GOF 2026|Brhadaranyaka Upodgatha Bhashyam|Swami Tathagatananda Saraswati

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:05][bell] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Namaste. Shubodayam.

[00:00:33]A very warm welcome to everyone for yet another session of Global Wellness Festival.

[00:00:39]Let me begin with prayer.

[00:01:30]Uh once again, a warm welcome to everyone. Uh we are very fortunate to have with us today Swami Tathagatananda Saraswatiji. Uh Namaste, Swamiji. Thank you for making time for the session. And Swamiji will be speaking on uh Brihadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashyam, a very important uh uh introduction to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

[00:01:53]Uh just a brief introduction. Swami Tathagan- Tathagatananda Saraswati Ji had the blessed opportunity to study Vedanta under Swami Tattvavidananda Saraswati Ji and Dr. Rajit Biswas.

[00:02:08]He also holds a PhD degree in economics from JNU, New Delhi.

[00:02:14]Once again, a warm welcome to you, Swamiji. Please go ahead and start your session.

[00:02:19]Thank you.

[00:02:38]So, I thank Indica for giving me this opportunity to present a few thoughts on Sri Shankara's So, uh as is well known amongst the Prasthanatrayi Bhashyams, the introductory Bhashyams of Sri Shankara are very well known, very famous. Each one is a is a text in itself. You can study each of these Upanishad Bhashyams and Gita Bhashyam and Brahma Sutra Bhashyam. Of course, Brahma Sutra Bhashyam, what to speak about Adhyasa Bhashyam is a thesis in itself. It is a huge topic in itself. But all these three sets of books the introductory Bhashyams are really profound. And barring one one Upanishad for which the introductory Bhashyam is very small, but otherwise it's very profound, all the Upanishad Bhashyams. So, of all the Upanishad Bhashyams, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhashyam stands out. Uh it is it is in fact, as Sureshwaracharya points out in his Vartika, Shankara used the opportunity to speak on Brhadaranyaka to comment on the entire Vedanta. He used this He used this as an opportunity to speak on all the Upanishads, frankly speaking. So, the other Upanishads you will see a small gloss by Shankara often, and there you will find some elaborate discussions also. But in Brhadaranyaka you will see the entire discussion is always elaborate. That is how Shankara's nature is. This was his primary Upanishad Vyakhynam or Bhashyam you can say.

[00:04:22]Everything else is an add-on. This is one Upanishad that students of Vedanta cannot miss studying. It is unfortunate that people don't study it as much because the text is vast, the subject matter is very uh Gambhira. It's very profound, etc. Be that as it may, so Brhadaranyaka is the best amongst Upanishad Bhashyams. And there too, Brhadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashyam is the best amongst all Upanishad Upodghata Bhashyams or Sambandha Bhashyams. Gita Bhashyam uh introduction, Brhadaranyaka Bhashyam introduction, and Adhyasa Bhashyam introduction are three gems by Shri Shankara. So, that is the place that Brhadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashyam holds.

[00:05:06]And you can imagine how much profundity it has. You see the text of the Bhashyam, I have a document I will share with you. If you type it in some normal readable text, it will be two and a half pages.

[00:05:20]Uh but then, on this two and a half pages of text, Sureshwaracharya, the foremost of disciples of Shri Shankara, he has written Vartikam on the entire Brhadaranyaka Bhashyam as is well known.

[00:05:33]On just the Sambandha Bhashyam, he has written close to 1,150 Shlokas.

[00:05:39]On just the Sambandha Bhashyam, so you can understand how pregnant this topic is. And therefore, given that there is so much to cover in the both of ocean we will not be able to see the entire of the ocean. I will be presenting some snippets from it. Therefore, I have titled the talk also as with a kind permission from Indica. I have titled the topic as insights from the ocean of ocean and not both of ocean itself because we are not going to see it in its entirety. Now, what do I mean by insights? You can draw a lot of insights from the ocean of ocean. In fact, you can draw a lot of biographical details about Shankara from the ocean. Generally for us ocean the biography of Shankara comes from Shankara etc. But from the oceans, there is so much to learn about Shankara's biography and there too from the ocean of there is a lot to learn also.

[00:06:45]So, there are biographical insights. I may point out a few here and there but more so we will be seeing insights related to the text itself. So, so that is what we plan to do and um as we proceed, we will see how much we are able to cover and let's see what Bhagwan wills. So, of the entire text, I plan to read only the highlighted portion whatever I have highlighted in yellow. I plan to read and and and make some comments on it as as as it strikes me.

[00:07:22]Contextually relevant, whatever I'm able to say I will say.

[00:07:25]So, as I was saying a lot of personal details about Shankara also you can draw. For example, you can draw his guru bhakti from here from just the introductory prayer that he makes to this ocean. You you see a personal side about Shankara. I will point out that then you can see the impact of other scholars on Shankara. So, the writing style of Shankara is impacted by some of the greatest scholars of his time and before his times. That also we can see and it is very well known academically that Mahabhashya's influence on Sri Shankara's writing is there and we can see that and I have presented some samples also. So, Mahabhashyam uh the commentary will be section wise. So, this will be some So, Purva Paksha will be one Bhashyam. Every Every line or a few lines will be given a topic. It will be called this Bhashyam. That Bhashyam etc. beginning from So, all these problems will come and answers will come and those topics will have its own name. Here also you can see and Mahatmas point out there is Pratigya Bhashyam, Adhikari Bhashyam etc. Then the influence of scholars. So, why Shankara writes particularly like this?

[00:08:41]Because there has been a convention during his time largely dictated by Kumarila Bhatta etc. on how to begin a work. So, those influences you can see.

[00:08:51]And Brhadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashyam.

[00:08:53]I'm still talking about the Bhashyam. We haven't even entered at the Bhashyam.

