Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 16

Chapter 7, Sections 6 & 7 

Mantras 7-6-1&2

dhyanam vava chittadbhuyo dhyayativa pṛthivi dhyayativantariksham dhyayativa dyaurdhyayantivapo dhyayantiva parvata dhyayantiva devamanushyastasmadya iha manushyaṇam mahattam prapnuvanti dhyanapadamsa ivaiva te bhavantyatha ye'lpah kalahinah pisuna upavadinaste'tha ye prabhavo dhyanapadaṃsa ivaiva te bhavanti dhyanamupassveti || 7.6.1 ||

sa yo dhyanam brahmetyupaste yavaddhyanasya gatam tatrasya yathakamacharo bhavati yo dhyanaṃ brahmetyupaste'sti bhagavo dhyanadbhuya iti dhyanadvava bhuyo'stiti tanme bhagavanbravitviti || 7.6.2 || iti shashthah khandah ||

Meditation is certainly superior to intelligence. The earth seems to be meditating. The sky seems to be meditating. So also, heaven seems to be meditating. Water seems to be meditating. The mountains seem to be meditating. Gods and human beings also seem to be meditating.  This is why, those people in this world who attain greatness seem to enjoy the fruits of meditation. But there are people of small calibre. They are quarrelsome, abusive, and always finding fault with others. Those who are great, however, are so because of their habit of meditation. Therefore, worship meditation. (1) ‘One who worships meditation as Brahman can do what he pleases in the sphere within the reach of meditation.’ Narada asked, ‘Revered sir, is there anything higher than meditation?’ ‘Of course there is something higher than meditation,’ replied Sanatkumara. Narada then said, ‘Revered sir, please explain that to me’. (2) End of sixth section.

            According to Sri Sankaracharya, Dhyanam is an uninterrupted stream of thought directed towards some object.  Dhyanam produces Chittham as a result.  So Dhyanam is considered superior to Chittham.  Sanatkumara says here that everything seems to be meditating—the earth, the intermediate region, heaven, the mountains. Once Swami Vivekananda said: ‘Look at the Himalayas. Does it not strike you that it is a yogi meditating?’.  Among humans also the people who practice Dhyanam attain greatness.  Further the regular practice of Dhyanam changes the quality of one’s thoughts and lifestyle for the better as the mind basks in tranquillity and peace born of contentment unlike the petty-minded people who are always quarrelling, abusive to each other and even scandalous due to their petty jealousies. After the Dhyana sthuthi Sanathkumara advises Narada to meditate on Dhyanam as Brahman i.e. Dhyana Brahma Upasana.  Mantra 7-6-2 is similar to Mantras 7-5-3, 7-4-3, and similar Mantras quoted in them, with Sanathkumara giving the benefit of sakama upasana as gaining punyam to act freely as he chooses in any Loka within the reach of the Alambanam, Dhyanam, and Narada wanting to know whether there is anything higher than Dhyanam. Sanathkumara replies in the affirmative and Narada wants to know it.  Sanathkumara agrees and the section ends.

Mantras 7-7-1&2

vijnanaṃ vava dhyanadbhuyah vijnanena va rgvedam vijanati yajurvedam samavedamatharvanam chaturthamitihasapuranam panchamam vedanam vedam pitryamrasim daivam nidhim vakovakyamekayanam devavidyam brahmavidyam bhutavidyam kshatravidyaṃ naksatravidyam sarpadevajanavidyaṃ divam cha prthivim cha vayuṃ chakasam chapascha tejascha devamscha manushyaṃscha pasumscha vayamsi cha tṛnavanaspatinchvapadanyakitapatangapipilakam dharmam chadharmam cha satyam chanrtam cha sadhu chasadhu cha hrdayajnam chahrdayajnaṃ channam cha rasam chemam cha lokamamum cha vijnanenaiva vijanati vijnanamupassveti || 7.7.1 ||

sa yo vijnanam brahmetyupaste vijnanavato vai sa lokanjnanavato'bhisidhyati yavadvijnanasya gatam tatrasya yathakamacharo bhavati yo vijnanam brahmetyupaste'sti bhagavo vijnanadbhuya iti vijnanadvava bhuyo'stiti tanme bhagavanbravitviti || 7.7.2 || iti saptamah khandah ||

Vijnanam (understanding) is certainly superior to Dhyanam.  Through Vijnanam one understands the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the fourth—the Atharva Veda; then the fifth—history and the Puraṇas; also, grammar, rules for worship of ancestors, mathematics, the science of omens, the science of treasures, logic, moral science, etymology, the ancillary knowledge of Vedas, the science of the elements, the science of war, astronomy, the science relating to snakes, plus music, dance, and other fine arts; also heaven and earth; air, space, water, and fire; the gods and human beings; cattle and birds; creepers and big trees; animals of prey as well as worms, fleas, and ants; merit and demerit; truth and untruth; good and bad; the pleasant and the unpleasant; food and drink; and this world and the other world. One knows all this through Vijnanam. Worship Vijnanam. (1) ‘One who worships Vijnanam as Brahman attains the Vijnanamaya and Jnanamaya worlds. One who worships Vijnanam as Brahman can do what he pleases in the sphere within the reach of Vijnanam.’  Narada asked, ‘Revered sir, is there anything higher than Vijnanam?’ ‘Of course there is something higher than Vijnanam,’ replied Sanatkumara. Narada then said, ‘Revered sir, please explain that to me’. (2) End of seventh section.

            Vijnanam is understanding and it is higher than Dhyanam, meditation, as this understanding is of a deep spiritual nature that helps Dhyanam and covers both scriptural and secular knowledge.  Understanding the scriptures helps in Dhyanam while Dhyanam without Vijnanam can be even harmful as in the case of one raising kundalini, without understanding how to control it.   It can be seen that there are 4 new items in the list, comparing it to Mantra 2.1.  These are food, drink, this world and the next.  As “heaven and earth” are already included earlier under Elements, here “this world and the next” has to be taken in a spiritual sense as the illusive nature of this world and the heavenly world, not in a physical sense.  Vijnanam alone can give one the deeper insight into the nature of the world, of samsara, of the power of Maya to delude the individual soul, and so on.  It was because Narada lacked this deep understanding all his knowledge remained a name.  Through Vijnanam, one learns to see the divine in everything, in every part of creation. The world viewed with the spiritual dimension is viewed as an expression of God and this knowledge one gains through Vijnanam which is the deep spiritual understanding of the secular knowledge.  And so Sanathkumara advises Narada to meditate on Vijnanam as Brahman i.e. Vijjnana Brahma Upasana.  Mantra 7-7-2 is similar to Mantras 7-6-2, 7-5-3 and similar Mantras quoted in them, with Sanathkumara giving the benefit of sakama upasana as gaining punyam to act freely as he chooses in any Loka within the reach of the Alambanam, Vijnanam, and Narada wanting to know whether there is anything higher than Vijnanam. Sanathkumara replies in the affirmative and Narada wants to know it.  Sanathkumara agrees and the section ends.

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