Notes-us

Aug 20, 2025

Chp 18: Tat tvam asi prakaranam

Prayer verse: Directed on chaitanya swarupa atma

Paramarthika satyam..both external world and internal world of thoughts...everything comes from atma. It is the kaaranam....the upadana kaaranam also....vrtti + chidabhasa. I offer namaskara

tasmai namah

dhih pratyaya atmaney (atma here = essence)

yena atmanaa udbhavanti vrttayah (from which swarupa gnaanam..vrtti gnaanam originates)

nitya avagataye (swarupa gnaanam)

verse-2: Guru namaskara

To the great guru namah- guro gariyase namah

To the one who preserves the treasure- raraksha vedartha nidhim vishaala dheeh

Who protects against all defective interpretations (including purva mimaamsa which says karma is the main message of the veda...as opposed to brahman being revealed in the veda).

vachosibhih- with words used like a sword (asi)!

Vajra upama - the sword is like this...with logical reasoning (yukti sambhrtaihi)

pramathya- destroying

100s of converse ideas....opposed to vedanta...araateen shruteh shatashah 

guro gariyase = anandagiri says vyasa...or gaudapada (guru's guru). Vyasa has analysed all different schools of thought.

guru < parama guru < parameshthi guru < paraapara guru

Govinda bhagavat paada -> Gaudapaada -> Shuka -> Vyasa

But Vyasa...can he be...yateendraaya? Hence, may be...Gaudapaada

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v-3: 

Most important sadhana is vedantic study...systematically. This is the primary sadhana. The others are supporting sadhanas- karma yoga, upasana, yagna, daana, tapas....all are meant to come to this study...effectively. This alone gives liberating knowledge. Knowledge helps to disown ignorance...to claim my brahman status. Hence, so many prakriyas...

Some claim...it is not enough....you have to "do something"...you need "experience"...etc. This is prasankhyaana vaada- Naishkarmya siddhi.....(v 9 here).

This verse is Shankara's view...it *will* give liberating knowledge. 

sad eva asmi....I am sat!

This brahman is nitya mukta...

1180 upanishads....why so many?...only to teach me!

Like the mother....shruti mother....

This is pratignya shloka. 

Aug 16, 2025

Summary: Winding down verses + summary: Uniqueness of brahman as a goal, uniqueness of this particular knowledge, uniqueness of this sadhana

Yes, with this chapter 15 comes to a close. We will not cover 16 and 17. Chp 18 will be next and the most important and biggest chapter of US. It is going to deal with tat tvam asi.

Here, we get the winding down verses of Chp 15.

v50: Sun example. In the sun, there is no day and night because light is its nature. Earth has borrowed light and hence, we have day and night. So too, anatma will be revealed and will not be revealed. But the atma is ever self evident and requires no process to reveal it, just like the sun.

v51: Remembering the Lalita Sahasranama verse: Heyopaadeya varjita. The self is like this: not an object to be gained or to be given up! Self is ever with us. Phala-shruti. He who understands brahman thus...as revealed in this chapter...has no rebirth (from anatma angle, that is...and from atma angle, anyway, there is no birth). How is it revealed in this chapter? By giving the methodology of...first scrape off jiva bhava...and after that, own up brahma bhaava.

v52: Gnanam is the only method to get moksha...(because the problem is one of ignorance). But gnanam is tough! Yes, then, make it easy! How? By following karma yoga and upasana yoga. In scripture, we find both examples: Very tough: kshurasya dhara....(K Up)Very easy: susukham kartum avyayam (BG-9). Hence, easy/tough depends on preparation.

v53: Quoting Mu Up on why this teaching on gnaanam is blessed by upanishad (Mu Up). Grathis- knots whereby, I bind myself to sthula shariram, su, kaarana shariram. 3 knots. Chidyante samshaya- no more doubt regaring jiva, jagat, ishvara, Kshiiyante karmani- all 3 karmas are taken care appropriately. We know this. (Note how 3, 3, 3 comes in this verse). Remember this famous verse well! All this is got through "drshte"- aparoksha gnaanam.

v54: Complete verse. First, give up aham and mama (pancha anatma that is). Own up brahma bhava (space like..ambaram). How? Using "sudrshta shastram"- shastram revealed with correct vision of one-ness and using logic too (anumaanam)...If you do all this, vimuchyate....nishchitah- through clear knowledge.

Summary:

Uniqueness of moksha: Cannot even be a real goal because it is ever with me...and hence, needs to be only claimed.

Uniqueness of knowledge: No new thing is known...No new experience too! I only disowned by brahman status earlier...and claim that now.

Uniqueness of sadhana: Here, we don't try to IMPROVE. We REPLACE- jiva bhava with brahma bhava!

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Aug 12, 2025

Only one point in these verses: It is the 3rd-capsule..."by My mere presence, I illumine the body-mind...and through that, the world" and claiming "I am the atma".

