The teaching of connecting links (Taittiriya Upaniṣad #2)

There are many other sets of interdependent things in the material creation. The fact everything depends on something else leads to the conclusion there is someone independent, who controls all.

Nov 24, 2024

For the process of seeing to happen, for example, there must be an observer, the cooperation of the demigods who control vision (for the sense of vision to work) and some object to be observed. Without an observer, there is no activity of the senses. If there is no cooperation from the demigods, one can't see, and his vision is useless if there is nothing to be seen. In this way, if one is absent, the process of observation doesn't happen. The sunlight is useful because we have eyes; if we didn't have eyes, if we were not able to see, or if there were nothing to be seen, the sunlight would be useless.

Just like in this example, there are many other sets of interdependent things in the material creation. This leads to the logical conclusion that someone created them in this way. Someone created the universe the way it is, with many interdependent factors. The fact everything depends on something else leads to the conclusion there is someone who is independent, who controls all the others, who are dependent. This example therefore is used to maintain the idea that there is an ultimate shelter or asraya for everything that exists. This shelter is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He gives shelter to everyone, but He doesn't depend on any other shelter. He is fully independent.

Similarly, the Taittiriya Upanisad describes five sets of interconnected and interdependent things to gradually bring us to the understanding that everything works under the control of the Lord.

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Chapter One: The Śikṣā-vallī

The name Śikṣā-vallī comes from the word siksa, which means education. This chapter transmits spiritual knowledge in the context of the education of students in the Vedic gurukulas. At first, the verses appear to invoke mundane blessings and give moral

First section

Text 1.1.1

om śam no mitraḥ śam varuṇaḥ

śam no bhavatv aryamā

śam na indro bṛhaspatiḥ

śam no viṣṇur urukramaḥ

namo brahmaṇe namaste vāyo

tvam eva pratyakṣam brahmāsi

tvām eva pratyakṣam brahma vadiṣyāmi

ṛtam vadiṣyāmi satyam vadiṣyāmi

tan mām avatu tad-vaktāram avatu

avatu mām avatu vaktāram

om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

May the sun give us auspiciousness! May Varuṇa give us auspiciousness! May Aryamā give us auspiciousness! May Indra and Bṛhaspati give us auspiciousness! May Lord Viṣṇu, who as Vamanadeva covered the universe with His great steps, give us auspiciousness! I offer my respects to the Vedas. O Vāyu, I offer my respects to you. You are directly Brahman. I shall speak proper words and the truth. Protect me and protect the speaker. Protect me and protect the speaker. Peace, peace, peace.

Commentary: This is a prayer to invoke auspiciousnessat the beginning of scriptural study. It invokes the blessings of different demigods and ultimately recognizes the supremacy of the Supreme Lord.

It may sound strange that this first verse describes Vayu as the Supreme Brahman, but this is actually relatively common. Some of the Puranas refer to Lord Śiva or to different demigods as the Supreme. This is a point explained by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his commentary on Vedanta-sutra 1.4.28.

He explains that all names come originally from the Lord. These names which belong to the Lord are just loaned to demigods and other beings. Therefore, the rule is that when the ordinary sense of the names mentioned in passages of the scriptures doesn't contradict the general teachings of the Vedas, the ordinary meaning should be accepted. However, when the ordinary meaning of the names contradicts the teachings, then the names should be understood to be names of Lord Viṣṇu. That's how the meaning of these different passages can be understood.

Take for example SB 4.2.29:

naṣṭa-śaucā mūḍha-dhiyo/ jaṭā-bhasmāsthi-dhāriṇaḥ

viśantu śiva-dīkṣāyām/ yatra daivam surāsavam

"Those who vow to worship Lord Śiva are so foolish that they imitate him by keeping long hair on their heads. When initiated into the worship of Lord Śiva, they prefer to live on wine, flesh and other such things."

Here we can understand that the word "Śiva" refers to Lord Śiva, acting as Bhūta-nātha, the Lord of the ghosts and spirits, since this understanding is consistent with the teachings given in other verses from the scriptures.

However, when it's said:

yadā tamas tan na divā na rātrir/ na san na cāsac chiva eva kevalaḥ

"When the final darkness comes and there is no longer day or night, when there is no longer being and non-being, then only Lord Śiva exists."

