Kenopanishad – 2

Chapter 1

This chapter opens with a series of questions in Mantra 1.

Kena ishitam patati preshitam manah, kena pranah prathamah praiti yuktah I 

Kena ishitaam vaacham imaam vadanti, chakshuh srotram kah u devah yunakti. II 

Directed by whom the mind flows towards its objects? Willed by whom, prana performs its functions? At whose command tongue utters the speech? What Deva directs the eyes and ears towards their objects?  (1 – 1)

From this we infer that these questions are posed by a student to the teacher. The student appears to be an intelligent student who knows that the mind, sense organs and prana by themselves are insentient as they are made of pancha bhuthas, which are themselves insentient.  But as the mind and sense organs are seen sentient, he infers that there must be a sentient force which must be directing their activities and in whose absence they will be inert, as in a corpse. So he is not interested in the physical sciences like anatomy, physiology or psychology which tells how they function, but in the spiritual knowledge that reveals the sentient force behind the inert body-mind complex, that makes it throb with sentiency by its blessings, and he calls that sentient force ‘Deva’.  In terms of modern science the question is simply “Is there an independent principle of pure intelligence which directs the psycho-physical organism of man?” 

The teacher answers the disciple’s subtle question in Mantra 2 with a subtler answer as: 

Srotrasya srotram, manaso mano yad,

vaacho ha vaacham, sa u pranasya pranah I

Chakshushaschakshuh; atimuchya dheerah,

pretya asmat lokat amritah bhavanti. II

It is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Tongue of the tongue, the Prana of the prana, the Eye of the eye. The discriminating, wise one not identifying “I” with the mind and senses becomes immortal. (1 – 2)

First this implies that there is such an independent sentient force, which is Chaitanyam or Consciousness. The phrases Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Tongue of the tongue, the Prana of the prana, the Eye of the eye shows it is different from the body-mind complex and is independent of the body-mind complex and that the organs and prana are only objects for the subject i.e. Chaitanyam. Chaitanyam lends sentiency to the body-mind complex through its reflection in the mind just as sunlight through its reflection in the mirror gives the mirror the power to illuminate a dark room.   The perceiving nature of the senses and the mind and the life sustaining nature of the prana are due to the reflected Chaitanyam, which is called Chidabasa.  So the real sentient Self which is the real “I” is Chaitanyam, not the body-mind complex. This Chaitanyam is the subject that cannot be objectified, and even the body-mind complex, which perceives and objectifies everything else, is its object only.  Self is always the subject and never the object.  This Chaitanyam is called Athma and is eternal and not subject to change or modification and only the body which is anathma is subject to six-fold modification i.e. Asti (existence), Jayate (birth), Vardhate (growth), Viparinamate (change), Apaksheeyate (decay), Vinashyate (death).  The wise person discriminating between Athma and anathma and identifying his Self with Athma, loses fear of death and is considered immortal as he realises the deathless, changeless Chaitanyam as his real Self. 

Because Chaitanyam cannot be perceived as an object by the senses or conceived as a concept by the mind, it cannot be explained in words directly as an object or as a concept.  So the Mantra 3 says in first line, “na tatra chakshurgacchati, na vak gacchati no manah (The eye does not go there, nor speech nor mind)” meaning you cannot see it with your eyes, you cannot describe it in words nor can you conceive it in your mind. So  the guru confesses his dilemma in the second line of the same Mantra that he  does not know how to explain it as an object to a student who wants to know it in the same manner he knows other objects of the world.  He gives the reason for his predicament in the first line of Mantra 4 as “anyad eva tad viditat atho aviditat (That is surely distinct from the known; and again, from the unknown)”.  All the objects of the world can be classified by one as known and unknown, known are those the details of which as object or concept are known to one today and unknown are those the details of which as object or concept may be known to one at a future date.  Self, the Chaitanyam, the animating principle behind the senses, mind and prana, is not an object and so is beyond this classification of known and unknown.

Mantras 5,6,7,8 and 9 are a detailed explanation of what was stated in Mantra 2, in respect of speech, mind, eye, ear and prana as we can see from the Mantras themselves.