[00:08:57]Brhadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashyam in my personal understanding, I see it as uh I see it as a hyperlink text. So, there is a lot in the Bhashyam that will connect to a lot more. For example, there will be a point from where you can connect to Bhagavad Gita. There will be a point from which you can connect to Adhyasa Bhashyam and therefore to Brahma Sutras.

[00:09:21]And I personally had a great discovery while reading the Upodghata Bhashyam for this particular talk. I studied Brhadaranyaka Bhashyam long back when I first studied. I haven't yet studied Naishkarmya Siddhi back then. But during COVID time, I had the blessed opportunity to study Naiskarmya Siddhi with my guru Swami Tattvavidananda Saraswati. And now, after that, I have been revisiting Brhadaranyaka Bhashyam, but not the Upodghata Bhashyam per se.

[00:09:49]But now, when I see Upodghata Bhashyam freshly after having studied Naiskarmya Siddhi, it is amazing how Sureshvaracharya also begins his Naiskarmya Siddhi in the same spirit as the Brhadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashyam.

[00:10:02]So, there is a lot of profundity in this text, lot of details that this text also gives us about Shankara, etc. But that will not per se be the topic of our discussion. The topic itself will be the contents of the Bhashyam. With that note, let me start getting into the Bhashyam.

[00:10:21]I'm hoping the screen is visible.

[00:10:24]Uh so, Shankara starts with a prayer.

[00:10:26]Rarely we come across Thank you. So, we will we very rarely we see Shankara having a prayer at the beginning of his Bhashyams. Prayer may be there, may not be there. That is not the point. So, so there is a convention unless there is Mangalacharanam, you should not read it, etc. So, that was the style of the day, I suppose. Those Those Purvapakshas, etc., are raised, but here we don't have that problem.

[00:10:50]There is a prayer, Prarthana in the beginning. Om Namo Brahmadiyo Brahmavidya Sampradaya Kartrbhyo Vamsharishibhyo Namo Gurubhyaha. So, that is the prayer. He begins from Brahmadiyaha, beginning from Brahmaji or Saguna Brahma himself from Brahmaji.

[00:11:09]Uh so, those who have Those who have passed on this teaching, Brahmavidya Sampradaya Kartrbhyaha So, those who have passed on this teaching, beginning from Brahmaji onwards. Who are these people, sir? Who are these people who have passed on the teaching? Vamsharishibhyaha.

[00:11:27]So, Brhadaranyaka six chapters is divided into two sections of two chapters each and then at the end of every second chapter that is end of second fourth and sixth chapters you will find a small section called Vamsha Brahmanam where the teachers related to that section will be presented. For example, at the end of second chapter you the Vamsha Brahmanam gives the teachers pertaining to the two chapters of the Aranyaka before and the two first two chapters of the Upanishad for four chapters the Vamsha Rishis are given etc. So all the teachers in between beginning from Brahmji up to the point of whoever is the Acharya in the in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Up to that point the the Acharya Parampara is given. So he bows down to all of them. So Brahm Vidya Sampradaya Kartribhyaha so all those people who have been teaching passing down this Vedantic wisdom up to his point. The moment you say Brahm Vidya Sampradaya Kartribhyaha it includes his guru also. But then Shankara makes a special mention Namo Gurubhyaha. So I bow down even to my guru. So he uses plural out of respect Namo Gurubhyaha. So that shows Shankara's nature. Shankara's humility is very well acknowledged across his Bhashyams as even as I say I am I am getting goosebumps. So that is well acknowledged and Namo Gurubhyaha he shows his love for his guru also. Now Ushava Ashvasya Ityevamadya Vajasaneyi Brahman Upanishad he starts.

[00:13:01]So he mentions what he is commenting on and even by this statement there is a lot that Shankara is revealing. For example, he says this is where this Vajasaneyi Brahman Upanishad belongs.

[00:13:13]Vajasaneyi Brahman Upanishad means the Brahmanam pertaining to Vajasaneyi Samhita. Vajasaneyi Samhita 40 chapters and Shatapatha Brahmanam 100 chapters together 140 chapters of Shukla Yajurveda. So the Samhita is called Vājasaneyi Samhita. And the pertaining Brahmanam is Shatapatha Brahmanam. So, he's highlighting this belongs to Shukla Yajurveda, etc. And then by saying Ushā vā aśvasya ityevam ādyā, meaning from here is the Upanishad, he's highlighting two things. One is he has chosen Kāṇva Śākha Pāṭha because only the Kāṇva Śākha Pāṭha of Bṛhadāraṇyaka starts with Ushā vā aśvasya. The Mādhyandina, other popular Bhāṣyam, other popular Śākha starts with the first chapter, third section. So, Dyāvāpr̥thivyau Prajāpatyau, like that Devāśca Asurāśca, like that it starts. That is where Mādhyandina Śākha starts. So, even there Shankara is highlighting that this Śākha he has chosen. Why has he chosen this Śākha? Anandagiri makes a comment. He says, Bhartṛprapañcācārya has already commented on Mādhyandina Śākha. So, Shankara chooses it. There is not much of difference. Mantras will be here and there. So, he has chosen this particular Śākha, like that he says. Tasyā ayam alpग्रन्था vṛttiḥ ārabhyate. So, this section, Tasyā onwards, ārabhyate, this is pointed out as Pratijñā Bhāṣyam.

[00:14:45]Shankara is making a making a what should I say, declaration that now I begin a commentary on this particular Upanishad. Alpग्रन्था vṛttiḥ.

[00:14:55]So, a small gloss, he says. Small gloss on Bṛhadāraṇyaka ends up being big because the book itself is big and the profundity of the text is also there.

[00:15:05]And then, for whom are you beginning this, sir? Saṃsāra vyāvṛtti śuddhyai, those who desire to walk away from Saṃsāra, turn their back to towards Saṃsāra. What is Saṃsāra, etc., he's going to say, but then Anandagiri helps us here. Pramatruta pramukha kartrutvadi kartrutvadihi anarthaha samsaraha. What is samsara? Kartrutvadihi anarthaha. So this this inauspicious notion that I am the karta, that is what is samsara. So this I am the karta is the is So this this is a huge topic in itself. I am a karta because I see some lack and therefore I want to fill that lack that I perceive in myself. I want to fill it by some action because that is how I am conditioned to think. I have to do something to make my situation better.

