Seeing the Lord everywhere (Taittiriya Upanisad 3.10)
The Lord is present in all aspects of the material manifestation. He is present in the guests who come to one's house, and thus they should be served with all respect and cordiality.
Section 10: Seeing the Lord everywhere
The Lord is present in all aspects of the material manifestation. He is present in the guests who come to one's house, and thus they should be served with all respect and cordiality. The Lord is the enabler of all actions, and thus all actions should be performed in His service. He is the source of power for all demigods and material phenomena, the basis of everything. He is the giver of all opulences, the creator and the destroyer, and the supreme destination. One who attains Him becomes completely free, and wanders happily in this world.
Text 3.10.1
na kañcana vasatau pratyācakṣīta, tad vratam
tasmād yayā kayā ca vidhayā bahv annam prāpnuyāt
arādhy asmā annam ity ācakṣate
etadvai mukhato’nam rāddham
mukhato’smā annam rādhyate
etad vai madhyato’nnam rāddham
madhyato’smā annam rādhyate
edad vā antato’nnam rāddham
antato’smā annam rādhyate
One should not refuse food to a guest, and he should not refuse anyone who comes for shelter. That is the vow. Therefore, one should attain sufficient food. The śruti says one benefits the most by serving a worthy guest with the utmost respect, benefits moderately by serving a guest with medium courtesy, and benefits the least by serving a guest negligently.
Commentary: On his purport to CC Madhya 3.41, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"This is the ideal householder’s life. The husband and wife live together, and the husband works very hard to secure paraphernalia for worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. The wife at home cooks a variety of foods for Lord Viṣṇu, and the husband offers it to the Deity. After that, ārati is performed, and the prasādam is distributed amongst family members and guests. According to the Vedic principles, there must always be a guest in a householder’s house. In my childhood I have actually seen my father receive not less than four guests every day, and in those days my father’s income was not very great. Nonetheless, there was no difficulty in offering prasādam to at least four guests every day. According to Vedic principles, a householder, before taking lunch, should go outside and shout very loudly to see if there is anyone without food. In this way he invites people to take prasādam. If someone comes, the householder offers him prasādam, and if there is not much left, he should offer his own portion to the guest. If no one responds to his call, the householder can accept his own lunch. Thus the householder’s life is also a kind of austerity. Because of this, the householder’s life is called the gṛhastha-āśrama. Although a person may live with his wife and children happily in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he also observes the regulative principles followed in any temple. If there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the householder’s abode is called a gṛha-medhī’s house. Householders in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually gṛhasthas — that is, those living in the āśrama with their families and children. Śrī Advaita Prabhu was an ideal gṛhastha, and His house was the ideal gṛhastha-āśrama."
Offering food to guests is another principle of Krsna Consciousness, especially in family life. Guests should be treated with respect and served with the proper honor, especially spiritually advanced persons. By doing this we can achieve all auspiciousness.
Text 3.10.2
ya evam veda, kṣema iti vāci
yoga-kṣema iti prāṇāpānayoḥ, karmeti hastayoḥ
gatir iti pādayoḥ, vimuktir iti pāyau
iti mānuṣīḥ samājñāḥ
One should meditate on Brahman as welfare in speech and as attainment and preservation in the vital air (prāṇa and apāna). One should meditate on Brahman as the enabler of the actions of the hands and the movement of the feet, as well as in the function of the excretory organ. These are the meditations connected with the human body.
Commentary: This verse teaches us to see the Lord in the functions of the body and the forces of nature. When we learn to see the Lord in all these features of the natural manifestation, we can see the Lord everywhere we look. At the same time, by understanding that everything is connected to the Lord, we will be inclined to use everything in His service.
As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita:
"I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being – moving or nonmoving – that can exist without Me." (10.39)
"Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." (10.41)
Text 3.10.3
atha daivīḥ, tṛptir iti vṛṣṭau
balam iti vidyuti, yaśa iti paśuṣu
jyotir iti nakṣatreṣu, prajātir amṛtam ānanda ity upasthe
sarvam ity ākāśe, tat-pratiṣṭhety upāsīta
pratiṣṭhāvān bhavati, tan maha ity upāsīta
mahān bhavati, tan mana ity upāsīt, mānavān bhavati
Now listen about the meditation on the divine aspects of the universe. One should meditate on Brahman as satisfaction in the rain and strength in lightning, as fame in cows and light in the constellations. One should see Brahman in progeny, in immortality, and in conjugal bliss. One should meditate on ether as the basis of everything. When one meditates on ether as the greatest, he becomes great. By meditating on ether as the mind, one becomes endowed with intelligence.
Commentary: Rain is essential for the production of food, as well as for bringing the water that is necessary for all human activities. Therefore, rain brings satisfaction. Through the genital one can obtain children, who are not only the source of great satisfaction but also the way to pay one's debts to the ancestors, and (in the case of the ones on the fruitive path) the means for attaining life in Pitri-loka. Generating children also implies experiencing sensual pleasure. All of this can be seen in connection with the Lord.