Yad vaachaa anabhyuditam, yena vaak abhudyate I

Tad eva Brahma tvam viddhi, na idam yat idam upasate.II

What speech cannot reveal, but what reveals speech; know That alone as Brahman, and not this which people worship here. (1 – 5)

Yat manasa na manute, yena aahurmanomatam I

Tad eva Brahma tvam viddhi, na idam yat idam upasate.II

What one cannot comprehend with the mind but because of which they say the mind comprehends; know That alone as Brahman, and not this which people worship here. (1 - 6)

Yat chakshusha na pasyati; yena chakshoogumshi pasyati I

Tad eva Brahma tvam viddhi, na idam yat idam upasate.II

What cannot be seen by the eye, but by which the eyes are able to see; know That alone as Brahman and not this which people worship here. (1 – 7)

 Yat srotrena na srinoti; yena srotram idam srutam I

Tad eva Brahma tvam viddhi, na idam yat idam upasate.II

What cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the ears are able to hear; know That alone as Brahman, and not this which people worship here. (1 – 8)

Yat pranena na praniti; yena pranah praneyate I

Tad eva Brahma tvam viddhi, na idam yat idam upasate.II

What cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object; know That alone as Brahman, and not this which people worship here. (1 – 9)

All these Mantras have the status of Mahavakhyas, as they declare that the Athma, who is the sentient one responsible for the organs, mind and prana to behave as if they are sentient, is none other than the Nirguna Brahman, the cosmic supreme.  As upasana devata is Saguna Brahman, Brahman with Maya which is made of three gunas, Satva, Rajas and Tamas, these Mantras also state that Brahman i.e. Chaitanyam is not the one that is meditated upon.  So from the Mantras 2 to 9, we can deduce that :

1) Chaitanyam is not part of the body.

 2) It is an independent principle that extends beyond the boundaries of the body.

3) It is not subject to the six-fold changes like the body which it enlivens by its presence.

4) It being the Self, can only be realized as a subject through AthmaJnanam  and can never be known or explained as an object.

The first chapter ends with Mantra 9

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Kenopanishad - 1

Shanti mantras

Kenopanishad is a small Upanishad belonging to Sama Veda. It has a total of 35 Mantras, spread over four chapters, called Kandas. It derives its name from the opening verse, which starts with the word Kena. It is also called as Talavakaropanishad, as it forms the ninth chapter of the Talavakara Branch in Sama Veda. Though small it has a powerful direct teaching, Upadesa, aimed at uttama adhikari and madhyama adhikari and a story and Aadesa, teaching through Upamana, aimed at a mandha adhikari to benefit from the teaching.  The Upanishad is in guru-sishya-samvadha form, only the guru and sishya are not named. They are to be inferred from the nature of question and answer format.  There appears to be also more than one sishya, from the mode of teaching. This Upanishad has two peace invocations.  The first one is the same as in Kathopanishad.  In view of its importance, we shall see a brief summary of it.  The Shanthi Mantra is:

Om saha naavavatu I saha nau bhunaktu I saha veeryam karavaavahai I

tejaswi naavadheetamastu maa vidvishaavahai I Om shanti, shanti, shanti II

This is a general prayer, through which the sishya seeks the protection of  Brahman, for both the guru and sishya in their pursuit of BrahmaVidya studies and also Brahman’s blessings for the studies to be thorough and fruitful.  He also prays that there should not be any misunderstanding between them in their joint efforts and they should be able to reap the fruits of this knowledge. The invocation ends with the traditional appeal for peace from the three types of obstacles i.e. obstacles arising from natural forces, external environments and internal problems. In short, through this the student prays for unobstructed assimilation of the knowledge with total shraddha in guru and scriptures.

The second Shanthi Mantra is

Om. aapyaayantu mamangaani, vaak praanah chakshuh srotramatho balam indriyaani cha sarvaani. I sarvam Brahmaupanishadam, ma’ham Brahma niraakuryam maa maa Brahma niraakarod  aniraakaranam astu, aniraakaranam me astu I tad aatmani nirate ya upanishatsu dharmah, te mayi santu, te mayi santu. I Om shanti shanti shanti II

May my limbs, speech, Prana, eye, ear and power of all my senses grow vigorous.  All is Brahman of the Upanishads. May I never deny Brahman; may Brahman never spurn me. May there be no denial of Brahman; may there be no spurning by Brahman; may I take delight in that Athma;  May the virtues recited in the Upanishads repose in me; may they repose in me I  Om Peace, Peace, Peace II

While the earlier Mantra stressed the team-spirit, this Shanthi Mantra is more personal in nature and prays for an integrated personality where the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects are harmoniously developed.  Let us see the meaning of individual phrases in this Shanthi Mantra,

