Chandogya Upanishad (with commentary) · Chapter 8.1

ChUpBh_7,26.2 kiñca tadetasminnartha eṣa śloko mantro 'pi bhavati /
na paśyaḥ paśyatīti paśyo yathoktadarśī vidvānityarthaḥ /
mṛtyuṃ maraṇaṃ rogaṃ jvarādi duḥkhatāṃ duḥkhabhāvaṃ cāpi na paśyati /
sarvaṃ ha sarvameva sa paśyaḥ paśyatyātmānameva sarvaṃ tataḥ sarvamāpnoti sarvaśaḥ sarvaprakārairiti /
kiñca sa vidvānprāksṛṣṭiprabhedādekadhaiva bhavatyekadhaiva ca saṃsridhādibhedairanantabhedaprakāro bhavati sṛṣṭikāle /
punaḥ saṃhārakāle mūlameva svaṃ pāramārthakamekadhābhāvaṃ pratipadyate svatantra eveti vidyāṃ phalena prarocayanstauti /
athedānīṃ yathoktāyā vidyāyāḥ samyagavabhāsakāraṇaṃ mukhāvabhāsakāraṇasyevā'darśasya viśuddhikāraṇaṃ sādhanamupadiśyate-āhāraśuddhau /
āhriyata ityāhāraḥ śabdādiviṣayavijñānaṃ bhokturbhogāyā'hriyate viśuddhikāraṇaṃ sādhanamupadiśyate-āhāraśuddhau /
āhriyata ityāharaḥ śabdādiviṣayavijñānaṃ bhokturbhogāyā'hriyate tasya viṣayopalabdhilakṣaṇasya vijñānasya śuddhirāhāraśuddhī rāgadveṣamohadoṣairasaṃsṛṣṭaṃ viṣayavijñānamityarthaḥ /
tasyāmāhārāśuddhau satyāṃ tadvato 'ntaḥkaraṇasya sattvasya śuddhirnairmalyaṃ bhavati /
sattvaśuddhau ca satyāṃ yathāvagate bhūmātmani dhruvāvicchinnā smṛtiravismaramaṃ bhavati /
tasyāṃ ca labdhāyāṃ smṛtilambhe sati sarveṣāmavidyākṛtānarthapāśarūpāṇāmanekajanmāntarānubhavabhāvanākaṭhinīkṛtānāṃ hṛdayākṣayāṇāṃ granthīnāṃ vipramokṣo viśeṣeṇa pramokṣaṇaṃ vināśo bhavatīti /
yata etaduttarottaraṃ yathoktamāhāraśuddhimūlaṃ tasmātsā kāryetyarthaḥ /
sarvaṃ śāsrārthamaśeṣata uktvā'khyāyikāmupasaṃharati śrutiḥ-tasmai mṛditakaṣāyāya vārkṣādiriva kaṣāyo rāgadveṣādidoṣaḥ sattvasya rañjanārūpatvātsa jñānavairāgyābhyāsarūpakṣāreṇa kṣālito mṛdito vināśito yasya nāradasya tasmai yogyāya mṛditakaṣāyāya tamaso 'vidyālakṣaṇātpāraṃ paramārthatattvaṃ darśayati darśitavānityarthaḥ /
ko 'sau, bhagavān-"utpattiṃ pralayaṃ caiva bhūtānāmāgatiṃ gatim /
vetti vidyāmavidyāṃ ca sa vācyo bhagavāniti //
" evandharmā sanatkumāraḥ /
tameva sanatkumāraṃ devaṃ skanda ityācakṣate kathayanti tadvidaḥ /
dvirvacanamadhyāyaparisamāptyartham //2 // //
iti cchāndogyopaniṣadi saptamādhyāyasya ṣaḍviṃśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ
iti cchāndogyopaniṣadbrahmaṇe saptamodhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ
atha aṣṭamo 'dhyāyaḥ
oṃ
START ChUp 8,1.1
