Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.1.3 Lecture 19 on 28 March 2026
Full Transcript (Not Corrected)
Opening Invocation
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Transliteration
oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.
OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
Overview of the First Chapter
We are studying the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. In the first chapter of this Upaniṣad, the first three Brāhmaṇas — sections — speak about Upāsanās:
- Aśva Upāsanā — a horse contemplated as Virāṭ, the universal.
- Agni Upāsanā — fire contemplated as the universal.
- Prāṇa Upāsanā — prāṇa contemplated as the universal.
All three have to be contemplated as Virāṭ or Hiraṇyagarbha, and we will have to identify: "I am the Virāṭ, I am the Hiraṇyagarbha." We are continuing the third section, which is Prāṇa Upāsanā, in which Prāṇa is given a most marvellous praise.
The Allegory of Devas and Asuras
Prajāpati's Two Orders of Children
The section begins with the Upaniṣad telling us that Prajāpati, the creator, had two types of children:
- Devas — the good, righteous, unselfish children, who are very few. They become like light — gaining knowledge and giving knowledge.
- Asuras — the selfish, self-centred, evil children, who are many. They obscure knowledge and bring in darkness to whoever is influenced by them.
We each have a choice: whether to follow the light-giving children or the darkness-leading children.
The Essential Distinction
The essence is this: those who are unselfish are called Gods. Unselfishness means identifying with the entire whole. Selfishness means: "Only this is me — this is my family, this is my religion." Those who bring extreme limits to themselves, their families, their country, their religion — whatever they follow —They become very selfish. As a result, they lose right knowledge and gain wrong knowledge.
This section tells us a beautiful allegory, like a parable: there is a constant fight between the Gods and demons, and that is the fight going on within each one of us. The struggle is to overcome selfishness by increasing unselfishness — and then we become more and more filled with light.
Prāṇa as the Ideal of Unselfishness
Prāṇa has been shown as a bright example of pure unselfishness. It sustains everybody without any partiality — it equally extends its power to a mosquito, to a human being, to an elephant, to everything that is living. That is why it is called Prāṇa: the most unselfish.
Whoever follows this Prāṇa and liberates oneself from selfishness — what happens? Their ignorance ends. Ajñāna, Avidyā, gets destroyed, because Avidyā manifests as selfishness. Destruction of selfishness is equivalent to destruction of Avidyā, which means the manifestation of Vidyā. And thus, they become the Gods.
The Sense Organs as an Illustration
The five sense organs and the mind ;this section gives a few examples — the eye, the etc., When these very Gods manifest as selfishness, they become narrow-minded, bound, and they suffer more. But when they struggle to give up this selfishness, they become Gods.
so, it is beautifully illustrated
- When the eye gives up its selfishness, it becomes the Devatā called Āditya.[आदित्य]
- When the ear destroys its selfishness, it becomes the Devatā called Ākāśa dik devata.[आकाश दिक् देवता]
So every organ, when it gives up its selfishness, becomes a God अधिष्ठात्री देवता [adhishtatri Devata]. From the “अध्यात्म”[adhyātma ]— pertaining to individuality — it becomes universal. From the limited, it progresses into the unlimited.
The Saints as Living Examples
Therefore, Prāṇa is an ideal for all of us — like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and Holy Mother. Why do we adore them and worship them? Because, unlike others, unlike ourselves, they are most unselfish. Holy Mother said, "I am the mother of all." Sri Ramakrishna did not exactly express it this way but he said, he should have said ,Ï am the father of all" and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa bestowed his grace upon everybody who approached him unselfishly..
But it doesn't mean everyone is capable of receiving equally. Selfish persons are like people with a very small vessel. When these vessels approach the ocean, the ocean doesn't restrict and say, "You can take only so much." But if selfishness makes a vessel very small, the capacity of that vessel to carry water becomes very small.
These universal characters — whether it is Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, Svāmi Vivekānanda, the direct disciples, Ramaṇa Maharṣi, or all the saints and sages produced in any religion — . Islam produced most marvellous saints through its esoteric, mystical sect — the Rahasya — called Ṣūfism They have all become universal. Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi [अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि] in Ṣūfī language is equivalent to Anā'l-Ḥaqq — "I am Him, I am God." And many people have been butchered mercilessly without understanding what they really meant.
The Question of Vedic Authority
Śaṅkarācārya's Challenge to the Pūrva Mīmāṃsakas
in this connection we have been enlightened by the commentary of Sri Shankaracharya that every word of the Veda; Veda means truth , Veda means knowledge, Veda means God himself .There is no difference between a human being and his knowledge .If the knowledge is selfish knowledge , he is called a demon and if his knowledge is unselfish, he is called a God. For a man is what his knowledge is. Let this knowledge come from books, from company, whatever be the instrument. But what a person believes, that is his knowledge. And if what he believes is selfish, he becomes a demon. But if what he believes in is unselfish, he becomes a God. So Prana has been praised. So Śaṅkarācārya raises a question and tries to enlighten us — and in particular, the school of philosophers known as the Pūrva Mīmāṃsakas, who hold certain peculiar beliefs. They believe in the Veda, but what they mean by Veda is that only certain teachings — specifically those which propel a person to action — are the real Veda. The rest, they say, should not be considered as authoritative Veda.
