The golden person inside the heart (Taittiriya Upanisad 1.6)
He is transcendental, beyond the material modes and the cycle of birth and death. We are eternally connected to Him, but now we are in an abnormal position.
Section 6: The golden person inside the heart
The same attractive, golden person who lives in the sun, lives also inside the heart. He is transcendental, beyond the material modes and the cycle of birth and death. We are eternally connected to Him, but when we, somehow or other, come to this material world, we find ourselves in an abnormal position, where our original spiritual attributes are covered due to the identification with the pains of the body and the desires of the mind. The goal of human life is to revive this original transcendental nature, attain control over the mind and senses, obtain perfect knowledge, develop our devotional service, and attain a position of eternal bliss in an eternal relationship with the Lord.
Text 1.6.1
sa ya eṣo ’ntarhṛdaya ākāśaḥ tasminnayam puruṣo manomayaḥ
amṛto hiraṇmayaḥ antareṇa tāluke
ya eṣa stana ivālambate sendra-yoniḥ
yatrāsau keśānte vivartate vyapohya śīrṣa-kapāle
There is an extremely attractive golden person who exists beyond the cycle of samsara. He is understood by the ones whose minds are pure. Dwelling in the space inside the heart, He is to be worshipped. In this place of the Lord, the center of sustenance for the body, lives also the minute jiva. When the soul finally transcends the body, he leaves it by piercing the skull.
Commentary: The first line of the verse indicates the Lord living inside the space within the heart as Paramatma. He is described as being a person (puruṣaḥ), without a physical body (manomayaḥ), transcendental, beyond birth and death (amṛtaḥ), and also golden and radiant (hiraṇmayaḥ). In this way, the Lord is clearly described as a person, having a transcendental form beyond birth and death.
The words “antareṇa tāluke” if translated literally mean “in the interior of the palate”, “ya eṣa stana iva ālambate” means “that which hangs like a breast” and sendra-yoniḥ means “the seat of Indra”. However, because of the context, it makes more sense to interpret the words as describing the heart, which is the seat of the Lord, and the center of the energies of the body. As discussed before, names such as Surya, Candra, and Indra originally indicate Lord Vishnu, and they address the mortal demigods only in their secondary meaning. In this way, the expression “sendra-yoniḥ” would mean “the seat of Indra”, only if the rest of the verse described the demigod. Since the verse describes the Lord as Paramatma, it should be interpreted as meaning “the seat of the Lord”.
The word “yatrāsau” means “where he”. The words vyapohya śīrṣa-kapāle are a reference to the soul leaving the body through the top of the skull, as perfect yogis do. This is reinforced by the words “keśānte vivartate”, which indicates the top of the head, where the hair is parted. In this way, the last line refers to the soul living inside the heart together with the Lord, and the process of one attaining perfection in spiritual realization and leaving the body through the top of the head. This meaning is reinforced by the context, since the next verses in this section describe the soul attaining perfection.
The Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1 mentions:
“Everything is Brahman. From Him, everything has come. The peaceful sage should worship Brahman with this idea. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the activities of devotional service. Whenever devotional service is performed in this world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present. According to the degree of one’s performance of devotional service in this life, he will attain an appropriate body after death. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by those whose minds are pure [manomaya]. He is the controller of all life. He is effulgent and glorious. His every desire is automatically fulfilled. He is all-pervading. He is the original creator of everything. He fulfills all desires. He possesses all pleasant fragrances. He is all sweetness. He is present everywhere."
There are different passages through which the soul can leave the body according to the next destination. Degraded souls who are destined to go to hell leave through the rectum, souls who are destined to the celestial planets leave through the eyes, the ones destined to a pious birth on Earth exit through the mouth, etc. As long as the soul is absorbed in sense gratification, chasing material desires one life after another, he continues to attain different material bodies, sometimes high, sometimes low following the cycle of samsara. However, souls who are meant to attain the highest destination leave through the top of the head. Yogis attain this through a mechanical process, but devotees attain the supreme destination by the superior arrangement of the Lord due to their performance of devotional service.
