Parables from the Upanishads

Yama - Nachiketa

(Katha Upanishad)

Vajasravas desired that he would give away all he had. He had a son named Nachiketas.

As the boy saw the gifts being given, his heart was filled with respect and devotion, and he pondered:

"The realm of undelight is his portion who makes a gift offering of kine that have drunk their last drop of water and eaten the last herb, have been sucked to the last drop of milk and have worn out their organs."

So the boy said to his father, "To whom are you going to give me, father?"

The father did not give an answer to the senseless question of his ignorant son. But the boy was insistent. He asked the same question again, and a third time. Finally, the father gave an angry reply, "I shall give thee to Death!"

In the simplicity of his heart, the boy argued to himself thus: "Among many I occupy the first place, with others I come second, so I am not wholly worthless. Hence, what my father said must have a meaning, I must have some work to do with Yama, the Lord of Death."

The boy went on musing on the subject of death, "Look, what has happened to those who were there before, and to those also who came after. Mortal beings ripen like the grains in the field and are shed, they come to birth again like those grains."

This indeed is a mystery, a mystery to which the God Yama alone has a clue. That is why Nachiketas left for the abode of Yama and came and sat on the latter's doorstep.

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There he lay in wait for three whole nights in the hope of getting a chance to meet Yama.

Even as the boys Dhruva and Prahlada had had a vision of God through their simple faith, so did the simple but stout-hearted Nachiketas too reach the abode of Yama and meet him.

The minions of Yama went and told him, "There has been a Brahmin lad waiting at our doorstep for three days in order to see you — a Brahmin and on top of that a guest; this is like playing with fire. You should go and greet him with all due ceremony. A Brahmin, as you know, arriving at somebody's house and left to starve, means the waning of all one's virtue and a grave risk to one's worldly state."

We should take the word "Brahmin" here in the sense given to it by the Gita: a Brahmin is one who is devoted to brahman, the Highest Reality; he is a seeker of the Spirit and serves It. A particular duty laid on the society of that age was to support and give due respect to this topmost class; for the true prestige and worth of a society depend not on its visible power or prosperity but on the richness of its inner growth.

Yama thereupon appeared, as if in a bit of a flurry. Or, perhaps he was putting Nachiketas' sincerity to a little test. He offered Nachiketas a seat with all deference and, as if to atone for his earlier neglect, addressed him thus in a humble tone:

"You have been made to wait here for three days without food, a Brahmin and a guest. Accept my salutations, may all be well with me." This meant, in modern language, "Do be kind enough to pardon me." Yama meant to suggest through this eminently human attitude that he was, in spite of being Death, no uncultivated boor! He continued, "Nachiketas, since you have been waiting here for three nights, you should demand three boons from me." Nachiketas too accepted the apology with courtesy without another word, and asked for the first boon thus:

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"My dear father must be getting anxious on account of my disappearance, thinking that I have been gripped by death and would not return. You please give him peace of mind, remove the feeling of displeasure he has about me, and grant that when I return from your abode a free man, may he recognise me and receive me with joy. This, then, OYama, will be the first boon I desire."

Yama said in reply, "It will be certainly as you say. You will get back from here, your father Auddalaka Aruni will be able to see you as before, he will have his peace of mind on seeing you freed from the jaws of death, his annoyance will go, he will have good sleep at night."

Nachiketas went on, "It is said: there is no fear in heaven, you too are not there, nor is there the dread of old age, people live in great joy when, after crossing beyond both hunger and thirst and passing to the other shore of sorrow, they come to heaven. O Death, you know about that heavenly Fire, speak to me about It, I am listening with faith. The dwellers in heaven have gained immortality. Please tell me about this mystery This is the second boon I desire."

The Lord of Death said in reply, "Nachiketas, listen then to the mystery of this Fire. I have knowledge of this Fire. The Fire takes one to the world of Infinity. The Fire is the basis of this universe. He is abiding in a cave, hidden within our secret being."

Yama explained to Nachiketas further, "The Fire is the beginning of creation." He also revealed the secret knowledge about the method of kindling this Fire, the number of bricks and their types needed in piling the altar. Nachiketas listened to all this with great attention, and repeated to the Lord of Death what he had thus learned.

Death was pleased and said to him again, "Nachiketas, Iam much pleased with you, so I grant you another boon, namely, that the mystery of the Fire which I have revealed to you will be named after you; henceforth people will call it the Fire of Nachiketas. I also give this garland of

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many forms, take it." What this garland stood for was explained a little by Death, in the same language of symbols which he had used in revealing the mystery of the Fire. He said, "One who lights the three Fires is united with the Three, and goes on performing the three Works, passes beyond life and death. He then comes to know that adorable Deity who is born of the Supreme; knowing him he attains to the supreme Peace."

Yama went on dwelling on the same mystery, perhaps making it still more mysterious.

"One who has gained the three Fires of Nachiketas, one who has gained knowledge of the Three, one who has thus seen and known and mastered the Fire of Nachiketas has pushed away from in front all the bonds of death, passed beyond all sorrow, has enjoyed the bliss of heaven. This then is that heavenly Fire of Nachiketas which you chose as the second of your boons. Henceforth, all people will say, this is verily your Fire. Nachiketas, now you are free to choose your third boon."

Nachiketas answered, "Well, there rises a doubt as to the beings who depart from hence: some say they continue to exist, others say they do not. I want to know the truth of this matter, you please give me this knowledge. This is the third boon I ask."

This seemed to create a little difficulty for Yama. He said, "You see, this debate has been going on even among the gods from times sempiternal. This is a very subtle point, this knowledge is not easy to get, nor easy to grasp. You had better ask for some other boon, do not press me further on this point, give up this quest."

But, as we have no doubt seen by now, Nachiketas was not to be put off like that. He exclaimed, "But this is strange! Even the gods find it a matter for debate, you too are saying it is not easily grasped. But I am not going to have another like you to speak to me about this matter. And I do not consider any other boon worth having, as compared to this."

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Death too on his part tried to cajole the boy into forgetting about it, perhaps taking him to be a mere child. He said, "Nachiketas, choose sons and grandsons living to a hundred years, choose an abundance of cattle, horses and elephants, gold and jewels. Take as your portion vast stretches of land, live for as many years as you please. If, in addition, you consider any other boon equally worth having, ask for it; choose as much wealth as you like and life eternal. Or else, if you desire a whole kingdom, I shall fulfil your wish for all these desirable things."

Yama went on adding to the list of desirable things, in the hope that perhaps in the end the boy could be won over. "All the desirable things that are hard to get on this mortal earth, you can demand exactly as you please. Charming damsels with their chariots and song and dance, than whom there is nothing more acceptable to men — all this I shall give you for your enjoyment at will. But do not ask any more about death."

But Nachiketas was no mere boy or unripe youth. His reply was immediate, "All that you have named, O Destroyer, lasts only till the morrow. There is no organ or sense that does not get blunt in course of time. And even if it lasts a whole life-time, that too is but little. Let yours, O Yama, be all those chariots and the damsels, yours the song and the dance. Man is not satisfied by riches, O Death. And here will be no dearth of wealth when I have looked upon you in person. I shall live as long as you like, but my choice is for that boon alone. You might yourself consider this. Once a mortal being dwelling here below in the grip of physical matter has felt the presence of the unaging Immortals, gained the true knowledge, has realised the true nature of beauty and passion and pleasure, what joy can he have in this transient life? Tell me, O Death, more about this endless debate on what is or is not after the great annihilation. The deep secret of the beyond, it is this that I want to understand. Nachiketas demands no other boon of you."

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Yama did not find it possible to put him off any more. He went on expounding his secret knowledge to Nachiketas. He began with that secret Word which Nachiketas had already received and grasped all by himself.

Man has open before him two doors leading to two different paths: one is that of the good, the other of what is pleasant. The two lead in opposite directions. Nachiketas had renounced the pleasant and had chosen the good. On the basis of this choice depend, in the beginning and throughout at each step, the progress and upward evolution of man. He alone who can recognise and choose the good gains the Highest, the supreme Reality. Nachiketas too had made these gains; he had become foremost among spiritual men, brahmiṣṭha.

There is in this story an unsolved problem which in its turn might give rise to a "debate". I am going to take that as my theme in what follows.

