Sixth Adhyaya, Eighth Khanda (7 mantras)

Mantra 6.8.1.

1. Uddālaka Āruṇi said to his son Śvetaketu, “Learn from me the true nature of deep sleep (suṣupti). When a man sleeps, then he comes into the presence of the Sat (True and Good). He has reached the Independent called Sva. Therefore, they say, Svapiti, because he is gone to (his Lord) the Independent.”—439.

Note.—This verse may be explained as applying to the state called Mukti or Release also. Then the word Svapnānta would mean the end of dream or the middle state called that of Jīvan-Mukti. When a Jīvan-Mukta becomes fully Mukta, then he is said to have readied Sva or his Lord or his Master. In this state, he is in the company of the Sat or the True. The state of a Mukta reaching the Lord is called Svapiti.

Mantra 6.8.2.

2. As a hawk tied by a string (to the finger of the hunter,) struggles to release itself, by flying in every direction, and not finding release anywhere, settles down (on the finger) where it is fastened, exactly in the same manner, O child, is this Thinker, which after flying in every direction, and finding no rest anywhere, settles down on Prāṇa, for indeed, my child, the Thinker is fastened to Breath.—440.

Note.—The state of deep sleep is a constantly recurring element in the life of man, and its object is to give absolute rest to the Thinker when tired with the experiences of the waking and dream state The state of Mukti is similarly a state of rest from the experiences of the Saṃsāra—but without any return to mundane existence.

Mantra 6.8.3.

3. Learn the truth about hunger and thirst, O child. When this man desires to eat then the waters (Prāṇa) carry the food which has been eaten (i.e., Prāṇa the Lord of waters modifies the food into the germ). Therefore Prāṇa is called Aśanāya, because Prāṇa is the leader of food. Just as a cowherd is called Gonāya, or a keeper of horses is called Aśvanāya, or a king is called Puruṣanāya:—thus the waters are said to be the leader of food or Aśanāya. Thus as this off-shoot (presupposes a root) so this created body. It is verily not without its root, O child.—441.

Note.—The real object why a Jīva eats and drinks is to reproduce another Jīva of its kind.

Having shown in the last verse that the man is under the Lord, in his state of Mukti and Deep Sleep; this verse shows how he is under Him in his waking state also. Tho fact of reproduction is a standing miracle proving the dependence of the Jīva on the Lord. He eats and drinks, but who is it that turns the food into blood and bone; and makes the reproduction of species possible? It is the Lord acting through Prāṇa—the Life Principle. The word Śuṅga used in this and the subsequent mantras is significant. As a Śuṅga or an offshoot is a mark from which we infer the existence of its cause or root, so the body of the child presupposes its cause. This body must have an agent, as it is an effect, just as an offshoot.

Mantra 6.8.4.

4. And where could the root of body be except in Food (Rudra)? And in the same manner, my child, taking the Food (Rudra) as an offshoot (effect) seek to find its root (cause) the Water (Prāṇa). Taking Water (Prāṇa) as an offshoot (effect), seek its cause the Fire (Lakṣmī). Taking the Fire (Lakṣmī) as an offshoot (effect) seek her cause the Good (Lord Viṣṇu). All these creatures have their root in the Good, have their dwelling place in the Good, and (even after Mukti) they rest in the Good.—442.

Note.— The body being an effect we have to And. its cause. That cause we find to be Food (Rudra). But Food itself is an effect, we have to find its cause, which we ascertain to be the Waters (Prāṇa). From Water we infer Fire, from Fire the Good. Thus the living man is also under the Lord and dependent upon Him.

Mantra 6.8.5.

5. When a man desires to drink then the fire (Lakṣmī) carries the water which has been drunk (and converts it into the germs), therefore fire is called Udanya, because fire is the Leader of Water. Just as a cow-herd is called Gonāya, or a keeper of horses is called Aśvanāya, or a king is called Puruṣanāya, thus the fire is called Udanya. Thus as the offshoot presupposes a root, so this created body. It is not without its root, O child.—443.

Note.—Here the inferential chain starts with a step higher, with water (Prāṇa).

Mantra 6.8.6.

6. And where could its root be except in (the God of) water. With water, O child, as an offshoot, seek after his cause namely fire (Lakṣmī). As fire is an offshoot, seek after its cause namely the Good. All these creatures, O child, have the Good as their cause, the Good as their support, the good as their stay.