In the Vedanta-sutra (1.2.11) Vyasadeva mentions: guhām praviṣṭāv ātmānau hi tad-darśanāt. “In the space inside the heart reside two selves, the Lord and the jiva. This is discussed in many texts of the scriptures.” This sutra describes the nature of the Lord (as Paramātmā), and the jiva. In his commentary, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana gives additional details and makes the connection with different passages of the scriptures. This topic is further explained by Srila Prabhupada in his writings.
The Supreme Lord is infinite and the soul is infinitesimal. In other words, the Lord is infinitely big and we are infinitely small. Although the soul and the Lord are the same in terms of quality, they are different in terms of quantity. The jiva is thus dependent on the Lord. As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (18.61): "The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy."
It's important to avoid the idea of the soul being a cut-out fragment of the Supreme Spirit. Krsna defines the soul in the Bhagavad-gita (2.25) as being avikāryaḥ (unchangeable, or immutable). There is no possibility of the Supreme Brahman being cut into infinitesimal souls, or of the souls merging back into the Supreme Brahman. The souls are considered parts and parcels of the Lord, but at the same time, they are eternally separated.
"Part and parcel" indicates thus the relationship between the souls and the Lord and not a historical event when the whole was cut into pieces. In the Bhagavad-gita (2.20), Krsna defines the soul as unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval (ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yam purāṇo). In the spiritual platform, everything exists eternally. Creation, transformation, and destruction happen only in the illusory material platform.
On his purport to SB 3.25.17, Prabhupada mentions that: "The jīva particle is estimated in the Vedic literature to be one ten-thousandth the size of the upper portion of a hair. It is therefore infinitesimal. The Supreme Spirit is infinite, but the living entity, or the individual soul, is infinitesimal, although it is not different in quality from the Supreme Spirit. Two words in this verse are to be particularly noted. One is nirantaram, which means “non-different,” or “of the same quality.” The individual soul is also expressed here as aṇimānam. Aṇimānam means “infinitesimal.” The Supreme Spirit is all-pervading, but the very small spirit is the individual soul. Akhaṇḍitam means not exactly “fragmented” but “constitutionally always infinitesimal.” No one can separate the molecular parts of the sunshine from the sun, but at the same time the molecular part of the sunshine is not as expansive as the sun itself. Similarly, the living entity, by his constitutional position, is qualitatively the same as the Supreme Spirit, but he is infinitesimal."
Sukadeva Goswami explains (SB 2.9.1-3) that there is no real meaning to the relationship of the soul and the material body. There is no true connection between the two apart from the illusory identification of the soul as the body. As soon as the soul abandons this misconception, he becomes again situated in his original spiritual position. In the Bhagavad-gita (2.16), Krsna defines that which is temporary as "āsat" (illusory), and that which is eternal as "sat" (real). The soul is sat, while the body is asat, therefore there is no real relationship between them. However, the body is a vehicle for the soul. Utilizing the body, the soul can practice devotional service and gradually purify himself.
Text 1.6.2
bhūr ity agnau pratiṣṭhati bhuva iti vāyau suvar ity āditye
maha iti brahmaṇi
By uttering Bhūḥ, the soul attains the planet of Agni. By uttering Bhuvaḥ, he attains the planet of Vayu. By uttering Svaḥ he attains the sun. Uttering Mahaḥ he attains Brahman, the Absolute Truth.
Commentary: In the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna explains that "Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me."
He also warns that "I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down."
Because the soul doesn't belong to this material world, any position we may attain here is asat, temporary. One may go to the celestial planets, or even attain the sun, assuming a body appropriate to live there in the company of Vivasvan and his associates, but because this is not the original position of the soul, one has to eventually come back to this mortal planet. Even if one reaches the impersonal brahmajyoti, there is still the possibility of falling down if one is not situated in a devotional attitude. Only when the soul reaches the spiritual planets and serves the Lord in one of the five eternal relationships, a permanent position is reached. The soul is an eternal servant of the Lord, and therefore only when this eternal position is realized does the soul finally reach a permanent position.
One can reach the spiritual planets only by the practice of devotional service, reawakening one's natural propensity to serve Krsna. The ultimate goal is thus not to reach the spiritual planets, but to develop our attitude of service to Krsna and become connected with Him in love. Once this love is established, it doesn't really matter where we are.
