[Uddalaka and Svetaketu]

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI MAlOlan CadAmbi,

 

I answer your question in a detailed manner as follows. Your question is very

simple. The answer to that is also simple. But unfortunately, this verse of

ChandOgya upanishad's sat-vidyA " tat tvam asi " has been misinterpreted by

many.

 

Please read the following passages to get to know the outline about tat tvam

asi. Identical to this verse " tat tvam asi " & " aham brahmAsmi " etc, one can

find tiru-vAi-mOzhi 2-9-9 as follows:

yAnE ennai aRyki lAdE

yAnE enRana dEen RirundEn

yAnE neeen udaimaiyum neeyE

vAnE Ettumen vAnava rERe

swAmi nammAzwAr says " yAnE nee " meaning " I (jeeva) verily am you (paramAtma

VishNu) " . This has been explained in sAra-sAram by swAmi SrIman nigamAnta mahA

dESika as follows.

'ippadangaLilE sOpAna kramattAlE jIvanukku sattA anubandhigaLAna AadhEyatva,

vidhEyatva SeshatvangaL sidhdikkayAlE " yAnE nee " ityAdigaLil sAmAnAdhikaraNyam

SarIrAtma-bhAva-nibandhanamendRu sidhditadu. ittAlE kudrushti matangaL

kazhindana "

 

These SrI sUktis are almost in the end of tiru-mantrAdhikAram in sAra-sAram.

According to our AachArya, the meaning verses like tat-tvam-asi etc are

clearly present in the meaning of the SrImath AshtAksharam. The jeeva is

aprutak-sidhda-viSeshaNam of Brahman SrIman nArAyaNa. The jeeva is the SarIram

of Brahman SrIman nArAyaNa. To under stand the concept of SarIra-Aatmas, one

has to first understand the prutak-sidhdi-anarha AadhAra-AadhEya bhAvam. Then,

prutak-sidhdi-anarha niyantru-niyAmya bhAvam. Finally, prutak-sidhdi-anarha

Seshi-Sesha bhAvam.

" tat-tvam-asi " finally means " You (Jeeva) are a SrI VaishNava dAsa: " .

" aham-brahmAsmi " means " I (Jeeva) am a SrI VaishNava dAsa: " .

 

Your questions are answered. For details, please follow the dialogue

between udAlaka and swEthakEtu as follows:

 

The Chandokya Upanishad's Sat-Vidhya is the subject of discussion now. It has

the famous verse " Tat Tvam Asi " . Advaita has its own interpretation for this

on the other hand Visistadvaita ascertains its purport. First of all let us

get to know the Sat Vidhya which is outlined as follows:

 

The Chandokya Upanishad's dialogue is narrated - Aruna's son is Uddalaka.

Uddalaka's son is Swethaketu. Uddalaka addressed his son " Swetaketo! Do the

prescribed study of Veda under the guidance of qualified preceptor! " Swetaketu

obeyed his father's order and completed the prescribed study of Veda and

returned back to his house after years. Swethaketu thought that he has

mastered everything. On seeing his son, Uddalaka understood that his son is

yet to know the Brahman. Uddalaka therefore wanted him to get knowledge about

the Brahman. In order to invoke his interest regarding the Brahman, Uddalaka

questioned Swetaketu as follows: " Utha tamaadesam apraakshya: yenaasrutam

srutham bhavathi amatham matham avignyaatham vignyaatham - O son! Do you know

that " Adesa " , by knowing which all things which were not heard becomes heard

(known), all that which were not contemplated becomes contemplated and all

unknown becomes known? " Swethaketu should have got shocked on being questioned

like this and doubted the question's logic itself. He did not know the answer

any way. He asked his father " Katham Tu Bhagava: Sa: - How is that revered

Sir? " His father first made it clear to his son that the question is logical

and then answered it in detail. He quoted examples - " Yatha Somya ekena mruth

pindena sarvam mrunmayam vignyaatham isyaath " - By knowing the material cause

" Clay " , things (like pot which are effects) made of clay becomes to be known " .

