The passage of Patardana and Indra from the Kauṣītaki Upanisad
These are the three relevant verses from the passage of Patardana and Indra we studied in the Pādānta-prāṇādhikaraṇam passage.
« Vedānta-sūtra: The Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The passage of Patardana and Indra from the Kauṣītaki Upanisad
These are the three relevant verses from the passage of Patardana and Indra we studied in this passage:
pratardano ha vai daivodāsiḥ indrasya priyam dhāmopajagāma, yuddhena ca pauruṣeṇa ca, tam ha indra uvāca: pratardana, varam vṛṇīṣveti, sa hovāca pratardanaḥ: tvam eva me vṛṇīṣa yam tvam manuṣyāya hitatamam manyase iti, tam ha indra uvāca: na vai varo darśanena vṛṇīta; tvam eva vṛṇīṣveti, avaro vai kila me iti hovāca pratardanaḥ, atho khalv indraḥ satyenaiva nayāya; satyam hīndraḥ, tām ha indra uvāca: mām eva vijānīhi, etadevāham manuṣyāya hitatamam manye, yan mām vijānīyāt, tṛśīrṣaṇam tvāṣṭram ahanam, aruṇmukhān yatīn sālākavṛkeṣu prāyaccham barhīḥ, samyag atikramya divi prahlādīyān tudāham, antarīkṣe paulomān kālakāñjān, tasya me tatra na loma canāmīyata, sa yo mām veda, na ha vai tasya kena cana karmaṇā lopo mīyate, na steyena, na brūṇahattyayā, na mātr̥vadhenā, na pitr̥vadhenā, nāryam pāpam cakṣuṣo mukham āpnoti it
“Pratardana, son of Divodāsa, through valor in battle and personal prowess, reached the impressive abode of Indra.
Indra addressed him: O Pratardana, choose a boon.
Pratardana replied: Please choose for me whatever you regard as the very best benefit for a human being.
Indra answered: A boon is not to be chosen carelessly; choose it yourself carefully.
Pratardana said: Alas, it seems I’m unworthy of such a blessing.
Indra, who was bound to tell him the truth, then answered: Know me (i.e., know the Supreme Brahman) alone. This is what I consider most beneficial for a man: that he should know me.
I killed the three-headed son of Tvaṣṭṛ (Viśvarūpa). I delivered the barhis sacrificial grass to the Aruṇmukhā Ṛṣis in the Śalavṛka forest. I defeated the asuras, descendants of Prahlāda (led by Bali Maharaja) in the heavens. I defeated the Paulomas and Kālakāñjas in the sky. In that battle, not even a single hair of mine was harmed. Whoever knows me becomes pure and is protected from any kind of sinful reaction, up to killing an unborn baby, one’s father, or one’s mother.” (Kauṣītaki Upanisad 3.1)
In this passage, Indra identifies himself with the Supreme Brahman; therefore, the word “me” is used in the sense of the Supreme Brahman, who is the source of the body, opulences, prowess, and activities of Indra. It may seem that Indra is boasting about his own activities, but in fact, he is glorifying the Supreme Lord. The meaning is that one should meditate on the Supreme Brahman alone, who is the source of many wonderful material manifestations.
sa hovāca: prāṇo’smi prajñātmā, tam mām āyur-amṛtam ity upāsva, āyuḥ prāṇaḥ, prāṇo vā āyuḥ, yāvad vai’smin śarīre prāṇo vasati, tāvad āyuḥ, prāṇena haivaiṣa loke’mṛtatvam āpnoti, prajñayā satyam sankalpam, sa yo mām āyur-amṛtam ity upāste, sarvam āyuṣyam lokam ety amṛtatvam aśnute svargye loke, tad haika āhur: ekamūrtyam vai prāṇā gacchantīti, na hi kaścana śaknuyāt sakṛt kṛtvā ca nāma prajñāpayitum, cakṣuṣā rūpāṇi, śrotreṇa śabdān, manasā dhyānam, ekamūrtyam vai prāṇā bhūtvā, ekam etāni sarvāṇi prajñāpayanti, vācam vadanti, sarve prāṇā anuvadanti, cakṣuḥ paśyati, sarve prāṇā anupaśyanti, śrotram śṛṇvanti, sarve prāṇā anuśṛṇvanti, mano dhyāyati, sarve prāṇā anudhyāyanti, prāṇam prāṇanti, sarve prāṇā anuprāṇanti, evam hy etad iti ha Indra uvāca
“Indra said: I am prāṇa, I’m intelligence, and I’m the Self. Meditate on me as life and immortality. Life is prāna, and prāna is life. As long as prāna dwells in this body, there is life. As soon as it leaves, the body dies. Prāna is thus the source of life, and by prāna alone does one attain immortality in this world, achieving realization through intelligence, truth, and resolve. He who worships me as life and immortality attains immortal life in the spiritual world.