The central question then becomes: Is the entire Veda pramāṇa — authoritative — or not?
What Does "Authority" Mean?
Before going further, we must clarify what we mean by authority. Any truth must liberate us:
- Scientific truth liberates us from ignorance of scientific facts.
- Aesthetic knowledge liberates us from aesthetic ignorance.
- Culinary (cooking)knowledge must liberate us from culinary ignorance that is how some cooks become experts and very very popular and can really liberate us from the ignorance of cooking by saying ,if you cook this way , you will relish it better and also digest the dish better etc.,
- Medical knowledge should liberate us from health problems , ideally.
So "this is the meaning ofauthority/ authoritative knowledge..so if Veda means knowledge, is it false knowledge or authoritative knowledge?knowledge is authoritative when it helps us progress in life. And what is the progress in life? What biologists call evolution — we will overcome death, overcome every type of ignorance, overcome every type of misery or suffering. That is called Sat, Cit, Ānanda.
Every sentence of the Vedānta, of the Veda, tells us: "Each soul is potentially divine." You are a soul — you are also potentially divine —it is a fact of life , but you will have to have that knowledge. Merely saying, "I am potentially divine," you remain potentially divine but practically ignorant.
So every being knows and unconsciously prays: "Let me become Sat, let me become Cit, let me become Ānanda" — not acquire Ānanda, but become Ānanda.we have seen this both in the Taittiriya Upanishad etc at the end of the Ananda Mimamsa.So the Upanishad inserts श्रोत्रियस्य चाकाम॑हत॒स्य [Srotryasya cha akamahatasya] What we have to understand here is that our existence is not borrowed existence — we are existence. We are not acquiring knowledge — we are knowledge.We are manifesting knowledge through our experience. We are embodiment of Ananda .We are not seeking Ānanda — we are Ānanda. We are Ānanda-svarūpa, but we have forgotten that fact.so first of all we have to manifest. we have to manifest our Ananda. so first we must remove our ignorance to manifest our own Ananda.
An analogy: a mirror is dirty, and the more we clean it, the more it shows us what we are. So every object reveals our existence, our knowledge, and our happiness. But we are not satisfied with limited existence, limited knowledge, limited happiness — and so this unconscious prayer springs up from within everybody. Why do we call it unconscious because not consciously but unknowingly what we are doing is to attain these three.
Even a mosquito, when you lift your hand to squash it, tries to run away. It is telling you: "Do not kill me. If you squash me, my existence will come to an end, my knowledge of you will come to an end, my bliss will come to an end." These three — Sat, Cit, Ānanda — are not three qualities but one's real nature expressed in three different ways. Expressions change but fact is I am Sacchidananda. I am God I want to become God I know unconsciously I am God. Otherwise, the prayer will never come out. So, now coming back to our discussion;
The Four Types of Vedic Sentences
Śaṅkarācārya raises the point: "O Purva Mīmāṃsaka, do you really accept the whole Veda as Pramana /Authority? This means the whole Veda can give us, liberate us from ignorance , from non-existence, from suffering or do you say only particular actions?" Because Shankara was a master of all these schools of Vedanta; Nyaya, Vyseshika etc.As you know all Indian schools of philosophy were divided into six schools of philosophy, i.e., Nyaya and Vaiseshika, Poorva and Uttara Mimamsa etc.— So these schools have their limitations. But as Man grew these limitations have been overcome and ultimately they all merged into Vedanta. Now there is only Vedanta. but this Vedanta has been again divided into three classes,Dvaita, Visishta Advaita and Advaita".So why do we need to know about these earlier schools?for that, the answer that comes is ,it is intellectually highly stimulating.Once we develop our intellect, we can enjoy things much better.Like I mentioned in my earlier classes ,we progress from Vishayanda to Medhananda which is a much much higher Ananda . From Manushya Ananda to Gandharva Ananda , Dev Gandharva Ananda. Then karma Devananda. Then Devananda , Indra Nanda Brihaspatirananda, Prajapatir Ananda Brahmananda. So this is how we have to progress . That progress is called evolution. Otherwise simply physically evolving from an Amoeba to a human Body is not going to be of much help.Real evolution is from alower Ananda to a higher Ananda .And these Anandas are not geographical locations but states of our mind Certainly, I am an Āstika, a believer in the Veda."
According to Vedānta, all Vedic sentences can be classified into four types:
1. Vidhi — Injunctions
Vidhi means: "You must do this action." For example: "If you want to go to heaven, then you must satisfy the Gods — you must perform a special type of worship called Yajña." Here, mantras are offered to Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Chandra, Āditya, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and so on.
Interestingly, the Pūrva Mīmāṃsakas — though they believe in the Vedas — do not believe in Gods. When asked who gives the result of the Yajña, they reply: the action itself, and the mantra itself, is powerful enough to give the result. They use the technical term Apūrva — the unseen result of an action that persists even after the action has ended, and which may bear fruit in the next life or in a life thereafter.
