BHRIGUVIDYAA, THE KNOWLEDGE OF BRAHMAN, THE SUPREME SPIRIT

(Compilation for a Discourse by N. R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, October 2017)

The literal meaning of Upanishads, “sitting near devotedly” brings picturesquely to mind an earnest disciple learning from his teacher. The word also means “secret Teaching”—secret, no doubt, because a teaching vouchsafed only to those who are spiritually ready to receive and profit by it. A rather unique interpretation of the meaning of the word Upanishad by Adisankaracharya is: Knowledge of God—“the knowledge of Brahman, the knowledge that destroys the bonds of ignorance and leads to the supreme goal of freedom”. That is what Bhriguvidya is.

Saguna (Personal) Brahman with Illusion called Maayaa creates, preserves, and dissolves the universe, and likewise Impersonal (Nirguna) Brahman transcends all forms of being who eternally exists without attributes and without action. Brahman is Pure Bliss. The Self is Brahman, Brahman is all. Knowledge is of things, acts, and relations. But wisdom is the Brahman alone; and beyond all things, acts, and relations, he abides forever. To become one with him is the only wisdom –say the various Upanishads.   Each Upanishad deals with the knowledge of Brahman and his meditation throughout its text scattered all over besides worldly wisdom thoughts focused on spirituality and practical life.  But three Upanishads elaborate on Brahmavidyaa in exclusive chapters containing wisdom thoughts on Supreme Spirit that can be used for our daily meditation on Brahman. These are Bhumavidya of Chhandogya Upanishad, Daharavidya of Mahanarayana Upanishad and Bhriguvalli of Tiattareeya Upanishad. This discourse elaborates on the exposition of Brahman in Bhriguvalli of Taittareeya Upanishad.

Bhriguvallee is a section in Taittareeya Upanishad of Krishna Yajurveda dealing with the exposition of Brahman through scientific approach and logic by sage Bhrighu.  This is a Mantra-pushpa that can be chanted in all rituals or worships of one’s Ishtadevata or deity of choice though it is chanted for invoking Brahman, the Supreme Spirit. All forms of worship ultimately end up at the feet of Brahman, the Supreme Soul, who is the final goal for all individual souls. Lord Krishna prescribes in Bhagavdgeeta “Patram, Pushpam, Phalam, Toyam” --a leaf, a flower, a fruit or little water as desired materials for worship by which he would be comfortable and pleased when offered with devotion. Mantrapushpa is a spiritual sacred flower offered to the Lord which is more pleasing to Him than all other flowers of the material world. Bhriguvallee is an ideal sacred flower for meditating on Brahman.

Brahman is the irreducible ground of existence, the essence of everything, the entire Universe—of the earth, sun and all creatures, of divines and human beings, of every power of life. Brahman comes from the root of the Sanskrit word “brih” to expand.

Upanishads call fundamental cause of this vast Universe, cause of all causes, as Brahman. The word Brahman is not found in Rigveda but Brahman is meditated upon in it as   natural forces themselves, instead of the cause for natural forces attributing the immanent qualities of Brahman. So you find in Rigveda glorification of Gods like Agni, Varuna, Indra Marut, Mitra, Vaayu, Vishnu, Rudra, Soorya etc. Brahman is referred often as Aatman, Sat, Akshara, Aakaasa, Jaataveda and Bhooma. The Universe rises out of him, is sustained by him and gets dissolved in him. He is Omnipresent (sarvaantaryaami), Omnipotent (sarvasaktah) and Omniscient (sarvajnyah). He is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest (anoraneeyaan mahato maheeyaan). He is the Supreme Lord of all Beings as well as the substratum.  None can see him, or hear him or know him but he can see, hear and know all. All prayers are directed to him only. He is the only one who bestows his votaries and grants them their wish. Though he is addressed as masculine for convenience, he is neither He, nor she, nor it—He can’t be described by any gender. He is the ultimate goal of all.

Upanishads sometimes describe him as Purusha, and meditate upon him. They conceive Him as a Divine Being in   human form. This has landed us in today’s most popular form of worship—Moorti upaasana. Upanishads describe him as bright, brilliant, of golden hue with all parts of his body shining like gold and his eyes resembling fully blossomed Lotus He is described in Purusha-sookta as having thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand feet reminding us of his omnipotent Cosmic form. It is on this Aupanishad Purusha (Being described in Upanishads) spiritual seekers meditate aspiring for Liberation from the shackles of Samsaara (struggles in life).

We find that our bodies as well as our thoughts, feelings, ideas and all mental states, i.e., all that conglomerate vaguely called the mind or soul—all these are continually moving and changing; in all of them there is nothing whatsoever that is absolutely stable and permanent. It is therefore true that all is movement in regard to what we are as individuals subjectively, equally so in the objective sphere. Still we have a feeling, “I am one and the same person yesterday, today and the day-after—the same person from childhood to death”. As individuals, we are only ever-shifting aggregates of “mental   status” and “complexes” and equally ever changing aggregates of body cells but we feel that we are yet somehow stable and abiding entities, having the same experience.

This feeling of stability and continuity is illusory with regard to the ever-changing complex of an individual ego or soul. Like all others, this illusion must have a basis in an actual experience of the fact. This fact is to be found in the presence of an entity that does not change, and is, therefore, a timeless Being (Sat). And, we have the direct experience, however vague, of this Being in the uttermost depths of our existence wrapped up in various sheaths as it were, that gives the feeling that we are.

In the Vedic language, this Being, in the aspect that constitutes the ultimate Self and ground of our existence, is called Atman or Brahman.

Brahman which is often indicated as “Self” is not anything like what is generally understood by the English translation of “mind”, “mental status” or even ‘soul” and “Individual Spirit”. The ‘Self” as an equivalent of the ultimate “Brahman” in man is other than all mental states, other than even spiritual states such as feelings of love, joy, charity and the like, insofar as these also come and go, grow and decay and are subject to changes. The Brahman is what substantiates these mental and spiritual states so that they are then felt and experienced as the individual ego or “I”. Brahman is the lodestar of all mental and spiritual activities. Brahman, the ultimate Self in man, is pure Being (Sat), objectless (Chit), and unclouded Joy (Aananda) which is together indicated as “Sachchidaananda” (Sat-Chit Aanada).

Each Upanishad has its own style of expounding Brahman. Taittareeya Upanishad expounds Brahman in Bhriguvallee, which is popularly known as Bhriguvidya or Science of Bhrigu.

In the world of science, a theory postulated by a scientist goes under his name, for e.g. “Raman Effect”, “Newton’s Law of Gravitation”. The direct method of culminating man’s evolution in his discovery of the God-hood that lies concealed within him is revealed in Taittireeya  Upanishad by way of the study undertaken by sage Bhrigu under the guidance of his father Varuna. The theory by which Bhrigu realized for himself the “Truth” came to be called the “Science of Bhrigu”.  Bhrigu first experienced the Divine Glory of his own inner Self through this technique of self-enquiry and therefore, this method is called Bhargavee Vidya.  This technique consists of: a) the method of enquiry; b) direct apprehension of the personalities in us and, c) discovering and realizing ultimately the vital source of all existence to be Infinite and all pervading Reality which is often called briefly in Upanishads as “Truth”.

This technique has been used later by Buddha, Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhwa, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi and others. Sruti guarantees that if any one with the sincerity of Bhrigu consistently continues to pursue the path of enquiry and concentrated contemplations, he too can come to experience the same fulfillment as Bhrigu. The subjective method in the form of an intimate conscious enquiry of the different layers of personality in man is the most direct method of all, available in Vedanta for Self-realization.