No one can obtain a single bit of knowledge without prāṇa. He can’t see, hear, or think. All the different vital airs are prāna, and thus in a single, unified form, prāna makes everything known: when one speaks using his speech, prāna speaks along, when he sees using his eyes, prāna sees along, when one hears using his ears, prāna hears along, when one thinks using his mind, prāna thinks along, and when he breathes, prāna breathes along. All of this becomes possible only by prāna.
Having become one form, the prāṇas make all these known: they speak by speech, and all the prāṇas follow speech; the eye sees, and all the prāṇas see along; the ear hears, and all the prāṇas hear along; the mind meditates, and all the prāṇas meditate along; they breathe with the breath, and all the prāṇas breathe along.” (Kauṣītaki Upanisad 3.2)
Here, the words prāṇa, prajñā, and ātmā are used in the sense of Brahman. They all refer to the Supreme Brahman, who is behind everything. No action can be performed without his sanction and help.
na vācaṃ vijijñāsīta vaktāraṃ vidhyāt, na gandhaṃ vijijñāsīta ghātāraṃ vidhyāt, na rūpaṃ vijijñāsīta draṣṭāraṃ vidhyāt, na śabdaṃ vijijñāsīta śrotāraṃ vidhyāt, nān rasaṃ vijijñāsītān rasasya vijñātāraṃ vidhyāt, na karma vijijñāsīta kartāraṃ vidhyāt, na sukhaduḥkhe vijijñāsīta sukhaduḥkhayor vijñātāraṃ vidhyāt, nānandaṃ na ratiṃ na prajātiṃ vijijñāsīta ānandasya rateḥ prajāter vijñātāraṃ vidhyāt, netyāṃ vijijñāsītetarāṃ vidhyāt, na mano vijijñāsīta mantāraṃ vidhyāt, tā vā etā daśaiva bhūtamātrā adhiprajñaṃ daśa prajñāmātrā adhibhūtam, yadi bhūtamātrā na syur prajñāmātrāḥ syuḥ, yadi prajñāmātrā na syur bhūtamātrāḥ syuḥ, na hy anyatarato rūpaṃ kiñcana sidhyet
no etānānā, tadyathā rathyāreṣu nemir arpītā nāmāvarā arpītā, evam evaitā bhūtamātrāḥ prajñāmātrāsv arpitāḥ, prajñāmātrāḥ prāṇeṣv arpitāḥ, **sa eṣa prāṇa evaṃ prajñātmanā ānando jaro’mṛtaḥ, na sādhunā karmaṇā bhūyām bhavati, no evāsādhunā kanīyān, eṣa ha eva sādhu karma kārayati taṃ yam ebhyo lokeṣy agnī nīyate, **eṣa u evāsādhu karmā kārayati taṃ yam adho nunutsate, eṣa lokapālaḥ, eṣa lokādhipatiḥ, eṣa lokeśaḥ, sa ma ātmā iti vidhātas ma ātmā iti vidhāt
“Prāna is the foundation for all forms and actions; therefore, one should not seek to know speech; one should know the speaker. One should not seek to know the smell, but know the smeller. One should not seek to know form, but know the seer. One should not seek to know sound, but know the hearer. One should not seek to know taste, but know the knower of taste. One should not seek to know action, but know the doer. One should not seek to know pleasure and pain, but know the knower of pleasure and pain. One should not seek to know bliss, delight, or procreation, but know the knower of these. One should not seek to know the negation, but know the other. One should not seek to know the mind, but know the thinker.
