peak of that realization that that also, that annam brahme has also a cause, then he came back to his father, what shall I do now? So the same thing he repeated, govando tapasya, this time he already reached annam brahma, aham annam brahma iti vijanaat, then he did tapasya, then he understood prano brahme te vyajanaat,the cause of this annam is nothing but prana, about which we will discuss later on, and when as soon as he realized that I am prana brahma, not annam brahme, annam brahme became negated, that is mithya, prana brahme alone is the truth, thus from the gross brahman to the subtle brahman to the subtlest brahman and no gross or subtle pure brahman, that is the process what a marvelous vista opens up before us, such a beautiful analysis, I don't think we will get anywhere.

So today I will stop here.

Om jananim Saradam devim, Ramakrishnam jagat kurum, padapatme dayo sritva, pranamaami mohur mohur,

May Sri Ramakrishna holy mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti, Jai Ramakrishna.