The goal of life is to realize and experience the Supreme Brahman—the destination of man; the fulfillment of evolution; the ascent of man to god-hood. In its opening mantra, Taittareeya Upanishad indicates that “Satyam, Jnaanam, Anantam” is the goal of life, to ascend to God-hood. Bhriguvallee section of Taittareeya Upanishad expounds Brahman by a different definition and points out that the mind divested of all its impurities will be capable of knowing Brahman by penance.

In Taittareeya Upanishad, Bhrigu, a youngster approaches his own father, Varuna, the teacher, with a humble request to initiate him into the Knowledge of Brahman, Truth, substratum for the pluralistic phenomenal world:

Bhrigurvai vaarunih | varunam pitaram upasasaara | Adheehi bhagavoe brahmeti | tasmaa etat proevaacha | annam praanam chakshuh | sroetram manoe vaacham iti   | 

Bhrigu, the son of Varuna, approached the father Varuna and requested, “Oh, venerable sir, teach me Brahman” Varuna said to him, “Food, Praana, the eyes, the ears, the mind and the speech are Brahman—Tai. Up., Ch. III, Sec. 1.

The word food indicates the entire world of matter which can be assimilated and used for the preservation of the living creatures. Praana means all the vitality that is exhibited by all the living creatures in the entire Universe. Eyes and ears are indicative of all sense organs of perception and express the world-of-subject starting with the body. Mind is the receiving station. It is through speech that we hear and come to understand the great cultural truths and again it is through speech that we convey the same truth to others. Study of truth and its dissemination are the primary objective of every follower of Sanatana Dharma. Speech here stands for not only for the organs-of-action in the physical sense of the term but it also represents all cultural, religious and spiritual efforts. All these together constitute Reality-Truth.

However, the above general scientific definition could not satisfy Bhrigu who wanted to bring about the divine transformation within him.

Tam hovaacha | yatoe vaa imaani bhootani jaayante | yena jaataani jeevanti | yat - prayantya-bhisamvisanti I tad-vijijnaasasva \ tad brahmeti | sa tapoe atapyata | sa tapas taptvaa || 1||

The teacher therefore elaborates: “To him (Bhrigu), he (Varuna) again said, “that from which these are born, that from which having been born these things live and continue to exist and to which, when departing, they all enter—that you seek to know, that is Brahman”. He, Bhrigu performed penance; and after having done penance…..Tai.Up.,  Ch., III., Sec. 1.

Herein we have the scientific definition of Brahman or the Ultimate Reality. The Reality behind a wave can be explained that from which it has arisen, in which it exists and into which it dissolves itself. The cause of all effects is that from which all effects arise; and during its existence the cause continues to support the effect, and into the cause the effects merges, when they end their separate existence as effect. Bhrigu however is not satisfied with this mere philosophical definition of Truth and retires himself to Tapas meaning deep meditation. In Vedanta, Tapas is considered only as a discipline of the mind. Deep concentration of the mind is the highest Tapas.

Annam brahmeti vyajaanaat | annaad-dhyeva khalvimaani bhootaani jaayante   | Annena jaataani jeevanti | annam pryantya-bhisamvisanteeti | tad vijnaaya punareva varunam pitaram-upasasaara | adheehi bhagavoe brahmeti | ta(g)m hovacha  | tapasaa brahma vijijnaasasava | tapoe brahmeti | sa tapoe-atapyata | sa tapas-taptvaa || 2||

“Bhrigu learnt that food is Brahman. It is from food all beings are born; by food they live; and having departed, into food they enter. Having known that, he again approached his father and said, ‘venerable sir, teach me Brahman’. Varuna told him, ‘by Tapas seekest thou to know Brahman. Tapas is Brahman’. He performed Tapas and having performed Tapas……Tai.Up., Ch. III, sec.2.”

As a result of his thoughts he came to the conclusion that food is the material cause of the world of names and forms. To Bhrigu food was Brahman because it had all the distinctive marks of Brahman. All living creatures are born of food; they continue to exist in food and when they disintegrate themselves at their death, whether they be the most revered rishis or the most insignificant worms, they all have to go the world-of-matter made up of the elements like hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, phosphorous, calcium etc. The physical body made up of these elements has to go back to the five great elements when life and its warmth depart from the structure.

But the Supreme, pointed out by the term Brahman is the changeless substratum upon which all changes are made possible. But the world-of-food is ever changing and the only permanence about it is the truth that it will change on! Therefore Bhrigu was not satisfied and so he again approached Varuna, his father, and repeated the same request,   “Teach me Brahman”. The teacher understood the disturbed mind of the student and only encouraged him to do more poignant and intensive thinking. Bhrigu came to realize that the expression of the vitality (Praana) in us is the Reality. But again he discovered the emptiness of his own conclusion and again approached the Guru.

Praanoe brahmeti vyajaanaat | praanaad-dhyeva khalvimaani bhootaani jaayantay  |

Praanena jaataani jeevanti | praanam pryantya-bhisamvisanteeti | tad-vijnaaya punareva varunam pitaram-upasasaara | adheehi bhagavoe brahmeti | ta(g)m hoevaacha | tapasaa brahma vijijnaasasva | tapoe brahmeti  | sa tapoe–atapyata  | sa tapas-taptvaa || 3 ||

“Bhrigu understood that Praana is Brahman, because it is from Praana that all living creatures are born. Being produced from it, they live by it, and in the end they go towards Praana and become one with it. Having known that, he again approached his father Varuna, saying, ‘Oh revered sir, teach me Brahman’. Varuna told him ‘Desire to know Brahman by tapas. Tapa is Brahman. Bhrigu performed tapas and having performed tapas……Tai.Up., Ch. III., Sec 3.”

Bhrigu contemplated over the theme of Brahman and came to discover that vitality expressed in the body, indicated by Praana is Reality. Here Praana is meant the five great departments of perception, digestion, evacuation, circulation and regeneration that go on continuously within us, and not the air we breathe in. When these functions cease to exist, we consider the individual is dead. These activities of Praana are taking place everywhere in the world of plants, animals and men. Wherever there is life’s pulsation, in every such point whether in unicellular organism or in a complex rational being, everywhere the praanic activities represent existence. In short, there is a close connection between Praana and life.

Thus when Bhrigu thought, he came to the conclusion that from Praana life starts, in Praana life continues to exist and into Praana life ends when the manifested body perishes. Therefore Praana must be Brahman! This momentous thinking during his contemplation struck him with the conclusion that Praana is Brahman. But soon he found that his arguments were not without their fallacies. Praana could be the efficient cause of birth, sustenance and death of the body. But on a closer look he found that Praana could not be Brahman because it is not “intelligent”. It is “jada”; it is in itself an effect having a cause for it and it has always a beginning and an end.

Manoe brahmeti  vyjaanaat | manasoe hi eva khalvimaani bhootaani jaayantay | manasaa jaataani jeevanti | manah pryantya-bhisamvisanti iti | tad-vijnaaya punareva varunam pitaram-upasasaara | adheehi bhagavoe brahmeti | ta(g)m hoevaacha | tapasaa brahma vijijnaasasva | tapoe brahmeti | sa tapoe-atapyata | sa tapas-taptvaa || 4 ||

So again he approached his father and decided that mind must be Brahman:

“He knew that mind must be Brahman; for it is from the mind all the living beings are produced; being born from it they all live by it….Having known that he again approached his father Varuna saying, ‘Oh venerable one! Teach me Brahman’. He, Varuna told him, ‘Desire to know Brahman by penance. Tapas is Brahman’. Bhrigu performed Tapas and having performed tapas……..Tai. Up., Ch. III, Sec. 4.”