And how these three Devatās, (Fire, Water, Earth) 0 child, when they reach man, become each of them tripartite, has been said before. When the man gets mukti the (Goddess of) Speech (Umā) is merged in (the God of) mind (Rudra), the mind in (the God of) Breath, the Breath in (the Goddess) of fire, (the Goddess of) fire in the Highest God. -444.

Note.—This shows that not only men, but gods also are under the control of the Supreme. The order of cosmic dissolution shows how each god merges into one higher than himself in the scale of gradation.

Mantra 6.8.7.

7. (That highest God is) the Essence and Ruler (of all), the desired (of all) and know only through the subtlest intellect. All this universe is controlled by Him, He pervades it all, and is the Good. He is the destroyer of all and full of perfect qualities. Thou O Śvetaketu art not that God (why then this conceit).

“Please sir, instruct me still more” said the son. “Be it so, my child,” replied the father.—445.

Note.—The explanation of Madhva is totally different from that of Śaṅkara. Even the ordinary words like “sa yaḥ eṣaḥ” have been given meanings not found anywhere else. The word “sa” is taken to mean “sāra” or essence or Best; “ya” as a short of yama, means the Ruler, the Restrainer or the wisdom from “ya jñāt eṣaḥ” from “iṣa” to desire, the desired one, etc. The famous mahāvakya “sa ātmā tat tvasasi” is analysed as “sa ātmā atat asi ||” But Śrī Madhva is not responsible for this text torturing. Long before him, the Bhāgavatas had attained this feat.

The Sāma Saṃhitā has given this metrical paraphrase:—

sāratvāt “sa” iti prokto jñāntvāda “ya” itīritaḥ |
sarvasyeṣṭa “ityeṣa,” mānānām aṇako'ṇimā ||
tat taṃtratvād “aitadātmyaṃ” sa satyaḥ sādhurūpataḥ |
“tat” tateḥ pūrṇataś “cātmā,” sādanāt “sa” itīritaḥ |
atatvamasi putreti ye ukto gautamena tu ||

For its translation see Madhva’s Commentary last page of this Sixth Book.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

In the previous chapters it was shown, that the Jīva and the Lord are absolutely different, by describing the Great Glory of the Lord and His omnipotence, in creating, without the help of any body, the mighty beings called Fire, Water, and Food. Tn the present chapter, the same fact is illustrated by instances taken from the experience of man. In his waking state, man is proud of his freedom and independence; but in dreamless sleep, he is perfectly helpless; and that state describes the dependence of man on the Lord. Therefore, Uddālaka describes the state called deep sleep. The word Svapnānta is used in the text. It is an ambiguous word, and is not to be confounded with the word Svapna. Svapna means dream; in the dream state the Soul does not enter into the Lord. It is in the Svapnānta state alone that the Jīva enters into the Lord. The Commentator, therefore, explains this word

The word Svapnānta means the anta or end of Svapna or dream.

That state, where the condition of dream ends, and the state of deep sleep begins, is called Svapnānta, it is thus the name for Suṣupti or the state of dreamless sleep.

The Commentator next explains the word Svapiti:—

The word “Svapiti” means ‘entering or reaching the Lord.’ The Lord Viṣṇu, God of all gods, is called “Sva”, because He is absolutely self-contained and independent of everything else. Since in the state of dreamless sleep, the Jīva reaches this sva, he is called Svapiti. The word “Apiti” means ‘reaching.’ The Jīva called Manas (Thinker) reaches the Lord in this state only; for so long as he is not free and does not get Mukti, the transmigrating Jīva enters the Lord only in the state of deep sleep. The transmigrating Jīva is called Manas, because it always works through the mind (and not through the higher faculty of intuition or Buddhi).

Similarly the Lord is called Prāṇa, because He gives life to all. The Commentator next explains the word Śuṅga:—

The word Śuṅga means ‘the bud,’ ‘the offshoot,’ while the word Mūla means the ‘root;’ which is in this case, the Lord Hari Himself. He is also the root of the Universe, in the sense, that He is the efficient cause of the world; and not its material cause.