Srila Prabhupada mentions that Arjuna is always following Krsna in His different incarnations in the different material universes, and therefore Arjuna technically never goes back to Godhead. However, because Arjuna is always with the Lord, for him there is no difference between the material world and the spiritual world. Wherever Krsna is, that is the spiritual world. A pure devotee is always with Krsna, therefore he lives in the spiritual world, even if technically living here.
As Prabhupada explains on SB 3.9.32: "Since the Lord's potency is distributed everywhere, a pure soul, or devotee of the Lord, can see everything in relationship with the Lord, and therefore he has no affection for the outer coverings. That pure spiritual conception makes him immune to all contamination of material association. The pure devotee never forgets the touch of the Lord in all circumstances."
Text 1.6.3
āpnoti svārājyam āpnoti mana-saspatim
vāk-patiś cakṣuṣpatiḥ śrotra-patir vijñāna-patiḥ
etat tato bhavati ākāśa-śarīram brahma
satyātmā prāṇārāmam mana ānandam
śānti-samṛddhim amṛtam
iti prācīna-yogyopāsva
He becomes free of karma and self-controlled. He becomes the master of the mind, controlling his thoughts and emotions. He becomes the master of speech, the master of the eye, and the master of the ear. Controlling all his senses, he attains perfect wisdom and understanding. In this pure consciousness, one attains a spiritual form, just like that of the Lord. He becomes free from birth and death and experiences spiritual bliss with the Lord, the object of love for all liberated souls. In this eternal position, all the desires of his spiritual mind are completely satisfied and he attains the highest peace.
Commentary: The spirit soul is eternally part of Krsna's spiritual energy and is by nature blissful. However, when we somehow or other come to this material world, we find ourselves in an abnormal position, where our three original attributes (sat, cit, and ananda) are replaced by the opposites. We become then asat (temporary), acit (full of ignorance) and nirānanda (full of misery). This abnormal state comes from the identification with the pains of the body and the desires of the mind.
These material coverings can affect the soul to a higher or lower degree, according to the influence of the material modes. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna explains: "As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust." (Bg 3.38)
The example of the embryo covered by the womb describes the soul influenced by the mode of ignorance. In this condition, the original qualities of the soul become almost completely covered, and the soul becomes practically unconscious as a tree or plant.
The mirror covered by dust exemplifies the soul influenced by the mode of passion. In this case, the characteristics of the soul become more evident as a human being, but one's concept of identity becomes distorted and one looks for happiness in this material world.
Finally, the example of the fire covered by smoke indicates someone who started his practice of Krsna Consciousness. Although still not pure, the original consciousness of the soul is finally being revived. As the fire becomes stronger, the smoke dissipates, and the illumination increases.
This verse describes the perfection achieved by a soul who concludes this process. First one attains control over his mind and senses and from there attains perfect knowledge and becomes liberated. From this point, one increases his devotional service to Krsna and eventually attains a position of eternal bliss in an eternal relationship with the Lord in one of the spiritual planets.
We find a similar passage in the Bhagavad-gita (18.54-55): "One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me. One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God."
In the Nectar of Devotion (chapter 2), Prabhupada mentions:
"Every living entity under the spell of material energy is held to be in an abnormal condition of madness. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, "Generally, the conditioned soul is mad, because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering." Spirit soul in his original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge. Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance. This is due to vikarma. Vikarma means "actions which should not be done." Therefore, we must practice sādhana-bhakti—which means to offer mangala-ārati (Deity worship) in the morning, to refrain from certain material activities, to offer obeisances to the spiritual master and to follow many other rules and regulations which will be discussed here one after another. These practices will help one become cured of madness. As a man's mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sādhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of māyā, material illusion.
Nārada Muni mentions this sādhana-bhakti in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, First Chapter, verse 32. He says there to King Yudhiṣṭhira, "My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa by any means." That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the duty of the ācārya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us an authorized program for this purpose, centered around the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This chanting has so much power that it immediately attaches one to Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti. Somehow or other, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. The great saint Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, although a responsible king, fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa, and similarly anyone who tries to fix his mind in this way will very rapidly make progress in successfully reviving his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Hari bol ...