Yama taught Nachiketas about the mystery of the Fire as the second boon. The fruit of this knowledge, the gain it brings has been described. It is the winning of the heavenly world where one enjoys immortality; it is a world of delight where death itself is not, nor old age and fear and sorrow, nor hunger and thirst.

And what is this Fire? Fire is the Origin of the worlds, the realms of Infinity; in Its very nature Fire is the Beginning and the Infinite, Immortality and Delight. And where does It dwell? It lies hidden as in a cave. What cave this is will be discussed later. For the present, it will be well to remember that the Fire is a doer of the Triple Work, and It has knowledge of Him or of what is born of the Supreme.

The problem is: does not all this amount to what the Gita describes as "a mixed word"? Nachiketas desired to know, as his third boon, which of the two opinions concerning the state of the embodied being on his departure from here after death, namely, that he continues to exist or ceases to be, is

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the real truth of the matter. But has not the mystery of what lies beyond death been already revealed by what has been said, in connection with the second question or boon, about attaining the heavenly world, enjoyment of immortality, the companionship of the gods and so on? Where then is the point in asking the same question again?

As an initial clue to the problem, we must keep in mind that the heavenly world can be attained even without the death of the body, "by pushing away from in front the bonds of death", as the text says, or as in the usual interpretation, before succumbing to death. Nachiketas himself had achieved this feat. The heavenly world has been conceived as just another neighbourhood or abode, a world of delight where there is no old age, death, or sorrow and suffering. But it does not imply any victory gained in a battle with death, any mastery obtained over death. All that seems to happen here is that death has been pushed aside, or evaded perhaps. There is merely an absence of death here, it has not been brought under control. Death may not be present in this abode, but he is sitting in his lair and is free to go where he wills, even if it be within some limits. There has been no annihilation of death.

In his third boon, Nachiketas wants to know if there is beyond the physical death any surpassing of death. Granted that heaven is attained, but what happens after that, beyond the heavenly world? For, this too is sometimes said that the enjoyment of heaven is only for a time, no matter how long that time be; after the term is over, one has to come back to earth, death has to be encountered over again. In this view, if the soul of man be immortal, the immortality does not go beyond heaven, it is nothing more than the enjoyment of heaven.

In fact, the Upanishads speak of two kinds of immortality. One is temporal immortality, that is, living for ever, the other is beyond time, in the ultimate Reality or the supreme Truth; one is cosmic, the other transcendental.

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There are likewise two kinds of eternity and infinity. One is in relation to time, with time as its basis and inseparable from the progress of time, what in the ordinary view is described as "lasting as long as the sun and the moon". The other is beyond all creation or manifestation, poised above it in the supreme Status.

What Nachiketas desired to know was this. The gods are temporal beings. However big and mighty they may be, they who endure for ever with a life eternal and have no death, cannot know the secret of death. They may live beyond the pale of death and death is foreign to them. But they are ignorant of the Truth that is beyond time, that has to be reached through death and by passing to the other shore of death. That is why Yama says that the gods are full of doubts and puzzled about this matter. But Yama himself is in possession of this knowledge, he is aware of the Truth that lies beyond him, on the other shore. Nachiketas says to Yama, "Since I have been able to find you, I am sure of gaining this knowledge; there is none other so wise who can speak about it." The reason is that Yama has been called Vaivasvata, he is born of Vivasvan, the Sun-god, Surya Savitri.

Surya Savitri stands for the highest Knowledge, He is the Supreme Consciousness from which comes the creation of the universe. Yama is the Life-Force, the Ordainer of the worlds with their rhythms of life. He is here in this manifestation of the play of life the representative of Savitri, and Fire is his vehicle, instrument or symbol. Just as Surya is Vivasvan, the Supreme Effulgent One, Yama is likewise the Cosmic Being, all cosmic power and universal force are his. Surya is supra-cosmic, belongs to the Beyond. Fire is cosmic, belongs to our worlds. Or, to put it more exactly, Surya is the point of transition from the Beyond to these worlds; Fire is such a point from the worlds to the Beyond.

The mystery of the Fire that was revealed to Nachiketas by Yama would give him the mundane realisation, namely,

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the conquest over time past, present and future, the attainment of temporal immortality or heaven. The mastery thus obtained consists of a set of trios: it has three lines of fulfilment, it acts in three ways, in the three worlds, throughout the three divisions of time. The three worlds as we know them are mind, life and body; all endeavour and attainment here on earth are concerned with this trio. The altar of the Fire here is provided by man's inner and outer frame; the bricks of this altar are his body, life and mind with all their activities; the multiform garland spoken of by Yama is this lower nature with its multiple forms. Fire is the symbol of the conscious power and energy lying concealed within the innermost depths of the mortal frame, it is the inner being's power of askesis.

By following the path of the triple Work, Nachiketas could achieve the temporal realisation. What he needed now was the realisation beyond time, this is what he demanded as his third boon: after the knowledge of the worlds the Knowledge of the Supreme, the transcendental realisation after the cosmic.

Fire has been described as the Origin of the worlds, He is the Beginning of the worlds, their Source. He is also the primeval World, for the earth-principle, this earth of ours, this physical universe is the place of Agni, His own abode and field of action. Underlying the gross physical is the Sub-conscient, and within the Subconscient, this Fire or power of askesis and conscious force keeps Himself concealed. It is under that secret Impulse that the creation moves. It is this Fire that gives Nachiketas his ultimate realisation. We may say, in the words of the Isha Upanishad, that first, by virtue of the second boon, he crosses beyond death by the knowledge of the Ignorance; next, by his third boon, he wins Immortality on mastering the supreme Knowledge. This is the fruit promised to him in the end.

Nachiketas gained this knowledge, the entire method of the Yoga as revealed to him in person by the Lord of Death.

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Freed from all impurity and the possibility of death, he attained the supreme state. Anyone else who would follow his path would likewise obtain this realisation of the Self, even as Nachiketas did.

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The Story of Jabala-Satyakama

(I)

I think I told you once of the story in the Upanishada bout a seeker of spiritual knowledge who had been given by his teacher as a first assignment the task of looking after his kine. This was meant to serve both as an initiation and a training; it was to be his work and also his test. But the student had had to pass through another, perhaps somewhat minor, ordeal of a preliminary nature. Tagore has a well-known poem based on this episode. I begin my story with that narrative, giving it almost verbatim as it appears in the Upanishad (Chhandogya, IV.4).

Jabala Satyakama, says the Upanishad, approached his mother, Jabala, and put to her the question, "What, O my mother, is the name of my caste and family, for I desire to become a student of sacred lore?" To this Jabala replied, "I do not know about that, my darling, but I obtained you when I was young and was serving maid to a number of different men. That is why I do not know what is the name of your caste and family. But my name is Jabala and yours is Satyakama. So you may say that you are Satyakama, the son of Jabala."

Satyakama now went to Gautama, the son of Haridruman, and said, "I come to you with the desire to stay as a student of sacred lore." Gautama asked him, "What is the name of your caste and family, my child?" Satyakama answered, "I do not know what my caste or the name of my family is. But when I asked my mother, she said, I obtained

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you when I was young and was serving maid to a number of different men. So I do not know who your father was. But my name is Jabala, and yours is Satyakama. You should therefore say you are Jabala Satyakama.' This is the whole story." Thereupon Gautama answered, "No one but a Brahmin could have spoken thus. Bring in the fuel, my dear; I shall take you as a disciple, for you have not swerved from the truth."

(2)

Thus was Satyakama given admission to the Ashrama of Gautama. Now for his initiation and training and the tests. Gautama sent for him and said, "Satyakama, I shall now invest you with the sacred thread." This investiture is a sacred rite which "sets one on the path" — what the Buddhists call in Pali "sotāpatti" (srotāpatti in Sanskrit), that is, "getting into the stream" or starting on the way. He added, "You bring in the fuel from the neighbouring wood.'' Satyakama did as he was told and the ceremony of initiation was duly performed.

The teacher now sent for him again and said, "Satyakama, I possess some four hundred kine. But they are all puny and weak. You should look after them." This meant that he was to take them out to pasture. Satyakama replied, "Very well, sir, it will be as you desire. I am leaving with the four hundred kine and I do not return till they are a thousand." Gautama sent him off with his blessings.