(1) In case of atma, no process of illumination is needed, because it is self-evident. 

(2) Why then do we need vedantic study? Chp 18, v-4. I have a super-imposed notion that has joined "I am". This is jiva bhava....apurnatva bhaava. This is anaadi. This adhyaaropa. This covers brahma bhava like snakeness covers ropeness. Removal of jiva bhava is the purpose. Hence, brahma bhava is emphasised in tat tvam asi. Jiva bhava is given off to anatma. New status of mine is claimed in tat tvam asi. Note this point well...on the purpose of all this study!

(3) Atma is not a gneyah. It is in fact...a revealer. Sun illumines planets. Is illuminator an action? No action. It is figurative. Sun is just present. Action belongs to the object that is revealed by the light. No action in the upahitam. Mind is changing illuminator. Hence, pramata. Atma is not like that. Hence, it is sakshi. Note this difference between "pramata" and "sakshi" well.

(4) The sun illumines the snake that comes out of the anthill...we feel as though sun has revealed the snake...through an action. But the sun has always done that. Shining to illumining change....no change in the sun. 3rd capsule- by my mere presence, I illumine the body-mind and through that, I reveal the world. Jyotishaam jyoti in BG. I am the ultimate illuminator. This is brahma bhava....atma as sakshi. Sun example in this verse.

(5) Fire "burns" the paper examples. Fire has always been burning. But we transfer the paper's status to fire and say fire burns. No action for fire. I become knower of mind...when mind comes up...after deep-sleep...like the snake that comes out! And now....mind becomes knower...and reveals the world. Hence, "knower" is figurative.

(6) Atma is a figurative "do-er" also! Note this well. BG relies on this to say I am NOT a do-er. Here, we have a magnet example. Iron filing...runs to magnet! Magnet does nothing. "Bhraamatah"..."ayaskaantah" is a magnet. Anatma now does various actions. Does atma "do" ? We say...brahman is creator. But then....maya is the one that evolves...in the presence of brahman. Na nirodhah...(Ma Up).

(7) Known and unknown...is only for the object. Not for the "always as-though status knower" for atma. Brahman is neither known nor unknown.Refers Kena Up. Only "claiming I am the atma" is the only "knowing" of the atma.

(8) That atma is bound...and atma is mukta...that is also a superimposition like knower, do-er..etc. Everything is superimpostion. I "thought" I am bound.

Chp 15: July 22, 2025

4 versions of atma: jiva rupa atma, jagat rupa atma, ishvara rupa atma.. and nirupaadhika atma

In the first 3, nama rupa is included.  It is sopaadhika atma where we have mithyaatva nischaya. 

The name upadhi means, its presence, will not affect!

Space example. Like Chp 13 of BG. Forgetfulness of this...is the only issue.

v33: With each upadhi, I become vishva, taijasa, praagnya. I drop the upadhi since it is incidental. drishtam hitvaa- jaagrat prapancha hitvaa...maya projection...mithyaatva nishchaya...smrti hitvaa...no wool gathering! sarva-graha = tamas (kaarana shariram hitva)...Negate that also.... Sun is dinakrt...darkness is shaarvaram...Like the sun, may you negate the darkness of vishva prapancha etc. There is ONE consciousness...jyotishaam jyotihi! That is the real me. Remember...all this is drama. The true nature is turiyam.

v34: what I experience...is differences...vishama....prapanchas are different (in every avastha)....thoughts in each avastha...are also many and varied. Rupa- jaagrat smrti- swapna, andhakaara- sushupti....pratyaya....thoughts in each. I am the atma...(i claim)...atma is "sama", "drashtaa" and in every body....I am everywhere... (We use this language only during nididhyaasanam...or during teaching. In vyavahaara, never use this language!)

v35: pratyaya in previous shloka....is explained here. world-based-thoughts.....vasana-based-thoughts....(cannot destroy vasana, only mithyatva nishchaya...even for gnani)...will-based-thoughts...(as in meditation, nididhyaasanam...mano buddhi...na aham)....atma-(is required for thoughts)...buddhi and mind...eye (all sense organs)...and vishaya....aaloka (light)....atma alone is satyam...all the others are mithya....This is how pratyaya is generated! We needn't feel bad. When I want....to do at will....is to have will-based-thoughts...and relegate vaasana based thoughts. That is enough. Tayor vasham na aagachhet.... vichitra (thoughts are varied)....all born of agnaana...created by maya...What we need is the atma-anatma viveka.