[00:16:00]That [clears throat] is how we are all taught and that is how we are all conditioned. So that notion itself is the anartha. And where did this kartrutvadi itself arise from? It arise It arose from us taking ourselves to be as a parichinna jivaha. Pramatruta pramukha kartrutvadihi kartrutvadi itself Kartrutvadi includes bhoktrutvam about which Anandagiri is going to make a very profound statement later.

[00:16:27]Bhoktrutvam kartrutvam, these two are stemming from the fundamental notion that I am a jiva. As these scholars have pointed out, whenever Shankara speaks about adhyasa, he speaks about this pramatruta being the first adhyasa. So the fundamental adhyasa is I am a jivaha parichinna jivaha. I am pramata, like that is the fundamental adhyasa. In fact, Advaita Siddhi also begins that way. Mayakalpita matrutamukha mrisha mrisha dvaita prapanchashrayaha, like that it starts. Matruta is the first matruta pramatruta. I am a parichinna jivaha is the first adhyasa.

[00:17:09]So based on that kartrutva bhoktrutvam etc. Kartrutvam bhoktrutvam, that is samsaraha. Tasya hetuhu avidya. So this is explanation to samsara hetu nivrtti sadhana brahma atma ekatva vidya pratipattaye. Why are you writing this gloss sir? So that samsara along with its cause is eliminated. And how is it eliminated? It is eliminated by the the understanding of the self, the correct understanding about the self which is atma to brahma brahma atma ekatva vidya. So that is the sadhanam, the means to eradicate this samsara, the anartha. And for that sake, to present the right understanding about the true self, this bhashyam is begun for the sake of those who want to turn away from samsara. So that is how Shankara is making his statement, opening statement.

[00:18:06]And so the samsara hetu who an atma vidya tan nivrtti sadhanam brahma atma ekatva vidya tasya prati pattihi. What is pratipatti?

[00:18:16]Pratipattaye Shankara says pratipatti means so solid understanding. You can say an understanding which is not shaken. So pratipattihi Shankara Anandagiri says apratibaddhaya praptihi. So so apratibaddhatvam it should be be there. No other obstacles, that is no other so viparita bhavana samshaya etc. are not there. They are all eliminated. In that way it has to be presented, very clear but solid presentation about the atma brahma atma ekatvam. So vrttihi arabhya iti yojana.

[00:18:53]And I just made a comment there to show why he has to mention all these things, what is the purpose, who's the adhikari etc. Because during his time the convention was like that. Kumarila Bhatta has stated sarvasya eva hi shastrasya karmano vapi kasyachit yavat prayojanam noktam tavat kena grhyate tavat tat kena grhyate. Unless you mention the purpose, who's going to take up your shastra? So, therefore, purpose prayojanam has to be mentioned in the beginning. A convention was developed, and Shankara is following that convention and says samsara hetu nivritti sadhana brahmaatmakatva pratipattaye iyam alpग्रंथवृत्तिः aarabhyate. And then, he then explains very standard Shankara way. He does it in general in many upanishads and other bhashyams we can say. So, the upanishad nama nirvacanam nirvacanam, how do we derive this word upanishad? It is very well known, so I don't want to get into it much. Sayam brahma vidya upanishad shabda vaachya tat paraanam sa hetoho samsaarasya atyanta avasaadanaat.

[00:20:01]Here, he gives only one meaning for the dhatu shadlru dhatu. He gives one meaning, but popularly in Katha upanishad, Mundaka upanishad, Taittiriya upanishad, elsewhere, he speaks about it in much more detail.

[00:20:14]Katha upanishad bhashyam is well known for the derivative meaning of the word upanishad. There, he gives three meanings. Here, he just highlights on one, that is it is something that eliminates or destroys the samsara along with its hetu. Hetu is a wrong understanding or avidya agyanam, you can say agyanam based wrong understanding. You can say that way also. So, why did you come at How did you come at this meaning, sir?

[00:20:43]That upanishad means that which removes a samsara along with its hetu, the kaaranam. How did you come up come to this meaning? Upani purvasya sad eha tadarthatvaat. So, this sad dhatu shadlru dhatu along with upa and ni before it as prefixes, upani sad upanishad. So, that has this meaning. Of course, krt pratyaya etc. grammatically, that is not uh what what I want to elaborate on for now. So, this is So, So, therefore, that wisdom which destroys our wrong notion about the self is really Upanishad. Upanishad means jnanam alone is called Upanishad. Technically speaking, the charma vritti, they say the akhanda kara vritti, that is called Upanishad because that is what really destroys ajnana. Everything else is Upanishad by by gauna vritti. So, it is called Upanishad because it is helping us understand or assimilate that wisdom.

[00:21:43]The book also is called Upanishad because the book happens to be the source from where we begin our understanding. Tadarthya granthopi Upanishad uchyate. Upanishad means that wisdom which destroys ajnana, but this book is helping us to arrive at that wisdom. Therefore, Upanishad book also you can call as Upanishad by association. Seyam shadadhyayi aranye anuchyamanatvad aranyakam brihatvad parimanatah brihadaranyakam. So, this is this these six chapters. You see, of the Shatapatha Brahmanam, 92 chapters form the Brahmanam. The last six chapters form aranyakam. Of the last eight chapters of the last eight chapters, the last six chapters form Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

[00:22:30]So, two chapters of aranyakam, six chapters of Upanishad, and 92 chapters of Brahmanam. These eight chapters of aranyakam, they are called aranyakam because they are studied in forest, forest books as they say. So, they are studied in forest. And this is Brihadaranyakam. This is studied in forest and also in size it is big, therefore Brihadaranyakam.

