BHRUGUVALLI FOURTH ANUVAKA

                                          

                                                         

                                                                                                

                                                          BrahmavignaneThrutiyaparyaya.

                                          (Third Attempt at Brahmavignana)

Mantra:  mano brahmeti vyajanath manasohyeva khalvimani bhutani jayanthe……………….

Meaning:   After performing tapas, sage Bhrugu felt that Manas is the very Brahman as the acts of creation, protection, and  destruction are carried out by Manas through it’s ‘sankalpa’. Once again  the doubt cropped in him that manas cannot be equated with the Brahman. He came back to his father and prayed for a

fresh instruction on the Brahman. His father instructed him to know the Brahman through tapas as it is the Brahman in itself. Accordingly sage Bhrugu performed tapas once again.

Manas cannot be considered as the Brahman because, like the eyes and the other organs, it depends on the  indriyas  or ‘karanas’ The karanas  depend upon the doer-(one who acts) Therefore it is dependent on the doer and not independent. But the Brahman is independent. Hence Manas  cannot be called the Brahman.

Sruthi pramana for establishing manas as responsible for creation, protection, and destruction:

Aswalayana asks how prana enters the body;                                                    

“manokruthe nayathyasmin chareere”prana enters the body by its  sankalpa  that it would enter such and such a body” is the answer from Pipalada.

As the activities of life like work and trade and commerce are controlled by manas, it is the cause of life.

At the terminal stage of life, the activities of all organs like speech enter manas thus making it the instrument of destruction.

OM   THATH   SATH.         .              

TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD BHRUGUVALLI THIRD ANUVAKA

                                                                    
                                                                

                               Brabmagnane dwitiya paryayaha      (Second Attempt at Brahmagnana)

Mantra:  Pranobrahmeti vyajanath prnadhyeva khalivimani bhutani jaayanti                                                Following the instructions of his father Varuna, sage Bhrugu performed tapas for knowing the Brahman. As the creation, protection.and destruction of the universe are dictated by Prana, he concluded that  Prana itself is the Brahman But again a doubt dogged him. Since Prana is ‘jada’-without awareness or chaitanya and the Brahman full of awareness and chaitanya, he concluded that Prana cannot be equated with the Brahman.He again requested his father, Varuna to instruct him on the Brahman.Varuna again bade his son to perform tapas and realize the Brahman. He reiterated that tapas itself is the Brahman. Accordingly sage Bhrugu performed tapas.

Sruthipramana for Prana being the cause for creation, protection, and destruction of the universe:
“yavadasmin sareere prano bhavati theivadayuhu”(kaushitak Upanishad)

TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD BHRUGUVALLI SECOND ANUVAKA

                                       

                                                             

                                                                       

                                                        Brahma vignane prathama paryayaha

                                                             (First Attempt at Brahmagnana)

Mantra:  annam brahmeti vyajanath annadhyeva khalvimani bhuthani jivanthi……….

Meaning:  After his father instructed him on the characteristics of the Brahman and the gateways to approach it, sage Bhrugu performed  penance, the best means to achieve one’s desires. By performing penance thus, he realized that ‘annam’(food) is the Brahman. He found that whatever characteristics annam  exhibited were exactly the same and suited the qualities of the Brahman. It is because of annam all creatures are born. All living beings grow and thrive on annam   alone. They also merge into the same annam. In spite of this striking resemblance between annam and the Brahman, sage Bhrugu had his own reservations in accepting annam as the Brahman.He approached his father Varuna  and prayed by saying ‘adhihi bhagavo brahma.’ Sage Bhrugu’s doubt is valid because annam  is created by the Brahman.What is created is ephemeral-not permanent or everlasting whereas the Brahman is ‘nithya’permanent and everlasting.

       Seeing his son return with an insatiable thirst for the knowledge of the Brahman,Varuna,the father said “Know the Brahman with your tapas.Tapas itself is the Brahman.”After this parental instruction sage Bhrugu again sat in penance.

Sruthi describes annam as the Brahman because of these characteristics:

“yatovai manibhutani jayante” Brahmavalli also makes it clear with the sruthi: “annadwai prajaha prajayanthe yakascha pruthivig srithaa thoannenaiva jivantthi……..”All beings are created by annam, grow and thrive on it and merge into it.

The Vedas consider annam as the form of virat and fit for upasana. What is not the Brahman is unfit for upasana. So, to consider annam as the Brahman is called ‘upapatthi.’

“thapasa Brahma vijigna saswa”is repeated to establish it as the best among the various means of attaining the Brahman. “thapo Brahma”is an instruction to take up the best means of tapas for realizing the  Brahman. The desire for Brahmajnana  can be satisfied only through tapas-not by any other means.       

