Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 13

Chapter 7, Section 1 

Mantras 7-1-1 to 3

adhihi bhagava iti hopasasada sanatkumaram naradastam hovacha yadvettha tena mopasida tatasta urdhvam vaksyamiti sa hovacha || 7.1.1 ||

rgvedam bhagavo'dhyemi yajurvedam samavedamatharvanam caturthamitihasapuranam pancamam vedanaṃ vedam pitryam rasim daivam nidhim vakovakyamekayanam devavidyam brahmavidyam bhutavidyam ksatravidyam naksatravidyam sarpadevajanavidyametadbhagavo'dhyemi || 7.1.2 ||

so'ham bhagavo mantravidevasmi natmavicchrutam hyeva me bhagavaddrsebhyastarati sokamatmaviditi so'ham bhagavah sochami tam ma bhagavanchokasya param tarayatviti tam hovacha yadvai kimchaitadadhyagishtha namaivaitat || 7.1.3 ||

Narada went [for spiritual instruction] to Sanathkumara and said, ‘Revered sir, please teach me.’ Sanatkumara said to him: ‘First tell me what you know already. I’ll teach you from that point.’ Narada said, (1) “Revered sir, I know the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda, as the fourth; Ithihasa and the Puranas as the fifth; also, grammar, rules for the worship of ancestors, mathematics, the science of omens, the science of treasures, logic, moral science, etymology, the ancillary knowledge of the Vedas, the science of the elements, the science of war, astronomy, the science relating to snakes, and the fine arts – all this I know, Revered sir.(2)  ‘However, I am only a knower of verbal texts, not a knower of Athma. Revered sir, I have heard from great persons like you that only those who know the Athma are able to overcome sorrow. I am suffering from sorrow. Please take me across the ocean of sorrow.’ Sanathkumara then said to Narada, ‘Everything you have learnt so far is just words’. (3)

            In the previous section, Brahman was studied as Sat, Existence.  In this section Brahman is described as ‘Bhuma’ and Bhuma has two meanings, infinite and Aanandha. So this section is called Bhuma Vidya while the previous section is referred to as Sat Vidya.  Both Sat Vidya and Bhuma Vidya mean only Brahma Vidya, knowledge of Brahman.  This section is also in dialogue form, dialogue between Sanathkumara, the teacher and Narada, the student. Narada approaches Sanathkumara for Athma Vidya i.e. Brahma Vidya and Sanathkumara wants to know what he knows already. Narada enumerates the subjects that include Vedas, Puranas and Vedic sciences, but his scholarship is only in Apara Vidya.  But that does not help him to overcome samsara and so he says they are only words that do not help him to cross the ocean of samsara.  So he says he has come seeking the knowledge of Athma from Sanathkumara.  Sanathkumara starts his teaching by telling him that what all he has learnt are words only and then he proceeds to use it (word) as a first step in Upasana in his teaching.

Mantras 7-1-4&5

nama va rgvedo yajurvedah samaveda atharvanaschaturtha itihasapuranah panchamo vedanam vedah pitryo rasirdaivo nidhirvakovakyamekayanam devavidya brahmavidya bhutavidya ksatravidya naksatravidya sarpadevajanavidya namaivaitannamopassveti || 7.1.4 ||

sa yo nama brahmetyupaste yavannamno gatam tatrasya yathakamacaro bhavati yo nama brahmetyupaste'sti bhagavo namno bhuya iti namno vava bhuyo'stiti tanme bhagavanbravitviti || 7.1.5 || iti prathamah khandah ||

Name indeed is the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda, as the fourth; Ithihasa-Puranas as the fifth; also, grammar, the rules of worship of ancestors, mathematics, the science of omens, the science of treasures, logic, moral science, etymology, ancillary knowledge of Vedas, the science of the elements, the science of war, astronomy, the science relating to snakes, and other fine arts. These are only names. Worship the name. (4) ‘Anyone who worships name as Brahman can do what he pleases within the limits of the sphere within the reach of the name.’ Narada asked, ‘Sir, is there anything higher than name?’ ‘Of course there is something higher than name,’ replied Sanathkumara.  Narada then said, ‘Sir, please explain that to me’. (5).  End of first section. 

            Sanathkumara begins his teaching task by asking the student, Narada, to start his sadhana from his own level and gradually proceed from there step by step. The sadhana he prescribes is upasana or meditation on Brahman with Nama as alambanam, Nama being word only.  Nama Brahma upasana is the preparatory sadhana.  This upasana can be done as sakama upasana or as nishkama upasana.  For sakama upasana the benefit is given by Sanathkumara as the capacity to move to all places where the Nama extends i.e. he will gain the punyam to roam around all lokas at will.  But Narada is not satisfied.  He wants to know whether there is anything more expansive than Nama and if so, what is it?  When Sanathkumara replies in the affirmative, Narada wants to know it and Sanathkumara agrees. This section ends here and the next section begins with the reply of Sanathkumara. 

----------------------------