In this chapter, the famous story of Uddalaka and his son Shvetaketu is told and the dialogue between them establishes the principle of oneness of Atman. Goodall, Dominic. [147], In its exposition of progressive meditation for Self-knowledge, the Chandogya Upanishad starts by referring to the outer worldly knowledges as name. [21][22] The highest song is Om, asserts volume 1.1 of Chandogya Upanishad. [96][97] The story thus declares knowledge as superior to wealth and power. [144][146], Thereafter, for a few steps, states Paul Deussen,[147] the Upanishad asserts a hierarchy of progressive meditation that is unusual and different from the broader teachings of the Upanishads. Chandogya's exposition of syllable, Good and evil may be everywhere, yet life-principle is inherently good, Space: the origin and the end of everything, A ridicule and satire on egotistic nature of priests, Structure of language and cosmic correspondences, The nature of Dharma and Ashramas (stages) theory, Brahman is the sun of all existence, Madhu Vidya, Individual soul and the infinite Brahman is same, one's soul is God, Sandilya Vidya, The universe is an imperishable treasure chest, Life is a festival, ethics is one's donation to it, Penance is unnecessary, Brahman as life bliss joy and love, the story of Upakosala, Who is our Atman (soul, self), what is the Brahman, Atman exists, Svetaketu's education on the key to all knowledge - Tat Tvam Asi, Oneness in the world, the immanent reality and of Man, From knowledge of the outer world to the knowledge of the inner world, Narada's education on progressive meditation, A paean for the learning, a reverence for the Self. [27] The gods then revered the Udgitha as sense of hearing (ear), but the demons afflicted it and ever since one hears both what is worth hearing and what is not worth hearing, because hearing is afflicted with good and evil. The rains stop and clouds lift, that is Nidhana. S Sharma and U Sharma (2005), Cultural and Religious Heritage of India: Hinduism, Motilal Banarsidass. 4, pages 610-616, Max Muller translates as "know", instead of "understand", see Max Muller, The Upanishads Part 1, page 121, verse 7.16.1, Oxford University Press. [144][145] Narada admits to Sanatkumara that none of these have led him to Self-knowledge, and he wants to know about Self and Self-knowledge. •The Upanishad is the legendary story of Nachiketa– the son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama(the Hindu deity of death). The third group consists of chapters VI-VIII that deal with metaphysical questions such as the nature of reality and soul. [135] These coarse becomes waste, the medium builds the body or finest essence nourishes the mind. There are three branches of Dharma (religious life, duty): Yajna (sacrifice), Svādhyāya (self study) and Dāna (charity) are the first, b) Other Pramanams like science, inference, logic, cant validate or invalidate – contradict veda, have no access. The Chandogya Upanishad is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism. [64], The simile of "honey" is extensively developed, with Vedas, the Itihasa and mythological stories, and the Upanishads are described as flowers. [132], The Tat Tvam Asi precept emerges in a tutorial conversation between a father and son, Uddalaka Aruni and 24-year-old Śvetaketu Aruneya respectively, after the father sends his boy to school saying "go to school Śvetaketu, as no one in our family has ever gone to school", and the son returns after completing 12 years of school studies. These are called the Dashopanishads and are known for their philosophical depth, having become popular through the commentaries of Adi Shankara and Madhvacharya. [73] This, states Paul Deussen,[74] is with Satapatha Brahmana 10.6.3, perhaps the oldest passage in which the basic premises of the Vedanta philosophy are fully expressed, namely – Atman (Soul, Self inside man) exists, the Brahman is identical with Atman, God is inside man. He who has Belief[150] is the one who Thinks, therefore one must desire to understand why one Believes (Śraddhā, श्रद्दधा), Of a truth there lived Swetaketu son of Aruṇa. Shvetaketu's story in the Chandogya Upanishad is the first time that reincarnation is mentioned in the Vedas and perhaps in all of known writings in human history. To bring the wisdom and spiritual knowledge of the Upanishads to the digital age, making it universally available, easily accessible, and open to constructive debate