The word Mūla or root can apply both to the material cause and the efficient cause. As in the case of pot and clay, we can say that the clay is the cause of the pot, in the sense that it is modified into the pot. The Lord is not such a cause. Or as the father is Mūla or root of the son. He is not the material cause of the Jīva or the soul of the son, but he is the occasion or nimitta cause of the birth of the Jīva. But so far as the body of the son is concerned, he is the material cause also; because the germ of the father is the root from which the body of the son grows.

Therefore the Commentator says:—

He is the Mūla or cause of the world also, in the sense of being its efficient cause, and not its material cause; since He undergoes no modification. As the Jīva of the seed is the cause of the offshoot without undergoing any modification; or as the Jīva of the father is the cause of the body of his son (so is the Lord the cause of the world). As the body of the Jīva of the seed (namely the seed itself in the case of a tree) and the body of the father (namely the sperm cell of the father which is the cause of the body of the son) are the material cause of the tree and of the body of the infant; because the seed and the sperm themselves modify into the tree and the body; not so the Lord. He is the Mūla or root in the first sense of the word, but never in that of the second. Thus the Lord Hari, though a Mūla or root, is never a modification.

The world is not a modification of the Lord. He is just like a father who procreates a son.

The word mūla does not invariably mean the material cause of a thing. It is not restricted to that meaning. It denotes a cause in general: whether efficient or material. Therefore, the soul of the seed (bījā-jīva) is said also to be the mṅla or root of the tree: where mūla could not but mean the efficient cause of the tree; for the Jīva of the tree is certainly not the material cause of the tree. Moreover you cannot say that the God is the material cause of the world, as the clay is the material cause of the pot; for the strict Advaita theory does not say that the God is the material cause in this way. For according to your theory the Pure Brahman cannot be the material cause of anything. Nor is the illustration in the text in favour of your theory of Brahman limited by māyā to be the material cause of the world. For we do not find any mention of māyā in this illustration It says: as from an offshoot the root is inferred, so from body as an offshoot or effect is inferred the root namely food, from food as an offshoot or effect is inferred the root Water, from water as an effect is inferred its root Fire, from Fire an effect is inferred its root the Good. If any thing, this passage may countenance pantheism, where everything is Brahman, but not your theory of Maya. Your Māyā also introduces an element of duality in Pure Brahman. Moreover Māyā according to you, is sufficient to create the world, why assume a Brahman. To assume two material causes of the world—Pure Brahman and Māyā is superfluous. Nor is there any text of the sacred scriptures to this effect.

If you say the creation is an illusion, like that of a snake in a rope that is also wrong. No one ever says that the rope is the material cause (upādāna kāraṇa) of the snake, it is an abuse of language to say so. Hope is the adhīṣṭhāna [adhiṣṭhāna?] cause of the snake and not its upādāna cause. The repeated exhortation of the text “search out the root,” “search out the root” would be irrelevent in the case of illusion theory. It would be inappropriate to say: “as from an offshoot, the root is inferred so from a snake And out its root the rope.” It would be simply absurd. The illustration of the śruti text does not support the illusion theory, and cannot be made to do so by any rules of interpretation.

An objector may further say the context shows that the material cause is meant here; for it says food is an offshoot, find out its cause; which is water; water is an offshoot, find out its cause, which is fire; fire is an offshoot, find out its cause, which is the Lord called the Good.” Now water is the material cause of food, fire is the material cause of water; therefore, the Lord called the Good must also bo the material cause of fire; otherwise there would be break in the continuity sentence. To this we reply that the word food, water, fire refer to Devatās, and even hero also, the material cause is not meant, but the efficient cause only.

Therefore the Commentator says:—

Because they are the first creation, the fire means Lakṣmī, the water means Vāyu and so on. For it is thus said in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:Lakṣmī is the Goddess presiding over fire (tejas), Prāṇa is the god presiding over water (apas); Rudra is the deity presiding over food (anna [annam]); therefore, these are the three ancient primary Devatās created before anything else.”

Tn Mantra 2 it is said “mind is fastened to breath”—“prāṇabandhanam hi somya manaḥ”. This has been explained that the transmigrating soul called Manas is rooted in or fastened to prāṇa or the Lord; but how do you say so? The word manas means mind only, and prāṇa means breath; why do you explain manas as the (transmigrating soul), and prāṇa as Lord?

