04 Kaivalya Upanishad

कैवल्योपनिषत्
Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati
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कैवल्य उपनिषत् Introduction
कैवल्योपनिषत्
Introduction
Today I will give you a general introduction to the next
उपनिषत्, viz., कैवल्योपनिषत्. In the introduction to the
previous उपनिषत्s I had mentioned the following important
points that the whole वेदs is divided into two portions known
as वेदपवू व and वेदान्त. Of these two portions वेदपवू व is dealing
with rituals elaborately. Rituals done through the body, rituals
in the form of पारायणम्, rituals in the form of उपासि.
कानयक वानिक and मािस कमाव नण. This is the topic of वेदपवू व .
And as a result of these साधिs a person can get varieties of
results from भुलोक up to ब्रह्मलोक, from अर्व and काम to धमव
which are known as कमव फलम्. But the point is all types of
फलम्s acquired through वेदपवू व भाग will be finite in nature.
This is the first point you should remember. वेदपवू व deals with
कमव which will give only finite results.
Then we should come to the next portion of the वेदs
known as वेदान्त which is dealing with the knowledge alone
which is meant to discover the infinite, the नित्य वस्तु.
Because the नित्य वस्तु or the infinite cannot be the result of
कमव . नित्यम् कमव फलम् ि भनवतुम् अर्व नत. The infinite cannot
be the result of any type of साधिा whether it is कानयकम्,
वानिकम् or मािसम्. So the infinite has to be नित्य नसद्ध
वस्तु, it must be already here and now. Being infinite it must
be everywhere including here also. Being infinite it must be in
the past, present and future. Therefore it cannot be the result
of an effort; it must be here and now. If you technically put it,
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we will say infinite is not साध्यम्, it is नसद्धम्, it is not to be
accomplished, it is already accomplished. Since वेदान्त is
dealing with नित्य नसद्ध वस्तु it doesn't talk about anything to
be done, it is talking about owning up the नित्य नसद्ध वस्तु,
discovering the नित्य नसद्ध वस्तु otherwise ज्ञािम् alone is the
topic here. So the second main point is that the infinite is to be
achieved through knowledge which is dealt within वेदान्त.
The first point is the finite it is to be achieved through कमव
which is done in वेदपवू व and the second point is the infinite is
to be achieved through the knowledge. अपरम् िेत् प्राप्तव्यम्
परम् िेत् ज्ञातव्यम्. This is the second point.
Then the third point we discussed was how to get
ज्ञािम्. We saw that any ज्ञािम् can be acquired only through
a proper instrument, proper means of knowledge. Knowledge
does not happen, knowledge does not dawn and knowledge
does not come automatically. Whether it is the knowledge of
mathematics, English, science; any knowledge does not
happen, it requires operation of an instrument which we call as
प्रमाणम्. So प्रमाण व्यापरे ण प्रमा जायते. This is the third point.
Then thereafterwards the fourth point is the discussion
of various instruments of knowledge. What are the
instruments of knowledge available at our disposal? This we
discussed in the last introduction. There we saw प्रत्यक्ष्यम्,
अिुमािम्, अर्ाव पनि, उपमािम्, अिुपलन्धिः and श्दिः. Six
instruments of knowledge are accepted in the अद्वैत शास्त्रम्.
Of the six we found the first five of them are not useful in
knowing the infinite, because every instrument of knowledge
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can function only in its own field. Eyes, however powerful
they are, can function only in the field of forms and colors, it
has no access to the sound, has no access the smell. However
powerful the nose maybe it has no access to taste. Thus every
प्रमाणम् has got its own field of function. The first five
प्रमाणम्s function only in the field of finite objects. Just as the
most powerful car also cannot travel in water, it may be
imported and may be driven in all varieties of roads but has no
access to water. A ship cannot travel in land; a plane cannot
travel in land. Similarly every instrument has got its own field
of operation. The पञ्ि प्रमाणs field of operation is finite
objects. अनित्य नवषये एव तेषाम् प्रवनृ ििः. So we have only one
प्रमाणम् left out and that is श्द प्रमाणम् and this श्द प्रमाणम्
is divided into three types. Here श्दम् should be understood
properly. श्दम् does not mean noise or sound, श्दम् means
spoken or written words and sentences. This श्दम् or वाच्यम्
is divided into three.
1) The words spoken by the ordinary people like the
sentences we read in the newspapers, we read in books which
we call as लौनकक श्द.
2) The words and sentences of the वेदपवू व भाग or
कमव काण्ड श्द.
3) The words and sentences of the वेदान्त or
ज्ञािकाण्डश्द.
So लौनकक श्द which is all the books whether it is
written by a scientist or by an artist, or anybody writes books
on papers they are called लौनककम् because it is given out by
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the लोक the worldly people. लौनकक श्द alone is otherwise
called पौरुषेय श्द also, given out by पुरुषs, the ordinary
human beings. Whereas the second and third – the कमव काण्ड
श्द and ज्ञािकाण्ड श्द are said to be अपौरुषेय श्द
प्रमाणम्. Of these three the लौनकक श्द, the books written by
human beings all deal with finite objects only. Any science
book is dealing with finite, changing things alone. Therefore
all those sciences are utterly useless in the field of नित्यम् or
infinite. It may be dealing with the biggest star but it is
infinite. It may be dealing with the most powerful energy but
it is infinite. It might be dealing with the subtlest atom but it is
infinite. Or it might be the study of the phycology, the mind
which is again infinite. Thus from phycology to astronomy,
from chemistry to botany all sciences are dealing with only
finite things. Therefore all those श्दs, all those words cannot
give me the knowledge of the infinite. Therefore the first श्द
प्रमाणम् is gone.
Then coming to कमव काण्ड or वेदपवू व श्दs, they also
deal with varieties of कमव , उपासिा and varieties of results but
they also happen to be finite in nature. There is no infinite
ritual, there is no infinite result of ritual also. So the highest
ritual that is described in कमव काण्ड is ब्रह्मलोक and ब्रह्मलोक
is supposed to be the vastest लोक and also having longest life
possible. And the people in ब्रह्मलोक also have got very long
life, it is only long but not infinity, it is only vast but not
infinite and therefore कमव काण्ड also is dealing with the finite
alone. धमव is finite, अर्व is finite, काम is finite. From भल
ू ोक to
ब्रह्मलोक all लोक are finite. And all देवताs are also finite,
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including ब्रह्मानज has got a duration. According to our
scriptures even ब्रह्मा gets replaced. In fact, ब्रह्मा is not the
name of the person but ब्रह्मा is the name of a post. You can
become ब्रह्मा if you do good कमव . But the thing is after
sometime again back to square one, we have to return.
Therefore वेदपवू व श्द also is not useful. वेदपवू व includes all
other books like literature, logic, grammar, योगशास्त्र, which
deals with finite only. If they are dealing with िक्रम्’s – िक्रम्
is dealing with finite or infinite? So the fact that they
themselves talk about six िक्रs which is occupying particular
position, not even the whole body, shows that it is finite and if
there is a power called कुण्डनलिी which is moving, is it finite
or infinite? That it is moving itself shows it is not all-
pervading. And if it reaches the सर्स्रार on the top, that
सर्स्रार is finite or infinite? That it is on the top shows that it
is not in the bottom. Therefore that which comes from down
also is finite, that which is on the top also is finite, there
combination also is finite. Therefore all this shows that they
deal with finite things only. They may be mysterious things
but mystery does not prove that it is infinite. They are
mysterious but finite things. Therefore those शास्त्रs also are
not going to be useful to me, though they may be facts. There
may be such powers, there may be such possibilities, we don’t
deny their nature, but what we say is they have nothing to do
with the infinite ब्रह्मि् or मोक्ष.
Then what is left out? There is only one श्द प्रमाणम्
left out which is वेदान्त or ज्ञािकाण्ड श्द प्रमाणम्. This is
the only path वेदान्त श्द प्रमाणम् which deals with ब्रह्मि्, the
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infinite. Since वेदान्त is the unique प्रमाणम् which is dealing
with the infinite, you should remember that वेदान्त cannot be
verified through any other प्रमाणम्s. Logic cannot prove
वेदान्त. वेदान्त can neither be proved nor disproved by other
instruments, because the fields of operation are totally
different. Suppose the eyes are showing the color that it is
white, now if this has to be proved I have to use eyes alone or
I can ask someone of you to come and see. And even when
you come and see, you have to use your eyes alone to prove or
disprove. Ears cannot come and say ‘what the eyes are saying
is correct nor can they say it is wrong’. Ears cannot prove the
eyes nor can the ears disprove the eyes. Therefore eyes are
proved by eyes alone. स्वतिः प्रमाणम्. Eyes have to be proved
by eyes alone. Ears have to be proved by eyes alone. One
प्रमाणम् cannot question another प्रमाणम्. Eyes can never
question the ears and so on and so forth. प्रत्यक्ष can never
question the श्द. अिुमाि can never question the वेदान्त.
They all have to be accepted as प्रमाणम् in their own field.
You see it is white, now what is the proof that it is white? ‘I
have seen it’. ‘Suppose it is wrong’. ‘You can go near and see
that it is white or not’. But more than that you cannot question
the eyes. If you question the eyes you can never come to any
conclusion. Even science cannot prove the color, because even
if the science proves you have to use the eyes alone. Therefore
eyes are unquestionably accepted in the field of forms and
colors. Similarly other instruments. If you do not accept then
what will happen is you cannot do any transaction because
you will not believe what you have seen, what you have heard.
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That is what they say seeing is believing because in the field
of forms and colors seeing is believing. In the field of sound
hearing is believing. Therefore वेदान्त has to be accepted as
प्रमाणम् in the field of ब्रह्मि्. And this is called श्रद्धा.
Everyone working in any field of knowledge requires श्रद्धा.
Therefore whatever वेदान्त gives is knowledge, it is not an
information to be confirmed later. Because it cannot be
confirmed by any other means. Therefore it gives knowledge
directly. With this awareness वेदान्त has to be studied – what
वेदान्त gives me is Knowledge, it does not give me an
information to be proved later either by logic or by
experiences. It is utterly wrong to think that experiences prove
वेदान्त. Every experience is finite in nature and a finite
experience can never prove the infinite. And this attitude is
called प्रमाण बुनद्ध.
वेदान्त is making many statements of which some even
appear to be self-contradictory. Therefore I should know what
exactly is the teaching of वेदान्त. Because in some places it is
said that the creation comes out of ब्रह्मि्,
तदेतत्सत्यं यर्ा सुदीप्तात्पावकानद्वस्फुनलङ्गािः सर्स्रशिः
प्रभवन्ते सरूपािः ।
तर्ाऽक्षरानद्वनवधािः सोम्य भावािः प्रजायन्ते तत्र िैवानप यनन्त ॥
मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-१-१ ॥
In मुण्डकोपनिषत् it was mentioned that सनृ ि comes out of
ब्रह्मि्.
And when you go to कठोपनिषत् it is said,
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ि जायते नियते वा नवपनिि् िायं कुतनिन्ि बभवू कनित् ॥
कठोपनिषत् १-२-१८॥
Nothing came out of ब्रह्मि्. Now the question is I want to
understand वेदान्त, but when वेदान्त tells contradictory things
which one am I to take? And that is the reason that many
people interpret वेदान्त in many different ways. There is a
माध्व philosophy who talk about द्वैतम् as the ultimate truth.
There is another रामािुज philosophy who study the very same
उपनिषत्s and come to the conclusion that नवनशि अद्वैतम् is
the truth. We need not know what is द्वैतम् or नवनशिाद्वैतम्
here, what I want to say is different people interpreted in
different ways because वेदान्त seems to contradict in the
beginning. And therefore we should analyze वेदान्त
thoroughly and find out what is the exact import of the वेदान्त
which is known as तात्पयव म्. So, many of the statements will
be there but they will not have तात्पयव म्. For example even in
our common parlance, I may ask a question ‘are you free
tomorrow?’ ‘स्वानमनज, whenever you want to come, you can
come’. The other person understood. The question is not
whether I am free or not, the question was that I wanted to go
to his house and meet him. Thus the word meaning of the
statement is one thing but the import of the sentence is quite
another. In fact many times we use only sentences with
different meanings. This is called वाच्यार्व म् and नववनक्षतार्व म्.
The statement is one, the intention is quite another. One is
called वाच्यम् or उक्तम् and the other is called नववनक्षतम् – the
intended meaning. ‘Are you free tomorrow’ is वाच्यार्व म् and
‘Can I come tomorrow’ is नववनक्षतार्व म्. So thus we find that
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उक्तम् and नववनक्षतम् varies in different places. Similarly in
the उपनिषतs् also some words are उक्तम् but some other word
are not नववनक्षतम् at all. So we should find out which the श्रुनत
means and which the श्रुनत does not mean. द्वैतम् is the तात्पयव म्
or अद्वैतम् is the तात्पयव म्? In short we have to know the
intention of the श्रुनत – the import or purport of the श्रुनत –
तात्पयव म्. Therefore the study of वेदान्त involves the वेदान्त
वाक्यािाम् तात्पयव निियिः – establishing the purport of the
entire वेदान्त शास्त्रम्. In fact this alone is called वेदान्त
श्रवणम्. श्रवणम् does not mean mere hearing, hearing means
you can hear and forget. But it means remembering from the
first part of the teaching upto the last part of the teaching,
remembering all the intermediary statements, analyzing which
statement has got direct meaning, which statement has got
implied meaning and ultimately what is the essence of
teaching. So many people have analyzed the भगवद्गीता and
concluded in different ways. Some people have concluded that
गीता is talking about doing the duty. You would have often
heard. What is the essence of गीता? Many books you would
have read that it is do your duty. Don’t expect result, do your
duty. And other people would say that no सवव धमाव न्पररत्यज्य
मामेकं शरणं व्रज ॥ गीता १८-६६ ॥ शरणागनत is the essence of
गीता. It is to शङ्करािायव ’s credit to analyze systematically
and show and establish that no none of them is the तात्पयव म्,
ज्ञािम् alone is the तात्पयव म्. He systematically shows in all
parts of गीता. To prove it requires a thorough study from the
first part to the last part and having analyzed I should
understand. Otherwise even after the study of गीता I will be
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confused – should I do कमव or पज ू ा or ध्याि. This doubt
comes because I have not done तात्पयव निियिः. I have heard
गीता but I have not established the तात्पयव म् of गीता. If
तात्पयव म् is not established then study is useless. Some ideas
here and there will come, but it will not give the fullest
benefit. Similarly we have to establish the तात्पयव म् and that is
called श्रवणम् which involves analysis known as मीमांसा. For
this purpose the scriptures talk about six clues or data. We
have to gather six data from the text. Those data’s are called
षड्-नलङ्गानि from that we can establish the तात्पयव म् or
essence of teaching. What are they? We will see one by one.
1) उपक्रम उपसंर्ार – the beginning and the end. If you
hear the daily news they always begin with the essence of that
day’s news and the middle of the news is the expansion of
these statements and at the end they give headlines once again.
Thus if you know the first few sentences or the last few
sentences, you have known the essence of the entire news.
Thus उपक्रम उपसंर्ार together become one clue.
2) अभ्यासिः – repetition – that which is repeated again and
again. When a person wants a favor from you and has come to
meet you, he might talk about various other things but his aim
is the favor. You will find that in the beginning he will talk
about that, while going also he will talk about that, in the
middle also often he will repeat that ‘you please see after that’
so that you may not forget it. He may be talking various other
things but often he will repeat for what he has come. From the
repetition we can know what the main idea in his mind is.
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3) अपवू व ता – uniqueness – new idea. Because whatever is
already known I need not teach you. For the very purpose of
your coming here is to know something new which you don't
know. Similarly वेदान्त has to give you something new.
वेदान्त need not come and tell you that ‘I will teach you an
important thing that you are a human being’. Therefore any
person’s intention is to say something which the other person
does not know; otherwise the very talk is worthless, useless.
Who would like to waste his energy to tell something which is
already known? And therefore if there are two statements
which deals with known topic and unknown topic, the
unknown topic alone is the तात्पयव म्, known topic doesn't have
तात्पयव म्. So therefore if वेदान्त talks about द्वैतम् and अद्वैतम्
the real teaching cannot be द्वैतम्, because we are already
seeing द्वैतम्. All प्रमाणs are talking about द्वैतम्. I know I am
different from you, you are different from him and both of us
are different from the world. Why should वेदान्त come and
tell that you are different, god is different, world is different?
How can वेदान्त teach differences? वेदान्त can never teach the
differences. Then वेदान्त is a waste. Because we are already in
difference alone. If वेदान्त teaches difference what progress
we make. We have traveled from difference to difference,
finitude to finitude. Even if द्वैतम् and अद्वैतम् both are there,
the teaching is अद्वैतम् alone. The clue is that the अद्वैतम् is
new and द्वैतम् is old, already known. अद्वैतम् is an अपवू व म्.
अपवू व म् means not known through other प्रमाणs. प्रमाणान्तर
अिनधगतम्. So वेदान्त should teach something which is not
known through other प्रमाणs.
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4) फलम् – benefit or result. If there is a topic for which
result is not mentioned, that topic is unimportant. If there is a
topic for which result is mentioned then that topic is
important.
यस्य फलम् अनस्त तत्र तात्पयव म् अनस्त ।
यस्य फलम् िानस्त तत्र तात्पयव म् अनप िानस्त ॥
So when you see वेदान्त, whenever the द्वैत description comes,
वेदान्त never gives any फलम्. If you know that ‘world is full
of differences, you will become liberated’ nowhere it is said,
‘the one who knows difference, he will become liberated’
nowhere it is said, for द्वैतज्ञाि फलम् ि उक्तम्, whereas for
अद्वैत ज्ञािम् everywhere फलम् is said. As we saw in
कठोपनिषत्,
तमात्मस्र्म् येऽिुपश्यनन्त धीरािः तेषाम् सुखं शाश्वतम्
िेतरे षाम् ॥ कठोपनिषत् २-२-१२ ॥
So thus द्वैतज्ञािस्य फलम् ि उक्तम् । अद्वैत ज्ञािस्य एव फलम्
उक्तम् । Therefore अद्वैतम् is the teaching, द्वैतम् is no is not the
essence of वेदान्त.
5) अर्व वाद – glorification and criticism. Whatever is
glorified that must be the essential teaching and whatever is
criticized cannot be the essential teaching. We find
everywhere अद्वैतम् is glorified, nowhere अद्वैतम् is criticized.
On the other hand द्वैतम् is criticized thoroughly. ‘The one
who sees द्वैतम् is a fool, he is an animal, he is an ignoramus,
and he will go from death to death.
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मत्ृ योिः स मत्ृ युमाप्िोनत य इर् िािेव पश्यनत ॥ कठोपनिषत् १-
२-१० / बर्ृ दारण्यकोपनिषत् ४-४-१९ ॥
Thus द्वैतनिन्दा is done and अद्वैत स्तुनत is done. This स्तुनत
and निन्दा are known as अर्व वाद. Therefore whenever we
have a doubt we have to see whether the वेदान्त praises it or
condemns it. If वेदान्त praises then there is तात्पयव म्, that is
the essence, in the other one it is not there.
6) उपपनििः – logic. So it should be logical also, it should
not be against logic. When the श्रुनत says, ‘ब्रह्मि् is you only,
between ब्रह्मि् and you there cannot be any difference’ – that
is logical because if I and Lord are different then both of us
will be finite in nature. God minus me is finite. Therefore if
God has to be infinite then I should not be different from God.
Therefore, it is but logical that God cannot be separate from
me or I cannot be separate from God. That God cannot be
reached by travel, it is also logical because if God is reached
by travel, then again God has to be finite in nature. God has to
be reached only through knowledge, is logical because,
infinite God cannot be away from me. Then if He is away it is
only a notion, it is only a feeling, and it is only a disowning.
So ज्ञािात् एव ईश्वर प्रानप्त is logical, कमव णा ईश्वर प्रानप्त or
पजू या ईश्वर प्रानप्त is illogical. Thus at every step of वेदान्त we
can see that it is not illogical and this is called उपपनििः. When
it says that by ब्रह्मज्ञाि everything else is known it means
सवव म् मण्ृ मयम् नवज्ञातम् स्यात् – it is but logical; knowing one
water is knowing all waves, similarly ब्रह्म नवज्ञािेि सवव
नवज्ञािम् भवनत also is logical. Thus every step of वेदान्त is
14
not illogical. It is known as उपपनििः. द्वैतम् is mortality, अद्वैतम्
is immortality is logical. When there is द्वैतम् there is
limitation, where there is limitation there is mortality. In
अद्वैतम् no limitation is there, therefore immortality. These are
all उपपनििः. By using these six methods or clues we come to
know that the तात्पयव म् of वेदान्त is अद्वैतम्. More in the next
class.
ॐ पण ू व मदिः पण
ू व नमदम् पण ू व मुदच्यते । पण
ू ाव त्पण ू व स्य पण
ू व मादाय
ू व मेवावनशष्यते ॥ ॐ शानन्तिः शानन्तिः शानन्तिः ॥ र्ररिः ॐ.
पण
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ॐ सदानशव समारम्भाम् शङ्करािायव मध्यमाम् अस्मदािायव
पयव न्ताम् वन्दे गुरु परम्पराम् ॐ ॥
In the introduction we saw the stages through which
every seeker has to go through. The first stage is that he
should convincingly know that ज्ञािम् alone is the way to
liberation. There should not be any doubt in the statement, any
vagueness in this statement; he must be convinced that ज्ञािम्
is the only way. If this conviction is not there the approach to
ज्ञािम् also will be vague and indecisive. And this is all the
more necessary because many people think that there are
many independent and separate ways to liberation. Just as all
roads lead to Rome, they think that all साधि’s lead to मोक्ष. If
anybody thinks ‘all roads lead to Rome’ is वेदान्त then that
person will be roaming instead of reaching the Rome.
Therefore convincingly – not blind statement; with
understanding of the logic we should know that the ज्ञािम् is
the solution which means we should know ignorance is the
only problem must be crystal clear. Once this conviction has
come then the next conviction the student should develop is
वेदान्त alone is the only source of this knowledge – this also
must be a strong conviction. If there is any doubt in the
statement, any vagueness in the statement then the approach to
the study of वेदान्त will be vague, indecisive and casual. Here
also a person must be convinced that by independent effort
ज्ञािम् is not going to come, by sitting in निनवव कल्प समानध
ज्ञािम् is not going to come. If people and books say that
ज्ञािम् will come ‘it is wrong’ – this must be very
convincingly and logically understood and not blindly stated;
16
my intellect must logically understand. For that alone we said
that ज्ञािम् comes only through प्रमाणम् and all five प्रमाणम्s
are only in the field of finite वस्तु, in the infinite field there is
only one प्रमाणम्, i.e., वेदान्त श्द प्रमाणम्. For this
conviction alone we give all this logic. And these are all
convictions and not fanatical assertions. Fanatical assertions
are not backed by reasoning whereas all our assertions are
very well backed by reasoning. Therefore it is not fanaticism
but it is conviction. Thus the first conviction is ज्ञािम् is the
only solution, and the second conviction is वेदान्त is the only
source. Then the third conviction should be the exact teaching
of वेदान्त. No doubt वेदान्त is the source of knowledge, so
from वेदान्त we have to gather knowledge. So I should know
what exactly is the teaching of वेदान्त. This is important
because different people come to different conclusions by
studying the same वेदान्त. Different people say different
themes are the main themes. So therefore there is a scope for
confusion. And therefore, I should analyze completely the
शास्त्रम् by the special method of मीमांसा known as षड्नलङ्गैिः
तात्पयव निियिः, which is known by various names. It is called
नविारिः, मीमांसा, तात्पयव निियिः, श्रवणम्. All the names
indicate one thing that you make use of the six clues known as
उपक्रमोपसंर्ारौ अभ्यासोऽपवू व ता फलम् । अर्व वादोपपिी ि
नलङ्गं तात्पयव निणव ये ॥
When we analyze the शास्त्रम् and find the तात्पयव म्, the
तात्पयव म् happens to be
ब्रह्म सत्यम् जगत् नमथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव िापरिः ।
17
अिेि वेद्यम् सच्छास्त्रम् इनत वेदान्त नडनण्डमिः ॥
The essence of वेदान्त is ब्रह्म सत्यम् – ब्रह्मि् is the reality,
जगत् नमथ्या – जगत् does not have reality of its own, it has
got a seeming reality borrowed from ब्रह्मि् and जीवो ब्रह्मैव
िापरिः – that ब्रह्मि् is none other than I the जीविः. Thus I am
ब्रह्मि्, I am the Lord, I am not different from the Lord, I am
not even part of the Lord, and I am identical with Lord. अिेि
वेद्यम् सच्छास्त्रम् – वेदान्त should be understood in this
manner alone. Understanding वेदान्त in any other manner is
wrong understanding, is misunderstanding. इनत वेदान्त
नडनण्डमिः – this is the declaration of all वेदान्त.
This श्रवणम् should be supported by मििम् and
निनदध्यासिम् about which we will see in our next
introduction. So we should have conviction that ज्ञािम् is the
only solution, that वेदान्त alone is the source of ज्ञािम् and
that the teaching of वेदान्त is ब्रह्म सत्यम् जगत् नमथ्या जीवो
ब्रह्मैव िापरिः. And to arrive at the meaning we use the method
of six clues. This is the content of not one उपनिषत्, but the
content of all उपनिषत्s belonging to all वेदs. The तात्पयव म् is
same only. And because of this reason वेदान्त is known by
different names – वेदान्त, ज्ञािकाण्ड, ब्रह्मनवद्या and उपनिषत्.
One of the meanings often given by शङ्करािायव is
रर्स्यम् for उपनिषत्. It is a secret teaching, an esoteric
teaching. It is not publicly and freely given but it is given only
to a chosen few who have got a sincere desire and who have
the necessary qualifications. Otherwise this wisdom can be
misused.
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ि बुनद्धभेदं जियेदज्ञािां कमव सङ्नगिाम् ।
जोषयेत्सवव कमाव नण नवद्वान्युक्तिः समािरि् ॥ गीता ३-२६ ॥
A ज्ञानि should not freely go on saying this because a lazy
man will find वेदान्त as the most ideal philosophy. Because in
वेदान्त there is no नवनध, no निषेध; very convenient as we are
already violating all नवनध-निषेध. So वेदान्त is more
convenient. In वेदान्त dropping of कमव is mentioned – very
very convenient, no going to temple is mentioned – very very
convenient. Thus वेदान्त can be misunderstood which can be
more dangerous. Therefore a गुरु must have access to the
disciple so that he can see whether they are understanding or
not. Therefore with a limited number it is always taught in
गुरुकुल and therefore it is called रर्स्यम्. In the भगवद्गीता the
word used is गुह्यम्
इदम् तु ते गुह्यतमम् ॥ गीता ९-१ ॥
राजनवद्या राजगुह्यम् ॥ गीता ९-२ ॥
Thus उपनिषत् has got another meaning ‘a secret knowledge’.
And this उपनिषत्s occurring in different वेदs are many
in number of which alone ten उपनिषत्s have been are popular
because of the commentary of शङ्करािायव . And of these ten
उपनिषत्s we have seen some of them – मुण्डकोपनिषत्,
केिोपनिषत्, कठोपनिषत्. For all of them शङ्करािायव ’s
भाष्यम् is there. But the present उपनिषत् that we are going to
see does not have a commentary of शङ्करािायव . Still it is a
beautiful उपनिषत् and since other आिायव s have written a
commentary it is possible for us to study and therefore this
19
also we study along the other उपनिषत्s. So they call the ten
उपनिषत्s as major उपनिषत्s and other ones as minor
उपनिषत्s but you should be careful with this translation.
Major and minor if you say we will have an idea that major
उपनिषत्s are superior ones and minor उपनिषत्s are inferior
ones. So you should not take it literally. Major is
शङ्करािायव ’s commentary is available and minor is
शङ्करािायव ’s commentary is not available. As far as the
content is concerned all उपनिषत्s are equally good, equally
valid and equally beautiful also which we will see when we
study कैवल्योपनिषत्. This उपनिषत् belongs to the अर्वव ण
वेद like मुण्डकोपनिषत्, therefore it is आर्वव ण उपनिषत्. Why
is it called कैवल्योपनिषत्? कैवल्यम् means मोक्ष.
Literally it is derived from the word केवलिः which means one
without a second. So here कैवलम् means a state in which one
doesn't see anything other than ब्रह्मि्. कैवलम् ब्रह्म मात्रम्
पश्यनत.
ब्रह्मापव णं ब्रह्म र्नवब्रव ह्माग्िौ ब्रह्मणा र्ु तम् । ब्रह्मैव तेि गन्तव्यम् ॥
गीता ४-२४ ॥
Everything is ब्रह्मि् there is nothing other than ब्रह्मि्. Or in
मुण्डकोपनिषत्
पुरुष एवेदं नवश्वं कमव तपो ब्रह्म परामत
ृ म् ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-१-
१० ॥
ब्रह्मैवेदम् नवश्वनमदम् वररष्ठम् ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-२-११ ॥
Thus ब्रह्मि् alone is there, एकम् एव अनद्वतीयम् ब्रह्म. Therefore
ब्रह्मि् is called कैवलम्. कैवल्यम् means कैवलस्य भाविः – the
20
state of being ब्रह्मि्. A state in which I do not see anything
other than myself. That does not mean I won't see the world
and people, I will see the world and people but I don't look at
them as different from myself, they don't exist different from
me just as the dream world does not exist separate from me.
The सत्, very existence of the dream world belongs to me,
without me the dream world does not enjoy existence.
Similarly, the सत् of the whole creation is myself, the world
does not enjoy सत् separate from me.
मनय एव सकलम् जातम् मनय सवव म् प्रनतनष्ठतम् । मनय सवव म्
लयम् यानत तद् ब्रह्म अद्वयमस्म्यर्म् ॥ कैवल्योपनिषत् १९ ॥
Everything is born out of me, everything is sustained by me
and everything comes back to me. I am like the ocean, the
whole world is like waves. There are no waves other than Me,
the ocean of water. When I understand that, this is not again
something to be done or reached, it is an eternal fact to be
discovered. So once it is discovered I don't count the world as
a second thing, then I am in कैवल्यम्. What is the advantage
of this कैवल्यम्? Isn’t it that I lose my friendship. If I become
कैवलम्, एकम् एव will I not be afraid? So in अद्वैतम् will not
fear come? Because in द्वैतम् only I will have somebody to
support me. In अद्वैतम् will not fear come? We say it is other
way round. In द्वैतम् alone fear comes because fear comes out
of some source. If I should have fear there must be a second
thing as a source of fear. Therefore as long as a second thing
is there I will have a fear. We think that in द्वैतम् there is
support and therefore no fear. We say in द्वैतम् there is fear.
21
Even when the Lord is seen as a second thing we will be
afraid of him because one time He is सनृ ि कताव , one time He
is नस्र्नत कताव and in the end He is going to be संर्ार कताव .
Terrible fear. When Lord takes the role of यम one day we are
going to be angry with the Lord. And therefore
ि नबभेनत कुतििेनत । ॥ तैनिरीयोपनिषत् २-९-१ ॥
When there is अद्वैतम् alone there is no second source of fear
and therefore कैवल्य भाविः is अभय भाविः. And again we can
see any number of reasons. As long as there is a second thing I
will be limited by the second. Limitation is inevitable.
Therefore in द्वैतम् देशतिः कालतिः वस्तुतिः in all respects
limitation cannot be avoided. So in कैवल्यम् there is no
limitation, therefore no mortality. Immortal is possible only in
अद्वैतम्. And similarly when you look at most of our mental
problems and agonies also it is again because of comparison.
By looking at other people I compare the status, and
comparison alone leads to राग, द्वेष, jealousy, competition,
fighting, all because I see a second person to compare with
and therefore in द्वैतम् all emotional problems also cannot be
avoided. In अद्वैतम् anybody’s glory is my glory. If somebody
is rich that richness belongs to me alone. Thus any glory
anywhere is the glory of one आत्मा. Why should I be angry?
Why should I be jealous? Why should I look down upon
another? Therefore कैवल्यम् एव मोक्षिः. That is what in गीता
also we saw
नवद्यानवियसम्पन्िे ब्राह्मणे गनव र्नस्तनि ।
शुनि िैव श्वपाके ि पनण्डतािः समदनशव ििः ॥ गीता ५-१८ ॥
22
And therefore कैवल्योपनिषत् means an उपनिषत् which gives
कैवल्यम्, मोक्षम्. And like other उपनिषत्s here also there is a
शानन्तपाठ seeking the grace of the Lord for successful
completion, for the fitness of the equipment etc. Since this
उपनिषत् belongs to अर्वव ण वेद the शानन्तपाठ is the same as
in मुण्डकोपनिषत्. We have seen elaborately भद्रं कणेनभिः
शणृ ुयाम देवािः in मुण्डकोपनिषत् and here we will only see the
essence of this शानन्तपाठ and then we will go to the text. First
we will read the शानन्तपाठ.
शानन्तपाठिः
ॐ भद्रं कणेनभिः शण ृ ुयाम देवािः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षनभयव जत्रािः ॥
नस्र्रै रङ्गैस्तुिुवांसस्तिनू भिः । व्यशेम देवनर्तं यदायुिः ॥ स्वनस्त
ि इन्द्रो वद्ध
ृ श्रवािः । स्वनस्त ििः पषू ा नवश्ववेदािः ॥ स्वनस्तिस्ताक्ष्यो
अररििेनमिः । स्वनस्त िो बर्ृ स्पनतदव धातु ॥ ॐ शानन्तिः शानन्तिः
शानन्तिः ॥
So the very word शानन्तिः means peace and
शानन्तपाठ means a chanting which is meant for the quietude
of the mind. And in this prayer we are invoking the grace of
all the देवताs because as we saw in तत्त्वबोध every organ of
ours is presided over by one-one देवता. श्रोत्रस्य नदग्देवता
त्विो िक्षुषिः रसिाया वरुणिः घ्राणस्य अनश्विौ इनत
ज्ञािेनन्द्रयदेवतािः. Similarly कमेनन्द्रयदेवतािः, even for mind,
बुनद्ध, नििम् अर्ङ्कारम् etc., we saw. In short our whole body
consisting of various organs is controlled by various देवताs.
That is why in spite of our very effort suddenly one limb goes
off, a paralytic stroke etc., therefore there seems to be some
other power governing the organ and as far as I am concerned
23
कैवल्य उपनिषत्
I live an ideal life keeping them in fit condition. So my
पुरुषार्व must be there to have control over them, to have शम,
to have दम. But in spite of my पुरुषार्व always there can be
obstacles from unknown sources and therefore I pray to those
देवताs so that my ज्ञािेनन्द्रयम्s and कमेनन्द्रयम्s and
अन्तिःकरणम् will be in fit condition. Because we should
remember that the स्र्ल ू , सक्ष्ू म शरीरम् are the two instruments
which are necessary to gain this knowledge. Of course
physical health is necessary and more than physical health the
inner health is necessary and therefore that is the prayer. So
the essence is स्र्ल ू , सक्ष्ू म शरीरयोिः ज्ञािप्रानप्त योग्यता. The
fitness for ज्ञािप्रानप्त on the part of both स्र्ल ू and सक्ष्ू म
शरीरम्. And this is the essence of शानन्तपाठ. And at the end
of the शानन्तपाठ the शानन्त is repeated thrice which is meant
for removing आनधदैनवक प्रनतबन्ध, आनधभौनतक प्रनतबन्ध and
आध्यानमक प्रनतबन्ध , obstacles from supernatural sources,
obstacles from immediate surroundings and obstacles from
oneself. All these three must go away. This is the essence of
शानन्तपाठ. Now we will go to the text.