atha yad idam asmin brahmapure daharaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ veśma daharo 'sminn antarākāsaḥ |
tasmin yad antas tad anveṣṭavyaṃ tad vāva vijijñāsitavyam iti

ChUpBh_8,1.1
yadyapi digdeśakālādibhedaśūnyaṃ brahma sadekamevādvitīyamātmaivedaṃ sarvamiti ṣaṣṭhasaptamayoradhigataṃ tathāpīha mandabuddhīnāṃ digdeśādibhedavadvastvityevaṃ bhāvitā buddhirna śakyate sahasā paramārthaviṣayā kartumityanadhigamya ca brahma na puruṣārthasiddhiriti tadadhigamāya hṛdayapuṇḍarīkadeśa upadeṣṭavyaḥ /
yadyapi satsamyakpratyayaikaviṣayā kartumityānadhigamya ca brahma na puruṣārthasiddhiriti tadadhigamāya hṛdayapuṇḍarīkadeśa upadeṣṭavyaḥ /
yadyapi satsamyakpratyayaikaviṣayaṃ nirguṇaṃ cā'tmatattvaṃ tathāpi mandabuddhīnāṃ guṇavattvasyeṣṭatvātsatyakāmādiguṇavattvaṃ ca vaktavyam /
tathā yadyapi brahmavidāṃ stryādiviṣayebhyaḥ svayamevoparamo bhavati tathāpyanekajanmaviṣayasevābhyāsajanitā viṣayaviṣayā tṛṣṇā na sahasā nivartayituṃ śakyata iti brahmacaryādisādhanaviśeṣo vidhātavyaḥ /
tathā yadyapyātmaikatvavidāṃ gantṛgamanagantavyābhāvādavidyāviśeṣasthitinimittakṣaye gagana iva vidyududbhūta iva vāyurdagdhendhana ivāgniḥ svātmanyeva nivṛttistathāpi gantṛgamanādivāsitabuddhīnāṃ hṛdayadeśaguṇaviśiṣṭabrahmopāsakānāṃ mūrdhanyayā nāḍyā gatirvaktavyetyaṣṭamaḥ prapāṭhaka ārabhyate /
digdeśaguṇagatiphalabhedaśūnyaṃ hi paramārthasadadvayaṃ brahmamandabuddhīnāmasadiva pratibhāti /
sanmārgasthāstāvadbhavantu tataḥ śanaiḥ paramārthasadapi grāhayiṣyāmīti manyate śrutiḥ /
athānantaraṃ yadidaṃ vakṣyamāṇaṃ daharamalpaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ puṇḍarīkasadṛśaṃ veśmeva veśma dvārapālādimattvāt /
asminbrahmapure brahmaṇaḥ parasya puraṃ rājño 'nekaprakṛtimadyathāpuraṃ tathedamanekendriyamanobuddhibhiḥ svāmyarthakāribhiryuktamiti brahmapuram /
pure ca veśma rājño yathā tathā tasminbrahmapure śarīre daharaṃ veśma brahmaṇa upalabdhyadhiṣṭhānamityarthaḥ /
yathā viṣṇoḥ śālagrāmaḥ /
asminhi svavikāraśiṅge dehe nāmarūpavyākaraṇāya praviṣṭaṃ sadākhyaṃ braṅma jīvenā'tmanetyuktam /
tasmādasminhṛdayapuṇḍarīke veśmanyupasaṃhṛtakaraṇairbāhyaviṣayaviraktairviśeṣato brahmacaryasatyasādhanābhyāṃ yuktervakṣyamāṇaguṇavaddhyāyamānairbrahmopalabhyata iti prakaraṇārthaḥ /
daharo 'lpataro 'smindahare veśmani veśmano 'lpatvāttadantarvartino 'lpataratvaṃ veśmanaḥ /
antarākāśa ākāśākhyaṃ brahma /
ākāśo vai nāmeti hi vakṣyati /
