Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, as the name itself suggests, is brihat i.e. vast as the infinite Reality Itself; the Shankara-Bhashya on this Upanishad is also vast and profound. This Upanishad is a part of Shukla Yajurveda's Shatapatha Brahmana (which is also known as Vajasaneyi Brahmana because its knowledge was received by Sage Yajnavalkya through the grace of Sun in an 'equine form'). Out of the two Shakhas (recensions) of the Shatapatha Brahmana, namely Kanva and Madhyandina, Sri Shankaracharya has written his commentary on Kanva branch; and he starts his commentary from third chapter because first two chapters deal with Karma-kanda (ritualistic) portion and Upanishad proper starts from third chapter, continuing till the concluding eighth chapter. This Upanishad is the elaboration of the theme of another Shukla Yajurveda Upanishad namely Ishavasyopanishad.

We present here the notes derived from audio talks by Swami Vidyananda Giri, Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, and Swami Ramananada Saraswati on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. (The original text for the Upanishad can be downloaded from sanskritdocuments.org)

Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV

The infinite Self, described in negative terms as 'Neti, Neti', was said to project the phenomenal world of names and forms; some aspects of this projected world were discussed, in order to discuss some other aspects, this and the next chapter is started.

Taking the story of Janaka's assembly of Vedic scholars including Yajnavalkya further, the Upanishad informs us that Janaka sees Yajnavalkya arriving again in his court; Janaka asks him if he wants more cows or if he wants to discuss some subtle points related to spiritual matters. Yajnavalkya replies, 'Both, O Emperor'!
Then following conversation starts -
Yajnavalkya: "Let me hear what anyone among your teachers may have told you."
Janaka: "Jitvan, the son of Silina, told me that the organ of speech (fire) is Brahman."
Yajnavalkya: "As anyone who had the benefit of being taught by a good mother, father and teacher should say, so did the son of Silina say that the organ of speech is Brahman; for what can be attained by a person who cannot speak? But did he tell you about its abode (body) and support?"
Janaka: "No, he did not."
Yajnavalkya: "This Brahman is only one-footed, Your Majesty."
Janaka: "Then you tell us, O Yajnavalkya."
Yajnavalkya: "The physical organ of speech is its abode and the akasha is its support. It should be mediated upon as intelligence."
Janaka: "What is intelligence, O Yajnavalkya?"
Yajnavalkya: "It is the organ of speech, Your Majesty. Through the organ of speech alone, O Emperor, are known the Rig-Veda, the Yagur-Veda, the Sama-Veda, the Atharvangirasa, history, ancient lore, the arts, the Upanishads, verses, aphorisms, explanations, commentaries, the results of sacrifices, the result of offering oblations in the fire, the results of giving food and drink, this world, the next world and all beings. The organ of speech, Your Majesty, is the Supreme Brahman. The organ of speech never deserts him who, knowing this, meditates upon it; all beings eagerly approach him; and being a god, he attains the gods."

Janaka said: "I give you a thousand cows with a bull as large as an elephant."
Yajnavalkya replied: "My father was of the opinion that one should not accept gifts from a disciple without fully instructing him."
Similarly further mantras discuss the vital force (air), eye (sun), ear (space), mind (moon), heart (Prajapati) as Brahman and the result of meditating on these as Brahman.

This Brahmana is called Kurcha Brahmana as in its beginning it is narrated that King Janaka got up from his royal seat (Kurcha) when he saw Sage Yajnavalkya easily defeating all the assembled Brahmanas. With devotion and humility, the king asked Yajnavalkya to give spiritual instructions to him. Yajnavalkya replied, 'As one wishing to go a long distance, O Emperor, should secure a chariot or a boat, so have you fully equipped your mind with so many secret names (of Brahman). You are likewise respected and wealthy, and you have studied the Vedas and heard the Upanishads; (but) where will you go when you are separated from this body?'
'I do not know, sir, where I shall go.' Replied Janaka.
'Then I will tell you where you will go.' Said Yajnavalkya.
Janaka: 'Tell me, sir.'
Yajnavalkya: 'The Being who is in the right eye is called Indha. Though he is Indha, he is indirectly called Indra, for the gods have a fondness, as it were, for indirect names, and hate to be called directly. The human form that is in the left eye is his wife, Virat (matter). The space that is within the heart is their place of union. Their food is the lump of blood (the finest essence of the food eaten) in the heart. Their wrap is the net-like structure in the heart. Their road for moving is the nerve that goes upward from the heart; it is like a hair split into thousand parts. In this body there are nerves called Hita, which are placed in the heart. Through these the essence of our food passes as it moves on. Therefore, the subtle body has finer food than the gross body.'