To this the Commentator replies:—

The scripture says when a man sleeps here, then “my dear son he becomes united with the Good he is gone to the Absolute (Svā).” This shows that the transmigrating soul reaches the Brahman, in the state of deep sleep. Premising this, the scripture goes on to say:—“As a bird when tied by a string flies first in every direction and finding no rest anywhere settles down at last on the very place where it is fastened, exactly in the same manner, my son, that mind (the Jīva) after flying in every direction, and finding no rest anywhere, settles down on breath; for indeed my son, mind is fastened to breath.” This illustration shows that “Manas” cannot but mean here the transmigrating soul, which is like the kite tied by a string, while Prāṇa corresponds to the man that holds the string and therefore the word Prāṇa must mean here the Lord, who holds the string to which the Jīva is fastened. The final passage shows the same It says “Yes all these creatures, my son, having their root in the Good, they dwell in the Good, they rest in the Good.”

In the concluding passage the word Sat denotes the Lord and the word Prajā means the Jīvas. So in the opening passage the word Manas must denote the Jīva and Prāṇa denote the Lord. “Now”—says an objector, “admitted that owing to the force of the word Sat in the concluding passage, we take the word Prāṇa of the initial passage to mean the Lord; but how do you say that the word Prajā of the concluding passage means the Jīvas. It may mean all the animate and inanimate creation.”

To this the Commentator answers:—

The word Prajā is a well-known term applicable to sentient, conscious beings only; and never to beings which are not self conscious. As we find in the following passage:—“The king gets good or bad fortune according as his subjects (prajā) are happy or miserable.” (Thus the word prajā cannot refer to inanimate objects which are incapable of enjoying pleasure or pain.)

Now the Commentator quotes an authority showing that the Devatās, Lakṣmī, etc., mentioned in Mantra 6 are to be meditated upon:—

Devatas Lakṣmī, etc., should be meditated upon by the person desirous of getting Mukti (release) because they are the builders of his bodies and their humours. He must also meditate on the adorable Lord, the Highest Person, as the Ruler of these Devatās. Therefore the Mantra 6 teaches meditation on these Devatās. In fact in Mantra VI. 4. 7 the tripartite lias been taught in order to teach meditation on these deities.

The physical elements fire, &c,. being inert are incapable of creating bodies or their humours. So their meditation is not taught, and they are not to be taken in this passage VI. 4. 7, etc.

In the passage “when a man dies his speech merges in the mind, his mind in breath, the breath in fire, the fire in the highest being the words speech, mind, breath, etc., do not denote material organs of speech, mind, etc. For the passage teaches that they merge in the Highest Devatā, (parasyām devatāyam) so these words speech, mind, etc., must also be Devatās, though of lower grades. That they mean Devatās, we find in the Vedānta Sūtras also. As in the following (Vedānta -Sūtras, IV. 2. 103).

“(In this Pāda are treated how the gods obtain release and how they depart from the body).”

Speech (is withdrawn) into mind, on account of this being seen (observed) and from the Word. (Vedānta Sūtra, IV.2.1.)

Note.—Umā, presiding over speech, is withdrawn into Rudra presiding over mind; and the Śruti (Word) runs thus: “He understands those round him until his speech is not withdrawn into Mind.” (Ch. VI. 15. 1.) It is said in the Skanda: “By the wise, Uma indeed is called Speech and Rudra is called Mind; and he who knows this couple, is not deprived of the blessing of wedlock.”

“That Manas (Mind) enters into Prāṇa, from the subsequent (passage) (Vedānta Sūtra, IV.2.4).

(He Prāṇa) enters into the Supreme Lord (the omniscient Lord) as seen from the statements, etc., (as to Prāṇa’s) going to him. (Vedānta Sūtra, IV.2.4).

These aphorisms show that Badarayaṇa has also taken these words speech, mind, etc., to mean Devatās. The Commentator now quotes an authority to prove this

It is thus written in the Sat Tattva:—In Mukti, Umā called speech enters into (that is, merges her body in) Rudra, the presiding deity of mind and called mind; while Śiva himself enters into Vāyu, and Vāyu enters into Fire, which denotes the Goddess Śrī. That Goddess taking Vāyu with her, enters into the Lord Viṣṇu, the Highest of the High.