Creation activity according to Sanatana Dharma is preceded by ‘thought’. Let alone the work of the artist, even to write a letter, we must have, first of all, in our thought a definite idea of what we must write and then alone the activity of transcribing the thought into words takes place. Thus, Bhrigu decided that Mind is the source of all creations; the mind feeds the continuity of existence and when the mind gets divorced from life, released from the body, continues to exist as a mind. But on deeper meditation Bhrigu realized Mind is only at best an organ of cognition and as such  in all activities it depends upon an agent that controls it and directs to it saner conclusions. Again mind is an effect; it has a cause other than itself, and again it has no self luminosity but it shines only in some borrowed light. It is very well known that no thought ever remains the same. Thought by thought, each has a beginning and an end and the mind has an existence as an entity, if at all, only in the continuity of its changing thoughts. In this welter of changes it is essentially finite and therefore, cannot be Supreme Brahman, the changeless substratum, upon which alone all changes are possible. Therefore Bhrigu approaches the teacher again:

Vijnaanam brahmeti vyajaanaat | vijnaanaad–dhyeva khalvimaani bhootaani jaayantae | vijnaanena jaataani jeevanti |  vijnaanam prayantya-bhisamvisanteeti | tad-vijnaaya punreva varunam pitaram-upasasaara | adheehi bhagavoe brahmeti | ta(g)m hoevaacha | tapasaa  brahma vijijnaasasva | tapoe brahmeti | sa tapoe-atapyata | sa tapas–taptvaa || 5 ||

“He understood the knowledge is Brahman, because it is by knowledge that all beings are born; having born, by knowledge they live, and having departed, in knowledge alone they enter. Having known that, Bhrigu approaches his father Varuna to know the Truth further and said, ‘Revered Guru, teach me Brahman’. He, Varuna told, ‘by tapas seekest thou to know Brahman, tapas is Brahman’. He performed tapas and having performed tapas…….

Tai.Up., Ch.III., sec 5.  

When Bhrigu continued his contemplation seeking for an agent under whose instructions alone the mind can readily function as ably and diligently, he discovered that the Intellect is the true agent who does all the necessary driving of the mind. The intellect is subtler than the mind. The Intellect, discriminating rightly or wrongly, has propelled  the Mind to think and act in a particular way and as a reaction to those Karmas in each life, the individual takes a form, and comes to live in the world. Naturally it is from knowledge, that we are born and every activity subjective or objective is propelled by the Intellect in us. Not only thus life and its activities are sustained by the Intellect but on departing from this physical structure the individual goes forward seeking new avenues of activities again motivated by his intelligence. Thus knowledge could be Brahman.

But again, on reconsideration, he was not satisfied with his own conclusions. He soon discovered the obvious fallacies in these conclusions. He realized the Intellect is only an agent. An agent generally works for the satisfaction of the master. The agent generally works under the instruction of the master and motive behind the agent is the satisfaction of the master. Also an agency is marked with pain, be smeared with dependence and an agent is not perfectly pure. Continuing his daring intellectual flight he comes to understand that “Bliss” is the secret master behind all agencies and department of activity within microcosm.

 Anandoe  brahmeti vyajaanaat | aanandaad-dhyeva  khalvimaani bhootaani jaayante aanadena jaataani jeevanti | aanandam pryantya-bhisamvisanteeti |  saishaa bhargavee vaarunee vidyaa | parme vyoman pratishthitaa | sa ya evam veda prati- tishthati |  annavaan annaadoe bhavati |  mahaan bhavati prajayaa pasubhir-brahmavarchasena | mahaan keertyaa || 6 ||

“He knew that ‘Bliss’ was Brahman, for, from Bliss alone these beings are produced; by Bliss do these beings live. They go to Bliss and become one with it. This is the knowledge learnt by Bhrigu and taught by Varuna.              This is established in the Supreme Space—in the excellent Cavity of the Heart. He who knows thus becomes one with Brahman. He becomes the possessor of food and the eater of it. He becomes great in progeny, cattle and gains the splendor of true Brahminhood. Indeed he becomes great in fame and renown….Tai.Up., Ch. III., Sec. 6.

When Bhrigu thus through contemplation transcended himself from Anna to Praana, from Praana to Mind and from Mind to Intellect, he was not satisfied and therefore, he took the most daring plunge into the Beyond when he left the Intellect also behind. On transcending the Intellect also, he came to experience a state of “Bliss” which is called in Vedanta as the Aanadamaya Kosha. This Bliss sheath is the enjoyer of which Intellect is an agent.

A steady and conscious withdrawal of our identifications with the outside world and the outer four layers of matter are to experience immediately the Supreme which is subtler than the very Bliss-sheath. He who reaches the Bliss sheath, by the very momentum of his arrival there, from the outer world, gets bowled out into the Infinite realms beyond it and comes to experience the transcendental glory of his own nature. To reach up to the Bliss-sheath is the self effort (Purushaartha). Having reached there, the transcendence of it and the experience of wisdom is immediate and instantaneous.

Bhrigu, when he thus followed the instructions of Varuna faithfully to the last, came to feel such a consummate satisfaction that he felt no more, any need to come back to the Guru and enquire what is Brahman? When he reached Aanadamaya Kosha and gained a glimpse of the Beyond there must have been that supreme look of contentment and Divine satisfaction on his blissful face, that thereafter, there was no discussion either possible or necessary. This is clear from the following Mantra:

Sa yaschaayam purushe yaschaasaavaa-aditye sa ekah | sa ya  evam-vit |  asmaal-lokaat-pretya | etam-annamayam-aatmaanam-upasankramya | Etam praanamayam-aatmaanamupasankramya | etam manoemayam-aatmaanam-upasankramya | etam vijnaanamayam-aatmaanam-upasankramya | etam-aanandamayam-aatmaaanam-upasankramya | imaaml-lokaan-kaamaannee kaamaroopy-anusancharan | etat saama-gaayannaste || 10 ||

Varuna makes his final conclusion as follows: “The Reality in the core of man and the Reality which is in the Sun are one. He, who knows this, on leaving this world, first attains his Aatman made of Food, next his Aatman made of Praana, next his Aatman made of Mind, next his Aatman made of Intellect (buddhi) and lastly his Aatman made of Bliss. And, thereafter, eating while he likes and assuming any form according to his wishes, he roams upon the surface of this globe and sits saying ‘Saama” the song of Joy……Tai.Up., Ch. III, Sec 10.”  

Mahanaarayaa Upanishad also echoes the same idea in its concluding set of Mantras:

“Annaat praana bhavanti bhootaanaam praanair manoe mansascha vijnaanam vijnaanaat aaanandoe brahma yonih”

From food are produced vital airs and senses of creatures. From Praana reflection, from   reflection knowledge of the form of vivid perception of Supreme, and from such vivid perception or Vijnaana Brahman the blissful, the cause of Universe is attained.  

After this rediscovery of the Divine in the mortal, the awakened man thereafter comes to live in perfect freedom and godly joys. As the mantra says, “assuming forms according to his wishes” he roams about the face of the globe as mighty pinnacle of joy and peace, dignity and poise, daring and perfection, goodness and divinity. Whether he finds himself among the lowest of the low or in the palace of the king, be he in health or sickness, in joy or sorrow, he is at home in all situations and all conditions. It is said in the mantra “after leaving this world”, this expression does not mean, after the individual has died away, but only means, after having lifted himself from his ordinary instinctive worldly activities and thoughts. On realizing the real nature of the spiritual center in him the individual as it were, has awakened to the realization that as the Conscious Principle, he is but the Illuminator of the entire world of objects and, objects of the world can cause agitation only to the mind and intellect.