मन्त्र 01
ॐ अर्ाश्वलायिो भगवन्तं परमेनष्ठिमुपसमेत्योवाि ।
अधीनर् भगवो ब्रह्मनवद्यां वररष्ठां सदा सनभिः सेव्यमािां निगढ ू ाम्
।
ययाऽनिरात्सवव पापं व्यपोह्य परात्परं पुरुषं यानत नवद्वाि् ॥ १॥
So like most of the other उपनिषत्s कैवल्योपनिषत् is
also in the form of a dialogue. गुरु-नशष्य संवाद रूपेण प्रवि
ृ ा
उपनिषत्. The purpose of this method I have already discussed
24
in the other उपनिषत्s, various purposes are served by this
method.
1) The first thing is that the उपनिषत् must be studied
from a गुरु alone. Because even great sages do not study the
उपनिषत्s independently, even they go to a teacher and learn
and therefore everyone should learn only from a गुरु.
आिायाव द्धवै नवद्या नवनदता सानधष्ठं प्रापतीनत ॥ छान्दोग्योपनिषत्
४-९-३ ॥
In छान्दोग्योपनिषत् it is said. Even if it is studied
independently it will have only information value, it will be
like another academic degree, it will not transform the
personality. उपनिषत् will not have the life. Therefore
उपनिषत् itself says about the necessity of an आिायव , and
आिायव does not say this. In छान्दोग्योपनिषत् what happens is
सत्यकाम goes out taking the cows of the गुरु and he gets
many knowledge from the cows themselves; it is an
interesting story. One-one देवता comes in the cow and it says
that you are a wonderful नशष्य and therefore I want to give
you a new knowledge. Thus each देवता comes down to a cow
and gives the wisdom through the cow. Then after sometime
सत्यकाम comes back to the गुरु and गुरु says you seems to
have all the knowledge. Then सत्यकाम says no doubt I got
the knowledge through the cows but still I would like to learn
the same thing from you. And he says the reason is this I have
not got this knowledge in a proper method. Proper method is
going to a teacher with a proper attitude and serving him and
receiving the knowledge. And therefore even though I know I
25
would like to hear the same thing from you. And in that
context he says आिायाव द्धवै नवद्या नवनदता सानधष्ठं प्रापतीनत. If
my knowledge should be सफलम् it should come from your
mouth. And therefore गुरु-नशष्य संवाद emphasize the
necessity of the teacher.
2) And the second purpose is to show the
beginninglessness of the tradition. Because गुरु has learned
from his गुरु who has learned from his गुरु. Thus it is एवं
परम्पराप्राप्तम् ॥ गीता ४-२ ॥, it is not a modern newly invented
to be experimented wisdom but it is a time-tested valid
teaching. this is the second purpose.
3) The third purpose is that the dialogue form will be
easier to understand. As शङ्करािायव says in कठोपनिषत्, अर्
काठकोपनिषद्वल्लीिां सुखार्व प्रबोधिार्व मल्पग्रन्र्ा
वनृ िरारभ्यते । It is easier to understand in dialogue form. Thus
because of this reason also.
4) When a नशष्य is introduced the scriptures can talk
about his qualification, then indirectly we are told that you
also must be like िनिकेतस्. So in the story what type of
person िनिकेतस् was shown when he was given all worldly
materials he kicked aside िनिकेतस् had वैराग्यम् for material
things. Indirectly it means we should also be like िनिकेतस्.
In मुण्डकोपनिषत् शौिक was the example. Thus the student
in the dialogue becomes a standard, becomes an example for
the student here to follow. Thus the benefit is साधि ितुिय
सम्पनि can be indirectly taught.
26
So all these are the benefit of संवाद रूप उपनिषत्. And
here the name of the गुरु and नशष्य are available like
मुण्डकोपनिषत् and कठोपनिषत्. In कैवल्योपनिषत् the name
of the student is आश्वलायििः and परमेनष्ठ is the teacher.
परमेनष्ठ means ब्रह्मानज or नर्रण्यगभव . आश्वलायििः is supposed
to be a very great sage who is very famous in the ऋग्वेद
wherein many मन्त्रs are attributed to him. Therefore they
have to say आश्वलायि ऋनष. There are many सत्र ू s also
written by आश्वलायि. Thus he is such a great person but still
when he wanted ब्रह्मनवद्या there is no question of self-study, he
also goes in search of a teacher. And if requires a teacher,
teacher cannot be any local one, he has to be ब्रह्मा himself.
Therefore it is said आश्वलायििः भगवन्तं परमेनष्ठिम् – भगवाि्
ब्रह्मानज, उपसमेत्य उवाि – approached and spoke thus. Here it
begins with अर्, which means अिन्तरम्, afterwards,
thereafter. साधि ितुिय सम्पनि अिन्तरम्. So initially he
practiced कमव योग, thereafterwards he practiced उपासि, by
कमव योग he got नववेक वैराग्यम्, by उपासि he got शमानद
षट्क सम्पनि, so thus he went through all the initial साधिs,
perhaps he went through all the initial आश्रमs also, perhaps he
had been a गर्ृ स्र्. And now he is in a fit condition. He is like
a dry matchstick. You know the difference between a dry
matchstick and wet matchstick. Similarly all the initial साधिs
is to make the person fit.
आत्मािमरनणं कृत्वा प्रणवं िोिरारनणम् ।
ज्ञािनिमव र्िाभ्यासात्पाशं दर्नत पनण्डतिः ॥ कैवल्योपनिषत् ११
॥
27
Therefore अर् means he has gone through the initial part of
life in a proper manner, according to धमव शास्त्र that he has
become a qualified student. Therefore अर् means after साधि
ितुिय सम्पनि. And भगवन्तं परमेनष्ठिम् उपसमेत्य. The
word उपसमेत्य indicates the way he approached the teacher as
said in मुण्डकोपनिषत्.
सिः गुरुम् एव अनभगच्छे त् । सनमत्पानणिः ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् १-२-
१२ ॥
Respectfully taking some offerings with reverence and
devotion he approached the teacher. So नवनधपवू व कम् उपसमेत्य.
And thereafter also he is not supposed to immediately ask the
question. He is supposed to remain there for some time.
तनद्वनद्ध प्रनणपातेि पररप्रश्नेि सेवया ॥ गीता ४-३४ ॥
Therefore some days he has to do शुश्रुषा and all and that time
will be used for getting the proper understanding, proper
rapport. I should be able to see the oneness with the teacher
and teacher also must be able to measure me, my strength as
well as my weakness. That is why in प्रश्नोपनिषत्
संवत्सरं संवत्स्यर् यर्ाकामं प्रश्नाि् पच्ृ छत यनद नवज्ञास्यामिः
सवं र् वो वक्ष्याम इनत ॥ प्रश्नोपनिषत् १-२ ॥
Live in my आश्रम for one year and afterwards you can ask
questions. If I find you fit for the answer and if I know the
answer I will tell. So thus some time is to be spent. All these
are indicated by उपसमेत्य. So he approached, he respected, he
served and on one day he asked the question. उवाि means
प्रपच्छ. And this मन्त्र is within inverted commas which is the
28
question of आश्वलायििः. The first line is the words of the
उपनिषत्. So उपनिषत् उवाि अर् आश्वलायििः भगवन्तं
परमेनष्ठिम्. And the मन्त्र is the words of आश्वलायििः. Here
the मन्त्र is direct. So he directly asked ब्रह्मनवद्याम् अधीनर्.
Unlike the other उपनिषत्s
कनस्मन्िु भगवो नवज्ञाते सवव नमदम् नवज्ञातम् भवतीनत ॥
मुण्डकोपनिषत् १-१-३ ॥
अन्यत्र धमाव त् अन्यत्राधमाव त् अन्यत्र अस्मात् कृताकृतात् ॥
कठोपनिषत् १-२-१४ ॥
etc., indirectly it is put but here the question is point blank
ब्रह्मनवद्याम् अधीनर्. Teach me वेदान्त. He shows his respect
also by addressing the teacher properly भगविः. So in our
tradition the सम्बोधिा should be proper. Either भवाि् or
भगवि् respect should be there. The exact meaning we will
see in the next class.
पण
29
मन्त्र 01 Continuing;
।
ययाऽनिरात्सवव पापं व्यपोह्य परात्परं पुरुषं यानत नवद्वाि् ॥ १॥
In this मन्त्र गुरु, नशष्य and the प्रश्न are introduced.
गुरु happens to be ब्रह्मा himself. नशष्य is the famous ऋनष
आश्वलायििः and the question is regarding ब्रह्मनवद्या. Here the
नशष्य asks the question directly र्े भगवो ब्रह्मनवद्याम् अधीनर्.
अधीनर् means अध्यापय – may you instruct, may you teach
ब्रह्मनवद्या to me. And he himself talks about the glory of
ब्रह्मनवद्या indirectly telling why he is seeking this knowledge.
What type of knowledge it is? वररष्ठां ब्रह्मनवद्याम् – ब्रह्मनवद्या
which is the greatest among all branches of knowledge.
वररष्ठा means श्रेष्ठा. It is known as राजनवद्या in भगवद्गीता, it is
the king among all branches of knowledge. In मुण्डकोपनिषत्
it is known as परानवद्या. Whereas all other branches of
knowledge are अपरानवद्या alone. They will not be useful in
getting liberation. सनभिः सेव्यमािाम् – which is pursued by
सत्पुरुषािः, those noble ones who are endowed with साधि
30
ितुिय सम्पनि. Literally सत्पुरुष means the one who is
noble, the one who is धानमव क. Because you should remember
that even though मोक्ष is said to be beyond धमव if a person has
to go to मोक्ष he will have to come to धमव first. From अर्व काम
nobody can directly reach मोक्ष. So I should first become
धानमव क person and only a धानमव क person can become a
liberated person. Therefore wherever मोक्ष is there, there धमव
also will be there. Because धमव is an important prerequisite,
important condition to reach मोक्ष. An immoral person cannot
imagine मोक्ष. An unethical person cannot get मोक्ष. An
uncultured person cannot reach मोक्ष. That is why in
कठोपनिषत् it was said
िानवरतो दुिररतात् ॥ कठोपनिषत् १-२-२४ ॥
A person who has not got out of an unethical life can never
attain मोक्ष. And that is the reason in भगवद्गीता कृष्ण
emphasizes the values of अमानित्वम् अदनम्भत्वम् etc.
Therefore unless I have these noble qualifications मोक्ष is
impossible. Every धानमव क need not be a मुक्त पुरुषिः. Just as
every B.Sc. need not be an M.Sc. But every M.Sc. must be a
B.Sc. Similarly धमव is like a B.Sc. and मोक्ष is like M.Sc.
Through धमव alone you can reach मोक्ष. So धानमव क need not be
a मुक्त पुरुषिः, but every मुक्त पुरुषिः is invariably a धानमव क
पुरुषिः. A wise man will be a good man, a good man need not
be a wise man. Therefore सनभिः – by those noble people who
were धानमव क, who had the values beginning with अमानित्वम्
or put again in गीता language itself दैवीसम्पत् युक्तािः.
दैवी सम्पनद्वमोक्षाय निबन्धायासरु ी मता ॥ गीता १६-५ ॥
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So they are called सत्पुरुषािः.
सन्तमेिं ततो नवदुररनत ततो नवदुररनत ॥ तैनिरीयोपनिषत् २-६-
१॥
Everywhere this is emphasized. So by such noble people,
matured, cultured people सेव्यमािाम् – this वेदान्त is literally
served, वेदान्त is studied, वेदान्त is perceived, resorted to.
And when do they perceive? He says सदा सेव्यमािाम् – it is
studied all the time. It is not a casual fifteen minutes study but
they study all the time. All the time indicates commitment. In
fact that is life for them, all others are secondary. This is their
primary thing in life. As they say
काव्य शास्त्र नविोदेि कालो गच्छनत धीमताम् । व्यसिेि तु
मख
ू ाव णाम् निद्रया कलर्े ि वा ॥
A person’s status is known by how he spends his day. So
धीमताम् – those people who have culture, maturity their time
is spent in काव्य शास्त्र नविोदेि कालो गच्छनत – either they
study काव्यम्, or they study शास्त्रम्. In the noble literature
their time is spent. Whereas व्यसिेि तु मख ू ाव णाम् – those
people who are fools spend most of the time in worrying,
व्यसिेि, or निद्रया – they go to sleep, if both are not there
कलर्े ि वा – fight with someone, argue with someone,
criticize someone, gossip with someone. So here सनभिः सदा
सेव्यमािाम्. And what type of wisdom is it? निगढ ू ाम् – which
is very secret. It is not that easily available. Because majority
of people do not know at all that there is such thing called
वेदान्त because
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श्रवणायानप बर्ु रनभयो ि लभ्यिः ॥ कठोपनिषत् १-२-७ ॥
For many people they do not know such thing. And even if
they know they don’t know the value of it because value is
measured in terms of money. Therefore the people who know
themselves are rare and even if you approach them they will
not immediately give out, they will try to find out whether this
person is sincere or not. As यमधमव राज did in the case of
िनिकेतस्. Even though िनिकेतस् repeatedly asked
यमधमव राज tried to withdraw form that. All indicates this
wisdom is not that easily available. And form another angle
also we can say it appears to be a secret knowledge because
the subject matter is as good as a secret. So it is not that easily
available therefore it is secret, गुरुs are less therefore it is
secret. The second reason is the subject matter happens to be
such a mysterious one because it is myself. So this person
goes on searching for the आत्मि् and any amount of search is
going to be futile and therefore the end he begins to doubt
about आत्मा. We have been talking about आत्मा निगव ुणम्, is
there such a thing called आत्मा at all – a small doubt after five
years of study. Is आत्मा an imaginary stuff or a real stuff?
Why this doubt comes because he wants to get at the आत्मा
and this very search makes it more and more mysterious.
Therefore आत्मििः निगढ ू त्वात् आत्मज्ञािम् अनप निगढ ू म्.
That is why in कठोपनिषत् it is said
तं दुदवशं गढ
ू मिुप्रनविं गुर्ानर्तं गह्वरे ष्ठं पुराणम् ॥ कठोपनिषत्
१-२-१२ ॥
33
Thus आत्मा being secret आत्मनवद्या also is secret. Therefore
निगढ ू ाम्. This is the second reason. And then what is the
प्रयोजिम् of this knowledge? Now the glory of this
knowledge has been pointed out, now what is the प्रयोजिम्?
यया सवव पापं व्यपोह्य – by this knowledge one will destroy all
the पापम्. व्यपोह्य means निराकृत्य, िाशनयत्वा. And you
should remember what is पापम् in Vedantic context. In
Vedantic context पापम् is extended so much that पुण्यम् also is
considered as पापम् in वेदान्त. Because पुण्यस्यानप जन्म
कारणत्वात्. Since पुण्यम् also leads to पुिजव न्म, पुण्यम् also is
an evil. Even though relatively it is said that it is better than
पापम्. That is all we can say. Between two evils sometime we
have, even between two diseases we have got comparison, but
both are diseases only. Similarly पुण्यम् अनप मुमुक्षोिः पापम् एव
स्यात्. धमोऽनप इर् मुमुक्षोिः पापम् उच्यते ॥ गीता ४-३६ ॥
शङ्करािायव writes in गीता. And not only पुण्यम् the root
पापम् is this पुण्यम् and पापम् are caused by which ignorance
that ignorance or अज्ञािम् also is said to be the fundamental
sin, the original sin. Thus पापम् consists of three things –
अज्ञािम्, पुण्यम् and पापम्, or अज्ञािम्, धमव and अधमव .
Therefore we have to give up अधमव , we have to give up
सवव धमाव न्पररत्यज्य and we have to give up अज्ञािम् also. So
by this ब्रह्मनवद्या all this पापम्s will go. Then you may ask how
is it possible. नवद्या can destroy अनवद्या alone. How can it
destroy पुण्यपापम्? After all that which is opposed alone it can
destroy. Therefore ज्ञािम् can destroy अज्ञािम्, how can
ज्ञािम् destroy पुण्यपापम् if you ask, the answer is पुण्यपापम्
is born of ignorance, therefore once ignorance is gone
34
पुण्यपापम् also will go away. Once you remove the root the
tree also goes away. So ब्रह्मनवद्या destroys ignorance directly
and indirectly it destroys पुण्यपापम् also. Therefore यया
सवव पापं व्यपोह्य. How long will it take? Because so much of
पापम् we have done and therefore it has to be gradually alone
removed. Therefore it must be taking a very long time. So
here the उपनिषत् says अनिरा – before long which means
immediately, without time gap. To destroy all the sins what
should we do? You need not go on destroying the sins of the
dream, you wake up the dream world, the individual in the
dream world, the पुण्यपापs of the individual in the dream
world all of them are wiped clean in half a second. It is only
question of waking up. Similarly here also पुण्यपापम्s are all
born of अज्ञािम् and therefore they are all नमथ्या. They do not
exist really at all. रज्जुसपव वत् like the snake on the rope.
ज्ञािमात्रेण immediately everything disappears. And therefore
अनिरात् सवव पापं व्यपोह्य – having got rid of all these पापम्s.
Then what happens? नवद्वाि् परात्परं पुरुषं यानत. नवद्वाि्
means the wise man. Why do you say wise man? Because if
he has to destroy all the पापम्s he will have to destroy the
ignorance also because ignorance is one of the पापम्s
therefore to destroy all the पापम्s he will have to destroy the
ignorance also. If he has to destroy the ignorance he should
get knowledge. If he gets knowledge he becomes नवद्वाि्.
गतासि
ू गतासंि
ू िािुशोिनन्त पनण्डतािः ॥ गीता २-११ ॥
And therefore all पापम्s can never go without becoming a
ज्ञानि. By doing various प्रायनिि कमव s you can wipe off some
35
पापम्s and even if you wipe out all पापम्s again you are going
to produce it because अज्ञािम् root is there. Therefore the only
way to destroy पापम् completely is by becoming a नवद्वाि.्
Therefore this नवद्वाि् who has wiped out all the पापम्s
ज्ञािानग्ििः सवव कमाव नण भस्मसात्कुरुते तर्ा ॥ गीता ४-३७ ॥
And what happens to him? परात्परं पुरुषं यानत – he attains that
ब्रह्मि्. पुरुष means ब्रह्मि.् यानत means attains. By attaining is
meant as the dreamer attaining the waker. He wakes up to
attain the waker means to discover that he is the waker.
Similarly attaining पुरुष means discovering that I am the
पुरुष. And what type of ब्रह्मि् it is? परात्परम्. This word has
come before also
अक्षरात्परतिः परिः ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-१-२ ॥
First पर means माया, and second पर means beyond. So
परात्पर means beyond माया. So this परम्ब्रह्म which is beyond
माया. Such a ब्रह्मनवद्या may you teach. नशष्य seems to know a
lot things. So how many things he says. Teach me that
ब्रह्मनवद्या which is the greatest, which is served by all noble
people, which is the greatest secret, by gaining which one
destroys all पापम्s and attains oneness with ब्रह्मि् which is
beyond माया. Such a ब्रह्मनवद्या you teach me. This is the
question. Now ब्रह्मा has to answer.
तस्मै स र्ोवाि नपतामर्ि श्रद्धाभनक्तध्याियोगादवेनर् ॥ २ ॥
Now these are the words of the उपनिषत्. Previous
मन्त्र is the word of the नशष्य. So now उपनिषत् says तस्मै सिः
36
नपतामर्िः उवाि – to that disciple आश्वलायििः the गुरु नपतामर्िः
ब्रह्मा answered. Upto नपतामर्ि is the words of उपनिषत्.
Then what ब्रह्मानज said is put in inverted commas
श्रद्धाभनक्तध्याियोगात् अवेनर्. अवेनर् means may you know that
ब्रह्मि् through the three means known as श्रद्धायोगिः, भनक्तयोगिः
and ध्याियोगिः. श्रद्धायोगिः refers to कमव योगिः, भनक्तयोगिः refers
to उपासि, ध्याियोगिः refers to ज्ञािम्. Each one takes you
towards ब्रह्मि.् कमव योग removes the impurities, उपासि gives
the sharpness and subtlety and ज्ञाियोग gives Self-
knowledge. Thus each one contributes in its own way. This is
one interpretation. But this for those people who are not yet
pure. When should I ask a person to attain purity? If I see him
as an impure person. But here ब्रह्मानज is teaching आश्वलायििः
who has already gone through कमव and उपासि. Therefore
ब्रह्मानज need not ask him to take to कमव योग or उपासि.
Therefore it was said अर् which means साधि ितुिय सम्पनि
अिन्तरम्. Because after साधि ितुिय सम्पनि कमव योग or
उपासि are redundant, even an obstacle. So if you take
आश्वलायि’s condition into account you can give a different
interpretation to the same thing, i.e., श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम्.
श्रद्धायोगिः refers to श्रवणम्, भनक्तयोगिः refers to मििम्,
ध्याियोगिः refers to निनदध्यासिम्. So श्रद्धा is श्रवणम् because
in श्रवणम् what is important is गुरुवेदान्तवाक्यानदषु नवश्वासिः
श्रद्धा ॥ तत्त्वबोधिः ॥ Therefore श्रद्धा indicates श्रवणम्. मििम्
requires contemplation and commitment. भनक्त also involves
devoted pursuit. So भनक्त need not necessarily means सगुण
पज ू ा. भनक्त means a devoted person which means he puts his
heart and soul in his work. Similarly here also तदेक
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तात्पयव बुनद्धिः भनक्तिः. And ध्यािम् of course is clear,
निनदध्यासिम्. Thus by श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम्, here also
योग should be added to each one. By श्रवणयोग, मिियोग
and निनदध्यासियोग. अवेनर् may you come to know that
ब्रह्मि्, may you attain ब्रह्मनवद्या. Continuing;
ि कमव णा ि प्रजया धिेि त्यागेिक ै े अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः ।
परे ण िाकं निनर्तं गुर्ायां नवभ्राजते यद्यतयो नवशनन्त ॥ ३ ॥
So this is the continuation of ब्रह्मानज’s teaching now. In
these two श्लोकs third and fourth some साधिs are mentioned,
some preparations are mentioned. And two of them are going
to be highlighted. One is वैराग्यम् and the other is the वेदान्त
ज्ञािम्. ज्ञािम् and वैराग्यम्. These two are often emphasized,
that is why in prayer also
अन्िपण ू े सदापण ू े शंकरप्राणवल्लभे । ज्ञािवैराग्यनसद्ध्यर्व म्
नभक्षाम् देनर् ि पावव नत ॥ अन्िपण
ू ाव स्तोत्रम् ११ ॥
There is an अन्िपण ू ाव स्तोत्रम् where the devotee asks give me
plenty of अन्िम्, food scarcity should not be there.
नभक्षां देनर् कृपावलम्बिकरी माताऽन्िपण
ू ेश्वरी ॥ १॥
Having asked for the local नभक्षा, i.e., the normal food he
concludes the prayer by asking for a special नभक्षा –
ज्ञािवैराग्यनसद्ध्यर्व म् नभक्षाम् देनर् ि पावव नत. The values of the
उपनिषत् have been indirectly brought in even in daily
prayers. This is the glory of शङ्करािायव what he has written
in the highest उपनिषत् he has quietly brought like the sugar
coated tablet even in day-to-day verses. If a person regularly
38
chants this one day at least he will come to these उपनिषत्s.
There in the स्तोत्रम् the emphasize is on two things ज्ञाि-
वैराग्य-नसद्ध्यर्व म्. And वैराग्यम् which is emphasized here
त्यागेि अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः – by renunciation alone one attains
immortality. And you have to supply a renunciation which is
along with ज्ञािम्. It is not mere renunciation. A renunciation
which is blessed by knowledge. ज्ञािपवू व क त्यागिः or
त्यागपवू व क ज्ञािम्. By this alone अमतृ त्वम् आिशुिः – because
to take anything it always to limit me because whatever I take
is going to be finite thing in the world. Infinite can never be
taken because it is never an object to be taken. Therefore
whatever I hold on to will be finite. And when I hold on to a
finite thing when I identify with a finite thing I also am going
to become a finite alone. The biggest house is finite therefore
owning that I am only claiming finitude. And therefore
infinitude is never attained by owning, it is only attained by
renouncing all the finite things. So this is an important line
because it shatters our pet theory that we will be better off
when we get more and more. This is the fundamental
phycology of all people – the more I have the more I am
secure, the more I am comfortable, the more I am peaceful.
Our aim is पररग्रर्. Vedantic aim is अपररग्रर्. That is called
here त्याग. And त्याग must reach a stage where not only we
give up the grosser thing even I give up the abstract things like
even my ideas, even my concepts, even my body, even my
intellect and the ultimate is even my individuality अर्ङ्कारिः.
A beautiful श्लोक says
39
त्यज धमव मधमं ि उभे सत्याितृ े त्यज । उभे सत्याितृ े त्यक्त्वा
येि त्यजनस तत्त्यज ॥ मर्ाभारत, शानन्त पवव , मोक्ष धमव ३२९-४०
॥
Having given up everything you should give up all अधमव s,
then you have to give up all धमव s, त्यज धमव मधमं ि. Then you
have to give up अितृ म् as well as सत्यम्, उभे सत्याितृ े त्यज.
Because both are relative, opposite. And then he says उभे
सत्याितृ े त्यक्त्वा येि त्यजनस तत्त्यज. After giving up
everything you will go on telling everyone that you have
given up everything, I am big सन्न्यानस. So the श्लोक says
that I by which you gave up everything that ‘I’ness also you
give up. Even the idea that I have given up you give up.
Because that I also is a relative I alone. So thus the highest
त्याग is the renunciation of अर्ङ्कारिः, the renunciation of
कतव त्ृ वम्, आत्मनिवेदिम्. That is what we do. You go on
giving पाद्यं समपव यानम अर्घ्यं समपव यानम, etc. This person is
sitting here solidly and पाद्यं समपव यानम अर्घ्यं समपव यानम
आिमिीयम् समपव यानम मधुपकं समपव यानम िैवेद्यं समपव यानम all
those things, finally सािाङग िमस्कार is मां एव समपव यानम.
So all the initial things are साधिs and the final समपव णम् is
the समपव णम् of I myself. And this is called त्यागिः which is
possible only by knowledge. Therefore त्यागेि
अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः. त्याग सन्न्यास वैराग्यम् all these three are
same. In some places the word will be वैराग्यम्, in some
places it will be सन्न्यास and in some places it will be त्याग.
All these three are same – renunciation, detachment. And by
this word renunciation we are not particular about the physical
renunciation because total renunciation is not possible
40
physically, because we have to be with some people or the
other, some thing or the other. You can only replace one set of
things by another set of things. So what we mean by
renunciation is that total inner detachment. That is more
important; external renunciation can be or need not be, but
what is important is the internal renunciation. And that is
called here as त्यागिः. And this renunciation must not be a
forced one. I have often said वैराग्यम् should not be a forced
thing, it becomes a suppression, dangerous suppression. So
वैराग्यम् should come out of नववेक, understanding, maturity.
And what understanding? The understanding that all other
external things cannot give me पण ू व त्वम्. This must be a strong
conviction. Only then giving up with the natural, as long as I
have a value for something I cannot give up even if a
physically give up the mind will hold on to that. And therefore
ब्रह्मानज says ि कमव णा ि प्रजया ि धिेि अमत ृ त्वम् आिशुिः –
by कमव immortality is not possible, this must be clear
understanding. I may run here and there, I may sweat and toil,
I may procure various things but I cannot procure one thing,
i.e., पणू व त्वम्, i.e., peace of mind. Money can be bought, house
cab be bought, servants can be bought but पण ू व त्वम् cannot be
bought by any amount of effort. Therefore कमव णा. And कमव
stands for both वैनदकम् and लौनककम्. And it includes
कानयकम्, वानिकम् and even मािसम्. Therefore उपासि also
is included in this कमव . Because उपासि is only a मािस कमव .
Therefore either by कानयक कमव , physical action or by
वानिकम् कमव , verbal action or by मािस कमव known as
उपासि. Whether it is वैनदकम् or लौनककम् अमत ृ त्वम् ि
41
आिशुिः. Then ि प्रजया. प्रजा means literally progeny. Here
progeny stands for all relationships. Therefore all these people
cannot give you अमत ृ त्वम्. That is why you will find when
there is a real sorrow you find that you feel loneliness. In spite
of all the people moving around we will having the feeling
that we are lonely that nobody is really aware of your
problem. You will feel deserted, you will feel let down. They
will be helping you, in fact, they will come thrice a day ask
“how are you?” In spite of all of them we will feel that let
down, we are not cared for, we are lonely. Remember the
loneliness is the indication that no external thing can solve our
problem. Otherwise I should feel lonely only when I am a
सन्न्यानस. Why should a गर्ृ स्र् feel lonely having children
and grandchildren and all in-laws around? So having all
people around if I feel lonely it only means that the real
problem no one can solve. Only I have to solve myself.
Loneliness is संसार. It is not a physical phenomenon. It is an
inward problem. Whereas once I have solved this problem
even in a pacific island with nobody around I will be full and
complete. No loneliness will be there. Therefore प्रजया, by
any amount of people around अमत ृ त्वम् ि आिशुिः. You
cannot get rid of this fundamental problem. Then ि धिेि.
Here you have to add a ‘ि’कार. ि धिेि आिशुिः. Otherwise
dangerous will be धिेि अमत ृ त्वम् आिशुिः. You cannot get
मोक्ष by all these, only by money you will get मोक्ष it will
mean. Therefore carefully you have to add ि धिेि. So by
wealth also and in the wealth they add two – मािुष नविम् like
money, land etc., called worldly wealth, and another is दैव
42
नविम् like मन्त्र etc. So whether it is by मन्त्र or whether it is
by money अमत ृ त्वम् ि आिशुिः. Therefore give up your
desires for all of them, give up your attachment to all of them.
This is what is famously known in बर्ृ दारण्यकोपनिषत् as the
three एषणाs, three types of desires – पुत्रषै णा, नविैषणा and
लोकैषणा.
पुत्रषै णायाि नविैषणायाि लोकैषणायाि व्युत्र्ायार् नभक्षाियं
िरनन्त ॥ बर्ृ दारण्यकोपनिषत् ३-५-१ ॥
Desire for पुत्र, desire for wealth and desire for various लोकs.
Here प्रजा represents पुत्रषै णा, धिम् represents नविैषणा and
कमव represents लोकैषणा. Therefore one should give up
attachment to all of them. Very careful, we don’t say one
should give up love to all of them. Always remember the
difference between attachment and love. Attachment is born
out of dependence, our need. Therefore I help them because I
get benefit. So attachment comes out of weakness, attachment
is always selfish service. So when it gives it always wants to
take in return. Attachment is a clean business. That is why you
want to serve only our people, not the neighbors’ child. Why
can't we get attached to all the people? Because they are my
children, tomorrow at least he will do my final rites hopefully.
Therefore attachment is business. That alone should be given
up. And love need not be given up. It wants to only give, it is
not born out of dependence. How do you know the difference
between the two, whether I have this or that? When an object
of attachment goes away I will be depressed. But when an
object of love goes away I will accept because it is a fact of
43
life. So a love will not blinden me. Attachment will blinden
me. When a lovable person is dead it is not that I am going to
be depressed, because death is a fact of life. So in love there is
no depression or sorrow, there is acceptance. In attachment
there is no acceptance. I will go against the fact of life. I
expect a person I am attached to to permanently remain. So
expectation will be all improper, illogical expectations but in
love I don’t have any illogical expectations. I love my son, the
son may love in return or not. I am ready to accept. When I am
attached I am not able to accept this. Therefore give up
attachment never means give up love. Always be careful about
that. And where is that ब्रह्मि्? परे ण िाकं निनर्तं गुर्ायां
नवभ्राजते यद्यतयो नवशनन्त. So यतयिः – these वैरानगs, detached
people, नवशनन्त – attain that ब्रह्मािन्द or ब्रह्मि्, the absolute
ब्रह्मि्, which is िाकं परे ण – which is beyond the स्वगव लोक.
So the detached people, these वैरानगs attain that ब्रह्मि्. We
have to supply the word ब्रह्मि्. That ब्रह्मि् which is िाकं
परे ण. परे ण means beyond, िाकम् means स्वगव . And also
निनर्तं गुर्ायाम् – at the same time in the heart. Such a ब्रह्मि्
he attains. The exact meaning of this portion we will see in the
next class.
पण
44
ि कमव णा ि प्रजया धिेि त्यागेिक ै े अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः ।
परे ण िाकं निनर्तं गुर्ायां नवभ्राजते यद्यतयो नवशनन्त ॥ ३ ॥
ब्रह्मानज pointed out that the means of knowing ब्रह्मि् is
श्रद्धा, भनक्त and ध्यािम् which indicates श्रवणम्, मििम् and
निनदध्यासिम् of वेदान्त शास्त्रम्. And this is said to be the
primary means for ब्रह्मज्ञािम्. And ‘primary means’ means it
is the means to gain knowledge and there are so many
secondary supporting conditions to go along with that. For
example साधि ितुिय सम्पनि or quietude of the mind is also
necessary. That is also the कारणम्. But quietude of the mind
is not the primary means of ब्रह्मज्ञािम्. That is only providing
the condition. Remember the example of पथ्यम् and औषध
सेविम्. Medicine will cure the disease but along with
medicine certain पथ्यम्, disciplines are to be observed. The
doctor may say that you eat this and you don’t eat this, or you
walk or you don’t walk, you take bath or you don’t take bath.
Certain do’s and don’ts are prescribed, they are all सर्कारर
कारणम्, supporting causes but the cause that cures the disease
is the medicine. Thus we have two types of causes – one is the
primary cause, साक्षात् कारणम् and the others are secondary
causes, supporting causes, सर्कारर कारणम्. And श्रवणम्,
मििम् and निनदध्यासिम् is the साक्षात् कारणम्, the primary
means for ब्रह्मज्ञािम्. And having pointed out that through
श्रद्धा, भनक्त and ध्यािम् now ब्रह्मानज is talking about some
45
सर्कारर कारणम्, supporting causes. And of these he
emphasizes वैराग्यम् as one of the most important supporting
causes. ि कमव णा ि प्रजया धिेि त्यागेिक ै े अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः.
And I told you वैराग्यम् only means understanding the
limitation of a thing. We need not physically throw away the
object. The wrong expectation is given up that is वैराग्यम्. Just
as when you are hungry you know that the hunger can be
removed by eating alone. You might possess a pen, you might
have a kerchief or slippers, having them itself is not a mistake
if you understand what I have is hunger and the kerchief I do
have but it will not remove my hunger, my pen will not
remove my hunger. For removal of hunger I should depend on
food. Similarly having wife and children, having a house and
having some bank balance is not wrong. We can have them.
But if we remember peace of mind like hunger, peace of mind
cannot come from any one of them. It is like a kerchief with
respect to hunger. Have a kerchief but don’t expect to remove
hunger through kerchief. Similarly having all of them itself is
not a problem, expectation from peace from them, security
from them etc., becomes रागिः, attachment. If I don’t depend
on them for fullness, peace then I am a वैरानग. So therefore
वैराग्यम् is inner detachment born of understanding. But
ब्रह्मानज wants to say that only rare people will come to this
and therefore he says त्यागेि एके अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः. एके means
a few ones, a few people, numerable people. A few people
come to attain immortality. How do they attain? That is said in
the second half – यतयिः परे ण िाकं नवशनन्त. These यनतs,
सन्न्यानसs, the detached people. नवशनन्त means enter,
46
become one with that ब्रह्मि्. ब्रह्मि् understood. So ब्रह्म
नवशनन्त. What type of ब्रह्मि्? परे ण िाकम् – which is beyond
the स्वगव लोक, – which is beyond all the world. So if the
teacher says it is beyond the world one may think that we have
to travel a lot. Therefore immediately ब्रह्मा says at the same
time it is गुर्ायां निनर्तम् – it is present in the heart or in the
mind of all. So it is beyond the heaven, at the same time it is
in the mind of all. That means it is all-pervading. It is beyond
the heaven also, at the same time it is in the mind also.