The merging of Umā into Rudra means that she loses herself in the body of Rudra, and all her activities are thenceforth performed through Rudra body. Rudra in his turn merges into Vāyu, or as the Śruti says that Manas enters into Prāṇa. Here says an objector, “it is not proper to say that Vāyu merges into Śrī, for the Vedānta Sūtra says that Vāyu merges into the supreme at once.” To this the Commentator answers:—

Vāyu certainly reaches the Lord (Janārdana) directly, the Goddess Śrī is merely a doorway for Prāṇa to enter the Lord. At the time of death and Mukti all spirits enter first into speech.

In fact the phrase Vāyu merges into the Śrī means that he reaches Śrī; and does not mean that he drops his body and enters into the body of Śrī, as was the case with lower Devatās. He loses his body, if he loses it at all, only when he enters into the Supreme Self. Vāyu has two aspects (1) Brahmā the Four-faced, (2) Prāṇa,—Prāṇa loses his body when he enters into Śrī, not so however Brahma.

Mantra 7 of this Khaṇḍa introduces for the first time the famous saying “Tat Tvam Asi” which is generally translated as ‘Thou art that.’ This is one of the logoi or Mahāvākyas of Vedānta. This verse is thus translated according to Saṅkara:—“Now that which is that subtle essence (the root of all), in it all that exists has its self. It is the true. It is the Self, and thou, O Śvetaketu, art it.” Śaṅkara explains it thus “He who is called “Sat”, i.e., the subtle, the root of the universe. This Universe is called Aitadātmya [Aitadātmyam] meaning “having this sat for its self,” i.e., everything in this Universe has its self in this self alone. There is no other transmigrating self. The word Atmā when used without any qualifying terms, denotes this Supreme Self, and that Supreme Self. Thou art O Śvetaketu.”

This explanation of Śaṅkara proceeds upon a misapprehension of the Śruti.

The Mantra is this “sa ya eṣo’ ṇimaitadātmyam idam sarvam tat satyam sa ātmā tat tvam asi”.

The word “Sa” and “Ya”, etc., primā facie look as if they were pronouns but they are really substantives. “Ya” is a substantive derived from the root “Yam” to control. The controller is called “Ya”. The word “Sa” is derived from “Sāra” the essence. Therefore “Ya” and “Sa” mean the controller and the essence. The word aṇimā means that which is known through subtle intellect or knowledge. It is a compound of two words Aṇu meaning subtle and Ma meaning to know. The word Aitadātmyam is a compound of “etad” and “ātman” with taddhit affix. Etad means that, namely the Lord. Ātmā means the Governor. That which has the Lord Viṣṇu as its Governor and is ruled by Him is called aitadātmyam. The word eṣa means that which is desired (Iṣṭa) that which is worshipped by all. Therefore the Commentator says

Viṣṇu is called ya because He controls (Niyamana) all; He is called sa, because he is the essence of all (Sāra) he is called aṇimā because he is known through subtle intellect. The universe is called Aitadātmya [Aitadātmyam] because it is controlled by that Lord. He is called Tat because He is all-pervading. He is called Satyam because He is the highest bliss. He is called Ātmā because He has all qualities in their perfection.

The phrase “sa ātmā tat tvam asi” is to be analysed as (1) Sa (2) Ātmā (3) Atat (4) Tvam (5) Asi; and not as (1) Sa (2) Ātmā (3) Tat (4) Tvam (5) Asi. It means “thou art not that and not “thou art that.” Therefore the Commentator says:—

In reality verily thou art not that (God) O Śvetaketu, so be thou not conceited and proud. The Asuras became conceited, thinking in their heart “I am Brahman they say “the world is false, 1 am a perfect being, I am almighty,” they say “there is no Lord of the universe, there is no firm foundation for it.” They further maintain that all the Vedas teach that consciousness is one alone. They are given to false reasoning, and cannot brook to hear the glory of the Lord Hari. Without knowing the real truth about scriptures, they say that the Vedas teach unity and monism. They go to the utter darkness these blasphemers of the Supreme Self Do not follow their doctrines, do not think thou art one with Viṣṇu. When thou shalt not entertain the notion of being one with Viṣṇu, thou shalt never be conceited and proud. Verily all creation is founded in Him, and all must be devoted to Him, as devotion to Him leads to Release. Since of all the creatures He is the Root, how can they be identical with Him—(the effect is different from the cause).