in a manner that helps people around the world across varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds live better lives and face the … The eight chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad opens by declaring the body one is born with as the "city of Brahman", and in it is a palace that is special because the entire universe is contained within it. Salt dissolves in water, it is everywhere in the water, it cannot be seen, yet it is there and exists forever no matter what one does to the water. This whole universe is Brahman. University of California press, 1996. His father, through 16 volumes of verses of Chandogya Upanishad, explains. First 11 khanda's deal with Upasana of Sun and this Upasana is known as Madhu Vidya. [36] The text asserts that hāu, hāi, ī, atha, iha, ū, e, hiṅ among others correspond to empirical and divine world, such as moon, wind, sun, oneself, Agni, Prajapati, and so on. The "Chandogya Upanishad" is a Sanskrit text that has served as a core text for the Vedanta school of Hinduism.The name is derived from the Sanskrit, chanda, meaning “poetic meter,” and Upanishad, meaning “sitting at the foot of.” It is considered one of the oldest Upanishads and consists of eight chapters. The moral of the story is called, Samvarga (Sanskrit: संवर्ग, devouring, gathering, absorbing) Vidya, summarized in volume 4.3 of the text. Hari Om! [22], The second volume of the first chapter continues its discussion of syllable Om (ॐ, Aum), explaining its use as a struggle between Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons) – both being races derived from one Prajapati (creator of life). After learning all the Vedas, he returned home full of conceit in the belief that he was consummately well-educated, and very censorious. Secondly, verse 3.17.6 mentions Krishna Devakiputra (Sanskrit: कृष्णाय देवकीपुत्रा) as a student of sage Ghora Angirasa. in seasons view, as sheep etc. Barbara Holdrege (2004), Dharma, in The Hindu World (Editors: Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby), Routledge, 3 padas of 8 syllables containing 24 syllables in each stanza; considered a language structure of special beauty and sacredness. The most excellent is his, the most excellent worlds does he win, who, knowing it thus, reveres the most excellent Udgitha [Om, ॐ]. Verily, all things here arise out of space. Of a truth Nārada repaired to Sanatkumāra. Twelfth khanda tells about the UdGeetha Sama revealed by gods in the form of Dogs. 2. [116] Then, Prana (breath, life-principle) prepares to leave, and all of them insist that he stay. [159] Serenity comes from knowing his true desire for Self, realizing the Soul inside oneself, asserts the text. Source: "The Upanishads - A New Translation" by Swami Nikhilananda. There is a story in Chandogya Upanishad section 4.4 that shows that character is the most important measure of a person. [34] After the dogs settled down, they together began to say, "Him" and then sang, "Om, let us eat! May the different limbs of my body, my tongue, prana, eyes, ears and my strength and also all the other sense-organs be nourished! •Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge,Atman (Soul,Self) and moksha (liberation) •Katha literally means "distress". Thou art the Prana-samsitamasi (fountainhead, crest of life-principles). The Chandogya Upanishad enumerates primary sources of divine inspiration, deepest subjective consciousness and the process for transformation of the individual life to the universal life. The story also declares the king as a seeker of knowledge, and eager to learn from the poorest. He who knows stability,[112] becomes stable. Home > Divine Life > Scriptures > Brahma Vidya > The Upanishads > Essence of The Chandogya Upanishad: Essence of the Chhandogya Upanishad. The second khanda ordains that Udgeetha should be meditated as Vital Life Force or Prana, and tells a story to explain the Holiness of Prana describing how it remained untouched by evil while all other five senses got tainted by evil. One must adore and revere Water as the Brahman. Each of these nourishment has three constituents, asserts the Upanishad in volumes 4 through 7 of the sixth chapter. The precepts on brahmavidyã have been narrated here through the story of Ushasti and Mahãvat, the conversation between Shvetketu and Udãlak, the dialogue of Nãrad and Sanatsujãt, and the story of Indra and Virochan. 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