Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 8

 Chapter 6, Sections 8 (Mantras 6&7) & 9

Mantra 6-8-6

tasya kva mulam syadanyatradbhy'dbhiḥ somya sungena tejo mulamanviccha tejasa somya sungena sanmulamanviccha sanmulah somyemah sarvah prajah sadayatanah satpratishtha yatha nu khalu somyemastisro devatah purusham prapya trivrtitrivrdekaika bhavati taduktaṃ purastadeva bhavatyasya somya purushasya prayato vangmanasi sampadyate manah prane pranastejasi tejah parasyam devatayam || 6.8.6 ||

Where else, except in water, can the body have its root? Dear boy, when water is the sprout, look for fire as the root; when fire is the sprout, my son, look for Sat (Existence) as the root. Dear boy, Sat is the root, Sat is the abode, and Sat is the support of all these beings. As to how, dear son, these three deities [fire, water, and earth] enter a body and each becomes threefold, has already been explained. Dear boy, as this person is dying, his speech merges into the mind, his mind into Prana, his Prana into fire, and then fire merges into Brahman, the Supreme Deity.

            This Mantra is very much similar to Mantra no.4 up to the line that talks about subject of death. The dying person’s speech first merges into his mind. He cannot speak anymore but his mind is still active.  Then the mind merges into Prana, his life force.  Then the mind ceases to function and he stops recognising anyone nor does he understand anything. Prana withdraws and merges into the fire element. Now almost all the physiological functions stop but body is still warm. At last, fire also withdraws and merges into Brahman. The body turns cold and he is pronounced dead.  The gross body made up of gross elements is buried or cremated while the subtle body made up of the subtle elements merges with Brahman, in an unmanifest state.  If one has not realised Brahman before death, this merger in Brahman is only temporary as in deep sleep. Jiva manifests again with a new body to reap the fruits of its past actions and harvest a new crop of vasanas which keeps the Jiva going life after life until the realisation of Brahman.  On the contrary if Jiva had realised Brahman before death, the merger is final without a return to the mortal life.

Mantra 6-8-7

sa ya esho'nimaitadatmyamidam sarvam tatsatyam sa athma tattvamasi svetaketo iti bhuya eva ma bhagavanvijnapayatviti tatha somyeti hovaca || 6.8.7 || iti ashtamah khandah ||

‘That (Sat, the Existence) which is the subtlest of all is the Self of all this (in the world).  That is the Truth. That is the Athma. That thou art, O Svetaketu.’ (Svetaketu then said,) ‘Sir, please explain this to me again.’ ‘Yes, dear son, I will explain again,’ replied his father. End of section 8.

            Sat (Existence) is the Ultimate cause from which the world and individuals are created and because of which they are sustained and into which they merge ultimately.  It is the subtlest essence and the Self of all. That Sat, Uddalaka tells Svetaketu, is the Athma which is one’s Real Self I.e. Tat Tvam asi (you are that).  Realisation of this identity of Athma with Brahman expressed through the statement “Tat Tvam asi” is the very essence of Self-knowledge, that gives liberation from the cycle of birth and death.  “Tattvamasi” is a Mahavakya and when one realises this, one’s reaction will be “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)”, which is another Mahavakya.  Svetaketu could not reconcile himself to this fact and so seeks more clarification.  Uddalaka agrees and from next section will indicate this identity through various examples.  This section ends with Uddalaka saying “Yes, I will explain”.

Mantras 6-9-1&2

yatha somya madhu madhukrto nistishthanti nanatyayanam vrkshanam rasansamavaharamekatam rasam gamayanti || 6.9.1 ||

te yatha tatra na vivekam labhante'mushyaham vrkshasya raso'smyamushyaham vrkshasya raso'smityevameva khalu somyemah sarvah prajah sati sampadya na viduh sati sampadyamaha iti || 6.9.2 ||

Dear son, bees produce honey by collecting the juice from various trees and mix them together to make one juice (1).  Dear son, just as those juices now are no longer conscious of their separate identities, thinking, ‘I am the juice from such-and-such tree,’ and ‘I am the juice from such-and-such tree’; similarly, when all these beings attain unity in Sat, the Existence, they are not conscious of it. They do not think, ‘We (were once separate, but) now we are all one with Sat’ (2).

            Uddalaka takes up the example of honey-bee to explain his point.  Honey-bee collects honey from different flowers of different plants and stores in honeycomb. The stored honey is one homogeneous mass of sweetness, without any distinctions based upon the flower of origin.  In the same way when the beings merge in Sat, the Existence, in deep sleep state, they lose their individuality and all differences merge into one homogeneous experience of bliss temporarily.  The distinctions and differences present in the other two states are no more there. There is no diversity in the state of deep sleep.

Mantras 6-9-3&4

ta iha vyaghro va simho va vrko va varaho va kito va patango va damso va masako va yadyadbhavanti tadabhavanti || 6.9.3 ||

sa ya eso'nimaitadatmyamidam sarvam tatsatyam sa athma tattvamasi svetaketo iti bhuya eva ma bhagavanvijnapayatviti tatha somyeti hovaca || 6.9.4 || iti navamah khandah ||

Whatever they were before in this world—be it a tiger or lion or wolf or boar or bug or insect or flea or mosquito—that they become again (3).  ‘That which is the subtlest of all is the Self of all this. It is Sat, the Existence. It is the Athma. That thou art, O Svetaketu.’ (Svetaketu then said,) ‘Sir, please explain this to me again.’ ‘Yes, dear son, I will explain it again,’ replied his father (4).  End of ninth section.

            All beings at death merge with Brahman. As the merger is without attaining the knowledge of identity with Brahman and without surrender of their individuality earlier the merger is temporary only as in deep sleep and they do not enjoy liberation from the cycle of birth and death.  They are reborn according to their vasanas and continue their journey through the cycle of birth and death until they gain the wisdom that they are Sat (Brahman) only always.  Mantra 6-9-4 is a repetition of Mantra 6-8-7, where Uddalaka quotes the Mahavakhya “Tat Tvam Asi” and emphasises the identity of one’s Self, Athma with Brahman, the Supreme referred to here as Sat (Existence) and Svetaketu makes the request for more clarification to which Uddalaka agrees.  This section ends here.

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