दूरात्सुदूरे तनदर्ानन्तके ि ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् ३-१-७ ॥
And in the mind in what form it is there? नवभ्राजते – it shines
in the form of awareness. िैतन्य रूपेण, in the form the very
Consciousness it is shining in the mind all the time. And when
I use the shining don’t imagine any light or any such thing. As
I have very often told you in वेदान्त shining, light, etc., must
be properly understood. Shining means known all the time. So
shining means it is known. So in a dark room a thing is
pervaded by darkness it does not shine therefore it is not
known. In a bright room things are pervaded by light and
therefore they are shining and therefore they are known.
Therefore I can say things are shining body. Therefore shining
is knowable, not shining is not knowable. Awareness is
shining means Awareness is always recognized as अर्म्. It
never becomes dull. The thoughts arrive and depart, whatever
be the type of thought that is coming and going the Awareness
is available as the illuminator of those thoughts. And even
when the mind is dull the dullness belongs to the mind
47
because even the dullness is illumined by the very same
Awareness which is never dull. In fact even in सुषुनप्त we are
able to recognize सष ु ुनप्त only because of the awareness.
Therefore mind sleeps and wakes up, thoughts come and go
away but Awareness is all the time available.
ि तत्र सयू ो भानत ि िन्द्रतारकम् ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-२-१० ॥
etc., you should remember.
नर्रण्मये परे कोशे नवरजम् ब्रह्म निष्कलम् ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-
२-९ ॥
In all the previous उपनिषत्s we have seen that. Therefore the
detached people enter that ब्रह्मि् which is beyond the heaven
and which is in the heart shining in the form of the Awareness.
And ‘they enter ब्रह्मि्’ means they discover the oneness with
ब्रह्मि्. There is no other entry. So अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म इनत जािनन्त.
Now one more मन्त्र is going to come emphasizing साधि and
फलम् also.
वेदान्तनवज्ञािसनु िनितार्ाव िःसंन्यासयोगाद्यतयिः शुद्धसत्त्वािः ।
ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामत ृ ािः पररमुच्यनन्त सवे ॥ ४ ॥
This मन्त्र has already come in मुण्डकोपनिषत् ॥ ३-१-६
॥ I will give you the essence because it is an important मन्त्र.
So here ब्रह्मा makes it clear that ब्रह्मज्ञािम् is possible only
through वेदान्त शास्त्रम्. Because as we have seen in the
introduction all the other प्रमाणs is with only limited thing,
therefore they cannot reveal ब्रह्मि्. And even other scriptures
are talking about finite things only and even if other religious
48
books are there they also talk of मोक्ष as a place to be reached
as a heaven or something. Therefore all of them are dealing
with things within space and time. Coming to वेद itself in
कमव काण्डम् we do not get the ब्रह्मि् at all. Therefore even
वेदपवू व cannot help, much less तकव or व्याकरण or न्याय. The
only शास्त्रम् which deals with ब्रह्मि् happens to be वेदान्त.
We don’t mind going to other शास्त्रम्s but they don’t talk
about it. And therefore we are emphasizing on वेदान्त. Not
because of fanaticism, not because of lack of Catholicism or
anything. This is a fact, a fact which we can see very clearly.
And therefore only through वेदान्त one can gain ब्रह्मज्ञािम्.
And therefore he wants to emphasize that part here. But the
various stages of साधिs are indicated here. What is the first
stage of साधि? शुद्धसत्त्वािः – so one should become शुद्धसत्त्विः.
सत्त्व means mind, शुद्ध means purified. So one should become
purified in mind. This is the first stage of साधि. And
purification of mind as we have often seen in गीता it is
nothing but removal of राग-द्वेष primarily and राग-द्वेष
includes काम-क्रोध-लोभ-मोर्-मद-मात्सयव also because राग-
द्वेष is the basic for all other things. Therefore these two are
gone all others will automatically go. And therefore one has to
get rid of राग-द्वेष. And the means is not mentioned here but
we have to understand the means as कमव योग. कमव योग gives
शुद्धसत्त्वम् or सत्त्वशुनद्ध. And we have also seen how it gives.
The mechanism is like that राग-द्वेष comes when I attribute
the सुखम् and दुिःखम् to the world. When I see the world as
source of sorrow or source of joy I will develop राग towards
source of joy, द्वेष towards source of sorrow. So this is very
49
strong in the mind of people we always say that my sorrow is
because x y z. Let my son change I will become happier, let
my daughter or in-laws change I will become happier, that
means we are connecting happiness to external conditions.
And if you connect happiness to external condition, you will
connect sorrow also to external condition. And once that is
attributed राग-द्वेष will automatically come. And in कमव योग
the discovery is world is neither a source of joy nor a source
of sorrow. Neither my son nor my wife, neither my children
nor my neighbors, neither the government nor the water
problem none of them is the source of joy or sorrow. Then
what is the source of joy and sorrow? I am the source of
sorrow when not understood, and I am the source of joy when
understood. अज्ञात अर्म् दुिःख कारणम्, ज्ञात अर्म् सुख
कारणम्. So ignorant I is the cause of sorrow, knowledgeable I
is the cause of happiness. The problem is you, the solution is
you. Now the moment I know the world is neither of them
राग-द्वेषs will not be there, only I have to blame myself for my
problems and therefore my mind becomes शुद्धम्, राग-
द्वेषरनर्तम्. That is what कृष्ण said in the गीता also
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपानश्रतािः ।
बर्वो ज्ञाितपसा पत
ू ा मभावमागतािः ॥ गीता ४-१० ॥
Then thereafterwards यतयिः. Next stage of साधि is becoming
a यनत. Literally यनत means a सन्न्यानस but सन्न्यास
represents committed pursuit of वेदान्त. Seriousness, not as a
casual, secondhand, hobby pursuit, but it is sincere committed
pursuit. That is indicated by सन्न्यानस. And even a गर्ृ स्र् is a
50
सन्न्यानस if वेदान्त is primary for him. And therefore यतयिः.
Then thereafterwards संन्यासयोगात् – by taking to the life of
सन्न्यास. सन्न्यास means inner detachment or वैराग्यम्
whether externally we renounce or not internal renunciation is
called सन्न्यास. In fact as I gave example when you are
hungry your whole pursuit is only in the direction of food
alone. At that time you are kerchief सन्न्यानस, pen सन्न्यानस,
book सन्न्यानस, because you know these are all not the things
which will serve me now. The only thing that can serve me
now is food alone. Or like a student at the time of examination
renounces everything including friends, television, even food
and sleep. He is also a temporary सन्न्यानस till the
examinations are over. Similarly here also सन्न्यास means
knowing what can do what. Then inner detachment is natural.
So by taking to a life of सन्न्यास, renunciation, inner
detachment. This is the third stage. Therefore purification of
mind, commitment, renunciation which are all सर्कारर
कारणम्, supporting causes only. Then what is the primary
thing? वेदान्त-नवज्ञाि-सुनिनित-अर्ाव िः. वेदान्त-नवज्ञािम् means
the वेदान्त शास्त्रम्. नवज्ञािम् here means शास्त्रम्. अर्व means
the teaching of the वेदान्त शास्त्रम्. The तात्पयव म्, the essence
should be सुनिनितम् – well ascertained. So वेदान्त-नवज्ञािस्य
तात्पयव म् सुनिनितम् यैिः ते वेदान्तनवज्ञािसुनिनितार्ाव िः. What is
the use of knowing वेदान्त? The problem that I have is by
gaining the knowledge of वेदान्त in what I will benefit, if you
ask, remember knowing वेदान्त is knowing myself. It is not
like knowing the atom, not like knowing a star; they will not
help me in life. Maximum a job may be available. So in the
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case of an objective science knowing those things will not
change my life but in the case of वेदान्त knowing वेदान्त is
knowing myself. And knowing myself is changing my attitude
towards myself. Because now my attitude towards myself is a
disappointed I, I am not fine. In fact nobody is satisfied with
himself or herself. Whenever I am shifting something
remember I am not shifting something I want to shift only
myself to a ‘better I’, to ‘improved I’, a ‘richer I’, by marrying
I want to become a ‘husband I’ and I thought that ‘bachelor I’
is inferior ‘husband I’ is a better status. Then no satisfaction, I
the ‘husband I’ want to become a ‘father I’. And once children
are grown up when can I see the grandchild? Again what am I
trying? I don’t want to get grandchildren, I want to become
‘grandfather I’. Thus in and through all our struggles we are
trying to have only an improved I that means I am not
satisfied with the present I. And the वेदान्त-नवज्ञािम् gives me
a satisfactory I. It is not an academic gymnastics, remember, it
is not an intellectual argument. वेदान्त-नवज्ञािम् gives me an I
which is utterly satisfactory, which will no more make me
struggle to become a rich I or a poor I, a house owner I.
Therefore remember knowing वेदान्त is knowing myself.
Knowing myself helps me to change my attitude towards
myself. And the changed attitude is total तनृ प्त. And therefore
the next stage is वेदान्त-नवज्ञाि-सुनिनित-अर्ाव िः. They
ascertain the तात्पयव म् of वेदान्त. What is the तात्पयव म् of
वेदान्त? अर्ं पणू व िः अनस्म. I am already full and unconditionally
full. Not that you have a few pending jobs and after finishing
those jobs you will full. No. Whether the other jobs are
52
pending or not, other jobs are completed or not, other jobs are
successful or not, in spite of the other conditions अर्ं पण ू व िः.
This utter satisfactory I is the benefit of वेदान्त. So this is the
primary cause. The first three संन्यासयोगात,् यतयिः and
शुद्धसत्त्वािः won’t give liberation but they will prepare the
ground, they are all therefore सर्कारर कारणम् and primary
कारणम् is वेदान्तनवज्ञािसनु िनितार्ाव िः. This is the name of the
people. Those people who have ascertained the तात्पयव म् of
वेदान्त, जीवब्रह्म ऐक्यम् सुनिनितम् यैिः ते. Now in the third and
the fourth line the फलम् is mentioned. ते सवे पररमुच्यनन्त –
they will be completely liberated from संसार. This refers to
नवदेर्मुनक्त. And how? परामत ृ ािः – by being liberated, by being
one with ब्रह्मि् even while living. So परामत ृ ािः refers to
नवदेर्मुनक्त. So by being one with परम्ब्रह्मि्. परम् means the
infinite, अमत ृ म् means immortal. By being one with the
immortal ब्रह्मि् even while living they will be one with ब्रह्मि्
after death also. Therefore they are ब्रह्मि् while living, they
are ब्रह्मि् after death. The first one is called जीवन्मुनक्त and
the second one is called नवदेर्मुनक्त. And oneness with ब्रह्मि् is
indicated in the third line ब्रह्मलोकेषु. In this context the
ब्रह्मलोकम् means ब्रह्मि् Itself. ब्रह्मैव लोकिः ब्रह्मलोकिः. Here it
does not refer to the ब्रह्मलोक which is normally mentioned as
a लोक. लोकिः means प्रकाशरूपिः. So ब्रह्मलोक प्रकाशरूपम्
ब्रह्म. पररमुच्यनन्त – they merge, they become one with ब्रह्मि्
after death and they are one with ब्रह्मि् while living also. And
when do they get नवदेर्मुनक्त? परान्तकाले – at the time of the
fall of the body, at the time of the end of प्रार्ध. So प्रार्ध
अवसािकाले they attain the नवदेर्मुनक्त also. And we have
53
seen elaborately in मुण्डकोपनिषत् the meaning of
परान्तकालम्, so you can refer back. The essence is that
ज्ञानि’s dropping of the body is called परान्तकालम् because it
is the final dropping as it doesn’t take another body. Whereas
अज्ञानि’s death is called only अन्तकालम् because it is not the
final death, it will have पुिरनप जििम् पुिरनप मरणम्. The
meaning of these two lines is at the time of the fall of the body
these wisemen who are one with ब्रह्मि् even while living
become one with ब्रह्मि् after death also. पररमुच्यनन्त सवे. The
best example to remember is the घटाकाश becoming one with
मर्ाकाश. The space is only one with pot or without pot. It is
indivisible whole. But when there is pot you give a special
name pot-space. Only a name is added but no new thing is
added. And when the pot is broken the space continues to be
the same the only change is you no more call it pot-space, you
will call only the total space. Similarly ज्ञानि’s शरीरम् is like a
pot, ज्ञानि’s िैतन्यम् is the जीव and when the शरीरम् is gone
ज्ञानि continues to be the same Consciousness but when
शरीरम् was there you have named it, when शरीरम् is gone no
more can name him. He was the िैतन्यम् before encompassed
in the body, now is the िैतन्यम् without the enclosure. That is
the only difference. One is called जीवन्मुनक्त and another is
called नवदेर्मुनक्त. The difference is only in the pot, the
difference is not there in the ज्ञानि himself. So from the other
people’s standpoint we differentiate but from ज्ञानि’s
standpoint he is the same with or without the body. So
पररमुच्यनन्त सवे. Thus फलम् also is mentioned in this मन्त्र.
Thus in the two मन्त्रs the साधि – both primary साधि and
54
secondary साधि as well as फलम् has been highlighted.
Continuing;
नवनवक्तदेशे ि सुखासिस्र्िः शुनििः समग्रीवनशरिःशरीरिः ।
अत्याश्रमस्र्िः सकलेनन्द्रयानण निरुध्य भक्त्या स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य ॥
५॥
So hereafter ब्रह्मानज wants to deal with
श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम् in detail. And he is starting with
निनदध्यासिम् first. Next three मन्त्रs five, six and seven is the
topic of निनदध्यासिम्. And all details are given as in the sixth
chapter we saw right from preparation onwards, i.e.,
अन्तरङ्ग साधि as well as actual ध्यािम्. नवनवक्तदेशे – so
one should resort to a secluded place. A place which is away
from all disturbances, relative sense. Perfectly quiet place
does not exist. And when you go to a quiet place the problem
will be small noises will appear big. Normally during day time
the ticking of the clock you will never know. It is not that the
clock is not ticking but greater noises are there. Then as the
night falls and you stop all other activities the very same
ticking of the clock will become very big. The mosquitoes
noise also becomes big. Therefore silence is only a relative
concept. A person can be disturbed by even the smallest noise.
Therefore नवनवक्तदेश means relatively quiet. Ultimately
quietude has to be discovered in the mind alone. And then
सुखासिस्र्िः – being seated in a comfortable posture. And
शुनििः.
समं कायनशरोग्रीवं धारयन्ििलं नस्र्रिः ॥ गीता ६-१३ ॥
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All those conditions are coming. शुनििः means in a clean place.
Clean in the physical sense and clean in the spiritual sense.
The place should inspire you by giving positive thoughts.
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मािं रर्नस नस्र्तिः ।
एकाकी यतनििात्मा निराशीरपररग्रर्िः ॥ गीता ६-१० ॥
शुिौ देशे प्रनतष्ठाप्य नस्र्रमासिमात्मििः ।
िात्युनच्ितं िानतिीिं िैलानजिकुशोिरम् ॥ गीता ६-११ ॥
These are the two verses of the sixth chapter which
corresponds to the मन्त्र here. Here शुनििः is referring to a
person. So शुनििः सि्, therefore after bath and also making
sure that mind is clean and pure. Then समग्रीवनशरिःशरीरिः. So
समं कायनशरोग्रीवम् ॥ गीता ६-१३ ॥ that is said here. The
body, the neck and the head should be समम्, in an even
posture. And then अत्याश्रमस्र्िः – सन्न्यासाश्रम, beyond all
other आश्रमs – ब्रह्मिारर, गर्ृ स्र् and वािप्रस्र्. Therefore
remaining in अत्याश्रम, i.e., remaining in सन्न्यासाश्रम. This is
the literal translation. But we can interpret it as mentally going
beyond all the relationships. Because the greatest headache is
relationship. Most of our problems are caused by
relationships, especially the people. With जडवस्तु you cannot
get angry. Even though setup can make you angry at least you
can change. But most of our problems are because of human
relationships. And when I say of human relationships it may
be in the office, it may be in any particular place and primarily
in the families also. Different people have different mentality
differences of opinion are bound to come. And everyone is not
going to satisfy your name. Your son will never be like you.
56
And he will always consider you are a fool. He won’t tell you
but remember they all think that you are all of an older period,
you don’t know the present condition, you are not informed
well. Always in every generation gap is there. Therefore every
time relationship comes, even you think of relationship mind
is not satisfied. And the greatest advantage of a सन्न्यानस is
that relationship problem is not there. Therefore if we have to
meditate comfortably at the time of meditation mentally
become a सन्न्यानस. And this can be done by understanding
that all these relationships are a passing one brought by
प्रार्ध. No spouse is a permanent spouse. In the previous
जन्म they might be different जीवs. In the जन्म they may be
totally different. They need not be even human beings. They
need not be even in the same लोक what to talk of same
country and same family. So therefore no one has come
together, no one is going to go together as शङ्करािायव says
just as two trunks or two trees which have fallen in the river
they come together because of the wind and when the wind
direction changes they will part away. Similarly प्रार्ध brings
all relationships and प्रार्ध is going to break them. If you
remember that the relationships will not create problem. For
some time we are going to be together why should I bother
about too much about these things. So therefore first point is
understanding the temporary nature of relationships and the
second point is people will be different with different
character, different ambitions, different nature. If at all you
want to change to some extent you can change. But ultimately
you have to accept different people different mentality. If
57
these two things are remembered, i.e., different people I
contact will be different I accept. So acceptance with respect
to difference in nature and seeing the temporariness of
relationships. And when they are not upto your expectation
you should develop acceptance, when you are liking their
nature and trying to get attached at that time you should
remember temporariness. So राग is cutoff by seeing the
temporariness, द्वेष is cutoff by developing acceptance. These
two have to be taken care of all the time but especially during
meditation. And if you do that you are a सन्न्यानस. If we do
that we can feel the difference. Just the moment you
remember these two things you will find half of our agitation
are relationship born alone or anxiety of something about
future, all these things can be taken care of by becoming a
सन्न्यानस. That is why when स्वानम निन्मयािन्दनज conducts
camp what he used to do is he used to give temporary ochre
robe. So there is a cloth like dress, and he used to tell don’t get
frightened, during the stay in the आश्रम try to be a सन्न्यानस.
The robe will help you change your mind, but ultimately I
should become a mental सन्न्यानस. And ochre robe is only an
aid to that but the purpose is this alone. So अत्याश्रमस्र्िः. Then
सकलेनन्द्रयानण निरुध्य – having withdrawn all sense organs
from the respective sense objects. And thereafterwards he
adds a new point which is not in the गीता, i.e., स्वगुरुं भक्त्या
प्रणम्य – mentally prostrate your गुरु reverentially. स्व means
one’s own. प्रणम्य – mentally prostrate. More in the next class.
पण
58
59
५॥
After generally talking about श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम्
as well as the preparatory साधिs especially वैराग्यम्, now
from the fifth मन्त्र onwards ब्रह्मा, the teacher is taking up
निनदध्यासिम् and in the fifth मन्त्र the preparation for
निनदध्यासिम् were mentioned. The अन्तरङ्ग साधि of
निनदध्यासिम्. And here most of the preparations are the same
as said in the गीता only two points are newly added here. One
is अत्याश्रमस्र्िः where ब्रह्मा says you should meditate only as a
सन्न्यानस which means I should be free from all relationships
at the time of meditation. Because relationships make me an
individual and individuality always limits me and
individuality has varieties of problem. As father I have certain
limitations, as brother I have certain limitations, as son I have
certain limitations. Thus when I look upon myself as related to
anyone I have limitations, not only that I have problems also.
Thus relationships invoke the individuality, the अर्ङ्कार,
makes me a particular person. Whereas the purpose of
निनदध्यासिम् is to remove the individuality, seeing the
relationships only as a relative things. Because in
निनदध्यासिम् I want to identify myself with ब्रह्मि् which is
relation free. The very purpose of meditation is to identify
60
myself with ब्रह्मि् which is neither father, nor brother, nor
son, nor spouse. Therefore as a father I can never identify with
ब्रह्मि्, as a father I am अर्ङ्कार; अर्ङ्कार and ब्रह्मि् can
never be identical. Then what is identical? अर्म् and ब्रह्मि् are
identical. अर्म्, the िैतन्यम् which is neither the father nor
brother, etc. And therefore every relationship makes me a
stronger अर्ङ्कार and stronger the अर्ङ्कार the more there
will be repulsion from ब्रह्मि्. Because अर्ङ्कार limits me,
ब्रह्मि् is limitless. And that is the idea of being a सन्न्यानस,
mentally seeing myself as the िैतन्यम् which is free from all
things. This point was not said in the गीता. And another thing
that is added here is भक्त्या स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य – so one should
mentally prostrate. It should be mental because he is seated in
समग्रीवनशरिःशरीरिः, therefore physical prostration is not
possible and therefore प्रणाम should be mental. So mentally
one should prostrate one’s गुरु. What is the purpose? Because
when I remember the गुरु, of course one evident purpose is to
get the grace of the teacher, the अिुग्रर् or प्रसाद, and there is
a phycological reason also that the mind works always by the
law of association. If you think of your boss the thought will
all be centered on the office, the official problem or the
official situation because the boss is connected with office,
therefore through boss you remember only the field of your
office. If you think of a politician the thought will all be
centered on the politics only. If you think of a friend who
plays some games in the club through the friend you
remember only the clubs and games and other things. This is
called the law of association. In fact our mind also wanders
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only by the law of association. You think of a man then his
relatives are thought of, then his company is thought of etc.
Now this has got a disadvantage but it has got an advantage
also. That is when you think of someone spiritual then
naturally through him the thought will be centered on
spirituality alone. When you think of a cricketer spiritual
thought is never going to come. But when you think of a
नववेकािन्द or a शङ्करािायव , you cannot think of anything
else except spirituality because the law of association works.
Similarly here also I am associated with my गुरु only in one
field and that field is that of वेदान्त. I don’t have any other
relationship with my गुरु except in the field of listening to
वेदान्त and his teaching to वेदान्त. Therefore the moment I
remember him I only remember the teaching that has been
given by him. And that is the reason ब्रह्मा doesn’t even use the
word गुरुं प्रणम्य but he uses the word स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य. There
may be so many great people but they are not my गुरुs. They
have not taught me therefore it is still not that easy to
associate. I know you are great people but they are not my
गुरुs, they have not taught me. But when I remember my गुरु
I remember the whole communication and I remember how he
has revealed my true nature. In fact वेदान्त comes alive when
I remember my गुरु. And for this purpose also स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य
– one should prostrate one’s गुरु.
हृत्पुण्डरीकं नवरजं नवशुद्धं नवनिन्त्य मध्ये नवशदं नवशोकम् ।
अनिन्त्यमव्यक्तमिन्तरूपं नशवं प्रशान्तममत ृ ं ब्रह्मयोनिम् ॥ ६ ॥
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तर्ानदमध्यान्तनवर्ीिमे कं नवभुं निदािन्दमरूपमभुतम् ।
Then the teacher comes to further stages of
meditations. What is the next stage? One should come to the
heart, i.e., the mind. So हृत्पुण्डरीकं मध्ये नवनिन्त्य – so
turning the attention to the lotus heart, i.e., the mind which is
in the middle of the body. Because in the scriptures the mind
is generally symbolized in the heart and therefore it is called
हृत् and पुण्डरीकम् – like lotus. Lotus like heart. मध्ये
नवनिन्त्य. And what type of mind it should be? नवरजं नवशुद्धम्
– free from all रजस्, the impurity. The mind which is free
from impurity. Impurity being a नवक्षेप, all other disturbances.
Any material thought is an impurity for the mind. And
therefore removing all other thoughts from the mind, i.e., the
mind is tranquil and therefore नवशुद्धम् – the pure mind.
therefore after paying the attention to the अन्िमय कोश and
after withdrawing the sense organs etc., now he comes to the
मिोमय कोश level, the mind level where it is quietened free
from all other thoughts. And it is in this mind the आत्मा
should be meditated. So mind is the locus of meditation. And
not only is it the locus of meditation, so here we should
remember the mind is the locus where you meditate and the
object of meditation also is in the mind alone. Because when
you meditate on सय ू व देवता the locus of meditation is mind but
the object of meditation is outside but here the locus of
meditation also is mind and the object of meditation also is the
mind. Your attention is not turned outwards, your attention is
63
turned inwards alone. And in the mind what should be
meditated? The object of meditation is the very
आत्मिैतन्यम्, so the very Awareness which is in the mind,
the very Consciousness which is in the mind. In what
condition? Illumining every condition of the mind. A thought
arise the Awareness illumines the thought I am aware. And
another thought comes and goes again the Awareness
continues to be the same. And even if all thoughts are gone
there is a blank mind that is also illumined by Awareness.
Therefore I turn my attention to the Awareness which is
uniformly illumining all the situations of the mind. And
remember this Awareness need not be illumined by me
because the Awareness is self-effulgent. That ‘I am aware of’
is an eternal fact. Therefore my job is not illumining
Awareness because it is all the time shining but my job is only
turning my attention to the Awareness that is there. So it is
like the light pervading the room at this present moment both
of them are shining together, the light pervading the room is
effulgent, light is self-effulgent which is pervading all your
body, I need not put another light to illumine the light, light is
self-effulgent. But the thing is along with the light your body,
your faces and the wall and other things are also shining
pervaded by the light. Therefore now in front of my eyes two
things are shining – one is the light which is self-effulgent,
another is you all people who are not self-effulgent you are
shining pervaded by the light. Therefore I need not illumine
both of these. You are also shining, light is also shining. But
my problem is at present my attention is on you. I am aware of
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your sitting, I am aware of your facial expression, I am aware
of the things around, but I have not turned my attention to the
light which is uniform which pervades the entire hall, which
doesn’t have a particular form, but which illumines all forms.
That light is experienced but not noticed. Many things we
experience but without notice. When you go to market there
are so many shops which all pass through your eyes, but you
have not noticed it. Noticing is turning the attention
consciously. Similarly you can attend the whole class without
noticing the light, experiencing the light but without
consciously noticing the light. You can spend the whole one
class just turning your attention to the light. Different colors
are in different dresses. Different forms belong to the people
but the light is all over, formless, colorless. You can spend
time concentrating on the light without being distracted by the
object in front. The same thing is happening in our mind also.
In the mind also two things are there. In the place of people
we have varieties of thoughts, in the place of the light we have
the Awareness, Consciousness. Both we are experiencing all
the time. In fact every time I experience you it is a mixture of
you and light, similarly every time I experience something we
call it घटज्ञािम् it means घट, the वनृ ि and ज्ञािम्, the
Awareness. मिुष्यज्ञािम् means मिुष्य, the वनृ ि and ज्ञािम्,
the Awareness. Thus thoughts and Awareness are inseparably
mixed like the body and light. Body means all the people here
including the mic, book, table, chair, fan. So just as the objects
and light are experienced mixed together similarly in my mind
all the time thoughts and Awareness are mixed together and I
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experience both of them. In this meditation what I am doing is
instead of noticing the thought aspect I am noticing the
Awareness aspect. So when the thought of husband is gone
and the thought of brother comes or the thought of wife is
gone and the thought of father comes. In both of them one
thing is common, previously I was aware of my wife and later
I am aware of my father. Father has replaced wife but one
thing remains that I am the ‘aware’ing principle. Now let the
thoughts come but let my attention be on the Awareness, that I
am. Or if you want another example Awareness in the movie
you experience the screen and character mixed together but
always your attention is only on the changing characters. You
can go to a movie and take a vow that whatever happens let
there be a very horrifying scene I should remember it is a light
and shadow happening in the screen. So I can observe an
entire picture giving importance to the dream which is
experienced by all others but who are missing the screen. And
I can spend the whole picture seeing the screen and not giving
importance to the light and shadow. Similarly in our mind the
Awareness screen is there and the thought characters play
tragic drama or comedy drama varieties. In meditation I am
noticing the Awareness aspect which is myself. This is
ध्यािम्. Remember in meditation Awareness does not come,
आत्मा does not come, ब्रह्मि् does not come, just as the light
does not come in the room during meditation. Light is always
there, at the time of meditation I am only turning my attention
to the light. Similarly आत्मा is available even now. जाग्रत्
अवस्र्ायाम्, स्वप्ि अवस्र्ायाम् सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ायाम्. At the time
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of meditation only my attention is newly turned to the
Awareness, what is the nature of that Awareness, like what is
the nature of light. Light pervades different people but light
itself is not different from people to people. Light pervades the
changing people but light itself does not change. Light
pervades the arriving and departing people but light itself does
not arrive and depart. All these logic, all these comparisons
you can make in िैतन्यम् also. That is what is said here.
नवशदम् onwards each word is an adjective to ब्रह्मि् or
आत्मि्. नवशदम् means शुद्धम्, pure. A thought may be impure
but the Awareness pervading and illumining the thought is not
impure like the light. Light pervades the dirty gutter but light
itself is not dirty. Similarly thought may be रागद्वेषानद but
Awareness does not have राग or द्वेष. Therefore शुद्धम्
प्रकाशवत्. नवशोकम् – free from all sorrow. Why free from
sorrow? The objects illumined are limited but the illumining
light is pervading. Similarly my thoughts are limited,
Awareness does not have any limitation. Therefore it does not
lack anything, it is पण ू व म्. Then अनिन्त्यम् – it is not an object
of thought, it is not illumined by a thought. What is the
reason? Because Awareness is the illuminator of thought, how
can thought illumine the Awareness. The light illumines the
hall but the hall does not illumine the light. Then अव्यक्तम् –
unmanifest, not available for any sense organ. What is the
reason? Because it is निगव ुणम्. अश्दम्, अस्पशव म्, अरूपम्,
अरसम् and अगन्धम्. If it had a श्दम् it could have been
heard through ears, if it had स्पशव it could have been known
through the skin. Similarly if श्द, स्पशव , रूप, रस and गन्धs
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were there it can be objectified through one sense organs or
the other. When all the five are absent, all the five sense
organs cannot objectify. And therefore unmanifest,
imperceptible. अिन्तरूपम् – with various िामरूपs. The very
same Awareness appears to be in manifold form. Just as one
water with varieties of names and forms appears to be river
like ocean, wave, bubble. So you count any number of things
but water is only one. Similarly one निनवव शेष ज्ञािम्
associated with िामरूपs appears as many सनवशेष ज्ञािम्.
Thus there seems to be so many varieties of knowledge –
physics knowledge, chemistry knowledge, English
knowledge, संस्कृत knowledge, table knowledge, chair
knowledge – really speaking knowledge is only one. There is
no such thing table knowledge. Table is an adjective to the
subject, knowledge is unqualified. Chair is the qualification of
the object, knowledge itself cannot be qualified. There is only
one unqualified knowledge but it appears as though many
types of knowledge are there because of the उपानध. And what
is the उपानध? Every thought is an उपानध. Crystal by itself is
colorless, when you keep various objects nearby, a red flower
is there the crystal appears as red, a blue cloth is there the
crystal appears as blue. Crystal doesn’t become blue but
crystal appears as blue; all the time crystal remaining crystal
clear. And therefore each one of the object is called an उपानध.
उपानध is that in whose presence another object gets a false
appearance. So crystal gets the false appearance because of
उपानध. So flower is an उपानध, blue cloth is an उपानध. And
crystal is called उपनर्तम्. Thus उपनर्तम् is one which appears
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as different different things in keeping with the varieties of
उपानधs. Similarly I am only one Awareness who is
changeless, formless, crystal clear Awareness. Then what is
उपानध? Every thought is an उपानध, as the thoughts vary I also
seem to take different personalities. Thus every thought gives
me not a real personality but a false personality. And a time
comes that I am so much used to thought that all the time I
have only false personalities, I don’t know what is my real
nature. Like some people all the time taking dramas acting in
dramas he at last gets confused is this drama personality is real
personality or is outside life is drama. Because most of the
time he is in the studio and for half an hour he comes to his
real wife! There is a confusion which one is real. So similarly
our mind is constantly occupied with the thought, with the
office thought I am an officer, with the family thought I am a
householder. Thus constantly taking up the varying
personalities at last I am confused exactly what I am.
Therefore I have got अिन्तरूपम् – multifaceted personalities
like a crystal but really speaking I am शुद्ध िैतन्यम्, free from
all colors. And therefore only नशवम् – मङ्गलस्वरूपम्, the
ever auspicious. प्रशान्तम् – ever tranquil. Disturbances are
only at the thought level which varies. But I, the light am not
disturbed by thoughts nor the thoughts can replace the light.
There can be disturbances in the hall, people can get up and go
but the light in the hall is not at all disturbed. The illuminator
of disturbances is not at all disturbed. Then how do I say I am
disturbed? Because I am identifying with the disturbances like
in the cinema tragedy when I identify with it becomes my
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tragedy. That is why I also shed tears. Suppose there is a
union between राम and सीता, here husband and wife are not
together, in fact they are looking for when they will be free.
So all the time these people are together, there is neither
separation nor union, but identified with the story union and
separation I also shed tears. But there is nothing wrong to
enjoy and shedding tears but I should remember it is a drama.
Similarly disturb choose to identify and enjoy but I should
remember that I have chosen to identify it is not a fact. And
therefore प्रशान्तम् – undisturbed I am. Then अमत ृ म् –
immortal. Thoughts die, thoughts are born but I, the
illuminator of thoughts neither die nor am I born. Similarly
body. Body is born and body dies but not the िैतन्यम्
illumining the body. Then ब्रह्मयोनिम्. Now hereafterwards he
is going from व्यनि to समनि. Because still now we said that
I am the िैतन्यम् illumining the thoughts in my mind. So then
what will we think? Similarly you have got a िैतन्यम्
illumining your thoughts and he has got a िैतन्यम् illumining
his thoughts like there is a light illumining this room, there is
another light illumining another room. Thus normally what do
we experience? As many rooms are there so many lights are
there. Similarly what do we conclude? Here one Awareness
light is there, there is another Awareness light and so on and
so forth. There are so many क्षेत्रज्ञs seems to be there, because
so many क्षेत्रम्s are there. Since there are so many minds,
there seems to be so many Awareness illumining different
minds. Like what? There is only one sun illumining different
rooms. Just as one sun illumines different places similarly
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there is only one all-pervading Awareness obtaining in many
minds. And therefore he says ब्रह्म. So the very same आत्मा
when you see as identical with everyone, the very आत्मा is
called ब्रह्मि.् When you use the word आत्मा it is त्वम् पदार्व ,
when you use the word ब्रह्मि् it is तत् पदार्व . So this I alone is
the all-pervading Awareness. So gradually we are going
higher and higher. So we have the thought that we are the
most impure people, so he starts it by saying you are not
impure, you are not inauspicious, you are auspicious one, you
are pure one, you are पण ू व म्. Thus gradually he is taking and
now he has come to ब्रह्मि्, the infinite one. And now he is
going to another leap. What type of ब्रह्मि?् योनिम् which is
the cause of the entire universe. A very shocking revelation.
Therefore you are Awareness. And you are the Awareness
pervading all and in fact you are the Awareness from which
all are born. So till now I am the illuminator, now I have
become the creator of all. So जगत्कारणम् अनस्म. And
therefore only तर्ा-आनद-मध्य-अन्त-नवर्ीिम् एकम्.
जगत्कारणम् etc., will be said elaborately later. Because
remember this is निनदध्यासिम्. What is the difference
between श्रवणम् and निनदध्यासिम्? In श्रवणम् we have to
prove everything. In निनदध्यासिम् everything is proved to
me, I am convinced of the teaching, I am only remembering
what I am convinced. In श्रवणम् I am working for conviction.
In निनदध्यासिम् I am remembering what I am convinced.
Therefore in निनदध्यासिम् no question is asked. Only after
questioning is over निनदध्यासिम् starts. If you ask how I am
अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म then we will say that don’t sit in meditation it
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will cause disturbances, you go to श्रवणम्. In श्रवणम् while
listening to the teacher अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म must have become clear.