Om - stands for Brahman

aapyaayantu mamangaani, vaak praanah chakshuh srotramatho balam indriyaani cha sarvaani.  - May my limbs, speech, prana, eye, ear, and all my senses grow strong and vigorous.

sarvam Brahmaupanishadam -  Everything existing is the Brahman of Upanishads

ma’ham Brahma niraakuryam maa maa Brahma niraakarod  aniraakaranam astu, aniraakaranam me astu -  May I never deny Brahman, May Brahman never deny me, May I never spurn Brahman, May Brahman never spurn me

tad aatmani nirate ya upanishatsu dharmaah, te mayi santu -  May the virtues given in the Upanishads reside in me who is devoted to the Athma

Through this the sishya seeks a sound sthula, sukshma sareera that will enable him to absorb the teaching and pursue studies without interference of physical and mental problems.   Particular mention is made of speech, prana, eye and ear among other limbs.  Speech implying communication skill is important in Mananam for conveying the doubts to guru seeking clarification.  Prana is important for general health and vitality for concentration in studies without distraction.   Eye should be problem-free to study the Sastras. The importance of ear in Sravanam needs no emphasis. The essence of Vedanta is stated in the invocation with the affirmation that everything is only the Brahman of Upanishads.  For there is only Brahman without a second in the Universe as stated clearly in Mundaka Upanishad (2-2-11)

“That immortal Brahman alone is before, that Brahman is behind, that Brahman is to the right and left. Brahman alone pervades everything above and below; this universe is that Supreme Brahman alone.”

And this advaitic Brahman can be known through Upanishads only as stated in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-9-26) where Brahman is referred to as ‘aupanishadam Purusha’.  Sishya prays that neither his faith in Brahman nor the grace of Brahman should desert him at any time, and repeats it for emphasis.  He also seeks as a devoted student of AthmaJnanam all the qualification required for BrahmaVidya studies namely sadhana chathushtaya sampathi, i.e. the fourfold discipline of discrimination, dispassion, sixfold discipline, and the intense desire for moksha purushartha.   The invocation ends with the traditional prayer for peace from the three types of obstacles, also called tapatrayam, as given below:

1. Adhyathmikam – Obstacles arising from within oneself like one’s personal ill-health, negative mood etc.  i.e. obstacles arising from oneself.
2. Aadhi bauthikam – Obstacles arising from other known sources or external situations like ill-health of a family member, noisy neighbourhood etc. i.e. obstacles arising from one’s environs.
3. Aadhi daivikam – obstacles arising from unseen sources like floods, storm etc. obstacles arising from nature

In short, this is more of a personal prayer where the student prays for sareera yogyatha, jnana yogyatha, and Iswara kripa, through this peace invocation.

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Kathopanishad – 8

Valli 6

Nachiketas’ question to Lord Yama was “Is there life after death?  If so what survives the body after death?’  Lord Yama has so far analyzed and answered the question from various angles that “Athma, the eternal principle, which is one’s real Self, survives death. Indeed death is for the body part of anathma only.  The other part of anathma, the life energy, moves to another body depending upon karma phala and upasana phala.  This too shall dissolve into its elements when the Jiva realizes the true Self, Athma, and its identity with the one undivided unbroken cosmic supreme, Brahman.”  Since death is not for one’s true Self, one should be able to shed the fear of death while living, which is one of the main benefits of BrahmaVidya.  So towards this end, Yama gives some more illustrations and rounds up his instructions on BrahmaVidya, with preparatory disciplines and benefits in this final Valli.

This Valli starts with the comparison of Jagat to an inverted peepul tree which has its root upwards in Brahman, in Mantra 1, which comparison Lord Krishna also employs in Bhagavad Gita (15-1).  That means, like a genealogical tree which flows downward from the family head, here the whole Jagat has its origin in Brahman and Brahman is the Jagat karanam.   Further a tree appears inverted in its reflection in water.  So it can also be inferred that the Jagat, like reflection, is only apparently real, a projection through Maya, and not absolutely Real.  This is the samsara tree to which we get attached.  Though it appears deeply rooted, it can be cut easily with the axe of detachment as Lord Krishna points out in Gita 15-3, and then you reach the root, which is eternal, Real and Pure and is the resting place of all the worlds and beyond which there is nothing else.  This Brahman is the answer to Nachiketas’ rephrased question, “what is it that transcends Time, Gunas and cause and effect”.  All the forces are under its control only.  This is one’s real Self.  This can be realized clearly like one’s reflection in the mirror, only in the human body, where various sadhanas for realization of Self are possible. When one attains and is established in this knowledge of Self, discriminating Athma from anathma, one is lifted to the highest state of Brahman even when alive.  At this state, in whatever environment one is placed or in whatever work one is engaged in, one is always conscious that one’s Self is separate from and superior to changing body and senses. He does not mentally identify himself with his body and senses and so is untouched and unaffected by fear and sorrow. 

