The Glory of Upanishads

The following discourse of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the pilot to a series of discourses to be published in the following months. During the Summer Course in 1991, Bhagavan spoke on the importance of Upanishads and explained each one of them in His own inimitable style.

Having studied Brahmavidya (knowledge of the atma [self]),
There are many who preach at length.
But you cannot find even a single hero who practices.
Sai’s words are the Truth.

You become eligible for Brahmavidya only when you understand the relationship between Brahma and man in the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction. Brahma means the vast, infinite principle. The element of sound emanated from this infinite expanse of Brahma. Air emerged from sound; fire, from air; wind, from fire; earth, from wind; oceans, from earth; food, from oceans; and finally, humans, from food. Ponder this sequential cycle, and you will arrive at the truth that man has emerged from the infinite Brahma.

Brahmananda (divine bliss) is composed of two words—Brahma + ananda (bliss). Brahma and ananda are separate. Man journeys from anna (food) to ananda. His aim is bliss alone. When this ananda joins with the Brahma, it takes the form of Brahmananda. So it is possible for you to understand the close association between the vast, infinite principle and man. Such knowledge of the Self is available through Brahman [the all-pervasive divine energy] alone. Man, however, disregards the divine principle and trusts only the world. Thus, he blinds himself to the universal Brahman.

Afflicted with attachment, fear, and anger, the ordinary man is far from Brahmananda. Bliss can dawn with the conquest of attachment, fear, and anger, but only to a certain extent. Why? Renouncing attachment, fear, and anger is not sufficient. Love for God must be cultivated as well. But even love for God is not enough! You must become close to God’s love for you. Finally, even proximity to God’s Love is inadequate. You must place total reliance on the all-encompassing Transcendental Principle. Then it is possible for man to become divine.

The teaching imparted by gurus to their students in the Taittariya Upanishad [Hindu scripture] sheds light on the path leading to Brahmananda. Do not consider knowledge of the Self to be beyond human understanding. Such spiritual attainment consists of simple spiritual disciplines like the practice of truth in daily life and the blossoming of character. Man must accumulate the wealth of spiritual discipline with patience.

The Upanishads elaborate on the principle of Brahman through three names: Virat [God of the Universe], Hiranyagarbha [The Golden Womb (from which all creation manifested)] and Avyakruta [God beyond Creation]. These three forms relate to the gross, the subtle, and the causal, and to the waking, dream, and deep-sleep states.

God of the Universe

The atma [soul] principle, which personifies the waking state, is Virat—the form of the atma that dons a physical body and lives a long life. Virat assumes various forms and is known by various names. That is, He demonstrates that the movable and immovable world is really His manifestation, as are the five elements. From the ant to Brahma, everything is His form. He is called Virat because He has reached the state of asserting “All is My form.” The entire visible universe is a form of Virat, without exception, without any distinction of “this” or “that.” Therefore, Virat is the principle that manifests as the external, gross, visible world and demonstrates ideals to the world.

Virat has two other names—Vaisvanara [Universal Being] and Vairajasuta [the inscrutable Lord]. Vaisvanara is He who appears as the “I” consciousness in each individual. From a king to a farmer, from a beggar to a millionaire, from a child to an old man, whether male or female—everyone uses the word I to identify himself. Individuality is present in everyone. The person who asserts “I” in every being is Vaisvanara.

The third name is Vairajasuta. Virat, Vaisvanara, and Vairajasuta are three names of the same being. Vairajasuta is one who exists in a mysterious form. He is in everyone but is undetected. He performs all actions but behaves as if He does not. He experiences everything but does not reveal it.

The Golden Womb

The second form of Brahman is Hiranyagarbha—the basis, the source of wisdom. All knowledge—worldly, ethical, dharmic, spiritual, scientific—has emanated from Hiranyagarbha. Therefore, He is also called Jnanabhaskara—the Sun of Knowledge. When the sun rises, It appears golden (Hiranya) and colors the world with a golden hue. Creation emerged from Hiranya-garbha, which is oval in shape, a golden egg, like the one I materialized a few days ago. The mouth was the first to emerge from this shape. From the mouth came sound, then the nose, through which air began flowing. Eyes came next, with fire emanating through them. Ears arrived next. Therefore, Hiranyagarbha is the origin of the human form.

