Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 3

Chapter 6, Section 2 & 3

Mantra 6-2-1 & 2

sadeva somyedamagra asidekamevadvitiyam | taddhaika ahurasadevedamagra asidekamevadvitiyaṃ tasmadasatah sajjayata || 6.2.1 ||

kutastu khalu somyaivaṃsyaditi hovacha kathamasataḥ sajjayeteti| sattveva somyedamagra asidekamevadvitiyam || 6.2.2 ||

Dear boy, in the beginning before this world was manifest there was Existence only, one without a second. On this subject, some maintain that before this world was manifest there was only Non-existence, one without a second and out of that non-existence, existence emerged. But how indeed, dear boy, it could be so?  How could Existence arise from Non-existence. In truth, dear boy, in beginning, there was Existence alone, one only, without a second.

            Uddalaka straightaway starts the teaching, beginning with the cause of the cosmos as Sat, Pure Existence. It is one only, without a second. As this existed before creation, it is formless, nameless, attributeless, and not bound by time nor limited in space. The word Sat is another name for Brahman, whose nature is Sat, Chit, Anantha i.e. pure Existence, pure Consciousness, Infinite. He also refers to the philosophers like Naiyayikas and Buddhists, without naming them, who hold that before creation there was Non-existence, Asat, only one without second. After giving this contrary view-point, Uddalaka negates it by pointing out that something cannot come out of nothing and reaffirms that Sat alone, without a second, existed before creation. Then he goes on to explain the sequence of creation.

Mantra 6-2-3

tadaikshata bahu syaṃ prajayeyeti tattejo'srjata tatteja aiksata bahu syam prajayeyeti tadapo'srjata | tasmadyatra kvaca sochati svedate va purusastejasa eva tadadhyapo jayante || 6.2.3 ||

That Existence willed: ‘May I become many. May I grow forth.’  It then created fire. That fire also willed: ‘May I become many. May I grow forth.’ Then fire created water. Therefore, whenever or wherever a person mourns or perspires, then it is from fire that water is produced

            For things created there must be two causes; upadhana karanam, material cause and nimitta karanam, intelligent cause.  Since before creation, Sat alone existed, it is both the material and intelligent cause of this world.  Being the intelligent cause, it must be of the nature of Consciousness ‘Chit” as well.  This Sat-Chit infinite being, Brahman, wished to manifest Its infinite potential to create (Maya Sakthi), and created fire first and from fire, the water, as the next step. Elsewhere the Vedas speak of space and air emerging from Brahman even before fire and here that is to be understood.  The purpose of the teaching is to assert everything is a product of Brahman only and not teaching of creation.  The logic of water being produced from fire is seen in one’s day-to-day experience, as one sweats in heat.

Mantra 6-2-4

ta apa aikshanta bahvyah syama prajayemahiti ta annamasrjanta tasmadyatra kva ca varsati tadeva bhuyisthamannam bhavatyadbhya eva tadadhyannadyaṃ jayate || 6.2.4 || iti dvitiyaḥ khaṇdah ||

That water willed: ‘May I become many; May I grow forth.’ That water then created food. Therefore, whenever and wherever there is rain, there food grows in great abundance. It is from water that food is produced. End of second section.

            Here food represents earth as from earth food is produced. Further, fire, water and earth are inert in nature and it is only in the presence of Consciousness they gain the capacity of creating. The second section ends with this Mantra.

Mantra 6-3-1

teshaṃ khalvesham bhutanaṃ trinyeva bijani bhavantyandajaṃ jivajamudbhijjamiti || 6.3.1 ||

Of the aforesaid beings there are only three origins: those born from eggs, born from living beings, and born from seeds.

            Here thousands of species of the world are divided into three types depending on their source of birth, as follows:

1)    Species born from eggs (andaja) – birds, fish, insects etc.

2)    Species born from other beings (jivaja) – mammals including humans

3)    Species born of seeds (udbhija) – plants, trees etc.

Two more sources, mentioned in scriptures elsewhere i.e. born of sweat (svedaja) and born of heat (samsokja) are not mentioned here.  Lice, bacteria and certain viruses fall under these categories and they have to be included in 1) and 3).

Mantra 6-3-2

seyam devataikshata hantahamimastisro devata anena jivenatmananupravisya namarupe vyakaravaniti || 6.3.2 ||

That god [Sat] willed: ‘Entering into these three deities [fire, water, and earth], through the living Self (Jivathma), I shall manifest myself in many names and forms’.

            Sat desired to enter into the world of gross elements (Fire, water, earth) as life or as an individual Self(Jivathma) and manifest as names and forms.  As Sat is all-pervding, this entry is a special manifestation, as a reflection of light enters water. Light pervades water. The reflection is its special manifestation. The reflection has no existence separate from the light.  Similarly, Sat manifests as life and identifying with a name and form, becomes the individual finite being.

Mantra 6-3-3 & 4

tasaṃ trivrtam trivrtamekaikam karavaniti seyam devatemastisro devata anenaiva jivenatmananupravisya namarupe vyakarot || 6.3.3 ||

tasaṃ trivrtam trivrtamekaikamakarodyatha tu khalu somyemastisro devatastrivrttrivrdekaikabhavati tanme vijanihiti || 6.3.4 || iti tṛtiyah khandah ||

Sat [Existence] willed, ‘I shall divide each of these three devatas threefold.’ Then, having entered into these three devatas as the individual Self, It manifested Itself as names and forms.  [Having so willed,] he made each of these three elements threefold. But as to how each of these three devatas becomes threefold, O dear boy, know that from me. End of third section.

            The elements first created are in subtle form.  Their grossification is now taken.  Their grossification, called ‘trivrtam’, is effected as follows:

            Gross fire = ½ subtle fire + ¼ subtle water + ¼ subtle earth

            Gross water = ½ subtle water + ¼ subtle earth + ¼ subtle fire

            Gross earth = ½ subtle earth + ¼ subtle fire + ¼ subtle water. 

A similar process involving five subtle elements – space, air, fire, water and earth; called Panchikarana is mentioned in Tattvabodha.  Unlike Tattvabodha the Upanishad talks of creation in dots and dashes and does not explain the process fully and completely. For instance, out of the subtle elements all the subtle bodies and the subtle universe are created which is not mentioned. Similarly, from the gross elements all the gross bodies and the gross universe are created. The Upanishad also calls the subtle elements as Devatas instead of as Bhutani. How each of the gross elements has also the qualities of other elements besides its own characteristic is explained in the next section, which we will see in the next blog.  This section ends with this Mantra.

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