Mantras 6, 7 and 8 outline sadhanas for realization of Brahman.  These are only restatement of the ideas spelled out earlier. They are repeated to emphasize their importance.  One step is to remember constantly that the sense organs are only the product of Pancha Bhuthas and these Pancha Bhuthas have all their origin in Brahman and Brahman as Consciousness is the real Self.  So Self as karana is not affected by the sorrows of the senses.  Armed with this jnanam the realized person does not feel affected by sorrows.  Second step remembered is that of pancha kosa viveka, the discrimination that the Self, as sakshi Chaitanyam, is beyond the pancha kosas and all the modifications and changes are limited to kosas only. This frees one from fear of death, decay, disease etc.  To negate the five kosas and to recognize the apparent blankness that one arrives at on negation as the state of one’s true Self, the formless Brahman that cannot be objectified, a sharp, subtle intellect is required.  To see your eye, you need a functioning eye and a good mirror. In the case of Athmajnanam, the mirror is Guru Sastra upadesa and functioning eye is the sharp, subtle intellect. 

In Mantras 10 & 11, Lord Yama talks of Samadhi stage of ashtanga yoga, wherein one focuses the mind, for a length of time, on a form or on an idea, as one of the important sadhanas for becoming Brahmanishta.  When this focusing is done on Saguna Isvara, before sravanam it is called upasana.  This gives one Chiththa Ekagratha, which helps one in getting established in Brahmajnanam.  If upasana is not done before sravanam it has to be done as Nithidyasanam after mananam to get fixed in the acquired knowledge and make it as one’s own. In Nithidyasanam, the Samadhi state is reached by meditating on the Mahavakhyas.  This state is called ‘Yoga’ by Lord Yama.  Yoga is not for acquiring Jnanam, but to get fixed in the acquired jnanam.   This stage is to be reached in respect of acquired doubt-free Brahmajnanam, to become Brahmanishta.   In the yoga stage also sadhanas should continue as in this state one is subject to lapse into previous samsara state, if one is not alert and watchful.  When the state of yoga happens spontaneously without any effort on the part of the meditator and the triputi of meditator, meditation and the idea of Jiva Brahma Ikyam merge into the idea of Ikyam only, then and only then, one becomes fixed in the knowledge and can be called Brahmanishta.

In Mantras 12 & 13, Lord Yama talks of sraddha in the words of sastras and in guru upadesa as an important preparatory discipline to get this jnanam.  This idea Lord Krishna also conveys in Gita (4-39) as “Sraddhavan labhathe Jnanam (He who has Sraddha only gains Jnanam)”. One must have initially the faith as ‘Brahma asthi (Brahman is)’, to get later the jnanam as ‘Brahma asmi (Brahman I am)’.  Further this knowledge is not prathyaksham or paroksham that can be attained through the senses, but only experienced by oneself as aparoksham, directly, for Brahman is not an external object but one’s own real Self.  When one realizes one’s true Self, then one attains fullness in mind.  All desires are rooted in one’s need for fulfillment. When this need is not felt, binding desires seeking fulfillment in objects, people and environs also leave this person.  After that whatever desires that person has, are only non-binding preferences. Binding desires that arise from ignorance of one’s fullness give rise to karma and karma phala that bind a person and so are called knots. When ignorance goes these knots also fall off and one becomes free of the fears of Yoga and Kshema, acquisition and maintenance, in respect of external objects and relations as well as of one’s own anathma of body and mind.  This state of total fearlessness is called immortality in Mantra 15, in which Lord Yama’s instructions on Athma come to an end.