The Divine-Spark of Life, the spiritual center called Brahman or Aatman in Vedanta is considered to have been enveloped by the various layers of matter of varying degrees of grossness. The outermost shell, the grossest is the body. We almost all through our conscious existence go about conceiving ourselves to be only this body: Very rarely few of us may be aware of the existence of our mental and intellectual personalities and indeed probably none of us even remotely conscious of the vital center of Life and Bliss in us. There are five distinct sheaths—the Food Sheath, the outermost; the vital Air  Sheath lining it internally(Praana); the Mental Sheath within (Manas) and still interior, the Intellectual Sheath and lastly, the subtlest of all, the Bliss Sheath. It is this that Bhrigu was trying to discover, in his pursuit of Science of Life.

Taittiriya Upanishad, like many other Upanishads, declares that the ultimate Reality is one non-second Supreme Paramaatman, characterized by infinite auspicious qualities and that it is the internal Self of all entities, sentient and non-sentient. The World is real. The difference between these entities and the Supreme Brahman is real. The individual soul becomes endowed with Aananda or Bliss on account of gaining this blissful Brahman.

The God Vedanta expounds is Democratic God--Everlasting, Universal and Unifying  Spiritual Consciousness, Truth, Existence and Bliss.  If Abraham was directly acquainted with God and told his children who told their descendants ..., then Muslims, Christians and Jews worship the same God. Muslim and Christians may worship in different ways, call God different names and describe God differently (sometimes incompatibly), but they worship the same God. This God is none other than Brahman, the Blazing Fire from which Moses  received Ten Commandments. What is this Light which Moses witnessed even before the Birth of Christ? This is explained in many Upanishads:

Na tatra sooryoe bhaati na chandrataarakam nemaa vidyutoe bhati kutoeyam-agnih |

Tameva bhaantam-anubhaati sarvam tasya bhaasa sarvam-idam vibhaati ||

There the Sun does not shine; neither the moon and the stars, nor do the flashes of the lightening shine. How can then the ordinary fire? All these shine after the Supreme Being (Paramaatman), who is ever shining. (He is the cause of all other lights).

This lecture has been prepared by N.R. Srinivasan for the Vedanta class of Sri Ganesha Temple at Nashville by extracting, abridging and editing from the following sources:

1. Swami Chinmayananda, Vedanta, the Science of Life, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai, 400072
2. Swami Chinmayananda, Taittiriya Upanishad, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai, 4000072.
3. Dr. N. S. Anantarangacharya, Principal Upanishads, Volume I, Bangalore.
4.  Swami arshananda, HHarshananda, ten Cardinal Upanishads, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
5. Eknath Easwaran, The Upanishads, Nilgiri Press, www.easwara.org.
6. Swami Devarupananda, Mantrapushpam, Ramakrishna Math, Mumbai, India.

APPENDIX

A Note on Brahman or Aatman

(N.R. Srinivasan)

When we are in deep concentration we forget all about our physical body entirely. When we get up from such deep concentration called meditation we realize that our body is not we. Such a thought removes the fear of death. We start realizing that we will not die when the body dies. We read in Taittareeya Upanishad physical body is the grossest layer of many other layers, each less physical than the previous one. What are these layers? These are the components of mind, senses, emotions, will, intellect etc. When awareness is withdrawn from these progressively we begin to realize mind is not consciousness just as we felt before body is not I. When awareness is consolidated even beyond the mind, there remains only the awareness I. We rest here in meditation in a body of Joy.

In the climax of deep meditation even this I-consciousness disappears and merges with undifferentiated awareness. This is the stage what Upanishads call Tureeya or the fourth state which is beyond waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep state. This is the state of Samadhi, complete absorption, moksha or liberation. This is a state which is free from all conditioning and the limitations of time and space.

What remains now when all traces of individuality are removed? It is the state of Pure Being. Moving from this unity or differentiating from this unity things acquire name and form which sages called creation. This Unity the sages identified as Brahman. The word Brahman in Sanskrit comes from the root “brih” means to expand. Therefore we can conclude Brahman is the irreducible ground of existence, the essence of everything –The earth, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars and all creations of even divines, gods and every life consisting of power.

This Unity awareness can also be traced within oneself like in the macrocosm which sages called Aatman, the Self distinct from individual personality self. In all individuals and in all creatures this Self (always written with capital S) is the innermost essence. It is identical with Brahman and not with individual personality. Our real Self is not different from ultimate reality called God. Even in English GOD stands for: G for Generation (Creation), O for operation (Sustenance) and D for Dissolution.

Each Upanishad has its own style of expounding many an imperceptible Truth regarding the ultimate objects of life and Brahman as the Supreme Cause. The main teachings of Upanishads can be summed up as follows:

1) Brahman is the ultimate cause of this Universe and everything else is dependent upon that one Supreme Principle referred as Truth.

2) The Universe was caused in a systematic manner according to the will of the Supreme Principle.

3) The entity Jeevaatman or Self in every being is an eternal principle without any origination or destination. It is going on through the cycle of births and deaths due to its attachments to the objects of the world from beginning-less time.

4) The Jeevaatman should become aware of its true nature and destiny and has to modify itself in such a manner that it gets rid of its association with matter.

5) Every being in this world is entitled to become liberated and merge with the Supreme Principle but it all depends on its own aspirations and efforts.

6) All sentient and non-sentient, man, matter, time and the celestial abode are dependent upon the will of the Supreme Principle. It is therefore necessary to realize subservience to the Supreme Principle called Paramaatman, mentioned in Gita.

7) Upanishads teach the way of getting liberated from Samsaaraa in their own style. They teach that loving meditation of the Supreme Principle and complete surrender to its will are the means of Liberation. Essentially it means Praayaschitta (repentance); Dhyaana (meditation); and Saranaagati (complete surrender at the feet of the Lord).

Mind, Thought and Consciousness – An Upanishadic Hypothesis

By S. Karthikeyan | May 26, 2016 | IndiaDivine.Org

Mind is the most mysterious human faculty. It happens to be so, since it is not merely a physical part of human body permitting precise physiological examination; it is but a functional attribute of such a part. Study of mind and formulation of theories on its functioning have always been a favorite intellectual pursuit of man, from the very ancient times.

Renowned for ancient wisdom transcending physical existence, the Upaniṣad(s) present a very coherent and rational series of concepts about mind, thought and consciousness in the eleven major Upaniṣads, especially in Praśna and Māṇḍūkya. However, before we set out to have a proper understanding of these concepts we should have a reasonable grasp of the greatest and the finest revelation in the Upaniṣads, which is the Ātmā.