[00:22:54]And parimanatah means in size. And then Anandagiri tells us parimanatah arthatah api, even in its profundity it is big.

[00:23:04]So it is very profound not just in size.

[00:23:06]You can have a huge text which is ultimately speaking about something very very insignificant. But this is huge and also very profound.

[00:23:16]Parimanataha Brihadaranyaka.

[00:23:19]Then he enters into a discussion on what is the sambandha between the karma bhaga that happened before and the Upanishad bhaga which is going to begin now. Like I told you 92 chapters of Brahmanam.

[00:23:33]Brahmanam means karma. So for the samhita mantra some connection will be there. This mantra has to be used here.

[00:23:40]This mantra has to be used here. Like that Brahmanam bhaga will tell you the prayoga for those mantra bhagas. It will tell you. 92 chapters of karma is over.

[00:23:50]Two chapters of Aranyaka pravargya karma. That is also over. So you had 94 chapters of karma. Suddenly you are coming up with something called jnanam.

[00:23:59]What is the relationship between this jnanam and karma? It cannot be suddenly something has begun. There should be some relation. In fact there is a niyata paurvaparya sambandha. Always in the Vedas you will see first the karmas are presented and then jnanam is presented.

[00:24:14]Why is that like that? Elsewhere Shankara takes up a discussion in Taittiriya Bhashya. Why is that always karmas are spoken in much detail and jnanam will be such a small section. For example here 94 chapters of karmas and only six chapters of Upanishad. Why? In samhita 39 chapters of karmas, one chapter 48th chapter Ishavasya Upanishad. Why is like that? So Shankara takes up that discussion. Here also he takes up that discussion. We will see only snippets like I said not the entire Bhashya. So and this is a rare case where Shankara first begins with a defense of the entire Veda. Karmakanda pramanyam and jnanakanda pramanyam also he is going to mention. So usually he would only speak about Upanishad text.

[00:25:01]Here he gives a general introduction to all Veda itself and that's why he begins by saying Sarvopayam Vedaha Pratyakshanumanabhyam Anavagata Ishtanishta Prapta Parihara Upaya Prakashana Paraha Sarva Purushanam Nisargataha Evatad Prapti Parihara Pariharayor Ishtatvat. Sarvopayam Vedaha. This one sentence beginning from Sarvopayam Vedaha to Prakashana Paraha.

[00:25:30]This one sentence has hundreds of slokas in the Vartikam and Anandagiri himself Anandagiri's commentary on Brhadaranyaka is profound because he already has the Vartikakara to fall back upon. So otherwise other Upanishads Anandagiri may not help us. Much here he helps us a lot because he has the Vartika to fall back upon. Just this one line Anandagiri writes one paragraph. Three meanings he gives for just this one line. You can imagine how much of discussion would be there in the Vartika. I'm just taking very a a simple meaning. Sarva one of the three meanings Sarvopayam Vedaha this entire Veda entire means Karma Kanda Jnana Kanda together. What is it's doing? It's focus is to present us means to obtain what we need and to keep away what we do not need or why need let me put it to obtain what we desire and keep aside what I do not desire.

[00:26:29]Upanishad Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda both are giving us giving us means to achieve this. What so so that I want to achieve what I desire that I want to avoid what I do not desire that the Upanishad or Karma Kanda need not teach us that is Sarva Purushanam Nisargataha Evatad Prapti Pariharayor Isht.

[00:26:55]It is very natural to all of us that there are things that I seek and I want them. There are things that I want to avoid and I want to avoid it. That nature tendency is very natural. But for for that I have some locally available means, some laukika means, that also I am aware of. But then some special means, that is what Veda is giving. For example, I may have a desire for some fame etc. And I know some local means for fame. I may do so and so, something like that, so some charity or maybe get into politics. This current season is political season. So do something and earn fame. I know I know that also. But then Veda comes and says, "Hey, if you want to kirti, this is the particular karma you have to do. And by this karma you will have pratishtha uh you will have great fame in this world. So that is an alaukika means, means that I do not otherwise know. That is what uh Veda comes and says. The entire Veda is about revealing to us the means to attain what we seek and to keep away what we do not seek. But what kind of means? Means that I otherwise cannot know, either by pratyaksha or by inference I cannot know. And such means are presented to us by the Veda. So drishta vishayecha ishtanishta prapti pariharopaya jnanasya pratyakshanum pratyakshanumanabhyameva siddhatvat na agamanveshana.

[00:28:35]For for some local means, so for kirti there are karmas etc. But suppose I have a desire for food, even annadyakamaha, everything there is a karma. I don't know what example to give, but even for let's say generally an understanding about means and end for laukika things, I already have jnana. The example they give is so so the the removal of hunger and eating. Whenever I was hungry, I eat and my hunger was satisfied, satiated. And so what do I do next time when I'm hungry? I again eat something and my hunger is satiated.

[00:29:15]Every I eat my hunger is satiated. So I know by my experience, by pratyaksha and anumana and by all other pramanas, by the respective pramana I know that if I am hungry, the way to satiate my hunger is go and eat something. For that I don't need Veda to come and say. But Veda suppose I say, "How do you get food?" I know some local means, but then so so Veda will come and say, "No no, there are some alaukika means." Suppose there are no no good rains. After all food has to come from grains and grains for that you need waters etc., a good rain. In a monsoon economy we need rains. So suppose rains are not adequate or abundant enough, then karirya yajeta vrishtikamaha. So some yaga Veda has to has to prescribe to us so that there can be rain etc. So drishta vishaye na agamanveshana, but then something else adrishta vishaye agamanveshana astyeva bhavatyeva. That is what Shankara is presenting. And then he has one uh very beautiful point that is what is the beginning step for astikatvam. What is the first step to begin any spiritual pursuit? I'm using the word loosely because Bauddha Jaina margas also you can say are spiritual pursuit, but the beginning step of astikatvam itself, what is it? So nacha asati janmantara sambandhyatma astitva vijnane >> So, why would this person go for an alaukika means? Because he believes that there is a janmantara sambandhi atma, an atma that is connected to a future birth also. Generally, these karma phalas are about another birth. In this birth, whether prarabdha gives us or not, whether the pratibandha is removed by this karma or not, generally we cannot say. Shankara points that out. Once phalam comes up for the karma, this karma has given this phalam, we cannot say. That's why it's called adrishta.