He actually pointed out the oneness of cause (material cause - Upaadaana

Kaaranam) and the effect (Kaaryam). To make him understand that Pot and Clay

are same (but only different forms), he said " Vaacha-Arambhanam Vikaaro

Namadheyam mruthikethyeva satyam " . Though we think the pot is different from

clay, it is in fact the clay itself in a changed mode, which has got a shape,

called as pot. His father quoted few more examples in this regard. Swethakethu

requested his father to kindly teach him that " Adesa " , knowing which

everything becomes known!

 

The verses of the Upanishad " Yenaasrutam Srutam Bhavathi... " etc., and the

example of clay quoted by the Upanishad beyond doubt establishes that the

Brahman is the material cause (upAdAna kAraNam) of the universe. Here an

important aspect has to be noted. Just the mere existence of clay (cause) is

not enough for imparting the knowledge of things made of clay like pot

(effect). Therefore the term " Yena " here has to be understood as " By knowing

which " . This enlightens us by imparting knowledge about the fact that Brahman

is absolutely with infinite auspicious/divine characteristics/attributes that

are peerless. " Uthatam Aadesam Apraakshaya: " is summarised as follows:

Udaalaka asked his son Swethakethu " Have you known the Brahman who is having

absolutely infinite auspicious/divine attributes like omniscience

(sarvagnyatvam), omnipotence (sarvasakthitvam) and omnipresence

(sarvavyaapakatvam) and is the only material cause of the universe? "

 

What is the meaning of the term " Aadesa " ? Its meaning is given as per the

lexicons and linguistic/grammatical rules of Sanskrit as " Aadisyathe AnEna

Ithi Aadesa: " . The Sanskrit term " Aadesa " originates from prefix " Aa " joining

with the root of verb " Disch " . (Please note that the pronunciations and their

letter-representations in English are little varied; knowledge in Sanskrit

language easily helps in comprehending these concepts). This root of verb has

the meaning " to control " (Niyamanam). As the Brahman controls the entire

universe, the Brahman is denoted by the word " Aadesa: " - This is a very

important point to note here. Only if the meaning of " Aadesa " term is

ascertained here, the purport of the Bruhadaranyaka Upanishad's verses

" Ethasya Vaa Aksharasya prasaasane Gaargi Sooryachandramasow vidhrutow

tishtatha: " and the words of Manu (in Manu Smruthi) who explained the verses

as " Prasaasitaaram sarveshaam " can be comprehended accurately. " Ethasya Vaa

Aksharasya prasaasane Gaargi Sooryachandramasow vidhrutow tishtatha: " states

that " The heavenly bodies like sun, moon etc., are supported by the command of

Brahman " (Brahman is the controller of everything). The " Prasaasitaaram

sarveshaam " of Manu Smruthi explains the same purport of the Upanishad as

" Everything/Everyone is controlled by Brahman " . The meaning of the term

" Prasaasane " (in Bruhadaaranyaka Upanishad verse) and that of the term

" Prasaasitha " (in Manu Smruthi verse) is the same for the term " Aadesa " in

Chaandokya Upanishad's Sat Vidya. In the terms " Prasaasane " and " Prasaasitha " ,

the prefix is " Pra " but the root with which it joins is the same as it is in

" Aadesa " . The meaning here is therefore same. Therefore " Aadesa: " denotes

" Brahman " who controls the entire universe (all chit and achit entities).

 

Further to ascertain this meaning of the term " Aadesa: " , the Upanishad is

carefully studied. The Upanishad has clearly stated that " Ekameva Adveeteeyam "

This " Eva " in the terms " Ekameva " stresses that the Brahman is the only

material cause of the universe. Further the term " Adveeteeyam " states clearly

that no one other than Purushotthama: (Brahman) controls the entire universe.