In निनदध्यासिम् I am just replaying it, remembering it,
reliving it. So these are all निनदध्यासिम् मन्त्रs. That is why
just enumeration alone is given. So I am the ब्रह्मि् which is
जगत्कारणम्. And therefore only आनद-मध्य-अन्त-नवर्ीिम् –
so being the कारणम् I do not have the beginning, middle or
end. A cause does not have a beginning, middle or end, it is
the effect which has got beginning, middle and end. For
example clay was, clay is and clay ever will be. But in the clay
a pot िामरूप can be born and the pot form exists and the pot
form is destroyed. Thus pot a कायव म्, an effect has got
beginning, it has got a duration and it has got an end. But the
clay which is the कारणम् was there before the pot was, it is
there during the presence of the pot and it will be afterwards
also. Therefore कारणम् सवव दा अनस्त कायव स्य एव प्राग्-प्रध्वंस
अभावौ. And आनद-मध्य-अन्त-नवर्ीिम् can be looked space-
wise as well as time-wise. Space-wise also it doesn’t have a
beginning, middle or end. Just as we have got a beginning,
spatially the body is from head upto the tip of the toe, beyond
this the body is not there. Therefore body has got spatial
limitation. Spatial आनद, spatial मध्य and spatial अन्त.
Similarly time-wise also the body has the date of birth and the
body has got a date of death and the body has got an
intermediary also. And ब्रह्मि् is free from space-wise
beginning, middle or end and ब्रह्मि् is also time-wise without
beginning, middle or end. And therefore only एकम् – without
a second. It has to be one. Because if it is more than one it will
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have a beginning and end. Therefore it is without a second,
because it is all-pervading. How many all-pervading things are
possible? There can be only one. Then नवभम ु ् – that which
manifests as many things. You know that कारणम् alone
appears as varieties of कायव म्s just as gold alone appears as
varieties of ornaments, water alone appears as varieties of
waves. Therefore every कारणम् is called नवभुिः. नवनवधम् भवनत
इनत नवभुिः. In the same way it is one आत्मि् or ब्रह्मि्, which is
ब्रह्म the योनि we have said, that योनि means the material
cause, उपादाि कारणम् and ब्रह्मि् being the उपादाि कारणम्
that alone appears as many. Therefore नवभुिः. Then निदािन्दम्.
नित् means िैतन्य स्वरूपम्, of the nature of Awareness,
आिन्दम् means of the nature of fulness, happiness, freedom
from want. Remember आिन्दम् means not a peculiar thing, it
is not a particular experiential bliss, but it means when I look
at my heart it doesn’t have any ill feeling, it doesn’t miss
anything in life. आिन्दम् means पण ू व त्वम्, तनृ प्त, lack of want.
It is a permanent sense of पररपण ू व त्वम्, permanent sense of
fullness, permanent sense of fulfillment. Then अरूपम् –
formless. Previously it was said अिन्तरूपम्. Now it is said
अरूपम्. Isn’t it contradictory? No. अिन्तरूपम् are false
appearances, अरूपम् is the real nature. So it is apparently
many form but really one. So अिन्तरूपम् is नमथ्या दृि्या,
िामरूप दृि्या, अरूपम् is स्वदृि्या, from its own nature. One
is from व्यावर्ाररक दृनि, another is from पारमानर्व क दृनि.
Then अभुतम् – the greatest wonder, आियव म्. What is the
आियव म्? That even though I do not have any special
personality; all the time I seem to have varieties of
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personalities. So one appears as many itself is the greatest
wonder. The formless appears as form. You say I have a form.
The birthless appears as birth. We celebrate birthday. The
deathless appears as death. The relationless appears as full of
relation. Thus how it appears as just the opposite of it. That is
the greatest wonder. And the one who is असंसारर, problem
free आत्मा I am. And all the time it appears as full of
problems. The very approach is I have a problem. Introduction
is only as a problematic I. What a great wonder! The problem
free appears as full of problems. Therefore अभुतम्. More in
the next class.
पण
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मन्त्र 05, 06 & 07 Continuing;
५॥
हृत्पुण्डरीकं नवरजं नवशुद्धं नवनिन्त्य मध्ये नवशदं नवशोकम् ।
अनिन्त्यमव्यक्तमिन्तरूपं नशवं प्रशान्तममत ृ ं ब्रह्मयोनिम् ॥ ६ ॥
तर्ानदमध्यान्तनवर्ीिमे कं नवभुं निदािन्दमरूपमभुतम् ।
From the fifth मन्त्र onwards निनदध्यासिम् is being
talked about. But we should remember that निनदध्यासिम्
should be preceded by श्रवणमििम्. Even though the
उपनिषत् does not mention it we have to understand
श्रवणमििम्. That is why ब्रह्मानज had said in the beginning
श्रद्धाभनक्तध्याियोगादवेनर्. And not only that about
श्रवणमििम् the उपनिषत् itself is going to deal with later;
only the order is to be reversed. And निनदध्यासिम् is
entertaining the thought in the mind about myself,
आत्मनिन्तिम्, as revealed in the scriptures. Because I have
an idea about myself as a relative individual in the world. But
here it is thinking of myself as revealed in the scriptures and
that nature alone has been elaborately mentioned in the sixth
मन्त्र नवशदं नवशोकम् अनिन्त्यमव्यक्तमिन्तरूपं नशवं
प्रशान्तम् etc. So I am the शुद्ध िैतन्य स्वरूपिः, free from all
limitations, and not only that I am the very अनधष्ठािम् ब्रह्म
which is the जगत्कारणम्. In short, the essence is अर्ं
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ब्रह्मानस्म is the meditation. And only the teacher is helping
how to see अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म in different patterns. You should
remember अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म is not the repetition of the words. if
you repeat the words alone it becomes a mere जप. It cannot
be called निनदध्यासिम्. But here I see the implications of अर्ं
ब्रह्मानस्म, I see the meaning of अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म. It is the
meditation on the meaning and not on the sound. Sound
meditation is only उपासि. It can give only नििशुनद्ध. Here
when I say अर्ं ब्रह्मानस्म I see the meaning it means I am
सद्रूपिः अनस्म, निद्रूपिः अनस्म, आिन्दरूपिः अनस्म, अनधष्ठािरूपिः
अनस्म, असङ्गरूपिः अनस्म, पण ू व रूपिः अनस्म. All these are the
meaning of one word ब्रह्मि्. Then if you ask if all these
different meanings are there which particular meaning I
should see. Whatever be the type of संसार we are suffering
from the opposite thought should be entertained. If I am
missing something in life, I have not been able to acquire a
land or able to buy a house or able to buy a car. When the
mind feels the lack of something the problem is अपण ू व त्वम् at
that time I should seek the पण ू व त्वम् as my स्वरूपम्. And if the
relationships are creating problem I should seek the
असङ्गत्वम् as my स्वरूपम्. Relationships belong to the
perishable body, it is a perishable relationship between two
perishable things. I am the अनधष्ठािम् of both the perishable
thing and their perishable relationships. See all the individuals
as waves, spouse, children, friends, enemies they are all waves
rising because of wind प्रार्धम् and after that all these waves
are going to subside, I, the water am alone going to remain.
Thus wherever relationships create problem असङ्गत्वम् I
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should seek. Similarly for everything. Wherever anger creates
problem I should see myself as शान्तस्वरूपिः. Anger is
nothing but a thought in the mind. Thus the very ब्रह्मि्
meaning itself should be differently seen, i.e., I have got
different varieties of ‘relative I’ and each ‘relative I’ has got a
problem. As spouse the ‘relative I’ some problem, as a rich or
poor the ‘relative I’ some problem. So each ‘relative I’ has got
certain problems accordingly I have to attack it. That is why
here the teacher gives different things. अर्ं नित्यिः, अर्ं शुद्धिः.
Some people have got ‘I am growing old, sicknesses are
coming, I will die soon’, then when the मरणभयम् is coming
ि जायते नियते वा कदानित् ॥ गीता २-२० ॥
I am deathless. And I should also see that body will have to
die. Merely saying I am deathless is not enough. The true ‘I’
am deathless but bodily I accept my death, bodily I accept
problem but the true ‘I’ am free from all the problems. Thus
accepting everything at अिात्मा level, rejecting everything at
आत्मा level is निनदध्यासिम्. Mere rejection is not enough,
my body has some pain it is a fact, body will have to go
through. From body’s standpoint never reject the pain. When
there is sickness pain will be there in the body. And I have to
say clearly bodily I accept pain. And from आत्मा standpoint I
don’t own up the pain. Growing old means every faculty that
blessed us is going to create problem. The very tooth with
which we enjoyed all types delicious food can give trouble.
Similarly every joint because of which we are able to move in
life each joint can give us problem. The very heart which keep
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us going all the time can give us pressure. So therefore I
accept all of them at the level of the body. I don’t say that it is
unwelcome because body will have to have them. But at
आत्मा level I don’t own up, I reject. These two things are to
be done. अिात्मा दृि्या I accept, आत्मा दृि्या I don’t own
up, I reject. And that is what here the teacher is doing by
giving various adjectives. नवभुम्, निदािन्दम्, अरूपम्, अभुतम्.
Continuing;
उमासर्ायं परमेश्वरं प्रभुं नत्रलोििं िीलकण्ठं प्रशान्तम् ।
ध्यात्वा मुनिगव च्छनत भतू योनिं समस्तसानक्षं तमसिः परस्तात् ॥ ७
॥
Here some more words are there talking about the
nature of the Self. We will take up the last line where the word
भतू योनिम् is there. It is another name of आत्मि्. Literally
means the material cause of the whole universe. We had seen
this word in मुण्डकोपनिषत्
यिदद्रेश्यमग्राह्यमगोत्रमवणव -
मिक्षुिः श्रोत्रं तदपानणपादम् ।
नित्यं नवभुं सवव गतं सुसक्ष्ू मं
तदव्ययं यभत ू योनिं पररपश्यनन्त धीरािः ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् १-१-६
॥
योनि means literally womb. Here womb means material
cause, भतू means all beings. So भतू योनिम् means the material
cause of all the beings. But in the उपनिषत् normally ब्रह्मि्
alone is said to be the जगत्कारणम्. Here the teacher says I,
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the आत्मा am the जगत्कारणम्. What does it indicate? आत्मा
and ब्रह्मि् are identical. Then समस्तसानक्षम् – it is the witness
of everything as the िैतन्यम्, as the very Awareness. I am the
witness of everything in the creation. Then you may wonder
how can I say I am the witness of everything. After all I know
only a few little places, I can say I am the witness, the knower
of the things around my city, but the world is so vast how can
I be the witness of everything? Suppose I have not gone
abroad I am certainly not the witness of them, you may
wonder. Again this confusion comes because you look upon I,
the Awareness as the one contained in the individual mind.
But you should remember I am not the Awareness behind this
I alone but I am the Awareness behind all the minds. Behind
all the minds there is only one Awareness. Therefore I am
alone am witnessing everything through different minds.
Because we are used to identify with the individual mind we
always have a confusion. Because we think in terms of our
mind alone. Then naturally through this mind I have not
witnessed everything, a small portion of the universe alone I
have experienced through this mind. But remember I am the
one behind all the minds and therefore the witness of the
thought in your mind also I alone am, the witness of the
thought in her mind also I alone am, the witness of the thought
in देव’s mind I alone am. If there is an omniscient lord who
has got the cosmic mind and who has got the cosmic
knowledge even those things are illumined by one and the
same Awareness alone. And therefore I can very boldly say
that I am the witness of everything. Then you may ask in that
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case you must be a सवव ज्ञिः because you claim to be the witness
of everything? Yes. Then you must be a सवव ज्ञिः. Yes. Who
says I am not? Then suddenly you say to talk in Chinese.
Again you are getting confused when I say I am सवव ज्ञिः, I refer
to I, the िैतन्यम् who am omniscient not through one
individual mind but through all the minds. Therefore this one
mind will have its own limitation. Another mind has got its
own limitation. And therefore this mind may not know
Chinese. So I don’t claim सवव ज्ञत्वम् for my mind. For my
individual mind I don’t claim सवव ज्ञत्वम्. It doesn’t have
Chinese knowledge. But what I say is I am the िैतन्यम् who is
illumining all the knowledge in every mind. And therefore the
Russian knowledge in the Russian mind is also my knowledge
alone because I am illuminating the Russian knowledge in the
Russian mind. I am illuminating the Chinese knowledge in the
Chinese mind. And therefore different minds have got
different limitations but all the knowledge of all the mind
belongs to me, one uniform Awareness. It is like different
faculties of my different instruments, when I say I can write it
is from the standpoint of the hand I say I can write. Certainly
the leg will not be able to write. And when I say I can walk I
am talking it from the standpoint of my leg, no doubt leg
cannot write, hand cannot walk but both these powers belong
to me who is behind the writing hand and walking legs.
Similarly I am behind the Russian knowledge of a Russian, I
am behind the Chinese knowledge of a Chinese, I am behind
the medical knowledge of a doctor, I am behind the law
knowledge of a lawyer, I am behind the music knowledge of a
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musician. Therefore I say as िैतन्यम् I am omniscient, not as
an individual mind I am omniscient. So समस्तसानक्षम्. And
because of this reason only तमसिः परस्तात्. If I am the
witness of everything, I am the witness of ignorance also. तम
means अज्ञािम् or ignorance. And since I am the witness of
ignorance also I am untainted by the ignorance because the
witness is not affected by the witnessed. The properties of the
witnessed does not belong to the witness. So ignorance also is
the object of my knowledge, ignorance also is the object of
illumination and I am the illuminator of the ignorance and
therefore I am free from ignorance also. Thus the intellect
might have knowledge, the intellect might have ignorance, I
illumine the knowledge of the intellect, I illumine the
ignorance of the intellect, both the knowledge and ignorance
belong to the intellect only. I am the सानक्ष of both the
knowledge and ignorance. And therefore I am beyond
ignorance तमसिः परस्तात्. परस्तात् means beyond, unaffected
by, untainted by तमसिः ignorance. Till now the description of
the आत्मि् as identical with ब्रह्मि् was given. Now the
teacher comes down to the सगुणम् ब्रह्म. Till now the निगव ुण
aspect was glorified, अरूपम् and आनदमध्यान्तरानर्तम् etc.
Now he is coming down to the सगुणम् ब्रह्म especially as Lord
नशव. उमासर्ायं परमे श्वरं प्रभुं नत्रलोििं िीलकण्ठं प्रशान्तम्.
What is the nature of ब्रह्मि्, सगुणम् ब्रह्म? He is उमासर्ाय –
the consort of उमादेवी, पावव तीपनत. And he is the परमेश्वरम् –
supreme Lord of the creation, and that means प्रभुम् – He is the
Lord, the most powerful. प्रभवनत means सवव शनक्तमाि्. प्रभवनत
means capable. Then नत्रलोििम् – the आत्मा is the three eye,
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the Lord. In the scriptures the three eyes are described as सय ू व,
िन्द्र and अनग्ििः. सयू व and िन्द्र are the two eyes – the right and
the left. And अनग्ि is supposed to be the third eye of Lord
नशव. But this is symbolic representation, the meaning is this.
The सय ू व and िन्द्र stand for व्यावर्ाररक दृनि, seeing the
normal creation of िामरूप. And the third eye अनग्ि stands for
the पारमानर्व क ज्ञािम्, सवव त्र ब्रह्म दशव िम्, the eye of wisdom,
ज्ञाििक्षुिः. So अनग्ि represents ज्ञाििक्षुिः, सय ू व and िन्द्र
represent व्यावर्ाररकिक्षुिः. One is meant to see the िामरूपs,
other is meant to see the content behind the िामरूपs. Thus the
Lord has three eyes. नत्रनण लोििानि यस्य सिः नत्रलोिििः तम्.
िीलकण्ठम् – the one who is blue necked Lord. He drank the
poison during समुद्रमन्र्ि and stopped it in the neck, and
therefore िीलकण्ठ. This is the Puranic interpretation. Or we
can look as the cosmic Lord where the िील आकाश
represents the neck of the Lord and the region behind it, the
heavens is the head of the Lord
अग्िीमव ध
ू ाव िक्षुषी िन्द्रसय ू ौ नदशिः श्रोत्रे वानग्ववतृ ाि वेदािः ॥
मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-१-४ ॥
That region beyond the sky is the head of the Lord and the
िील आकाश is the neck of the Lord and िक्षत्रम् etc., are the
मालाs िक्षत्रं पुष्पमाल्यं ग्रर्गणकुसुमं िन्द्रवह्नन्यकविेत्रम्. And
therefore we can see as the description of the cosmic Lord
also. And प्रशान्तम् – the one who is ever tranquil, ever with
himself. Why should the teacher suddenly come down to
सगुण ईश्वर while we are talking about निनदध्यासिम्?
निनदध्यासिम् is purely निगव ुणं ब्रह्म ध्यािम् or निगव ुण
आत्मध्यािम्. We can see this from two standpoints. One is to
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teach two different types of students. अनधकारर भेदम्. That if a
person has not reached the level of निगव ुण ध्यािम्, then let
him practice उपासि and then come to वेदान्त श्रवणमििानि.
Thus उपासि is an intermediary step. सगुण ध्यािम् is not a
replacement for निगव ुण ध्यािम्. सगुण ध्यािम् is a preparation
for निगव ुण ध्यािम्. If you say I am not prepared throughout
my life then next birth better luck. Because मोक्ष is only when
I understand the absolute. So thus one interpretation is for
मन्दमध्यम अनधकारर. The second interpretation is like this.
Even after coming to निगव ुणं ब्रह्म we should remember that
this निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone which is described as सत्यम्, ज्ञािम्,
अरूपम्, अग्राह्यम्, अस्पशव म्, etc., is appearing as every सगुण
ईश्वर, सगुण जगत् and सगुण जीव. The fundamental three
सगुण वस्तुs – जीव, ईश्वर and जगत्. Thus all the three सगुण
वस्तुs which are in the व्यावर्ाररक plane, जीव as the doer,
ईश्वर as the कमव फलदाता and जगत् as the field of action, all
these differences are nothing but िामरूप भेदs superimposed
on this one निगव ुणं ब्रह्म. Why should we do that? What is the
purpose of doing that? Otherwise there will be a problem.
Because for निगव ुण ध्यािम् the student has withdrawn his
attention from the world.
कैवल्योपनिषत् ५ ॥
So he has withdrawn his attention from the people, world,
from sense objects, and he is meditating on the िैतन्यम्, the
निगव ुणं ब्रह्म then he can have a problem. This निगव ुण िैतन्यम्
is different and the world that I have withdrawn from is
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another different entity. Isn’t it true? when I look at this
direction I see this person and when I turn I see another
person, what is my idea? To see this person I am looking in
this direction, in that direction there is a person, in this
direction another person, so two persons are there. Similarly I
will think if I open my eyes I am seeing a world, which is one
thing, and to see निगव ुणं ब्रह्म turn the attention away from the
world then I have निगव ुण ध्यािम्. Then I may conclude that
निगव ुणं ब्रह्म is one thing and the people, world and the Lord are
another thing. Again द्वैतम् may come. So some people
meditate on सगुण, some people meditate on निगव ुण, so there
are two सगुण and निगव ण ु . Now that idea must go that the very
निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone with one type of िामरूप is becoming ईश्वर.
So निगव ुणं ब्रह्म plus िामरूप – one type of िामरूप is ईश्वर,
निगव ुणं ब्रह्म plus another type of िामरूप is जगत्, निगव ुणं ब्रह्म
plus another type of िामरूप is जीव. And therefore there is
neither जीव nor जगत् nor ईश्वर. Very difficult to say but we
have to say. There is neither जीव nor जगत् nor ईश्वर other
than this one निगव ुणं ब्रह्म. It is like this that initially we say
ocean is ईश्वर, the creator; waves are जीवs, the created; thus
ocean is the creator and waves are created, this relationship,
भेद we have. But later having withdrawn our attention from
wave and ocean we arrived at the water and afterwards we
again come to the statement that water alone with one िामरूप
appears as ocean, water alone with another िामरूप is
appearing as wave. In the same way निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone is
falsely appearing as जीव, जगत् and ईश्वर. निगव ुण is the reality
and सगुण is the appearance. निगव ुण is the सत्यम् and सगुण is
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the नमथ्या. निगव ुण is independently existent and सगुण
depends upon निगव ुण. Then alone अद्वैतम् will come. Ok, why
should there be अद्वैतम्? Remember only when I know that I
am the निगव ुणं ब्रह्म and the world does not stand separate from
me, then alone I will not be afraid of the world. I should know
that I am the water appearing as different wave, there is no
second thing other than me. Similarly I am one िैतन्यम्, all
people are nothing but me plus different types of िामरूपs.
This will be very clearly said later
मय्येव सकलं जातं मनय सवं प्रनतनष्ठतम् ।
मनय सवं लयं यानत तद्ब्रह्माद्वयमस्म्यर्म् ॥ कैवल्योपनिषत्१९
॥
A very great statement. I am the िैतन्यम् in which ईश्वर also
resolves along with that जगत् and all the जीवs. But I the
अनधष्ठाि िैतन्यम् am secondless. Only when this vision is
there I am not frightened of another thing because there is no
another things at all. And that is called कैवल्यम्. That is why
this उपनिषत् is called कैवल्योपनिषत्. So thus we come
down to सगुण ईश्वर to understand that सगुण ईश्वर does not
exist separate from निगव ुण, and the सगुण ईश्वर includes the
जगत् and जीव also. That is the reason ब्रह्मा comes down to
सगुण ईश्वर. And such a निगव ुणं ब्रह्म ध्यात्वा – one should
meditate upon. This is called निनदध्यासिम्. The one who
meditates is called मुनििः. मििात् ध्यािात् मुनििः. Here मुनििः
means the one who does मििम्, i.e., ध्यािम्. So whoever
does निनदध्यासिम् is मुनििः even if he is a गर्ृ स्र्, ब्रह्मिारर,
वािप्रस्र् or सन्न्यानस.
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And now comes the फलम्, the benefit. गच्छनत – he
attains. What? The same ब्रह्मि्. Then again all these words we
have to repeat. Having meditated on निगव ुणं ब्रह्म he attains
निगव ुणं ब्रह्म. Previously we said नवशदं, नवशोकम् etc. नवशदं
ध्यात्वा नवशदं गच्छनत. आिन्दं ध्यात्वा आिन्दं गच्छनत. ब्रह्म
ध्यात्वा ब्रह्म गच्छनत. So all these words we have to repeat
twice. Having meditated on ब्रह्मि् he attains ब्रह्मि्. In short,
he becomes what he meditates upon. ब्रह्मनवद् ब्रह्मैव भवनत.
Here also ‘he becomes what he meditates upon’ confusion
may come. There is no question of becoming. He has owned
his ब्रह्मि् nature. By meditation he is owning back his real
nature. Therefore it is not becoming something else, but he
had become by identifying with the wrong self, therefore he
becomes, he owns up his own true nature. It is like the
dreamer becoming the waker. In fact all the time he is the
waker alone. And still I say he becomes waker because
temporarily he has forgotten his wakerhood and he has
wrongly owned the dreamerhood. Therefore becoming the
waker is owning back the real wakerhood. Similarly becoming
ब्रह्मि् means owning back the real ब्रह्मि्hood. And that is
what is written here as गच्छनत – he attains, he discovers his
oneness with ब्रह्मि्. Continuing;
स ब्रह्मा स नशविः सेन्द्रिः सोऽक्षरिः परमिः स्वराट् ।
स एव नवष्णुिः स प्राणिः स कालोऽनग्ििः स िन्द्रमािः ॥ ८ ॥
So previously it was said that निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone appears
as सगुण नशविः. Then we may think that निगव ुणं ब्रह्म becomes
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नशव only. Therefore here he says in fact, निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone is
नशव, निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone is नवष्णुिः, निगव ुणं ब्रह्म alone is इन्द्रिः,
प्राणिः, कालिः, in short, everything. So thus by itself आत्मा is
neither नशव nor नवष्णु nor ब्रह्मा nor इन्द्र, not any particular
deity. But आत्मा alone appears as all particular deities. This is
known as सवाव त्मभाविः. Therefore he says स ब्रह्मा – आत्मा
alone is ितुमव ुख ब्रह्मा, the creator. And स नशविः – with another
िामरूप आत्मा alone appears as नशव, then स इन्द्रिः – आत्मा
alone is इन्द्रिः, then स एव नवष्णुिः – आत्मा alone is appearing as
नवष्णुिः, then स प्राणिः – आत्मा alone is appearing as प्राणिः, स
कालिः – आत्मा alone is appearing as time, अनग्ििः – fire,
िन्द्रमािः – moon. So thus one आत्मा alone is appearing as all
the सगुण देवताs. And minus िामरूपs the very same आत्मा is
अक्षरिः. अक्षरिः is in its original form, the imperishable truth,
परमिः – the supreme truth, स्वराट् – the Self-effulgent truth. So
that आत्मा alone is imperishable, supreme and Self-effulgent
minus िामरूप. अक्षरिः, परमिः and स्वराट् refers to free from
िामरूप, all other words refer to िामरूप सनर्तम्. Thus one
आत्मा alone in its original form is निगव ुण and with िामरूप
appears as ब्रह्मा, नवष्णुिः and नशविः. That is why for an अद्वैनति्
all deities are equally same. He can happily go to नशव temple
and worship, he can happily go to नवष्णु temple and worship,
he can go to even temples of other religion and worship. No
problem. Because all gods of all religion are different
िामरूपs upon one आत्मा. but the moment you are attached to
one सगुण ईश्वर then comes all the problems. First the
question comes नवष्णु is great or नशव is great. Naturally we
have to compare. Then you will become either नशवभक्त hating
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नवष्णु or vice versa and quarrelling each other. अद्वैनति् will
laugh at the whole ridiculous drama because all are attached to
the names and forms. The content behind all of them is one
Lord alone. Therefore we can worship any lord in any form or
we can be established in the formless also because ultimately
there is only one. More in the next class.
पण
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मन्त्र 07 & 08 Continuing;
उमासर्ायं परमेश्वरं प्रभुं नत्रलोििं िीलकण्ठं प्रशान्तम् ।
ध्यात्वा मुनिगव च्छनत भतू योनिं समस्तसानक्षं तमसिः परस्तात् ॥ ७
॥
स ब्रह्मा स नशविः सेन्द्रिः सोऽक्षरिः परमिः स्वराट् ।
स एव नवष्णुिः स प्राणिः स कालोऽनग्ििः स िन्द्रमािः ॥ ८ ॥
Here the teacher points out that the one निगव ुणं ब्रह्म
which was meditated by the seeker alone is in the form of all
देवताs. There is no difference at all between ब्रह्मि् and देवताs
because the same ब्रह्मि् associated with different िामरूपs
appears as different types of देवताs. And therefore the teacher
tells here स ब्रह्मा, स नशविः, स नवष्णुिः, प्राणिः, कालिः, अनग्ििः,
िन्द्रमािः. In short, the whole creation is nothing but ब्रह्मि् with
different िामरूपs. This alone we generally classify into three.
One is the ईश्वर, the Lord, another is the जगत,् the world and
the third is the जीव, the individual. The whole creation is
nothing but जीवजगदीश्वर. And all the three are सगुणम् only,
endowed with properties. And therefore we say all the three
are nothing but ब्रह्मि् with different िामरूपs. And if ईश्वर is
superior it is only because the िामरूपs on the part of ईश्वर is
superior, it is उत्कृि िामरूप. And if you come to जीव it is
inferior because it has got lower िामरूपs. Thus the
superiority or inferiority belongs to िामरूपs alone. ब्रह्मि् is
the same in all. And therefore we should also remember that
there is neither ईश्वर nor जीव nor जगत् existing independent
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of ब्रह्मि्. All the three are dependent on ब्रह्मि् alone. And
because of the same reason all the three are considered to be
नमथ्या only. They have got only relative reality. None of the
three is absolutely real. Neither ईश्वर is absolutely real nor
जीव is absolutely real nor जगत् is absolutely real. Then what
is absolutely real? When you remove the िामरूपs from all the
three – ईश्वर minus ईश्वर िामरूप, जीव minus जीव िामरूप,
जगत् minus जगत् िामरूप – then what is left out is the
absolute reality which is neither ईश्वर nor जीव nor जगत.्
जीवजगदीश्वर अनधष्ठािम् जीवजगदीश्वर नवलक्षणम्. It is the
substratum of all the three, it is different from all the three. So
this statement alone creates a lot fear in many people because
we say that ईश्वर also is not absolutely real. Generally we are
taught respect ईश्वर, glorify ईश्वर. And when we reach the
maximum height we say that even ईश्वर is not absolutely real.
This creates some kind of fear in some people. When we say
ईश्वर is not real remember we are not dismissing ईश्वर totally.
ईश्वर’s ईश्वरत्वम् that status is only form the standpoint of
जीव. And therefore that status alone we are dismissing. Once
the ईश्वरत्वम् status is gone what is left out is ब्रह्मि्. Similarly
जीव is unreal means जीव’s जीवत्वम् is unreal and remove the
जीवत्वम् what is there is ब्रह्मि्. Similarly when we say जगत्
is unreal it is जगत्त्वम् that is unreal remove that status what is
left out is ब्रह्मि.् The status is the relative one, but the content
is the absolute. So ईश्वरत्वम् is a status caused by िामरूप it is
unreal, जीवत्वम् is a status caused by िामरूप it is unreal and
जगत्त्वम् is a status caused by िामरूप it is unreal. Once the
िामरूपs removed the statuses are also removed then there is
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only ईश्वरत्व, जीवत्व, जगत्त्व रनर्तं ब्रह्मि्. If you want an
example you should remember whenever I say wave is unreal
I don’t dismiss the whole thing as unreal. I dismiss only
wave’s waveness as unreal. The content of the wave the water
I never dismiss as unreal. Wave’s waveness is unreal, ocean’s
oceanness is unreal. Once you remove the waveness from the
wave, oceanness from the ocean what is left out is the water.
And wave’s waveness is because of िामरूप, ocean’s
oceanness is because of िामरूप, once you remove the
िामरूप wave’s waveness is gone, ocean’s oceanness is gone
what is left out is the water which is neither wave nor ocean
but the content of both of them. Similarly we say ईश्वर is
नमथ्या what we mean is ईश्वर’s ईश्वरत्वम् is नमथ्या, the content
is ब्रह्मि्. In the same way the others also. And therefore स एव
नवष्णुिः, स प्राणिः, स कालिः, अनग्ििः, िन्द्रमािः. And this is
ascertained because of another reason also. See even if we
meditate upon the निगव ुणम् afterwards again we have to live in
the same सगुण प्रपञ्ि alone. So here we have to see two
things. Normally suppose we are experiencing the dream on
waking up we have come to the waker, the अनधष्ठािम् and the
dream world completely disappears. We have no problem. So
dream is an example where it completely disappears the
moment we come to the waking, the अनधष्ठािम्. But in the
case of ब्रह्मि् there is a difference. Even if we do
श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम् and we come to the अनधष्ठािम् ब्रह्म
this world does not disappear. As long as प्रार्ध is there the
experience of the सगुण will continue even if you know निगव ुण
अनधष्ठािम्. So in some cases after knowing the अनधष्ठािम्
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the other one disappears like dream. On knowing the waker
dream disappears, on knowing the rope snake disappears, but
on knowing ब्रह्मि् the world does not disappear, even though
world is नमथ्या, even though ब्रह्मि् is सत्यम्. Similarly here
also even after meditating on अद्वैतं ब्रह्म I will have to come
down to day-to-day affairs where द्वैतं जगत् will continue to
be experienced. And the problem is the moment we come to
द्वैतं जगत् we tend to forget all the Vedantic teaching, again
we come back to the duality of various relationships. The
relative-I creeps in and relationships and relationship’s
problems, relationship born tensions and worries and anxieties
and irritations all of them will continue. Therefore in
meditation not only should I see the निगव ुणम् but I should see
that all the सगुणम्s are only व्यावर्ाररकम्, they are all नमथ्या.
Not only should I see the सत्यत्वम् of निगव ण ु ं ब्रह्म I should
also see the नमथ्यात्वम् of all सगुणम्s, all duality, all
relationships, all individualities, all transactions, they are all
nothing but िामरूपs. I should not give too much of
importance to them. And if that नमथ्यात्वम् is remembered the
ups and downs in व्यावर्ार will not affect me because I should
remember they are all at िामरूपs level and at निगव ुणं ब्रह्म
level there is nothing disturbed. And that is why the teacher
particularly emphasizes कालिः, the time. We know how time
can create a lot of anxiety. In fact all our anxieties are based
on time. ‘Tomorrow what will happen? What will be result of
this?’ when you think of it is again problem caused by time.
When you are growing old it is problem caused by time. Time
alone is causing havoc and therefore the teacher says
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remember कालिः also is िामरूप and therefore cause and effect
are िामरूपs, present, past and future are िामरूपs, birth and
death are all िामरूपs, divisions are all िामरूपs and they are
all नमथ्या superimposed on ब्रह्मि् which is beyond time,
beyond space, beyond divisions. And when I remember this
and do व्यावर्ार that also becomes another type of meditation.
Previously I practiced the meditation with closed eyes, now
during व्यावर्ार I am practicing meditation with open eyes,
when I remember that all these changes that are happening in
my life they are all changes at िामरूप level which are
inevitable. I appreciate the growth, I appreciate the decay, I
appreciate association, I appreciate dissociation, I appreciate
birth and death, I appreciate all these phenomenon as a play on
the screen on ब्रह्मि्. That is called open eye meditation.
Continuing;
स एव सवं यभत ू ं यच्ि भव्यं सिातिम् ।
ज्ञात्वा तं मत्ृ युमत्येनत िान्यिः पन्र्ा नवमुक्तये ॥ ९ ॥
In the previous मन्त्र it was said that ब्रह्मि् alone is
ब्रह्मा, नशविः, नवष्णुिः, प्राणिः, कालिः, etc. There only a few things
were enumerated. Then the teacher gets tired of enumeration
because everything is ब्रह्मि् plus िामरूप. Therefore he makes
a general statement whatever was in the past, whatever is in
the present and whatever will be in the future everything is
nothing but ब्रह्मि् with different िामरूप. That is said here,
यत् भत ू म् – in the past, भव्यम् means in the future, and you
have to supply the present, it is not mentioned in the मन्त्र. So
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whatever was in the past, present and future सवं स एव – all of
them are nothing but ब्रह्मि्. Just as water alone in the past
waves, in the present waves as well as in the future waves in
the ocean. The word past, present and future can never be
applied with respect to ब्रह्मि्. With respect to a िामरूप you
can ask it was, it is and it will be. And you will find that all
the िामरूपs will go through these three stages. Now we are,
previously we were not and after sometime whether we like or
not this form will not be. We have got a past, we have got a
present and we will have a future as िामरूपs. And since
ब्रह्मि् is the अनधष्ठािम् for all these three you cannot say It is
past, present or future. And that is why we say It is
कालातीतिः. And that is the reason that िनिकेतस् asked the
question in कठोपनिषत्
अन्यत्र भत
ू ाच्ि भव्याच्ि यित्पश्यनस तद्वद ॥ कठोपनिषत् १-२-
१४ ॥
अन्यत्र भतू ाच्ि भव्याच्ि what is it which is beyond past,
present and future. That which is the अनधष्ठािम् of past,
present and future is beyond past, present and future. And
therefore it is सिातिम् – unconditioned by time,
unconditioned by past, present and future. Now hereafter the
फलश्रुनत is going to come. ज्ञात्वा तं मत्ृ युमत्येनत – having
known this ब्रह्मि् one goes beyond मत्ृ यु, death. अमत ृ ािः
भवनन्त – they become immortal. What is the reason? Because
they no more identify with िामरूपs, they will identify with
the content of the िामरूपs alone. It is सनच्िदािन्दिः. So
therefore when they use the word I they will not associate I
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with any name and form. In fact any qualification you add you
are associating with िामरूप. When you say I am a male or
female, it is associated with a physical body – one िामरूप.
Similarly intellectual property, mental property, anyone of
them you identify with you will have decay and changes, if
you have got a physical properties that is constantly changing
अनस्त जायते वधव ते नवपररणमते अपक्षीयते नविश्यनत. But when
I is associated with सनच्ित् आत्मा then I am free from the
mortality belonging to िामरूपs. Therefore the फलम् is
अमत ृ त्वम्, immortality or मोक्ष. And now the उपनिषत्
emphasizes that by this knowledge alone मोक्ष is possible.
