Fw: The system of 3 (part -8)

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Dear Memebrs:

 

I am forwarding here with the most recent

article by Smt.Saranathan.

 

NamO NaaRaYaNAya ,

V.Sadagopan

 

 

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

 

 

Having had some idea about how this Creation is sustained (by yajna), let us now

move on to know the other basic rule by means of which such mutual sustenance

and dependence is carried out. Without knowing this rule and its application at

all levels, it is not possible to gain an understanding into tarpanAm.

 

 

 

The basis of all this Creation begins in number 3.

 

According to Brihadaranyaka upanishad, this universe in a triad of Name, Form

and Works. Further details of this system of three is explained in Chandogya

Upanishad.

 

Let us read the following verses from this Upanishad to know how this system of

3 operates.

 

 

 

(Chandogya - Part 6 )

Chapter II - Brahman: the Cause of the Universe

1

 

"In the beginning, my dear, this universe was Being (Sat) alone, one only

without a second. Some say that in the beginning this was non—being (asat)

alone, one only without a second; and from that non—being, being was born."

 

2

 

Aruni said: "But how, indeed, could it be thus, my dear? How could Being be born

from non—being? No, my dear, it was Being alone that existed in the beginning,

one only without a second.

 

3

 

"It (Being, or Brahman) thought: 'May I be many; may I grow forth.' It created

fire. That fire thought: 'May I be many; may I grow forth.' It created water.

That is why, whenever a person is hot and perspires, water is produced from fire

(heat) alone.

 

4

 

"That water thought: 'May I be many; may I grow forth.' It created food (i.e.

earth). That is why, whenever it rains anywhere, abundant food is produced. From

water alone is edible food produced.

 

Chapter III — The Threefold Development

1

 

"Of all these living beings, there are only three origins: those born from an

egg, those born from a living being and those born from a sprout.

 

2

 

"That Deity thought: 'Let Me now enter into those three deities by means of this

living self and let Me then develop names and forms.'

 

3

 

"That Deity, having thought: 'Let Me make each of these three tripartite,'

entered into these three deities by means of the living self and developed names

and forms.

 

4

 

"It made each of these tripartite; and how these three deities became, each of

them, tripartite, that learn from me now, my dear.

 

Chapter IV — The Threefold Development further explained

1

 

"The red colour of gross fire is the colour of the original fire; the white

colour of gross fire is the colour of the original water; the black colour of

gross fire is the colour of the original earth. Thus vanishes from fire what is

commonly called fire, the modification being only a name, arising from speech,

while the three colours (forms) alone are true.

 

2

 

"The red colour of the sun is the colour of fire, the white the colour of water,

the black the colour of earth. Thus vanishes from the sun what is commonly

called the sun, the modification being only a name, arising from speech, while

the three colours alone are true.

 

3

 

"The red colour of the moon is the colour of fire, the white the colour of

water, the black the colour of earth. Thus vanishes from the moon what is

commonly called the moon, the modification being only a name, arising from

speech, while the three colours alone are true.

 

4

 

"The red colour of lightning is the colour of fire, the white the colour of

water, the black the colour of earth. Thus vanishes from lightning what is

commonly called lighting, the modification being only a name, arising from

speech, while the three colours alone are true.

 

5

 

"It was just through this knowledge that the great householders and great Vedic

scholars of olden times declared: 'No one can now mention to us anything which

we have not heard, thought of, or known.' They knew all from these three forms.

 

6—7

 

"Whatever, appeared red they knew to be the colour of fire; whatever appeared

white they knew to be the colour of water; whatever appeared black they knew to

be the colour of earth.

"Whatever appeared to be unknown they knew to be the combination of these three

deities (i.e. colours). Now learn from me, my dear, how these three deities,

when they reach man, become each of them tripartite.

 

"That, my dear, which is the subtlest part of curds rises, when they are churned

and becomes butter.

 

Chapter V — The Threefold Nature of Food

1

 

"Food when eaten becomes threefold. What is coarsest in it becomes faeces, what

is medium becomes flesh and what is subtlest becomes mind.

 

2

 

"Water when drunk becomes threefold. What is coarsest in it becomes urine, what

is medium becomes blood and what is subtlest becomes prana.

 

3

 

"Fire when eaten becomes threefold. What is coarsest in it becomes bone, what is

medium becomes marrow and what is subtlest becomes speech.

 

4

 

"The mind, my dear, consists of food, the prana of water and speech of heat."

"Please, venerable Sir, instruct me further."

"So be it, my dear"

 

Chapter VI — The Physical Nature of the Mind, the Prana and Speech

1

 

"In the same manner, my dear, that which is the subtlest part of the food that

is eaten rises and becomes mind.

 

3

 

"The subtlest part of the water that is drunk rises and becomes prana.

 

4

 

"The subtlest part of the fire that is eaten rises and becomes speech.

 

5

 

"Thus, my dear, the mind consists of food, the prana consists of water and

speech consists of fire."

"Please, venerable Sir, instruct me further."

"So be it, my dear"

 

Chapter VII — How the Mind consists of Food

1

 

"A person, my dear, consists of sixteen parts. Do not eat any food for fifteen

days, but drink as much water as you like. Since the prana consists of water, it

will not be cut off if you drink water."

 

2

 

Svetaketu did not eat any food for fifteen days. Then he came to his father and

said: "What, Sir, shall I recite?"

His father said: "The Rik, Yagus and Saman verses."

He replied: "They do not occur to me, Sir."

 

3

 

His father said to him: "Just as, my dear, of a great blazing fire a single

coal, the size of a firefly, may be left, which would not burn much more than

that, even so, my dear, of your sixteen parts only one part is left; and

therefore with that one part you do not remember the Vedas. Now go and eat and

you will understand me."

 

4

 

Svetaketu ate and approached his father. Then whatever his father asked him, he

showed that he knew

 

5—6

 

Then his father said to him: "Just as, my dear, of a great lighted fire a single

coal the size of a firefly, if left, may be made to blaze up again by adding

grass to it and will thus burn much more,

"Even so, my dear; of your sixteen parts only one part was left and that, when

strengthened by food, blazed up. With it you now remember the Vedas. Therefore,

my dear, the mind consists of food, the prana consists of water and speech

consists of fire."

After that he understood what his father said, yea, he understood it."

 

------------------(end quote)---------------------

 

The basic three-some are Fire, water and earth.

 

The allusion to the colours namely, red for Fire, white for water and black for

earth makes us see the correlation to the infra-red radiation of the Sun (for

fire), white denoting purity as colour of water (since water purifies) and black

as the colour since iron is the core of this earth.

 

The above passages explain how they have given birth to the other three-some,

the coarse, the medium and the subtle. All the three namely, agni, water and

earth (food) are giving a person the coarse, the medium and the subtle

components in his physical and mental constitution. For our understanding let us

term the coarse as physical, the medium as vital or fluid and the subtle

level as mental manifestations. They are manifest as speech, mind and prana in

man.

 

Now the question comes how they are connected with the Soul, the Imperishable.

 

This connection has been detailed in Taittriya Upanishad as vyahruthis. The

three-some exists at many levels and they all have been bound by the one which

is the Lord of the three. That 4 th one has been identified and given to mankind

by Rishi Mahachamasya.

 

Lets see those details in the next mail.

 

(To be continued)

 

Regards,