Satyakama went along with his herd of kine. He looked after them as they roamed over the meadows and fields, through the forests and village settlements. Months passed, and years went by — many years. The kine had by now all gained in bulk and had a well-fed look; their numbers too had reached the thousand mark. One day, all on a sudden, a Bull from out of the herd appeared before Satyakama and addressed him in the voice of a man. "Satyakama!"

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he said. Satyakama took it as nothing unusual and answered in a polite tone, "Yes my Lord." The Bull went on, "Satyakama, now let us turn homeward. We have reached the thousand mark and all of us are fit and strong." Then the Bull added something more. "Meanwhile, Satyakama," he said, "let me tell you something about the knowledge of Reality, brahma-vidyā - the very first lessons. Brahman has to be known in his four aspects; of these I shall tell you about the first just now. Of this first phase or aspect there are again four limbs. North, south, east and west, these four quarters are the four limbs of the first aspect of Brahman out of the four. Through the four quarters Brahman appears · as the manifest One, prakāśavān. And he who realises this manifest aspect of the Brahman becomes himself manifest and wins all the manifest worlds. This is the first of the four aspects of Brahman. Now, Agni is going to tell you about the second."

The next day, Satyakama resumed his march with the kine. As evening came, he gathered his herd together and penned the kine. Then he collected the fuel and lighted the sacrificial fire, and sat facing the east with Agni in front. Now Agni called to him, "Satyakama!" And Satyakama gave reply with his usual humility, "Yes, my Lord?" Agni continued, "Let me now speak to you about the second aspect of Brahman. This too has four limbs; these are earth, mid-air, the heavens and the ocean. This second aspect of Brahman that is constituted by these four is the Infinity of Brahman. He who gains it lives in Infinity even on this earth and wins all the worlds of Infinity."

Again the homeward march began, and again the Bull came and informed Satyakama thus, "Now it will be the Swan who will come and tell you about the Brahman." When it was eventide, Satyakama gathered his herd again, penned them in, and lighted his sacrificial fire. Again he sat in front of the fire facing the east. Then the Swan appeared as promised by the Bull and called in a human voice,

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"Satyakama!" And Satyakama made answer, "Yes, my Lord?" The Swan continued, "I shall speak to you about another aspect of Brahman." "Tell me, my Lord." "This the third aspect of Brahman consists of Fire, the Sun, the Moon and Lightning. Through this quartet of the third aspect Brahman appears as the Effulgent One. He who realises this aspect of Brahman becomes himself effulgent and wins all the worlds of effulgence even while on this earth."

Satyakama started on his march again, and once again the Bull came and informed him that this time a Flamingo would come and tell him about the fourth aspect of Brahman. As evening came, Satyakama gathered his herd together and penned them as usual. He lighted the sacrificial fire and sat in front facing the east, and waited. The Bird flew in and called, "Satyakama!" Satyakama replied, "Yes, my Lord?" The Bird went on, "I shall give you the knowledge of the fourth aspect of the fourfold Brahman." Satyakama replied in all humility, "Tell me, my Lord." The Bird said, "The four limbs of this aspect are the Life-force, the Eyes, the Ears and Mind. These four combined make Brahman the All-Form. He who knows this becomes the All-Form and wins here itself the All-Form."

By now Satyakama arrived at his master's home, accompanied by his herd of a thousand well-fed kine in place of the original four hundred weaklings. As he came to his master, Gautama gave him a look and came out with these words, "Satyakama, I see your face shining with the light of Brahman. Who has given you the knowledge of the Brahman?" Satyakama told him about the four strange encounters. But he added, "My master, you are my sole teacher, and my knowledge will remain incomplete until I receive the knowledge directly from you." Gautama then repeated to him the same things that he had heard about the four aspects of Brahman, thus confirming what Satyakama had already experienced and realised; it was now

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sanctified with Gautama's blessings.

Thus did Satyakama become a knower of Brahman and foremost among Brahmins. In course of time he himself took the place of a Guru.

(3)

I intend to tell you on another occasion the story of his dealings with his own disciples. That story too appears in the Upanishad. Let me in the meantime add some explanations of the knowledge given to Satyakama.

The knowledge and realisation that he had gained from his life of a wandering cowherd are the basic truth of the world, the supreme secret of creation. He realised that Brahman is the ultimate Truth, the one and only Reality. The signs or qualities of this ultimate Truth or Reality are four. Brahman may be described as if in a group of four aphorisms, like the first four aphorisms of the Brahmasutra, the basic compendium of Vedantic thought, which Shankara has commented on in very clear terms. If you know his commentary on these four aphorisms, you get to know practically the entire philosophy of the Vedanta as interpreted by Shankara.

The first of the aphorisms taught to Satyakama implies that Brahman has made himself manifest, for He is self-manifest. Another Upanishad has said the same thing: tameva bhāntam anubhāti sarvam, "His is the Light that illumines all." Of this self-luminous form of Brahman or God the four limbs are the four quarters. He is manifest on all sides, above and below, in every direction, and he is not only thus

manifest; there is also no end or limit to his manifestation. Hence, as a second step in our knowledge, we learn that God or Brahman is the Infinite. This Infinity too has four limbs or lines: ( l) earth, or the physical and material extension, (2) mid-air, or the expanse of the vital worlds, (3) the vast expanses of mind, and ( 4) the oceanic reaches of the higher

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worlds that stand above the mind. The third attribute or quality of God is Luminosity, He is the Bright, the Effulgent One — He is the supreme light. Of His Brightness or Effulgence the symbols are four, the four that serve as the medium or base: these are fire, the sun, the moon and the stars. Fire is enkindled on the solid earth of matter; the sun burns in the mid-regions of life; the moon illumines with its cooling rays the regions of the quiet and happy mind; and the stars give us the brilliance of the world beyond mind. It is needless to add that the Seer is not speaking here in terms of astronomy. He has been expressing his meaning through the help of significant symbols or metaphors. And finally, the Reality or God is made up of Form: that is to say, He has put Himself forth variously through a multitude of forms, rūpaṁ rūpaṁ pratirūpo babhūva. And the functions or instrumentalities through which Form has taken shape are the four main powers of sense-consciousness. These are: (1) the power of sensitivity, the capacity of living contact and intimate or close experience, of which the sense of touch represents to us the external form or activity, for through it we get a sense of reality as living existence; (2) the power of vision or sight, for through the eyes we get a sense of form and definite shape; (3) the power of hearing, for the organ of hearing gives us a sense of rhythm, of sound, the form of articulate speech; and ( 4) the power of mind which, being the centre of thinking, gives us a sense of meaning, builds the forms of thought.

These then are the four aspects of Brahman, the fourfold quartet through which we get a glimpse of the wholeness of Brahman, pūrṇabrahman.

(4)

This story of Satyakama brings out a picture that tells us something about the lines or circumstances of ancient Indian education.

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We know that the Upanishads are classed with the Aranyaka literature; the Brihadaranyaka is a well-known name. The forest life of the recluse was in those days intimately associated with education and learning, and especially with the spiritual disciplines. The injunction for the seeker of truth was, "Repair to the forest," vanaṁ vrajet. The seers, the Rishis, had their hermitages in the forests alone. That of course was an age when the forest reigned upon earth. The greater part of the globe was still a virgin forest. Cities and townships were not so common; there were only a scattered few that glimmered like torches amid vast stretches of night. There is also the point that the free and easy association of day to day with Nature brings about a natural heightening and widening of the consciousness. The English poet Wordsworth, as I told you the other day, had some experience of this to which he gave voice in lines like these :

And beauty born of murmuring sound

Shall pass into her face.

The quiet beauty and rhythm of Nature permeate the limbs if one lives in close proximity to Nature. We in our country had, no doubt, the advantage of forests. But even in other countries like Arabia or Egypt which had no forests but only desert tracts with their wide stretches of bare sand, the same method was followed. There the seekers and the saints and mystics lived in the heart of the desert and drew from that source its rhythm and harmony and inspiration.

But in the modem world, under the circumstances of today, we no longer follow the ancient method either physically or even perhaps psychologically. Man does not now depend on external props or surroundings, nor does his consciousness either. Man's consciousness has grown to be in large measure free and self-reliant. It would rather bring external Nature under its own control than be guided by its

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influence. As in our outer so in our inner spiritual life, we are becoming city-dwellers in place of the old forest recluses. Even when we repair to the forest we try to make it as far as possible akin to the city. But this need not give rise to a quarrel or conflict between the forest and the city; it is possible to reconcile the two — the rural and the urban — even as it is necessary to effect a reconciliation between the inner and the outer life, between the consciousness within and the conditions of life without.

