Taitreya Upanishad, Class 7


Greetings All,

Chapter # 1, Anuvaka # 3, Shloka # 6:

Continuing his teaching of the Upanishad and recapping the Anuvaka # 3 so far, Swami Paramarthananda said, we are in the last part of the Samshito Upasanas. All five upsanas put together are known as Maha Samshito Upasanas. In each Upasana the Alambanam (meditation) is the same, one meditates on the four factors of Poorva roopa, Uttara Roopa, Sandhihi and Sandhanam. In each Upasana objects from five different fields are invoked. The fields are: Adhilokas, Adhi-jyautisham, Adhi-vidhyam, Adhi-prajam, and Adhyatmam. Thus, there are five Upasanas and four objects in each upasana totaling 20 objects that are meditated upon.

Chapter # 1, Anuvaka # 3, Shloka # 7:

These are called “ The great blendings”; he who understands them as expounded here, becomes united with progeny, cattle, food and the like with the glory of the holy lustre, wealth and heavenly joys.

This shloka is glorification of this samshito upasana. They are great because they belong to the Vedas. We are invoking great objects; hence they are great as well. With this the Upsana is over. Now the benefits of the Upasana are given.

The phalam depends on the attitude of our Upasana. Our motive determines the type of result. A criminal uses a knife to kill a person with the motive of getting something. A doctor also uses knife to heal but in the process the person dies. The criminal is sent to prison while the doctor is praised for trying to save a life. The motive is based upon sankalpa. If Upasana is for material results it is Sakam Upasana. However, if motive is Dharmic and for Chitta –Shuddhi, it is called Nishkama Karma.

In the Gita Sri Krishna says if it is for Sakama Karma one has to perform the Upasana very carefully other wise the phalam my backfire on us. When the same Upsana is performed as a Nishkama Karma the rules are relaxed. Even mistakes are accepted. They don’t affect as much. Positive results are always obtained. Negative result will not occur. So this is the perspective on phalam looked at from two angles.

Benefits of Nishkama Karma are:

  1. Expansion of mind for spiritual growth is the first benefit. We are invoking three Lokas. Mind assumes the form of object meditated upon. If we visualize small, the form will be small. In olden times people visualized big, hence the reason we see very large temples. Nowadays we tend to visualize small and things are smaller as well.

Since I meditate on totality of universe, I revere the Earth as Bhuma Devi. I wake up and pray to the mother Earth. Earth, Water, Sun are all, sacred. This reverence helps me later in Vishwaroopa Darshanam. It expands the mind and transforms our attitude. I develop reverence for every object in this meditation including. reverence towards the teacher. Then I invoke and develop reverence towards parents. Then I develop reverence towards my own body and its organs. Body is the greatest gift of God. Once an organ is damaged we cannot recreate it. Therefore, respect the body. It does not mean attachment to or ownership of the body.  Thus expansion of mind occurs, as does a change in perspective. This change in perspective happens due to the Gyana Chakshu. Citing an example, when we buy an apple from a store, we just cut it and eat it. The same apple when it is offered as prasadam at a temple, we apply it to our eyes first. This perspective is called divya Chakshu.  Divya chakshu is the second benefit.

The third benefit is the focus of mind improves

Fourth benefit is that we get Chitta shuddhi as were are invoking Ishwara.

All this helps with Vedanta Sravanam, and Atma Gyanam.

Benefits of Sakama Upsana:

If one performs Upsana on all four factors (Poorva roopa, Uttara Roopa, Sandhihi and Sandhanam) and honor all the deities invoked, tangible benefits will come from association.

Benefits are of two types. They are: 1) Iha loka Phalam and 2) Para Loka phalam.

Iha Loka Phalam: You will get progeny. The nature of phalam is dependent upon the nature of the upsana. If God is worshipped as knowledge, one gets Gyana phalam. If worshipped as Shakti one gets Shakti. If worshipped as beauty one gets beauty. As the upsana, so is the phalam.

Here sandhi is the upsana, so one gets combination as children. From Vidhya upsana one gets knowledge. From Pashu upsana one gets wealth. From Brahma Varchas Upsana one gets attractive personality. From Annam one gets nutritious food.

Paraloka Upasana Phalam: After death one does not get moksha. For moksha atma gyanam is required. However, one gets to a higher loka. Which Loka depends upon quality and quantity of one’s upsana.

Therefore one should perform Samshito Upasana. Vedas do not make this upsana compulsory. With this the third Anuvakaha is complete.

Chapter # 1, Anuvakaha # 4,  Shloka # 1:

This is a bigger section. It has two spiritual sadhanas. They are: 1: Mantra Japa sadhana and 2) Homa sadhana, a physical ritual on fire.

In these two sadhanas Manasika, Vachika and Kayika karmani are practiced.

In this shloka we are offering prayer to God. God can be visualized in any form. God, himself, is formless as he is limitless. Symbolically we worship a form such as a Linga or Turmeric powder etc. In this shloka “Omkara” is worshipped.

What is benefit of Omkara Upasana? I seek Gyana Yogyatha Prapthihi through this sadhana. I seek all round fitness, physical, verbal (communication skill), emotional fitness (mind should be balanced) and intellectual sharpness are all required to understand Vedanta. The sadhanas do not offer any mystic experience. The student has to understand the teaching. Any knowledge is intellectual in nature. I am asking for Gyana Yogyatha. Since God is invoked as Omkara, it is glorified. On Omkara, I invoke parameshwara.

Rishabhaha in shloka means greatest.

Omkara is greatest among Vedic mantras. Why is a Vedic mantra called Chandus? Chand means pleasing or giving happiness. So learning to give joy is one meaning. Another meaning of Chandus is to protect from worldly problems.

How did Omkara originate? Scriptures say Omkara was extracted from the Vedas. Like butter from milk. Brahmaji himself churned the Vedas through his tapas, to obtain the Veda Sara. The first extract of his churning was the Gayathri Mantra.

Thus, from Gayathri mantra came:

Rig veda: Tatsa Vithuhu varenyam:                  Bhu: A

Yajur Veda: Bhargo  Devasysa Dhimahi: Bhuvaha: U

Sama Veda: Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayat:   Suvaha: M

Thus AUM came into being created by Brahmaji for the benefit of Kaliyuga where people have very little time for spiritual activity.

Since Omkara is the essence of Vedas, when it is expanded it becomes the Vedas. Analogy is to orange juice concentrate when diluted with water become regular orange juice. This Omkara is seen as God himself. So one prays to this God to strengthen one self.

He strengthens by:

  1. Giving Medha Shakti or capacity to understand and absorb teaching.
  2. Dharana Shakti: Capacity to retain the absorbed teaching.

Take Away:

With Best Wishes,

Ram Ramaswamy