Everything is dependent on Him. Just as in a chariot wheel, the outer ring rests on the rods, which are in turn connected to the central hub; in the same way, the different objects of the senses depend on prajñā (our cognitive faculties) to be known, and cognition depends on prāna to operate. This prāna alone is the Self; He is consciousness, knowledge, transcendence, and transcendental bliss. He is undecaying, free from old age and death. He is immortal and the Lord of all living entities and all planets. Prāna is the Supreme Controller.
Due to prāna alone, a person becomes capable of performing pious acts, and due to such pious acts, one is brought upwards. Similarly, prāna alone makes one capable of performing evil actions, according to one’s desire, and the doer of such actions is thrust downward. Prāna is the protector of the worlds. He is the ruler of the worlds. He is the lord of the worlds. One should thus realize: He is my self (atmā).” (Kauṣītaki Upanisad 3.8)
Exercise
Now it’s your turn. Can you answer the following arguments using the ideas from this section?
Opponent: At first, one can hastily conclude that the word prāna mentioned in many verses of the Upaniṣads should be identified with Brahman. However, a deeper and more careful study of the sastras reveals that in reality, prāna in the context of the Upaniṣads means the jīva.
This is very clearly explained in the Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad: prāṇo ‘smi prajñātmā tam mām āyur-amṛtam upasasva, “I am prāṇa, I’m intelligence, and I’m the Self. Meditate on me as life and immortality.” (Kauṣītaki Upanisad 3.2)
Here, Indra, a devatā in addressing Pratardana. The dialogue occurs in a specific and karmic context, where Pratardana is offered a boon from Indra, who speaks from the perspective of a conditioned jīva. Here, Indra clearly uses the words “prāṇo ‘smi”, directly stating that he is prāna. To interpret prāna as being Brahman would be most inappropriate. Brahman is nirguna, transcendental, unlimited, and unaffected by actions, while prāṇa is mutable, finite, and perishable.
The speaker is Indra, and he clearly refers to himself. He then proceeds to further identify himself by saying: “I killed the three-headed son of Tvaṣṭṛ. I delivered the barhis sacrificial grass to the Aruṇmukhā Ṛṣis in the Śalavṛka forest. I defeated the asuras, descendants of Prahlāda in the heavens, and the Paulomas and Kālakāñjas in the sky. In that battle, not even a single hair of mine was harmed.”
This reinforces the identity of Indra as a conditioned soul, performing activities under the three modes, and identifying with these material activities. This conditioned jīva advises another jīva (Patardana) to worship him. Indra identifies with his material body, and therefore, he identifies with prāna because prāna is the source of life for the body.
One could argue that later in the passage, prāna is described as ānanda (transcendental bliss), but this is also not inconsistent, because the glories of the individual soul are also described in the Vedic literature. Indra, as a jīva, is thus both prāna and ānanda.
When later in the passage, it is mentioned that prāna alone is the Self, that prāna is consciousness, knowledge, transcendence, and transcendental bliss, undecaying, free from old age and death, the lord of all living entities and all planets and the supreme controller, this just confirms the transcendental nature of the jīva.
In short, when Indra says “I am prāṇa”, he is not declaring his essential identity with the Supreme Brahman, but rather illustrating the importance of prāṇa within the finite sphere of life, as the vital air, maintainer of the body. Therefore, the Upaniṣad does not teach that prāṇa is Brahman, but rather that prāṇa is important within the conditioned world of the jīva. Since prāna is the source of life, it’s not incorrect to equate the conditioned jīva with prāna, since the conditioned jīva is saguna and identifies with matter, but it is incorrect to equate prāna with the Supreme Brahman, which is nirguna and fully transcendental.
Yet another argument that can be offered is that in the Mundaka Upanisad (2.1.3) it is mentioned: etasmāj jāyate prāṇo (From this Brahman, prāna is born). How can prāṇa be Brahman if it is born from Brahman?
