chando’bhidānān neti cen: The meaning of the gāyatrī mantra

If someone claims that the feet refer to the gāyatrī meter mentioned in the previous passage, the answer is no. The meter is taught to help one meditate on Brahman.

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Sūtra 1.1.25 - The meaning of the gāyatrī mantra

chando’bhidānān neti cen na tathā ceto’rpaṇa-nigadāt tathā hi darśanam

chandah: a Vedic metre; abhidhānāt: because of being mentioned; iti cet: if it would be objected; na: not; tathā: thus, in this way; cetah: of the mind, consciousness; arpaṇa: placing, offering; nigādāt: because of the statement (in the scripture); tathā hi: indeed, furthermore; darśanam: scriptural authority.

If it is suggested that the feet refer to the gāyatrī meter, mentioned in the previous passage, I say it is not so. The meter is taught to help one fix the mind on Brahman. Therefore, jyoti refers to Brahman. This is the correct understanding of the scripture.

Commentary: At the beginning of the passage of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad previously discussed, there is a mention to the gāyatrī mantra:

gāyatrī vā idam sarvam bhūtam yad idam kiñca vāg vai gāyatrī

vāg vā idamsarvam bhūtam gāyati ca trāyate ca

“Gāyatrī is indeed all beings and everything that exists. Gāyatrī is speech, the sound behind everything. Gāyatrī vibrates and delivers.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.1)

The greatness of Gāyatrī is confirmed in the following verses:

caiṣā catuṣpādā ṣaḍ-vidhā gāyatrī tad etad ṛācābhiyuktam

“The gāyatrī meter, of which there are four parts and six functions, is described in the mantras of the Vedas.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.5)

etavan asya mahima

“So great is His glory.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.6)

Being gāyatrī such an important mantra in Vedic culture, one could argue that the light (jyoti) discussed in the passage does not refer to Brahman, but to the gāyatrī meter. In this case, all the characteristics mentioned in these and other verses of Vedic literature, such as being the source of everything, containing all living entities in one of his feet, etc., would not apply to the Supreme Brahman, but to the gāyatrī meter, which is just a set of rules. In this case, the jyoti of the passage “tāvān asya mahimā tato jyāyāmś ca pūruṣaḥ” we studied previous sūtra would also apply to the gāyatrī (since it is described as having four parts, just as the gāyatrī mantra).

One could then use this to sustain the idea that Brahman is ultimately impersonal and that different passages of the scriptures that appear to describe the qualities of Brahman simply refer to different material creations.

To this, Vyāsadeva answers: chando’bhidānān neti cen, na, tathā ceto’rpaṇa-nigadāt tathā hi darśanam. If someone claims that the feet refer to the gāyatrī meter mentioned in the previous passage, the answer is no. The meter is taught to help one meditate on Brahman. Therefore, jyoti refers to Brahman; this is the correct understanding of the scripture.

One could understand the gāyatrī mantra in two ways. One is just as a meter, or a set of rules that has some power in itself, without connection with the Supreme Brahman. This interpretation is, however, clearly dismissed in the text of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, which describes gāyatrī as all beings and everything that exists. How can a simple meter include all beings? If understood in this light, it would not be acceptable to say that gāyatrī would be the origin of everything, that the living entities would form one of his feet, etc. One could insist, creating some imaginary and inconsistent interpretation of the whole passage, with some nihilistic conclusion of a set of rules of mathematical perfection being the source of everything that exists, but this would be simple speculation without any support in the scriptures.

The second, and correct meaning, is that the verses from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad teach about meditation on Brahman, which appears in the form of Gāyatrī.

This leads us to the second (and correct) interpretation of the mantra gāyatrī: the gāyatrī mantra is not just a meter or set of rules, but the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. Gāyatrī is thus the Supreme Lord, in the form of transcendental sound, and at the same time a metric used to compose verses that help us to focus our meditation on the Lord.

Once we accept Gāyatrī as the sound incarnation of the Supreme, the whole passage becomes clear. Being the sound representation of Brahman means the gāyatrī mantra shares the same qualities as the Supreme Brahman. In this way, the description of the living entities and other material manifestations being one of His feet (as well as other similar passages in the Vedas) makes sense.

The passage about Gāyatrī and the five doors to heaven from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad

When we understand that both the words gāyatrī and jyoti refer to the Supreme Lord, the whole passage of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad then sounds like this:

gāyatrī vā idam sarvam bhūtam yad idam kiñca vāg vai gāyatrī
vāg vā idamsarvam bhūtam gāyati ca trāyate ca

“Gāyatrī is indeed all beings and everything that exists. Gāyatrī is vak, the transcendental sound behind everything. Gāyatrī vibrates and delivers the living beings.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.1)

yā vai sā gāyatrīyam vāva sā yeyam prṭhivy āsyām hīdam sarvam bhūtam pratiṣṭhitam etām eva nātiśīyate

“That Brahman, or Gāyatrī, which is all beings, is also the Universe. All beings are supported by the Earth, and they can’t go beyond the Earth (they can’t leave the universe).” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.2)

yā vai sā pṛthivīyam vāva sā yad idam asmin puruṣe śarīram asmin hīme prāṇāḥ pratiṣṭhitā etad eva nātiśīyante

“That Earth is also the body of the jīva. Just as the jīva is restricted to the Earth, prāṇa, the vital air, is established in the body and does not go beyond the body.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.3)

yad vai tat puruṣe śarīram idam vāva yad tad idam asminn antaḥ puruṣe hṛdayam asmin hīme prāṇāḥ pratiṣṭhitā etad eva nātiśīyante

