Category Archives: Bimal

ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8)-Part 9

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Part 8

Part 10

7.25.1 and 7.25.2
The infinite alone is below, is above, is behind, is in front. It is in all directions-to the south, to the north. That alone is all this. The empirical world is mithyA. There is no second entity supporting Bhuma. There is nothing else besides Him on which He can be established. It is self-supported, so to say. That the wave supports water is a misstatement. There is no wave other than water. In order to avoid a possible misconception that individual soul is different from the Infinite, the Upanishad gives instructions: “I am indeed below, I am indeed above, I am behind, I am in front, I am in the south, I am in the north, I am indeed all this”. Even then, non-discriminating people might conceive I as representing mind and body. Therefore, further instructions are imparted: The Self indeed is below, the Self is above, the Self is behind, in the front, in the south and in the north, and the Self is indeed all this.

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BrihdArnyAka Upanishad (Part 9)

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Part 8

Part 10

Chapter 3 Section 1- Asvala brahman
3.1.1 and 3.1.2 King Janak of Videh performs a sacrifice in which many Vedic scholars are present. The king desires to know the most erudite scholar whom he will reward with 1000 cows with gold covered horns. None of the scholars comes forward except Yajnavalkya (in short Yvk), a Vedic scholar who straight away asks one of his disciples to drive home the cows indicating that he considers himself the best. Naturally, other scholars object.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 8

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Part 7(3)

Part 9

7.16.1, 7.17.1, 7.18.1, 7.19.1, 7.20.1, 7.21.1, 7.22.1, and 7.23.1
Sanatkumar wants to remove the wrong conclusion of Narada. He remarks that one speaks well who speaks truth implying that Narada’s knowledge is short of truth. He also says that one speaks truth who understands truth. Narada is curious and expresses his desire to understand truth and understanding of truth. And for understanding, one must reflect. Reflection means Vedantic inquiry. In the absence of inquiry, one may say that fire or the three colours in it are the supreme entity. For inquiry one must have faith in scriptures and the teacher. It is not a token faith for name’s sake. It must be sustained and steadfast. Steadfastness stands for earnestness in obediently listening to the preceptor with a view to attaining knowledge of Brahman.

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BrahmjnAnavalimAlA

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BrahmjnAnavalimAla (BJVM) means Garland of Knowledge of Brahman. It is attributed to ShankarAchArya. It has 21 verses. Brahman is the reality, world is mithyA and jIva is not different from Brahman is in verse 20. The verse adds that it is the correct understanding of shAstra  and that it is the claim of vedAnta.
BJVM summarizes various aspects of vedAntic teaching directly without explanations. As such, it is meant for nidhidhyAsana though verse 1 says that listening it once gives BrahmjnAna and moksha.
Self-knowledge is unfractured (akhandakAra) vritti. In verses 2 and 18, the phrase punah-punah (repetition) occurs. The idea probably is that BJVM should be chanted repeatedly so as to make jnAna vritti firm.                                                                        The verse 18 says: “He who realizes after repeated contemplation (emphasis added) that he is a mere witness; he alone is liberated. He is the enlightened one. This is proclaimed by Vedanta.”                                                                                                      Links to the text and chanting are below.
Brahma Jnanavali Mala | Vedanta Shastras Library
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF8zi90QLEA&list=RDBF8zi90QLEA&start_radio=1

BrihadAranyaka Upanishad (Part 8)

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Part 7

Part 9

Chapter 2 Section 5.                                                                                                    Introduction                                                                                                                     The section is called Madhu Brahman because the word Madhu which means honey or helpful occurs repeatedly in it. The madhu vidya of ChAndogya Upaniṣad is Surya upAsanA. In Br Up it refers to Atma vidya or Brahma vidya. There are different techniques by which the Upanishads teach the knowledge of the Self. One method is creator and creation. Brahman is the creator. and world is the creation. This has been talked about earlier. Madhu Brahman uses the method of inter-dependence among worldly objects. They are mutually dependent and are mithyA. Therefore, there must be some entity outside the world which lends existence to the worldly objects. This entity is Brahman or the Self. The Upanishad also says that Brahman only appears as the world like gold appearing as ornaments. The ornaments are names and forms. Similarly, the world of multiplicity are names and forms. Brahman is all pervading and is present in a jIva as also in all other worldly objects. If a person understands this, he knows all and becomes immortal.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 7(3)