One could question why the Upaniṣad describes something material, like prāna, instead of discussing the absolute truth, but this is very common in the scriptures to praise or emphasize a particular aspect of material reality for a specific educational purpose. Therefore, the Upaniṣad does not teach that prāṇa is Brahman, but rather that prāṇa is important within the conditioned world of the jīva.
Description: The opponent is another modern speculator, who presents a mixture of arguments from the Nyaya, Mīmāmsā, and Advaita schools. How can you answer this challenge using the arguments of this section?
All the sūtras of the first pāda in prose
“Now, therefore, having come to the human form of life and attained education and other facilities, it is time to enquire about Brahman, the Absolute Truth. Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is He from whom everything emanates. He, the Absolute Truth, cannot be known merely by reasoning; He is known only through the śāstras.
The goal of the Vedas is not fruitive activity. On the contrary, Lord Viṣṇu is the sole topic discussed. This is the agreement of all Vedic scriptures. Brahman is not indescribable by words, for it is seen that He is vividly described in the scriptures. If one argues that the Brahman described in the scriptures is saguna Brahman (a manifestation covered by the material modes), I say no, because Brahman is described in the Vedas as ātmā, the Supreme Self.
The Brahman described in the scriptures is the transcendental Supreme Lord, not a temporary manifestation of the material modes, because the scriptures teach that His devotees attain liberation. Furthermore, there is no statement in the Vedas that He should be discarded in favor of something higher.
The Supreme Lord is not a manifestation of the material modes, also because He merges into Himself and not into something else. If it is suggested that there are two types of Brahman, I say it is not so, because the scriptures uniformly describe only one transcendental Brahman. He has no material qualities; this is directly stated throughout the Vedic literature.
The ānanda-māyā puruṣa [described in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad] is the Supreme Lord; this is established by repeated statements. If it is argued that the Supreme Brahman cannot be the ānanda-māyā because the word implies transformation, I say it is not so, because the suffix -māyā denotes abundance, not modification.
The ānanda-māyā is not the jīva, for the scriptures declare that He is the source of bliss for others. Moreover, Brahman is described in the mantra section of the same Upaniṣad as the ānanda-māyā person. The mantra does not describe the jīva; such an interpretation is untenable in the context. The Lord and the jīva are distinct, as revealed by scriptural statements declaring their difference.
Nor can the ānanda-māyā be pradhāna, for the passage attributes will and desire to Him, qualities absent in unconscious matter. The scriptures teach that union with the ānanda-māyā puruṣa grants fearlessness to the soul, confirming that He is no other than the Supreme Lord.
The person within the Sun and the eye is the Lord, because the passage [of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad] describes His qualities. He is different from the demigod because statements in the Vedic scriptures describe the difference between the demigod in the Sun and the Lord in the Sun.
The word ākāśa in the passage refers to the Supreme Brahman, because the characteristics mentioned there apply to Him alone. For the same reason, the word prāṇa also denotes Brahman.
Because the light (jyoti) is described as having feet, it must refer to the Supreme Brahman. 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.
Because the passage beginning with “bhūta” defines Gāyatrī as divided into four parts (all living beings, the universe, body, and heart) that only Brahman can have, Gāyatrī in that passage must refer to Brahman. To argue that the two passages describe two different things is not a valid objection. There is no contradiction.
In the same way, the word prāna [in the Kauṣītaki Upanisad] also refers to Brahman, and not to the jīva. This is clear from the context. If one argues that the speaker (Indra) refers to himself, I say it is not so. There is an abundance of passages connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this section of the text. Indra’s declaration of identity with Brahman is in accordance with scripture, just as in the case of the sage Vāmadeva.
If one further claims that the word prāna means simultaneously the jīva, the vital breath, and Brahman, this too is not correct. If we accept that view, we end up with three different objects for meditation, which is illogical in the context of the scriptures. The Upaniṣads describe Brahman as the foundation and essence of both jīva and prāṇa, so they are not independent entities for separate worship. They are dependent on Brahman. Therefore, in this context, prāṇa must be understood to denote Brahman alone.”
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