[00:31:23]From the adrishta, it comes, etc. Be that as it may, so the fundamental requirement to take up any janmantara ishtanishta prapti parihareccha, that is in a future life, I want something favorable. In a future life, I want to avoid something unfavorable. Where does this begin? It begins with an understanding that first of all, there is an atma which transmigrates.

[00:31:49]There is an atma that goes from one janma to another. That is the beginning point for all astikatvam. Nacha asati janmantara sambandhi atma stitva vijnane, suppose that understanding is not there. That there is an atma which transmigrates.

[00:32:05]If that understanding is not there, nobody will take up those alaukika means. How do you know nobody will take up? Maybe they will take up. No, it is not it is not true because we have a group of people, the Charvakas, Swabhavavadis they are called. So, everything So, they do not take anything an atma separate from the deha itself, dehatmavadina.

[00:32:28]And therefore, they don't take up to these vaidikakarmas, etc., because they are satisfied and they are convinced there is no janmantara sambandhi atma.

[00:32:37]So, Swabhavavadis are there, therefore it is not a given that everybody will take to Vaidika Karmas. No. Vaidika Karmas people take to only when they understand that there is an Atma distinct from the body. The existence of an Atma distinct from the body is the beginning from beginning point of all Astikatvam. So Jantunam Narajanma Durlabham, there the Vivekachudamani commentator Chandrashekhara Bharatiji he goes on elaborately about this thing.

[00:33:06]What is the first point of Astikatvam is that there is a Janmantara Sambandhi Atma. That understanding is the first point of all Astikya Buddhihi. And therefore and therefore this Janmantara Sambandhi Atma how do we know? Do we know by Pratyaksha? Do we know by Anumana etc.? That is the next discussion. Shankara says it's not available by Pratyaksha or Anumana that there is a Janmantara Sambandhi Atma has to be only revealed by the Shastra.

[00:33:35]And therefore Tasmat Janmantara Sambandhi Sambandhi Atma Astittve Janmantara Ishtanishta Prapti Pariharopaya Visheshacha Shastram Pravartate. The Shastra begins with two purposes, he says. Earlier he mentioned one, that is to give us a means to achieve our desired ends in another Janma, some Alaukika means. And also Shankara slowly brings in one fact, that is Astittve Atma Astittve cha Shastram Pravartate. So that there is an Atma, that fact of the matter, that there is an Atma distinct from the body which transmigrates from one Janma to another, that also has to be revealed by the Shastram. And this gives a scope for Shankara because during Shankara's time the Mimamsakas said Veda cannot be Pramanam for matters of fact. Vedas can be Pramanam only for any kriya that viddhi vakhyas only have pramanyam. Everything else don't have any pramanas tatparyam svarta tatparyam nasti. Only when Vedas are prescribing a karma, that is the purport of Vedas, the essence of the Vedas. Matters of fact is not Vedas what Vedas have come to say.

[00:34:51]Therefore, oh Vedantis, you are coming and saying satyam jnanam anantam brahma.

[00:34:56]You seem to be saying it is a matter of fact. Matters of fact is not what Vedas are dealing with. All matters of fact should be connected to some viddhi.

[00:35:06]Therefore, make your satyam jnanam anantam brahma as an anga to viddhi, yajamana stuti etc. Make it something like that. Don't bring in matters of fact and and waste our time and the time of other people. That is not what the Vedas are here for. They are here only for karmas etc. was Mimamsakas' contention. And Shankara says, "Hey Mimamsaka, even that there is a janmantara sambandhi atma, your Veda only is telling either directly he's going to quote Upanishad statements where directly the Veda says, and then through arthapatti also you can come to the understanding that there should be some janmantara sambandhi atma. Why?

[00:35:46]What is the problem if there is no janmantara sambandhi atma? Yada tikakara says yada atma dehantara sambandhi shastran manantaraccha napramitaha.

[00:35:57]Suppose you don't know. Suppose nobody knows that there is a janmantara sambandhi atma, and whether through shastra they know or by any other means they know, suppose they don't know it, then what happens? Tada bhoktuhu anavagamat na preksha purvakari yagadyanu pishthate. There'll be nobody to perform yagas etc. No discerning discerning person will perform yagas etc. because there will be no bhokta available. I am doing this karmas here today so that in the future I can reap benefits. But suppose somebody comes and says you do karmas but nobody is going to reap benefits out of it, then nobody will be doing those karmas. You see, Anandagiri has called out a psychological fact that we do karmas because we want the benefit out of it. That bhokta is important. We want we take ourselves to be the bhokta.

[00:36:54]We want that bhokta to be benefited.

[00:36:56]Therefore karmas are taken up. Karmas are not taken up for the love of karmas.

[00:37:01]Karmas are not taken up merely because Shruti mentioned so so many karmas.

[00:37:06]Karmas are taken up because the bhokta needs it. Anandagiri calls it out. So therefore for matters of fact that there is an atma dehaantara sambandhi etc. For matters of fact also Veda becomes pramanam. Very nicely Shankara brings in here because he will use it whenever the Mimamsaka then says your Vedanta is a matter of fact, for that Vedas cannot be a pramanam, a source book. It cannot be revealing. It cannot be Whenever he says that he can use this argument. That is the point. So janmantara sambandhi atma astittvecha shastram pravartate. Shastra is there even to speak about that janmantara sambandhi atma.