Because otherwise I will think that this is one of the path for
liberation. Many people think that ज्ञािम् is one of the path for
liberation and there are so many paths. They always give the
example ‘all roads lead to Rome.’ Just as we can reach this
place from different routes, similarly मोक्ष can be reached by
many मागव s. There is a misconception, the उपनिषत् says this
is not true. There is only one मागव and that मागव is ज्ञािम् and
ज्ञािम् alone. And therefore अन्यिः पन्र्ा नवमुक्तये ि अनस्त –
for liberation there is no other मागव . Because in all other मागव s
I will retain my िामरूपs, identification with िामरूपs I retain
in all other मागव s. In कमव मागव I remain a कताव all the time
associated with various instruments, I will have to be a कताव , a
doer who is certainly associated with physical body िामरूप,
mind body िामरूप etc. In the case of भनक्तमागव also I am very
much identified as a भक्त and looking upon ईश्वर as another
person. I have got distinction between myself and the Lord, I
am a भक्त and the Lord is ईश्वर. Here also I have not dropped
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िामरूप because if I have dropped the िामरूप the division of
भक्त and ईश्वर would not be there at all. The very division is
created because of िामरूप भेद alone. Therefore even in भनक्त
I will retain my individuality, my specialty as different from
ईश्वर, not only as different from ईश्वर, different from other
भक्तs also. So in भनक्त also िामरूप individuality is retained.
What about योग or any other method? A योनग is all the time
busy with adjusting the नििवनृ ि. The very definition of योग
is नििवनृ ि निरोधिः. So he is also associated with the mind
िामरूपs. And therefore none of them drop their individuality.
Whereas ज्ञािम् is the only place where you systematically
negate all the individuality as नमथ्या. And remain as सनच्ित्
आत्मा. And therefore there is no other मागव . Then does it
mean that we condemn all other मागव s? We don’t accept कमव ,
भनक्त, योग. No. We accept कमव , भनक्त, योग very much but
what we say is they all make us prepared for ज्ञािम्. They will
bring us to the door step of ज्ञािम्, to that extent they are all
useful. That means they are all indirectly useful. Just as the
leaf is indirectly useful in removing our hunger. How does a
leaf remove our hunger? The leaf is only spread down and the
food is served on that, food alone removes the hunger, leaf
does not remove the hunger. But that does not mean leaf is not
necessary because we require something to serve. So leaf is
going to help but in an indirect manner. Similarly कमव gives
नििशुनद्ध, उपासि gives िैिल्यम्, and योग gives the control
over the mind, शम, दम, etc. But none of them can give
liberation at all. They all put us into the door step of ज्ञािम्
and they will go away. Then we have to go to
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तनद्वनद्ध प्रनणपातेि पररप्रश्नेि सेवया ।
उपदेक्ष्यनन्त ते ज्ञािं ज्ञानििस्तत्त्वदनशव ििः ॥ गीता ४-३४ ॥
Or
तनद्वज्ञािार्ं स गुरुमेवानभगच्छे त् सनमत्पानणिः श्रोनत्रयं
ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् १-२-१२ ॥
Therefore the idea is no other मागव is for मोक्ष, there are many
मागव s for preparation, but there are not many मागव s for मोक्ष.
For concentration itself you can have any number of methods,
for the expansion of the mind you have so many methods and
for even service you have so many methods; thus there are
varieties of methods for नििशुनद्ध, varieties of methods for
निििैिल्यम्, varieties of methods for निि नवशालता but for
मोक्ष there is only method and that is ज्ञािम्. So the उपनिषत्
makes it very clear, this is a very important line शङ्करािायव
often quotes. It comes in पुरुषसक्त
ू म् also.
तमेवं नवद्वाि् अमत
ृ इर् भवनत । िान्यिः पन्र्ािः नवद्यतेऽयिाय ॥
पुरुषसक्त
ू म् १७ ॥
Because many people say that there are many मागव s so
शङ्करािायव often quotes this that it is not true. And the
teacher is emphasizing the same point once again that ज्ञािात्
एव तु कैवल्यम्. There should not be any doubt in this regard.
सवव भत
ू स्र्मात्मािं सवव भतू ानि िात्मनि ।
सम्पश्यन्ब्रह्म परमं यानत िान्येि र्े तुिा ॥ १० ॥
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This line reminds us of the sixth chapter of the गीता ॥
गीता ६-२९ ॥, the first line occurs there. Only the second line
is different. The sixth chapter says
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सवव त्र समदशव ििः ॥ गीता ६-२९ ॥
Whereas here it is different. So सवव भतू स्र्मात्मािं पश्यनत. So
ज्ञानि is one who sees the Self as present in all beings, i.e., the
िैतन्यम् in this individual body, i.e., I, the Consciousness
behind my body is the same as the Consciousness in all the
bodies.
नवद्यानवियसम्पन्िे ब्राह्मणे गनव र्नस्तनि ॥ गीता ५-१८ ॥
क्षेत्रज्ञं िानप मां नवनद्ध सवव क्षेत्रेषु भारत ॥ गीता १३-२ ॥
Why this is said? Because generally what we experience is in
this physical body िैतन्यम् is experienced, in-between I don’t
see any Consciousness at all. And again there is another body
where Consciousness is manifest. And in-between there is no
Consciousness. I experience Consciousness only in the
physical body. Therefore one may think that there are many
Consciousnesses in each and every physical body. Thus one
may conclude plurality of िैतन्यम् because of the plurality of
अिात्माs. And this is not a common man mistake, this mistake
has been committed by even great philosophers. According to
िैय्यनयक’s तकवशास्त्रम् आत्मा in everyone is different.
According to योग philosophy आत्मा in everyone is different.
According to साङ््य philosophy आत्मा in everyone is
different. Why even according to नवनशिाद्वैनत, द्वैनत, etc., also
आत्मा is different from individual to individual. Thus they say
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there are many आत्माs. So this confusion is there even at
higher level. And therefore that has to be removed. There are
many bodies and each body the आत्मा is manifest but the
आत्मा is only one which is everywhere. Then if you ask why
is it that I don’t experience the आत्मा in-between, then we will
say that in-between the िैतन्यम् is in unmanifest form,
wherever the body is the िैतन्यम् is in manifest form, but
िैतन्यम् is the all-pervading one manifest in some places and
unmanifest in some other places. Just as the current is
everywhere and manifest only where the bulbs are present.
The one who recognizes the Self behind the body to be the
Self behind all the bodies and this alone we call as प्रत्यक्
आत्मा. And he says सवव भत ू ानि िात्मनि – the one who
recognizes all the beings to be based on the आत्मा. That is
first we say आत्मा is in the body and later we say body is in
आत्मा. See how we shift out view! First we say आत्मा is in
your body. That is how we begin our teaching. And later we
say in fact आत्मा is not in your body but all the bodies are in
the आत्मा. Just like saying space is there within the room.
Don’t we say? As we enter the room there is enough space in
the room. This is how we start. We introduce the space as
something within the room. And later we say in fact space is
not in the room, all rooms are in the space. When you say it is
the space in the room you call it प्रत्यक्. When you say rooms
are in the space we call it परम्. प्रत्यक् आत्मा, परमात्मा.
When you say िैतन्यम् is in body it is called प्रत्यगात्मा and
when you say bodies are in िैतन्यम्, the िैतन्यम् is called
परमात्मा. Really प्रत्यगात्मा and परमात्मा are one and the
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same. In fact these are the two stages through which we go.
Initially no teacher reveals िैतन्यम् as परमात्मा. he begins
with त्वं पद नविार and in त्वं पद नविार he introduces the body
and then he introduces the िैतन्यम् within the body. And once
you have understood the िैतन्यम् then he says the िैतन्यम् is
not only in the body but िैतन्यम् is all-pervading. And once
you have understood the िैतन्यम् as all-pervading he will say
that body is in िैतन्यम्. Do you understand these four steps?
First he introduces the body, then reveals the िैतन्यम् in the
body, then he says िैतन्यम् is all-pervading, then he says body
is in िैतन्यम्. In the first stage we call it प्रत्यगात्मा, i.e., त्वं
पद नविार, and in the last stage we have come to परमात्मा
which is तत् पदम्. Thus starting from त्वं पद we arrive at तत्
पद. We say I am in the body and finally we say all bodies are
in me. मय्येव सकलं जातं मनय सवं प्रनतनष्ठतम्. Thus two
beautiful statements सवव भत ू स्र्म् प्रत्यगात्मािम् सवव भत ू ानि
परमात्मनि. प्रत्यगात्म-परमात्म ऐक्यम् यिः पश्यनत. So the one
who sees the प्रत्यगात्म-परमात्म ऐक्यम् सिः परमं ब्रह्म यानत –
such a person attains परमं ब्रह्म. परमम् means उत्कृिम्, the
absolute. And again the उपनिषत् emphasizes िान्येि र्े तुिा –
not by any other means you can attain this. ज्ञािम् एव एकिः
मागव िः. The same idea is put in another way in another
उपनिषत्; very interesting. To point out that the ज्ञािम् is the
only मागव the उपनिषत् says you can get मोक्ष without ज्ञािम्
only under one condition.
यदा िमव वदाकाशं वेिनयष्यनन्त मािवािः । तदा देवमनवज्ञाय
दुिःखस्यान्तो भनवष्यनत ॥ श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषत् ६-२० ॥
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If you can fold the space like िमव , the skin on that space you
can get मोक्ष without ज्ञािम्. Just as you can never fold the
space like the skin, similarly you can never get मोक्ष without
ज्ञािम्. Thus in all उपनिषत्s this is emphasized ज्ञािम् is the
only मागव . Continuing;
ज्ञािनिमव र्िाभ्यासात्पाशं दर्नत पनण्डतिः ॥ ११ ॥
With the previous मन्त्र the निनदध्यासिम् फलम् topic
also is over. निनदध्यासिम् was started from fifth मन्त्र and
later निनदध्यासिम् फलम् was given. So both the
निनदध्यासिम् and फलम् are over. Now from the eleventh
मन्त्र onwards about श्रवणम् is talked about. Here the श्रवणम् is
put in a peculiar way by giving an example of kindling the
fire. In the olden days especially for the यागs and यज्ञs the
fire is kindled by rubbing two wooden pieces to each other.
And especially the अरनण wood is used for kindling the fire.
There will be two pieces of wood. The lower अरनण wood on
the base with a hole and upper अरनण wood which will be
fitting in the hole of the lower one. The upper अरनण wood is
called उिर अरनण. The lower अरनण wood is called अधो अरनण.
This upper one has to be churned. And because of the friction
the fire sparks come. And in that fire they will keep the cotton
or something like that which will quickly catch fire. And this
fire is taken and used for यागs. The churning is called
निमव र्िम्. Here what all things are there? There is one अधो
अरनण which is stationary, there is an उिर अरनण which is
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churned and there is a churning process and as a result of this
churning process the fire comes. These are the four things
which we will have to remember. Now in this मन्त्र the lower
wood is compared to the mind of the seeker, the student. And
the upper wood is the वेदान्त वाक्यs, the गुरु उपदेशम्. The
churning process is the enquiry, analyzing the वाक्यs which
we have seen as the उपक्रमानद षड्नलङ्गैिः वेदान्त वाक्यािाम्
तात्पयव निियिः. Like to analyze the meaning of the sentences
repeatedly going backward and forward, what was said
previously, what is said later, by comparing and by analyzing
try to know the meaning is the churning process. and As a
result of this नविार churning what comes is the fire of
knowledge. ज्ञािम् is the fire. And in this मन्त्र that alone is
said अधो अरनण is आत्मा which is mind in this context, and
उिर अरनण is the वेदान्त वाक्यs but here the teacher says
ॐकार as a representative of all वेदान्त वाक्यs. Therefore
ॐकार is the upper अरनण. And ज्ञािनिमव र्िाभ्यासात् – the
practice of ज्ञाियोग, i.e., श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम् is the
निमव र्िम् – the churning. And the fire is the knowledge that
comes out. And the fire will burn down the fuel. Similarly this
ज्ञाि fire will burn down all the bonds of संसार. पाशं दर्नत –
it burns down the पाश, the bondage of संसार. This is the
meaning of संसार. More in the next class.
पण
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ज्ञािनिमव र्िाभ्यासात्पाशं दर्नत पनण्डतिः ॥ ११ ॥
In this मन्त्र वेदान्त श्रवणम् etc., are symbolically
represented as the churning of अरनण pieces for producing the
fire. And in this comparison the lower piece of अरनण wood
which remains stationary is compared to the बुनद्ध or
अन्तिःकरणम्. आत्मािमरनणं कृत्वा. अरनण here refers to the
अधो अरनण, the lower stationary piece of अरनण wood. And the
word आत्मािम् means अन्तिःकरणम्. And over the lower
अरनण another upper अरनण piece is placed and that is churned
to produce the fire. The upper अरनण is compared to प्रणव,
ॐकार. In the last class we saw that प्रणव represents all the
वेदान्त वाक्यs. And just as the upper अरनण is churned,
similarly the वेदान्त वाक्यs are put in the mind and analyzed.
The analysis of वेदान्त वाक्यs is churning. For example when
you analyze the तिमनस मर्ावाक्य you take the तत् पदम् and
go on analyzing and you see there is a वाच्यार्व म् which is
सगुणम् and on further analysis you arrive at the लक्ष्यार्व म्
which is the शुद्धिैतन्यम्. So how are you able to arrive at the
शुद्धिैतन्यम्? By analyzing the तत् पदम्. How तत् पदम्
refers to ईश्वर, how ईश्वर is जगत्कारणम् and how
जगत्कारणम् is सत् स्वरूपम्, all this analysis is churning the
तत् पद alone. And what you arrive at is the changeless सत्.
Similarly you take the त्वं पद, the जीव and go on churning and
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analyzing and on each analysis अन्िमय कोश is negated,
प्राणमय कोश, मिोमय कोश, the अवस्र्ात्रयम्, the शरीरत्रयम्,
all these are negated and as a result of analysis you arrive at
the िैतन्यम्. तत् refers to सत्, सत्यम् and त्वम् refers to नित्
and then अनस means the identity between सत्, the pure
existence and नित्, the pure awareness. There is only one
सनच्ित् आत्मा. This we cannot get by superficially studying
the text or taking simple translations we cannot arrive at the
meaning. If you translate it will say That Thou Art. You Are
That. More than that nothing can be arrived at, but when you
do the churning the meaning of you is not the body, not the
mind, not the intellect but the Awareness behind it. Similarly
that ईश्वर doesn’t refer to सवव ज्ञिः सवेश्वरिः, they are all
िामरूपs. Behind the िामरूप there is again िैतन्यम्. And this
process of analysis is known as churning with वेदान्त वाक्यs.
And not only that I said प्रणव can be taken as all the वेदान्त
वाक्यs or alternatively the प्रणव can be taken as ॐकार itself.
So even then the meaning will fit in. प्रणवं उिरारनणम् if you
take as ॐकार only and not all other वेदान्त वाक्यs still you
can interpret that it is the churning of ॐकार. In the first
interpretation ॐकार represents all वेदान्त वाक्यs, in the
second interpretation ॐकार can be taken as ॐकार itself. So
in this interpretation it will be analysis of not all वेदान्त
वाक्यs but analysis of ॐकार itself becomes the churning.
And even the analysis of ॐकार will lead to आत्मज्ञािम्.
Thus whether it is the analysis of all वेदान्त वाक्यs or whether
it is the analysis of ॐकार itself both of them will lead to
आत्मज्ञािम्. How the analysis of ॐकार will lead to
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आत्मज्ञािम्, if you ask, that alone is dealt within the
माण्डूक्योपनिषत्. How ॐकार is divided into अकार, उकार,
मकार and later the silence. अकार representing the स्र्ल ू
प्रपञ्ि, उकार representing the सक्ष्ू म प्रपञ्ि, मकार
representing the कारण प्रपञ्ि, and the final silence
representing the तुरीयम्, the िैतन्यम्. Thus by the analysis of
ॐकार itself we can do अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक, शरीरत्रय नववेक,
प्रपञ्ित्रय नववेक, गुणत्रय नववेक. So you can imagine if one
entire उपनिषत् is dedicated it shows that ॐकार analysis can
lead us to knowledge. And therefore taking the बुनद्ध as the
lower अरनण and taking the ॐकार itself as the upper अरनण,
both interpretations are ok. ज्ञािनिमव र्िाभ्यासात् – by the
practice of निमव र्िम् – the analysis for the sake of
आत्मज्ञािम् which is known as श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम्. In
श्रवणम् also I am churning and you are also churning the
meaning of the वेदान्त in your mind. In मििम् also you
create a doubt and remove that doubt and go on churning the
ideas in your intellect and establish the meaning. In
निनदध्यासिम् you remove the नवपरीत भाविा entrenched in
the mind. It is self-opinion revision meditation. In day-to-day
activities the mind produces अर्ं संसारर वनृ ि whereas in
निनदध्यासिम् you displace the अर्ं संसारर वनृ िs by अर्ं ि
संसारर, but अर्ं मुक्त स्वरूपिः. In each one of them churning is
taking place. Churning of the वनृ िs, अन्तिःकरण वनृ िs is taking
place. And as a result of that what is produced? There in the
wood the spark is produced, here the spark of knowledge is
produced. Because here it is a प्रमाणम्, वेदान्त वाक्यम् or
ॐकार is a प्रमाणम् and प्रमाणम् always produces प्रमा the
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knowledge. And in the example the fire that is kindled can
destroy everything, any fuel that is dumped in it can be
destroyed by fire and here also the fire of knowledge destroys
all the bonds of संसार. Therefore the teacher says पाशं दर्नत,
संसार पाशं दर्नत, अनवद्याकामकमव ग्रनन्र्ं दर्नत. Burns down
all the bonds of संसार. Who? पनण्डतिः – that ज्ञानि.
Continuing;
स एव मायापररमोनर्तात्मा शरीरमास्र्ाय करोनत सवव म् ।
नस्त्रयन्िपािानदनवनित्रभोगैिः स एव जाग्रत्पररतनृ प्तमेनत ॥ १२ ॥
In the following verses the उपनिषत् is doing the
अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक, the enquiry into the three states of
experience. And through this enquiry the उपनिषत् reveals the
identity between जीव and ब्रह्मि्. But here the identity is
pointed out in a peculiar way. Normally we start from the
individual and thereafterwards show the identity with the total.
So first त्वं पद analysis is done, and thereafterwards it is
equated with तत् पद. This is the normal procedure. How do
we do? We first analyze the individual and point out that the
individual consists of two अंशम्s – अिात्मा, the जड अंशम्
and आत्मा, the िेति अंशम्. And thereafterwards we will point
out that all limitations belong to the जड अंशम् alone but you
the आत्मा, the िेति स्वरूपिः do not have any limitation at all.
And therefore you are identical with the आत्मा in everyone.
You are ब्रह्मि.् You are limitless. Physical limitations belong
to the physical body, mental limitations belong to the mind,
knowledge-wise limitations belong to the intellect, but you are
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different from all of them. And therefore you do not have the
limitations, therefore you are ब्रह्मि्. This is how we generally
travel. But in कैवल्योपनिषत् the teacher comes from the other
side he says ब्रह्मि् alone appears to have the three अवस्र्ाs.
And when the ब्रह्मि् is associated with the अवस्र्ाs ब्रह्मि् gets
the name जीव. Just like one आकाश itself when it is enclosed
in a pot it is renamed as घटाकाश, similarly one ब्रह्मि् when
enclosed within the body is called the जीव. That is what is
said here. स एव मायापररमोनर्तात्मा. स एव means that very
same ब्रह्मि्, परमात्मा. And that very same परमात्मा means
that which was described in the previous मन्त्रs from the sixth
onwards अनिन्त्यमव्यक्तमिन्तरूपं नशवं प्रशान्तममत ृ ं
ब्रह्मयोनिम् आनदमध्यान्तनवर्ीिमे कं etc. That very same
परमात्मा, ब्रह्मि् शरीरम् आस्र्ाय – assumes a body, and the
moment it assumes a body, even though the परमात्मा is the
same changeless principle the moment it assumes a body
मायापररमोनर्तात्मा – it appears as a जीवात्मा deluded by माया
or अनवद्या. So the very same परमात्मा even though It continues
to be the same all the time the moment it assumes a body
something happens that it is deluded by this माया. When the
शरीरम् is not there the very same जीवात्मा was परमात्मा,
there was no delusion. Just like when I am lying down in the
bed no confusion, I have been thinking of a tiger I am not
frightened, I know this is all my thought projection. But the
moment I enter the dream something happens. The tiger
thought is no more my projection, I look upon the tiger as a
real frightening, threatening tiger. In the waking state I am the
one who imagines a tiger. In the dream the very imagination
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becomes no more imagination, it becomes a real tiger. So a
waker I am a powerful person who can imagine anything. It is
the नवक्षेप शनक्त, it is a wonderful power I have. If we don’t
have imagination we cannot do anything. That I can visualize
a tiger is a beautiful thing but the very same thing in the dream
state becomes a problem because the very tiger visualized
begins to chase me and why I have such a nightmare that even
after waking up for some time I continue to be frightened. Of
what? The tiger. Who has created? Myself. So therefore the
moment I come down to dream waker the creator has become
a dream individual, a deluded जीव in the dream. The creator
waker in the waking state has become a deluded जीव in the
dream. Similarly the original परम्ब्रह्म has become the deluded
जीव in association with this शरीरम्. Therefore he says शरीरम्
आस्र्ाय – having taken a body, मायापररमोनर्तात्मा – he
becomes a जीवात्मा deluded by माया or अनवद्या. And what
does the delusion do? Delusion creates an impression that that
परम्ब्रह्म is the same as the body. Identification with the body
takes place. How does the waker, the creator becomes a dream
deluded जीव? How does it happen? The waker, the creator
becomes a deluded जीव in dream because he identifies with
the dream शरीरम्. Similarly परम्ब्रह्म after assuming the body
appears as the deluded जीव because of the identification with
the body. I no more claim that अर्म्
आधारमािन्दमखण्डरूपम्. Now I say अर्म् आधेयम्. I am no
more the supporter of the universe, I am supported by the
universe. Universe does not depend on me, but I depend on
the universe. Isn’t it the dreamer’s condition the same. The
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whole dream world depends on me, the waker but the moment
I go to the dream world, the moment I have become a deluded
जीव in the dream world, in dream also I go in search of food, I
go in search of clothing, I go in search of shelter, I go in
search of doctor, I go in search of lawyer. So I seems to be
dependent on all of them the fact is that I am the waker on
whom the dream lawyers, the dream doctors depend for their
very existence. Thus the supporter becomes the dependent.
आधार becomes आधेय. आिन्दम् becomes दुिःख. अिन्तम्
becomes अन्तवत्. The whole table is turned. The courageous
becomes the weakling. All because of the shift of I from the
आत्मा to अिात्मा. What does this जीव do? So now
hereafterwards we will use the word जीव but you should
remember जीव is the name of ब्रह्मि् which is obtaining in the
body just as घटाकाश is the name of the original आकाश
obtaining in the pot. Similarly you should remember ब्रह्मि्
itself is renamed as जीव now. And as a जीव what is the
tragedy he goes through? करोनत सवव म् – the first tragedy is he
becomes a कताव . The अकतव ृ ब्रह्मि् now appears to be a कताव
because of शरीर अनभमािम्. And as a कताव what happens?
सवव म् करोनत – goes on planning and executing. Endless
number of things to be done. Physically he has to do a lot,
mentally a lot, intellectually a lot, thus he takes to varieties of
activities. And not only he is a कताव , as a कताव later he
becomes a भोक्ता also. The अकताव अभोक्ता परमात्मा has now
become as it were कताव and भोक्ता. And what all भोगs he
enjoys? नस्त्र-अन्िपािानद-नवनित्रभोगैिः – the pleasures through
the contact of various sense objects. And the sense objects
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consists of two types of things. One is the inert thing and
another is the िेति वस्तु. The inert things are represented by
अन्िपािानद – food and drinks. And नस्त्र refers to all the
pleasures born out the relationships. Husband-wife, father-son,
friends, brother-sister, all relationships also gives the pleasure.
Remember for one man the other man is sense object, for the
other man this man is the sense object. Thus the whole world
is interconnected as भोग्यम् and भोक्ता. When I am भोक्ता, you
are भोग्यम्, when you are भोक्ता, I become the भोग्यम्. And
therefore he says ? नस्त्र-अन्िपािानद-नवनित्रभोगैिः – varieties of
pleasures born out the sense pleasures as well as the
relationships. स एव – that very same परमात्मा पररतनृ प्तम् एनत
– attains pleasures or contentment, fulfilment. जाग्रत् – in
जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा, in the waking state. So when the परम्ब्रह्म is
associated with the physical body and through the physical
body it has got the experiences of pleasures and pains, i.e., the
जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा and with respect to that परम्ब्रह्म is called जीव,
and that जीव has a special name called नवश्व. The very same
ब्रह्मि् is called नवश्व. Does the परम्ब्रह्म always associate with
स्र्लू शरीरम्? No. At sometimes the very same परम्ब्रह्म gets
identified with the सक्ष्ू म शरीरम् and then the experience is the
inner world of dream. That is said in the next मन्त्र.
स्वप्िे स जीविः सुखदुिःखभोक्ता स्वमायया कनल्पतजीवलोके ।
सुषुनप्तकाले सकले नवलीिे तमोऽनभभत ू िः सुखरूपमेनत ॥ १३ ॥
So now the very same ब्रह्मि् which was नवश्व before
now becomes the तैजस associated with the dream. स जीविः –
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the very same जीव who is none other than the परमात्मा, the
all-pervading Consciousness becomes सुखदुिःखभोक्ता – the
experiencer of the pleasures and pains स्वप्िे – during the
dream also. Ok, where does it experience? Is it in the waker’s
world? No. It is a private world. During स्वप्ि I don’t share
my experience with anyone. If I am seeing Taj mahal, I cannot
call anyone nearby who is sleeping near me and I cannot say
please see Taj mahal. No. It is purely a private world projected
by the individual mind. And therefore he says स्वमायया
कनल्पतजीवलोके – in the subjective world, in a private world
projected by जीव स्वमायया – with the power of माया, with the
power of निद्रा, because the power of माया alone at the
individual level appears as the power of निद्रा. Because every
जीव can project his own individual world. ईश्वर can project
the total. That is total माया, this is individual माया. Individual
माया’s power alone is निद्रा. So in this जीवलोक स एव जीविः –
that very same ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् experiences सुखदुिःखम्. Then
what happens? After going through जाग्रत् and स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा
then comes to सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा, सुषुनप्तकाले – at the time of deep
sleep, the dreamless sleep, सकले नवलीिे – everything is
resolved, neither जाग्रत् nor स्वप्ि प्रपञ्ि. Because the माया’s
creative power, the projection power is subsided temporarily.
नवक्षेप शनक्त is resting now. Then what is there? The आवरण
शनक्त alone is operative, functioning. And therefore
तमोऽनभभत ू िः – the very same जीव is covered with ignorance,
veiling, covering of his own nature. If this covering were not
there he would have happily said अर्ं ब्रह्म अनस्म but because
of the covering even during सुषुनप्त one doesn’t know अर्ं ब्रह्म
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अनस्म. otherwise सुषुनप्त is an ideal condition to know अर्ं ब्रह्म
अनस्म. Why? Because in सुषुनप्त we have no body
identification. And therefore no idea that I am spouse, etc., are
not there. There is no physical limitation felt, no intellectual
limitation felt. So if in सुषुनप्त आवरणम् were not there we
could have happily said अर्ं ब्रह्म अनस्म. But unfortunately
आवरण शनक्त is there. Therefore we remain as ब्रह्मि् but we
don’t know we remain as ब्रह्मि्. We enjoy आिन्द without
knowing that it is my आिन्द. We enjoy limitlessness but we
don’t know that it is our own limitlessness. Similarly
ब्रह्मािन्द everybody experiences in सुषुनप्त but the only thing
is without knowing that this is my own आिन्द which is
ब्रह्मािन्द. The sorrow during waking is not original to me, the
आिन्द during sleep is my original nature. So what I am in
सुषुनप्त is my real nature, what I am in जाग्रत् and स्वप्ि are
false वेषम्. So तमोऽनभभत ू िः – overpowered by ignorance,
सुखरूपमेनत – the very same जीव enjoys आिन्द. Continuing;
पुिि जन्मान्तरकमव योगात्स एव जीविः स्वनपनत प्रबुद्धिः ।
पुरत्रये क्रीडनत यि जीवस्ततस्तु जातं सकलं नवनित्रम् ।
आधारमािन्दमखण्डबोधं यनस्मिँल्लयं यानत पुरत्रयं ि ॥ १४ ॥
What happens after सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा? The teacher says he
again comes back to जाग्रत् or स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा. So this is a
cycle, once we are gone to the three अवस्र्ाs again we come
back to the जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा, then स्वप्ि, then सुषुनप्त, like a
cycle it goes on and on. Now the question comes how does the
जीव comes to जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा from the सष ु ुनप्त. Who wakes him
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up? He cannot wake himself up, because he is asleep.
Therefore I cannot wake myself because I myself am sleeping.
And what about others? Really speaking others also cannot
wake me because I am already in the sleep state. Suppose they
touch my body, they are touching the body only in sleep I
have already withdrawn myself from the body. They cannot
call my name because already I have withdrawn myself from
the name. I have dropped all associations. It is just like if I
have gone to a faraway place where postal letters cannot be
sent, where the telephone connections are not there, once I
have severed all connections you cannot never contact me. In
सुषुनप्त I have cut off all connections. You can contact me
through the physical body I have withdrawn from that. You
can contact me through श्द, स्पशव , रूप, रस, गन्ध I have
withdrawn from all of them. So really speaking waking should
not happen at all. Because we have withdrawn from श्द
therefore calling the name is useless. We have withdrawn
from स्पशव therefore touching is useless. We have withdrawn
from रूप, रस and गन्ध. Then how does waking takes place?
The उपनिषत् says it is not because of others waking. If a
person is really speaking nobody can wake. If by shaking you
can wake a person you must be able to wake all the people.
Therefore he says waking up takes place because of कमव . The
other people are only some pretext. If the कमव is not yet ready
any amount of shaking he doesn’t wake up. If the कमव is ready
you need not shake, he will automatically wake up. So
पवू व जन्म कमव or प्रार्ध कमव has got its own quota of pleasures
and pains. प्रार्ध कमव has to give the जीव a particular quota
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of pleasures and pains. And if a person goes on sleeping how
can प्रार्ध give pleasures and pains. And therefore प्रार्ध will
say wake up I have to give you pleasure and pain. Therefore
the उपनिषत् says पुिि जन्मान्तरकमव योगात् – because of the
association with the previous प्रार्ध कमव , स एव जीविः स्वनपनत
– स्वप्िम् पश्यनत, that very same जीव begins to dream. From
सष ु ुनप्त अवस्र्ा he may come to स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा. Because from
quota of pleasures and pains are gathered in dream also.
According to शास्त्रम् the quota of pleasures and pains are
exhausted not through जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा but also through स्वप्ि
अवस्र्ा. If he has got a short time kingship or minister then in
dream he becomes a king or minister. In dream he enjoys a
palatial house. So even in that the जीव can exhaust the प्रार्ध
it is said. Or प्रबुद्धिः ि भवनत – either he goes to स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा,
स्वनपनत or he goes to प्रबुद्धिः, जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा. स्वनपनत स्वप्ि
अवस्र्ा गच्छनत or प्रबुद्धिः ि भवनत जाग्रत् अवस्र्ां वा गच्छनत.
Once quota, once wave of pleasures and pains are over again
he goes to sleep and another wave. Thus प्रार्ध comes waves
after waves intermittently giving rest. Therefore स्वनपनत
प्रबुद्धिः ि भवनत. Having done the अवस्र्ात्रयम् now the teacher
is coming to the conclusion. From अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक what
conclusion we arrive at? The conclusion is the िैतन्यम् in the
three अवस्र्ाs is the same. The pleasures vary, the pains vary,
the instruments vary, the देशकाल vary, all these things vary
but the िैतन्यम् is one and the same in all the three अवस्र्ाs
which is ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् which is now called जीविैतन्यम्. When
the िैतन्यम् is in its pure form it is called ब्रह्मिैतन्यम्, but
when the very same ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् is illumining the जाग्रत्
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pleasures or illumining the स्वप्ि pleasures or illumining the
सुषुनप्त experience then the ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् gets a new name
जीविैतन्यम्. The experiences vary but the िैतन्यम् does not
vary at all. And since the िैतन्यम् does not vary िैतन्यम् does
not belong to any particular अवस्र्ा. Why? If िैतन्यम् belongs
to जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा when जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा goes िैतन्यम् also will
go. If It belongs to स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा then along with स्वप्ि
अवस्र्ा the िैतन्यम् also will go. Similarly in the case of
सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा. But our experience is जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा goes
िैतन्यम् is, स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा goes िैतन्यम् is, सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा
goes िैतन्यम् is and all these three again come then also
िैतन्यम् is. And therefore the teacher says the three अवस्र्ाs
are only the playground of िैतन्यम्, but िैतन्यम् is different
from all these three. The ground varies, िैतन्यम् goes from
one ground to another, illumining one condition to another
therefore िैतन्यम् is different from all of them. And when you
look िैतन्यम् along with them it is called जीव, when you look
at the िैतन्यम् without them it is ब्रह्मि्. उपानध दृि्या
स्वदृि्या ब्रह्म एव. That is going to be said in the following
line which we will see in the next class.
पण
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पुिि जन्मान्तरकमव योगात्स एव जीविः स्वनपनत प्रबुद्धिः ।
पुरत्रये क्रीडनत यि जीवस्ततस्तु जातं सकलं नवनित्रम् ।
आधारमािन्दमखण्डबोधं यनस्मिँल्लयं यानत पुरत्रयं ि ॥ १४ ॥
The teacher is showing how to do the अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक
and he pointed out that the अवस्र्ात्रयम् belongs to जीव who
is none other than ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् itself. When the very same all-
pervading ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् assumes a body and because of अनवद्या
identified with the body then the very same ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् gets
the name जीव. So two things happens. If ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् is going
to merely assume the body then it can remember that I am the
ब्रह्मि् who have assumed the body. But the tragedy is the
moment ब्रह्मि् assumes the body self-forgetfulness also
automatically comes. So entering the body and forgetting the
ब्रह्मस्वरूपम् simultaneously takes place. As in the case of the
dream you entry into the dream body and forgetting the
waker’s status both of them simultaneously takes place. We
don’t find a situation where we have entered the dream body
and still remember that I am comfortably sleeping and this is
the dream world projected by me and I have chosen to enter
this and all these are my imagination those remembrances are
not there. Entry and forgetfulness both together happens.
Similarly ब्रह्मि् enters the body and at once because of the
very association of the body forgets its nature of ब्रह्मि्hood.