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Part 7(2)

Part 8

There is a need to take a pause and listen to what SwAmi KrishnAnada has to say. “As we go further and further in this chapter, we will find it is more and more difficult to understand the intention of the Upanishad. The instructions are very cryptic in their language. Even the Sanskrit language that is used is very archaic, giving way to various types of interpretations. But, the general background of the thought of the teacher here seems to be that there is necessity to rise gradually from the lower level to the higher level of comprehension. Here, by comprehension we mean the capacity of consciousness to include within its being, not merely within its thought or understanding, the reality that is outside. The more the extent of the reality outside that gets absorbed into our own being, the more is the power we can exercise over that realm of reality. This is a point, of course, that will be clear to anyone. Power is not merely imposed on us by any kind of ordinance or mandate. It is an outcome that arises automatically on account of the identity of our Being with that extent of reality with which we have become one.”

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BrihdAranyaka Upanishad (Part 7)

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Part 6

Part 8

2.4.7 to 2.4.10                                                                                                                   If an entity cannot be perceived apart from something else, then the latter is its essence. Yajnavalkya gives many examples to highlight that the Self is unique, one and is the essence of one and all. When a drum or the like is beaten with a stick etc, one cannot distinguish its various particular notes from the general note of the drum, but they are included in or modifications of, the general note. They have no existence apart from the general note of the drum. They are not perceived as distinct notes. When a conch is blown or a veena is played, one cannot distinguish their various particular notes, but they are included in the general notes of the conch or veena. The universe, at the time of its origin as also prior to it, is nothing but Brahman as sparks, smoke, embers and flames are nothing but fire before emerging from the fire. The four Vedas and other scriptures are like breath of the supreme Self.

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BrihdAranyaka Upanishad (Part 6)

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Part 5

Part 7

Chapter 2 Section 4 Maitreyi brAhmana
2.4.1 to 2.4.4                                                                                                            Ygnavalkya is a jnAni householder. He wants to renunciate the householder life to take up sanyAs. He has two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani. He expresses his intention of sanyAs to Maitreyi, seeking her permission and to divide the assets between the two wives. Maitreyi asks her husband if the wealth will make her immortal. The husband replies in negative. Maitreyi says that she is not interested in wealth. She requests the husband to teach her that which will make her immortal. On hearing this, as Yagnavalkya is very pleased with Maitreyi, he tells her that she has been dear to him and now is dearer. He agrees to teach Maitreyi. Maitreyi, the wife becomes a disciple Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya is the teacher.

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ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 7(2)

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Part 7(1)

Part 7(3)

From the lowest degree of manifestation, one has to gradually ascend step by step. The name of an object includes every kind of information about the object.  Sanatakumar asks NArada to have a complete descriptive knowledge of objects. One has to master it, not by excluding it or disregarding it, but by having a thorough knowledge of it, to the extent their names and forms are concerned. A common mistake is that a seeker lacks patience and tries to skip the stages or does not finish the intermediary stages. Knowledge does not mean ignorance of any particular aspect of experience. It is a total comprehension. When I am bound, I must know the reasons of bondage. It is immaturity to say that I am concerned with freedom and not concerned with the stages of bondage.  Freedom is the knowledge of the causative factors behind bondage. The cure is by removing the causative factors. Bondage is the devil which operates in a particular realm.

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ChAnyadogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 7(1)

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Part 6(2)

Part 7(2)

Chapter 7
Introduction
In chapter 6, knowledge of supreme Reality as Being is imparted and it is said that all that is perceived and conceived is nothing but Being, i.e., pure existence. It is Sat-vidya. In chapter 7, reality is graded beginning from name and ascending to prAna so as to reach Being designated as Bhuma. All the lesser degrees of reality are only forms of Its manifestation and is a lower order of reality. The higher includes the lower, and the highest is everything and is all-inclusive.
If the lower grades of reality are not described, one may think that there are things other than the Being though unknown. The intermediate realities are graded in a manner value and expanse of a reality is more than those of preceding one until the highest reality Bhuma is ascertained. Bhuma means infinite which is bliss also. The teaching is in the form of a dialogue between NArada and Sanatakumar as student and teacher respectively forming a worthy-duo.

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