PRASHNA UPANISHAD - 48 : Rishi Pippala.

Chinmaya Mission :

The annual Jnana Yagna, led by Swami Swaroopananda, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, is a highly anticipated event, held from February 13th to 18th, 2024, at Chinmaya Mission Delhi.

 Decorated with pristine white canopies and illuminated with strings of lights, the Mission exuded a festive aura, setting the stage for spiritual enlightenment.

 Swamiji, accompanied by esteemed members, was ceremoniously welcomed, followed by the release of special souvenirs and texts for the event.

In his discourse, Swamiji delved into Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, emphasizing its significance as the heart of the scripture, where Bhagavan reveals the highest knowledge of the Self. 

With humor and anecdotes, he captivated the audience, elucidating the profound nuances of the chapter, particularly focusing on Bhakti.

The discourses concluded with Bhagwan's promise of reaching Him through worship and complete dependence. 

Additionally, "Arise Awake-Guided Meditation," conducted from February 14th to 18th, provided seekers with a tranquil environment conducive to meditation. 

Swamiji stressed the importance of inner peace and quietude for successful meditation, guiding participants into a relaxed state over the days.

Emphasizing dynamic quietude and the mastery of the mind as traits of a true yogi, Swamiji outlined the goals of achieving single-mindedness, contemplation on attained knowledge, and liberation from bodily preoccupations. 

Systematically exploring the beauty and wisdom of shlokas from Pratah-smarana-stotram, Swamiji elucidated the various techniques to prepare the mind for meditation, anchored by the principle of self-realization:

 "I am not this Body, this Mind, this Intellect but the Infinite, light-giving Consciousness. 

I am Poornam, Aham Brahmasmi!"

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#6 Questions, 67 Mantras: “Questions from Disciples Answered.”

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GAARGYA’S QUESTION

Query No 4:

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Monday 26, Feb 2024. 06:50.

Mantram - 4.9

4.9  Q.4E – The Witness of All States

Post-48.

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Mantram - 4.9  Q.4E – The Witness of All States

1.

Eshah hi drishtaa, sprishtaa,   =  This Self is indeed the seer, the feeler, 

shrotaa, ghraataa, rasayitaa,   =  the hearer, smeller and taster; 

2. 

manta, boddhaa, kartaa –   =  the thinker, ascertainer and the doer – 

vijnaanaatmaa purushah;  =   He is the Purusha who is a knower by nature; 

3. 

sah pare aksharah   =  He who lives in the supreme, indestructible 

aatmani sam-pratishthate.   =  Self, becomes fully established in It. 

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At the end of the last verse, everything that we associated as being “me” – starting 

from body and ending with Prana – is found to go to rest at some point in time. They 

appear, fulfill a function, and then they disappear into that which is their immediate cause 

or controller. When we come to the Prana, we find that it goes to rest in the Self.  

1-2a 

This tells us that “I” am none of these, because I am their experiencer. “I”, the 

Self, am the real seer, feeler, hearer, etc who experiences all variety of experiences in the 

medium of the body.

2b

 Since the Self experiences every single function performed in the body, it is said 

to be the Purusha, which means “man”. This is a way of indicating that it occupies the whole 

“man”; It is in every cell of the “man”. Hence, the Self is called Purusha, implying that it is 

our true identity. 

3

 By deduction this means that the Self does not die when the Prana leaves the 

body. It also tells us that the Self is superior to the Prana – the Prana gets absorbed into the 

Self at the time of death. With this knowledge we are able to sift out exactly who is the real 

“Me” – It is the Self. The person who lives in the awareness that he is this Self, cannot have 

the experience of death. He becomes completely established in the Self, and so he also has 

the same Indestructibility and Immortality that is attributed to the Self. 

This Self is therefore also the Jiva or individual soul that gets associated with the 

body, senses and mind in each person. This means that the true “I” is eternal or ever

existing. The Jiva in us does not go to rest at all. In this sense it is like the Prana which does 

not rest at all while we are alive. However, now we can understand that the Jiva is very 

different from Prana. Prana goes to rest when we die, but the Jiva is the eternal part of our 

being that is beyond birth and death! 

When all the Upadhis are withdrawn as in deep sleep, the Jiva or individual soul is 

none other than Brahman alone. There are then no Upadhis to separate Jiva from Brahman. 

This true identity of ours is established every night when we go into deep sleep. The only 

problem is that we are not aware of this. If we were aware, we would be said to be Self

realised sages! 

When one does become aware of the Jiva’s identity with Brahman, one is said to be 

in the Turiya State. This means “Fourth State” as opposed to the three states we know of – 

waking, dream and deep sleep states. The Turiya is the Consciousness which is associated 

with all three states. This is the message of this verse, and it is the answer to the fifth part of 

the Gargya’s Question.  

*****

Next

Mantram - 4.10 : Q.4E – Attributeless & All-Knowing 

Continued

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