All beings evolved from Hiranyagarbha, who also bestowed intelligence, a wise personality, and higher knowledge on them to facilitate discrimination between the temporary and the permanent. What should be attained, what is not worth pursuing? What deeds should be done? What ones should not? What is the chief form of wisdom achievable by man? What is the path that makes human life well spent? What is the purpose of life? Hiranyagarbha granted wisdom to man to clarify such issues.

He, like Virat, has two other names—Sutratmaka and Prana. Just as a thread (sutra) passes through a necklace of gems, Sutratmaka is the principle that underlies all beings and brings bliss to them. This unifying threadlike principle is also called Brahmasutra. The thread called God is present in equal measure in all humans without distinction, promoting unity of mankind. This is the principle of Hiranyagarbha. He assumes a subtle form during the dream state—the form of the atma [soul]. This means that Hiranyagarbha is the one who is awake during the dream state.

Virat creates everything in the waking state. Hiranyagarbha creates everything in the dream state by mere willing. Every object is created by will alone.

God beyond Creation

The third form of Brahman is Avyakruta. He is absolutely formless. He exists in the causal body and enjoys the state of deep sleep. He has no limbs, but does all actions. He travels to distant places. He has no eyes, but sees everything. He has no ears, but listens to everything. He performs every act in creation, but possesses no form.

Avyakruta also has two additional names—Antaratma [Inner Self] and Iswara [Great Lord]. Notice that the three forms of Brahman—Virat, Hiranyagarbha, and Avyakruta—have, in turn, three names each. What is the significance of these names? Antaratma motivates and influences everything from Himself. Every motive, urge, inspiration, comes from the Antaratma, which is the inner voice. All sounds that man produces also emerge from Antaratma.

Next, Iswara. Who is Iswara? Yes, He is the embodiment of all forms of prosperity. In addition, He bestows results of actions. He has the power of action with which He assesses good/bad actions and grants the corresponding results. He is also called the Laya Karaka (the Destroyer). Iswara bestows prosperity. What is prosperity? Both good and bad are prosperity! Since Iswara represents all forms of prosperity, He judges man’s actions and grants the corresponding wealth.

Reflection of the Inner Being

The Upanishads are not meaningless texts. They are not restricted to yogis or rishis [sages]. No, do not entertain such misconceptions. Why are students utterly incapable of grasping the sacred Upanishads? When proper interpretations are not provided, when their methods of application in daily life are not enumerated, students naturally lose interest. Science, which progresses day to day, is nothing but a part of the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the end of the Vedas. For this reason they are also called Vedanta (Veda + anta [end] = the conclusions of the Vedas). They are full of wisdom, which you must acquire.

The worldly and physical branches of knowledge are limited in scope. But the mental peace, happiness, and bliss of the atma are available only through contemplation on the Upanishads. Virat, Hiranyagarbha, and Avyakruta do not exist in a special place somewhere. Every man has these three forms. Our narrow intellects are unable to grasp such infinite concepts.

The body multiplied by infinity is Virat.
The mind multiplied by infinity is Hiranyagarbha.
Life multiplied by infinity is Avyakruta.

These three also correspond to the gross, subtle, and causal bodies. All three forms are conjoined within man. Hiranyagarbha is in your mind. Virat is in your very form. The five elements are present not just in creation but also in your body as sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell.

The reflection of deham (the body) is desam (the external world). “The outside is a reflection of the inner being.” The body is the world, creation. Inhalation and exhalation are the form of air, one of the five elements. When you move about and enter into action, fire emerges. Consider a small example. When you exercise, your body generates heat. Or why go that far? Rub your palms together and heat is produced. Next, water. Your entire body is water. For example, running produces sweat. Your body is the embodiment of the five elements. Hence, it is the form of Virat. All powers are present in the human body. What is not found inside man cannot be found outside. However, man’s focus is extroverted, and so he believes that external powers do not reside within him. Whatever he sees outside is also present inside.

Time, Task, Cause, and Duty

With attachment, hatred, and fear, you forget your true nature. Let’s look at an example. You fall asleep. You are your own witness during sleep. In a dream, you board a train, journey through stations, meet other passengers. Where did this train emerge from? Your mind alone. The stations and passengers? Also creations of your mind. You created everything, even yourself, in the dream state. This is the nature of Hiranyagarbha.