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Satyakama and Upakoshala

(I)

Satyakama was now a Rishi, a brahmarṣi, a sage and seer who had realised the Truth. He was himself a teacher now, had his own Ashrama where the seekers and aspirants came to receive his instruction and guidance. Today I shall tell you something of the aim and method of Satyakama's work as teacher.

Upakoshala Kamalayana, the son of Kamala, resided with Satyakama as a student of sacred lore for twelve years, tending his fires. What this tending of the fires really meant we shall learn as we proceed. There were other resident pupils along with Upakoshala; and after they had finished their twelve-year course, they were permitted to return home, samāvartana, with the final words of instruction and blessings from the master. But Satyakama would not let Upakoshala leave.

On behalf of the pupil a representation was made to the teacher by Satyakama's wife — how and when Satyakama had obtained a wife and what she was called I have not been able to discover. The wife said, "My lord, the pupil has been at pains to perform his austerities, he has been tending the fires with diligence and care. Lest the fires should place the blame on you, he should now be permitted to leave for his home with your blessings." But the teacher kept quiet and left on a journey without saying a word on the point.

In the grief of his heart Upakoshala undertook a fast. It seems that even in those days ordinary people and aspirants

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too were apt to fast unto death to get their wishes fulfilled. The good lady did her best to make the boy understand. "Why don't you eat, my dear child?" she said, "Do take something, at least for my sake." Upakoshala explained that his fast was not from any anger with the master, but with himself and his own shortcomings. Here was then a difference between the olden times and now! He said, "My lady, this body of mine is filled with disease. Therefore I shall not eat."

Thereupon the three household Fires had consultations among themselves. "See how diligently this boy has been attending on us", they said, "Come, let us instruct him ourselves."

We might recall here that Satyakama too had attained the knowledge of Brahman in this manner. The teacher had left him free to wander at will and knowledge had flashed upon him spontaneously. He was now trying the same method with his own disciple. Words gleaned from an external source and received from the mouth of another do not give the full knowledge. Knowledge implanted from without does not enter one who is not inwardly clarified and ready; for knowledge blossoms forth from within. The teacher is there to give an occult help, but there is needed a capacity to receive the teacher's help. That is how Upakoshala could hear in his awakened consciousness the conversation of the Fires.

They were saying, "Life-force verily is the Reality. Ka is the Reality, kha is the Reality." And Upakoshala asked, "There is proof that life-force is the Reality. But what is ka and what kha ?"

The Fires replied, "What is ka is kha, what is kha is ka."

Both are terms that express the ether pervading life. Ka is the ether of the inner consciousness, kha the ether pervading physical space. Space represents the extension of the life-force. Fire is power, the power that achieves by force of austerity; and life-energy is the expression of that power

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as force of action. That explains the Fire's emphasis on life-force.

(2)

The Fires are three in number. The Katha Upanishad also speaks of Nachiketa learning the method of worshipping the three Fires; he thereby conquers death and comes to possess the three worlds, trilokamāptim. Her too it is the same story.

The first of the three Fires is Lord of the House, gārha-patya. He manifested Himself to. Upakoshala and said, "Behold this earth and the fire, food and the yonder sun. The Supreme Person you see in the sun, that Person is myself and no other. He who knows That, the Supreme Reality, in this wise and worships It thus, of him all sinful acts are destroyed, in all the worlds he finds his station, he reaches the full span of life, becomes immortal. His progeny is not cut short; we enjoy him (take our delight in him), in this world and in that, him who knows and worships the Reality thus."

Next appeared the second of the three Fires, the Fire of the Right, dakṣiṇāgni. He said, "Upakoshala, behold the waters, the four quarters, the stars and the moon. He who knows them and worships them finds all his sins destroyed. He becomes possessed of all the worlds, he has the full span of life, becomes immortal. His progeny decays not. We enjoy him, in this world and in that, him who knows It thus and worships."

And last there came the Fire of the Gall, āhavanīya. He said, "Behold my body which is the life-breath, the sky and heaven and the lightning. The Person that is seen within the lightning is none other than myself, verily it is me. He who abides in Brahman firm in this thought finds all his evil

acts dispelled. He becomes a dweller in all the worlds. He gains the full span of his life, becomes immortal."

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Perhaps it is necessary to add a word of explanation here about the four locations given to each of the three Fires. But these have been described through the medium of symbols, and symbols always leave a certain amount of mystery.

The Fire that is Lord of the House, gṛhapati, has for its seat this material earth, that is, it burns. within our physical frame. It has steadiness for its quality, its flame shoots upwards, it aims at the sun - for the light that illumines earth is no other than the sun. Its form is that of the burning flame· and its field of action is gross matter. Similarly, the Fire of the Right, dakṣiṇāgni has for its dwelling the waters, which imply movement. Its form is spread out in every direction; its field is the region of the starry sky; its goal the moon of Delight, soma. Likewise, the Fire of the Call, āhavanīyāgni, has for its seat the life-breath, which gives the power to work. Its form is of the nature of extension; its field the heavenly regions of mind, the light which it seeks is like the self-luminous lightning.

After thus imparting the knowledge of the Reality, the Fires said to Upakoshala, "Upakoshala, we have given you what knowledge of the Self we possess. Your teacher when he comes will explain to you what the aim is of this knowledge, the goal to which it leads."

And now the teacher, Satyakama, was back home. And he had a look at Upakoshala, and he broke out in words identical with those which his own teacher had used in greeting when he brought back the kine from their wanderings. He said, "Your face shines like one who has realised the Truth. Who has given you the instruction?" Upakoshala felt a little embarrassed at this question. He sought to hide the true answer and said, "Who else could have taught me?" Perhaps he thought the teacher would get annoyed on learning that he had been receiving instruction from others. However, he gave a slight hint, saying, "But these Fires that you see here are of a rather unusual nature." The teacher then said to him, "So, it is these Fires who have

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taught you. What have they taught?" Then Upakoshala had to explain everything in full.

Satyakama gave reply, "The Fires have told you about the different worlds, I shall now tell you about the transcendent truths. Earth, mid-air and heaven are truths that comprise the universal aspects of Reality. But one must know the fourth or transcendent aspect of the Truth. Once you know That, you will roam at will all over the worlds, even as a drop of water on the surface of a lotus leaf, padma-patramivāmbhasā."

The Fires are three. The first has its seat in the body; it is the power of the body's upward endeavour. It is as if a coiled-up force, kuṇḍalinī. When this coiled-up force opens itself out and moves upward in a spiral curve, it goes on opening the body consciousness wider and wider in a clockwise or right-handed motion: that is the Fire of the Right, the fire of aspiration, in the inner consciousness of which mid-air is the symbol here. It is a right-handed motion because the movement is full of knowledge, instinct with the power of right discrimination, dakṣa, dakṣiṇa, between the truth and the falsehood, it is of the substance of knowledge. It merges up on high with the Fire of the Call, āhavanīya, once it gets purified and grows into a spotless Flame. This Fire of the Call is the power of austerity that has to be called down from on high by an invocation. The tongue of this Flame lies hidden in the heavenly worlds of pure mind.

The Fires spoke of the form or extension of Brahman, its manifested cosmic expansion, in time and space, inner and outer. Satyakama completes the picture by revealing the supracosmic reality of Brahman, its transcendent essence beyond manifestation. That essence, Satyakama says, in our first approach to it, appears as a twofold reality — it is a thing of light, Bhamani, and it is a thing of delight, Va-mani, it is luminous, it is delightful. We get here an early version of the later well-known formula — Sachchidananda — sat is cit and ānanda.

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However, in this Vedantic formula we miss one element of the supreme reality; Sat or Brahman is not only light and delight, it is also power, force, energy — tapas. Agni dwells not only on the three cosmic planes, the god has his own home in the supreme status. Sat, Being or Reality is Consciousness or Light; Consciousness is Delight; it is also Power, not only potential but dynamic Power, Energy. Sri Aurobindo therefore speaks of Chit-tapas.

The omission, at least in the present context, could it be the shadow of the coming Mayavada? For, Mayavada declares that Power, Shakti is Maya, Illusion.

