Satsangh

[Guest guest]

Katha _Upanishad<br><br>Nachiketa - Yama

dialogue<br><br>Nachiketa said: That which thou seest as other than virtue

and vice, other than cause and effect, other than the

past and future, tell me that O Lord Yama. This is my

third boon from thee.<br><br>Yama replied: The goal

which all the vedas speak of which all penance’s

proclaim and wishing for which the aspirants lead the life

of a Brahmacharin or celibate, that goal I will

briefly tell thee. It is AUM.<br><br>This word is verily

Brahman; this word is verily the highest; he who knows

this word, obtains, verily whatever he wishes - he

attains immortality and eternal bliss.<br><br>This Soul

is beginningless, endless birthless, deathless,

changeless, formless, attributeless and colourless. He is

without sound, touch, smell and taste. He is eternal,

immortal, all-evading, self-luminous, indivisible one

without a second. He is beyond avyaktam or the

unmanifested. He dwells in the intellect or the cave of the

heart. He is the inner self of all beings.<br><br>He who

is free from desires, whose mind is concentrated and

peaceful whose sense are subdued, beholds this mysterious

Atman through meditation and intuition in his own

intellect and enjoys immortality and everlasting peace and

bliss.<br><br>This souls is hidden in all beings. It is realised by

subtle seers through their sharp and subtle intellect,

with eyes and other senses turned from sensual

objects.<br><br>When all desires are destroyed, when the three knots

of the heart, i.e. Avidya (ignorance), Kama

(desire), Karma (work) are rent asunder, when the five

organs of knowledge are at rest together with the mind

and when the intellect ceases functioning or becomes

calm, you will attain immortality or Parama Gati or the

highest state.<br><br>Nachiketa got clear instructions on

Brahma Vidya, from Lord Yama through the third boon

granted by Yama, practised meditation and attained Brahma

i.e. became immortal through knowledge of the self.

Any qualified student like Nachiketa who knows the

Soul can surely attain immortality.<br><br>Aum May He

protect us both (teacher and pupil). May He cause us both

to enjoy the bliss of Mukti. May we both exert

together to find out the true meaning of the scriptures.

May our studies be fruitful. May we never quarrel

with each other . OM Peace, Peace, Peace.

[Guest guest]

PRASANA UPANISADA<br><br>Kausalya, son of asvala,

questioned sage Pippalada; O bhagavn Pippalada ! Whence is

this Prana born? How does it come into this body? How

does it abide after it has divided itself? How does it

go out? How does it support what is without? How

does it support all within the body?<br><br>He

replied; You ask questions about transcendental matters. I

will explain to thee because you are a great enquirer

of Brahma.<br><br>This Prana (vital life force) is

born of the Atman (Soul). As is this shadow in the

man, so is this Prana in the Soul. By the action of

the mind this enters this body.<br><br>As a king

commands his officers, saying to them; Govern these or

those villages; so does this Prana dispose the other

Pranas, each for their separate allotted work.<br><br>The

Apana dwells in the organs of excretion and generation;

the Prana itself abides in the eye, ear, mouth and

nose. In the middle is Samana. It distributes the food

supplied equally and the seven flames proceed from

it.<br><br>This Atman is in the heart. Here there are a hundred

and one nerves (nadis). Each of them has a hundred

branches; again every one these has seventy-two thousands

sub-branches In these the Vyana moves.<br><br>Again through

one other, the Udana ascending, leads up upwards to

the virtuous world by good work; to sinful worlds by

sin; and to the world of men by virtue and sin

combined. <br><br>The Sun verily is the external Prana. He

rises and assists the Prana in the eye. The goddess of

the earth attracts Apana downwards. The other between

the sun and the earth is Samana. The wind is

Vyana.<br><br>The external fire indeed is Udana. Therefore, he

whose fire has gone out, enters another body with his

senses absorbed in the mind.<br><br>Whatever his thought

(at the time of death), with that he attains Prana;

and Prana united with Udana together with the Jivatma

(individual soul) leads on to the world, thought of. The

learned man who knows Prana thus his offspring does not

perish and he become immortal.<br><br>He who knows the

origin, the entry, the seat, the fivefold distribution of

Prana and its internal state in the body, obtains

immortality.

[Guest guest]

Brihandaranyaka Upanisada<br><br>Gargi daughter

of Vachuknu said; I shall ask thee two questions.

Will you answer me?<br><br>Sage Yajnavalkya said ; Ask

O Gargi<br><br>Gargi: O Sage, that of which they

say that is above the heavens, beneath the earth,

embracing heaven and earth, past present, and future, tell

me in what is it woven, like warp and

woof?<br><br>Yajnavalkya replied : In ether or Akasha<br><br>Gargi: I bow

to thee. In what is the ether woven and rewoven like

warp and woof?<br><br>Yajna: O Gargi in Brahma (the

supreme consciousness) the ether woven and rewoven like

warp and woof. Sages call this the Akshra (the

imperishable). It is neither coarse, nor subtle, neither short

nor long, it has no color, no organs, no mind or

breath or speech, smell or face.<br><br>By the command

of this indestructible being O Gargi, sun and moon,

heaven and earth, stand upheld in their places. By the

command of this Akshara minutes, hours, days, seasons and

years stand apart.<br><br>Whosoever without knowing the

Akshara departs from this world, becomes a miser. But he

who departs from this world knowing this

indestructible being is a true Brahmin.<br><br>That Brahma

although unseen, but He sees; although unheard, but He

hears; although unthought, but He thinks; although

unknown, but He knows; There is none that sees but He,

there is none that hears but He, there is none that

thinks but He, there is none that knows but He. In the

Akshara then the ether is woven and rewoven like warp and

woof.