And this self-forgetful ब्रह्मि् obtaining in the body or self-
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ignorant ब्रह्मि् obtaining in the body is called जीव. And what
is the job of the scriptures? The scriptures are only reminding
the जीव that you have forgotten yourself to be ब्रह्मि् and that
is done through अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक. And how does अवस्र्ात्रय
नववेक reveals it? If you analyze the अवस्र्ात्रयम् you find that
the अवस्र्ात्रयम् involves two factors – one variable factor and
another non-variable factor; the व्यनभिरत् रूपम् and
अव्यनभिरत् रूपम्. And what are the changing things? The
experiences change and the instruments of experience also
change. In the जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा it is the स्र्ल ू नवषयम्
experienced through स्र्ल ू शरीरम्. In the स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा it is
the सक्ष्ू म नवषयम् experienced through सक्ष्ू म शरीरम्. In the
सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा it is the कारणम् experienced through कारण
शरीरम्. Thus the media change, the objects change, why, even
the very देशकालम्s change but the िैतन्यम् which illumines
these changes does not change. And therefore the conclusion
is the changeless िैतन्यम् is different from the changing
अवस्र्ाs. So it functions in the changing अवस्र्ाs, it illumines
the changing अवस्र्ाs but itself is not part of the changing
अवस्र्ाs. And this changeless िैतन्यम् is none other than the
ब्रह्मि्. That is what the teacher is going to say now. पुरत्रये
क्रीडनत यि जीविः. So you should always remember the word
जीविः refers to ब्रह्मिैतन्यम् only but available in the शरीरम्
and which has forgotten. So that जीविैतन्यम् पुरत्रये क्रीडनत –
plays about in the three पुरम्s known as the three अवस्र्ाs. So
here three अवस्र्ाs are compared to the three cities. So the
three अवस्र्ाs or even three शरीरम्s are called पुरत्रयम्. And
this alone is symbolized as नत्रपुरs in the पुराण and all. नत्रपुर
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दर्िम् is the symbolic of these three bodies alone. The नत्रपुरs
are the राक्षसs, similarly here three शरीरम्s are like राक्षसs
because they limit us they give संसार to us. And with the third
eye of wisdom just as Lord नशव burnt the three पुरम्s with the
eye of fire similarly through the fire of knowledge, the third
eye of wisdom we have to burn down the three शरीरम्s.
Burning down means making it नमथ्या, falsification. And here
पुरत्रये – in the three अवस्र्ाs जीविः क्रीडनत, and since the जीविः
sports in the three अवस्र्ाs जीविः is different from the three
अवस्र्ाs. The player in the playground is not part of the
playground. The player is different from the playground.
Similarly three अवस्र्ाs are only playground in which the
जीविः plays the game of life sometimes the result is success
and sometimes it is failure. All the time we are playing in
जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा, playing in स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा sometimes
succeeding, sometimes failing, whether we succeed or not we
are different from the playground. So upto now the आत्म-
अिात्म नववेक has been done. The िैतन्य-जड वेनवक has been
done, सानक्ष-साक्ष्य वेनवक has been done. Now from the next
line onwards the teacher says this जीविैतन्यम् which is
playing in the three अवस्र्ाs is none other than that ब्रह्मि्.
जीव-ब्रह्म-ऐक्यम् is being pointed out in an indirect manner.
How does he reveal this? The teacher says ततस्तु जातं सकलं
नवनित्रम् – from this जीविैतन्यम् alone which is the witness of
three states, which is different from three states, अवस्र्ात्रय
सानक्ष, अवस्र्ात्रय नवलक्षणिः, from this जीविैतन्यम् alone
सकलं नवनित्रं जातम् – the whole universe is born. सकलम्
means everything, नवनित्रम् means variety. Varieties of
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everything is born out of this जीविैतन्यम् alone. What does it
mean? That means जीविैतन्यम् is जगत्कारणम्. And
जगत्कारणम् is the definition of ब्रह्मि्. And therefore from
this जीव alone everything is born means जीव is identical with
जगत्कारणम् ब्रह्म. so the idea is as long as the जीव is
identified with शरीरम् जीव is कायव म्. When जीव has
withdrawn from the body the very same जीव becomes
कारणम्. Thus I am the कायव म् identified with शरीरम् I am the
कारणम् withdrawn from शरीरम्. So as वाच्यार्व म् I am the
कायव म्, as लक्ष्यार्व म् I am the कारणम्. And this is not a very
big difficult thing to understand because every day during
dream we experience the same, the moment I identify with the
dream body I am a कायव म्, an effect in the dream world. I am
one of the creatures in the dream world when I identify with a
dream body. I become an insignificant part of the whole
dream universe and dream universe is so vast and I am so
small and the dream time restricts me, the dream space
restricts me. Thus I am a limited insignificant dream creature
the moment I am identified with the dream body. On the other
hand the moment I withdraw from the dream body, which
means waking. When I wake up I disidentify with the dream
body then I know myself to be the waker. What type of
waker? Who had created the dream sun, the dream moon, the
dream trees etc. That means I have become the creator. So
whether I am a creature or creator depends upon whether I
identify with the dream body or withdraw from the dream
body. Or to put in ordinary language whether I am dreaming
or waking. When I am dreaming I am a creature, when I am
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waking I am the creator of the dream. If you extend the same
rule I should ask the question am I a creature or creator and
for that I should ask who am I. If I say I am this body then I
should say I am a creature born out of the mother अन्िरसेिवै
भत्ू वा अन्िरसेिवै वनृ द्धम् प्राप्य now sooner or later
अन्िरूपपनृ र्व्याम् यनद्वलीयते । तत्त्व बोध ७-१-२ ॥ I am going
to die soon leaving my friends and relatives and possessions, it
is my tragic state. Thus I become an insignificant, helpless,
hapless creature controlled by Mr. यम when I am the कायव म्
शरीरम्. But if I myself can disidentify with the same body,
mind, etc., even at this moment I can claim happily claim
अच्छे द्यिः अयम् अदाह्यिः अयम् अक्लेद्यिः अशोष्यिः एव ि नित्यिः
सवव गतिः स्र्ाणुिः ॥ गीता २-२४ ॥
Just as the dream time does not limit me, even after the end of
the dream time I the waker continue, even after the whole
dream world resolves I the waker continue similarly let the
body go away, why, let the time go away, let the space go
away, let everything go away but I the िैतन्यस्वरूपम् am
there. And not only I am there I am the creator of all of them.
And that is said here, ततस्तु – from the very same जीव which
is disidentified from शरीरम् from that जीव alone the whole
world is born. That means that जीव alone is जगत्कारणम् ब्रह्म.
जीवो ब्रह्मैव िापरिः. Not only that you see the last line also.
यनस्मिँल्लयं यानत पुरत्रयं ि – not only everything is born out of
this जीव everything will again resolve back into this जीव
alone. यनस्मि् refers to जीवे एव. What type of जीव?
ब्रह्मस्वरूपे दे र्ं व्यनतररक्ते क्षेत्रज्ञे जीवे एव. The very same
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जीविैतन्यम् alone पुरत्रयं लयं ि यानत – that means the very
same िैतन्यम् is ि केवलं सनृ ि कारणम् but also लय कारणम्.
And if the जीविैतन्यम् सनृ ि and लय कारणम् then is it
निनमि कारणम् or उपादाि कारणम् that is emphasized here?
It is उपादाि कारणम् as said in the seventh chapter,
एतद्योिीनि भत ू ानि सवाव णीत्युपधारय ।
अर्ं कृत्स्िस्य जगतिः प्रभविः प्रलयस्तर्ा ॥ गीता ७-६ ॥
And if the जीव is सनृ ि and लय कारणम् then it is understood
it is नस्र्नत कारणम् ि, it is also the sustaining principle. And
therefore what is the nature of that जीविैतन्यम्? That is given
in the in-between line आधारमािन्दमखण्डबोधम्. आधारम् – it
is the very support of the whole creation. And this also you
can understand if you remember the dream example. Suppose
you ask a question do I support the dream or does dream
supports me. The moment you enter the dream and become
identified with the dream body you say the dream supports
me. Because there also you work for dream food, dream
clothing, dream shelter, dream place. So the moment you are
identified with the dream body you say the dream world
supports me. But once I have disidentified with the dream
body, once I have woken up I no more say dream supports me,
I will happily say I alone supported the dream, even the very
देशकाल of the dream are supported by me alone. Similarly I
can say till now I was supported by the world because I
identified with my body and therefore I am at the mercy of the
world and anything that happens including water problem
affects me because the me refers to this body. Therefore the
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world supports me and the world can also desert me. But now
having withdrawn from the body-mind I can say that I am not
supported by the world but I am supporting not only this body
but all the bodies of the world. Therefore अर्ं नवश्वाधारम्
गगिसदृशम्. And आिन्दम् अखण्ड बोधम् – and since I am
the आधारम् of all I am not limited by anything, I pervade all
of them. अर्ं पण ू व स्वरूपिः and therefore आिन्दिः. So आिन्दिः
means पण ू व त्वम्. I don’t miss anything because everything is in
me alone. Any glory is in me alone and therefore I don’t miss
anything at all. And every time I say I don’t miss anything अर्ं
पणू व िः etc., the ‘I’ should be remembered, because otherwise
suddenly you will get a doubt. I don’t miss anything? I don’t
have a car, I don’t have a house, I don’t have a wife or
children or anyone of them will suddenly strike and tease you.
How can you say I don’t miss anything, I don’t have many
things. Therefore always remember I, the िैतन्यरूप आत्मा do
not miss anything, the body will lack many things, the mind
will lack many many things, intellect of course has got only a
little bit of knowledge. Therefore not physical पण ू व त्वम् is
possible, nor mental पण ू व त्वम् is ever possible, nor intellectual
पण ू व त्वम् is ever possible. Family पण ू व त्वम् is never possible.
Therefore पण ू व त्वम् I have that ‘I’ must be remembered
otherwise it will create a conflict in the mind. One side you
say अर्ं पण ू व िः and one corner of mind says I want this, I want
that. So अर्ं पण ू व िः ‘अर्म्’ must be remembered. And अखण्ड
बोधम् – because we said जीव is available in the body and
therefore superficially looking जीव seems to be a limited
िैतन्यम्. Because it is obtaining within the body therefore it
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appears as though खण्ड िैतन्यम्. खण्ड means a bit. And
therefore my experience also is that I am the consciousness
sitting here, and you are a conscious being sitting there, and he
is a conscious being sitting there. There seems to be many
consciousnesses with each body having one bit of
consciousness. Like I have a brain, I have a pancreas, I have a
heart, similarly I have consciousness also. And since I feel the
खण्ड िैतन्यम् I will feel a sense of limitation, I am here and
not elsewhere. I feel located. I feel circumscribed. Therefore
the teacher says not so, body alone is खण्डम्, the divisions
belong to the body, just like the divisions belong to the pots,
the rooms, they are all divided, similarly bodies are divided,
िैतन्यम् is one indivisible whole and therefore the teacher
says अखण्ड बोधम् – the जीव is undivided Consciousness,
indivisible Consciousness, whole Consciousness like the
space. Best example is आकाश alone. In short, the essence is
जीविः ब्रह्मैव. So this portion and the following portion are the
central part of the कैवल्योपनिषत्. Because the मर्ावाक्यम्
comes in these verses. Continuing;
एतस्माज्जायते प्राणो मििः सवेनन्द्रयानण ि ।
खं वायुज्योनतरापि पथ्ृ वी नवश्वस्य धाररणी ॥ १५ ॥
In the previous मन्त्र it was said ततस्तु जातं सकलं
नवनित्रम् – from that जीव alone the whole creation is born.
And that is being elaborated here. सनृ ि प्रनक्रया. What is the
purpose of सनृ ि प्रनक्रया? We should always know this clearly.
Initially we will say that the whole creation is object
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experienced by me, the अवस्र्ात्रयम् is experienced by me,
शरीरत्रयम् is experienced by me, so therefore they are all
अिात्माs, I am the आत्मिैतन्यम् different from them. So I am
the आत्मा, everything else is अिात्मा. I am िेतिम्,
everything else is अिेतिम्. And the limitations of अिेतिम्
therefore does not belong to me. Height belongs to अिात्मा,
not to आत्मा; weight belongs to अिात्मा, not to आत्मा. We
have separated आत्मा and अिात्मा, therefore the conclusion
will be that there are two things. I am आत्मा, the world is
अिात्मा. I am different from the world, the world is different
from me. Thus there seems to be one िेतिम् and one
अिेतिम्. Therefore पण ू व त्वम् will not come to either of them.
अिेतिम् is limited by िेतिम्, िेतिम् is limited by अिेतिम्.
And therefore the second step is to point out that I, the आत्मा
am कारणम्, and the whole अिात्मा is कायव म्. This also has to
be revealed. That is how सनृ ि प्रनक्रया comes. So initially
आत्म-अिात्म नववेक I do, I am the िैतन्यम् स्र्ल ू सक्ष्ू म
कारण शरीरम्, स्र्ल ू सक्ष्ू म कारण प्रपञ्िम्, all of them are
जडम्, that is the first phase of enquiry. Then I have to also
know that I the िैतन्यम् am the जगत्कारणम् and जगत्
becomes कायव म्. Thus आत्मा is निनमि कारणम् and अिात्मा
is निनमि कायव म्. Once this is revealed duality is at once gone.
How? What is the logic behind it? कारणम् व्यनतररक्तं कायं
िानस्त. कायव म् does not exist separate from, different from the
कारणम्. And therefore अिात्मा does not have an existence
separate from आत्मा which means आत्मा is सत्यम्, अिात्मा is
नमथ्या. Thus what is the purpose of सनृ ि प्रनक्रया? It is to show
that आत्मा is सत्यम्, अिात्मा is नमथ्या. Only then अद्वैत नसनद्ध
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will takes place. In the first phase what happens? आत्मा and
अिात्मा are only separated. This is सत्यम् and that is नमथ्या is
unknown. We have separated आत्मा from अिात्मा, one is
जडम् another is िेतिम्; one is सनवकारम् another is
निनवव कारम्, one is सनवकल्पम् another is निनवव कल्पम्. We
separate आत्मा and अिात्मा, but even then we think both of
them are सत्यम् alone. So in the first phase of enquiry we
have only separated आत्मा and अिात्मा, and both of them are
taken as सत्यम्. And in the second phase what we do is आत्मा
is reveals as कारणम्, and अिात्मा is reveals as कायव म्
through सनृ ि प्रनक्रया. Therefore only after सनृ ि प्रनक्रया
सत्यम् नमथ्या becomes clear. Till then सत्यम् नमथ्या is not
clear. Therefore प्रर्मम् आत्म-अिात्म नववेक तदिन्तरम्
सनृ ि द्वारा आत्मििः सत्यत्वस्य निियिः अिात्मििः नमथ्यात्वस्य
निस्ज्ियिः. Ok, through सनृ ि we come to know सत्यम् and
नमथ्या. How सनृ ि helps you to know सत्यम् and नमथ्या? In
सनृ ि प्रकरण आत्मा is said as कारणम् and अिात्मा is said to
be कायव म्. And we know that कायव म् does not exist separate
from कारणम्, therefore कारणम् has got independent
existence, कायव म् has got dependent existence, therefore
कारणम् is सत्यम्, कायव म् is नमथ्या; नमथ्या cannot be counted,
therefore अद्वैतम् alone. This is very important we should
remember. अद्वैत नसनद्ध takes place in this manner alone. This
has to be very carefully understood. Therefore the teacher
comes to सनृ ि प्रकरण for सत्यत्व निियिः. एतस्मात् प्राणिः
जायते – from this जीव alone who is identical with ब्रह्म, ब्रह्म
अनभन्ि जीवात्, who is आधारमािन्दमखण्डबोधम्, प्राणिः
जायते. Now here the उपनिषत् does not give the सनृ ि in the
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normal order. The normal order has been given in तत्त्वबोध.
And therefore we should read the second line first where
पञ्िभतू सनृ ि is mentioned. Therefore that should be
understood first. Therefore before प्राणिः we have to read खं
वायुज्योनतरापि पथ्ृ वी. खम् means space. वायुिः means air,
ज्योनतिः means fire, आपिः means water, पथ्ृ वी means the earth.
And what type of elements, subtle or gross? First subtle. The
five subtle elements are born. And for पथ्ृ वी a qualification is
given नवश्वस्य धाररणी – which is the supporter of the whole
world of living beings. And from the subtle elements these
things are born, प्राणिः.
एतेषां पञ्ितत्त्वािां मध्ये आकाशस्य सानत्वकांशात् श्रोत्रेनन्द्रयं
सम्भत
ू म् ॥ तत्त्वबोध ९-२-१ ॥
From the individual सत्त्वगुण ज्ञािेनन्द्रयs are born, individual
रजोगुण कमेनन्द्रयs are born, from total सत्त्वगुण अन्तिःकरण is
born, from total रजोगुण प्राणs are born. So प्राणिः out of समनि
रजोगुण, मििः out of समनि सत्त्वगुण. मििः stands for the
entire अन्तिःकरणम्. मिोबुद्ध्यर्ङ्कार नििा्य
अन्तिःकरणम्. And सवेनन्द्रयानण ि – पञ्िज्ञािेनन्द्रयम् as well
as पञ्िकमेनन्द्रयम्. So all these ten sense organs of knowledge
and actions. And thereafter you should read again खं
वायुज्योनतरापि पथ्ृ वी to indicate the birth of the स्र्ल ू भत
ू ानि.
Because here only once it is said. Therefore you should read
them twice, first it is the creation of पञ्िसक्ष्ू मभत
ू ानि and later
again you should read it to indicate the creation of
पञ्िस्र्ल
ू भत
ू ानि. Only a few references are given but we
should take it as the whole creation. पञ्िसक्ष्ू मभत ू ानि out of
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them all the सक्ष्ू म शरीरs, then पञ्िस्र्ल ू भतू ानि out of them all
the स्र्ल ू शरीरs and the rest of the creation, in short, the
whole creation is born out of this alone. In fact, this मन्त्र has
occurred in मुण्डकोपनिषत् ॥ २-१-३ ॥ There in that section
the सनृ ि प्रकरणम् is elaborately discussed, that whole section
is condensed here in one मन्त्र. But here we should
incidentally remember a point. The moment सनृ ि प्रकरणम्
comes we should remember िैतन्यम् must be associated with
माया. Because from pure िैतन्यम् nothing can come. The pure
िैतन्यम् is not even जगत्कारणम्. Therefore wherever सनृ ि
प्रनक्रया comes, wherever ब्रह्मि् is said to be a कारणम् then
immediately we should supply माया सनर्तिः ब्रह्मणिः. And
therefore here also एतस्माज्जायते प्राणिः it is said, so we
should add एतस्मात् माया सनर्तात् ब्रह्मात्मििः जायते प्राणिः etc.
Why the pure ब्रह्मि् cannot be the कारणम्? Because to be a
कारणम् it should undergo a change. Just as seed becomes a
कारणम् by undergoing a change, similarly milk becomes curd
only by undergoing a change. Similarly ब्रह्मि् is कारणम् in
the real sense of the term it will have to undergo a change.
And therefore we call it as माया सनर्तम् ब्रह्म. How does माया
help? माया makes ब्रह्मि् appear as world without undergoing
change. That is the advantage of माया. Normally ब्रह्मि् will
have to undergo a change to become creation, but when it is
माया सनर्तम् it will appear as creation without undergoing
change. This we call it as नववतव उपादाि कारणम्, otherwise
अध्यासिः. These are all the words used. The example we give is
the rope by itself cannot become snake by any amount of logic
but if it is अनवद्या सनर्त रज्जुिः, it is the rope ignorance, if it is
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the अज्ञात रज्जुिः then without undergoing change it can appear
as snake. Or take another example. Waker cannot become the
dream world, dream mountain, dream river, dream sun, dream
people. But when निद्रा blessing is there, निद्रा सनर्त waker
has got a unique power he can appear as the dream world
without undergoing change. Similarly ब्रह्मि् cannot undergo a
change to become the universe but with माया ब्रह्मि् can
appear as the world without undergoing change. Therefore
ब्रह्मि् is called नववतव उपादाि कारणम्. If it is undergoing
change we call it as पररणामी उपादाि कारणम्, ब्रह्मि् cannot
be पररणामी उपादाि कारणम् and therefore with the help of
माया it becomes नववतव उपादाि कारणम्. The seed is the
पररणामी उपादाि कारणम्, because it undergoes a change to
become a tree. Milk is पररणामी उपादाि कारणम्, because it
undergoes a change to become the curds. Whereas rope is
नववतव उपादाि कारणम्, because it appears as snake without
undergoing change. So remember the examples for both
पररणामी उपादाि कारणम् and नववतव उपादाि कारणम्. The
only point we should remember is when rope becomes नववतव
उपादाि कारणम् it needs the aid of अज्ञािम्, ignorance is
necessary. In the case of waker to become नववतव उपादाि
कारणम् he requires the aid of निद्रा, else now itself dream
world will come. But the dream world requires the aid of
निद्रा. Similarly ब्रह्मि् also becomes नववतव उपादाि कारणम्
with the aid of माया. And whenever नववतव उपादाि कारणम्
comes we say the कायव म् is an appearance alone, just as snake
is an appearance, dream is an appearance, the world is also an
appearance of ब्रह्मि्. And therefore whenever नववतव उपादाि
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कारणम् comes the कायव म् is known as अध्यासिः. So नववतव
उपादाि कारणम् and अध्यासिः always go together. More in the
next class.
पण
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एतस्माज्जायते प्राणो मििः सवेनन्द्रयानण ि ।
खं वायुज्योनतरापि पथ्ृ वी नवश्वस्य धाररणी ॥ १५ ॥
After taking about अवस्र्ात्रयम् now the teacher
ब्रह्माजि is pointing out to the identity between अवस्र्ात्रय
सानक्ष जीविः and जगत्कारणम् ब्रह्म. So that जीविैतन्यम् which
is the common experiencer in all the three states of
experience, that जीविैतन्यम् alone is जगत्कारणम् ब्रह्म. This
alone is known as जीव ब्रह्म ऐक्यम्. And those statements
which reveal this identity is known as महावाक्यम्. And we
find all these मन्त्रs are महावाक्य मन्त्रs in the कैवल्योपनिषत्.
In the fifteenth मन्त्र ब्रह्मा explicitly talked about creation
एतस्माज्जायते प्राणिः – from this जीव alone the creation
comes. But we should remember when we say the creation
comes out of जीव the meaning of जीव must be very much
remembered. Because जीव identified with शरीरम् is only a
creature, is no more a creator. Only the जीव disidentified from
शरीरम् alone is called ब्रह्मि.् This will be clear if you
remember the example waker identified with the dream body
is only a creature in the dream world, he is a slave of the
dream world. But the very same waker disidentified from the
dream body is the creator of the very same dream world.
Therefore whether I am creature or creator depends on
whether I have identified with the body or not. Identification
makes me created, disidentification makes me creator.
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Identification makes me सष्ट ृ ः, disidentification makes me
स्रष्टा. So thus from this िीव alone who has disidentified with
the body the whole creation is born. खं वायुज्योनतरापि पथ्ृ वी
नवश्वस्य धाररणी, everything. Now continuing;
यत्परं ब्रह्म सवाव त्मा नवश्वस्यायतिं मर्त् ।
सक्ष्ू मात्सक्ष्ू मतरं नित्यं तत्त्वमेव त्वमेव तत् ॥ १६ ॥
So here the महावाक्यम् is very direct, the teacher
directly points out that the जगत्कारणम् ब्रह्म is yourself. तत्
त्वम् अजस, the famous वाक्यम् of the छान्दोग्योपनिषत् is
being here more clearly said. First the teacher defines ब्रह्मि्,
which is परम् – that which is free from all limitations. देश-
काल-वस्तु-पररच्छे द शन्त्ू यम्. So the limitations are three-fold.
One limitation is देश – space-wise limitation. That I am here
and therefore I am not in any other place. This is spatial
limitation. Similarly another limitation I have is time-wise
limitation. I belong to this particular century, I don’t belong to
the eighteenth or twenty-first. So then that limitation is there
we call it as काल पररच्छे द. This everybody knows. But there
is a third limitation known as वस्तु पररच्छे द, limitation by
property. A thing has got a particular property, it doesn’t have
its opposite property. For example it happens to be short,
shortness is a property. By seeing short automatically it
doesn’t have longness, which is the opposite property.
Therefore shortness is a property-wise limitation, because
shortness excludes longness. If you say it is heavy, heaviness
is a limiting property because it excludes lightness. If you say
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it is dark, darkness is a limiting property because it excludes
brightness. Similarly goodness also has got all virtues then
that it is also a limitation of ईश्वर because virtue also is a
limiting property because it excludes all vices. if ईश्वर has got
सुगुण it excludes दुगु ण, because सुगुण and दुगु ण cannot
coexist. And similarly extending if you say he is a ब्राह्मण, it is
a limiting property because ब्राह्मणत्वम् excludes all other
िाजत. Similarly if you say he is a male, maleness is a limiting
property because it excludes femaleness. Similarly human
being is a limiting property because मनुष्यत्वम् excludes
मग ृ त्वम्, etc. Similarly even creator ईश्वर itself, the very
ईश्वरत्वम् is a limiting property because it excludes िीवत्वम्
and िगत्त्वम्. Because rulership excludes ruledship. And this
type of limitation is called property-wise limitation which is
called वस्तु पररच्छे द. And ब्रह्मि् is said to be देश-काल-वस्तु-
पररच्छे द शन्त्ू यम्. शन्त्ू यम् means free from. ब्रह्मि् is free from
all these limitations. That is why we don’t say ब्रह्मि् is good
also. We don’t say ब्रह्मि् is a creator, that is also a limitation.
We don’t even want to say ब्रह्मि् is a knower, because if I say
ब्रह्मि् is a knower, ज्ञातत्ृ वम् is a limiting virtue or property
because ज्ञातत्ृ वम् excludes, knowerhood excludes known and
the instruments are known. ज्ञाता means no ज्ञेयम्. If you say it
is a subject it will mean it is not an object and vice versa.
Because subject and object are opposite. And therefore ब्रह्मि्
is free from all properties because any property limits ब्रह्मि्.
That’s why we say ब्रह्मि् is जनगु णम्. Then some people argue
like जवजशष्टाद्वैजतन्s and all, that ब्रह्मि् has a property of
जनगु णम्. Then we say even that we don’t accept. When you
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are attributing गुणम् to ब्रह्मि् we use the word जनगु णम् only
to negate the गुण, once all the सगुणs are negated even the
word जनगु णम् does not stand. So as long as you talk about the
गुणम् we use the word जनगु णम्, once you have dismissed the
सगुण then we don’t retain even the word जनगु ण. Therefore it
is like a thorn. I use a thorn to remove another thorn. And
once I have removed the thorn, I will throw away this thorn
also. In the same way we are not interested in निगव ुणत्वम् also.
Because you are using the word सगुण to negate the सगुणत्वम्
I use the word जनगु णम् ब्रह्म, once the सगुणत्वम् is removed,
निगव ुणत्वम् also doesn’t have any job, that is also gone. Then
what is it? मौिव्या्याप्रकनटतपरब्रह्मतत्त्वं ॥ श्रीदनक्षणामनू तव
स्तोत्रं ध्यािश्लोकािः १ ॥ Therefore जनगु णम् also remember is
meant only to negate सगुणम्, other than that निगव ुणत्वम् itself
is not a property of ब्रह्मि्. It is a word used by us to negate
other properties. It is like saying that rope is the substratum of
the snake. How long do I say that? as long as you see the
snake which is not there at all, from the standpoint of the
snake that you see I will say rope is the substratum, but once
the snake is negated you cannot call the snake as the
substratum also. Therefore as long as you understand a snake I
have to use the word substratum, once you have understood
there is no snake then I will remove the word substratum also.
In the same way जनगु णम् is not a गुणम्, जनगु णम् is only to
negate all गुणs. Once the गुणs are negated जनगु णम् also
doesn’t stand. It doesn’t have any role to play. And जनगु णम् is
वस्तु-पररच्छे द शन्त्ू यम्. And since it is देश-काल-वस्तु-पररच्छे द
शन्त्ू यम् it is called परम्ब्ब्रह्म. Ok, then सवाव त्मा – even though it
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is जनगु णम् by itself, It is the very content, the substratum, the
essence of all सगुण वस्तुs. That is why it is known as सवु
आत्मा. So सवेषाां सगुणवस्तुनाम् आत्मा. Similarly we have to
also add it is the content of all the limited things. So itself
limitless, but the अजिष्ठानम् of all limited things. Itself
eternal, but the अजिष्ठानम् of all non-eternal things. So a
thing has got देश पररच्छे द and ब्रह्मि् is the अजिष्ठानम् of देश
पररजच्छन्त्न वस्तु but itself is देश अपररजच्छन्त्नम्. It is the
substratum of काल पररजच्छन्त्न वस्तु, time-wise limited object
but itself is काल अपररजच्छन्त्नम्, time-wise unlimited. So देश
पररजच्छन्त्नवस्तुनाम् आत्मा but it is देश अपररजच्छन्त्नः. काल
पररजच्छन्त्नवस्तुनाम् आत्मा but it is काल अपररजच्छन्त्नः. वस्तु
पररजच्छन्त्नवस्तुनाम् आत्मा but itself is वस्तु अपररजच्छन्त्नः.
And therefore it is called as सवु आत्मा. That means it is the
essence of the table but it doesn’t have the limitation of
tableness. Water is the essence of wave but there is no
waveness in water itself. Water is the essence of ocean but the
water itself doesn’t have the oceanness in it. How do you
know? Because if the water has got waveness in it or
oceanness in it, when you want to get a tumbler of water you
will say give me a tumbler of wave, give me a tumbler of
ocean. Do we say so? No, we don’t say. So even though water
is there, waveness is only a superimposed attribute and
oceanness is only a superimposed attribute. Similarly जनगु णम्
ब्रह्म is only an अजिष्ठानम् over this all the गुणम्s are
superimposed. Therefore सवाव त्मा. नवश्वस्य आयतिम् – it is
the very abode, the base of the whole creation. And because of
the very reason it is मर्त् – the infinite, free from all
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limitations. Because as substratum it has to pervade
everything, even the very आकाश has got the substratum in
ब्रह्मि्. Therefore wherever space is there ब्रह्मि् has to be. And
if ब्रह्मि् is infinite and everywhere I must experience it, but I
don’t experience it, one may argue, then we say, always you
should remember कारणम् is experienced in the कायव म् as the
vert सत् or existence. कारणम् exists in the कायव म् as the very
सत्ता, existence. Isn’t it true? Imagine we say the bangle is.
there are three factors involved here. Bangle name, bangle
form and we remember only these two, the third thing is there
‘bangle is’ I say. नाम, रुप and सत्ता or सत्. Of these three the
नाम and रुप belong to the bangle but the सत्ता, existence does
not belong to the bangle but it belongs to gold. Gold only is
giving existence to bangle. So remember ‘is’ belongs to gold.
Similarly chain is when you say chain नाम-रुप belongs to
chain but isness belongs to gold alone. Similarly when I say
table is, the नाम-रुप belongs to table but existence does not
belongs to table, it belongs to wood alone. If you have doubt
remove the wood and try to have the table, remove the gold
and try to have the bangle. And therefore कारणम् काये सत्ता
रूपेण अनुभय ू ते. So therefore ब्रह्मि् is experienced or not if
you ask we will say that all the moment we are experiencing
ब्रह्मि् because when you say mic is the very existence that we
experience belongs to ब्रह्मि्. The Sun is, the moon is, the star
is, the farthest space is. Space is space नाम-रुप belongs to
space but the existence belongs to ब्रह्मि्. Therefore if
somebody asks where ब्रह्मि् is, we will ask where ब्रह्मि् is
not. Because wherever something is that very isness is ब्रह्मि्.
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Therefore मर्त.् Ok, then the question comes if I am
experiencing ब्रह्मि्, that ब्रह्मि् is experienced along with
नाम-रुप alone. So now I am experiencing ब्रह्मि् when I say
mic is. But the experience is not the pure existence but
existence mixed with mic name and mic form. Similarly I am
experiencing ब्रह्मि्, when I say table is but what type of
ब्रह्मि्? ब्रह्मि् existence associated with table नाम-रुप.
Similarly I am experiencing ब्रह्मि् all the time but mixed with
नाम-रुप. Then how to experience ब्रह्मि् without नाम-रुप?
He says सक्ष्ू मात्सक्ष्ू मतरम् – when the नाम-रुपs are removed
then ब्रह्मि् is subtler than the subtlest. It cannot be easily
experienced. Because when you remove नाम-रुप शब्द will go
away, ear cannot hear; स्पशव will go away, skin cannot touch;
रूप will go away, eyes cannot see; रस will go away, tongue
cannot taste; गन्ध will go away, nose cannot smell. So once
नाम-रुप is removed all our sense organs miserably fail. We
can experience through sense organs only the नाम-रुप
सजहतम् ब्रह्म. नाम-रुप रजहतम् ब्रह्म is never experienceable
because it is myself. It is never an object of experience,
therefore he says सक्ष्ू मात्सक्ष्ू मतरम् – it is subtler than the
subtlest. So if it cannot be experienced at all, how do you
know it is there? I ask where is ब्रह्मि्, you say that is what is
experienced. Then I say it is only नाम-रुप सजहतम् ब्रह्म, I
want to know नाम-रुप रजहतम् ब्रह्म. Then this fellow says it
cannot be experienced at all. Then if it cannot be experienced
how do I know such a ब्रह्मि् exists. This is what is the
problem with जवजशष्टाद्वैत also. They say नाम-रुप रजहतम् ब्रह्म
नाजस्त. So both द्वैजतन्s and जवजशष्टाद्वैजतनs् concluded that
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जनगु णम् ब्रह्म जनजवु शेषम् ब्रह्म नाम-रुप रजहतम् ब्रह्म is a bluff, it
doesn’t exist at all, they argue. Because when they ask the
अद्वैजतन्s how to experience नाम-रुप रजहतम् ब्रह्म, अद्वैजतनs्
say it cannot be experienced at all. Read the उपनिषत् further,
you will understand. तत् त्वमेव – you will never experience it
because you yourself are शुद्धां ब्रह्म. You yourself are नाम-रुप
रजहतम् ब्रह्म, जनजवु शेषम् ब्रह्म. Therefore you can never
experience it. Experience means नाम-रुप have come. The
moment we experience three things come – the experiencer,
the experienced and the instrument of experience. each will
have its own property, experiencer has got experiencer नाम-
रुप, experienced has got experienced नाम-रुप, therefore it is
सवु व्यवहार अतीतम् and therefore it is myself. So
सक्ष्ू मात्सक्ष्ू मतरम्. And नित्यम् is there in between, which
means eternal, free from काल पररच्छे द. मर्त् means free from
देश पररच्छे द. So therefore that ब्रह्मि् you are. Then if still the
student is not clear then the उपनिषत् wants to again
reemphasize त्वमेव तत् – that ब्रह्मि् you are and you are that
ब्रह्मि्. There is no doubt in it. The repetition तत् त्वमेव and
त्वमेव तत् has got another significance also. Because here also
people misunderstand even तत्त्वमजस they will misunderstand.
When the scriptures say that ईश्वर you are, some people very
intelligently interpret. What they say is ईश्वर you are means
ईश्वर you are also. ईश्वर is many things; ईश्वर is the sun, the
moon, the stars, all the beings and ईश्वर is you also. If you add
‘also’ what will happen? It becomes you are only a part of
ईश्वर. ईश्वर is the whole creation and ईश्वर is you also. That
means you are also a part of ईश्वर. All people are part of ईश्वर,
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you are also a part of ईश्वर. That means you are not the whole
ईश्वर, you are only an अांश, a part. Therefore don’t claim अहां
ब्रह्माजस्म and all. That is not correct. ब्रह्मि् you are but not
whole ब्रह्मि.् Thus again जवजशष्टाद्वैजतन्s says that when the
scriptures say ‘ब्रह्मि् you are’ don’t be very arrogant and all,
you are not infinite and all, ब्रह्मि् is you also, you are an
infinitesimal spark of ब्रह्मि.् So अद्वैजतन् doesn’t want to
accept that also. So he quotes this श्रुजतवाक्यम् ब्रह्मि् you are
and also you are ब्रह्मि् that means you are not even part of
ब्रह्मि्, you are the whole ब्रह्मि्. ब्रह्मि् is the whole you and
you are the whole ब्रह्मि्. There is no such thing as part of
ब्रह्मि्, specks of ब्रह्मि्, all these are not true. Thus त्वमेव तत्
is repeated to negate the part-whole relationship to point out
that there is only one ब्रह्मि् which is you and there is one you
which is ब्रह्मि.् Ok, why don’t we accept that िीव is part of
ब्रह्मि्. The reason is very is very simple. Remember part and
whole indicate division. And division is possible only for a
thing which is within time and space. You can divide a table
because it is within time-space. Thus part and whole
relationship or part and whole division is possible within time
and space. Whereas ब्रह्मि् doesn’t fall within time and space
at all. How can you talk about this portion, that portion, small
portion, big portion, where is portion at all? Portion itself
indicates spatial division. And therefore we cannot accept the
idea of I being part of ब्रह्मि्, I am the whole indivisible ब्रह्मि्.
