BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD (8)- MADHU-KANDA- CHAPTER II

3) This fire is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this fire. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this fire and the bright, immortal being identified with the organ of speech in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

This fire-principle is the honey of all beings, and everything that is a part thereof is naturally included in the whole. This fire-principle is manifest in the speech of the individual. The speech is an action, an activity which is superintended by the fire-principle. If there is no fire in the system, you cannot speak. So, these are co-related with each other as part and whole, cause and effect. But this causal relationship between fire and the speech-principle is made possible by the presence of the immanence of the Cosmic Being who is the Supreme Purusha.

4) This air is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this air. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this air and the bright, immortal being identified with the vital breath in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

This air is of the same nature. The breath that we breathe, the vital energy in us, that is the co-relate in the individual aspects, of the cosmic Hiranyagarbha; Prana and Vayu, and they are co-related, so that when the part is conceived, the whole is automatically conceived.

To make clear the point that this co-relationship is not mechanical or artificial, but vital, living and organic, it is stated that the Purusha is the connecting principle. Consciousness is equally present in the cause as well as the effect. It is in the outside world and also in the inner individual. So, when any particular function of the individual is taken into consideration for the purpose of effecting or producing anything, the cause has to be taken into consideration at the same time. If the cause is forgotten and the individual alone is emphasized in a particular action, it would be the source of bondage. The bondage of the individual is due to the emphasis of the individual, independently of the cause which is organically connected by the very same Atman that is present in both. So, the essence of the Madhu-Vidya is the cosmic contemplation of Reality. Prana within and Vayu outside, they are both co-related and connected by a single immortal essence.

5) This sun is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this sun. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this sun and the bright, immortal being identified with the eye in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

Now, the sun is connected with the eye. We are able to see things on account of the principle of the sun that is present in our eyes and the connecting link between the sun and the eyes is again the same Purusha. Wherever we see the connecting link between the macrocosmic and the microcosmic we find the same Purusha. So, the one Being is the active, energizing Reality of any aspect of the cosmos as well as the corresponding aspect of the individual. The luminous power that controls the sun is the same as that which controls the eye. So, here the sun and the eye are co-related.

6) These quarters are the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of these quarters. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in these quarters and the bright, immortal being identified with the ear in the body and with the time of hearing are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

7) This moon is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this moon. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this moon and the bright, immortal being identified with the mind in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

8) This lightning is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this lightning. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this lightning and the bright, immortal being identified with the light in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying Unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

9) This thunder—cloud is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this thunder—cloud. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this thunder—cloud and the bright, immortal being identified with sound and with the voice in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

10) This akasa is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this akasa. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this akasa and the bright, immortal being identified with the akasa in the heart in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

Likewise, the quarters of the heavens and the ears are co-related. The mind and the moon are co-related, and the Upanishad goes on to co-relate the light that is flashed forth by the lightning above and the light that is projected by the body by its own energy. The sounds that are made outside in the world are also causally connected with the effect as the sounds made in our own bodies by various functions. The space that is outside is not independent of the space in our own bodies. It is the same space that is operating inside also. The space in the heart within is the space that is outside. Both are internally connected.

11) This dharma (righteousness) is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this dharma. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this dharma and the bright, immortal being identified with the dharma in the body are both honey. These four are but this self. This knowledge of this self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

The law that operates outside is the law of the cosmos. There are no two laws - God's law and man's law; universal law and individual law. No such thing is there. Such thing as 'my law' or your law' does not exist. There is only one law operating everywhere, in all creation, visible or invisible, in all realms of being. The same law is there for the celestials, the humans and the sub­human creatures. Everyone is controlled by a single principle of ordinance. That is called Dharma.

It operates as gravitation in the physical level; it operates as love in the psychological level; it operates as chemicals in the chemical level and it operates as integration of thought in our mental level, the level of cognition and thinking. It ultimately operates as the connecting link between the subject and the object, on account of which there is knowledge of anything at all. That is called Dharma.

Dharma is an integrating force of anything that is even apparently in disparity. Anything that is disconnected, apparently isolated, not visibly connected, is actually connected, and that connecting principle is called Dharma. And Dharma becomes an integrating principle because of the presence of the Atman that is behind it. There is no such thing as Dharma independent of the operation of the Atman. What we call Dharma or law is the Atman working. Its own law is its Being; its Being is its law; they are not two different things.

12) This truth is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this truth. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in this truth and the bright, immortal being identified with truth in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

What we call truth is one. There cannot be two truths or three truths, etc. There is only one truth - Satyameva jayate. The truth that succeeds is that co-relative, integrating principle, Satya, which is, again, a manifestation of the Atman. Atman is truth, and Atman is Dharma. So, Satya and Dharma are identical.

13) This mankind is the honey (effect) of all beings and all beings are the honey (effect) of this mankind. Likewise, the bright, immortal being who is in mankind and the bright, immortal being identified with mankind in the body are both honey. These four are but this Self. The Knowledge of this Self is the means to Immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this Knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming all.

The word mankind here includes all species, human and non-human which are endowed with an aggregate of body and organs controlled by dharma. All living beings belonging to different species are conducive to one another’s welfare and this co-­relation is possible on account of the Self, the Atman.

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