Chandogya upanishad (ch. 6,7 & 8) – 20

 Chapter 7, Sections14 & 15

Mantras 7-14-1&2

asa vava smaradbhuyasyaseddho vai smaro mantranadhite karmani kurute putramscha pasumschechchata imam cha lokamamum chechchata asamupassveti || 7.14.1 ||

sa ya asaṃ brahmetyupasta asayasya sarve kamah samrdhyantyamogha hasyasisho bhavanti yavadasaya gatam tatrasya yathakamacharo bhavati ya asaṃ brahmetyupaste'sti bhagava asaya bhuya ityasaya vava bhuyo'stiti tanme bhagavanbravitviti || 7.14.2 || iti chaturdasah khandah ||

Aspiration (Aasa) is certainly better than memory.  Aspiration inspires a person’s memory, and one uses one’s memory to learn the Mantras and perform rituals. One then wishes for children and animals, and one also wishes to attain this world and the next. Therefore, worship aspiration. (1) ‘One who worships aspiration as Brahman has all his desires fulfilled. He gets whatever he wants without fail. One who worships aspiration as Brahman has free movement in the sphere within the reach of aspiration.’  Narada asked, ‘Sir, is there anything higher than aspiration?’ ‘Of course there is something higher than aspiration,’ replied Sanatkumara. Narada then said, ‘Sir, please explain that to me’. (2) End of section fourteen.

            Aspiration (Aasa) is greater than memory.  The reason for this is as follows.  Aspiration is desires directed towards the higher goal of Self-realisation.  Memory is a neutral factor. When it serves Self-Ignorance or Avidya it drags one into worldly entanglements. When it serves Aspiration, it leads one in the path of Self-realisation. Sri Sankaracharya also says “Memory is dependent on your value.” So Aspiration is a greater force than memory to a spiritual aspirant like Narada.  In section 13, only two things were discussed namely one’s relationship circle and wealth, both relating to material considerations, as important for one’s life.  Now, under Aspiration, besides these two worldly factors a spiritual factor is also added with the desire for the other world, revealing the importance of Aspiration than mere memory to a spiritual seeker. And so Sanathkumara advises Narada to meditate on Aspiration as Brahman i.e. Aasa Brahma Upasana.  Mantra 7-14-2 is similar to Mantras 7-13-2, 7-12-2 and similar Mantras quoted in them, with Sanathkumara giving the benefit of sakama upasana as gaining punyam to act freely as he chooses, with all his desires fulfilled, in any Loka within the reach of the Alambanam, Aasa, and Narada wanting to know whether there is anything higher than Aasa.  Sanathkumara replies in the affirmative and Narada wants to know it.  Sanathkumara agrees and the section ends.

Mantra 7-15-1

prano va asaya bhuyanyatha va ara nabhau samarpita evamasminprane sarvamsamarpitam pranaḥ pranena yati pranah pranam dadati pranaya dadati prano ha pita prano mata prano bhrata pranah svasa prana acharyah prano brahmanah || 7.15.1 ||

Prana [the vital force] is certainly superior to Aspiration. Just as spokes on a wheel are attached to the hub, similarly everything rests on Prana. Prana works through its own power i.e., Prana is the means as well as the end. Prana gives Prana to Prana, and Prana directs Prana to Prana. Prana is the father, Prana is the mother, Prana is the brother, Prana is the sister, Prana is the teacher, and Prana is the Brahmin.

            In the manifested world of living beings, Prana represents the highest principle. It stands for the Self in this Upanishad. Prana is our very Self. Therefore, it is greater than everything that has preceded it – from Nama to Aasa.  The simile of spokes fixed to the hub in a wheel is used to illustrate the relationship between Prana and all things in Creation. Prana here represents cosmic Prana i.e. Hiranyagarbha, as well and Hiranyagarbha is the life force behind the universe.  The significance of this simile is that whilst everything else moves or changes, Prana is ever fixed and stationary. Nama to Aasa are all on the rim of life; Prana is the very centre of life, supporting them all. One sees so many beings around oneself. Someone is the mother, someone the father, someone the brother, someone the sister, someone the Acharya and someone a respected learned person and they are all Prana only.  One’s family, society, the entire humanity, all living beings, are all Prana in different forms only.

Mantras 7-15-2&3

sa yadi pitaraṃ va mataram va bhrataram va svasaram vacharyam va brahmanam va kimchidbhrsamiva pratyaha dhiktvastvityevainamahuh pitrha vai tvamasi matrha vai tvamasi bhratrha vai tvamasi svasrha vai tvamasyacharyaha vai tvamasi brahmanaha vai tvamasiti || 7.15.2 ||

atha yadyapyenanutkrantaprananchulena samasam vyatishamdahennaivainam bruyuh pitrhasiti na matrhasiti na bhratrhasiti na svasrhasiti nacharyahasiti na brahmanahasiti || 7.15.3 ||

If a person speaks rudely to his father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or to a brahmin, people say to him: ‘Shame on you! You have murdered your father. You have murdered your mother. You have murdered your brother. You have murdered your sister. You have murdered your teacher. You have murdered a brahmin’.(2) But when the Prana has left them (have died), even if a person piles their bodies on a funeral pyre and bums them, piercing them with a spear (so that the body burns quickly), no one will say to him, ‘You have killed your father,’ or ‘You have killed your mother,’ or ‘You have killed your brother,’ or ‘You have killed your sister,’ or ‘You have killed your teacher,’ or ‘You have killed a brahmin’. (3)

            To treat any living person in a rude manner is unworthy of a cultured person, and out of  question for anyone towards the six people mentioned. It is as good as slaying them, other people will say, when they come to know of it, condemning him even for using harsh language.  Yet, for the same people when Prana leaves the body the body of the dead person has to undergo harsh treatment at the hands of the close relatives in the performance of last rites and one will be condemned if he does not do it.  This is the difference in treatment between Prana existing in the body and Prana not existing in the body.

Mantra 7-15-4

prano hyevaitani sarvani bhavati sa va esha evam pasyannevam manvana evam vijanannativadi bhavati tam cedbruyurativadyasityativadyasmiti bruyannapahnuvita || 7.15.4 || iti panchadasah khandah ||

It is Prana that is all this. He who sees thus, thinks thus, and knows thus becomes a superior speaker. If anyone says to him, ‘You are a superior speaker,’ he should say, ‘Yes, I am a superior speaker.’ He need not deny it.  End of section fifteen.

            The vision of oneness of all living beings as Prana in different forms is called “Sarvathma Bhava” and gaining this attitude is the acid test of Self-realisation.  Sanathkumara gives a special name to a person who has achieved this attitude, which is “Ativadi”.  It also means a knower of “Truth” besides the meaning ‘Superior speaker”. Sanathkumra uses the concept of Ativadi to lead Narada to “Truth” in the ensuing sections.  This section ends with Narada raising no questions and next section will start with Sanathkumara himself initiating discussion on “Truth”.

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