The Chhandogya Upanishad - 48: Swami Krishnananda.

Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF):

The Divine Lakshmi Narayana Puja and Havan 2024🌺

In the serene ambience of the Lalita Vidya Pratishthanam Campus of CVV, the celebration of Makar Sankranti went on through the divine rites of Lakshmi Narayana puja and havan. 

This joyous occasion united the extended families of CVV and CIF, along with the guests who graced the event with their presence.

Guided by the chanting of Vishnusahasranamavali and other sacred slokas led by CVV students, the entire gathering participated in the rhythmic cadence of devotion. 

The yajamans, guests, and sadhakas were warmly invited to chant and offer dravyas to the sacred havan.

In the spirit of unity, a special sankalpa was taken for the universal welfare and the harmonious unfolding of the coming year. 

Bhaktas all over the world witnessed the sacred live stream of the puja on the Chinfo Channel on YouTube.

May the blessings of Lakshmi Narayana light up the lives showering prosperity, peace and abundance🌸

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Monday, 22  Jan 2024. 06:40.

Chapter 4: An Analysis of the Nature of the Self

Section 7: Prajapati's Instruction to Indra Concerning the Real Self

Mantram - 4.

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Section 8: The Bodily Self:

Mantram-1.

Post-48.

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Mantram-4.

"Tau ha prajapatir-uvaca, ya eso'ksini 

puruso drsyata esa atmeti hovaca, 

etad-amrtam abhayam etad-brahmeti, 

atha yo'yam bhagavah apsu parikhyayate 

yascayam adarse katama esa iti esa u 

evaisu sarvesu antesu parikhyayate iti hovaca."

"That Being which you see in your eye is the Atman," said Prajapati. It was a very strange statement indeed. This was all the instruction. There was no further explanation whatsoever. He is right in what he said, but it can be very easily misconstrued. "That Purusha, the Being that you see in your eyes, that is the Atman. Are you satisfied? I have given you an initiation. This is the immortal, this is the abode of fearlessness, this is the Absolute."

Immediately the whole instruction was misconstrued by both the disciples, just as any one of us would have done. They at once came to the same conclusion regarding the reflection seen in the eye. We know what is seen in the eye. A body is reflected. What can be reflected in the eye except a body? "Oh, I see, this is the Atman. What is reflected in the eye is the Atman"-thus concluded both Indra and Virochana. "Then, what is reflected in water, is that the Atman?" they asked. "That which is reflected in the mirror, is that also Atman?" They were so happy that the Atman is so easy to reach. So they want to get this instruction confirmed by asking, "Which is the Atman, that seen as reflected in the water or that seen as reflected in the mirror? Is that also the Atman? Is it true? Is it so?" They queried Brahma, and his answer was very simple. He said, "It is seen in every kind of reflection." "Well, is it in the water?" they again asked. "Yes, in water also. It is reflected everywhere," he replied.

A very short instruction! And both were very happy. The disciples felt that they had known the Atman. Actually the teacher must have felt pity for the ignorance of these disciples who immediately misunderstood the whole teaching and thought the physical body could be the Atman, because that alone can be reflected in this manner. What else can be reflected if not an external object!

Section - 7, Ends.

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Next
Section 8: The Bodily Self:
Mantram-1.

"Uda-sarava atmanam aveksya yad-atmano na vijanithah, 

tan me prabrutam iti, tau hoda-sarave'veksamcakrate, 

tau ha prajapatir-uvaca kim pasyatha iti; 

tau hocatuh, sarvan evedam avam, 

bhagavah, atmanam pasyava, a 

lomabhya a nakhebhyah pratirupam iti."

Now Brahma said, "Please go and look at yourselves in a pan of water and see what is there; if you cannot understand anything about the Atman, then let me know." They went and saw themselves in a pan of water. Then Brahma asked them, "What do you see?" They immediately gave the answer: "Up to the hair and the nails, everything that we are, we see exactly reflected in this water. This is what we see. We see ourselves as we are."

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Next

Mantram-2

To be continued

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