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The Story of Rishi Yajnavalkya

(I)

Yajnavalkya was one of the great Brahmins and a supreme master of the Knowledge of Reality during the Upanishadic age. But it was not that he was only a man of Knowledge, deep and serious; he was also a fine humorist. That is, he combined his Knowledge with a keen sense of irony and fun. Here are some stories about him.

King Janaka was his contemporary. That would seem to place his story in the Upanishads about the time of the Ramayana although Rama or Sita does not figure anywhere there. King Janaka too was a man of Knowledge, a sage-king, rājarṣi. But he had not taken any disciples. The seekers would come to him for the solution of their problems, and he used to hold the seat of umpire at the sessions of Rishis and men of knowledge.

As he sat in his royal court at one such session, and numerous were the seekers and men of knowledge who had assembled there to see him, Rishi Yajnavalkya suddenly made his appearance. The king greeted the mighty sage with due ceremony and respect, and asked him, "Yajnavalkya, what is the object that brings you here? Is it the acquisition of Knowledge or of kine?" Yajnavalkya said, "Both, my king, — ubhayameva samrāṭ!" with a smile.

There was a previous history to this "both", to which the king had been referring. It happened like this.

King Janaka had been celebrating a sacrifice, and had arranged for the gifts to be on a generous scale. The lure of

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the gifts had brought together a number of Brahmins from the surrounding country too. The measure of the gifts he had announced, that is to say, the first prize, like the gold medal offered by our Academies, consisted of a thousand kine; and not only that, for each of these thousand cows was to have, tied to each horn, a ten pāda weight, equal to about three tolas of our measure, of purest gold, kaṣita kāñcana, not the fourteen-carat variety. A thousand cows meant two thousand horns; so you can figure out how much gold that would be. King Janaka had it announced that the Brahmin men of learning and knowledge who had assembled there were all invited to participate : the prize would go to him who proved to be most proficient in the Vedic lore. The best among these Brahmins was called upon to come up and lead those kine home. But none among the learned Brahmins had the courage to declare himself the best; they all sat in silence. Then Yajnavalkya stood up, and called upon his band of disciples to take the herd of kine to his home. This created a sensation among the Brahmin crowd. What was this Yajnavalkya doing? How very insolent of him! One of them came up - he was a priest of King Janaka's, Asvala by name. He called out to Yajnavalkya, "Yajnavalkya, do you then happen to be the best among us Brahmins ?" Yajnavalkya replied with folded hands, "Salutations to the best of Brahmins! We have taken the cows because I need them. I am a seeker of kine, not that I have the most Knowledge."

But Asvala was insistent. He said, "You have taken the cows, now you have to prove that you are the best. I am putting you some questions, let us see what answers you can give.... All you see here is subject to Death. Then how does the sacrificer, yajamāna, manage to escape from the clutches of Death ?" Yajnavalkya gave answer, "Sacrifice implies the four : the priest of the offering and the priest of the call, Fire and the Word, ṛtvika, hotā, agni, vāk. It is by virtue of these that the sacrificer escapes from Death.

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But Fire alone is the Priest of the Gall, he is the One who makes the Offering, the Word is no other than He. Fire means freedom, not ordinary freedom but the supreme Liberation. Fire is the Conscious-Force, the Power of Austerity." But there was no end to Asvala's questionings; he went on asking and Yajnavalkya gave due reply. This dialogue between Yajnavalkya and Asvala forms a chapter in the Upanishadic Science of Reality.

After Asvala had finished, another got up. This was the Rishi Artabhaga of the family of Jaratkaru. The dialogue that ensued between him and Yajnavalkya forms another chapter of the Upanishadic lore. Then arose Rishi Bhujyu of the Lahya family. He began with a rather amusing story. "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when in my student days I was travelling round the country, I happened to be in the Madra region once. I was the guest of a householder whose name was Patanjala. Patanjala had a daughter who was possessed by an evil spirit. We were familiar with this particular one — it was a Gandharva. I asked him, 'Who are you?' The Gandharva replied, 'I am Sudhanvan born of the family of Angiras.' From this Gandharva, we had learnt a few things about the other worlds. That is why I am going to ask you, Yajnavalkya, a few questions about those other worlds. If your answers tally with those of the Gandharva, then I shall admit that you really know." Yajnavalkya repeated exactly what the Gandharva had said. After Bhujyu it was the turn of Ushasti Chakrayana, who was followed by Kahola Kaushitakeya.

And now there arose Gargi, the daughter of Vachaknu. Gargi began with the question, "Yajnavalkya, all this here is permeated by the waters. What then permeates the waters?"

"The waters are permeated by air," said Yajnavalkya. "And what contains the air?" "The heavens."

"And where are the heavens contained?"

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"In the world of the Gandharvas."

"And the world of the Gandharvas?"

"In the regions of the Sun."

"And the solar regions?"

"In the worlds of the Moon."

"And the lunar worlds?"

"In the regions of the stars."

Gargi went on thus with her seemingly endless questions, but Yajnavalkya had to cry halt when he came to the world of Brahman. Yet Gargi asked him again, "And what contains this world of Brahman?" Thereupon Yajnavalkya exclaimed, "Your questions are now going beyond the limit, Gargi. You have been asking too much, and if you ask more, your head will fall off."

But she was going to make one last attempt. She told the learned assembly that she was going to put her last questions to Yajnavalkya, and this would be his final test. She then called out to Yajnavalkya, "Yajnavalkya, I am going to put two more questions to you. They are like a couple of arrows. When the king of Videha goes to war, he pulls the bowstrings and shoots his arrows. In like manner, I am aiming these arrow-like questions at you. Let us see how you will ward them off with the appropriate answers." Yajnavalkya said, "Very well, try." Then Gargi said, "Can you tell me what is above the sky and what is below the earth, and what is in between the earth and sky?" To this Yajnavalkya replied, "That is called sūtrātman, He binds all from within as by a thread and puts everything on as it were ; He is Brahman." This satisfied Gargi and she repeated her question to Yajnavalkya, - the very same question again; and Yajnavalkya gave the self-same reply.

Now Gargi turned to the learned men and addressed them thus, "You had better bow down to Yajnavalkya and take your leave. No one among you has the power to get the better of him in the matter of learning or wisdom."

What Yajnavalkya had really sought to convey in his

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final reply to Gargi was this. Brahman is the supreme Seer, though He be invisible. He is beyond all hearing and yet is Himself the Hearer. He is beyond the ken of mind, but is Himself the supreme Thinker. He is Unknowable, but is the supreme Knower. There is none other than He who sees, hears, thinks and knows.

(2)

In that very assembly, during all this discussion and deliberation there took place an incident that was rather sad, and of a lugubrious nature. It looks so unseemly to us, but perhaps to the seekers of the Truth in that distant age the whole thing might have appeared quite natural.

I think I have already mentioned the name of Sakalya. He was very fond of argument and his series of questions one after another made Yajnavalkya almost lose his patience. Finally, Yajnavalkya had to warn him, "You are straying from the path of logic and are arguing beside the point. Since you have been asking so many questions, let me put to you now one single question. If you can give answer, so much the better. But if you can't, then your head will fall off." You may recall this manner of warning in connection with the Gargi episode. Perhaps this was the natural consequence of arguing beside the point; perhaps it is so even today, though not in such a gross form but in a subtler way.

Yajnavalkya continued, "You have been raising so many points of inquiry in connection with the Science of Reality. Now, can you tell me this: what is this Reality in its essence?" Sakalya merely said that he did not know and held his peace. And immediately his head fell off. His retinue of disciples got up in a flurry and carried off the truncated corpse of their teacher, — ostensibly for the funeral rites, but actually in the hope of bringing it back to life by joining the head on. But here too they had ill luck.

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As they carried the dead body along a deserted road beyond the limits of their hermitage, a gang of robbers made their appearance. The robbers thought they must be carrying some precious treasure. So they attacked and carried off the corpse as booty. Thus did Sakalya meet his end. The moral of the story, as the Upanishad itself has pointed out, is that not by argument can this Knowledge be had, naiṣā tarkeṇa matirāpaneyā.

(3)

Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi

The next story belongs to an earlier stage in the life of Yajnavalkya. He had not yet become a prince among sages, the foremost of Brahmins, although there is evidence that he was even then a seeker of the Truth and had some knowledge of the Reality.