According to Upaniṣads, Ātmā is the ultimate, changeless, non-material substance underlying this ever-changing material Universe and it is also the cause of all causes. The constitution of Ātmā is SAT, CHIT and ᾹNANDA (सत् – चित् – आनन्द). Of these, SAT is pure existence. SAT is that which has no state of non-existence (2.16 of Gīta). In English it corresponds to what is usually referred to as Existence or Being. While everything that appears as an object in this universe has a beginning and an end, SAT is eternal. Material objects come into existence, stay for some time and then go into non-existence (Gīta 2.28). That is, their existence is limited by time and space. Every being or thing owes its existence to something already in existence. So, existence in this universe is only a matter of change in form and name (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.7). If we pursue a thing or being, backward in time, to trace its ultimate point of origin, we will, passing by each stage of its existence, reach a point where further backward movement is impossible. We then reach the subtlest point of existence, where no material substance is present. This is the point of pure existence. Therefore pure existence is the origin of everything that exists in any form or in any name. This pure existence is SAT, from which everything originated. SAT is the energy that supports all relative existences and in beings, it stimulates the urge for existence (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1, 6.10.1 & 6.10.2; Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.1.6; Gīta 9.16 to 9.18 and 10.8 read with 10.20).  Ātmā is SAT. How can material objects emerge from a purely non-material thing called SAT? This is made possible by unleashing opposites. The world exists in opposites. Opposites hold the key for material existence. Even the smallest particle of physical existence, the atom, exists with opposite forces, namely, the protons and electrons. Differentiation into opposites is just like representation of Zero as a combination of infinite number of positives and negatives of the same numerals, without the zero undergoing any change. Zero is therefore not at all a mere void, but it is where infinities emerge from and merge into; it constitutes a state of equilibrium. Material existence closely identifies with this model, with SAT representing Zero. At the state of equilibrium, nothing is perceivable to the senses, because of non-differentiation into opposites. In order to facilitate material existence, the opposites are unleashed and then held separate as distinct entities, without mutual merger or cancellation, by something called the force of creation, which is the energy of material existence. Thus, this phenomenal world is only a transient representation or manifestation of the Ātmā which is not perceivable to the senses.

The second aspect of Ātmā is CHIT. It is Pure Consciousness. That means, CHIT is not simply the consciousness about this or that object, it is absolute consciousness having no physical boundaries. It is CHIT that manifests as knowledge. Knowing a thing means consciousness taking the form and name of that thing. The inner urge to show and assert one’s own existence is an expression of his consciousness about himself. CHIT is that which provides the energy for activating all faculties of cognition and expression; it is an exclusive and essential feature of living beings. It defines life. In beings, it is with the help of CHIT that the embedded information in the genes is activated, as a result of which the seed/cell grows into the pre-designed form particular to each species. A coconut germinates and grows into a coconut tree only; a human embryo develops into a human being only. Likewise, various specialized organs also develop from a single cell because of this embedded information read with the help of consciousness. Further, what we see in the behavior of a new-born calf is its consciousness in action; the calf heads towards the udder of its mother and starts sucking the teats for milk, within minutes after its birth. Pure natural instinct works here, which cannot come from matter, but handed down from hereditary information translated by the CHIT acting within. Thus, ‘CHIT’ is an integral part of our existence and it stimulates the urge to know and express.

Let us now go to the third characteristic, i.e. ᾹNANDA. Irrefutably, everybody wants uninterrupted happiness in life. It is in search of this happiness that we spend our entire life. We derive happiness with respect to many things. A thing that gives us happiness now, may not be giving us happiness at some other point of time. Similarly, the thing that gives us happiness may not be giving it to some other person at the same point of time. That means, happiness does not remain deposited in the things concerned; but we derive it from within ourselves. This happiness within is called ‘Ānanda’ (Bliss) in Hindu scriptures. This is the third characteristic of the ultimate cause, Ātmā. All that we experience as happiness are only manifestations of Ānanda within. In a deeper analysis it could be seen that it is this Ānanda that is the root cause of all our pursuits and actions. Even the urge for existence and for self-expression is caused by the desire for joy, happiness, pleasure and all. Taittirīya Upaniṣad says that Ānanda is the inner-most sheath of human existence (Chapters 2 & 3). Bṛhadāraṇyaka says (1.4.3) that it is for rejoicing that Ātmā started manifesting into beings; in other words, ‘creation’ is a ‘play’ of Ātmā.

So, Ātmā is ‘SAT–CHIT–ĀNANDA’ or ‘Existence–Consciousness–Bliss’ as it is often translated in English. All manifestations in names and forms are relative expressions of various combinations of these absolute facets of Ātmā. These three are the underlying principles of the whole universe. They maintain and control the universe. Every single  Karma (deed or act) of any being springs up from anyone of these three in action within the limited existence of that being. That is, every action is motivated by the urge for either existence, or expression, or joy. Thus, SAT-CHIT-ĀNANDA or Ātmā is the ruler of this Universe. It is the core of the manifested universe, pervading entirely through all the manifestations (Gīta 8.22, 9.4 etc.). Though Ātmā pervades all beings, it has a center of activity in every being, which is called Hṛidaya (Heart), so says Gīta 18.61. This Heart is not the heart of blood circulation, but it is where the nerves are connected (Praśna Upaniṣad 3.6, Muṇḍaka 2.2.6, Kaṭha Upaniṣad 6.16, Chāndogya 8.6.6). From the modern knowledge about human anatomy, this center is to be understood as Thalamus, which in Greek means ‘inner chamber’. The word Hṛidaya also has the same meaning. Thalamus is considered to be a ‘switch-board’ of information.

Humans start their journey as a single cell consisting of consciousness as well as the material part that contains hereditary information. With the help of consciousness this information is read and translated into action resulting in the growth of the cell into a full-fledged human being. A grown-up man is nothing but a build-up on this cell, affected by absorbing available nourishment. That is why it is said that beings occur because of food or nutriment (Mundaka Upaniṣad 1.1.8; Gīta 3.14).

The power of Ātmā to express himself in many forms is called his Māya or Prakṛti. With this Prakṛti he projects transient beings (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.10, Gīta 9.8 &9.10). We have already seen that it happens by unleashing opposites. This projection is somewhat like throwing a stone upwards from the surface of the earth using a physical force; it reaches a certain height and then falls down on the earth itself. The earth and the stone are bound by the invisible power of gravity. In the same way every being gets projected from Māya and in the end returns to her, the gravity here being the invisible Ātmā. The entire universe is thus projected and withdrawn periodically (Gīta 8.18 & 8.19). This fact is recognized by the modern theory of creation of the universe, namely the Big Bang theory. Ātmā remains in his pure state in the beginning and in the end. For the purpose of creation, Ātmā invokes his power of Māya (or Prakṛti) (Śvetāśvatara 4.10; Gīta 13.19, etc). With Maya/Prakṛti invoked, he is known as Puruṣha. Bṛhadāraṇyaka says (1.4.1) that there was only Ātmā in the beginning in the form of Puruṣha. Creation started with the production of Rayi and Prāṇa (Praśna 1.4). Rayi is simply the physical energy and Prāṇa is the energy of life. From these two, the entire universe of living and non-living beings emerged. It is a process of expansion which will stop one day followed by contraction culminating in the disappearance of all physical existence. The Big Bang theory says that the universe occurred by the expansion of a single atom and in the end it will regain its original state through contraction. How and when life appeared is not properly explained in this theory.

Praśna (3.5, 3.6 & 3.7) says that Prāṇa works in the body in five different ways, splitting itself into five, namely, the Chief Prāṇa (मुख्य प्राण), Apāna (अपान), Samāna (समान), Vyāna (व्यान) and Udāna (उदान). This is only a functional division of the Prāṇa. The Chief Prāṇa provides life energy for the entire system and is specifically in charge of the systems connected with eyes, ears, mouth and nose; Apāna takes care of digestion, urination, defecation and allied systems; Samāna works in the middle part of the body controlling distribution of nutrients to various parts in an equitable manner (this is probably concerned with the cardiovascular system); and Vyāna moves in the nervous system facilitating the transmission of impulses between brain or spinal cord and other parts of the body. The nervous system, says the Upaniṣad (3.6), is connected to the ‘Heart’ (Hṛidaya), which is the center of consciousness within. It is said that there are one hundred and one main nerves connected to the ‘Hṛdaya’. Each of these nerves has seventy-two lakh branch nerves, taking the total number of nerves to seventy-two crores and seventy-two lakhs (727,200,000). Udāna works in one of the main nerves which projects upwards, called Hitā, presumably spreading out into the brain, with its branches numbering 7200000 as per the above count. Bṛhadāraṇyaka says (4.3.20) that it is very thin and fine as a hair split into thousand parts and is of different colors like blue, brown, green, red and white and also that it is responsible for our perceptions of various hues. Udāna controls and co-ordinates functions of the instruments for internal action, known as Antaḥkaraṇa (अन्तःकरण) and because of this, it is instrumental in leading us forward to new worlds of varying experiences, in accordance with the nature of our knowledge and Karma (Praśna 3.10).

