Thath thvam asi - chandhogya upanishat 6.1

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Thath thvam asi- That Thou Art

 

The

basic teachings of the Upanishads could be summarised in six sentences known as

mahvakyas. They are ,

1.

aham brahmaasmi- I am brahman

2.

ayam aathmaa brahma- This self is Brahman

3.

prajnaanam brahma- knowledge is

Brahman

4.

thath thvam asi – that thou art

5.

sarvam khalu idham brahma- all this

is Brahman

6.

so aham- He am I

 

Of these, thath

thavam asi is very well known and often quoted . Every

one knows it with or without meaning. This mahavakya occurs in Chandhogya Upanishat.

The sentence occurs at the end of the section 6 of chapter 6 and again repeated as a

refrain at the end of sections from12 till the end of the chapter with

elucidations. The whole chapter is a complete treatise on brhamjnana and

deserves detail study.

 

We

shall examine the interpretations of these passages in the light of advaita and

visishtadvaita.

 

SvethakethuH aaruNeyaH aasa tha ha;

 

There

was svethakethu, the son of uddhaalaka AruNi.

 

pithaa uvaacha

Svethaketho vasa brahmacharyam

 

the father said to him, "Svethakethu, live the life

of a brahmacharin." This means to live a

life of a celibate student by joining a

gurukulam and learning the Vedas and sastras at the feet of the Master, giving

up all the other desires.

 

na vai soumya asmath kuleenaH ananoochya

brahmabanDhuriva bhavathi ithi

 

He

said, " Dear boy, in our clan no one remains a brahmabanDhu by not learning the

Vedas.

 

The

word brahmabandhu means a Brahmin in birth only who has not learnt the Vedas

nor follows any of the brahmana dharma.

 

Then

Svethakethu was sent to a guru to learn the Vedas and sastras.

 

Sa ha dhvaadhaSa varsham upethya

 

He

, having gone to the gurukula at twelve years of age

 

chathurvimSathivarshah sarvaan

vedhaan aDheethya

 

having

learnt all the Vedas at twenty four years of age

 

mahaamanaaH anoochaanamaanee sthbDhaH

eyaaya tha

 

came

back, conceited, considering himself very learned and arrogant.

 

Pithaa uvaacha yath nu soumya idham mahaamanaaH

anoochaanamaanee sthbDhaH asi

 

The

father said, "dear one, since you appear conceited, as though you have learnt

everything and look arrogant,

 

Tham aadheSam utha appraakshyaH

 

did

you ask for that knowledge,

 

yena aSrutham Srutham bhavathi amatham mathamavijnaatham

vijnaatham ithi.

 

By

which what is unheard becomes heard, what

is unthought of becomes thought of what is unknown becomes known."

 

This

means the knowledge of Brahman by knowing which everything becomes known,

ekavijaanena sarva vijnaanam

 

kaTham nu bhagavaH sa aadheSo

bhavathi ithi

 

Svethakethu

asked, " of what nature is that teaching, oh revered one?

 

He

could not understand how is it possible to know everything by knowing one. The

father explains.

 

yaTHaa soumya ekena mrthpindena

sarvam mrnmayam vijnaatham syaath

 

Dear

one, Just as knowing the lump of clay all things made of clay becomes known,

 

vaachaarambhaNam vikaaraH naamaDheyam

mrtthikethyeva sathyam

 

all

modifications are in name only and the clay alone is real.

 

yaThaa sowmya ekena loha maNInaa

sarvam lohamayam jaatham

 

my

dear, just as by knowing one lump of gold all things made of gold are known,

 

vaachaarambhaNam vikaaraH naamaDheyam

lohamithyeva sathyam

 

all

modifications are in name only and the gold alone is real,

 

yaThaa sowya ekena nakhanikrnthanena

sarvam kaarshNaayasam vijnaatham

 

dear

one just as knowing one nail cutter made

of iron all that s made of iron is known,

 

vaachaarambhaNam vikaaraH naamaDheyam

krshNaayasam itheva sathyam

 

all

modifications are in name only and the iron alone is real.

 

evam somya sa aadheSo bhavathi ithi

 

That teaching goes like this.

 

The son replied.

 

Na vai noonam bhagavanthaH the ethath

avedhishuH yath hi ethath avedhishyan me kaTham na avakshyan ithi

 

 

The revered ones would not have known that otherwise why should they

not have taught me?

 

bhagvaan thu eva me thath braveethu

ithi

 

You, my revered father, please teach it to me.

 

thaThaa sowmya ithi hovaacha

 

The father said let it be so dear and started the teaching.