By this "earlier" stage I mean his life as householder. The story relates to the last phase of this life. He was now wanting to give up the householder's state and live the life of a forest recluse. He had been a family man, had two wives in fact, and some property as well. The wives were Katyayani and Maitreyi. Of the two, it was Katyayani who cared most for her position as wife, strīprajñā; Maitreyi's interests were in spiritual things, brahmavādinī.¹

So, one day he called Maitreyi in and said to her, "Maitreyi, I am forsaking all and leaving home. If you so desire, I can make separate provisions for Katyayani and yourself." To these words of Yajnavalkya, Maitreyi gave answer, "If all my possessions were to fill the whole earth, would they

¹ One may recall here the story of the two women devotees who followed the Christ, the two sisters Martha and Mary. Christ had noted in Martha this womanly concern of which the Upanishad makes mention, and said to her one day, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful, and Mary has shown that good part which shall not be taken away from her." (St. Luke, X. 41-42).

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bring me immortality, my lord?" Yajnavalkya had to reply, "No, that could never be, that would be impossible. But you could thereby have a life of enjoyments, like all other people who have wealth. But of immortality there would be no hope." Thereupon Maitreyi exclaimed, "What then am I to do with that which does not make me immortal?" On hearing this reply of Maitreyi's, Yajnavalkya said, "You have been always dear to me, Maitreyi; today you become still more dear. Let me tell you more, in fuller detail. Listen to my words with care."

And Yajnavalkya began, "Not for the sake of the husband does the husband become dear, O Maitreyi; the husband becomes dear for the sake of the Self. It is not because of the wife that she is held dear; it is for the sake of the Self. The son is held dear, not for the sake of the son, but for the sake of the Self. Wealth is dear, cattle are dear, not because of the cattle or wealth, but because of the Self. Spiritual power, military power, are held dear not for their own sakes, but for the sake of the Self. The other worlds are held dear not for their sakes but for the sake of the Self. The gods too are held dear not because they are gods, but because of the Self. The Vedas are dear, all created things are dear, not because of themselves, but because of the Self. Whatever else there be that is held to be dear is so because of the Self. It is this Self that has to be seen, heard about, thought of, meditated upon. The Self being seen, heard of, thought about, meditated upon, all else will be known, O Maitreyi.

"Let me illustrate. You see this lump of salt. It is of one piece both within and without, has one pervading taste, the taste of salt. In exactly the same way, the Self is of one pervading quality or taste; it is a solid mass of Knowledge. If this Self were to depart from created things, then they would vanish into nothingness. It will then leave no form or name. That is the state of release or liberation."

On hearing these words of Yajnavalkya, Maitreyi had to say, "What you say, my lord, about this Knowledge-Self

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leaving no form or name behind makes me perplexed." To this Yajnavalkya made answer, "There is nothing here to be perplexed about, Maitreyi. The Self is an entity that knows no change or destruction, it is left untouched by any kind of change, nor does it ever disappear."

Yajnavalkya had given his answer, but Maitreyi's problem remained unsolved. The world is bound to be reduced to nothingness on attaining Self-knowledge, form must disappear on gaining the true status — these statements of Yajnavalkya, however impartial he might try to be, 'ubhayameva' mantravādī, seem to be wholly in favour of the illusionist view; Maitreyi has hinted at another possible solution.

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Narada - Sanatkumara

(Chhandogya Upanishad)

Rishi Sanatkumara was once approached by Narada (evidently not yet become a Rishi), who said, "Lord, I desire to be taught by you. Please teach me." The Rishi replied, "Very well, but first tell me how much you know; then I shall tell you if you need more." Narada thereupon made out an inventory of his learning; it was a formidable list. "My Lord, this is what I have learnt: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, the Fifth Veda comprising History and Mythology; next, Grammar, Mathematics, Logic and Politics, the Science of Computing Time, Theology, Fine Arts and the Ritual Lore; Demonology, Astrology, and the Art of Predicting Fate; the Knowledge of Ancestors and of Serpents. I know all this, my Lord, and very well. This has made me master of the Word, but has not given me knowledge of the Self. I have heard that only by the knowledge of the Self can one pass beyond sorrow and pain. I am immersed in sorrow and pain, please reach me to the other shore."

Sanatkumara said, "All that you have studied and learnt is nothing but 'Name', no more than words. You have reached as far as 'Name' can take you, giving you as fruit the power to roam at will, that is, you can go unimpeded where you will. But that is about all." Then Narada asked, "Is there anything superior to Name?" "Of course, there is," replied Sanatkumara. "Then tell me about it." "Superior to Name is Speech, that is, Name with form and meaning." Thus he went on replying to the series of Narada's

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questions. Speech, Mind, Will, Thought, Meditation, Knowledge — these are the ascending grades, each higher than the one preceding. And each carries with it the power to move at will. The goal of this ascending series is, to use our own terminology, a widening of the consciousness. As we rise from grade to higher grade, our consciousness gains in width and depth and intensity.

But after Meditation comes Power. It seems that marks the end of one series and the beginning of another. The first seven of the earlier series represent the line of our externalised consciousness already manifest. But these powers or functions cannot get their full play by remaining confined to the field of our inner being. In order to make them active and fruitful and effective in practice, Power is needed, the power of work. Hence, under this category of Power, are grouped the fourfold series that constitute in essence the material world in its forms of solids, liquids, energy and air — the fifth or ethereal element is omitted for it is not relevant here. The solids form the body's material substance, the liquids give it life and mobility, energy is stamina and prowess, air gives it the sense of width and expansion. What sustains them all as their basic support has been termed Power, which ordinarily conveys the sense of capacity and strength.

But beyond this second series there is a fresh turn which takes us round to the third. Here we get to the realm of the subliminal, with its silent movements behind our ordinary consciousness. This series consists of Memory, Hope, Life-force and Truth. In our language, Memory is constant remembrance, Hope is aspiration, Life-force is energy at work, and Truth means the rejection of falsehood and the unreal and the acceptance of what is real and true. Beyond this there is yet another series, the ascent to which lies in taking a further turn from behind. The first step on this path is Knowledge, that is, knowledge of the Vast and the Particular. The second step is Contemplation, implying a

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concentrated one-pointedness. The third is Faith, an unwavering trust. Faith implies steadfastness and, to make the latter effective, there is need of action, its application in life, making it concrete. Finally, action leads to joy, it is indeed the mainspring of action. We know that joy alone is the essence of creation, joy is its source, joy the ultimate end. But the Rishi says, this joy is no ordinary pleasure; its other name is the Vastness — the Vast verily is the Delight, there is no joy in the smallness, says the Text.

Starting from "Name", outermost expression and most concrete figure of gross physical substance, we have risen by stages to another Name of substance, to the Supreme Name, into the Highest Consciousness, from the uttermost division of the individualised ego to the endless infinity of Being. This progress or ascent of the consciousness or being has not been in a simple straight line, it has taken a zigzag serpentine path. First to develop were, as I have said, the parts of the externalised or manifest being; this is the stage of the waking mentality. On this level, the highest attainment is Knowledge. From Name or gross physical Word as our starting-point, we arrive in the end at its culmination as the knowledge of particulars, what we call the power of discrimination. But the growth and cultivation of the mind alone is not enough. For its sufficient development and capacity there is needed a physical capacity that has the body as its base. That is why, in the second stage of our progress, there is a turning back from the mind down to a lower level, for the cultivation of this physical base, in order to attain mastery there. Once the base got firmly established, the consciousness had to take another turn and enter upon a new stage of its progress. This was in the realm of the inner being. In this stage, there was gained the acquaintance and control of the functions and powers that work from behind the physical mind. From here there is the ascent to the fourth step while still keeping behind the veil, on to the gates of the spiritual consciousness, crossing beyond the

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limits of our ordinary state. Already, as we reached the level of the life-force, the Rishi had something new to say: one who gained entry into the inner or universal life became "extraordinary", in that he had passsed the limits of his ordinary consciousness, crossed over to the other side. And one who got firmly established in the integral Truth of the final stage attained the state of superconscience.

According to our present-day Science there is no such thing as motion in a straight line, all movement has to take a zigzag serpentine path. The reason is that the created universe is actually spherical in shape, all lines on it must be curves. And because of the gravitational pull, all motions in it must be wave-motions. All progress or forward movement in the consciousness of man or in the lines of creation must likewise be a spiral movement. In the course of an ascent or forward movement, one can notice one thing, namely, that one has to pass again through the same place or condition which one has already crossed once. In actual fact one does not return to precisely the same place or condition, but certainly to an analogous place or situation: it is as if a replica of the earlier state appearing once again in the next higher stage or forward position.