Having its center in Hṛidaya, consciousness pervades the entire body through the nerves with the help of Vyāna. Consciousness provides the energy for cognition and action to all the organs of sensation and action. We have got five organs of sensation, namely, ears, skin, eyes, nose and tongue; and five organs of action, namely, mouth, feet, hands, organ of excretion and organ of procreation.

In addition to these, humans have four instruments for internal action, which together are known as ‘Antaḥkaraṇa’. The word ‘psyche’ can be taken as its English equivalent. The four components of Antaḥkaraṇa are ‘Manas’ (मनस्), ‘Buddhi’ (बुद्धि), ‘Ahamkāra’ (अहम्कार) and ‘Chitta’ (चित्त). These are actually notional divisions of brain-functions, designed for the purpose of better and systematic understanding of internal activities. Probably this system of division is exclusive to Hindu Philosophy. Of the four Antaḥkaraṇa(s), Manas is involuntary in its functions, just like heart-beat, breathing, etc.; Buddhi is voluntary. Ahamkāra and Chitta are neither voluntary nor involuntary.

From the stage of the very first cell or the seed, every being contains some basic hereditary information necessary for the development and maintenance of its body. Such information constitutes its knowledge base, upon which all pieces of knowledge, said to be later acquired by the being, are built up. The location of this initial knowledge base grows to form what we call ‘Chitta’, in human beings. Chitta is the core of ‘Antaḥkaraṇa’ as it is the Knowledge Center. It is where Ātmā is reflected within the body. If Ātmā is Sun, then Chitta is Moon. Ātmā is pure consciousness whereas Chitta is consciousness about various things. That is why it is called the reflector of Ātmā. These two, namely the Ātmā and its reflection, are depicted in the Upaniṣhads as two birds sitting on the same tree as close associates and, of the two, one eats delicious fruits and the other simply looks on without eating anything (3.1.1 & 3.1.2 of Muṇḍaka and 4.6 & 4.7 of Śvetāśvatara). Chitta is the store-house of all knowledge that one acquires.

Ahamkāra is self-consciousness; it is the individual ‘I’ within every one of us; it is the consciousness of being ‘I’. It consists of our own perception of us; that is, what we perceive us to be and what we want to project us to be. Ahamkāra is the enjoyer within, enjoying all actions, feelings and other things. It is at his instance all voluntary actions are undertaken.

Buddhi is intellect and is the agent of reasoning. It intervenes in the activities of Manas when so desired by Ahamkāra, so that reason and logic prevail in such activities. By way of such intervention, it obtains control over the sense organs and motor organs wherein Manas acts as a bridle (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 3.3 & 3.4 and Gīta 3.42). In exercise of its power of reasoning at the instance of Ahamkāra, Budhi performs some kind of ‘emigration and immigration checks’ on the access of information from Chitta which Manas does for the purpose of construction of valid perceptions in respect of sense-signals conveyed to it.

Manas, which is often translated as ‘mind’ in English, is that part of the Antaḥkaraṇa which acts as regulator and co-ordinator of the activities of sense organs and motor organs. ‘Manas’ receives signals from the senses, processes them with reference to the stock of information already available in the Chitta and thereby constructs valid perceptions. This is how we see, hear, taste, smell and feel and thereby cognize facts and objects. Thus, seeing is not merely an act of eyes; it is but perceiving. So is hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling (by touch).

Our experience is not limited to the raw impressions conveyed by senses; a touch may give us an experience of love or the opposite of it, namely, aversion. Sense can convey only the touch; but we experience more than that. We grasp what is expressed as touch; it may be love or hate. We feel love or hate not merely by touch, but by perceiving with the involvement of the entire Antaḥkaraṇa. Chhāndogya Upaniṣad says that one knows only through reflecting (7.18.1).

This process of perception and cognition is followed by the higher act of acquiring knowledge. How do we do that? Acquiring knowledge is a continuous process starting from a foundation upon which each piece of information or idea is coherently stacked resembling the construction of a building. The initial foundation is the embedded hereditary information we get from parental sources. On this general foundation we lay a separate foundation for each category of knowledge and start the unending process of erecting upon it the knowledge-mansion particular to that category, by continuously modifying and expanding the structure with newly processed information and ideas. The entire process runs as follows: Senses pick up signals from objects external to each of them. These are merely raw signals conveying no meaning. For example, the eyes work as a lens and form an inverted image of the object, which they are directed to. Eyes are unable to read this image. That task is done by ‘Manas’ which is the internal faculty (Antaḥkaraṇa) directly connected with the senses. On receiving the sense-signals, Manas contacts Chitta and conducts a scan therein to see whether any information exists relating to the current signals. In case, some such information exists, then Manas compares the received signals with it and thus perceives the object or data pertaining to such signals. With such perceptions as raw materials and further accessing relevant information from Chitta, Manas constructs new valid information and ideas. These are the building blocks which Manas uses for furthering the construction of various mansions of knowledge in Chitta. In case any new information or idea fits well with any of the existing knowledge-mansions in Chitta, then that mansion is modified accordingly; on the other hand, if there does not exist any corresponding mansion, then the new information or idea is either used as foundation of a new mansion or rejected altogether as unusable or extraneous. If Ahamkāra desires so, Buddhi overlooks all these operations contributing with its power of reasoning. All these operations are powered by the energy of cognition and action provided by the consciousness within, which is utilized by the concerned organs with the help of Vyāna and Udāna. It is thus we acquire knowledge and enlarge our knowledge base in the Chitta. That means, in the process of gaining knowledge what actually happens is not a mere absorption as such from external agents, but an internal building-up which is compatible with the existing stage of construction of some mansions in Chitta. It is a stage-by-stage process. That is why we cannot grasp anything that lacks a related base within us.

Suppose we see a flower. When the eyes form its image, the concerned signals are picked up by Manas which makes a search in Chitta to find out some tallying information regarding shape, color, smell and such other characteristics and, on the basis such information, recognizes that it is a flower. On further search, it may turn out that this flower is bigger than any other flower already observed. A new idea or information is thus formed and added to the stock in the Chitta regarding flowers. Manas may also infer another idea that flowers can be as big as this one. Thus, many new ideas may be formed at the perception of this particular flower. In the Chitta, the knowledge-mansion in respect of flower is accordingly modified.

If the viewer is a botanist he may observe the flower’s various parts, namely calyx, corolla, androecium and gynoecium and study their characteristics. His knowledge mansion concerning the flower would then be modified on the basis of the new information generated by Manas.

In this case, if the viewer has not seen flowers previously, foundation of a new knowledge-mansion regarding flower is laid in his Chitta, which consists of the shape, color, scent and such other qualities he recognizes in it, based on the information already available in his Chitta.

From the preceding explanation it is evident that the knowledge one acquires is basically relative in nature rather than absolute. It is relative to the pre-existing level and nature of knowledge within him.