That is why ब्रह्मि् is always called as जनष्कलां ब्रह्म. कल
means bit, portion or division. ब्रह्मि् is called जनष्कलम्, free
from all divisions. Therefore िीव and ईश्वर cannot have
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divisions, not even अांश-अांजश भाव, not even अवयव-अवयजव
भाव, not even part and whole relationship. The relationship is
one of total identity. ब्रह्मि् is िीव, िीव is ब्रह्मि.् Continuing;
जाग्रत्स्वप्िसुषुप्त्यानदप्रपञ्िं यत्प्रकाशते ।
तद्ब्रह्मार्नमनत ज्ञात्वा सवव बन्धैिः प्रमुच्यते ॥ १७ ॥
So previously the मन्त्र was from teacher’s standpoint,
now the मन्त्र was from student’s standpoint. When teacher
says तत् त्वम् अजस, and the student should understand as अहां
ब्रह्माजस्म. He has to convert the second person into the first
person. That is what is said here. तद्ब्रह्मार्नमनत ज्ञात्वा – when
the teacher says तत् त्वम् एव, the student should understand as
तत् ब्रह्म अहम् – I am that ब्रह्मि्. Ok, what type of ब्रह्मि्? That
is said in the first line. यत् प्रपञ्िं प्रकाशते – which illumines
the whole universe.
तमेव भान्तमिुभानत सवव म् तस्य भासा सवव नमदम् नवभानत ॥
मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-२-१० ॥
यर्ा प्रकाशयनत एकिः कृत्स्िम् लोकम् इमम् रनविः ।
क्षेत्रम् क्षेत्री तर्ा कृत्स्िम् प्रकाशयनत भारत ॥ गीता १३-३३ ॥
ब्रह्मि् is that Consciousness illumines प्रपञ्िम्, the whole
universe. What प्रपञ्िम्? The three universe, जाग्रत् स्वप्ि and
सुषुनप्त प्रपञ्ि. He puts one आजद also which means etcetera like
उभयतिःप्रज्ञ where we are neither totally awake nor totally in
dream. Therefore if there is any intermediary लोक like
daydreaming etc., they also are illumined by िैतन्यम्.
तत् शुभ्रम् ज्योनतषाम् ज्योनतिः ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् २-२-९ ॥
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Even the Sun is illumined by that िैतन्यम् alone, even the
stars are illumined by that िैतन्यम्, even the sense organs are
illumined by that िैतन्यम्, why, the very बुजद्ध is illumined by
that िैतन्यम्, that िैतन्यम् ब्रह्म अहम् – I am. Ok, again you
have doubt. if I am the िैतन्यम् illumining everything
shouldn’t I know what is happening in America now?
Remember when you say shouldn’t I know what is happening
in America, you have come down to your बुजद्ध. You बुजद्ध is
limited, so your बुजद्ध cannot see what is in America. But what
we say is in America an American is experiencing that world
that is also because of the very same िैतन्यम् behind. So I am
the िैतन्यम् behind the American mind illumining the
American experiences, I am the िैतन्यम् behind the इन्त्र’s
mind illumining the इन्त्र’s experiences, I am the िैतन्यम्
behind the fish’s mind illumining the fishy experiences. Fish’s
mind doesn’t know what is happening here, Fish’s mind
doesn’t know what is happening underworld. इन्त्र’s mind
doesn’t know what is happening here. The minds are limited
but the िैतन्यम् is one which is illumining everything through
all minds. And therefore I am the one िैतन्यम्, even though
my mind does not have omniscience, all the omniscient
knowledge is illumined by me, the िैतन्यम् alone. So
therefore I know American experiences through American
mind, I know fish’s experiences through fish mind, I know
your experiences through your mind, I know all experiences
through all. And when you ask me about an experience under
the water I will answer the experience through the fish. And
when you me about an American experience I alone am going
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to answer through the American mind. Thus I am the िैतन्यम्
behind all the minds experiencing all, knowing all, answering
all questions. And therefore तत् ब्रह्म अहम् अजस्म. इजत ज्ञात्वा –
so knowing thus only. We should add ‘only’. Because we
have already seen before,
सवव भत
ू स्र्मात्मािं सवव भतू ानि िात्मनि ।
सम्पश्यन्ब्रह्म परमं यानत िान्येि र्े तुिा ॥ कैवल्योपनिषत् १० ॥
ि कमव णा ि प्रजया धिेि ॥ कैवल्योपनिषत् ३ ॥
So two verses we saw where the उपनिषत् said ज्ञािम् alone
gives liberation. And therefore we should add ज्ञात्वा एव. Not
only that you should add one more condition. Not only
knowledge alone, we should say knowing in this manner
alone. If you know in any other manner also you won’t get
liberation. So you say ईश्वर is in वैकुण्ठ and I am here, this is
also knowledge of ईश्वर. You say ईश्वर is the creator, ईश्वर is
the sustainer, ईश्वर has got all virtues. He creates everyone
and I am the simple humble creature. This is also knowledge.
But we say that even this knowledge is not sufficient. Because
as long as you divide the Lord and yourself you have got
limitation. And as a limited individual you can never give up
the sense of bondage. In fact, not that limitation gives
bondage, we say limitation is bondage. So therefore even
knowing that Lord is great and I am small, even that
knowledge cannot liberate. By Lord being great what will I
get out of it? I can daily pray to the Lord, I can be eternal
beggar in front of the Lord, but it doesn’t remove the
beggarhood in me which is called bondage. In what way I am
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free from limitation? And therefore even knowing that Lord is
great and I am small cannot give liberation. And therefore
bondage is sense of limitation in me. And liberation is
removing the sense of limitation from me and not from the
Lord. So I am limited idea will go only when I know I am
limitless. Suppose I say Lord is limitless, it will not remove
the idea that I am limitless. So these are all must be very
clearly understood. Lord is limitless that knowledge will never
remove the idea that I am limitless. I am limited will continue
as long you say Lord is limitless, world is limitless, आकाश is
limitless. So the I am limited idea can go only by one
knowledge, i.e., I am limitless. And therefore it is not mere
knowledge, you should say the knowledge in this manner that
I am the limitless one. That is the only solution, in all other
types of knowledge I continue to be a limited individual.
Therefore the उपनिषत् emphasizes एवां ज्ञात्वा – knowing only
and knowing in this manner only सवव बन्धैिः प्रमुच्यते – a person
is free from all types of bonds. देशतः कालतः वस्तुतः च.
मुच्यते – he becomes totally free from. Thus the फलम् is also
added here. More in the next class.
पण
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जाग्रत्स्वप्िसुषुप्त्यानदप्रपञ्िं यत्प्रकाशते ।
तद्ब्रह्मार्नमनत ज्ञात्वा सवव बन्धैिः प्रमुच्यते ॥ १७ ॥
िीव-ब्रह्म ऐक्यम् is being revealed through all these
मन्त्रs. And each मन्त्र is therefore a महावाक्यम्. As I had told
before the definition is महावाक्यम् is िीव-ब्रह्म ऐक्य बोिक
वाक्यम्. Any statement which reveals the identity between
िीव and ब्रह्मि् is called a महावाक्यम्. It may be a small
sentence like तत्त्वमजस or it may be big sentence. It is not the
size of the sentence that matters, but it is the content of the
sentence. Now the following मन्त्रs are also महावाक्य मन्त्रs
only.
नत्रषु धामसु यभोग्यं भोक्ता भोगि यभवेत् ।
तेभ्यो नवलक्षणिः साक्षी निन्मात्रोऽर्ं सदानशविः ॥ १८ ॥
अहां सदानशविः अजस्म. If सदानशविः अजस्म is taken
literally then it will mean ever auspicious I am. Or we can take
सदानशविः as the proper noun of Lord जशव Himself. When you
say सदानशव समारम्भाम् शङ्करािायव मध्यमाम् etc., there
सदानशव means the Lord जशव Himself. In that context अहां
सदानशविः means I am none other than Lord जशव.
निदािन्दरूपिः नशवोऽर्म् नशवोऽर्म्. Then it will mean िीव-
ब्रह्म ऐक्यम्. Ok, what type of I is identical with सदानशव?
Certainly not the I which is identified with the body. The
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moment I am identified with the body I will not be जशव. So
who am I? निन्मात्रिः – I am the pure िैतन्यम् without any
association with िडवस्तु. Neither स्र्ल ू शरीर सम्ब्बन्त्ि is
there, nor सक्ष्ू म शरीर सम्ब्बन्त्ि is there, nor कारण शरीर
सम्ब्बन्त्ि is there. That is why निन्मात्रिः. And why I don’t have
relationships with these शरीरम्s? Because साक्षी – I am the
witness of all of them. So witness is not associated with the
witnessed object. Ok, what are the things that are witnessed by
the साक्षी? That is described in the first line. भोक्ता भोग्यं
भोगि – I am the witness of the three things known as the
जरपुजि, the experiencer, the experienced object and the
experience itself. Experiencer is called भोक्ता, experienced
object is called भोग्यम्, and the experience itself which is in
the form of the वजृ त्त, modification, वजृ त्तजवकार, अन्तिःकरण
जवकार is called भोग. These are there in नत्रषु धामसु – the three
states of experience. For example in the जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा the
object of experience is स्र्ल ू प्रपञ्ि and the experience is also
स्र्लू म्, it is gross experience. And the subject of experience is
िैतन्यम् associated with स्र्ल ू शरीरम् functioning through
स्र्ल ू शरीरम् which we call as the waker, नवश्व. So नवश्व is the
भोक्ता, स्र्ल ू प्रपञ्ि is the भोग्यम्, and स्र्लू भोग, the gross
experience is the भोग. Sometimes the word भोग is translated
as the instrument of experience also. If you take it as
instrument then the स्र्ल ू शरीरम् will be called as भोग. So
either it should refer to the instrument or to the experience. If
it is instrument it refers to the शरीरम्, if it is experience it
refers to वजृ त्त, the thoughts. Whereas when you come to स्वप्ि
अवस्र्ा the भोग्यम्, the object of experience is all सक्ष्ू म प्रपञ्ि.
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It is not the gross universe but it is the subtle universe
projected by the mind. It is वासनामय प्रपञ्ि. And the भोग,
the experience सक्ष्ू म भोग. It is only a subtle experience. Or if
you take the भोग as the instrument then it is the सक्ष्ू म शरीरम्,
i.e., the instrument. And who is the भोक्ता? The िैतन्यम्
associated with सक्ष्ू म शरीरम् functioning through सक्ष्ू म
शरीरम् which is known as the dreamer or तैजस. So thus in
स्वप्ि also जरपुजि is there. तैजस, सक्ष्ू म शरीरम् and सक्ष्ू म
प्रपञ्ि. Then we when you come to सुषुनप्त the object of
experience is कारण प्रपञ्ि which is experienced as mere
blankness. Remember the blank in the सुषुनप्त is nothing but
कारण प्रपञ्ि. Everything in seed form. It is not a blank, you
should remember, but it is everything in seed form, potential
form. So that is what is experienced as अहां जकमजप न िानाजम,
I did not experience anything. That negative experience is
कारण प्रपञ्ि. Then the भोग is again very सक्ष्ू म, which is
आनन्त्द. Because when everything is in कारण अवस्र्ा the
mind is
तस्य नप्रयमेव नशरिः । मोदो दनक्षणिः पक्षिः । प्रमोद उिरिः पक्षिः ॥
तैनिरीयोपनिषत् २-५-१ ॥
सुखमर्मस्वाप्सम् ॥ योगसत्र
ू व्यास भाष्य १-१० ॥
I slept comfortably. That comfort, that pleasure is the भोग in
the सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा. Or if you take भोग as the instrument then
कारण शरीरम् is the instrument. If भोग means experience it is
आनन्त्द. If भोग is taken as instrument then it is कारण शरीरम्.
Then who is the भोक्ता? It is the very same िैतन्यम् associated
with कारण शरीरम् which is known as the sleeper, प्राज्ञ. Thus
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three भोक्ताs are there – नवश्व तैजस प्राज्ञ. Three भोगs are there
– स्र्ल ू भोग, सक्ष्ू म भोग and कारण भोग. Three भोग्यम्s are
there – स्र्ल ू प्रपञ्ि, सक्ष्ू म प्रपञ्ि and कारण प्रपञ्ि. Thus nine
factors are there in the three states of experience. Of this even
though नवश्व, तैजस and प्राज्ञ all these are nothing but िैतन्यम्
only but they are all िैतन्यम् associated with स्र्ल ू शरीरम् or
सक्ष्ू म शरीरम् or कारण शरीरम्. Therefore they are not शुद्ध
िैतन्यम्. They are जचदाभास िैतन्यम्, the िैतन्यम् reflected
in the respective शरीरम्. Therefore they also change
according to the medium. So in जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा it is the
िैतन्यम् reflected in the स्र्ल ू . In the स्वप्ि अवस्र्ा it is the
िैतन्यम् reflected in the सक्ष्ू म. In the सुषुनप्त अवस्र्ा it is the
िैतन्यम् reflected in the कारण. Therefore भोक्ता also varies,
भोग्यम् also varies, भोग also varies. But the िैतन्यम्, the
जचत्, निन्मात्रिः is the changeless one who is neither भोक्ता nor
भोग्यम् nor भोग. It is neither जचदाभास nor शरीरम् nor प्रपञ्ि.
It is the very अनधष्ठािम्. That is said here. तेभ्यो नवलक्षणिः – I
am the जचत् who am different from all the nine factors. I am
the सानक्ष for them, I am the very अनधष्ठािम् for them. When
the स्र्ल ू शरीरम् is gone नवश्व cannot be there, when सक्ष्ू म
शरीरम् is gone तैजस cannot be there, when कारण शरीरम् is
gone प्राज्ञ cannot be there. So thus when you remove any one
of them the other two are gone. If नवश्व is gone स्र्ल ू शरीरम्
and जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा are not there. That is why they are all
relative. भोक्ता is dependent on भोग्यम् and भोग and vice
versa. All the three are interdependent. Whereas the अनधष्ठाि
िैतन्यम् is neither भोक्ता nor भोग्यम् nor भोग. It is distinct
from the three, it is the अनधष्ठािम् of the three. This alone is
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famously known in माण्डूक्योपनिषत् as the तुरीयम्. Therefore
I am the तुरीयम् who is different from नवश्व तैजस प्राज्ञ.
Incidentally you should remember when I say I am distinct
from नवश्व, तैजस and प्राज्ञ, it does not mean there are नवश्व
तैजस प्राज्ञ separately and I am separately. It is not so. I am
distinct from नवश्व, तैजस and प्राज्ञ means I am distinct from
them but when attributes are superimposed on me, I myself
appear as नवश्व, तैजस and प्राज्ञ. नवश्व, तैजस and प्राज्ञ are my
own false appearances. So it is like saying water is different
from wave, suppose I say, you should not think that wave is
somewhere and water is somewhere, it is not so. Water is
different from wave means water is falsely appearing as wave.
Wave minus its false appearances is water alone. Therefore I
am different from the waker means I myself am falsely
appearing as waker. And waker minus wakerhood, dreamer
minus dreamhood, sleeper minus sleeperhood is I, the तुरीयम.्
So that is the idea here. When I say different it is not अत्यन्त्त
भेदः. Ok, निन्मात्रोऽर्ं सदानशविः. Continuing;
मय्येव सकलं जातं मनय सवं प्रनतनष्ठतम् ।
मनय सवं लयं यानत तद्ब्रह्माद्वयमस्म्यर्म् ॥ १९ ॥
Again another महावाक्यम् where the identity is very
clearly mentioned. So अहां तत् अद्वयां ब्रह्म अजस्म – I am that
non-dual ब्रह्मि.् What is the definition of ब्रह्मि्? ब्रह्मि् is
defined as जगत्कारणम्.
यतो वा इमानि भत ू ानि जायन्ते । येि जातानि जीवनन्त । यत्
प्रयन्त्यनभसंनवशनन्त ॥ तैनिरीयोपनिषत् ३-१-३ ॥
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Of course ब्रह्मि् is माया सजहतां ब्रह्म. शुद्ध ब्रह्म there is no
question of discussion at all, it is not even the कारणम्. You
cannot call by any name. So ब्रह्मि् is defined as जगत्कारणम्.
And since I am that जगत्कारणम् ब्रह्म, I can say now that the
whole world is born out of me, the whole world is sustained
by me, and the whole world resolves into me. That is what the
student says here. मनय एव सकलम् जातम् – everything is born
out of me. Not only I am सजृ ष्ट कारणम् but I am also जस्िजत
कारणम्. मनय सवव म् प्रनतनष्ठतम् – everything is based on me,
supported by me and finally मनय सवव म् लयम् यानत –
everything dissolves into me. And such an अद्वयां ब्रह्म – non-
dual ब्रह्मि् I am. And you should remember all these मन्त्रs
will be meaningful मन्त्रs only when we remember and say
from the standpoint of the real I. If you are going to listen as
Mr. so and so, as an individual I, then all these statements will
look like foolish statements, just like cock and bull story. That
is why many people find वेदान्त not appealing at all because
while reading they are reading as Mr. so and so. Then it will
not work at all. Because in our mind the predominant thing is
the relative I with umpteen family problems etc. As a
problematic I you say I am the जगत्कारणम् it looks an
incongruous statement, a ridiculous statement. That is why we
say वेदान्त must be taught in a context and वेदान्त must be
listened in a context. We should have withdrawn from all of
them and at the time of महावाक्यम् I should remain only as
the िैतन्यम्. Having done elaborate पञ्िकोश नववेक,
शरीरत्रय नववेक, अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक my mind must be absorbed
in I as the awareness. And when I am absorbed in myself as
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the awareness, when I am dead to the world of problem at that
time when the वेदान्त says that you which is left out as the
pure listener, having shed all other attributes when I remain as
the awareness if it is said मय्येव सकलं जातं मनय सवं
प्रनतनष्ठतम्, it is the greatest truth, a shocking truth, which is
an eternal truth also. And that is why वेदान्त always requires
preparing the atmosphere. And this was the very reason that
they took सन्न्यास in those days also, the very purpose of
सन्न्यास is for doing this job. Because as a सन्न्यानस he is
not a relative to anybody, all the relative I are thrown away by
him. The purpose is this alone that at the श्रवणम् time I should
not be the worldly I. As the worldly I तत्त्वमजस will be the
non-working statement. And that is why always preparation
मनय एव सकलम् जातम्, especially these मन्त्रs requires lot of
preparation, preparation means आत्म-अिात्म नववेक.
Remaining as I the िैतन्यम्. Then you say मनय एव सकलम्
जातम्, it will be a factual statement. It is like a dreamer trying
to say the dream world is born out of me. We can never agree.
But when the waker tries to say dream world is born out of me
he doesn’t have any conflict at all. We can say that the whole
dream world is born out of me. Why? Because we are
detaching from the dream world and observing the dream
world then we can see. But when you are in the dream world
and try to see the dream world you can never look at yourself
as the creator. Similarly when you are involved in the world
and when every situation is banging on you at that time you
try to say that everyone is born out of me, it will not work.
You have to come out of the world mentally, withdraw from
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the whole situation, see the whole cosmos in a detached
manner then you can yes without me the whole world is not
there. That ‘me’ the first person singular must be शोजितः,
must be the pure I, otherwise all these मन्त्रs will be
meaningless. So तत् ब्रह्म अद्वयम् अजस्म. Here is uses the word
अद्वयम् which is a logical conclusion, because once I have said
the whole universe is born out of me, sustained by me, and
comes back unto me. What does it mean? I am the उपादाि
कारणम् and the whole world is कायव म्. And when I say whole
world is कायव म्, what about ईश्वर? When I say I am the cause
of the whole world, ok, somewhat acceptable. What about
ईश्वर? When you say ईश्वर what do you mean? That is very
important. Do you mean ईश्वर, the शरीरम?् Or ईश्वर, the
िैतन्यम्? If we mean ईश्वर, the शरीरम्, the शरीरम् also is
अिात्मा even if it is ईश्वर’s शरीरम्. Then I will say even ईश्वर
शरीरम्, the अिात्मा is born out of me, the आत्मा. So with
respect to ईश्वर शरीरम् also I can happily claim that I am the
आत्मा, the अनधष्ठािम् for all अिात्माs including ईश्वर
शरीरम्. Suppose by the word ईश्वर you mean the िैतन्यम्
then what will happen? Am I the कारणम् or not? Then I am
not the कारणम्. Then what? Myself. So if we are talking
about ईश्वर, the िैतन्यम् then we will say that I am that ईश्वर
िैतन्यम् from which all शरीरम्s including ईश्वर शरीरम् are
born. If it is ईश्वर शरीरम् then it is also born out of me. If
ईश्वर means िैतन्यम् then I am that िैतन्यम् identical with
ईश्वर िैतन्यम् from whom all शरीरम्s are born including
ईश्वर शरीरम् as well as िीव शरीरम्. In short, the essence is I
am the िैतन्यम् out of which all िड वस्तुs are born. ईश्वर
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शरीरम् is िडम् therefore that is also born. िगत् is िडम्
therefore that is also born. िीव शरीरम् is also िडम् therefore
that is also born. Therefore all of them are िडम् they are all
born out of िैतन्यम्. And as far as िैतन्यम् is concerned it is
only one िैतन्यम् therefore there is no question of birth of
another िैतन्यम्. Because िैतन्यम् happens to be एकम्.
Therefore I am that only िैतन्यम् out of which all िड वस्तुs
are born. And then what happens? After the birth of िीव
शरीरम् and ईश्वर शरीरम् when I am functioning through िीव
शरीरम् I will be called िीव. When I am functioning through
ईश्वर शरीरम् I alone am called ईश्वर also. Thus I alone creates
िीव शरीरम् and function as िीव there, and I alone create the
ईश्वर शरीरम् and function as ईश्वर there. In fact ईश्वर, the
िैतन्यम् and िीव, the िैतन्यम् is one which I am. That means
I am the material cause and all these िड वस्तुs – िीव शरीरम्,
ईश्वर शरीरम् and िगत् are कायव म्s, effect, product born out of
me. And I am the उपादाि कारणम् that means there is no
creation different from the उपादाि कारणम्, me. कारणम्
व्यजतररक्त कायव म् नाजस्त that fundamental rule we should
remember. So there is no creation independent of me because
it is कायव म्, because it is नाम-रूप alone. And therefore the
creation is called नमथ्या. It doesn’t have an existence separate
from me. Thus creation becomes नमथ्या नाम-रूप
superimposed on me. This is very important because till now
we have been telling that creation is superimposed on ब्रह्मि्.
Therefore we think that there is some such ब्रह्मि् on which
creation is superimposed but here the beauty is it is said as
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superimposed on me. And therefore I become the very
अनधष्ठािम् and the whole world is अध्यस्तम् on me.
नवश्वं दपव णदृश्यमाििगरीतुल्यं निजान्तगव तम् ॥ श्रीदनक्षणामनू तव
स्तोत्रम् १ ॥
Ok, then you will ask how do you say the world is in me, I am
being in its outside. Again what is the problem? The question
should not come; if it comes where is the problem? Again the
problem is with me. We have quietly forgotten the meaning of
me. When you say the world is outside me you are talking
from the standpoint of the body. We have unknowingly glided
down to the body level. This is what will happen for a
Vedantic student. And if at all people say when I go back from
the class again problem comes, everything is fine in the class.
Where is this snag? The snag is only here. We are able to
listen as I the awareness. But when we go back home we are
conducting ourselves as I the body. It is this slip from
awareness to शरीरम् that is the snag for every seeker. And that
is why वेदान्त appears to be some mysterious thing; it looks
like an information, it doesn’t seem to bless us. It is not
because of any reason. Some people think ब्रह्मि् experience
has not come. It is not ब्रह्मि् experience to come, there is no
such thing called ब्रह्मि् experience. We have not avoided the
forgetfulness. That is as simple as that. So we listen as I the
awareness, therefore no conflict, but we transact as I the body.
So what is necessary is transact as an individual remembering
that this is the transactional I but this is not factual I. That self
-remembrance is there we can easily accept the world is in me.
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It is exactly like again the dream world. We are not able to
accept that the dream world is within us, why? It is only
because we are identified with dream body. Then from dream
body standpoint the dream world is outside, dreamer will have
to walk into the dream and the dreamer will have to get out of
the dream, dreamer will have to go to the kitchen, dreamer
will have to eat; the dream world will be outside as long as it
is seen from the dream body. But waking up you can happily
say that the dream world and the dream body are in me the
waker. Similarly as long as you look from this body
standpoint it is all outside. But from awareness standpoint the
whole world along with this शरीरम् is in me the awareness.
And therefore the whole world is नामरूप superimposed on
me just as the whole dream is नामरूप superimposed on me.
Therefore there is no real second thing. Because second thing
is नमथ्या नामरूप but there is no real second thing. Now what
do I mean by real second thing? A second thing which exists
independent of me. Just like water and wave are two names
but they are not two things because wave is नामरूप, it doesn’t
exist separate from water. Similarly world is नामरूप it cannot
be counted as a second thing. It appears to be second but it is
not second. And therefore the author says here अद्वयम् अजस्म –
I am non-dual. So therefore I plus one type of नामरूप is equal
to िीव, I plus one type of नामरूप is ईश्वर, I plus one type of
नामरूप is िगत.् And I am the content of िीव िगत् ईश्वर and
my name is ब्रह्मि्. अहां ब्रह्म अजस्म. This vision is given only in
the उपनिषत.् In any other शास्त्रम्s you will be only revealed,
talked about as a limited individual dependent on so many
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factors. But this is one place where our true nature is revealed
where we are no more dependent on anyone but everything is
dependent on us. And this is called मोक्ष. I can be a मुक्तपुरुष
only when I am totally independent of everyone. Dependence
on Lord also is a dependence alone. As we say golden chain
whether you depend on िीव, whether you depend on the
world, whether you depend upon the Lord, or whether you are
a servant of िीव, whether you are a servant of िगत्, whether
you are a servant of ईश्वर; servant is a servant, slave is a slave.
There is no inferior slave or superior slave. Therefore अद्वैत
doesn’t accept any type of slavery. I am the अनधष्ठािम् not
depending on anything. Continuing;
अणोरणीयािर्मेव तद्वन्मर्ािर्ं नवश्वमर्ं नवनित्रम् ।
पुरातिोऽर्ं पुरुषोऽर्मीशो नर्रण्मयोऽर्ं नशवरूपमनस्म ॥ २० ॥
What a wonderful statement! Because all the time we
are used to say that I am miserable, अहां दुःजि. All the time
complaints. Self-complaints, self-rejections self-diffidence,
self-inadequacy, self-incompetence this miserable I is all the
time moving about. In front of Lord also we say same thing
alone. O Lord, अहम् अनािः, अहां दुःजि, अहम् आतु ः, अहम्
अिाु जतु , all the time it is the miserable I, but the उपनिषत् is
one place where this miserable I is replaced, where the I is the
boldest I. So what he says is since I am the अनधष्ठािम् of
everything, I alone am appearing as everything with various
नामरूपवेषः. Taking नामरूप dress I alone am appearing as
िीव िगत् ईश्वर. And what all are my appearances? There is
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no dress left out, all dress I put and play the drama, just as I do
in dream. अणोिः अणीयान् अहम् एव – I am smaller than the
smallest atom. So thus in the form of the smallest thing also I
alone am appearing with अणु नामरूप. तद्वत् मर्ािर्म् – in the
same way I alone am appearing as the biggest, bigger than the
biggest. That means I am the अनधष्ठािम् on which अणु
नामरूप is superimposed as well as महत् नामरूप is
superimposed. And अर्ं नवनित्रम् नवश्वम्. In between there are
so many things. Smallest and biggest we have covered and in
between there are so many intermediary varieties are there and
all these varieties of things I alone am. नवनित्रम् नवश्वम्.
नवनित्रम् means varieties श्द, स्पशव , रूप, रस गन्ध, all these
are नामरूपs are superimposed on me the शुद्धां िैतन्यम्,
निगव ुणां िैतन्यम्. And what is my age? पुरातििः अर्म् – I am
the most ancient one, the beginningless one. पुरुषिः अर्म्.
पुरुषिः has two meanings. One is परू यजत सवु म्, the all-
pervading one. Or पुरौ वसजत इजत पुरुषिः, I am the िीव in
every शरीरम्. अर्म् ईशः – I am the Lord, which all other
people consider as sacrilege. Because you are only requested
to say that I am the slave of the Lord, I am beggar from the
Lord. It is arrogance to say that I am one with the Lord, all
those things they say. If it is a sacrilege how will the student
say this here in the उपनिषत् itself. Therefore to say I am the
Lord is not an arrogance but it is an eternal truth revealed by
उपनिषत् itself. To say I am the slave of the Lord is ignorance.
and ignorance is misunderstood as humility. The fact is अर्म्
ईशः. If you say body is ईश्वर it is arrogance, it is mistake
because body is limited one. But अहम् the िैतन्यम् is ईश्वर.
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These are all my nature with नामरूप and when the नामरूप is
not what is my nature by itself? नर्रण्मयोऽर्म् – I am the self-
effulgent one shining like gold. नशवरूपमनस्म – which is ever
auspicious, ever मङ्गलम्, ever free from सांसार, ever free
from दुःिम्. Because अमङ्गलम् is always दुःिम्. मङ्गलम्
means always आनन्त्दः. To say that I have got sorrow is the
greatest statement against the Upanishadic fact. We should
never say that. अहम् आनन्त्दस्वरूपः अजस्म. More in the next
class.
पण
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अणोरणीयािर्मेव तद्वन्मर्ािर्ं नवश्वमर्ं नवनित्रम् ।
पुरातिोऽर्ं पुरुषोऽर्मीशो नर्रण्मयोऽर्ं नशवरूपमनस्म ॥ २० ॥
The main theme of िीव-ब्रह्म ऐक्यम् is being revealed
in all these important मन्त्रs. Initially the teacher revealed the
identity and later the student is owing up the identity. When
the teacher reveals the identity he says तत् त्वम् अजस. You are
that ब्रह्मि्. Whereas when the student owns up the identity he
says I am ब्रह्मि.् Both of them are महावाक्यम्s. One is in the
form of उपदेशम् and the other is in the form of बोिः,
understanding. One is in the second person, the other is in the
first person. In the sixteenth मन्त्र the teacher gave the उपदेश
तत्त्वमेव त्वमेव तत् whereas in these मन्त्रs the student says
मय्येव सकलं जातं मनय सवं प्रनतनष्ठतम् । मनय सवं लयं यानत
तद्ब्रह्माद्वयमस्म्यर्म् ॥ I am the non-dual ब्रह्मि्, the
जगत्कारणम् out of which the world rises, by which the world
is sustained and into which the world goes back. And since I
am the जगत्कारणम् the whole िगत् is nothing but addition
of नामरूप upon me. Very very high vision it is. Because
कायव म् is nothing but कारणम् plus नामरूप. Pot is clay plus
नामरूप. Ornament is gold plus नामरूप. So the world is
कायव म्, I am कारणम् and therefore the world is nothing but I
plus नामरूप. Therefore when a particular ईश्वर नामरूप is
added I alone appear as ईश्वर, when the िगत् नामरूप is
added I alone appear as िगत् and when the िीव नामरूप is
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added I alone appear as the िीव. So I am ईश्वर, िगत् and िीव
when नामरूपs are added. And when these नामरूपs are
dismissed there is neither ईश्वर nor िीव nor िगत् but नामरूप
रजहतम्
अद्रेश्यम् अग्राह्यम् अगोत्रम् ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् १-१-६ ॥
अश्दम् अस्पशव म् अरूपम् ॥ कठोपनिषत् १-३-१५ ॥
निगव ुणं केवलम् अहमेव अजस्म. Thus I am everything, I am free
from everything. With नामरूप I am everything, without
नामरूप I am free from everything. I am the निगव ुणं ब्रह्म I
alone appear as सगुणं ब्रह्म also. A very bold statement which
is the main theme of all the उपनिषत्s. This is not unique to
कैवल्योपनिषत् alone. In तैनिरीयोपनिषत् we will see
अर्मन्िमर्मन्िमर्मन्िम् । अर्म् अन्िादिः । अर्िँ श्लोककृत् ।
अर्मनस्म प्रर्मजा ऋता३स्य ॥ तैनिरीयोपनिषत् ३-९-६ ॥
There also the student declares I am everything.
अर्ं वक्ष
ृ स्य रे ररवा । कीनतव िः पष्ठ
ृ ं नगरे ररव ॥ तैनिरीयोपनिषत् १-
१०-१ ॥
All over the उपनिषत्s the theme is अर्म् पण ू ु ः. Because
liberation is possible only when I know अर्म् पण ू ु ः. Because
the bondage is due to अर्म् अपण ू ु ः. So if bondage is because of
अर्म् अपण ू ु ः liberation has to be अर्म् पण ू ु ः. By saying that
God is पण ू ु ः liberation cannot come. This is a very important
point. By saying that God is great, God is सवु ज्ञः, God is
करुणामजू तु , God is अनन्त्तः, God is जनगु णः, by all this we are
not going to get even an iota of benefit. Because God’s
पणू ु त्वम् will not remove my अपण ू ु त्वम्. Your winning lottery
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will not remove my poverty. My poverty will go away only
when I get fulness or rich. Similarly ईश्वर पण ू ु ः every religion
says, every philosophy says but the glory of अद्वैत is this that
ईश्वर पण ू ु ः is wonderful, we don’t say it is wrong, but that will
not liberate. Therefore अद्वैतम् uniquely reveals that अहम्
पणू ु ः, अहम् जगत्कारणम्, अहम् सवु अनधष्ठािम्, अहम्
अजद्वतीयः, and अहम् केवलः. That alone is कैवल्यम्, मोक्षः.
Upto this we have seen नर्रण्मयोऽर्ं नशवरूपमनस्म.
Continuing;
अपानणपादोऽर्मनिन्त्यशनक्तिः पश्याम्यिक्षुिः स शृणोम्यकणव िः ।
अर्ं नवजािानम नवनवक्तरूपो ि िानस्त वेिा मम नित्सदाऽर्म् ॥
२१ ॥
We had previously seen that ब्रह्मि् has got two forms
one is with उपाजि, and the other is without उपाजि. With उपाजि
it is called सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म, which is सगुणम्, सजवशेषम्, in fact
all gods are सोपाजिकां ब्रह्मि् alone. जशव is सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म with
जशव नामरुप, जवष्णु is सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म. And not only all gods
are सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म, the creation also is nothing but सोपाजिकां
ब्रह्म. Similarly िीव is also सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म. Thus िीव िगत्
ईश्वर they are all nothing but one and the same ब्रह्मि् with
various उपाजिs. And the other one is जनरुपाजिकां ब्रह्म where
ब्रह्मि् is free from all उपाजिs. It is जनजवु शेषम्, जनगु णम् ब्रह्म.
There is no third thing. But on analysis we dismiss even this
ultimately, because when you say ब्रह्मि् has got two forms
one is with उपाजि, and the other is without उपाजि, of these two
since the नामरुप is नमथ्या, सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म is also नमथ्या and
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जनरुपाजिकां ब्रह्म alone is सत्यम्. And therefore there is only
reality all the time. जनरुपाजिकम्, जनगु णम्, जनजवु शेषम् नामरुप
रजहतां ब्रह्म. That alone is there always. And this ब्रह्मि्
sometimes apparently appears as सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म. And even
when it appears as सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म really speaking it is nothing
but जनरुपाजिकम्. Like our rope, all the time rope alone is, but
in between the rope has got another manifestation which is the
snake manifestation. But we should not take it as a second
thing, because the snake is nothing but the apparent
manifestation of rope. Therefore even when it appears as
snake there is rope alone. Similarly जनरुपाजिकां ब्रह्म was,
जनरुपाजिकां ब्रह्म is and जनरुपाजिकां ब्रह्म ever will be, but in
between it appears as सोपाजिकां ब्रह्म which is nothing but िीव
िगत् ईश्वर. So according to वेदान्त all the three – िीव िगत्
ईश्वर are temporary apparent manifestation of one जनरुपाजिकां
ब्रह्म. This is often said in the उपनिषत् very clearly. But in
कैवल्योपनिषत् the beauty is we should not use the word
ब्रह्मि् here, because we have already seen ब्रह्मि् is nothing but
myself. Therefore all these things we wrote till now we have
to replace with the word I. And then what is the meaning?
