Chandogya upanishad (ch.6,7&8)–26

Chapter 8, Sections 4 & 5 

Mantras 8-4-1to3

atha ya athma sa seturdhrtiresham lokanamasambhedaya naitam setumahoratre tarato na jara na mrtyurna soko na sukrtam na dushkrtam sarve papmano'to nivartante'pahatapapma hyesha brahmalokah || 8.4.1 ||

tasmadva etam setum tirtvandhah sannanandho bhavati viddhah sannaviddho bhavatyupatapi sannanupatapi bhavati tasmadva etam setum tirtvapi naktamaharevabhinishpadyate sakrdvibhato hyevaisha brahmalokah || 8.4.2 ||

tadya evaitam brahmalokam brahmacharyenanuvindanti teshamevaisha brahmalokastesham sarveshu lokeshu kamacharo bhavati || 8.4.3 || iti chaturthah khandah ||

Now, this Athma (Brahman) is a dam that supports the worlds and protects them from getting mixed up. Day and night cannot cross over this dam, nor can old age, death, bereavement, good actions, and bad actions. All evils turn away from it, for this Brahmaloka (Brahman, that Is Athma) is free from evil. (1)  Therefore, by reaching this dam, one who is blind ceases to be blind; one who is wounded, ceases to be wounded; one who is afflicted, ceases to be afflicted.  Therefore, on reaching this dam, even night becomes day; for this Brahmaloka is always illumined. (2)  This Brahmaloka belongs to those who attain It through Brahmacharya.  For them there is freedom to act freely in all the worlds. End of section four. 

            

            This section continues the glorification of Daharakasa upasana through the sthuthi of Brahman in the first two Mantras.   Athma, the Brahman is given two new names in the first Mantra, Sethu and Brahmaloka.  Sethu here stands for a dam.  Dharma is the water protected and maintained by this Sethu.  In Bhagavad Gita (11-18), Iswara is praised as “sasvatha Dharma goptha (The protector of eternal Dharma)”. He ensures all, beings to planets, play their role for the orderly functioning of the Universe. He is beyond time and shines in His own light all the time without the distinction and division of night and day as He is self-illumined.  There is no death, degeneration or disease for this eternal Iswara and He is free of all sins. Such an Iswara who is Paramathma is meditated upon by Daharakasa Upasaka.   If he realises Him before death he becomes a Jivan Muktha and disowning his identification with the body, is not affected by any disease or injury to the body or the non-functioning of the sense-organ like blindness.  It is like the stain in the garment which one will not look upon as a wound on the body.  As Sri Sankaracharya states if one knows one is Self, the Brahman, one is not affected by anything that happens to the body.  As Brahman is self-illumining, for one who has realised Him, everything shines in the light of Consciousness and there is no night for him. For one who realises thus, the region of Brahman belongs to him. For him there is freedom in all the worlds.  Guru goes on to say that Brahmacharya is an important discipline to be followed by the Upasaka and declares that the Upasana is to be supported by Brahmacharya to go to Brahma loka and gain Krama Mukthi there. More about Brahmacharya will be discussed in next section and this section ends here.

Mantras 8-5-1&2

atha yadyajna ityachakshate brahmacharyameva tadbrahmacharyena hyeva yo jnata tam vindate'tha yadishtamityachakshate brahmacharyameva tadbrahmacharyena hyeveshtvatmanamanuvindate || 8.5.1 ||

atha yatsattrayanamityachakshate brahmacharyameva tadbrahmacharyena hyeva sata atmanastranaṃ vindate'tha yanmaunamityachakshate brahmacaryameva tabbrahmacaryena hyevatmanamanuvidya manute || 8.5.2 ||

Then that which is known as yajna (sacrifice) is Brahmacharya. This is because one who knows the Self attains Brahmaloka through Brahmacharya. Again, that which is known as ishta (worship) is Brahmacharya, for the desired Self is attained through Brahmacharya. (1)  Then, that which is known as ‘Sattrayaṇa’ (a sacrifice lasting a long time) is Brahmacharya, for it is through Brahmacharya that the individual self gets liberated (attains union with the Brahman). Then, that which is called ‘mauna’ (silence) is Brahmacharya, for through Brahmacharya one realizes the Self, and having realized the Self one remains absorbed in the thought of it.

            This section speaks of Brahmacharya mahima. Six sadhanas are listed in the first three Mantras and through these it is highlighted that whatever is performed with self-restraint is Brahmacharya only.  Brahmacharya is glorified by stating that whatever phalams that can be attained through these sadhanas is attained through the practice of Brahmacharya.  Of the six, four are mentioned in the first two Mantras. They are:

1)    Yajna – Vedic ritual

2)    Ishtam – Vaidhika karma (Sroutha karma)

3)    Satrayanam – A type of Yajna, that is big, performed with many yajamanas and purohits.

4)    Mounam – Vow of silence.

The other two sadhanas are given in the next Mantra with other details.

Mantras 8-5-3&4

atha yadanasakayanamityachakshate brahmacharyameva tadesha hyathma na nasyati yam brahmacharyenanuvindate'tha yadaranyayanamityachakshate brahmacaryameva tadarascha ha vai nyascharnavau brahmaloke tṛtiyasyamito divi tadairam madiyam sarastadasvatthah somasavanastadaparajita purbrahmanah prabhuvimitam hiranmayam || 8.5.3 ||

tadya evaitavaram ca nyam charnavau brahmaloke brahmacharyenanuvindanti teshamevaisha brahmalokastesham sarveshu lokeshu kamacharo bhavati || 8.5.4 ||iti panchamah khandah ||

Then, that which is known as ‘anasakayana’ (a course of fasting) is Brahmacharya, for through Brahmacharya one attains the Self which is immortal. Then, that which is called ‘aranyayana’ (life in the forest) is Brahmacharya. This is because in Brahmaloka, which is the third world from the earth, there are two oceans called Ara and Ṇya. There also one finds a lake called Airammadiya (so-called because its waters are intoxicating), an asvattah tree always exuding soma juice, a city called Aparajita belonging to Brahma, and a canopy of gold specially made by the Lord. (3)  When they attain through Brahmacharya the two oceans, Ara and Nya, in Brahmaloka, that Brahmaloka is theirs, and they can then move freely in all the worlds. (4) End of section five. 

            The other two sadhanas are as follows:

1)    Anasakayana – a course of fasting.   Upavasa Vratam

2)    Aranyayanam – Living in forest as a hermit

All the six phalams of these sadhanas one gets through the practice of Brahmacharya.  Further only the one who practices Daharakasa Upasana along with Brahmacharya alone can reach Brahmaloka.  This Brahmaloka is described as the third from the earth, where there are two oceans called Ara and Nya.  In that world there is a vast lake, Airammadiya, which is filled with a sweet drink. When one tastes this drink, one gets intoxicated.  There is also a special asvattha tree from which streams of nectar flow. Also the city, Aparajitha, with the golden abode of Hiranyagarbha is there.  It is from this Brahmaloka, the Upasaka attains Krama Mukthi realising Brahman as the Self. One who reaches this loka is free to move anywhere he desires in all the lokas and get what he wishes for in all the lokas.  With this description of Brahmaloka and the praise of Brahmacharya, this section ends.

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