... then the "Śiva" should be taken as a name of the Supreme Lord and not the name of the demigod. In this way, the real meaning of the verse is that "When the final darkness comes and there is no longer day or night when there is no longer being and non-being (at the dissolution of the Universe), then only the Supreme Lord exists."

The sutra 1.4.28 is: etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ, "The Supreme Lord is the original cause of everything. All words of the scriptures should be interpreted according to this explanation."

Second section

Text 1.2.1

om śīkṣām vyākhyāsyāmaḥ varṇaḥ svaraḥ

mātrā balam sāma santānaḥ ity uktaḥ śikṣādhyāyaḥ

I will now explain the science of phonetics (śikṣā). The scripture describing śikṣā includes varṇa (syllables), svara (intonation), mātrā (length of sounds), balam (strength of pronunciation), sāma (melody), and santāna (combination of sounds, or continuity).

Commentary: This first chapter is spoken in the context of the Vedic system of education, therefore it starts with the teachings of sikṣā, the science of pronunciation, which is considered an important part of Vedic studies. In this verse, this science is described in a summary way. Varṇa refers to syllables, letters, and phonemes, svara means intonation, mātrā means the length of pronunciation of the sounds, balam is emphasis or strength of individual sounds, sāma is the pronunciation of the seven tones, and santāna is the combination of sounds, the continuity of the different syllables of the mantra as it is pronounced.

Many passages of the scriptures describe quite complex topics in just a few words. These passages presume that the student is already familiar with the subject. The science of sikṣā, for example, is described in the Pratishakhyas, manuals that are part of the Sikṣā Vedanga (works dealing with the phonetics of the Sanskrit language used in the Vedas). Sikṣā is considered an important part of Vedic studies because it allows the student to properly recite the Vedic texts, and later transmit them to his own students. Prabhupada also introduced the study of the Sanskrit language, by including word-for-word translations of the verses and introducing the repetition of the verses before lectures.

In a lecture (July 6, 1972), he mentioned: "If you chant these mantras, at least one in one day, your life will be glorious. This mantra, bhāgavata-mantra, not only Bhāgavata, every Vedic literature is a mantra. Transcendental sound. So practice resounding this mantra. So we have taken so much labor to put in diacritic marks, all the words, word meaning, utilize it. Don‘t think that these books are only for sale. If you go to sell these books and if some customer says, ― You pronounce it, then what you will do? Then he will understand, ― Oh, you are for selling, not for understanding. What do you think? So, therefore, it is necessary now, you have got nice books, each and every śloka, verse, should be pronounced. Therefore we have given this original verse in Sanskrit, its transliteration with diacritic mark-these marks are universally accepted amongst the scholars. So all the scholars of Sanskrit, they agreed to use this mark for pronouncing Sanskrit language."

While Srila Prabhupada makes things easy for us by giving us lengthy explanations in most verses, this is a special concession and not a rule. In the Sat Sandarbhas, for example, Srila Jiva Goswami often presumes the reader is familiar with different concepts, verses, and books and thus just mentions them as part of a larger explanation. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana does similarly in most passages of the Govinda Bhasya. This helps us to appreciate the concern of Prabhupada in often repeating concepts he already explained in other passages to make sure we can follow the explanations.

Throughout the first chapter, there are more references to the science of pronunciation, but I will concentrate on the main spiritual meaning of the verses.

Third section

Text 1.3.1

saha nau yaśaḥ saha nau brahma-varcasam

athātaḥ samhitāyā upaniṣadam vyākhyāsyāmaḥ

pañca-svadhikaraṇeṣu

adhilokam adhijyotiṣam adhividyam adhiprajam adhyātmam

tā mahāsamhitā ity ācakṣate athādhilokam

pṛthivīpūrva-rūpam dyaur uttara-rūpam

ākāśaḥ sandhiḥ vāyuḥ sandhānam ity adhilokam

May fame and the power of Brahman come to both of us! I will now explain the teaching of connecting links of the Upaniṣad, divided into five sections: adhilokam (the realm of the planets), adhijyotiṣam (the realm of light), adhividyam (the realm of knowledge), adhipraja (the realm of family life) and adhyātmam (the realm of the self).

First, I will explain adhilokam, the planets above. The Earth is the foundation, the heavens are the higher realm, ākāśa (sky) is the space in between, and vāyu (cosmic winds) are the connection that holds them together.

Commentary: The first section is an invocation and the second briefly describes the science of pronunciation. Now, the third section will describe the teaching of connecting links. This explanation teaches us that everything in the universe is connected.