In Mantra 16, Lord Yama gives the phala of NachiketaYajna that was given as second boon.  If this NachiketaYajna is done with Virat upasana as a combination of yajna and upasana, one will go to Brahma Loka after death where he can get krama mukthi, by getting BrahmaVidya there.  In Mantra 17, he repeats his teachings in a capsule form; Brahman as eternal, pure Athma indwells every jiva, and can be recognized as thumb sized Purusha through pancha kosa viveka by a subtle intellect but the process is as delicate and difficult as separating the pith from the thin sharp Munja grass.  Upanishad ends with the Mantra18 which declares that Nachiketas after absorbing the teaching of Lord Yama along with the process of Yoga in its totality, became free from impurities and death with the realization of Brahman and also affirms that anyone else too, who seeks  to know the Self  in the same way as Nachiketas, will also realise Brahman. 

Acknowledgement

While concluding the series of blogs on Kathopanishad I wish to record my deep debt of gratitude to the speeches and writings on this subject, of:

1)    Swami Paramarthananda

2)    Swami Gurubhakthananda

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Kathopanishad – 7

Valli 5

In the fifth valli, Lord Yama continues the discussion on Athma.  In the first Mantra, he compares the body to a city with 11 gates.  The ten golakas that represent two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, navel, genital organ, anus and the subtle aperture in the crown of the head, called Brahma-randhira  are the eleven gates referred to here, through which communications with outside world and imports and exports into this city of anathma take place.  The adhishtana devatas of these organs are the gatekeepers.  Just as the gates of the city are closed at night, these golakas are closed in deep sleep. The king of the city who keeps the activities going, by his mere presence is the Jivathma, who is ‘ajaha’ and ‘avakra chetasaha’ i.e. birthless and of the nature of undifferentiated Consciousness.  While in this Mantra, Athma, as Jivathma manifest in the body, is described for the purpose of one’s meditation, in the next Mantra, Athma, as Paramathma, pervading the whole cosmos in every form, is described, thus bringing out once again Jivathma Paramathma Ikyam. This is what  Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, calling this body as Kshetra and himself as Kshetrajna ((Gita 13-2):  “Kshetrajnam chaapi maam viddhi sarvakshetreshu Bharatha, (Know Myself as the Kshetrajna in in all the Kshetras, O Arjuna)”.

In Mantras 3, 4, 5 and 6 more description of Jivathma’s functions  and what happens after death are given.  It is not the apparently sentient prana that is responsible for body’s activities but Athma which lends sentiency to prana through chidabasa that is responsible for body’s activities.  Athma survives the body after death, in unmanifest form, as the medium for its manifestation, sukshma sareera, has left the body.  It is the sukshma sareera with chidabasa and karana sareera, which together we may call the ‘life energy’ and which is referred to as soul in some religious literature, that leaves the sthula sareera, at the time of death in the case of ajnani, i.e. one who is not qualified for videha mukthi.  Depending upon their fructifying karma, the ‘life energy’ takes a new body, human, animal or plant or that of any other living creature like worm.  “yathaa karma yathaa srutam (It all happens as per one’s karma and upasana)”,  says Lord Yama, implying one is oneself responsible for the nature of birth as the new body one gets, depends on karmaphala and upasanaphala.   In the case of a jnani, the sukshma sareera dissolves merging with the subtle elements and the karana sareera merges with the total karana sareera and so there is no more birth.

After briefly discussing what happens after death, Yama again from Mantra 8 onwards goes back to describe Athma lakshanam and Jivathma Paramathma Ikyam. The three states we saw earlier, the waking state , dream state and the deep sleep state is for the Jeeva only, not for the Jivathma, which is beyond all the three states and is a silent witness to the desires of waking state and dream state and the desirelessness  of deep sleep state. This Jivathma is none other than the Paramathma, which is eternal, pure and the resting place of all the worlds (Mantra 8). 

Paramathma is unbroken whole and one only but appears to be divided through its manifestations in various objects and bodies of the world which are called its upadhis.  Upadhi is one that falsely lends its properties to the other with which it is intimately connected.  Here upadhis are many, varied and diverse, but Brahman that is Athma, is only one.  It appears to have taken over the properties, good and bad of each of the upadhis, with which it is associated, but is really not affected by them and remains untainted by them.  This is brought out through examples, Agni tatva, Vayu tatva and Surya prakasa.(Mantras 9,10 and 11). 