Formless I alone ever is. जनरुपाजिक अहम् alone is all the
time. जनजवु शेषम् अहम्, जनगु णम् अहम् alone is all the time
which is my basic nature, original nature. And what do I do?
Once in a while I the formless one alone am appearing
apparently as the formed I which is known as Mr. so and so.
Really speaking I am neither Mr. nor Mrs. nor Ms. All these
things are सोपाजिक अहम्. Thus I the formless I alone appear
as all the forms. Ok, and when I assume various forms all
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those beauties and glories of those forms belong to me alone.
Because I am behind all names and forms. Therefore whatever
power is there behind any form all of them belong to me
alone. The seeing power, the hearing power, the talking
power, the thinking power; thus I have got all these glories
and powers. But at the same time really speaking I am free
from all these नामरूपs. This is the idea given in this मन्त्र.
अहम् अपानणपादिः – really speaking I am free from hands and
legs because both of them are नमथ्या नामरूपs. But
अनिन्त्यशनक्तिः – all these powers belonging to the hands and
legs belong to me alone. Thus I have the walking power, the
lifting power, not only of these two legs but we should
remember all the legs and hands. Thus I am possessing
unimaginable power, so I have got infinite power of walking,
lifting etc. Still I am free from hands and legs because both of
them are नमथ्या. Similarly अहम् पश्याजम – I alone see
everything through the eyes.
श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रम् ... िक्षुषिक्षुिः ॥ केिोपनिषत् १-२ ॥
So I am the awareness who sees everything through the
eyes. But at the same time I am free from eyes, because eyes
are नमथ्या. Similarly शृणोम्यकणव िः – I alone hear everything
through the ears. At the same time अकणव िः – I am free from
ears, because ears are नमथ्या. Only two are mentioned, you
have to add everything. Similarly I alone taste everything
through the tongue, but still I am free from tongue because
tongue is नमथ्या. And अर्ं नवजािानम – I alone know
everything. How? नवनवक्तरूपिः – by assuming different forms.
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When I assume human form I get the knowledge of human
being. And when I am behind an animal mind I have got the
experiences of an animal. When I am behind the plant body I
do get the knowledge of the plant life. When I in देवशरीर I
get the knowledge of देवलोक. Thus assuming various
नामरूपs I the one awareness alone experience varieties of
things. But what is the beauty? Even though I am behind all
sense organs experiencing everything, I am behind all types of
minds experiencing everything, the beauty is there is nothing
to experience me. I am ever the experiencer, never the
experienced. मम वेिा ि अनस्त – there is no knower of mine,
that means there is no one who is the knower of me which
means no one knows me. Why? Very simple. Everything else
is नामरूप, िडम्, नमथ्या. So since all others are नमथ्या there is
no question of knowing things. Because we should remember
Consciousness knows everything else which is िडम् alone.
We may often get confused. See I am knowing you and you
are all conscious beings. I am also conscious being. One
Consciousness is knowing another Consciousness. Here alone
we commit mistake. I am not knowing you the conscious
being, whenever I am looking at you I am looking at the
शरीरम्, the िडम्. Even when I know your thought it is िडम्.
When you are reacting or talking it is िडम्. Therefore
remember Consciousness does not know another
Consciousness because there is no another Consciousness
objectified by you. Therefore there is only one Consciousness
everything else known is िडम्. And that Consciousness I am.
And that is why we say that you should not know God
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because when you know God, God also becomes िड वस्तु.
Because you will be seeing some नामरूप and knowing God
and when you see some नामरूप God also will be a स्र्ल ू
शरीरम्. And therefore you can never know God and whatever
you know will be other than God. God can be only the knower
I. If God is known it becomes िडम्. Because whatever you
know is िडम्. And therefore there is only one Consciousness
and that Consciousness I am and everything else is िडम्,
िडम् can never know me. Therefore मम वेिा ि अनस्त – there
is no one to know me. Why? Because अहम् सदा जचत् अजस्म –
I am ever the Consciousness principle, the knower principle;
never the known the िडम्. So अहम् चेतनः वेत्ता अजस्म अहम्
अचेतनः वेद्यम् न भावाजम. Then what is आत्मज्ञािम्? This
alone is आत्मज्ञािम्. So आत्मज्ञािम् does not mean you know
the आत्मि्. Because if you know the आत्मि् it becomes
िडम्. Knowing the आत्मि् is knowing that I am the आत्मि्,
not the object of knowledge. So thus in this मन्त्र I am looking
at myself with उपाजि and without उपाजि as we often do in
dream. We comfortably lie down and in the dream we assume
hands and legs. In dream we don’t walk with the waker’s legs.
So even though you have all powers of walking, talking etc.,
at the same time you are अपानणपादिः, the dreams legs are not
your legs.
वेदरै िेकैरर्मेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदनवदेव िार्म् ।
ि पुण्यपापे मम िानस्त िाशो ि जन्म दे र्ेनन्द्रयबुनद्धरनस्त ॥
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ि भनू मरापो ि ि वनिरनस्त ि िानिलो मेऽनस्त ि िाम्बरं ि ॥ २२
॥
So in the previous मन्त्रs the student said that I alone

am everything. And here particularly he is dealing with the
context of teaching. Because the class is going on therefore
the student says I alone am the student, I alone am the teacher,
I alone am the teaching also. Because that is more relevant in
this context and therefore he says वेदिःै अिेकैिः अर्मेव वेद्यिः –
through all the वेद प्रमाणम्s the things to be known, the प्रमेय
वस्तु is nothing but myself. So the प्रमाण, the प्रमेय, the
प्रमाता, all the three are myself. That means when I am
associated with some नामरूप I appear as प्रमाता, associated
with another नामरूप I become प्रमाणम्, associated with yet
another नामरूप I appear as प्रमेयम्. As it happens in dream
again. In the dream there is an observer, there is an observed,
both of them are nothing but the waker. When you talk with
your friends you are the knower in the dream. And who is the
friend? Friend also is your mind assumes your friends नामरूप
and it becomes a thought, friend thought becomes a friend,
and your own body thought becomes your own body. Thus
you yourself divided as the knower, the known and the
instrument. The जरपुजि. All the three are you alone. And when
the नामरूपs are gone I am neither प्रमाता nor प्रमाणम् nor
प्रमेयम्. My original nature is अप्रमाता अप्रमाणम् अप्रमेयम्, but
I alone appear as प्रमाता प्रमाणम् and प्रमे यम्. And in this
context it is वेद प्रमाणम् that is mentioned. And it is not a new
thing. We do experience that when we go to sleep we find that
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we have dropped the identification with the body then we are
no more a knower. If knowerhood is your real nature you must
be the knower all the time. But you find in जाग्रत् अवस्र्ा
alone you are working as a knower. It is only a temporary
status assumed. When you go to सुषुनप्त that knower role, that
knower status s dropped and there in सुषुनप्त there is neither the
knower nor known nor the instrument. Then what do you do?
The moment you wake up you identify with the body and the
moment you identify with your body, sense organs and the
mind then you have become a knower प्रमाता. This is the first
calamity that happens. I was अप्रमातव ृ ब्रह्म, I wake up to प्रमातव ृ
िीव. And once I become प्रमाता immediately प्रमाणम् and
प्रमेयम् will come. I don’t say that therefore sleep permanently.
Waking up is necessary. But I should remember this प्रमाता
status is नमथ्या, my original nature is अप्रमातव ृ ब्रह्म. This is a
stage in which I am temporarily playing the role of a प्रमाता. It
is merely a stage. All प्रमातव ृ प्रमाण प्रमेय व्यवहाराः अजवद्यावत्
जवषयाजण. That is what is said here. अर्मेव वेद्यिः – I am the one
to be known with प्रमेयम्, the object of knowledge. Through
what? अिेकैिः वेदिःै – through all the four वेदs. Or you can take
वेद as वेदान्त which means many उपनिषत्s. So I am the
object of knowledge of many उपनिषत्s. Ok, through many
उपनिषत्s what is the things to be known? ब्रह्मि्. What is the
प्रमेयम् of वेदान्त? ब्रह्मि् alone. Therefore it has got this
meaning. That through all the वेदs ब्रह्मि् alone is revealed.
That वेदान्त प्रजतपाद्य वेद्यम् ब्रह्म अहम् अजस्म. I am that ब्रह्मि्
which is to be known through all the उपनिषत्s. So you see
how the status of the student has raised. Previously he wants
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to study ब्रह्मि् through उपनिषत्s and thereafterwards he says
in the उपनिषतs् it is discussed about me alone. So we
generally think that ब्रह्मि् is discussed in the उपनिषत्s and I
am a simple, humble, useless student of उपनिषत्. Now the
student says that I am not a simple student of उपनिषत्, in fact
whatever glorious ब्रह्मि् is revealed that ब्रह्मि् I am. And
therefore I am no more the student of उपनिषत्, I am the
theme of the उपनिषत्. And whoever is studying उपनिषत् is
studying about me. The teacher puts in a different language –
all people are searching Me alone. Everybody is seeking Me
alone because I am the seen of the वेदs. Ok, then who has
given out this वेदान्त, the उपनिषत्? He says वेदान्तकृत्
अर्मेव – the author, the initiator of the Vedantic tradition,
Lord दनक्षणामनू तव , वेदान्त्त सम्ब्प्रदाय कताु , the आजद गुरु is also
Me only. So thus the teacher also I am, the teaching also I am.
Ok, what about student? वेदनवदेव िार्म् – the knower of the
वेदान्त or वेद the student also I am. The शास्ता, the शास्त्रम्,
the जशष्य. Then you should not suddenly feel isn’t it
arrogance. In the गीता अमानित्वम् अदनम्भत्वम् and all has
been said. Isn’t it arrogance to say that I am the creator, I am
the created and I am this and that? Remember arrogance is
only when you don’t tell the truth. If this is not a fact it is
arrogance. To know the fact is no more an arrogance. If you
claim as a physical body I am great, I am immortal it is
arrogance because as a physical you are not great. Therefore
to claim greatness is arrogance, intellectually claiming
greatness is arrogance, because however great an intellect you
may be you are not the greatest, limitation is. Thus in any
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other अिात्मा field if you claim greatness it is arrogance
because in अिात्मा angle you can never be great. Because
there will be always someone greater than you, if not now but
in future. But here we are not claiming undue greatness but we
are claiming a fact, we are knowing a fact, knowing a fact
cannot be classified as arrogance. It should be classified as
knowledge, sanity. You cannot falsely display when the fact is
that I am great if you go on saying I am small and miserable
we cannot call it humility, we call it ignorance, मोहः. To say I
am small is delusion, not humility. To say I am helpless is
delusion, not humility because it is against the fact. The
scriptures never accept the statement that I am small. Suppose
a person says when asked who are you. If you are the son of
so and so, you will happily say I am the son of Mr. so and so.
Is it arrogance? No, I should not say I am the son of a human
being, it will lead to arrogance, I should say I am the son of a
donkey. Then it is not humility, it is nothing but ignorance and
foolishness. Similarly in the name of humility I cannot go on
saying I am दीनः, अल्पः, etc. Ok, when I am identified with
the body I should say that. Because from body standpoint we
are small. But the real I is not small. And therefore to go on
saying I am small is no more humility but वेदान्त says it is
foolishness and ignorance. And that is why वेदान्त tells claim
अर्ं वक्ष
ृ स्य रे ररवा । कीनतव िः पष्ठ
ृ ं नगरे ररव ॥ तैनिरीयोपनिषत् १-
१०-१ ॥
श्रण्ृ वन्तु नवश्वे अमत
ृ स्य पुत्रािः, O people you are children of
immortality. Therefore give up this sense of smallness. And
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therefore to say अहम् पण ू ु ः is never arrogance, it is wisdom. To
say अहम् जनत्यः is wisdom. To say अहम् सवु म् is wisdom.
Therefore never take this as arrogance. If this is arrogance it
will mean उपनिषत् is teaching us arrogance. This is the
teaching of ब्रह्मा therefore it has to be wisdom alone. So
वेदान्तकृत् and वेदनवदेव िार्म्. And in the next four lines he
is removing every नामरूप, we call it as अपवादः. Till now he
said all नामरूपs belong to me, I am the knower, I am the
known, I am the knowledge. And now he says no नामरूप
belongs to me. How can you contradict? How can you say
both? At one place you say नामरूप belong to me and at
another place you say no नामरूप belongs to me. Which is
correct? Both are correct. नामरूप belongs to me because all
of them are superimposed on me alone just as the entire dream
world belongs to me because the dream world is
superimposed, imagined on me alone. That is why we call it
my dream. So dream mountain belongs to me, dream money
belongs to me, dream house belongs to me, because all of
them are based in me. Therefore I can say dream belongs to
me. But at the same time I can say dream does not belongs to
me because dream is unreal. You should understand this
clearly. Dream belongs to me because it is imagined,
superimposed on me. मजय अध्यस्तत्वात् मम. At the same time
dream does not belongs to me because dream is unreal. That is
why after winning a dream lottery I don’t become rich.
Therefore dream belongs to me, dream does not belongs to
me. That is why कृष्ण said in the nineth chapter
मत्स्र्ानि सवव भत
ू ानि ॥ गीता ९-४ ॥
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ि ि मत्स्र्ानि भत
ू ानि ॥ गीता ९-५ ॥
All beings are in Me, no being is in Me. And therefore we can
say that I am free from everything. The first one is called
अध्यारोप and the second one is called अपवाद. This is to show
that all नामरूपs are नमथ्या. More in the next class.
पण
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मन्त्र 21& 22 Continuing;
अपानणपादोऽर्मनिन्त्यशनक्तिः पश्याम्यिक्षुिः स शृणोम्यकणव िः ।
अर्ं नवजािानम नवनवक्तरूपो ि िानस्त वेिा मम नित्सदाऽर्म् ॥
२१ ॥
वेदरै िेकैरर्मेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदनवदेव िार्म् ।
ि पुण्यपापे मम िानस्त िाशो ि जन्म देर्ेनन्द्रयबुनद्धरनस्त ॥ २२
॥
The student is owning up his absolute nature of ब्रह्मि्.
Till now he pointed out that as ब्रह्मि्, the जगत्कारणम् I alone
appear as everything else in the creation by associating with
various नामरूपs. I alone am िीवः, I alone am िगत्, I alone
am ईश्वर, I alone am वेद, वेदान्तकृत्, वेदनवदेव, etc. In short I
am everything by associating with every नामरूप. Or to put in
a different language also I am the one the अनधष्ठािम् behind
all the नामरूपs. I am inherent in all names and forms. But this
is not complete because if I say I am inherent in all नामरूपs
or associated with all नामरूपs then there will be a दोष of
सङ्ग. Because association or relationship itself is a limitation.
Whether it is a relationship with a person or whether it is a
relationship with a नामरूप, relationship means सङ्ग, सङ्ग
means bondage, limitation. And therefore immediately the
student is negating all relationships. Really speaking I do not
have association with anything including नामरूपs. How can
we contradict ourselves? Initially I say I have association and
later I say I don’t have association. Which one is proper? I
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said in the last class both are proper because नामरूपs are
नमथ्या. So when I say I have association, I have association
with नमथ्या नामरूप and therefore the association is also
नमथ्या association. And therefore there is no real association.
And remember the example I have association with dream at
the same time I have no association. I have association with
dream because it is seen in my mind. I have no association
with dream because dream is unreal. That is why with the
dream wife I don’t become the husband, with dream children I
don’t become the father, with dream wealth I don’t become
rich because they are all नमथ्या. My association is सत्य नमथ्या
सम्ब्बन्त्ि which is as good as no सम्ब्बन्त्ि. so thus my
association with नामरूप is सत्य नमथ्या सम्ब्बन्त्ि, otherwise
technically it is known as अध्यास सम्ब्बन्त्ि. It is a mere shadow
on me. It is a mere छाया on me. And therefore the student says
ि पुण्यपापे मम िानस्त िाशिः. I told you these are all अपवाद
वाक्यम्s. When you say I have association it is called
अध्यारोप, when you say really I have no association we call it
अपवाद. ि पुण्यपापे मम िानस्त – I do not have any पुण्यपापम्
because पुण्यपापम् are नमथ्या वस्तु, unreal things that is
superimposed on me. I am the अनधष्ठािम्. पुण्यपापम् is the
अध्यास. अध्यास cannot affect or create a relationship with
अनधष्ठािम्. Just as the snake and rope cannot have any
relationship. Then मम िानस्त िाशिः – I do not have any िाशिः,
मरणम्, ि जन्म देर्ेनन्द्रयबुनद्धरनस्त – nor जन्म. िाशिः and
जन्म go together. I have neither िाशिः nor जन्म. I am free
from birth and death. Because birth and death are caused by
पुण्यपापम्. And since पुण्यपापम् are not there, how can I be
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born? Due to what reason can I be born? Then since I do not
have birth I am free from देर्-इनन्द्रय-बुनद्धिः ि अनस्त – I do not
have a body, sense organs, intellect or mind. What does it
mean? The meaning must be clear. That all of them are नमथ्या,
unreal. So I do transact with my body. I do perceive with my
sense organs. I think with my intellect. Even though I make
use of all of them they are all नमथ्या. Just like I make use of
the sunrise for my व्यवहार, many of our programs are
adjusted with the sunrise and sunset. Thus sunrise is useful for
व्यवहार but there is no such thing called sunrise at all. Really
speaking Sun does not rise and set, it is the earth that is
rotating. Thus they are many things useful for व्यवहार but
they are not reality. Similarly body, mind and sense organs are
useful for व्यवहार but they are not reality. And therefore they
are as good as non-existent. Now with these two lines he
negated the subjective creation, now he wants to negate the
objective creation also. So ि भनू मिः आपिः ि ि वनििः ि अनिलिः
ि अम्बरं ि referring to the पञ्िभत ू s. भनू मिः – earth, आपिः –
water, वनििः – fire, अनिलिः – air, and अम्बरम् – space. All these
five elements are not there in me. And the elements include all
the elementals also. The products born out of elements like
mountains, rivers, stars, Sun, moon, planets all of them. That
means they are also superimposed in me. They are नमथ्या
नामरूपs. And being नमथ्या they are as good as non-existent.
And since they are all not there I become the secondless
reality, केवलां ब्रह्म. That is how ब्रह्मि् gets the name केवलम्.
केवलम् means अजद्वतीयम् without a second thing. In संस्कृत
केवलम् means only. I only am, there is no second thing other
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than me. A second thing appears for me, but a second thing is
not there. And this status alone is called कैवल्यम्. केवलम् is
the adjective, कैवल्यम् is the abstract noun. The status of
being non-dual. And this कैवल्यम् alone is called मोक्षः
because when there is no second thing there cannot be a
source of काम, a source of क्रोि, a source of greed, a source
of limitation, a source of fear, a source of attachment. You
don’t run after mirage water because you know it doesn’t have
reality. You don’t go after a gold which is drawn in a picture
because you know it is unreal. Since there is no second real
thing I don’t have राग towards any, I don’t have द्वेष towards
any because both are नमथ्या. And not only that when there is
no second real thing I am not limited by a second thing
therefore I enjoy पणू ु त्वम्. Because everything else is नमथ्या,
my shadow as it were. Therefore I need not share anything
with anyone because all of them belong to me alone. So I have
to imagine there are ten mirrors around me and I am seeing ten
people around me but I don’t count eleven here because the
ten people in front of me, around me are my own reflection.
Similarly the whole creation becomes my own apparent
manifestation. Therefore if there is a beautiful thing it is my
beauty, if it is a powerful thing it is my power, if it is a
wonderful thing it is my wonder,
यद्यनद्वभनू तमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदनू जव तमेव वा ।
तिदेवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोंऽशसम्भवम् ॥ गीता १०-४१ ॥
ू ु ः. This alone is called
All glories are my glories only. अहां पण
कैवल्यम्. And that फलम् is going to be said in the next मन्त्र.
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So till the twenty-second मन्त्र the student is owning up. Thus
the िीव-ब्रह्म ऐक्यम् was given in the form of teaching and
later in the form of owning. उपदेशरूपेण and बोिरूपेण the
िीव-ब्रह्म ऐक्यम् was taught. Now in the twenty-third मन्त्र the
फलश्रुजत is going to come.
एवं नवनदत्वा परमात्मरूपं गुर्ाशयं निष्कलमनद्वतीयम् ।
समस्तसानक्षं सदसनद्वर्ीिं प्रयानत शुद्धं परमात्मरूपम् ॥२३ ॥
So एवं परमात्मरूपं नवनदत्वा परमात्मरूपं प्रयानत –
knowing the परमात्मा one attains oneness with परमात्मा.
ब्रह्मजवत् ब्रह्मैव भवनत.
स यो र् वै तत्परमं ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवनत ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत् ३-२-
९॥
And परमात्मरूपम्, here रूपम् means स्वरूपम्, the true nature.
So knowing the true nature of परमात्मा one attains the very
nature of परमात्मा. Now the question is what is the nature of
परमात्मा? That is described in all other words. गुर्ाशयम् –
which abides, dwells in the बुजद्ध गुहा, the intellect. The word
गुहा has occurred several times. In मुण्डकोपनिषत् and
कठोपनिषत् we have seen. गुहा means intellect, बुजद्ध.
Literally बुजद्ध means cave. But here cave means बुजद्ध.
Sometimes they translate as heart. Whether you call it as heart
or intellect the meaning is the same. And शयम् means abiding,
residing. So परमात्मा is the one who resides in the intellect.
And you must remember this clearly because if you say
परमात्मा resides in the intellect there will be lot of problems.
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Then परमात्मा will become a limited, confined to the intellect,
therefore you should understand it as it is manifest in the
intellect. It is all-pervading but it is manifest in the intellect.
Just as the electricity which is all over the wire manifests
where the bulb is. Similarly here also. उपलजब्ि स्िानम्
इत्यिु ः. निष्कलम् – free from all कलs, partless. कल means
part, digit. That is why the digit of moon is called चन्त्रकल.
And all digits put together becomes full moon. कल means
part or even it can mean limb, अवयवम्. Just as the physical
body has got so many अवयवम्s the hands, legs, fingers etc.
परमात्मा does not have any अवयव. निष्कलम् जनरवयवम्.
Then अनद्वतीयम् – free from a second real thing. So whenever
we say non-dual it must be very clear. For experience duality
will always be there. We are not negating experiential duality.
As long as we live we will have to see people, we will have to
see things, therefore experientially duality will ever continue.
But in reality duality is not there. So अनद्वतीयम् – without a
second real thing. There are many second unreal things. But
real thing is only one. Then समस्तसानक्षम् – it is the witness
of everything else because it is the only चेतन वस्तु and all
others are िडम्. Then सदसनद्वर्ीिम् – सत् and असत् refer to
कायव म् and कारणम्. सत् means the manifest one, i.e., कायव म,्
and असत् is the unmanifest one, i.e., कारणम्. And जवजहनम्
means free from. It is free from both कायव म् and कारणम्
which means that both कायव म् and कारणम् are नमथ्या. At the
cosmic level what is कायव म् and कारणम्? कायव म् is the whole
िगत्, the प्रपञ्ि, and the कारणम् is माया or प्रकृजत. Therefore
िगत् as well as माया both of them are नमथ्या superimposition
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on ब्रह्मि्. And finally शुद्धम् – it is free from all impurities
including ignorance. It is free from all कमव s – सनञ्ित, प्रार्ध,
आगानम; it is free from पुण्यपापम्, it is free from सुिदुःिम्,
it is free from रागद्वेषाजद, therefore all types of impurities at
the physical level, mental level, intellectual level; at all levels
no impurity is there. And knowing such a परमात्मा one
becomes one with that परमात्मा. ‘Becomes one’ and all are
idiomatic usage, there is no question of becoming one. The
very knowledge is ‘I am that परमात्मा’. Not that I know
परमात्मा in front, and thereafterwards gradually join
परमात्मा, it is not. The very knowledge is तत् ब्रह्म अहम्
अजस्म. With this the फलम् is also over, which is nothing but
परमात्मा प्राजि which is same as मोक्ष प्राजि. Otherwise you can
even call it कैवल्य प्राजि. And with this मन्त्र a big section is
over, the Vedantic section is over. In the last two मन्त्रs the
teacher is going to conclude by introducing a different topic –
सािन or preparation. Because in these verses the teaching
was given taking for granted that all students are साधि
ितुिय सम्पन्ि अजिकाररs. The teacher straightway started
the teaching. श्रद्धाभनक्तध्याियोगादवेनर्, ि कमव णा ि प्रजया
धिेि, he said. He did not talk about the method of getting
साधि ितुिय सम्पनि at all. So therefore if there are students
who are unprepared they may find that this उपनिषत् is not
meaningful or they may find it incomprehensible. And when it
is not understood or wrongly understood it does not bless him
in his day-to-day life. And if it doesn’t bless him in his day-to-
day life then our conclusion will be वेदान्त is useless. And
therefore वेदान्त has to take care of it. Therefore it points out
176
if वेदान्त does not bless a person it is not the mistake of
वेदान्त at all, it is the mistake of the receiver of वेदान्त, he is
not a पारम्. Why can't you blame वेदान्त? He cannot blame
because it has blessed so many people generation after
generation, if it has blessed all others it should bless me also.
And if it doesn’t bless me the problem is with me. And that
problem is impurity, अशुद्धम्, पापम्. And once I know I have
some पाप, I have some प्रजतबन्त्ि naturally I will be interested
in knowing how to remove प्रजतबन्त्ि. And for that alone the
method is given in the next मन्त्र. we will read.
यिः शतरुनद्रयमधीते सोऽनग्िपत ू ो भवनत सुरापािात्पत
ू ो भवनत
ब्रह्मर्त्यात्पत
ू ो भवनत कृत्याकृत्यात्पत
ू ो भवनत ।
तस्मादनवमुक्तमानश्रतो भवनत । अत्याश्रमी सवव दा सकृद्वा जपेत् ॥
So the obstacle to वेदान्त is the lack of साधि ितुिय
सम्पनि or the lack of purity of mind in the form of राग-द्वेष,
काम-क्रोि etc. And all these are because of पवू ु पापम् either in
this िन्त्म or previous िन्त्म. And the प्रजतबन्त्िs can be many,
in different people the obstacles can be different thing. It is
not universal. For one काम may be problem, for another क्रोि
may be problem, for another jealousy may be problem, thus
each one might have different problem. Or one person himself
can have different problems. To remove this we have got
countless methods. Even though for मोक्ष there is only मागु ,
i.e., ज्ञािम्. But for purifying the mind the शास्त्रs accept
countless methods. नामिपम्, pilgrimage, social service,
charity, any number of things are prescribed in the शास्त्रम्. In
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fact, simple जववेक, discrimination also is a direct method. If a
person has got जववेक he need not practice any one of them, by
sheer जववेक he can get out of राग-द्वेष, काम-क्रोि. All these
physical extra methods becomes necessary when the बुजद्ध does
not work. When right understanding is not there, we have to
prescribe mechanical methods. But जववेक is one of the best
methods of removing all this. And in this उपनिषत् the method
prescribed is रुद्र पारायणम्. In fact रुद्र पारायणम् is only a
representative, it includes any पारायणम्. पारायणम् means
reading the scriptures like नवष्णु सर्स्रिाम or गीता, or many
श्लोकs are there in many languages, the mere पारायणम् even
though one does not know the meaning. Knowing the meaning
or not knowing the meaning when it is repeated it is called
पारायणम्. And here रुद्र पारायणम् is highlighted because in
the उपनिषत् we have talked about Lord जशव. उमासर्ायं
परमेश्वरं प्रभुं नत्रलोििं िीलकण्ठम् etc. And therefore ब्रह्मा is
advocating रुद्रम्. रुद्रम् is a very famous मन्त्र on Lord जशव
occurring in यिुवेद. And here रुद्रम् is called शतरुनद्रयम् –
another name for रुद्रम्. And if a person does the पारायणम् of
it because of the very effect of the मन्त्र he becomes पत ू ो
भवनत – purified, शुद्धो भवजत. From what? Of all the
impurities, पापम्s. A few पापम्s are enumerated here.
अनग्िपत ू ो भवनत – the sin committed towards अजनन in rituals.
In rituals the fire should be respected as a देवता, and therefore
certain do’s and don’ts are there. We are not supposed to
directly blow the fire because then our saliva will fall and it is
not holy. Therefore they have to use something. Like that
जनयमs are there in tending the fire as well as retaining the fire
178
as well as even putting off the fire. Because it is not the fire
that we are handling but we are handling the fire god, देवता.
And if it is not properly handled it becomes अजनन पापम्. And
he becomes free from that पापम् by this पारायणम्. Then
सुरापािात्पत ू ो भवनत – alcohol which is not accepted in our
शास्त्रम्. It is supposed to be unspiritual. Not only that it is not
good medically also. So by शतरुनद्रय पारायणम् a person
becomes free of that sin. That does not mean daily morning he
takes and evening he does रुद्र पारायणम्. So unknowingly you
can commit a mistake but once you know thereafterwards one
should not. Then ब्रह्मर्त्यात्पत ू ो भवनत – killing a ब्राह्मण, a
sattvic person is called the sin of ब्रह्महत्या. It is considered to
be a very grave sin, one of the पञ्चमहापातकम्s. And one
becomes free from even that sin by this पारायणम्. Then
कृत्याकृत्यात्पत ू ो भवनत – he becomes free from the sin caused
by omission and commission. Omissions of कृत्यम् – duty,
and commissions of अकृत्यम्. Do’s and don’ts. Omissions of
do’s and commissions of don’ts. Both are पापम्s, and from
both of them पत ू ो भवनत – one becomes free from. And in
some books may be सुवणव स्तेयात्पत ू ो भवनत, it is not given
here, stealing gold, theft. So these are all some of the पापम्s.
Like that many other पापम्s one may have committed from all
of them a person becomes free. And तस्मात् – and because of
that, अनवमुक्तम् आनश्रतो भवनत. अनवमुक्त is the name of Lord
जशव. One commentator gives the explanation. नवमुक्तिः means
an animal which is free from िमु -अिमु . So नवमुक्तिः is the
name of an animal free from all rules and regulations. Here
नवमुक्तिः should not be taken as liberation. अनवमुक्तिः means the
179
one who is other than the पशु, the animal and that is पशुपजत.
So नवमुक्तिः is पशु, अनवमुक्तिः means पशुपजत. पशुपजत is the
name of Lord जशव. This is the special name of Lord जशव in
काजश. In वाराणजस Lord जशव is called अजवमुक्तेश्वर. And
आनश्रतो भवनत – so this person comes under the shelter of,
under the protection of Lord जशव. So he is purified, not only
he is purified but he comes under the protection of, under the
shelter of, under the शरणम् of Lord जशव. That means Lord
जशव blesses him, protects him. And having given this method
of purification to all people ब्रह्मा advices this specially to
सन्न्यानसs. Therefore अत्याश्रमी सवव दा जपेत् – a सन्न्यानस
must constantly chant रुरम् so that he can avoid all the sins,
all the temptations. सवव दा जपेत् – he must be constantly
chanting. Otherwise he makes a compromise सकृद्वा जपेत् –
otherwise he should chant once daily. Everyday at least one
time. So that he can protect the glory of सन्न्यासाश्रम without
falling down into materialism. So thus this is the method of
purification. And then what will happen? That is said in the
next मन्त्र.
अिेि ज्ञािमाप्िोनत संसाराणव विाशिम् । तस्मादेवं
नवनदत्वैिं कैवल्यं पदमश्नुते कैवल्यं पदमश्नुत इनत ॥ २४ ॥
By रुद्र पारायणम् what happens? अिेि ज्ञािमाप्िोनत –
by this रुद्र पारायणम् and the consequent purification one
attains ज्ञािम्. One attains ज्ञािम् means रुद्र पारायणम् cannot
directly give knowledge but he should come back to
कैवल्योपनिषत् and कैवल्योपनिषत् which did not give
180
knowledge before becomes meaningful now. Previously
वेदान्त appeared to be just some theoretical discussion which
has no relevance to my day-to-day life. But after purification
when I read वेदान्त it becomes meaningful at every moment.
And therefore after रुद्र पारायणम् one should again come back
to कैवल्योपनिषत् or for that matter any उपनिषत् and through
उपनिषत् alone again ज्ञािम् has to come. Thus अिेि
ज्ञािमाप्िोनत. What type of ज्ञािम्? संसाराणव विाशिम् –
which is the destroyer of the ocean of सांसार. अणव व means
ocean, िाशिम् means destroyer. And therefore तस्मादेवं
नवनदत्वा – therefore by knowing एनम् – the परमात्मा
described before, परमात्मरूपं गुर्ाशयं निष्कलमनद्वतीयम् etc.,
so by knowing this परमात्मा. How? एवम् – in the manner
described as परमात्मरूपं गुर्ाशयं निष्कलमनद्वतीयम्, कैवल्यं
पदमश्नुते – one attains the goal of मोक्ष, and कैवल्यं पदमश्नुते
is repeated to show the definiteness. It is not vague or doubtful
proposition. Definitely one attains कैवल्यम्. And also the
repetition indicates the end of the उपनिषत.् So two ideas are
conveyed by repetition. One is emphasis, definite, and the
second is the conclusion of the उपनिषत्. Thus ब्रह्मा gives the
essence of वेदान्त within a short उपनिषत्.
I will just give you the outline. So in the teaching, the
first मन्त्र was the question and from the second to the fourth
मन्त्र he gave the teaching in a nutshell, i.e.,
श्रद्धाभनक्तध्याियोगादवेनर्, the श्रवणमििनिनदध्यासिम् of
वेदान्त is the way to attain ब्रह्मज्ञािम्. And the साधि is the
renunciation. त्यागेिक ै े अमत ृ त्वमािशुिः. Thus renunciation
and वेदान्त जवचार was highlighted. And thereafterwards from
181
the fifth मन्त्र onwards the निनदध्यासिम् was emphasized
upto seventh मन्त्र. And in the later मन्त्रs eight to ten the
फलम् was mentioned. That is one attains oneness with ब्रह्मि्
by this knowledge. And thereafterwards came the central
theme of teaching the श्रवणमििम् from eleventh मन्त्र
onwards upto twenty-second मन्त्र. The िीव-ब्रह्म ऐक्यम् is
revealed. अवस्र्ात्रय नववेक was mentioned. This is the main
portion of कैवल्योपनिषत्. Then in the twenty-third फलश्रुजत
was mentioned. And in the last two मन्त्रs twenty-four and
twenty-five the preparation in the form of रुद्र पारायणम् was
given.
Thus even though it is a short उपनिषत् the teaching
has been given beautifully and some of the मन्त्रs like मय्येव
सकलं जातं मनय सवं प्रनतनष्ठतम् are very very direct मन्त्रs.
तद्ब्रह्माद्वयमस्म्यर्म् which we don’t find in other उपनिषत्s.
Thus even though this has not been commented by
शङ्करािायव it is very good उपनिषत्. That is why it is worth
studying again and again. Now we will read the first मन्त्र and
conclude.
।
ययाऽनिरात्सवव पापं व्यपोह्य परात्परं पुरुषं यानत नवद्वाि् ॥ १ ॥
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पण
183

04 Kaivalya Upanishad

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कैवल्योपनिषत्

Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati

So in the previous मन्त्रs the student said that I alone

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