7. The Psychological aspects in the Chāndogyopaniṣad

One of the Upaniṣads, Chāndogya gives an elaborate study about the identification of the Atman or the Brahman. There are many replacers found in the Chāndogya-upaniṣad Consciousness is an attribute of the pure self or the ultimate reality. This is clearly illustrated by the Chāndogya-upaniṣad in the dialogue between the teacher Prajāpathi and his pupils. The central idea of the Chāndogya-upaniṣad is that a person who is completely interested in doing the actions in order to fulfil his desires, should give some time, energy and attention first to the practice of the upāsanas and then to the realization of Ātmavidya. The seer of the Upaniṣad says that the aim of the seeker should be to understand the self within.

One of the acute observations of our ancient sages made in this Upaniṣad is concerned with the fact that in the process of attention we always hold our breath. It is seen neither to breathe out nor to breathe in.^[1] Our attention is concentrated with action and it cannot be diverted to other processes. When the disciple asks the teacher replies, the universe without is equated with the self within. The teacher further proceeds and asserts that this self, the consciousness, does not age with the aging of the body, nor is it killed when the body is killed. It is free from hunger and desire. The teacher also declares that the fruits of Vedic rituals are transitory, but the understanding of the Atman is imperishable, immortal, and fearless. It is declared that the Supreme Self is of the nature of pure consciousness. The seeker who realizes this merges him to the state of deep sleep. The pleasures and pains of waking life and of dream life do not touch one who is in deep sleep.

In that condition of deep sleep, one is in the pure state consciousness which is free from evil, free from sorrow, free from hunger and thirst and free from death:

tadyatraitat suptaḥ samastaḥ samprasannaḥ svapnaṃnavijānātyasu tadā nāḍīṣusṛpto bhavati taṃnakaścanana pāpmā spṛśati tejasā hi tadā saṃpanno bhavati || ^[2]

When Virocana and Indra who represents the gods and demons to find out from Prajāpati the means to attain this state of serenity, the teacher clarifies the doubts of pupils and asserts that the embodied self is held by pleasure and pain. It is implied that the individual self moves in waking and dream states and experiencing various feelings consequently; and it remains restless. In the state of deep sleep, mind remains in real peace having regained with Brahman. It is just like a bird tied by a string. It flies to different directions and when it finds no resting place it returns to its own place.

Also, the mind after flying to various directions and when it finds no resting place and it also settles down at the prāṇa, because it is bound to prāṇa:

sa yathā śakuniḥ sūtreṇa prabaddhaḥ diśaṃ patitvā anyatra āyatanaṃ alabdhvā bandhanameva upāśrayata evaṃ khalu somya, tanmanodiśaṃdiśaṃ patitvā anyatra āyatanaṃ alabdhvā prāṇameva upāśrayate prāṇabandhanaṃ hi somya mana iti || ^[3]

When one identifies oneself with the whole universe, rather than with one’s body, all the worlds and desired objects are found inside him. This identification of the Atman the individual self, with the Brahman, the Universal Self is the state of pure consciousness. The Universal Self is the centre of all other states of consciousness. Brahman is the Universal Spirit, and also the essence of the individual self. The knowledge of Brahman is known only through Atman. Brahman is Atman. The whole universe is Brahman.

This soul of mine within the heart is only Brahman.

mano brahmetyupāsītetyadhyātma mathādhidaivatamākāśo brahmetyubhayamādiṣṭa bhavatyadhyātmaṃcādhidaivataṃ ca || ^[4]

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad asserts the ideas of ayamātmā brahmā, ahaṃ brahmāsmi and the resemblance of these ideas can be seen with tattvamasi, ie ‘you are that’. This is the teaching of Āruṇi to Śvetaketu. Again he explains that mind is just as a bird tied to a string having flown in several directions and finding no support for rest anywhere, settles down at the place to which it is fastened. In the same manner, the mind flying in several directions and finding no resting place settles down at the life breath. That is the living self characterized by mind. The Chāndogya-upaniṣad expounds mind as higher knowledge. It begins ‘the Mind is Brahman’ and expounds upāsanas on Mind and ākāśa, space, ether as Brahman. ‘Brahman is ākāśa’; and one should meditate that the same Brahman has four feet, speech, breath, sight and hearing. This is the reference to the body. This is two-fold, with regard to the body and to the gods. The formation of mind and mental strength is developed by food into sixteen parts.

The mental strength is developed through food and divisible into sixteen parts. Because everything is made up of food. It is;

annasya bhūktasya yo aṇiṣṭho dhātuḥ, sa manasī śaktimadhāt | sā annopacitā manasaḥ śaktiḥ ṣoḍaśadhā pravibhajya puruṣasya kalātvenanirdidikṣitā | tayā manasyannopacitayā śāktyā ṣoḍaśadhā pravibhaktyā saṃyuktaḥ tatvānkāryakāraṇasaṃghātalakṣaṇo jīvaviśiṣṭaḥ puruṣaḥ ṣoḍaśakala ucyate, yasyāṃ satyāṃ draṣṭā śrotā mantā boddhākartāvijñātā sarvakriyā samarthaḥ puruṣo bhavatiḥ | hīyamānāyaṃ ca yasyāṃ sāmarthyahāniḥ | vakṣyati ca ‘athānnasyāyaidraṣṭā’ (7.9.1) ityadi | sarvasya kāryakāraṇasya sāmarthyaṃ manaḥkṛtameva | mānasena hi balena sampannā balinodṛśyante lokedhyānāhārāśca kecit, annasya sarvātmakatvāt, ataḥ annakṛtaṃ mānasaṃ vīryam || ^[5]

The other is referred to the gods of Fire, Wind, Sun and Quarters (diśaḥ). Speech is a foot of Brahman; it shines and glows with fire as light. Breath is a foot of Brahman. It shines and glows with air as light. Sight is a foot of Brahman and shines and glows with sun as light. And hearing is a foot of Brahman and shines and glows with quarters as light.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chāndogya-upaniṣad I.3.4-tasmātprāṇannanapānannṛcamabhivyāharati ||

[2]:

Ibid -8.6.3

[3]:

Ibid -6.8.2

[4]:

Ibid -3.18.1

[5]:

Chāndogyopaniṣad Śānkarabhāṣya-7