The Chhandogya Upanishad - 50: Swami Krishnananda.

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Friday  16,  Feb 2024. 06:50.

Chapter 4: An Analysis of the Nature of the Self

Section 9: Indra Feels the Inadequacy of the Physical Theory

Mantras-1 to 3.

Post-50.

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Chapter 4: An Analysis of the Nature of the Self

Section 9: Indra Feels the Inadequacy of the Physical Theory

Mantram-1.

"Atha hendro'prapyaiva devan etad-bhayam dadarsa, 

yathaiva khalvayam asmin sarire sadhvalankrte sadhvalankrto bhavati, 

suvasane suvasanah, pariskrte pariskrtah, evam evayam asmin andhe'ndho bhavati, 

srame sramah, parivrkne parivrknah, asyaiva sarirasya nasam anu esa nasyati, 

naham atra bhogyam pasyamiti."

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Indra had great sorrow and fear in his heart. He thought within himself, "If I am well-dressed, the Atman is also well-dressed. If the body is blind, the Atman is blind. If the body is crippled, the Atman also is crippled. Finally when the body dies, the Atman also will die. Well, this follows as a consequence of taking this body as the Atman. So it is a destructible Atman into which I have been initiated? This is no good. I shall go back to the great master once again and clarify this position."

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Mantram-2.

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

maghavan yacchanta-hrdayah pravrajih sardham virocanena, 

kim icchan punar-agama iti. sa hovaca yathaiva khalv-ayam, 

bhagavah asmin sarire sadhv-alankrte sadhv-alankrto bhavati, 

suvasane sruvasanah pariskrte pariskrtah evam evayam asmin andhe'ndho bhavati, srame sramah, 

parivrkno parivrknah, asyaiva sarirasya nasam anv-esa nasyati, naham atra bhogyam pasyamiti."

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Mantram-3.

"Evam evaisa maghavan iti hovaca etam tveva te bhuyo 

anuvyakhyasyami vasaparani dva-trimsatam varsani 

iti sa haparani dva-trimsatam varsani upasa tasmai hovaca."

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Again with humble offering, Indra went to Brahma with discomfiture and doubts. His doubts were that the Atman cannot be the visible body or anything visible whatsoever, because everything that is visible is physical in nature and is characterised by the defects of everything that is physical. Prajapati questioned Indra regarding his doubts. "You went satisfied, and now what makes you come back?" "Great master," replied Indra, "how can we regard this body as the Atman when it is subject to these defects? If this body is blind, the Atman will become blind. If the body is diseased, the Atman would have disease. If the body dies, the Atman will die! So what kind of Atman is this? For these reasons, the reflection cannot be the Atman. I have great doubts. I have come to you for clarification. Perhaps I have misconstrued your teaching. I am having knowledge of a perishable Atman. What is the truth about this matter? Please initiate me further."

"Well, I shall speak to you again, but live here a life of austerity for another thirty-two years. Afterwards I shall speak to you," said Brahma.

Thirty-two years had already passed and again another thirty-two years had to be lived with Prajapati under severe discipline, self-control and aspiration. After the second thirty-two years of disciplined life at the abode of Prajapati, Indra was given fresh instructions.

"What is reflected in the eye or reflected in the water may not be the Atman for the reason you have already mentioned," said Prajapati. "Now I introduce you into a greater reality which is unaffected by the conditions of the physical body. That has to be regarded as the Atman because if the doubt is that the Atman about which instruction has been received is affected by physical character, then naturally that which is not so affected should be regarded as the Atman." In the next section, Indra is introduced into an experience which is not conditioned by the characters of the physical body.

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Next

Section 10: The Dream Self

Continued

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know the self, know the self in Nature, know the self in Jiva, Further Oneness.

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