Chandogya upanishad (Ch.6,7&8)–28

 Chapter 8, Section 7

Mantra 8-7-1

ya atmapahatapapma vijaro vimrtyurvisoko vijighatso'pipasah satyakamah satyasankalpah so'nvestavyah sa vijijnasitavyah sa sarvamscha lokanapnoti sarvmscha kamanyastamatmanamanuvidya vijanatiti ha prajapatiruvacha || 8.7.1 ||

Prajapati once said: "The Athma is free from sin, free from old age, free from death, free from grief, free from hunger, free from thirst and is one whose desires come true and whose thoughts come true. It is one which should be sought for and It is one which should be understood. He who has known this Athma (from the scriptures and a teacher) and understood It attains all the worlds and all desires."

            From this section we are entering into the topic of Nirguna Brahma Jnanam, called Prajapathi Vidya.  What we had been seeing earlier is Saguna Brahma Upasana that is called Dahara Vidya.  Nirguna Brahman is the lakshyartha of Paramathma while the vachyartha is Saguna Brahman.  This portion opens with the statement, Prajapathi once made.  He declared that the Paramatma who is free from old age, free from sins, free from death, free from sorrow, free from thirst, whose desires come true and whose thoughts come true should be known with the help of the scriptures and guru and should be understood i.e. realised and the one who has realised attains all the worlds and all his desires.  This description of Paramathma is the same as that of Saguna Brahman, we had seen in earlier Mantra (8-1-5). 'Attaining all his desires' means that he will attain Purnathvam, the state of being completely satisfied and happy with no wants and desires. 'Attaining all the worlds' means he attains Sarvatmatvam, feeling one with the all-pervading Brahman.

Mantras 8-7-2&3

taddhobhaye devasura anububudhire te hochurhanta tamatmanamanvecchamo yamatmanamanvishya sarvamscha lokanpnoti sarvamscha kamanitindro haiva devanamabhipravavraja virochano'suranam tau hasamvidanaveva samitpani prajapatisakasamajagmatuh || 8.7.2 ||

tau ha dvatrimsatam varshani brahmacharyamushatustau ha prajapatiruvacha kimicchantavastamiti tau hochaturya athmapahatapapma vijaro vimrtyurvisoko vijighatso'pipasah satyakamah satyasamkalpah so'nveshtavyah sa vijijnasitavyah sa sarvamscha lokanapnoti sarvamscha kamanyastamatmanamanuvidya vijanatiti bhagavato vacho vedayante tamichchantavavastamiti || 8.7.3 ||

Both the gods and the demons heard this and said “Well, let us seek that Athma by knowing which one can attain all the worlds and whatever things one desires.’ With this object in view, Indra among the gods and Virochana among the demons went to Prajapati, carrying fuel in their hands, without communicating with each other. (2) Both of them spent thirty-two years there practicing Brahmacharya. Then Prajapati said to them: ‘For what purpose are you staying here?’. They replied: ‘“Revered Sir, we learnt of your message: ‘The Athma which is free from sin, free from old age, free from death, free from sorrow, and free from hunger and thirst, whose desires come true and whose thoughts come true; has to be sought for and should be understood. The person who has learned about the Athma and understood attains all worlds and all desires.’  Desiring that we have been living here.”

            Indra is the chief of the gods and goddesses, and Virochana is the chief of the demons. Both Indra and Virochana heard from people what Prajapati had said about the Athma, and they wanted to acquire this knowledge and get their desires satisfied and gain control over other worlds not knowing the true meaning of his statement. They decided to go to Prajapati for instructions, and being adversaries, they did not let the other know and kept their movements secret and confidential. But by chance both Indra and Virochana came to Prajapati at the same time.  Though both of them were rulers, yet they put aside their royal robes and regalia and went with great humility carrying fuel in hand as an offering.  As a preparation to make themselves eligible to receive the instructions they practised Brahmacharya for thirty-two years, staying with Prajapati. and serving him with humility, forgetting their royal status. Sri Sankara says that though previously Indra and Virochana were hostile to each other, now they were no longer jealous of each other and became even friendly, as their nature changed by the practise of Brahmacharya, self-control.  After thirty-two years, Prajapati one day asked them: ‘Why are you here? What do you want from me?’ Indra and Virochana replied: ‘We heard from people that you said the Athma is one without sin, without decay and death, without sorrow, without hunger and thirst and whose thoughts and desires come true and the one who knows this Athma and understands the Athma will attain all his desires and all the lokas.’  We want to know that Athma. That is why we have come to you and have been living here the past thirty-two years.’

Mantra 8-7-4

tau ha prajapatiruvacha ya esho'kshini purusho dṛsyata esha atmeti hovachaitadamrtamabhayametadbrahmetyatha yo'yam bhagavo'psu parikhyayate yaschayamadarse katama esha ityesha u evaishu sarveshvanteshu parikhyayata iti hovacha || 8.7.4 || iti saptamah khandah ||

Prajapati said to those two, ‘That which is seen in the eyes is the Athma.’ He also said: ‘This Athma is immortal and fearless. It is Brahman.’ Then they asked: ‘Lord, we see something when we look in water and again when we look in a mirror. Which is it?’ Prajapati replied, ‘The Athma is seen in all these’. End of section seven.

            Prajapathi said to them that what is seen in the eyes is Athma meaning the eye of the eye is Athma.  Eye of the eye is Athma, the Pure Consciousness, as explained in Kenopanishad Mantra 2, that eye being inert by itself, is able to see only through borrowed sentiency from Athma.  But they mistook it as the reflection seen in the eye.  If one stands before another person, he can see his reflection in the eyes of the other person.  They want to confirm the correctness of their conclusion. So they stated that they see their reflections in the water as well as mirror also and which one of them is the Athma.  Prajapathi understood they have misread his statement.  Instead of straightaway contradicting them and saying they are wrong he first affirmed that Athma is perceived in all these.  Prajapathi is also not wrong as Athma is everywhere in everything, only not in the way they have understood.  We will see in the next section how he is trying to correct their thinking, going in their way.  This section ends with Prajapathi’s affirmation.

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