Chp 15: (July 7, 2025)

- Nididhyaasanam: jiva bhaava durbali karanam (dilution of jiva bhava)...if life is seen as a burden, that means, I am in jiva-bhaava and taking it too real. It should be seen as "kanchuka" - required for transaction. I am not vishva-taijasa-praagnya. I am chit...should be affirmed. All conditions of body-mind are illumined by Me....even avastha trayam....is illumined by Me...and not me.

avastha- ahankara. Don't say...I am sad, was sad, will be sad etc. I can never be sad. Sadness belongs to mind. I am atma. Mind may be sad...but I am not!

Subject-mind distance is not there...but we entertain the "thought" to separate. Mind is illumined. I illumine the mind. 

Through this, ahankara, mamakaara, raga-dvesha...can be reduced. Yad yad bhavyam bhavatu bhagavan.... I am ready to go through all downs in time. Mind becomes calmer. Aagamaapaayino....(cheerfully)...chintaa vilaapa rahitam...how ? by remembering my "higher nature". Let anything happen!

Will and prarabdha- both control the mind...and hence, mind will fluctuate. But I "see" the mind. Like the sun illumines the pot etc. 

v-27: How we come down to mind level during transaction (and suffer)...to ahankara...to individuality...(from saakshi). I perform activities- ahankara. I witness activities- saakshi bhaava.

Ch 15: v21-26 (June 26, 2025)

- The main topic here is avastha traya vichara

In v21: Life is compared to a yaga. Atma as heat/fire principle is everywhere. Mind is the fuel, where atma is manifest as chidabhasa (individual flame, atma fire alone is the flame in each person). The flame is fanned by avidya-kama-karma. The mind (along with CB) is the one that goes outside...via the sense organs and experiences the world.

v22: Vishwa verse: Atma along with jagrat mind is vishva (in micro and virat in macro). The tangible universe is the havis that enters the mind. In vishva, the right eye is the most predominant way...through which this world is experienced.

v23: How a jivan-mukta looks at this yaaga- He remembers the teaching (smaran) and ensures he does not project his raga-dvesha while experiencing the world (either prasada buddhi or mithyaatva buddhi). Hence, he does not get stuck.

v24: Swapna-avastha- Vasana based world. Who lights up the dream world? Atma lights up (through the dream-mind)! Swayam jyoti brahmanam (Br Up Yagnavalkya, Janaka samvaada)

v25: Sushupti avastha: No external world, no inner vasana world. Suspension of karma. Mind along with karana shariram (along with atma of course) is the pragnya. There is advaita anubhava in deep-sleep. Remember this point well. No individuality....no dvaita...in deep sleep. CB also is passive.

v36: Turiya. (Not turiya avastha because no anatma here). It illumines all states without doing any action...like the sun.

  

Chp 15: V 17- V 21 (June 19)

All Nididhyaasana shlokas

Based on Brhadaaranyaka's Swayam jyoti brahmanam

2 "knowers" model

(1) Mind is knower-1: The thoughts and sense organs are the instrument and it reveals the world. Note: Chidaabhaasa is also present in this process- firstly to make the mind alive and sentient as well as to travel in the "thought" through which the external world is revealed. Here, there is action (on the part of the mind)...to entertain the thought...and thus, the external world is revealed/known.

Note one aside point: Chidabhasa traveling along with the thought is called "phala vyaapti" technically. It makes any object "known". Thought travelling is "vrtti vyaapti" and because chidabhasa also travels in the thought, it is called "phala vyaapti".

(2) Atma is "knower-2": It is better to say "revealer" than "knower". Here, the atma reveals the mind and its thoughts also. No action involved on the part of atma. It lends chidaabhaasa to the mind (no action in lending this also, on the part of atma), and through that, mind is "known". In this model, atma is "knower". Consciousness is "sort of instrument", and mind is known. 

The above is known as "Mind triputi" and "Atma triputi" respectively (due to the division of knower-instrument-known in both above).

In Nididhyaasanam, I own up myself as (2) and not (1). 

In 17, I am Atma Triputi and not Mind-triputi. If atma were M-triputi, then, it would also be limited (alpam)

In 18, Shankara says, this is uktam (in B. Upanishad). And gives an "unlike example". I am Knower-2 (above) (nitya drashta)...unlike mind/sense-organs.

In 19, Do Nididhyaasanam by enquiring (using guru and shastram) as to who I am. I am not "collectively (sanghaatam)" or "severally (vyastam)" either the elements (in body/mind) or the sense-organs. This is is jeeva-bhaava durbali-karanam

In 20, neti-neti. I am not any of them....severally or together. I am Knower-2 (above) and not the mind/sense-organs (not knower-1).

In 21, an example is given. Atma is like the "heat principle" everywhere. Mind is the fuel (avidya, kaama, karma). Individual flame...where the mind is....gets lit up (because of atma everywhere and the fuel in the mind). This is the jiva (the lit-up flame)...but he should understand....that infact, he is not this little flame, but the heat-principle everywhere (because of which this little flame is also lit up)! This is "life as a yagna example".