[00:37:50]Then he quotes various Shrutis etc. And very nicely he uses upakrama and upasamhara nyaya to show that the tatparyam itself is to speak about janmantara atma astittvam. I'm not going there for paucity of time. So then he goes into how atma cannot be known by any other means. It can be known only through agama etc. Then he comes to the more relevant point. What is the point of jnana kanda? Karma kanda you have said the point is to speak about janmantara sambandhi atma and also to reveal some means etc. means to achieve what I want or the purpose of akanda so he starts here by saying sarvatapi asya atma sarvatapi atma so sarvata sarvatapi atma deha sambandhi pratipattu pratipattu deha ishtanista prapti pariharopaya visheshartha in the vishesha upanaya karma kandam arabdham in one sentence he finishes what is the purpose of karma kanda somehow he has known sarvatapi whether by agama anumana all the discussion happened and he decided by agama only but it's okay in whatever way he knows he knows but what is required is there should be an understanding that there is an atma that is different from the body that transmigrates that goes here and there and that he takes it to be like that there should be a person x who takes it like that there should be a pratipatta there should be a person who takes that there is an atma other than the body which goes here and there and for the sake of that atma that is me I have to do some karmas some jiva so the karta does karmas for the bhokta to enjoy and karta and bhokta is my true nature that is what karma kanda seems to be saying but then shankara puts it brilliantly karma kanda is not saying you are a karta bhokta he is telling you take yourself to be that way then karmas are prescribed so your pratipatti is there is an atma other than the self and that atma is transmigrating and that atma is the karta now for the future palams that it will enjoy as the bhokta for such a person so some karmas are prescribed so okay it would have stopped there why this extra six chapters why do you need all karmas have been mentioned? Why do you need more? So, it should have exhausted the topic should have exhausted, no. Something is yet unsaid, something remains to be said.

[00:40:28]What is it? Na tu atmanaha ishta nishta prapti parihare cha karanam atma vishayam agnanam kartru bhoktru swarupa swarupa abhimana lakshanam tad viparita brahmatma swarupa vignanena apanitam.

[00:40:45]But, there is a fundamental wrong notion here which the Veda did not yet address.

[00:40:52]It may have addressed all the notions that we had so far. Based on the notions that we have, karmas have been prescribed, but the Veda itself has a message to give us, that is, hey, what you take to be as your true nature, kartru bhoktru swarupa abhimana lakshanam, whatever is is your you take yourself to be the karta bhokta etc. and you are very strongly identified with that nature. This is nothing but agnanam alone. This is nothing but absence of understanding. You shouldn't say absence for agnanam. This is nothing but wrong knowledge about your true nature. You don't have the right understanding about your true nature and that wrong notion has to be removed. How should it be removed? Wrong notion can only be removed by right notion. So, tad viparita brahmatma swarupa vignanena na apanitam. It has not yet been removed.

[00:41:47]The wrong notion has not yet been removed by presenting the right notion.

[00:41:53]Therefore, that has to be presented.

[00:41:55]That can be removed by karmas itself, no. It has to be There has to be virodha to be removed. Something can remove something or destroy something only when there is virodha. Cat and mouse, they usually give an example. So, so mouse can be eliminated only by a cat. Mouse cannot be eliminated by a block of cheese. So mouse and cat there then mouse will be eliminated. Or or they give some examples like that. So there should be some avirodha. There should be some virodha between karma and there should be some virodha between the wrong notion and what removes the wrong notion. Karmas do not have any virodha with wrong notion. For karmas this wrong notion about ourself is very self-serving. We are karta bhokta is very self-serving for karmas.

[00:42:44]So there is no opposition. Therefore the notion is not removed. It can only be removed by the right notion about ourself. Why should I remove it? Why should the shruti take efforts to remove it?

[00:43:22]You see what is your problem if he has that wrong notion? You may ask. That is hey shruti shruti mata, what is your problem if he has that wrong notion? Let him have and do what he wants to do. So no. If he has that wrong notion, he will be troubling himself and he will be troubling others also. Unless this wrong notion is not removed, he will be working on his desires etc. So and how will he work on those desires? Based on raga dveshas. And the raga dveshas will prompt him so much that he will not mind transgressing dharma also. And that is what Shankara says. This is the hyperlink to Gita. So why Arjuna's problem was raga dveshas. Why Gita teaching is required for raga dvesha?

[00:44:09]Dvesha because raga dveshas are rooted in a wrong understanding about the self and that can only be removed by Brahma vidya. And that is how Shankara introduces Gita teaching there. So for this raga dvesha problem, the only way out is atma vishayaka agyanam has to be removed. If he doesn't do that, if that agyanam is not removed, he will take up to adharma. Adharma samyakani karmani upachinoti bahulyena. Bahulyena means so so then also earlier he says shastra vihita pratishiddha atikramenapi.

[00:44:45]So he doesn't mind crossing the boundaries of shastra mandates. That is he doesn't mind transgressing dharma also. Api there means so tikakara is a bit generous and he says it is possible that he may transgress dharma. But the tippanikara is a little more frank. So he says prayastva dyotanarthaha. It is not that it is possible he will transgress dharma. That is all that he is doing. He is only transgressing dharma. This this this person because he has a wrong understanding about himself, I am karta bhokta. The karta bhokta has to be satisfied by some karma and karma phalam and that attachment to karma phalam will make him do any action and not minding dharma, not minding consequences. That is how he will end up doing. Prayaha that is what he's doing.