You see everything in the waking state. You are influenced by place, time, and situation. But in the dream state you are beyond these conditions. Inquire into the difference between the waking and dream states. You heard that Swami will give a discourse here at 4 p.m. You started your journey from the city at 3:30 p.m. How did you start? In a car. You reached here at 4 p.m. Why did you come here? To participate in the program. For what reason? To listen to Swami. The time is 3:30 p.m. The task is your journey by car. The cause [for your action] is to hear Swami’s words. The duty is also listening to Swami. The four conditions of time, task, cause, and duty are present in the waking state.

In the dream state, you traveled from here to Delhi. When did you start? No time. How did you travel? No task. Why did you travel? No cause. What is your duty there? Again, nothing. The dream state is characterized by the absence of time, task, cause, and duty.

Virat is composed of time, task, cause, and duty. Hiranyagarbha transcends these limitations. Who experiences the waking and dream states? The entity experiencing the waking state is not different from the one in dream state. The states are three—waking, dream, and deep-sleep—but the individual is one. You are led astray by the four conditions because you differentiate between these states.

Everything is composed of time, cause, and duty. The body itself is also bound by time and duty. To sanctify the body, perform pure actions and use time meaningfully. The world of men is bound by actions. No one can survive even for a moment without performing action.

What is action? Is it only done by using your hands and feet? No, no. Everything is action. Here’s one example. When you see someone and ask, “What is he doing?” you might get the reply, “He’s not doing anything.” So what is he doing without doing anything? Sleeping! Sleeping is an action also! Or he is just sitting without doing anything. Sitting down is an action, too. With subtler inquiry, inhalation and exhalation are found to be actions. Your blood circulates in your body and your heart pulsates

—without effort on your part. All this is action. Some actions are done voluntarily, while others take place involuntarily.

Significance of the Sun Principle

The sages recognized the inner significance and secrets of the principles discussed here by renouncing everything and striving to obtain the bliss of the atma. Unfortunately, you do not understand the meaning of Vedic names and so you make fun of them.

The Vedas say, “From His mind came the moon, and from His eyes, the sun.” What is meant by the moon? Today you think you have traveled to the moon and found no God there! You deride the Vedas. When the Vedas say moon, they don’t mean the planetary body orbiting the Earth. “The mind principle existing in your heart” is the moon.

What is the sun? The brightness and fire of the sun exists in your eyes. This fire enables you to discern the one God in diversity. No one can demarcate the power or influence of the fire. The eye, half- an inch in size, is able to see stars millions of miles away! If the power of the eye was from the physical sun of the solar system, then how could the eye perceive anything beyond the sun? What is the relationship between the sun and the eyes? Sight is made possible by the “negative” and “positive” principles coming together. Either one on its own is useless. Both are necessary.

For example, can you see anything in a dark house? If you close your eyes in daylight, again, nothing is seen. Light is necessary, and your eyes are necessary. The glow of the sun and the fire of your eyes join together to create the world—meaning srishti (creation) has emerged from your drishti [sight]. Without vision, there is no creation. Truly, there are no defects in creation, but only in your sight. So purify your vision.

The Upanishads teach this point beautifully by asserting that your eyes are true scriptures. Your sight itself is creation. You must recognize the unity in these dualities. The concepts beyond the ken of science are easily understood through the Upanishads. Man’s scientific knowledge is the size of an atom, but he thinks it is infinite—and develops an ego. Spirituality, however, asserts that the infinite cosmos is contained within the atom! Divinity exists within the atom, and it engulfs the entire cosmos.

Atom and Cosmos

A seed becomes a tree. Where did this gigantic tree emerge from? From the minute seed. The humble seed hides branches, leaves, fruits, and flowers within itself. When do they manifest from the seed? When the seed loses its shape and form, its grander qualities come into existence. In other words, the seed destroys its own form, or renounces its ego. Only then does it acquire a new form, that of the tree. If it stuck to its old form, how could it comprehend the magnificence of its new identity? More seeds are brought forth by the tree.

The infinite exists in the atom, and the atom, in the infinite. Inquire into the infinite and the atom—they are the same! The shapes and sizes vary, but the material is one. This is the main significance of the Upanishads.