This verse also brings additional meditations on the element ether, which is the source of everything material, including the mind. By seeing the mind as a product of the element ether, and thus connected with the Lord, one can control the activities of the mind.
According to the Vedas, there are five material elements: earth, water, air, fire, and ether. The Vedic conception of ether is a subtle element that serves as a fabric for all the other gross manifestations by the interaction with the mind, intelligence, and false ego. In other words: the reality in which each and every conditioned soul lives is created from his own consciousness.
The subtle elements (the mind, intelligence, and false ego, as well as all desires, ideas, and so on) are created from ether, and from the further interaction of these subtle elements with ether, the gross elements (earth, water, air, and fire), as well as all physical manifestations are created. Everything that exists starts in the form of an idea, created as part of the primary creation by Mahā-Viṣṇu. As different souls desire to create different objects and go through different experiences, the knowledge about all these creations is revealed to them from inside the heart and they use this knowledge to create the material forms and objects they desire. In other words, the ideas and desires stored in our minds are the basis for the gross forms and experiences that will be experienced in our future lives.
By meditating on the powerful, creational, and all-pervading nature of ether as a demonstration of the power of the Lord, we can see everything in connection to Him.
Text 3.10.4
tan-nama ity upāsīta, namyante’smai kāmāḥ
tad-brahmety upāsīta, brahmavān bhavati
tad-brahmaṇaḥ parimara ity upāsīta
pary eṇam mriyante dviṣantaḥ sapatnāḥ
pari ye’priyā bhrātṛvyāḥ
By meditating on Brahman as the giver of respect, one can attain all his desires. By meditating on Brahman as ether, one attains greatness. By meditating on Brahman as the destroyer, all who are hostile to him will be vanquished.
All opulences, mystic perceptions, and other desirable things come from different potencies of the Lord. He is the source of all mystic powers, and therefore, one who is strongly connected with Him in any of His aspects naturally starts exhibiting such powers, just like a bar of metal in contact with fire becomes hot and acquires the potency of burning. Just as yogis attain mystic powers by meditating on different aspects of the Lord, a pure devotee automatically attains all mystic perfections due to his connection with the Lord in devotion. As Krsna mentions in the Bhagavad-gita (6.47): yoginām api sarveṣām, mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām, sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ (And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.)
However, although a pure devotee automatically attains all mystic perfections as a result of His devotional service, he is not interested in them. They thus remain at his door like maidservants, anxious for the opportunity of offering some service.
Why is a pure devotee not interested in such powers? The point is that they can’t help one to become free from Maya. Although they are promised as blessings to attract general people to the path of devotional service, these siddhis are more like a test, a temptation that can make one fall and become a separate enjoyer of this material world instead of becoming free from it. Although such recompenses may attract one to the devotional path, ultimately one has to abandon all material desires.
Text 3.10.5
sa yaś cāyam puruṣe, yaś cāsāvāditye
sa ekaḥ, sa ya evamvit, asmāl lokāt pretya
etam anna-mayam ātmānam upasankramya
etam prāṇa-mayam ātmānam upasankramya
etam manomayam ātmānam upasankramya
etam vijñāna-mayam ātmānam upasankramya
etam ānanda-mayam ātmānam upasankramya
imān lokan kāmān nīkāmarūpy anusañcaran
etat sāma gāyann āste
hā vu hā vu hā vu
The Lord in the heart (Paramātmā) is the same Lord present in the Sun (Surya-Narayana). He who meditates on Him while departing from this world attains the supreme destination. He attains the ātmā of the anna-maya puruṣa, the ātmā of the prāṇa-maya puruṣa, the ātmā of the mano-maya puruṣa, the ātmā of the vijñāna-maya puruṣa, He attains Paramātmā, the ananda-maya puruṣa. Becoming completely free, he wanders in this world happily singing this sound.
Commentary: This verse reinforces that all the previous levels of realization, the anna-maya, prāṇa-maya, and vijñāna-maya are all manifestations of the Lord, and thus when one attains the ananda-maya, the Lord in His personal form, all the previous levels of realization are included, just like being a billionaire includes having a hundred, a thousand and a million.
The line, “hā vu hā vu hā vu” at the end is a Vedic hymn that symbolizes the joyful expression of someone who attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death and realized his eternal relationship with the Lord. It indicates that one happily sings the song contained in the next verse.