[00:45:35]That is that is how he ends up doing generally. Dharma now and then he follows and very rarely he follows so so dharma and and often he only follows adharma. And why he's doing that? Svabhavika dosha baliyastvat. The inner pressure. So the dosha in the antahkarana is make that is raga dveshas is making him do all that. That is what Shankara is is saying. And then, kadachit, now and then, so what happens by by following these by transgressing dharma, by taking to adharma, what happens? Sthavaranta adhogatihi. You see, beginning from here, yavad dhitam napaniyate tavad ayam etc. This is exactly how Naishkarmya Siddhi starts. This is exactly how Gita Bhashyam also starts. There is some beauty in Brhadaranyaka Sambandha Bhashyam. It is a hyper linked text, as I told you, it opens up to many other books, many other texts for deep discussion. You see, in passing, let me mention one thing. Shankara says one statement. From one statement of Shankara, different different books have been written. For example, Shankara so negates types of abhava. There are four types of abhava. That there is anything called abhava, everything he negates in Brhadaranyaka Bhashyam itself, he negates very elaborately. Gatha Bhashyam section it is called. Just based on that one discussion, entire Khandana Khanda Khadyam is about that only. Negate all these types that the Tarkikas are mentioning. So, one statement of Shankara can be so profound that books have been written about it. Anyway, this is the opening statement for Gita Bhashyam, opening statement for Naishkarmya Siddhi etc. also. So, he will transgress dharma, and he will end up suffering sthavaranta adhogatihi. He will have some some so so his janma will be So, some lower janmas he will attain.

[00:47:32]And then, sometimes because of some samskara in his mind, he may end up doing some dharma also. And that dharma is of two types. So, either kevala karma, dharma is karma here, so either kevala karma, or you do karma with upasana. Each has their own consequences. Karma with upasana is supposed to be better because it gives you brahma loka. And then, and then Shankara quotes one more It's not just that I hope I'm able to highlight. I should have highlighted that so this statement. So, Shankara says it's not just the karma with phaleccha. If you are atmayaji, atmayaji shreyan devayajinaha. He quotes Shatapatha Brahmanam here and says atmayaji is better than a devayaji. He has better consequences. What what is atmayaji? Atmayajanam atma is antahkaranam. Atmayajanam means antahkarana yajanam pujanam. So, worship of the antahkaranam worship of the antahkaranam means so cleansing the antahkaranam. To cleanse this what is puja really speaking. So, atmayajanam means antahkarana shodhanam. So, that is much more better and this is how Andagiri quotes elaborately what is the essence of Gita teaching. This is what Gita is telling you. So, phalabhisandhi you do not have do karmas without phalabhisandhi. Those things he connects here. Atmayajanam is much more better than even so so so upasana sahita karma.

[00:49:03]This antahkarana shuddhyartham kriyamanam karma is much more better.

[00:49:07]All that he gives and then saesha bijankuradivat avid bijankuradivat avidya kritaha samsaraha atmani kriyakaraka phala adhyaropa lakshanaha anadihi anantaha anarthaha ittyetasmat viraktasya avidya nivrittaye tat viparita brahmavidya praptyartha upanishad arabhate. So, there is somebody who has understood the limitation of karmas. He has understood and this karmas are only perpetuating samsara further and further. What kind of samsara it is? Samsara where kriyakaraka phala adhyaropa lakshanaha samsaraha. So, samsara where the the wrong notion about the self that Atman is a karta which has to undergo which has to perform some karma kriya and then with the phalam it has to make itself fulfilled kritakrityata by karma phalam and that kind of a wrong notion about the self that adhyaropa that wrong understanding about oneself that is the nature of Samsara. You see adhyaropa is there. This is the beginning door for adhyasa bhashyam also. He is superimposing wrong notions about himself. That is the nature of Samsara.

[00:50:26]Somebody has understood there is a problem with these karmas. Again and again these karmas I am doing to what?

[00:50:33]So what am I achieving by these things?

[00:50:35]He's able to question and he wants to walk away from Samsara which is anadihi anantaha anarthaha etc. Each of these adjectives is profound. It has something to tell us. So the Samsara is not something that is desirable for such a person. Etasmad viraktasya avidya nivrttaye earlier iccha nivrttaye earlier he had desires those icchas had to go desires had to be fulfilled. Now avidya has to be eliminated by the right understanding so which which eliminates this wrong understanding to present that understanding upanishad arabhhyate. I will take a few more minutes and conclude and then then upanishad starts with ashvamedha upa sana. Why should you start with ashvamedha upasana? Why don't you just start directly from jnanam itself? So Shankara gives there is a reason that also. So Shankara presents that sarvesham cha karmanam param param karma ashvamedhaha. The greatest of all karmas mentioned in the Veda is the ashvamedha yaga. That is the highest karma. So why? samashti vyashti prapti phalatvat. Samashti vyashti prapti phalatvat means tell you briefly what it means is this Ashwamedha Yaga can has a two-fold benefit. I mean the benefit expresses in two ways. One is it will take this person to Hiranyagarbha Loka and it also makes him one with the Hiranyagarbha. The Samashti Phalam is he becomes the one in dweller, the one Sutratma in all living beings and the Vyashti Phalam is this individual person goes to Hiranyagarbha Loka. Both Phalam are that is the highest Phalam that you can have. The highest aim you can have in Vedas is to go to Hiranyagarbha Loka.

[00:52:21]This Ashwamedha Yaga alone gives that Karma. Mind you, Ashwamedha Yaga only only Kshatriyas have Adhikara for and then Brahmanas are continuing to recite Vedas where Kshatriyas are mentioned are given the highest Karma Phalam. So, there seems to be some objectivity etc. with Brahmanas who are reciting this.

[00:52:41]That is an aside sociological note aside note. And so, why such an Ashwamedha Yaga is being mentioned here? So, to show that Tasya Iha Brahma Vidya Prarambhe Amnanam. Why this is included in the beginning of Brahma Vidya? To show that Sarva Karmanam Samsara Vishayatva Pradarshanartham. No matter what is whatever is the biggest achievement you can aspire for in this in this world or in the world in the other world through Karmas, Vaidika Karmas etc. The ultimately whatever highest result you arrive at, it is after all Samsara Vishaya. It is only going to be within the range of Samsara.