Practice

Every Upanishad reveals and clarifies a secret of creation. People understand and interpret them at their level of intellect, which is based on their physical efforts. This leads to coloring of pure and complete concepts by their narrow outlooks. When a meat eater goes to a forest and spies a bird on a tree, he tells himself, “If I could catch it, what a tasty meal it would make!” His vision sees only its flesh. When a poet sees the same bird, he appreciates its colors and soft feathers, describing them in beautiful words. The bird is the same, but what people see is different.

So how did our sight and outlook become distorted? Through practice with worldly intentions. The good in you must be strengthened with practice as well. Hence:

Wisdom is better than practice.
Meditation is better than wisdom.
Renouncing the fruits of actions is the best,
For it bestows infinite peace.

—Bhagavad Gita 12:12

For everything, practice is essential. An infant must practice walking, eating, and talking. Walking, talking, reading, writing—all require practice. Nothing can be accomplished without practice. Likewise, the teachings of the Upanishads reveal their truth when practiced.

Attachment, Fear, and Anger

Brahmananda cannot be bought on the outside. Contemplation on your true nature is bliss. Man thinks, “There is an object separate from me. When I acquire it, I will be happy, blissful.” This delusion is the root cause of attachment. From attachment comes fear. How? Man wonders, “Will I get what I want or not? Even if I obtain it, would I be able to retain it forever? Would I be able to safeguard it?” This is fear. Fear eventually turns into its contorted form, anger. Hence, attachment, fear, and anger follow in sequence. Without attachment, the other two cannot exist.

What is attachment? Desire. Today desires are beyond limits. Man loses his bearings with excessive desire. The questions: Who am I? and How should I live? are forgotten. Man even forgets human qualities and becomes a demon. He has no gratitude. Worse yet, he harms others.

Human Values

First, recognize your human nature. The world abounds in cruel and frightening acts. Today man is ready to harm his own mother if she stands in the way of his desires! No, no. All desires can be attained by someone established in human values. Even if your desires are satisfied at the expense of human values, how can you possibly be happy?

Man alternates between joy and grief by following endless desires. But if man himself did not exist, what would happiness and sorrow be worth? Huge mansions, overflowing bank balances, and a family—to what end are these? Without human values, all are tasteless.

First and foremost, man must strive to live like a human being. Acquire honor and reputation in society. You may die, but your ideals and fame will remain immortal. Become exemplary. How can you acquire a good name? Character is the root cause of repute or disrepute. Purify your behavior. Getting praise from others is not necessary. Please your own heart, your conscience. Without such introverted balance, you betray yourself. Do not be a thief to yourself? Rather, become the master who arrests the thieves within.

Importance of the Upanishads

You must be “masters” and “slaves.” Control your senses and bear troubles and adversities with fortitude. The mind must be fed on a diet of courage and valor. The “glucose injection” and “calcium injection” of courage and valor are available only through the Upanishads!

The essence of the Upanishads is contained in that very word—upa (near) + ni (down) + shad (sit). When you are near something, its benefits become accessible to you. Here’s a small example. When you sit near an air conditioner, its cool air caresses your body. In cold places, you install heaters. You experience comfortable warmth in proximity to the heater. Upanishad means to go near and sit down—that is, when you are near God, your vices disappear and God’s immaculate purity enters you.

You disregard the Upanishads as abstract poems, stories, and couplets written by sages. You read mindless novels with so much faith and devotion. Should you not spend at least some time on the Upanishads and try to grasp their significance. I know that most of you, when traveling, become so absorbed in cheap novels that you are oblivious to the different stations along the way, to your fellow passengers, or to time itself!

The harmful effect of the Kali Yuga [Iron Age] has brought upon you television and videos. You eat in front of the television. You cannot stop watching movies even during meals! As you watch movies, vulgar thoughts enter your food. Food has an influence on your intellect, which decides how close you are to God.

Yes, you may watch pure and inspiring films—that is no mistake. But why disregard the sublimely pure and enlightening Upanishads? Reading scriptures is a “headache,” you say. But you lose track of time while reading impure stories. This is the impact of the Iron Age.

Do not be ordinary. From time to time, seek good company and delve into the Upanishads and other texts. Pure feelings are scarce in you because you do not read such texts. The Upanishads do not elaborate on anything secret, anything external from you. It is all within you. All purity, powers, and virtues reside in man, not outside. Strive for divine purity in your hearts.

Source: Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1991