Śaṅkarācārya responds: there must be someone who keeps an eye — like a factory manager who notes how many hours a person worked, how well or poorly they performed, and accordingly gives wages. That conscious entity must be God. According to Hinduism, it is called Vidhātā — the one who writes our future as the result of our past actions.
2. Niṣedha — Prohibitions
Niṣedha means: "Do not do this." For example: "Do not tell a lie."
Śaṅkarācārya questions: if you tell a lie, that is an action. But if you do not tell a lie — is that an action? Clearly it does not fall under the category of action — yet the Pūrva Mīmāṃsaka accepts it as authoritative. So Śaṅkarācārya says: just as you accept Vidhi as authoritative, you also accept Niṣedha. Then what right do you have to dismiss other sentences?
3. Arthavāda — Praises and Stories
Arthavāda refers to praises, stories, and illustrative passages — such as the story we have been studying, in which Prāṇa is praised as a Devatā. The Pūrva Mīmāṃsaka dismisses these as useless sentences — at best, they may goad a person to action, but they are not independently authoritative.
Śaṅkarācārya counters: these praises exist to inspire people. You will have to accept them.
4. Bhūtārthavāda — Statements of Fact
Bhūtārthavāda refers to statements of facts, such as: "There is Svargaloka. There is Narakaloka. There is heaven. There is hell. There are Gods."
According to the Pūrva Mīmāṃsaka, these are useless types of sentences — acceptable only insofar as they motivate ritual action. But Śaṅkarācārya asks: how did you come to know that your ritual will take you to heaven in the first place? That knowledge is indicated in the Veda. If you want to go to Svargaloka, how do you know that such a world exists? You know it from the Veda's statements of fact.
If those statements are not authoritative, your very action of performing a Yajña becomes meaningless — labour lost, nothing else. Therefore, you must believe in statements of fact: heaven exists, hell exists, Gods and demons exist and experience the results of their karmas.
The Pūrva Mīmāṃsaka cannot deny this, because his very purpose of performing a Yajña is predicated on the existence of heaven. If he goes there, does he have the same old body? No — a new body. Does he have the same circumstances? No — uninterrupted bliss. And who lives in the heaven? Whoever lives there is called a Deva. Therefore Devatās like Indra, Chandra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, Aśvinī Kumāras, Āditya — all these must exist, because that is what the Veda says. He cannot answer otherwise. His mouth is firmly shut.
The Jñāna Kāṇḍa and Vedāntic Sentences
The Three Divisions of the Veda
The Vedas contain three portions:
- Karma Kāṇḍa — the ritualistic portion.
- Upāsanā Kāṇḍa — the contemplative portion, which serves as a bridge, converting physical ritual into mental ritual.
- Jñāna Kāṇḍa — the knowledge portion, containing the great Mahāvākyas.
The Mahāvākyas
The Vedāntic sentences of the Jñāna Kāṇḍa are like:
- Tat tvam asi — "You are That."
- Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi — "I am Brahman."
- "Everything is pure Brahman."
- "Consciousness is Brahman."
These are statements about your true nature. You are Ātman — pure consciousness. And Ātman and Brahman are one and the same.
Śaṅkarācārya says: the Vedas tell us in the Jñāna Kāṇḍa that you do not need to do any action. By simply knowing that you are God, you will get everything without doing anything — and that gives liberation. Knowing "I am Brahman" is not an action; it is a piece of knowledge. Whether liberation comes only through action or through this knowledge alone — this we will discuss in the next class.
The Progression Through the Lokas
As one gives up selfishness and manifests unselfishness, one progresses through progressively higher states of existence:
Manuṣya Loka → Gandharva Loka → Deva Gandharva Loka → Karma Deva Loka → Deva Loka → Ājāna Jñāna Loka → Indra Loka → Bṛhaspati Loka → Prajāpati Loka → Brahma Loka → Brahman
But Brahma Loka is also not the end. One will have to go to Brahman's Loka — not merely Brahma Loka.
These Lokas are not geographical locations, but states of our mind. As the mind becomes gradually purified, it rises from a lower state of consciousness to the next higher state. This is described beautifully in the Tantras as the travel of Kuṇḍalinī from the lower Cakras to the Sahasrāra through six stages — the seventh being not a stage but the ultimate goal. Similarly: Dvaita → Viśiṣṭādvaita → Advaita. Advaita is not a stage but is Brahman itself — the final destination.
Conclusion
A man is what his knowledge is. If his knowledge is selfish, he is called a demon. If his knowledge is unselfish, he is called a God. Whether that knowledge comes from books, from company, or from whatever instrument — what a person believes is his knowledge, and what he believes determines what he becomes.
Prāṇa, praised so highly in this Brāhmaṇa, is the ideal: it became unselfish, it became God, and having become God through unselfishness, it guides the eye, the ear, and all the other sense organs and the mind — inspiring them to give up their selfishness so that they too may become Gods.
Closing Prayer
Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum
Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.
Jai Ramakrishna!