This is a profound and very subtle subject that is being dealt here in this Upanishad. The gross body is perceived by majority of the humanity and is taken to be the self; correspondingly the gross world is taken to be the only reality. This is spiritual ignorance and a great tragedy. The real Self not only transcends the gross body and gross world but also the subtle body that sustains both! And most of the humans are totally ignorant about even the subtle body!!
Here in these mantras, it is illustrated that the food eaten gets converted in three parts: the grossest and useless part is thrown out as excreta, the slightly subtle part is converted into body matter proper, while the subtlest part goes on the make the mind (subtle body). Further Yajnavalkya explains, 'Self-realized sage initially identifies with the gross vital force and body, then subtle aspects of these, and thus realizes his/her identity with everything; finally giving up these identifications too, he/she identifies with Brahman, the absolute Self, which can only be indicated as "Not This", "Not This"'

Yajnavalkya's instructions made Janaka realize Brahman and observing this, Yajnavalkya said, 'O Janaka, you have attained That which is free from the fear of birth, death etc.'
Janaka replied, 'Revered Yajnavalkya, may that which is free from fear be yours too, for you have made that Brahman accessible to us by removing our spiritual ignorance. What can we present you? This Vedeha kingdom is yours, do with it as you see fit. I too am your servant, ready to do your bidding.'

This very important Brahmana is called Jyoti Brahmana as it deals with the subtlest aspect of Vedanta - the study of three states of consciousness (waking, dream, and deep-sleep). And it points out that Self is the ultimate Light (Jyoti) for entire phenomenon.

The story of Janaka and Yajnavalkya is used again with little bit of added history of their previous interactions. This time Janaka asked, 'Yajnavalkya, what serves as light for a man?'
Yajnavalkya: 'The light of Sun, O Emperor. It is through the light of Sun a man functions.'
Janaka: 'When the Sun has set, Yajnavalkya, what serves as the light for a man?'
Yajnavalkya: 'The moon serves as light. It is through the light of moon a man functions.'
Janaka: 'When the Sun and moon has set, Yajnavalkya, what serves as the light for a man?'
Yajnavalkya: 'The fire serves as light when Sun and moon are set. It is through the light of fire a man functions.' Janaka: 'When the Sun and moon has set and fire has gone out, Yajnavalkya, what serves as the light for a man?'
Yajnavalkya: 'The speech serves as light when Sun and moon are set and fire has gone out. It is through the light of speech a man functions. Therefor O Emperor, even when one's own hand is not clearly visible, if a sound is uttered, one manages to go there.'
Janaka: 'When the Sun and moon has set, fire has gone out and speech has stopped, Yajnavalkya, what serves as the light for a man?'
Yajnavalkya: 'The self serves as his light. It is through the light of the self that he sits, goes out, works, and returns.'
Janaka: 'Which is the self?'
Yajnavalkya: 'This infinite entity (Purusha) that is identified with intellect and is in the midst of organs, the self-effulgent light within the heart (intellect). Assuming the likeness (of the intellect) it moves between two worlds; it thinks, as it were, it shakes, as it were. Being identified with dreams, it transcends this world - the form of death (ignorance etc.). The 'self' limited by the adjuncts i.e. transmigrating soul attains to gross body and associated evils and when it leaves the body or dies, it discards those evils.'

The Upanishad then gives some mantras with following meaning:
This radiant infinite Being while going to dream state puts aside the body, and Himself remaining awake, reveals the impressions of waking state by Its own light. This immortal Being preserves this filthy body with the help of vital forces, and roams, goes wherever He likes leaving this nest (body). In the dream state, this illumined One, attaining higher and lower states, puts forth innumerable forms. He seems to be enjoying Himself in the company of women, or laughing, or even seeing frightful things. Everyone sees the play of Him but no one sees Him. Physicians say that a person sleeping shouldn't be woken up suddenly, that may cause irreparable damage to organs and body. Some people say that dream is not different from waking and hence the Self is the independent light illumining dream state is not correct. But this view is not logical, because the physical lights of the waking as well as the senses are absent in dream. It is the light of the Self that illumines dream world. Thus, the Self of a person is distinct from this sphere of existence as well as other sphere, from dream as well as waking state; the Self is self-luminous.

Hearing this much about the Self Janaka said to Yajnavalkya, 'For this knowledge I will give you thousand cows as it is conducive to Liberation but it is only one part of what I wish to know. Hence, I request you to instruct me further about Liberation so as I am totally free of doubts and attain to the highest by your grace.' Janaka's request for the remaining part of the Self-Knowledge arises due to the doubt: in dream the Self transcends the gross body and illumines the dream experience but in dream too dualities like pleasure and pain, heat and cold persists; this could mean that the Self transcends a form of death but does not transcend death itself (here death means karma, the experience of duality)? Is death then inseparable nature of Self? If yes, then Liberation is impossible and if no, then it has to be explained.

Now we enter into the profound mystery of deep sleep state. Unless all three states - waking, dream and deep-sleep - are analysed, real nature of Self and Liberation cannot be determined. So, Yajnavalkya answered Janaka's doubt as: 'After enjoying Himself and roaming, and merely seeing the results of good and evil in dreams, He stays in the state of deep sleep, and comes back in the reverse order to his former condition of dream state. He remains untouched by whatever He sees there in that state, as this infinite Being is unattached.'
Janaka was pleased with this answer and gave thousand more cows to Yajnavalkya; then he requested to further instruct about Moksha (Liberation).


More to come... Stay tuned!

   | ॐ शान्ति: | ॐ शान्ति: | ॐ शान्ति: |
| Om Peace | Om Peace | Om Peace |