“That Supreme Lord, who is Gāyatrī, the Earth and the body, is also the heart. In the heart, all the prānas and the senses are established, and they don’t go beyond it.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.4)

saiṣā catuṣ-padā ṣaḍ-vidhā gāyatrī tad etad ṛcābhyanūktam

“The gāyatrī meter, of which there are four parts and six functions, is described in the mantras of the Vedas.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.5)

tāvān asya mahimā tato jyāyāmś ca pūruṣaḥ
pādo ’sya sarvā bhūtāni tri-pād asyāmṛtam divīti

“Such is His greatness, but the Lord (Puruṣa) is greater still. He is greater than everything that has been described. All material universes and all living beings are just His one foot. The other three feet form the immortal and eternal spiritual world.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.6)

yad vai tad brahmetīdam vāva tad yo ’yam bahirdhā puruṣād
ākāśo yo vai sa bahirdhā puruṣād ākāśaḥ

“Indeed, the Supreme Brahman is the ākāśa (ether) that exists all around. This ākāśa is the Lord.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.7)

ayam vāva sa yo ’yam antaḥ puruṣe ākāśo yo vai so ’ntaḥ puruṣa ākāśaḥ

“This same unlimited ākāśa exists also inside the person. This very ākāśa is the Lord.” (3.12.8)

ayam vāva sa yo ’yam antar hṛdaya ākāśas tad etat pūrṇam apravarti pūrṇam apravartinīm śriyam labhate ya evam veda

“This indeed is Brahman. He is the ākāśa within the heart. This ākāśa is perfect and unchanging. He who knows this attains eternal wealth and prosperity (he returns back home, back to Godhead).” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.12.9)

tasya ha vā etasya hṛdayasya pañca deva-suṣayaḥ
sa yo ’sya prāṇ suṣiḥ sa prāṇas tac cakṣuḥ sa ādityaḥ
tad etat tejo ’nnādyam ity upāsīta
tejasvy annādo bhavati ya evam veda

“The heart is the fourth aspect of Brahman [the other three are all beings, the Earth, and the body, as described in the previous mantras]. It has five doors, each connected with one of the five vital airs, one of the senses, and a presiding deity. The eastern door is connected with prāṇa, the eye, and the Sun (Surya). To realize this aspect, one should meditate on the Sun’s brilliance and on its potency as the source of nourishment. One who realizes this aspect becomes brilliant as the Sun and is nourished with enough food.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.1)

atha yo ’sya dakṣiṇaḥ suṣiḥ sa vyānas tac chrotram sa candramās tad etac chrīś ca yaśaś cety upāsīta, śrīmān yaśasvī bhavati ya evam veda

“The southern door is connected with vyāna, the ear, and the Moon (Chandra). To realize this aspect, one should meditate on the Moon as wealth and fame. One who realizes this becomes wealthy and famous.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.2)

atha yo ’sya pratyan suṣiḥ so ’pānaḥ sā vāk so ’gnis tad etad brahma-varcasam annādyam ity upāsīta, brahma-varcasy annādo bhavati ya evam veda

“The western door is connected with apāna, the voice, and fire (Agni). To realize this aspect, one should meditate on fire as spiritual radiance and as the source of nourishment. By realizing this, one becomes endowed with spiritual knowledge and nourishment.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.3)

atha yo’syodan suṣiḥ sa samānas tan manaḥ sa parjanyas tad etad kīrtiś ca vyuṣṭiś cety upāsīta, kīrti-mān vyuṣṭi-mān bhavati ya evam veda

“The northern door is connected with samāna, the mind, and rain (Parjanya, or Indra). One should meditate on him as fame and physical beauty. He who realizes this becomes famous and beautiful.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.4)

atha yo’syordhvaḥ suṣiḥ sa udānaḥ sa vāyuḥ sa ākāśas tad etad ojaś ca mahaś cety upāsīta, ojasvī mahasvān bhavati ya evam veda

“The upward channel of the heart is connected with udāna, the cosmic air, and ether (ākāśa). One should meditate on ākāśa as spiritual strength and greatness. He who realizes this becomes spiritually strong and great.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.5)

te vā ete pañca brahma-puruṣāḥ svargasya lokasya dvāra-pāḥ
sa ya etān evam pañca brahma-puruṣān svargasya lokasya dvāra-pān
vedāsya kule vīro jāyate, pratipadyate svargam lokam ya etan evam pañca brahma-puruṣan svargasya lokasya dvārapān veda

“These five are indeed the doorkeepers of heaven. One who realizes these five aspects and their role as the gatekeepers of the abode of the Lord obtains spiritually powerful sons and ultimately returns back home, back to Godhead.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.6)

atha yad ataḥ paro divo jyotir dīpyate viśvataḥ pṛṣṭheṣu sarvataḥ pṛṣṭheṣv, anuttameṣūttameṣu lokeṣu, idam vāva tad yad idam asminn antaḥ puruṣe jyotiḥ

“That light (jyoti) which shines above heaven, higher than everything in the highest worlds, beyond which there are no other worlds. That light that forms the background on which all universes and all planets—from the highest to the lowest—rest, is the same light which is within the heart of all living beings.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.13.7)

In this way, Brahman is both jyoti and Gāyatrī. This is the correct, natural interpretation of the passage, as indicated by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa and by Vyāsadeva himself.

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