This description is similar to the description of the adhyātmic, adhidaivic, and adhibhautic persons offered in the 10th chapter of the second canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, which explains the universe as a series of sets of interconnected persons and objects.

Similarly, the Taittiriya Upanisad describes five sets of interconnected and interdependent things to gradually bring us to the understanding that everything works under the control of the Lord.

The first section of the teaching gives us a description of Vedic cosmology, explaining the adhilokam, the structure of the universe.

The Earth is part of a larger structure, the Bhu-Mandala, which is situated close to the vertical middle of the universe. On top of it, there are the many different planets and stars that form the higher planetary systems: Swargaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka. These different planets and stars are like balls floating in space, orbiting around Dhruvaloka in a circular motion, like a chandelier. The sky (or space) in between is called antarīkṣa, and all these different planets and stars are connected and moved by cosmic winds.

This model was described by Srila Prabhupada in a letter dated from April 27th, 1976, to Svarupa Damodara:

“My final decision is that the universe is just like a tree, with root upwards. Just as a tree has branches and leaves so the universe is also composed of planets which are fixed up in the tree like the leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. of the tree. The pivot is the pole star, and the whole tree is rotating on this pivot. Mount Sumeru is the center, trunk, and is like a steep hill... The tree is turning and therefore, all the branches and leaves turn with the tree. The planets have their fixed orbits, but still they are turning with the turning of the great tree. There are pathways leading from one planet to another made of gold, copper, etc., and these are like the branches. Distances are also described in the 5th Canto just how far one planet is from another. We can see that at night, how the whole planetary system is turning around, the pole star being the pivot. Each planet has its orbit fixed but the sun is moving up and down, north and south.”

The Vedic model of the Universe explains that the universe works in an ordered way on the order of the Supreme Lord, contrasting with modern theories. The Vedas explain that nothing happens by chance; everything is the result of superior control.

Text 1.3.2

athādhijyotiṣam agniḥ pūrva-rūpam āditya uttara-rūpam
āpah sandhiḥ vidyutaḥ sandhānam

ity adhijyotiṣam

Now the description of the adhijyotiṣam, the realm of light. Fire is the foundation, the sun is the higher form, water resides in between, and lightning is the connection.

Commentary: Fire is the earthly form of light. When it's night, we depend on the light of the fire or artificial lights to be able to see. Electricity is also considered a form of fire, therefore all artificial lights are nothing more than different forms of fire. Fire also allows us to perform sacrifices, therefore it is central to our lives.

Above us, there is another form of fire: the sun, which is much more powerful than the earthly fire. In the Vedanta-sutra, there is a discussion about the person in the sun, who we address by chanting the Gayatri mantra. A neophyte chants the Gayatri meditating on the sun as a planet. One who is a little more advanced meditates on the demigod, while one who is truly wise meditates on the Supreme Lord, the source of both the celestial body and the demigod, and the source of power for both.

The Maitrāyaṇi Upaniṣad mentions that: agnau prāstāhutiḥ samyag ādityam upatiṣṭhate. "The oblation offered to fire goes to the sun". As you can imagine, it doesn't mean that the ghee and grains are teleported to the sun, but that the Supreme Lord accepts the offerings.

Between the earthly fire and the sun, there is water in the form of clouds in the sky. Water is essential for all forms of life, and the clouds are generated by the energy of the sun. The clouds, in turn, generate lightning, which is described as the connector, being another form of fire.

In this way, fire, the sun, clouds, and lightning are described as another set of interconnected units created by the Supreme Lord.

Text 1.3.3

athādhividyam ācāryaḥ pūrva-rūpam antevāsy uttara-rūpam

vidyā sandhiḥ pravacanam sandhānam

ity adhividyam

Concerning the adhividyam, the realm of knowledge, the teacher is the first form, the student is the later form. Knowledge is the junction, and instruction is the connector.

Commentary: The word of knowledge is composed by the teacher and the student. The teacher is the source of knowledge, and the student is the receiver of such knowledge. Knowledge is the junction between both, and the instructions of the teacher are the connecting medium, through which the knowledge and wisdom of the teacher are transmitted to the student.