OM   THATH  SATH.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD BHRUGUVALLI FIRST ANUVAKA

            Varunidevatha Upanishad                                             

                                                                                       

    Introduction:                                                                            
                                  

 The substance elucidated so  far in Anandavalli or Brahmavalli is that the Brahman which is the form of ‘Satya, Jnana,  and  Ananta’ (Truth,Knowledge,and Infinite), after the creation of ‘akasa’(sky) and ‘anna’(food) and other things, manifested Itself through them and appears to perform the duties of  material existence (samsarikadharmas). Therefore one should realize that he is the form of that ‘ananda’ or Bliss which is beyond all actions and invisible. One who realizes the unity and non-distinction between the Jiva (individual soul)and the Brahman (Absolute Soul)will transcend all actions good and bad.These actions shall destroy the cycle of his birth and death.This brings the Brahma Vidya description to an end.

      But the ‘tapas’(penance) leading to Brahma Vidya (knowledge of the Brahman) and the know how for the upasana of ‘anna’(food) and other things have not been described.  So, for that purpose, Bhruguvalli is described in the form of a conversation between the father Varuna and his son Bhrugu as ‘vidyasthuthi’. A father instructs his darling son on the best and foremost of education which is out of the ordinary. He would enthuse his son not to neglect or be nonchalant or casual about such an invaluable education.

Mantra:  bhrugurvai varunihi Varunam pitaramupasasara adhihibhagavo brahmeti………….

Meaning:  The renowned sage Bhrugu approached his father Varuna with a desire for the knowledge of the Brahman and prayed by saying ‘adhihibhagavo Brahma.’ Then , the father Varuna, seeing his son approach him like a true disciple in search of a ‘sadguru’ (true preceptor) for Brahma jnana, instructs him on the six main gateways to the knowledge of the Brahman. They are, according to Varuna, 1 ‘anna’ (food),  2 prana (soul), 3 chakshus (eyes), 4 srothra (ears), 5 manas (mind)and 6 vak (speech). He also described to his son Bhrugu the characteristics of the Brahman. He explained to Bhrugu that Brahman is that object that has created Brahma and all other creatures.It is also that by which all the created beings live and thrive on and finally merge in to IT during the deluge. In short, that object with which every creature, in its birth, life and growth is connected and finally merges into it at death is defined as the Brahman.The root cause of this Jagat (universe) is the Brahman. Varuna asked his son Bhrugu to understand  IT specially. “Obtain this Brahman through these six  gateways of ‘anna, prana, chakshus, srothra, manas,and vak.’”

According to Sruthi ‘pranasya pranamutha chakshusas chakshuruta srothrasya srothra mannasy annam manaso ye manovidusthe nichikyur Brahma puranamagryam.’ (He is) the life of life,eye of the eyes, ear of the ears, food of foods, mind of the minds, and  speech of speeches. One who understands Him shall realize the pre-creation Brahman as the ‘atma’.

Having heard from his father, the characteristics of the Brahman and the main gateways through which he could approach and realize, sage Bhrugu  performed  penance (thapas) for obtaining the Brahman. Varuna, has described the characteristics and the ways to attain the Brahman. But he has not defined the Brahman as This or That. In fact, it is impossible to define the Brahman conclusively as This  or That.

Though Varuna did not order him to do  thapas,  Bhrugu performed penance as it is the best means of obtaining what one wants. Acute concentration and focusing of the mind and the organs of the body is what is called the great  thapas  or penance. This is greater than all other duties or dharmas (Mahabaratha Moksha Dharma 250-4). According to Sutra Samyuta, an enquiry into these questions, “Who am I? What is mukthi? I am drowned in samsara by this!” and an explanation of these critical issues is real thapas or penance in the words of scholars and pandithas.

                                                                                               

BRAHMAVALLI TENTH ANUVAKA

                                                                              

                                                                             

                  Mantra:  yato vacho nivarthanthe aprapya manasa saha  anandam  brahmano vidwan

Meaning:  The upasaka of Ananda which is the form of Brahman ( the  form of Manomayatma’s sira and paksha) from whom manas and speech  retract without comprehending it, will not be afraid of   thing  in the world!

        The person who has realized the Brahman will not feel guilty, in his last moments,of not performing good deeds or regret why he did sinful acts before he died. One who realizes this aspect strengthens his atma. In other words he treats both punya  ( good deeds) and papa ( sinful deeds) equally as Paramatma! There is nothing different or separate for such a realized soul. Hence he is fearless and nothing affects him. The moment he is tainted with the slightest amount of avidya and sees the difference, he begins to fear many things.

        A single Moon is projected as two moons by the affected and diseased eyes. In the same way due to avidya one sees different things. An upasaka has destroyed such avidya. He  Knows that there is nothing different from the atma. There is no cause for fear. So there is no fear.

        These secret aspects of Truth propounded in Brahmavidya are described in Brahma or Anandavalli. This is the most secret of all Vidyas. The  word ‘upanishad’ also means ‘rahasya vidya (secret). It provides for the much desired salvation or moksha. So it deserves the  name  ‘upanishad.’

    BRAHMAVALLI  completed