Text 3.10.6
aham annam aham annam aham annam
aham annādo ’ham annādo āham annādaḥ
aham śloka-kṛd aham śloka-kṛd aham śloka-kṛt
aham asmi prathama-jā ṛtāsya
pūrvam devebhyo’mṛtasya nābhāyi
yo mā dadāti sa ideva mā ’vāḥ
aham annam annam adantam ā dmi
aham viśvam bhuvanam abhyabhavām
suvarna jyotīḥ, ya evam veda
ity upaniṣat
The Lord is the giver of food! The giver of food! The giver of food! The Lord is the eater of food! The eater of food! The eater of food! The Lord is worthy of all praise! He is worthy of all praise! He is worthy of all praise! The Lord creates the universe and the conditions for the activities of all! He is the giver of liberation! He is the one who existed before the demigods! One who instructs a worthy student about the Lord attains the Lord. The Lord pervades matter and is the enjoyer of matter. The Lord exists after the destruction of the universe. One who knows this assumes a shining spiritual form. This is the secret knowledge.
Commentary: This is a verse that praises the transcendental qualities of the Lord. Mayavadis like to translate this verse as “I’m food, I’m the eater of food, I’m worthy of all praise, I am the firstborn, etc.” but this is not the correct interpretation. The “aham” mentioned in the verse can't refer to the jiva, because the jiva doesn't have all the qualities mentioned in the verse. The jiva is not the one who creates the material world or creates the conditions for the activities of all. The jiva is also not the giver of liberation and so on. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana explains in great length in his Govinda Bhasya that passages like that must be interpreted as meaning the Supreme Lord. The word “aham” in this verse thus refers to Paramātmā, and not to the jiva.
How does it work? Let's say, for example, that you see me reciting the verse "aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattaḥ sarvam pravartate, iti matvā bhajante mām, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ" (I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.)
Although the word "aham" ordinarily means "I", you would be able to easily understand that I'm not speaking about myself, but reciting a verse spoken by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita by the context, since it would be absurd to presume that everything emanates from me, and so on. In this case, you would understand that Krsna is the source of the spiritual and material worlds and so on, even though I'm the one speaking the verse and the word "aham" is used. Therefore, when Krsna says "aham sarvasya prabhavo" it means Krsna is the source, and when I say "aham sarvasya prabhavo" it is also understandable by the context that Krsna is the source, and not myself.
In this way, the expression “aham annam” doesn’t mean “I’m food”, but “The Lord is food”. The Lord maintains everyone, therefore He is the giver of food. The Lord is also the Supreme enjoyer, so He is the eater of food. The Lord is both the Supreme maintainer and the Supreme enjoyer.
The Lord is also the creator of the material manifestation and in fact of everything that exists. Although the spiritual planets are not created, since they are eternal, still it is sometimes said that the Lord created them to indicate the relationship. Even though the souls, the Vaikunta planets in the spiritual sky, and everything else that is spiritual are never created (nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ), still the Lord is the origin of everything, and therefore He is worthy of all praise. Before the appearance of Brahma and all demigods, the Lord already existed as Mahā-Viṣṇu, lying on the causal ocean.
It’s only because of the Lord that the living entities can perform material activities. He is the one who creates the material universes and the different conditions for them. The Lord is also the one who gives them the results of their karma. He does all of that only to give the souls an opportunity to return to their original position. When a soul is ready, He is also the giver of liberation, which is indicated by the words amṛtasya nābhāyi.
Because the material world is created with the ultimate purpose of teaching the conditioned souls about devotional service, so they can retain their original position of service to the Lord, devotees who dedicate their lives to teaching this transcendental science are thus very dear to the Lord. As He says in the Bhagavad-gita (18.68-69): “For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” Thus, one who teaches worthy students about the science of devotional service surely attains the Lord.
It’s also mentioned that the Lord pervades matter. This is another feature of Paramātmā: not only does He provide for everyone, from the elephant to the ant, but He also pervades everything. Although all material objects are nothing more than the energy of the Lord, they are vehicles to express our devotional sentiments. The Lord is not interested in material objects, but He is interested in our devotion, therefore when we offer some material object to the Lord, He happily accepts (patram puṣpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayacchati) and we make advancement. Everything we have should be thus offered to the Lord and used in His service.
The material universes are temporary, but the Lord is eternal, just like we are eternal. The temporality of life in this material world is an artificial condition for the soul. No one wants to die because unconsciously we understand that we are eternal, and thus we desire an eternal position. However, there is nothing eternal in this material world, just as the bliss we hanker for is not available here. Although we are eternal, we are forced to transmigrate from one body to another, following the desires of the mind. However, once we understand the glories of the Lord and revive our eternal relationship with Him, we can assume a shining, eternal spiritual body (suvarna jyotīḥ) and join the Lord in His eternal pastimes.
As mentioned in the previous verse, a liberated soul who realizes his eternal relationship with the Lord can chant this verse in great ecstasy (hā vu hā vu hā vu).
Śānti-pāṭhaḥ
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-vaktarām 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.
saha nāv avatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha vīryam karavāvahai
tejasvi nāv adhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
May the mantra protect both of us. May we enjoy studying together. May we be able to study with vigor. May the knowledge we study bless us with understanding and realization, and may it not give rise to enmity due to misunderstanding. Peace, peace, peace.