The connection between the teacher and student is necessary for the transmission of all kinds of knowledge. Even when the teacher is not personally present, we learn from him through books and other mediums. The most evolved form of knowledge is transcendental knowledge, and thus the relationship between the guru and disciple is the most exalted relationship. The perfect examples of teacher and student are exemplified in the Srimad Bhagavatam by Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Parīkṣit Mahārāja, Nārada Muni, and Vyāsadeva, Maitreya and Vidura, and so on.

As Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to SB 1.12.3:

"Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is recognized Vedic wisdom, and the system of receiving Vedic knowledge is called avaroha-panthā, or the process of receiving transcendental knowledge through bona fide disciplic succession. For advancement of material knowledge there is a need for personal ability and researching aptitude, but in the case of spiritual knowledge, all progress depends more or less on the mercy of the spiritual master. The spiritual master must be satisfied with the disciple; only then is knowledge automatically manifest before the student of spiritual science. The process should not, however, be misunderstood to be something like magical feats whereby the spiritual master acts like a magician and injects spiritual knowledge into his disciple, as if surcharging him with an electrical current. The bona fide spiritual master reasonably explains everything to the disciple on the authorities of Vedic wisdom. The disciple can receive such teachings not exactly intellectually, but by submissive inquiries and a service attitude. The idea is that both the spiritual master and the disciple must be bona fide. In this case, the spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is ready to recite exactly what he has learned from his great father Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and the disciple, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, is a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. A devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is he who believes sincerely that by becoming a devotee of the Lord one becomes fully equipped with everything spiritual. This teaching is imparted by the Lord Himself in the pages of the Bhagavad-gītā, in which it is clearly described that the Lord (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) is everything, and that to surrender unto Him solely and wholly makes one the most perfectly pious man. This unflinching faith in Lord Kṛṣṇa prepares one to become a student of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and one who hears Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a devotee like Śukadeva Gosvāmī is sure to attain salvation at the end, as Mahārāja Parīkṣit did."

Text 1.3.4

athādhiprajam mātā pūrva-rūpam pitottara-rūpam

prajā sandhiḥ prajananam sandhānam

ity adhiprajam

Concerning the adhipraja, the realm of family life, the mother is the first form, the father the second form, the sons and daughters are the combination, and the sexual act is the connector.

Commentary: While promiscuous sexual life outside of marriage is considered abominable, sex also has its place in Krsna consciousness, inside of the institution of marriage. In the proper context, sex life can actually help us progress in spiritual life.

As Prabhupada mentions in his purport to SB 3.21.1: "Regulated sex life to generate good population is worth accepting. Actually, Vidura was not interested in hearing the history of persons who merely engaged in sex life, but he was interested in the progeny of Svāyambhuva Manu because in that dynasty, good devotee kings appeared who protected their subjects very carefully with spiritual knowledge. By hearing the history of their activities, therefore, one becomes more enlightened. An important word used in this connection is parama-sammataḥ, which indicates that the progeny created by Svāyambhuva Manu and his sons was approved of by great authorities. In other words, sex life for creating exemplary population is acceptable to all sages and authorities of Vedic scripture."

As Krsna mentions in the Bhagavad-Gita: "I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bhāratas [Arjuna]."

When sex life is used in the proper context, the results can be extraordinarily positive, bringing forth good children who are not only a source of happiness for their parents but a great good for society. Children need both a father and a mother to properly develop, therefore this verse explains the importance of the basic family nucleus, with a father and a mother cooperating to raise the children, something we often forget.

Text 1.3.5

athādhyātmam adharā hanuḥ pūrva-rūpam uttarā hanur uttra-rūpam

vāk sandhiḥ jihvā sandhānam

ity adhyātmam

Now the adhyātmam, realm of the self. The lower self (adharā hanuḥ) is the foundation, and the upper self (uttarā hanuḥ) is the upper part. Speech is its joint, the tongue is the junction.

Commentary: The words adharā hanuḥ and uttarā hanuḥ are normally translated as "lower jaw" and "upper jaw", but their meaning is highly metaphorical. The adharā hanuḥ (lower jaw, or lower self) represents the gross body and animal instincts, while the uttarā hanuḥ (upper jaw, or upper self) represents the higher aspects of our self, starting with the mind and intelligence, and culminating with the soul.

Although we are born in ignorance, starting our lives as small babies who are just concerned about food, human life offers us the possibility of progressing and gradually reconnecting with our eternal nature as souls, eternal servants of the Lord. On this path to perfection, the tongue and the faculty of speech are extremely important, because it is by the tongue we can have contact with the Lord through the transcendental vibration of the holy names.

