Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 4

 Chapter 6, Section 4

Mantras 6-4-1 to 4

yadagne rohitamrupam tejasastadrupam yacchuklaṃ tadapaṃ yatkrshnam tadannasyapagadagneragnitvam vacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam trini rupanityeva satyam || 6.4.1 ||

yadadityasya rohitamrupam tejasastadrupam yacchuklam tadapam yatkrshnam tadannasyapagadadityadadityatvam vacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam trini rupanityeva satyam || 6.4.2 ||

yacchandramaso rohitamrupam tejasastadrupam yacchuklam tadapam yatkrsnam tadannasyapagaccandraccandratvam vacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam trini rupanityeva satyam || 6.4.3 ||

yadvidyuto rohitamrupam tejasastadrupam yacchuklam tadapam yatkrsnam tadannasyapagadvidyuto vidyuttvam vacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam trini rupanityeva satyam || 6.4.4 ||

The red colour of gross fire is from subtle fire, the white colour is from subtle water, and the dark colour is from subtle earth. Thus that which constitutes the ‘fire’-ness of fire is gone. All modifications are in name only based upon words [i.e., fire is only a name indicating a certain condition]. Only the three colours are the reality (1). The red colour of the sun is from fire, the white colour is from water, and the dark colour is from earth. Thus that which constitutes the ‘sun’-ness of the sun is gone. All modifications are in name only based upon words. Only the three colours are the reality (2).  The red colour of the moon is from fire, the white colour is from water, and the dark colour is from earth. Thus that which constitutes the ‘moon’-ness of the moon is gone. All modifications are in name only based upon words. Only the three colours are the reality (3).  The red colour of lightning is from fire, the white colour is from water, and the dark colour is from earth. Thus that which constitutes the ‘lightning’-ness of lightning is gone. All modifications are in name only based upon words.  Only the three colours are the reality (4).
            Here Uddalaka refers to sthula bhutha srishti and sthula bhauthika srishti, the creation of elements and elementals taking the main sources of natural light.  Elements are the fire, water and earth and elementals are the other products that are  born out of the combination of all of them and main sources of natural light mentioned are; fire, sun, moon and lightning.   The products are experienced as gross forms only and grossification takes place through mixing of the elements. In first Mantra, fire is analysed. Gross fire, besides its own redness has acquired the whiteness of water and the blackness of earth and is experienced in the compound state only.  The same is true of other products as well, as is seen in the case of sun, moon and lightning which are also combination of the three subtle elements only. Like fire, sun, moon and lightning, the entire world of gross products can be reduced to the three subtle elements, their karanam, which are, in turn, nothing but Sat, pure Existence i.e. Brahman. This reveals that the products of the world are only superimpositions on Brahman as names and forms.

Mantras 6-4-5 to 7

etaddha sma vai tadvidvamsa ahuh purve mahasala mahasrotriya na no'dya kaschanasrutamamatamavijnatamudaharisyatiti hyebhyo vidamcakruh || 6.4.5 ||

yadu rohitamivabhuditi tejasastadrupamiti tadvidamcakruryadu suklamivabhudityapam rupamiti tadvidamcakruryadu krsnamivabhudityannasya rupamiti tadvidamcakruh || 6.4.6 ||

yadvavijnatamivabhudityetasameva devatanamsamasa iti tadvidamcakruryatha tu khalu somyemastisro devatah purusham prapya trivrttrivrdekaika bhavati tanme vijanihiti || 6.4.7 || iti chaturthah khandah ||

The ancient great householders and great Vedic scholars, knew this. They said, ‘There is nothing that anyone can mention that is unheard of or unthought of or unknown to us.’ This is because they knew about the three colours (5).  They knew that whatever else was seen as red was the colour of (subtle) fire; whatever else was seen as white was the colour of (subtle) water; and whatever else was seen as black was the colour of (subtle) earth (6).  And whatever else was not properly known they understood was the combination of those three devatas [fire, water, and earth]. O dear son, now learn from me how these three devatas enter into a person and become threefold. End of fourth section (7).
            As Swetaketu wondered whether this knowledge was known in the past, Uddalaka assures him that wise men, in the past, who were well-versed in scriptures and also great, ideal, dharmic householders had known about Sat and about subtle elements and elementals and all that he had explained to him so far. He then tells him that he will explain now how the triplication of elements works in human system. The effect at individual level (adhyatmika) will be explained in the next chapter. This chapter ends here and this blog as well.
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