We know that the same process applies to our spiritual endeavour or even in ordinary training, when a particular quality or state has to be made more firmly and fully established. If, for example, peace is established in the first state of mind, in its physical functioning, the same state of peace has to be established over and over again in the depths of the inner being and on its ascending peaks. A somewhat similar method or process of working is noticeable in the path shown here by Rishi Sanatkumara to Narada. At the beginning of the series is the physical mind, at the end is the spiritual mind. The physical mind is the slave of sense, the spiritual mind is to become centred in God. The first series ends with Knowledge, Knowledge again begins the last series. It seems that the first is the knowledge of particulars,

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the last is that of the Vastness.

Narada started on the march of consciousness with "Name". He has passed from stage to stage, from level to higher level, till at last he has crossed beyond the material "Name" to the Supreme Name, Brahman. Thus surpassing the state of mortal man, he has at last attained the status of Rishi.

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Indra - Virochana and Prajapati

(Chhandogya Upanishad)

Prajapati, the Lord and Creator, once declared himself thus:

"The Self is the sinless, ageless and deathless One; it has no sorrow nor hunger and thirst. The goal of all its desire is the Truth, Truth is the one thing worthy of its resolve. It is this Self that has to be sought after, it alone one should seek to know. And one who seeks after the Self and knows it, gains possession of all the worlds, wins all that is desirable."

The message of the Lord reached both the gods and the demons. They discussed it among themselves. "If the Self is such a thing as can win all the worlds and every object of desire, then, come, let us go and seek it." The gods sent Indra as their representative, the Asuras chose Virochana. The two of them came to Prajapati separately and unknown to each other, carrying fuel in their hands in token of their offering. Both lived as disciples taking the vow of chastity, for a period of thirty-two years. This was their first period of trial.

At the end of this period, Prajapati said to them both, "You have stayed here for thirty-two years, but what has been your aim?" Both gave the same reply: "We have heard this message of the Lord, that the Self is sinless, ageless and immortal; it has no sorrow nor hunger and thirst; its aim is the Truth, Truth is the one thing worthy of its resolve; that it is this Self that has to be sought after and known, one who seeks and knows this Self gains all the

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worlds, wins everything desirable. To know this Self has been the sole object of our stay here."

Thereupon the Creator made reply, "Behold, the Self dwells in the eye, one can see it there. That verily is the Self that is immortal and fearless, and that is the ultimate Reality." Both of them asked the same question: "Who is that person whom the eye sees reflected in water, within a mirror?" To this the Creator replied, "In all this the Self has been manifested."

The language here used by Prajapati nearly borders on a riddle; it is the language of symbol or metaphor. What He means to say is that the Self (God or Supreme Reality) dwells in the eye because That can be seen by the eye, though not by this physical eye but by another kind of vision. But both Indra and Virochana gathered from this that because the Self dwells in the eye, in one's own eye, and one cannot see one's own eye, the reference here must be to the reflected image. They thought they were being very clever and had got the sense of Prajapati's words very well. But Prajapati added to the riddle and said, "Verily, this Self dwells in all."

"You look at yourself," He continued, "in a vessel full of water. Then if there is anything you do not understand about the Self, come and ask me." They saw their own image in the water and approched Him once again. Prajapati asked, "What is it you saw?" Both came out simultaneously with an eager reply, "Lord, we saw the whole of the Self, from the top of the hair to the tip of the toes. We saw the true form of the Self." Then Prajapati said, "Very well. Now you look into the water again after getting yourselves beautifully adorned and dressed." They acted accordingly: they tidied themselves up, adorned their bodies with fine ornaments and dresses and looked at their forms in the water. Prajapati asked them, "What did you see now?" Both gave answer in the same enthusiastic way, "We saw the Self, but this time we found him beautifully adorned and

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dressed." Prajapati seemed satisfied. He said, "Very well, it is just as you say. You have seen no other than the Self, the Self that is Immortality, Fearlessness, the Supreme Reality."

When the two had taken leave and departed, Prajapati said to Himself, "O the unfortunate ones! They left without a knowledge of the Self. If either of them should imagine that the body is the supreme reality, that this is the sacred lore, the knowledge of the Truth, then he is doomed to perdition."

Virochana did in fact return to his people, happy and satisfied. He imparted to the Asuras this teaching as the supreme secret, "This body that you see, this alone is the Self. You should glorify this body as the true form of the Self, you should serve this body alone. By glorifying the body which is the Self, by serving it well, both the worlds are won, this world and the world beyond."

That is the reason why those of little faith, who make no gifts, do no sacrifice, are described as Asuras. This is the Asuras' gospel, that the body has to be pampered by luxurious living, adorned with fine ornaments and clothes, thus can the worlds be conquered; this is what the Asuras imagine.

Indra on the other hand as he was going back home began to ponder. "By making the body beautiful, its reflected image too grows beautiful; by adorning it the other also gets adorned; by cleaning the one the other too looks clean. But if it becomes blind, its reflection too will look blind; if this becomes lame, the other also will limp; if it loses a limb, that also will lose the same limb. Whatever happens to the body, the same is reflected in its image. If that be so, then I do not see where is the gain."

So he came back again, with fuel in his hands. On seeing him back, Prajapati inquired, "You departed along with Virochana, seemingly happy and contented. What now brings you back?" Indra replied, "Lord, I have perceived

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indeed that on adorning this body, its image reflects the adornment; on dressing it up, the other looks dressed. Not only that, but when the one becomes blind the other too looks blind, when it becomes lame, the other also limps, when it loses a limb the same happens to the other. I do not see any advantage in all this."

Prajapati said, "It is as you say. But I shall explain to you more fully again. You live with me for another thirty-two years." Indra stayed with Prajapati for the next thirty-two years and then approached Him once again. Prajapati gave a fuller explanation this time. "I have already told you," He said, "about the waking self. But the person that moves about in the dream-state is the one to be glorified. He is the Self, He is the Immortal, the Fearless, the Supreme Reality."

Indra was satisfied and he started going back again, his doubts set at rest. But a fresh doubt arose as he was wending his way. "Granted," he thought, "any harm done in the waking state to the physical body does no hurt indeed to the dream-self, it does not reflect any flaws of the other. But one does feel during sleep, in the dream-state as if someone is coming to attack, one does feel that one is being pursued. If the dream-self too feels sorrow and affliction, then where is the gain, what makes it worth while?"

Indra went back to Prajapati, related to Him his experience. And once again Prajapati said, "What you say is right. I shall speak about it in more detail, if you can wait for another thirty-two years." At the end of the thirty-two years, Prajapati spoke again about still more fundamental things. Beyond dream is the state of dreamless sleep, in which the entire consciousness becomes calm and still, where there is no sense of movement. The Person in this state of dreamless sleep is the Self, the Immortal, the Fearless, the Supreme Reality.

Indra now left for home, satisfied as before. But again a doubt arose in his mind. He began to think, "In this state of sleep there is no consciousness or thought, there is no sense

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of I-ness. Even if the I remains, the world does not exist, nothing exists, all becomes non-existent. I do not see the utility of this kind of experience."

Again he came back to Prajapati, and as on the previous occasions, Prajapati said once again, "What you feel is true. But if you stay with me for another five years, I shall give you my final instructions and you will have the realisation." Indra spent another five years with Prajapati, making in all a stay of thrice thirty-two plus five, that is a hundred and one years.

Thereafter, Indra was initiated by Prajapati into the last secret, he was told about the All-Conscious Self or Reality that stands as on a peak above the states of waking, dream or deep sleep. This fourth or supreme status of the Self is the Reality that abides beyond all Ignorance, on the other shore of Darkness; for our waking, dream and deep sleep are no other than states of Ignorance and Darkness. It is this state of superconscient Being that is the true Immortality and Fearlessness.

The Asura had remained contented with the first steps of the true Knowledge. Their strength is the strength of the body, to them the strength of arms is the one source of strength. Quick is their gain and early their victory. The effort of the gods is long. Their desire is for the true Truth, the integral Truth, not any half-truths or anything that masquerades as the Truth. Their victory is in the end, they have to wait for it long What they have to acquire is not the mere strength of body, but the power of the Self in its integrity. And why this insistence on a hundred and one years? A hundred denotes perfection; one added to it makes the perfection perfect. The mystery of the other figures remains still a mystery.