[00:53:22]That is going to lead to unwanted consequences. Tathacha Darshayishyati Phalam Ashanaya Mrityu Bhavam. Even if you become Brahma Brahmaji, that is even if you become Hiranyagarbha, you are still killed by your own hunger. That is what it is Ashanaya Mrityu Bhava. Ashanaya Mrityu Bhava. Ashanaya is hunger. So, he is going to be killed by hunger, thirst, etc. That is what even Hiranyagarbha has that problem, he says. So, Shankara mentions it very nicely. Elsewhere, he's going to say also Ashwamedha Yaga Upasana is mentioned here for those who do not have Adhikara for he's mentioning it beginning itself. Yesha Ashwamedha na Adhikara. Those who don't have Adhikara to do the Yaga per se, they can do this Upasana. That also is there. But the more fundamental purpose is to show even the highest of achievements that you can achieve through karmas is after all within the realm of samsara. That is what Samsara means Ashanaia Pipasa. So, hunger and thirst even for Hiranyagarbha you cannot avoid. That is what Veda is telling. Therefore, you may better want to get out of this wrong notion than perpetuating the wrong notion with more and more karmas.

[00:54:37]Ataha Ataha vilakshana is different from the samsara vishaya. That is different from the karma phalam, etc. Anama rupa karmatmaka. So, nama rupa nama rupa karmatmaka. That is what samsara is nama rupam and karma. So, so that is a topic in in Brhadaranyaka. I don't want I don't have the time to discuss right now. But this Atma is different. It is not nama, it is not rupa, it is not karma. Advaya. Nitya shuddha buddha mukta swabhavopi. Kriya karaka phala bheda viparyaya viparyayena avabhasate.

[00:55:14]So, it is as though appearing as the jiva, the karta, etc. But its real nature is nitya shuddha buddha mukta swabhava. This Shankara's characteristic expression. So, it is the one eternal reality sans any any bondage and it is the ever free. It is of the nature of awareness. That is my true nature. Ataha asmat kriya karaka phala bheda swarupat etavad idam iti sadhya sadhana rupad viraktasya. There is somebody. So rarely he may be there but there is somebody who says this much alone. There is not much not a big deal from these karmas that I can get. Etavad idam only this much I can get out of it.

[00:56:00]There will be somebody who wants something higher better than the constant perpetuation of samsara. For that person kamadi dosha karma bija bhuta avidya nivrttaye. So there is this upanishad which removes the wrong notion which is which is based on avidya. Avid So that is the bija. The bija for kamadi doshas kama raga dvesha etc. In fact Anandagiri goes very eloquent. All the kleshas he mentions. All these are the problem avidya asmita raga dvesha abhinivesha.

[00:56:36]These are the problems and those problems can only be removed permanently if their hetu avidya is removed. And how avidya is removed through brahma vidya it is removed. How brahma vidya removes avidya? It corrects the wrong notion like rajwam iva sarpa vignana apanayaya.

[00:56:55]Like there is a wrong notion that ayam rajuhu is not there. Ayam sarpaha is there. You mistake a rope for a snake.

[00:57:03]So how do you come back to the rope? You come back to the rope by negating the wrong notion called snake. If you negate the wrong notion that is all that is required. That is all that the veda is also doing. That is upanishad is also doing. Only apanayanam. The wrong notion notion is being removed by presenting the right notion a right understanding about the self brahma vidya arabhya te.

[00:57:29]So very elaborate thesis Shankara presents for the beginning of Upanishad and he says fundamentally it is for removing this wrong notion. So, which removes and the etc. You have to understand one thing.

[00:57:45]So, as I was saying through this entire discussion what Shankara is telling us is this karma bija is avidya. Avidya is fundamental to our wrong notion and that wrong notions are eliminated by Brahma vidya and that is why Brahma vidya is removed. See, this karma desire itself is rooted in a wrong notion because with this point maybe I will finish. So, desire is creating a split between what is and what is not. Right now, for example, right now I do not have a apartment and then I want an apartment.

[00:58:22]For it I will work. In the future I will get an apartment. We are setting sights on what is not and as students of Vedanta we have to set sights on satyam.

[00:58:33]And what is satyam?

[00:58:36]Yet sat tat satyam. Shankara says what is is the real and therefore instead of setting sights on what is we are setting sights on what is not. This tendency where did you get from setting sights on is not? The tendency came from a wrong understanding about myself.

[00:58:55]Fundamentally there is some problem because of which I am always setting sights on what is not. And Vedanta is coming and correcting this notion. Don't set sights on what is not, rather look for what is. Trikal atishati yet buddhi na vyabhicharati. All these are all Shankara's statements. So, so you try to concentrate or set your sights on that and that will correct our wrong notion.

[00:59:21]That is the entire purpose of all Upanishads. So, with this I thank Indica once again for giving me this wonderful opportunity to revisit Brhadaranyaka Sambandha Bhashyam or Upodghata Bhashyam once again. Small one hour talk, one hour can hardly do justice to such a text, but we have our own conventions.

[00:59:41]So I have tried to present some insights from this Upodghata Bhashyam. Om Shri Gurubhyo Namaha Harihi Om Tat Sat. Shri Krishnarpanamastu.

[00:59:52]Yes.

[00:59:52]>> Thank you. Thank you very much, Swamiji.

[00:59:54]It was very >> Thank you very much. session.

[00:59:57]Uh especially I'm sure many of the viewers may not also be aware of the depth of insights that that is there in the Brhadaranyaka Upodghata Bhashya. I'm really really thankful to you for shedding light and highlighting so many interesting aspects, so many deep profound aspects in the Upodghata Bhashya. Thank you very much.

[01:00:24]Thank you.

[01:00:25]Om.

[01:00:26]Uh viewers, with this we come to the conclusion of the session.

[01:00:31]Today evening we have another session.

[01:00:34]Uh we have a talk by Arun Viswanathan.

[01:00:37]He'll be speaking on the sage who gave everything, Shankara's gifts seen and unseen. So join us today evening.

[01:00:45]Thank you. Shri Gurubhyo Namaha.