KENA UPANISHAD : “Know That Alone as Brahman” - 9. Swami Tejomayananda.

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Swami Swaroopananda, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission was warmly welcomed by the members and devotees of Chinmaya Mission Portland after a long haul of over three years. Swamiji kept the audience riveted on his tips on managing the mind with his enlightening discourses on Mind Technology. Here is a quote from his talk along with photographs from the 3 day series in July 2022. "If you decide to lift yourself, the whole universe contrives to make things happens. And a mind that obeys you, alone is your best friend."

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Chapters, 4. No of  Mantras. - 34.

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Sunday, July 31, 2022. 19:00.
Chapter 2 -Subtlety of “KNOWING” Brahman (5 Mantras)
Mantram-1: Did the Student Understand? 
Post -9.

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Mantram -1: Did the Student Understand? 

 "Yadi manyase suveda iti,daharam eva api noonam twam
 yat asya twam, yat asya deveshu; atha nu,  meemaamsyam eva te
 manya viditam."

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Translation :

daharam eva api noonam twa = The Preceptor says: 

1 yadi manyase suveda iti,  = If you think, “I know That well enough,” –

2 daharam eva api noonam twam = vettha brahmanah roopam; it is only a little expression that you understand as being the form of Brahman;

3 yat asya twam, yat asya deveshu; = the little expression of your body, or of that seen in the Gods. 

4 atha nu,  meemaamsyam eva te =  It means that the real Brahman is still to be ascertained by you.

5 manye viditam.  =  Disciple: “I think I do know Brahman!”

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Commentary : 

Prior to this verse, the Teacher must have put out a feeler to find out how much his 

students have understood of the lesson he has just taught. One of them, we may deduce, 

said, “Oh, I know Brahman well enough.” Guruji compares this response to our usual 

greeting formalities – someone asks, “How are you?” and the other person automatically 

says “Fine, thank you!” without even thinking.

The Teacher knows the danger of a theoretical understanding being taken as the 

final realisation! Students can become over-confident of their knowledge. The Bhashya 

elaborates greatly on this point, but the essence of it is to curb the tendency to mistake 

theory for direct experience.

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1 The wise Teacher, suspecting that this is what has happened in the student 

concerned, warns him of this danger. Brahman is his own Self. If he really understood, he 

would have said, “Yes, indeed, I now understand who I am!” He would not have used the 

third person (That), as though Brahman were an object outside him!

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2-3 Hence, the Preceptor is justified in curtailing the student’s over-confidence. He 

tells him he has only understood the limited expression of Brahman which is this body; or, at 

most, he has only understood the greater but still limited expression of Brahman as seen in 

the Devatas. The Deities are still a limitation in comparison to the Infinite Being that is 

Brahman. 

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4 The student is therefore asked to go and do more reflection

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Objection: Are There Many Forms of Brahman?

When the two limited expressions of Brahman are mentioned, the Poorvapakshi 

brings up his expected objection. The Bhashya answers this by saying that Brahman in 

association with the Upadhis is also Brahman but in a limited way. In man the limitation is 

his body, mind and senses. In the Devatas, the limitation may be less but it is nevertheless 

still there. The Gods worshipped by devotees are limited expressions of Brahman, seen 

through the eyes of man.

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5 And so the student is sent back to his seat of meditation, to reflect more on the 

Truth. When he returns after due reflection and contemplation (Manana and Nididhyasana), 

he gives his experience in the same words as before, “I think I do know Brahman.”

The Teacher smiles at him. He can now see that the theory has been converted into 

practical experience, although the words used are the same. Actual realisation has dawned

and the illumined student comes with a glow on his face with even greater confidence than 

earlier. None could be more pleased than the Teacher!

The student explains himself in the next mantram…

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Next- Mantram 2.2: The Student Proclaims the Truth

To be continued .....

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