ākāśa ivāśarīratvātsūkṣmatvasarvagatatvasāmānyācca /
tasminnākāśākhye yadantarmadhye tadanveṣṭavyam /
tadvāva tadeva ca viśeṣeṇa jijñāsitavyaṃ gurvāśrayaśravaṇādyupāyairanviṣya ca sākṣātkaraṇīyamityarthaḥ //1 //
START ChUp 8,1.2
taṃ ced brūyur yad idam asmin brahmapure daharaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ veśma daharo 'sminn antarākāśaḥ kiṃ tad atra vidyate yad anveṣṭavyaṃ yad vāva vijijñāsitavyam iti |
sa brūyāt

ChUpBh_8,1.2 taṃ cedevamuktavantamācāryaṃ yadi brūyurantevāsinaścodayeyuḥ, kathaṃ, yadidamasminbrahmapure paricchinne 'ntardaharaṃ puṇḍarīkaṃ veśma tato 'pyantaralpatara evā'kāśaḥ /
puṇḍarīka eva veśmani tāvatkiṃ syāt /
kiṃ tato 'lpatare khe yadbhavedityāhuḥ /
daharo 'sminnantarākāśaḥ kiṃ tadatra vidyate na kiñcana vidyata ityabhiprāyaḥ /
yadi nāma badaramātraṃ kimapi vidyate kiṃ tasyānveṣaṇena vijijñāsanena vā phalaṃ vijijñāsituḥ syāt /
ato yatttrānveṣṭavyaṃ vijijñāsitavyaṃ vā na tena prayojanamityuktavataḥ sa ācāryo brūyāditi śrutervacanam //2 //
START ChUp 8,1.3
yāvān vā ayam ākāśas tāvān eṣo 'ntarhṛdaya ākāśaḥ |
ubhe 'smin dyāvāpṛthivī antar eva samāhite |
ubhāv agniś ca vāyuś ca sūryācandramasāv ubhau vidyun nakṣatrāṇi |
yac cāsyehāsti yac ca nāsti sarvaṃ tad asmin samāhitam iti

ChUpBh_8,1.3 śṛṇuta /
tatra yadbrūtha puṇḍarīkāntaḥkhasyālpatvāttatsthamalpataraṃ syāditi /
tadasat /
na hi khaṃ puṇḍarīkaveśamagataṃ puṇḍarīkādalpataraṃ matvāvocaṃ daharo 'rsminnantarākāśa iti /
kiṃ tarhi puṇḍarīkamalpaṃ tadanuvidhāyi tatsthamantaḥkaraṇaṃ puṇḍarīkākāśaparicchinnaṃ tasminviśuddhe saṃhṛtakaraṇānāṃ yogināṃ svaccha ivodake pratibimbarūpamādarśa iva ca śuddhe svacchaṃ vijñānajyotiḥ svarūpāvabhāsaṃ tāvanmātraṃ brahmopalabhyata iti daharo 'sminnantarākāśa ityavocāmāntaḥkaraṇopādhinimittam /
svatastu yāvānvai prasiddhaḥ parimāṇato 'yamākāśo bhautikastāvāneṣo 'ntarhṛdaya ākāśo yasminnanveṣṭavyaṃ vijijñāsitavyaṃ cāvocāma /
nāpyākāśatulyaparimāṇatvamabhipretya tāvānityucyate /
kiṃ tarhi brahmaṇo 'nurūpasya dṛṣṭāntāntarasyābhāvāt /
kathaṃ punarnā'kāśasamameva brahmetyavagamyate /
"yenā'vṛtaṃ khaṃ ca divaṃ mahīṃ ca" /
"tasmādvā etasmādātmana ākāśaḥ saṃbhūtaḥ" "etasminnu khalvakṣare gārgyākāśaḥ"ityādiśrutibhyaḥ /
kiñcobhe 'smindyāvāpṛthivī brahmākāśe buddhyupādhiviśiṣṭe 'ntareva samāhite samyagāhite sthite yathā vā arā nābhāvityuktaṃ hi /
tathobhāvagniśca vāyuścetyādi samānam /