There is an aspect of abundance as well as variety in the knowledge that can be acquired of any object in nature. It is therefore quite natural that the knowledge one acquires thereof is limited by the current status of the concerned existing knowledge-mansion in his Chitta. The activity of Buddhi is also limited by such status, since Buddhi can only supervise the jigsaw-puzzle-solving based on the pieces accessed from the then existing stock of Chitta. Buddhi, with its astuteness and power of reasoning defines the efficiency with which the jigsaw-puzzle-solving is accomplished. Thus, the knowledge acquisition is dependent on the level of existing knowledge within and also the sharpness of Buddhi. This explains the difference in knowledge or even the impressions different persons obtain from a particular object or set of facts.

All the limitations in a person are dictated by the relative predominance of what is called the Three Guṇa(s) in him at the relevant period of time.  Guṇa(s) originate from Prakṛti wherein they are in equal proportion and therefore not distinguishable. They are three in number and are the qualitative content of Prakṛti. The three Guṇa(s) are Sattvam, Rajas and Tamas.  Sattvam is enlightening in nature and it inspires a longing for joy and knowledge; Rajas stimulates action since its nature is desire and attachment; and Tamas is retarding in nature and it creates negligence, idleness and indolence (Gīta 14.6, 14.7 & 14.8). Disproportion among the three Guṇa(s) is inherent to the manifested world. Their relative proportion almost remains the same in any being throughout its life; but which Guna takes control at a particular moment depends on the nature of thought motivated by Ahamkāra at that time. Thus, the thought process and the change in the controlling Guṇa(s) are mutually impacting in a vicious-circle manner. This vicious circle is broken when Ahamkāra establishes, out of strong conviction, a thought in Chitta to the effect that meek submission to the impact of Guṇa(s) is a bondage detrimental to true and sustained happiness.

The current controller Guṇa in a person determines his disposition, which in turn, determines the type of knowledge one is likely to gain from the variety and abundance in knowledge that an object provides. Knowledge acquisition is therefore subjective also, apart from relative. That means, it is a process marked by subjective relativity.

Thinking is a process wherein Manas accesses relevant information from Chitta regarding the subject under consideration and attempts to arrive at cognizable ideas and possibilities arising out of such information, aided by the reasoning power of Buddhi. It may be described as an attempt to solve a jigsaw puzzle as already stated. Reasoning is the process of arriving at what follows necessarily and essentially from the given data. At times, without the reasoning involvement of Buddhi, it may happen that Manas accesses information from Chitta and goes through the thinking process alone; but, due to lack of reasoning, this ends up in mere construction of imageries and projections which we call dreams and imageries. At the time of dreaming, as a prelude to sleep, the sense organs are in a state of shut-down and Manas constructs false perceptions, without any signals from them, solely using the accessed information from Chitta. Most probably, such information must be the one which it has last accessed. It may thus be seen that dreams are entirely the creation of the involuntary Manas without the involvement of either Buddhi or sense organs. Praśna Upaniṣad says that when all the sense organs merge into Manas and lie dormant there, we enjoy dreams wherein we see again what has been seen before, hear what has been heard before and enjoy again what has been enjoyed before.  We also enjoy the unseen, unheard, unperceived and unreal (Praśna Upaniṣad 4.2 & 4.5).

As already mentioned, all perceptions are raw materials for construction of valid information or ideas, which in turn are building blocks of knowledge-mansions. All perceptions are recorded in Chitta at first and then utilized for constructing information or ideas. As soon as the latter is done, individual existence of perceptions fades away as they have already become part of some information or idea. It becomes very difficult to retrieve them as such, thereafter. It is just like individual bricks in a construction being ignored and only the construction as a whole getting appreciated. If somebody is called a ‘good man’, there may be a number of perceptions recorded on various occasions, which led to such an idea. In due course it may happen that such individual perceptions fade away and only the idea of ‘good man’ shines. In other words, ‘data exit – idea exists’.

One’s personality is the cumulative essence of the contents of his Chitta. Whatever we come across or experience in our life leaves a corresponding perception recorded in Chitta; but in due course, as mentioned above, such perceptions may cease to exist as such, since it gets absorbed into some idea, either old or new, by modifying, confirming or deleting the same. There is no substance in the argument that a cinema watched or a story read is not going to influence anybody to the extent of inducing him into doing or not doing anything. Every experience of a person contributes to the accumulation of perceptions and resultant modification of ideas in his Chitta. A child who is brought up in a domestic atmosphere wherein liquor consumption is a part of daily life of the adult members does not show any aversion to drinking. But, when he gets a chance to watch a cinema or read a story depicting the ill-effects of drinking, a negative idea regarding drinking gets recorded in his Chitta. This is confirmed further, when he happens to come across other propaganda materials. The culminating idea in him will be that consumption of liquor is injurious to health. Similarly, every experience contributes to one’s stock of ideas or knowledge either positively or negatively. Nothing goes without an impact. True, we may not be having a distinct or detailed log of all such impacts; but they are definitely there. All our ideas are culminating versions emerging from continuous alterations caused by such impacts. Vicariously, so are our conduct, character and personality. It is just as a sculpture is chiseled out from a rough stone, the said impacts being the strikes of chisel.

From ideas originate resolves. When a resolve gets established in our Chitta, its impulse first goes to the Chief Prāṇa (Praśna 3.10). A resultant impact occurs in our breath, look, hearing and salivation as these activities are controlled by the Chief Prāṇa. Since Udāna operates in close conjunction with the Chief Prāṇa, it picks up the reverberations and then acts accordingly. These two, together with the consciousness within, lead us forward. The stronger the resolve, the greater is the impulse. Udāna inspires the relevant faculties to be activated by our consciousness so that even without our volunteering we are led to that course of action which furthers our resolve to advancement or, may be, ultimately to fulfilment. The intensity as well as concentration of our resolve is what we call will-power. Similarly, when we feel contempt or appreciation for a person, then Udāna makes us sense whatever furthers such contempt or appreciation and we are led accordingly. These are all experiences of our daily life. Gīta too says that our attention is defined by how we are disposed of internally (17.3).

In the body, consciousness operates in three states, namely, Jāgrat (जाग्रत्) or wakefulness, Svapna (स्वप्न) or dream and Suṣupti (सुषुप्ति) or sleep. In the Jāgrat state, all the four Antaḥkaraṇa(s), sense organs and motor organs are so active that they are capable of utilizing the radiance of consciousness to the maximum permissible within their physical limitations. As a result, expression of the radiance of consciousness is full within the given body limitations (Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 3 and Praśna Upaniṣad 4.2, 4.5). In this state the Prajña (प्रज्ञ), which is the knowing power or intelligence, acquires full exposure.

Svapna is the state of transition from Jāgrat to Suṣhupti, wherein all voluntary functions of Buddhi, Manas, sense organs and motor organs subside following a decision to that effect taken by Ahamkāra on evaluation of relevant information available for the time being, in Chitta regarding body needs. In this state, because of this restraint, radiance of consciousness is not fully expressed. Dreams occur in Svapna state through the involuntary activities of Manas, as described above (Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 4). In this state Prajña is exposed only inwardly.

In the Suṣhupti state, the involuntary activities of Manas also are stopped and as a result the radiance of consciousness gets the least expression. Prajña is contained within Chitta with the least exposure. Consequently, nothing is cognized from either outside or inside. The content of Chitta is thus reduced to Prajña alone, all the acquisitions therein having been suspended for the time being. Further, Ahamkāra, that is, the mere sense of ‘I’ness, remains and all his possessions are detached from his hold; in other words, all that is ‘mine’ vanishes. This is the state of deep sleep (Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 5).