Therefore the Upanishad declares that " controlling the entire universe " is the

unique characteristic of Brahman by using the term " Aadesa: " to denote Brahman

- Shreeman NarayaNa: who is Pundareekaaksha:. I used the term Pundareekaaksha:

(Brahman has divine lotus-like beautiful eyes which are celebrated not only by

this Upanishad but also by all smurthis, itihaasaas, puranas and aagamaas)

specifically just to make it very clear that the Vedanta's philosophy is

Visistadvaita Shree Vaishnavam and only Visistadvaita Shree Vaishnavam. (Refer

" Antas TathDharmOpadesath " Brahma Sutra here for an interesting and

establishing aspect).

 

The upadesam (teaching) was started by his father - " Sat Eva Somya edmagre

aaseeth ekameya adveteeyam " . " O Somya (who is fit to drink the Soma juice

(prepared in Soma yagnya)) the universe which you see now with manifold forms

and names was not like this before its creation but was present subtle

(difficult to distinguish) form of " Sat " . Nothing is its support other than

Sat.

 

The " Sat " wished " Tat Ikshatha Bahusyaam Prayaayethi " . That is, the " Sat "

wished that " I become the multitudinous (expanded-StUla) chit and achit

tatvas ie., the universe " . The " Sat " became many, as it wished. This is

" Sat's " first Sankalpam (Wish).

 

The " Sat " wished again - " SOyam Devataykshatha Hanthaaham Imaa: Tisra:

Devataa: Anena JevEna Aatmanaa Anupravisya Nama Roope iVyaakaravaaNi " that is

the Sat wished " by having the representative divinities of Tejas (light), Ap

(Water) and Annam (Prutvi-matter) as Sareeram (body/mode), I enter into them

as soul and give manifold names and forms to them " . It became as it wished.

 

The Brahman (Sat) is therefore declared as the " Cause " (Kaaranam) of the

universe. By the first sankalpam, the Brahman did the " Samashti Srushti " and

by the second sankalpam he did the " Vyashti Srushti " . " Samashti Srushti " means

creating the universe in its amass form and " Vyashti Srushti " means creating

the universe in its clearly diversified form. Further the Sat Vidyaa continues

as follows " Sath Moolaa: Somya Imaa: Prajaa: " meaning the Brahman is the cause

for all these chit tatvas (not only achit tatvas) also.

 

All the chit and achit tatvaas where in the subtle form (sUkshma - without

form, name and identifications) as body/mode of Brahman before creation as

" Sat " in such a way that it was hard to differentiate them with individual

name, form and species identification. All these things (all the chit and

achit entities) have no independent nature, existence and its continuance and

actions without the support, control and lordship of Brahman. The Brahman

controls all these chit and achit entities and their creation is purely

dependent on Brahman. They all have the Brahman as " soul " and they all form

the body of Brahman. Their continuance and destruction are also dependent on

Brahman.

 

After these teachings, Uddaalaka concluded his sermon " Ithadaatmiyam Idam

Sarvam Tat Satyam Sa Aatmaa Tat Tvam Asi Swethaketho " meaning, " The universe

composed of innumerable chit and achit entities are pervaded by the " Sat "

(Brahman) and has the Brahman as its Aatmaa (soul). The Sat is the universe

therefore because of this inseparable body-soul relationship. (Similarly) You

(Swethaketu) are also the same Brahman (as you (a Jeevaatman) are also

pervaded by the same Brahman and you are having the Brahman as your Soul

(aatma) and you are the body/mode of the same Brahman). The verse " Tat Tvam

Asi " leads to a debate as the Advaitins tell their own personal idea as its

meaning, which is different from the " Sareera-Aatma " bhaavam as discussed

above.

 

Up to this, the Upanishad has stated the following:

1. Knowing one entity, everything becomes known (is the Prathignya (oath)),

which is the Brahman who is the material cause (Upaadaana Kaaranam). The

brahma swarUpam is nirvikAram (unchanging nature) though the brahman is known

as upAdAna kAraNam. This has been recently discussed in the net.