yaccāsyā'tmana ātmīyatvena dehavato 'sti vidyata iha loke /
tatā yaccā'tmīyatvena na vidyate /
naṣṭaṃ bhaviṣyacca nāstītyucyate /
na tvatyantamevāsat /
tasya hṛdyākāśe samādhānānupapatteḥ //3 //
START ChUp 8,1.4
taṃ ced brūyur asmiṃś cedaṃ brahmapure sarvaṃ samāhitaṃ sarvāṇi ca bhūtāni sarve ca kāmā yad enaj jarā vāpnoti pradhvaṃsate vā kiṃ tato 'tiśiṣyata iti

ChUpBh_8,1.4 taṃ cedevamuktavantaṃ brūyuḥ punarantevāsinaḥ asmiṃścedyathokte cedyadi brahmapuropalakṣitāntarākāśa ityarthaḥ /
idaṃ sarvaṃ samāhitaṃ sarvāṇi ca bhūtāni sarve ca kāmāḥ /
kathamācāryeṇānuktāḥ kāmā antevāsibhirucyante /
naiṣa doṣaḥ yaccāsyehāsti yacca nāstītyuktā eva hyācāryeṇa kāmāḥ /
api ca sarvaśabdena coktā eva kāmāḥ /
yadā yasminkāla etaccharīraṃ brahmapurākhyaṃ jarāvalīpalitādilakṣaṇā vayohānirvā'pnoti śasrādinā vā vṛkṇaṃ pradhvaṃsate visraṃsate vinaśyati kiṃ tato 'nyadatiśiṣyate /
ghaṭāśritakṣīradadhisnehādivadghaṭanāśe dehanāśe 'pi dehāśrayamuttarottaraṃ pūrvapūrvanāśānnaśyatītyabhiprāyaḥ /
evaṃ prāpte nāśe kiṃ tato 'nyadyathoktādatiśiṣyate 'vatiṣṭhate na kiñcanāvatiṣṭhata ityabhīprāyaḥ //4 //
START ChUp 8,1.5
sa brūyāt |
nāsya jarayaitaj jīryati na vadhenāsya hanyate |
etat satyaṃ brahmapuram asmin kāmāḥ samāhitāḥ |
eṣa ātmāpahatapāpmā vijaro vimṛtyur viśoko vijighatso 'pipāsaḥ satyakāmaḥ satyasaṃkalpaḥ |
yathā hy eveha prajā anvāviśanti yathānuśāsanam |
yaṃ yam antam abhikāmā bhavanti yaṃ janapadaṃ yaṃ kṣetrabhāgaṃ taṃ tam evopajīvanti

ChUpBh_8,1.5 evamantevāsibhiścoditaḥ sa ācāryo brūyāttanmatimapanayan /
katham /
asya dehasya jarayaitadyathoktamantarākāśākhyaṃ braṅma yasminsarva samāhitaṃ na jīryati dehavanna vikriyata ityarthaḥ /
na cāsya vadhena śasrādighātenaitaddhanyate yathā'kāśaṃ kimu tato 'pi sūkṣmataramaśabdamasparśaṃ brahma dehendriyādidoṣairna spṛśyata ityetasminnavasare vaktavyaṃ prāptaṃ tatprakṛtavyāsaṅgo mā bhūditi nocyate /
indravirocanākhyāyikāyāmupariṣṭādvakṣyāmo yuktitaḥ /
etatsatyamavitathaṃ brahmapuraṃ brahmaiva puraṃ brahmapuraṃ śarīrākhyaṃ tu brahmapuraṃ brahmopalakṣaṇārthatvāt /
tattvanṛtameva /
"vācā'rambhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyam"iti śruteḥ /
tadvikāre 'nṛte 'pi dehaśuṅge brahmopalabhyata iti brahmapuramityuktaṃ vyāvahārikam /
satyaṃ tu brahmapurametadeva brahma /
sarvavyavahārāspadatvāt /
ato 'sminpuṇḍarīkopalakṣite brahmapure sarve kāmā ye bahirbhavadbhiḥ prārthyante te 'sminneva svātmani samāhitāḥ /