Only Prāṇa(s) are active at this state (Praśna Upaniṣad 4.3). They do whatever is required to sustain life, since they are the sustainers of life designated as such by the ‘trinity’ of ‘Existence-Consciousness-Bliss’, which is Ātmā (Praśna Upaniṣad 1.5, 2.4).

Transcending the Suṣupti state is the Turīya (तुरीय) or Fourth State of consciousness, wherein there is only pure consciousness; even the Prajña is dissolved into that eternal, all-pervasive and indescribable pure consciousness. All phenomena cease in it (Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 7).

Thus, consciousness is not a property of the mind; but it is the energy with which mind works. There is no mind without consciousness. The Freudian classification of mind into levels such as conscious, preconscious and unconscious therefore appears to be unfounded. What Freud calls preconscious and unconscious levels of mind can only refer to the contents of Chitta, which Manas accesses in execution of its functions. Manas is equivalent to what he refers to as conscious mind.  We have already seen that Chitta is the store-house of all information and knowledge one possesses and that such information and knowledge form the fundamental basis of all his physical and psychological activities. Freud transfers this credit from Chitta to what he calls the unconscious mind. Unconscious implies dead and a dead part cannot have active influence on one’s behaviour and experience. We have seen that one may not be able to recall each of his experiences as such, since those individual experiences may have already merged with some idea or information, appropriately modifying it; we called this process as ‘data exit – idea exists’. Moreover, Freud bundled all functions of the psyche into one and attached it to mind; this created the confusion leading to the differentiation into so-called levels and the consequent perverse nomenclature.

Ātmā is the ruler of the entire universe pervading all the beings. Since its constitution is ‘SAT–CHIT–ĀNANDA’ or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, the motivating force of all beings is the urge to exist, to know and express and also to derive joy. Due to the veil of ignorance put up by Guṇa(s) of Prakṛti, beings do not recognize the Ātmā within (Gīta 7.13). They see themselves as mere physical beings and strive to ensure existence, expression and joy for their physical entity. Infants present an innocent expression of this truth, innocent because they don’t know anything about the world around and its pressures and recoils. As they grow, they gain knowledge about the rigors of worldly life and make suitable adjustments, improvements and compromises, but still aiming at attaining perpetual existence, unbridled expression and eternal bliss in their physical body. The finest point of the knowledge one gains is the realization that one has no existence without the existence of the whole and therefore he has to strive primarily for the existence, expression and joy of the whole. This is what is called Dharma; the meaning of Dharma is ‘that which ensures existence (of the universe collectively)’ or in other words, that which conforms to the principle of SAT–CHIT–ĀNANDA. This pure, absolute principle is the driving force for all beings for all time and therefore, action or deed (Karma) that is in conformity with it is said to be eternal virtue or Sanātana Dharma. All the moral dictates of all the times have always been off-shoots of this eternal principle, limited only by the knowledge levels of the society during any particular period.

The ultimate aim of beings is to merge with this principle, that is, Ātmā, shedding all the physical bondages, because the trinity of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is the driving force in all beings and we invariably see in them a desire for perpetual existence, unbridled expression and eternal bliss. This can be made possible by human beings through attaining supreme knowledge as well as practicing austerities, while still being in physical existence, so say the Upaniṣhads (Kaṭha 3.8, 4.15; Muṇḍaka 3.1.3, 3.1.9, 3.2.8; Śvetāśvatara 5.14). The state so attained to is absolute and changeless, wherein only pure existence, consciousness and bliss, devoid of physical attributes, exist (Gīta 15.5, 15.6). This is within every one of us all the time; but we don’t recognize it since we are oriented outwardly due to improper knowledge level (Gīta 7.27).

Freud’s ‘Ego’ is a product of the efforts to uphold ‘Dharma’; ‘Id’ indicates total absence of knowledge except the basic urge to exist which acts involuntarily for obtaining what is necessary to satisfy that urge. His ‘Super Ego’ is the eternal principle of ‘Dharma’ which acts in every person as a reflection of Ātmā.

Scientific   Analysis of Bhriguvalli in Taittareeya Upanishad

Man in his Ignorance, identifies himself with the material sheaths that encompasses his true Self. Transcending these, he become one with Brahman, the Absolute Bliss.   Brahman is to be meditated upon as the source of all thought, life and action. He is the splendor in wealth. He is the light in the stars. He is in all things. Let a man meditate upon Brahman he will be supported. Let him meditate upon Brahman in greatness, and he will be great. Let him meditate on Brahman as mind, and he will be endowed with intellectual power. Let him meditate on Brahman as adoration and he will be adored. Let him worship Brahman as Brahman, and he will become Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi).  Please find below the Science of Bhriguvalli by Kartikeyan Sreedharan:

“Bhriguvalli is the third and last chapter of Taittareeeya Upanishad. Bhṛgu, son of Varuṇa, requested his father to teach him about Brahma. Varuṇa enlightens his son with what we have learned in Brahmavalli about kośas. As a prelude thereto, he says that food, Prāṇa, eyes, ears, Manas and speech are all Brahma. Then he elaborates thus:

… यतो वा इमानि भूतानि जायन्ते | येन जातानि जीवन्ति | यत्प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशन्ति | तद्विजिज्ञासस्व तद्ब्रह्मेति ….. || 3.1.1 ||

… yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante; yena jātāni jīvanti; yatprayantyabhisaṃviśanti; tadvijijñāsasva tadbrahmeti …. (3.1.1)

Word meaning: yataḥ- from which; vā- vai-verily; imāni- these; bhūtāni- beings; jāyante- originate; yena- by which; jātāni- those which thus originated; jīvanti- live; yat- to which; prayanti- strive to; abhisaṃviśanti- dissolve in; tat- that; vijijñāsasva- aspire to know; brahma- Brahma; iti- thus.

Verse meaning: From which these beings originate, by which they live and to which they strive to dissolve in, you should aspire to know that; that is Brahma.

Varuṇa thus tells his son that all beings emerge from, live in and, at the end, dissolve in Brahma and asks him to know it by own effort. ‘Knowing’ is not simply understanding, it is but experiencing also. When we say sugar is sweet, everybody will understand it; but experiencing that sweetness is what real knowing is. This is what Varuṇa asks his son to do and this is what the scriptures mean by ‘knowing’. This is the real implication of the declarations like ‘one who knows Brahma becomes Brahma’ and ‘one who knows Brahma attains to the Ultimate’.

In obedience to his father’s instructions, Bhṛigu does tapas; but, what he first knows is the Annarasamaya kośa only, which is the grossest and easily attainable expression of the Ultimate. He saw that his father’s definition matches with what he found. But, the father was not satisfied; he sends him back to do tapas again. This time, Bhṛgu came back with his new finding, Prāṇamaya kośa, as Brahma. There was surely progress in his enlightenment, as he could go subtler than earlier. But, his father’s response was the same as before. Bhṛgu again set out for tapas. He gradually crossed over into Manomaya, Vijñānamaya and finally Ānandamaya kośas, to the satisfaction of his father.

At the end, Varuṇa cautions his son against despising or rejecting annam; this is presumably in view of his sending back the son when he reported his first finding of Brahma as Annarasamaya. His intention is to impress upon his son that Annarasamaya kośa is not to be despised of; for, without it, other kośas are irrelevant. Varuṇa tells his son that annam is Prāṇa; this is because, in the absence of annam, Prāṇa cannot be sustained. So far is the philosophy of Varuṇa and his son Bhṛigu”.

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