2. The instrumental (efficient) cause of the universe is also the Brahman as

he " Wished " to create the universe

3. The body-soul relationship (Sareera-Aatma- Bhaavam) between the universe

and the Brahman.

4. As the Brahman is the soul of the entire universe, the Brahman himself is

denoted as the universe and in the very same meaning, denotes a Jeevaatman

(here Swetaketu) (Tvam) as Brahman (Tat) - " Tat Tvam Asi "

 

Bhagavath rAmAnuja clearly explains the verse " tat tvam asi " very clearly as

follows:

A Concept called " sAmAnAdhikaraNyam " which is a technical grammatical concept,

has to be comprehended to know the verse " Tat Tvam Asi " clearly.

 

" sAmAnAdhikaranayam " means " co-ordinate predication " . It means that

co-ordinate predicate terms are used to identify the substantive.

 

The great grammarian of Sanskrit has defined this concept " SAmAnAdhikaraNyam "

as follows:

" Bhinna Pravruththi NimiththAnAm sAbdAnAm Ekasmin Arthe Vruththi: -

SAmAnAdhikaraNyam " .

 

The meaning of this is as follows: An entity is signified/denoted by several

terms, each term denoting that entity based on each of its various inseparable

attributes. That is different words possessing different grounds of meanings

denoting a single entity is what is called " SAmAnAdhikaraNyam " The reader may

find this bit confusing. Let me explain it using an example. Please consider

in Sanskrit the terms " nIla: ghata: " meaning " Dark Pot " . Here the term " nIla: "

is denoting the entity by that entity's inseparable attribute

" Darkness/Blackness " . The Term " ghata: " again denotes the same entity by its

nature of having narrow neck and broad spherical body. Therefore the " nIla: "

term denotes the entity on the ground of meaning " Darkness " " nIla Roopam "

which is an attribute/mode of the entity. Similarly the " ghata: " term denotes

the same entity (Pot) on the ground of the entity's mode of being

narrow-necked with broad spherical body.

 

The verse of the Veda " Tat Tvam Asi " is understood clearly using the concept

of " SAmAnAdhikaraNyam " as follows: The term " Tat " (that) denotes the Brahman

on the grounds of " being the only cause of the universe " , who is having

infinite divine characteristics and untouched by all impurities. The term

" Tvam " (you) denotes the same Brahman on the grounds of having the jIvAtman

(Chit) as his attribute/mode/body. Therefore the Sareera-Aatma Bhaavam

(Body-Soul relationship) between the Universe and the Brahman is clearly told

by the Upanishad.

 

Bhagavath Ramanuja Yatiraja says :-

atha: sarvasya chidachidvastunO brahmasarIratvAth, sarvasarIram sarvaprakAram

sarvairsabdai: brahmaivAbhidhIyatha ithi, " tat " " tvam " ithi sAmAnAdhikaraNyEna

jIvasarIrathayA jIvaprakAram brahmaivAbhihitam | Evamabhihite sathi ayamarthO

jgnyAyate " tvam " ithi ya: pOrvam dehasyAdhishtAtrutayA pratIth: sa:

paramAthmasarIrathayA paramAthmaprakArabhUtha: paramAthmaparyantha: pruthak

stithi pravruthi anarha: atha: " tvam " ithi sabda: tathprakAravisishtam

thdantaryAmiNamEvAchashtE - ithi | anEna jIvEnAthmanAnupravisya nAmarUpe

vyAkaravANi " ithi brahmAthmakathayaiva jIvasya sarIriNa: swanAmaBhakthvAth |

 

Following the definition of sAmAnAdikaraNya, please follow the divine words of

Bhagavath Ramanuja Yatiraja as follows which were outlined so far.