Agnir yathaiko bhuvanam pravishtah roopam roopam prati-roopah babhuva I

Ekastathaa sarva-bhutantaratma roopam roopam pratiroopah bahih cha. II

The one Athma which is in all beings (assumes) various forms in keeping with every form (of being) just as one fire-element, which is in the universe, assumes various forms in keeping with every form (of object). (It is) outside also. (2-2-9)

Vaayuryathaiko bhuvanam pravishtah roopam roopam prati-roopah babhuva I

Ekastathaa sarva-bhutantaratma roopam roopam pratiroopah bahih cha. II

The one Athma which is in all beings (assumes) various forms in keeping with every form (of being) just as one air-element, which is in the universe, assumes various forms in keeping with every form (of object). (It is) outside also. (2-2-10)

Sooryah yathaa sarva lokasya chakshuh na lipyate chaakshushaih baahya-doshaih I

Ekastathaa sarva-bhutantaratma na lipyate loka duhkhena baahyah. II

Being transcendental, the one Athma which is in all beings is not affected by the sorrows of the world just as the sun, the eye of the entire world is not affected by the perceptual (and) external impurities. (2-2-11)

Agni takes the shape of the fuel on which it is invoked and seems to be of different shapes and forms with location and with a certain time-span of existence. The plurality, location and duration are only that of the fuels on which it is manifested and not of Agni tatva itself.  The same applies to Vayu tatva. The names, forms and the properties are of the containers only and not of Vayu itself.  Surya prakasa lights up all the activities of the world good, bad, cruel, holy etc. in the daytime, but the type of activities carried out in its light does not contaminate it.  It remains pure and unaffected whether it lights up a sewage pool or a scent factory.  Similarly Athma which is the inner Self of all beings is immanent, enwrapped in every form, and also at the same time transcendental, unaffected by the properties, perfect or imperfect, of any. 

Those who are able to realize this Brahman, the supreme cosmic controller, as the Athma in all Jivas, the eternal one in all perishable bodies, the sentient one in all insentient  anathmas, they attain everlasting peace and bliss, declares Yama in Mantras 12 and 13. One Brahman appears as many Athmas as it enlivens the living creatures, as one sun lights up the whole world. This idea is echoed in the following verse of Gita (13-33):

Yathaa prakaashayatyekah kritsnam lokamimam ravih I

Kshetram kshetree tathaa kritsnam prakaashayati Bharata II

Arjuna, as the one sun illumines the entire universe, so the one Brahman who abides in all kshetras, illumines all kshetras (as Athma  in each kshetra).

Now Nachiketas gets a doubt which he expresses in Mantra 14:

“Tat etat”, iti manyante anir-deshyam paramam sukham I

Katham nu tat vijaaneeyaam kim u bhaati vibhaati vaa. II

‘This is That’ – thus do the sages perceive that indescribable highest Bliss. How shall I know That? Does It shine of Itself, or does it shine by another light?

Nachiketas asks Lord Yama how he can realize that infinite, indescribable bliss and whether it shines by itself or is illuminated by any other light? Lord Yama replies to that question in Mantra 15, a famous Mantra which appears in Mundakopanishad (2-2-10) and Svetasvatara Upanishad (6-14) as well. 

Na tatra suryah bhaati na chandra taarakam

            na imaa vidyutah bhaanti kutah ayam agnih I

Tam eva bhaantam anubhaati sarvam   

tasya bhaasaa sarvam idam vibhaati. II

 The sun does not shine there, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the lightning, much less this fire.  It shining, everything shines after It; by Its light all these shine! (2-2-15) 

The sun, the moon or stars or any other known source of light, celestial or of this world cannot illuminate It, as they all shine in Its borrowed light only and It needs no external source of light to reveal Itself.  Athma, the Self is the very Existence principle which lends existence to all else including sun, moon, stars, lightning and even the Pancha Bhuthas including Agni tatva.  So there can be no other ‘light’ to illumine the ‘light of all lights’.  This is explicitly stated by Sri Krishna in Gita (15-12).

Yadaadityagatam tejo jagad bhaasayate’khilam;

Yacchandramasi yacchaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam. 

That light which residing in the sun, illumines the whole world, that which is in the moon and in the fire—know that light to be Mine. (Gita 15-12)

‘The light in the sun that illumines the whole world and that which is also in moon and fire, know that light to be Mine only’ declares Lord Krishna in this verse.   With this declaration by Lord Yama that the self-effulgent Brahman is “variously shining” through every manifestation in creation, large or small, sentient or inert, the fifth Valli comes to an end.

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