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Ushasti Chakrayana

(Chhandogya Upanishad)

This is the story of Ushasti Chakrayana, Ushasti the son of Chakra. But could it be that the name means one who drives a wheel, like Shakatayana,the driver of śakaṭa, the bullock cart? Or is it something similar to Kamalayana, one who tends or enjoys a kamala, the lotus, lotus-eater? The Chakra or wheel here might be the potter's wheel, or it might as well be the spinner's wheel or Charkha. Does the name then mean something like one who owns or plies a Charkha, just as we term Kamliwalla an ascetic with a Kambal or blanket ? However that may be, here is the story.

The Kuru country where Ushasti had his abode was hit by a natural calamity. Homeless, he wandered about with his young wife in search of food. On reaching the village of Ibhya, he found someone belonging to the village busy eating mouthfuls of beans. Goaded by acute hunger he begged a few grains of this man. The man said, "Some leavings still sticking to my pot are all that I have." Ushasti said in reply, "I will be happy to have even that little", and he took what the villager offered him. After he had finished eating, Ushasti was asked, "Would you have some water?" To this he replied, "But that would mean drinking your leavings." The villager said, "But you have already eaten the beans, they too were my leavings." Ushasti answered, "Those I took for the sake of my life, or else I would have starved to death. The water is another matter, one can do without it yet."

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Ushasti had not eaten up all the beans. He had kept some and with these he returned to his wife and handed them to her. The wife was more clever or perhaps more lucky. She too had in the meantime been out begging and obtained a few things. To these she added what the husband gave and kept them all away.

Next morning, on getting up from bed, Ushasti said to his wife, "I am feeling awfully hungry. If there was something to eat, I would get some strength, and then I could present myself before the king. He is celebrating a sacrifice and might perhaps get me a place among the chanters of the hymns." The wife was not a person to be confounded, she said with a smile, "Well, here is some food for you, eat it up." Thanks to his wife, Ushasti had a good bite and, feeling hale and hearty, set off for the place of sacrifice. There he sat among the chanting priests, listened to them for a little while in silence, then he called the Prastota, the priest who chanted the introductory hymns, and said, "O Prastota, if one chants these introductory hymns without knowing the divinity that presides over the hymns, the head falls off." The same words he repeated to the Udgata, who recited the udgītha or hymns of the middle : "O Udgata, if one recites the udgītha hymns without knowing the divinity who presides over those hymns, he too loses his head." Finally, he called the Pratiharta as well, the one who uttered the pratihāra or conluding hymns, and said, "O Pratiharta, one who utters the pratihāra hymns without knowing their presiding divinity loses his head in like manner." All the priests accepted with bowed heads in due reverence these words of Ushasti.

The performer of the sacrifice, on whose behalf the sacrifice had been arranged, was struck by the wisdom of Ushasti, and he said, "Lord, who are you? I want to know about you." Ushasti replied, "I am Ushasti Chakrayana." The sacrificer now exclaimed, "Then it is you I have been looking for! These men had to be engaged because I could not find

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your whereabouts. Now be pleased to take charge of the chanting." Ushasti said, "Very well, it will be as you say. Let them now chant the hymns according to my directions." In this way, Ushasti agreed to take charge of the chanting, but he added this proviso, "Now that I have taken charge of your work, you would not forget about my fees I hope. You may give me whatever amount you would have given to these priests, I do not want more." The sacrificer gladly accepted this proposition.

Then the first of the chanting priests, the Prastota, came up to Ushasti and asked him, "Lord, you said that one who recited the introductory hymns without knowing their deity would lose his head. What then is that deity?" Ushasti replied, "That deity is Prana — the Life-force. Life is the origin of all, in it they all dissolve. Life is the godhead of the introductory hymns; if one does not know what Life is, and utters these hymns, his head is bound to fall off." Next the Udgata came to him and put him his question: "Lord, you said that one who recites the udgītha hymns without knowing their presiding deity loses his head. Tell me, O Lord, who is that divinity?" "Aditya, the Sun is that deity. The whole creation raises a paean to Him as he ascends the skies. This Aditya is the godhead of the udgītha. If you sing the udgītha without knowing Aditya, . then, as I have warned you, your head will surely fall off." Finally, the Pratiharta priest came to him and said, "Lord, you said that if I performed the concluding rites without knowing the divinity who presides over them, then my head was certain to fall off. Lord, I want to know who is that deity?" Ushasti replied, "Anna - Matter - Food is that deity. All these creature$ find their sustenance by gathering food. Hence Food is the presiding deity of the concluding rites. If you recite the concluding hymns without knowing what Food is, your head will certainly fall off."

In this manner Ushasti gave the teaching about the Triple Principle, the Trinity represented by Life, Mind and

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Body; Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svar, that is, Earth, Sky and Heaven. He gave an indication of these three levels of manifested being, the triple world of this universe, spoke of the divinity that presides over this Triplicity. First of all comes the God of Life. This is the deity that is invoked at the outset, has to be so invoked in every act, in all ceremonial function, even in the effort at an inner perfection. He is the Creator, all that is manifested has Him for its driving power, sarvam ejati niḥsṛtam. Creation begins with a vibration of this Life Force. The first thing necessary is to infuse Life into things. When we worship a divine image, we begin the rites with an invocation to this Life-force to enter the image; what was just an idol is awakened to life by the infusion of this Force. Life and Life-Force, this comes first. Next comes consciousness, knowledge, light, that is, the Sun-God, Aditya, and ordinarily, mind is His field. But by itself force is not enough, knowledge is not enough; this force and this light have to be embodied and given a form, they have to take physical shape with matter as the basis; they have to become an integral part of this earth of matter. Force and Light and Being are the three cosmic Principles, and they have three Deities presiding over them. In establishing them in their unity in his awakened being man finds his entire and all round fulfilment.

You may notice here one thing. Many of these Rishis in the Upanishads are found sometimes using a threat that if anything or anyone deviated from the truth or the accepted norm, "the head would fall off". It seems to mean this. If one commits an error or there is a fault in the course of one's spiritual effort and if one continues on the wrong path without acknowledging the, error or shortcoming, then it implies a movement, a gesture against the Truth and the Right, and this default carries in itself the possibility of a derangement of the head. The actual physical calamity befell an ancient seeker, Shakalya; we already know that story. In this age we do not perhaps come across an actual physical

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instance of such a mishap; but we are certainly familiar with something analogous, a derangement of the brain instead of the physical falling off of the head. As the Mother has said, the spiritual force is a kind of fire, to play with this fire without an inner devotion and sincerity invites dangers of this sort.

Let me here draw your attention to another — a rather interesting — aspect of this story; it is both amusing and instructive. Ushasti is the example of a man who, though a Rishi with a true knowledge of the Reality and a powerful realisation, is in other respects, in normal life, a perfectly incapable and helpless man; his capacity for an inner life seems to be matched by his incapacity in the outer. He had to bring himself down to the level of an abject beggar in his ordinary life; at every step he had to depend on his wife's assistance, without her co-operation he found it an unmanageable affair to procure even a grain of rice for the maintenance of life. It would not of course be logical or proper to conclude from this that the Rishis had need of their wives for this as the sole or primary purpose: the word "life-partner" used for the. spouse does imply a help-mate or means for the sustenance of life, but it carries no derogatory sense.

In those days there was in many cases an indifference towards the things of worldly life. This led to a certain weakness and poverty in this respect. Perhaps it was due to the necessity of an exclusive preoccupation with and concentration on the inner life. Only one or two Rishis like Yajnavalkya for instance had demanded an equal fullness and power in the outer as in the inner life. Yajnavalkya's great dictum that he had need for both, ubhayam eva, was indeed uttered in no uncertain terms and without hesitation in the presence of all. The first and foremost aim of the Rishis was to acquire an inner mastery, what they called the realisation of self-rule, svārājya-siddhi. But a certain fullness of the outer life as well was not entirely beyond their ken;

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this they called the realisation of outer empire, sāmrājya-siddhi. These two, the rule over self and the domination of the outer life, svārājya and sāmrājya, would constitute the integral realisation of the Integral man.

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