 

" tat tvam " ithi samAnAdhikaraNa pravrththayO: dvyayOrapi padayO: brahmaiva

vAchyam |

 

tatra " tat " padam

.. jagat kAraNa bhUtham

.. sarva kalyANa guNakaram

.. niravadyam

.. nirvikAramAchashtE

 

" tvam " ithi cha - tadEva brahma jIvAntaryAmi rUpENa swasarIra jIva prakAra

visishtamAchashtE

 

tadEvam pravruthi nimiththa bhEdena Ekasmin brahmaNyEva " tat tvam " ithi dyayO:

padayO: vruthiruktthA | brahmaNO niravadyatvam nirvikAratvam

sarvakalyaNaguNAkaratvam jagat kAraNatvam cha abhAdhitam

 

As told clearly above, the Brahman has all the chit and achit entities as his

body & as inseparable attribute and the Brahman being the AtmA of all, all

words (sabdams) denote the Brahman. The sarIra-AtmA relationship establishes

the sAmAnAdhikaraNyam. The term " Tvam " which denotes the jIvAtman through his

body, finally denotes the ParamAtman (Brahman) because the jIvAtman is the

body and inseparable attribute (apruthak siddha viseshaNam) of ParamAtman. The

jIvAtman being the body and inseparable attribute of Brahman, has no

independent swarUpam, stithi and pravruthis. The jIvAtman is totally dependant

on Brahman. The " anena jIvEna " verse makes it clear that the jIvAtman gets his

name etc., only because of having the Brahman as his AtmA. Therefore to stress

again that swarUpa-iykyam is not the purport here, the sAmAnAdhikaraNyam is

explained.

 

The terms " tat " and " tvam " though are two different words, denote/mean the

same entity that is Brahman as follows. The terms " tat " and " tvam " denote only

the Brahman but the way in which each term denotes the Brahman is different.

The term " tat " denotes the Brahman who is the only cause of the universe,

untouched by impurities and having infinite divine attributes and is always

unchanging in nature. The term " tvam " also denotes the same Brahman who has

the jIvAtman as his body/attribute - the Brahman is the antaryAmi-antarAtma of

the jIvAtman. Thus the two terms denote the Brahman by different attributes

which the Brahman has as told above. The sAmAnAdhikaraNyam is thus clearly

explained. When the purport of the verse is ascertained like this, there is no

contradiction with all the sruthi verses. The characteristics of Brahman like

being the only cause of the universe, untouched by impurities, having infinite

divine attributes, unchanging nature (nirvikAratvam) are unaffected.

 

There are many many arguments and counter arguments in this context. To know

all these, one has to do structured of various ancillaries Sastras first and

then study the SrI bhAshya. SwAmi dESika's NyAya sidhdAnjanam's Iswara

parichchEdam, para-matha-bhangam, tatva-mukta-kalApam, Sata-dhUshaNi etc have

abundant irrefutable points, which establish ViSishTAdvaita as the purport of

tat tvam asi after refuting all the pUrva-pakshams. All these things must be

learnt only in kAlakshEpams. I have not studied Sata-dhUshaNi. Recently I got

a copy of the book (along with commentary only). I attempted a self-study. To

be frank, I could not understand anything from it. I was left with no option

other than resorting to kAlakshEpam again at the sannadhi of a SrI VaishNava

vidwAn. Similarly paramArtha bhUshaNam. Without sound knowledge in tarkam,

vyAkaraNam, mImAmsa etc, these grantams cannot be studied - according to me.

 

There are lots of grammatical and complicated technical aspects related with

comprehension of these verses exactly in the appropriate way. I had

exclusively written articles about this Sat vidyA prakaraNam titled

" Experiencing bhagavath rAmAnuja yatirAja's divine works " following VedArtha

sangraham of swAmi empermAnAr. Part 4 to Part 11 in that series discusses this

with few pUrva-pakshams. You can get them from the archives of mAlOlan net.

Those articles are just for one more level of comprehension. No compromise

reg. kAlaskhepams!

 

Thanks & Regards

M.S.HARI rAmAnuja dAsan (mshari)