Chapter 6, Section 8 (Mantras 1to5)
Mantra 6-8-1
uddalako harunih svetaketum putramuvacha svapnantam me somya
vijanihiti yatraitatpurushah svapiti nama sata somya tada sampanno bhavati
svamapito bhavati tasmadenam svapitityachakshate svamhyapito bhavati || 6.8.1 ||
Uddalaka Aruni said to his son Svetaketu: ‘O my son,
let me explain to you the nature of deep sleep. When a person is said to be
sleeping, dear son, he has become united with Sat [Existence], and he has
attained his own nature. Hence people
speak of him as sleeping, for then he has attained his own nature.
Uddalaka feels
that his teaching is incomplete as his real aim was to make Svetaketu
understand “Brahman is one’s Real nature”.
So he continues his teaching with the analysis of deep sleep state. The
individual (Jiva) identifying with the gross and subtle bodies is ignorant of
his true nature. In the deep sleep
state, the gross body is not experienced and subtle body is withdrawn and the person
is in his true nature, Sat, the Existence.
Then he is called Svapiti – one who has attained (apiti) his own Self
(svam). The nature of Sat is bliss and one experiences this bliss
untouched by samsara in deep sleep.
Unfortunately, one does it unknowingly and it is only temporary for as
he wakes up, samsara catches up with him, with its worries and
anxieties, desires and disappointments.
To enjoy the true bliss of his own nature all the time, one should realise
the Self in the waking state.
Mantra 6-8-2
sa yatha sakunih sutrena prabaddho disam disam
patitvanyatrayatanamalabdhva bandhanamevopasrayata evameva khalu somya tanmano
disam disam patitvanyatrayatanamalabdhva pranamevopasrayate pranabandhanaṃ hi
somya mana iti || 6.8.2 ||
Just as a bird tied to a rope flutters here and there, and when
it cannot get any shelter anywhere, it surrenders itself to its bondage; in the
same way, dear son, the mind runs in every direction, and when it fails to get a
resting place anywhere, it surrenders itself to Prana, the vital
force. The mind, dear son, is tied to Prana.
Uddalaka here
gives the example of a bird tied to a pole by a string that flies in different
directions seeking food and entertainment and finally tired and exhausted, returns to rest on the pole, its refuge. Sri Ramakrishna used
to give a similar illustration of a bird is sitting on the mast of a ship and
falling asleep. When the ship has gone far out to sea, it wakes up and starts flying
around looking for land. It eventually gets tired, and, not finding any land,
comes back to the ship. In the Mantra, the mind stands for mind with chidabasa,
reflected consciousness, and Prana represents Pranasya Prana i.e.,
Athma, one’s Self. Like the bird in the example the mind wanders
in various directions, having different experiences in the waking and dream
state and finally exhausted and tired, it rests in Self, in deep sleep,
forgetting all the travails of other two states. But it is only a temporary relief from its
search and struggles for permanent happiness and relief from samsara as on
waking up, the search and struggle for peace, security and joy starts again. To attain it one should be able to claim “I am
Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi)’ in the waking state.
Mantras 6-8-3
& 4
asanapipase me somya vijanihiti
yatraitatpurusho'sisishati namapa eva tadasitam nayante tadyatha
gonayo'svanayah purusanaya ityevaṃ tadapa acaksate'sanayeti
tatritacchungamutpatitam somya vijanihi nedamamulam bhavishyatiti || 6.8.3 ||
tasya kva mulam syadanyatrannadevameva khalu
somyannena sungenapo mulamanvicchadbhih somya sungena tejo mulamanviccha tejasa
somya sungena sanmulamanviccha sanmulah somyemah sarvah prajah sadayatanah
satpratishtah || 6.8.4 ||
Dear son, now learn from me about hunger and
thirst. When a person is said to be hungry, it is to be understood that the
food he ate has been carried away by water. Just as people refer to a leader of
cows, or a leader of horses, or a leader of people, similarly, people say that
water is the leader of food. So also, dear boy, know that this sprout [i.e.,
the body] is the product of something [i.e., of food and drink]. For It cannot
be without a root (3). Where else,
except in food, can the body have its root? In the same way, dear son, when
food is the sprout, look for water as the root; when water is the sprout, dear
son, look for fire as the root; when fire is the sprout, dear son, search for
Sat [Existence] as the root. Dear son, Sat is the root, Sat is the abode, and
Sat is the support of all these beings (4).
After
showing the nature of one in deep sleep is Sat, the Brahman, now
Uddalaka is tracing every other thing, starting with food, to the same source,
namely Brahman, the ‘Sat. The desire to eat arises from hunger and
makes one eat. This food is acted upon
by the juices secreted in the mouth, saliva, and digestive juices secreted in
the stomach. Thus the juices (water)
lead away the food eaten, leaving one hungry once more. Here there is a play
upon the word asanaya, meaning hunger. ‘Naya’ means to lead and like gonaya,
asvanaya and purusanaya which mean leader of cows, leader of
horses and leader of men respectively, he interprets asanaya as the one
who leads away the food eaten, as ‘as’ means ‘to eat’. The digested food
in turn forms the body and sustains it. The food grows from the earth which is
sustained by water element (6-2-4) and water in turn comes from the fire
element (6-2-3). Fire comes from Sat (Existence), the Brahman. It alone existed before creation. It is the Ultimate cause (sanmula)
from which all things and beings emerged and even now they exist in ‘Sat’
alone (Sadayatana) and will merge back finally in ‘Sat’ alone (Satpratishtah).
Mantra 6-8-5
atha yatraitatpurushah pipasati nama teja eva
tatpitam nayate tadyatha gonayo'svannyah purushanaya ityevaṃ tatteja achasṭa
udanyeti tatraitadeva sungamutpatitam somya vijanihi nedamamulam bhavishyatiti || 6.8.5 ||
Then when a person is said to be thirsty, it is to
be understood that the water he drank has been carried away by fire. Just as
people refer to a leader of cows, or a leader of horses, or a leader of people,
similarly, people say that fire is the leader of water. So also, dear son, know
that this sprout (i.e., the body) is the product of something (i.e., of food
and drink), for It cannot be without a root.
Thirst prompts one to drink water. The water, one drinks, is removed from one’s system by the digestive fire within, which separates the gross ingredient as urine for elimination and transforms the subtle and middle ingredient for absorption as Prana and blood. Also when one exerts, heat is generated and one perspires. This makes one thirsty again. So fire is called Udanya, one who leads away the water. Food supports and water is the source of food. Further, water itself supports the body. Fire is the cause of water and Sat, the Brahman is the cause of fire. It alone existed before creation and is the cause of the world and all beings in it. What happens at death is discussed in the next Mantra, which we shall see in the next blog.
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