The Chhandogya Upanishad - 53 : Swami Krishnananda

 

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Thursday 28, Mar 2024. 07:30.

Chapter 4: An Analysis of the Nature of the Self

Section 11: The Self in Deep Sleep

Mantras-1&2.

Post-53.

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Section 11: The Self in Deep Sleep:

Mantram - 1.

"Tad-yatraitat suptah samastah samprasannah svapnam na vijanati esa atmeti hovaca, 

etad-amrtam abhayam etad-brahmeti. sa ha santa-hrdayah pravavraja, 

sa haprapyaiva devan eta-bhayam dadarsa, naha khalvayam evam sampraty-atmanam janati, 

ayam aham asmi iti no evemani bhutani vinasam evapito bhavati naham atra bhogyam pasyamiti."

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"Now, I will tell you something different. I will point out the Atman which is not affected by the physical body, nor conditioned by the sorrows of dream, and which is blessed in its own state. What is that? He who is in the deep sleep state, that is the Atman. This is the immortal, this is the fearless, this is the Atman. Which one? That which is in the state of deep sleep," said Prajapati.

Now, that which is in the state of deep sleep has no experience of sorrow of any kind. It does not feel that it is affected by anything. It has no grief. It does not feel that it dies. So in a sense it is all right. The sleeping state is a state of freedom from all the turmoils of both the physical and psychic life in the waking and the dreaming states.

Listening to these instructions of Prajapati, Indra was satisfied for the time being. So, he left Prajapati's abode and went back home thinking that he had known the Atman. But, on the way he again had doubts. He did not reach home. He had great fear.

"What sort of Atman is this that is in sleep? It is as if it is not there at all! It is a zero, an annihilation, a negation of all things! This Atman is a darkness which knows neither its own self nor others. What kind of thing is this sleep? Neither it knows that it is, nor does it know that anything else is. It is like complete annihilation, as it were. How could self-annihilation be the Atman? This kind of Atman is no good. That which does not know its own Self! What sort of Atman is this?" With these doubts, Indra again went back to Prajapati.

Mantram-2.

"Sa samit-panih punar-eyaya. tam ha prajapatir-uvaca, 

maghavan, yacchanta-hrdayah pravrajih, kim icchan punar-agama iti. 

sa hovaca, naha khalv-ayam, bhagavah, evam sampraty-atmanam janati, 

ayam ahamasmiti, no evemani bhutani, vinasam evapito bhavati, 

naham atra bhogyam pasyamiti."

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With sacred fuel in hand, Indra came to Prajapati as a disciple once again to learn the truth about the Atman. Prajapati asked, "O Indra, why have you come back again? You went away satisfied after receiving my instruction." Indra replied, "This Atman in deep sleep that you spoke to me about does not know anything at all. It is an ignorant Atman. This is a state of apparent self-annihilation. I cannot believe that this is the immortal Atman, by knowing which one becomes the lord of all the worlds and fulfils all desires, and about which you made a proclamation in your court. Kindly teach me about that Atman."

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Continued

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