atastatprāptyupāyamevānutiṣṭhata bāhyaviṣayatṛṣmāṃ tyajatetyabhiprāyaḥ /
eṣa ātmā bhavatāṃ svarūpam /
śṛṇuta tasya lakṣaṇam /
apahatapāpmā /
apahataḥ pāpmā dharmādharmākhyo yasya so 'yamapahatapāpmā /
tathā vijaro vigatajaro vimṛtyuśca /
taduktaṃ pūrvameva na vadhenāsya hanyata iti /
kimartha punarucyate /
yadyapi dehasaṃbandhibhyāṃ jarāmṛtyubhyāṃ na saṃbadhyate 'nyathāpi saṃbandhastābhyāṃ syādityāśaṅkānivṛttyartham /
viśoko vigataśokaḥ /
śoko nāmeṣṭādiviyoganimitto mānasaḥ saṃtāpaḥ /
vijighatso vigatāśanecchaḥ /
apipāso 'pānecchaḥ /
nanvapahatapāpmatvena jarādayaḥ śokāntāḥ pratiṣiddhā eva bhavanti /
kāraṇapratiṣedhāt /
dharmādharmakāryā hi ta iti /
jarādipratiṣedhena vā dharmādharmayoḥ kāryābhāve vidyamānayorapyasatsamatvamiti pṛthakpratiṣedho 'narthakaḥ syāt /
satyamevaṃ tathāpi dharmakāryā nandavyatirekeṇa svābhāvikānando yatheśvare vijñānamānandaṃ brahmeti śruteḥ /
tathādharmakāryajarādivyatirekeṇāpi jarādiduḥkhasvarūpaṃ svābhāvikaṃ syādityāśaṅkyeta /
ato yuktastannivṛttaye jarādīnāṃ dharmādharmābhyāṃ pṛthakpratiṣedhaḥ /
jarādigrahaṇaṃ sarvaduḥkhopalakṣaṇārtham /
pāpanimittānāṃ tu duḥkhānāmānantyātpratyekaṃ ca tatpratiṣedhasyāśakyatvātsarvaduḥkhapratiṣedhārthaṃ yuktamevāpahatapāpmatvavacanam /
satyā avitathāḥ kāmā yasya so 'yaṃ satyakāmaḥ /
vitathā hi saṃsāriṇāṃ kāmāḥ /
īśvarasya tadviparītāḥ /
tathā kāmahetavaḥ saṃkalpā api satyā yasya sa satyasaṃkalpaḥ /
saṃkalpāḥ kāmāśca śuddhasattvopādhinimittā īśvarasya citraguvat /
na svato neti netītyuktatvāt /
yathoktalakṣaṇa evā'tmā vijñeyo gurubhyaḥ śāstrataścā'tmasaṃvedyatayā ca svārājyakāmaiḥ /
na cedvijñāyate ko doṣaḥ syāditi /
śṛṇutātra doṣaṃ dṛṣṭāntena /
yathā hyeveha loke prajā anvāviśantyanuvartante /
yathānuśāsanaṃ yatheha prajā anyaṃ svāminaṃ manyamānāḥ svasya svāmino yathā yathānuśāsanaṃ tathā tathānvāviśanti /
kim /
yaṃ yamantaṃ pratyantaṃ janapadaṃ kṣetrabhāgaṃ cābhikāmā arthinyo bhavantyātmabuddhyanurūpaṃ taṃ tameva ca pratyantādimupajīvantīti /
eṣa dṛṣṭānto 'svātantryadeṣaṃ prati puṇyaphalopabhoge //5 //
START ChUp 8,1.6
tad yatheha karmajito lokaḥ kṣīyata evam evāmutra puṇyajito lokaḥ kṣīyate |
tad ya ihātmānam ananuvidya vrajanty etāṃś ca satyān kāmāṃs teṣāṃ sarveṣu lokeṣv akāmacāro bhavati |
atha ya ihātmānam anivudya vrajanty etaṃś ca satyān kāmāṃs teṣāṃ sarveṣu lokeṣu kāmacāro bhavati