Although we may relate the chanting of the holy names with the movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is actually the process of self-realization for all four ages. In Satya-yuga, the chanting is done by vibrating the syllable Om, in Treta-yuga by vibrating Vedic mantras that glorify the Lord during fire sacrifices, in Dwapara-yuga through the mantras connected with temple worship, and Kali-yuga directly through the chanting of the Maha Mantra. We can see that in all four eras, the process of self-realization is performed through the use of the tongue. By the tongue, we can also taste the remnants of sacrificial offerings (prasadam), which is also a part of the process.

Text 1.3.6

itīmā mahāsamhitāḥ

ya evam etā mahāsamhitādhyakhyātā veda

sandhīyate prajayā paśubhir

brahma-varcasenānnādyena

suvargyeṇa lokena

These are the five great samhitas. One who deeply understands them lives happily in this world, being blessed with good children (prajayā), cows and other animals (paśubhiḥ), spirtual power (brahma-varcasenā), sufficient food (annādyena), and with promotion to the spiritual world (suvargyeṇa).

Commentary: This knowledge about the five realms allows us to live a pure life and make spiritual process.

The adhilokam, the realm of the planets, consists in understanding the universe as the creation of the Lord, how it works and our place in it. A great part of the second canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam is dedicated to describing the universal form of the Lord, which allows us to see the Lord in His material creation. This process of seeing the Lord in everything is also described in the Bhagavad-Gita. All this knowledge is summarized in this description.

The adhijyotiṣam, the realm of light, teaches us about the importance of performing sacrifices, and also of meditating on the Lord in the sun by chanting the Gayatri mantra, as well as seeing the Lord as the source of life in the forms of the clouds and water.

The adhividyam, the realm of knowledge teaches us about the importance of receiving knowledge through authorities, which is the only process that allows us to receive perfect knowledge. As Prabhupada explains in Raja-Vidya (ch.5):

"According to the Vedas, there are three kinds of proof: pratyakṣa, anumāna, and śabda. One is by direct visual perception. If a person is sitting in front of me, I can see him sitting there, and my knowledge of his sitting there is received through my eyes. The second method, anumāna, is by inference: we may hear children playing outside, and by hearing we can conjecture that they are there. And the third method is the method of taking truths from a higher authority. Such a saying as “Man is mortal” is accepted from higher authorities. Everyone accepts this, but no one has experienced that all men are mortal. By tradition, we have to accept this. If someone asks, “Who found this truth first? Did you discover it?” it is very difficult to say. All we can say is that the knowledge is coming down and we accept it. Out of the three methods of acquiring knowledge, the Vedas say that the third method, that of receiving knowledge from higher authorities, is the most perfect. Direct perception is always imperfect, especially in the conditioned stage of life. By direct perception we can see that the sun is just like a disc no larger than the plate we eat on. From scientists, however, we come to understand that the sun is many thousands of times larger than the earth. So what are we to accept? Are we to accept the scientific proclamation, the proclamation of authorities, or our own experience? Although we cannot ourselves prove how large the sun is, we accept the verdict of astronomers. In this way we are accepting the statements of authorities in every field of our activities. From newspapers and radio we also understand that such and such events are taking place in China and India and other places all around the earth. We’re not experiencing these events directly, and we don’t know that such events are actually taking place, but we accept the authority of the newspapers and radio. We have no choice but to believe authorities in order to get knowledge. And when the authority is perfect, our knowledge is perfect."

The adhipraja, the realm of family life, teaches us about the importance of family relationships and how they can help us on our path back to Godhead. Some may be qualified to follow the path of celibacy, being a Brahmacary and later a Sannyasi, but for others, the path of pious family life in Krsna Consciousness is the best opportunity to return home, back to Godhead.

Finally, the adhyātmam, the realm of the self, teaches us how to reestablish ourselves in our original position as transcendental spirit souls, eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, and not have to be born again in this material world.

When all these five are deeply understood (veda), not just as some theoretical knowledge, but as realized knowledge that permeates all spheres of our life, we can live a pious and happy life in Krsna Consciousness while in this world, and at the end go back to Godhead. Even a partial understanding of this knowledge is sufficient to bring us lasting benefits.

In the Bhagavad-Gita (2.40) Krsna says: "In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear."

This is also confirmed in the instructions of Narada Muni to Vyasadeva (SB 1.5.17): "One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything."