UDDALAKA & THE SAGE YAJNAVALKYA
The Court of the Emperor Janaka.
A great debate is called and the reward of
one thousand cows are offered to the winner.
The Saintly Uddalaka Aruni Gotama challenges
the Sage Yajnavalkya in
the Court of Emperor Janaka of Videha.
Yajnavalkya’s appraisal of the Immortal Self.
Do you know that Gita by which this world, the other world, and all beings are held together; do you know that Inner Controller who controls this world, the next world, and all beings? He who knows that Gita and that Inner Controller indeed knows Brahman; he knows the worlds, he knows the gods, he knows the Vedas, he knows the beings, he knows the self, he knows every-thing. He explained it all to them and I know it. If you, Yajnavalkya, do not know that Gita and that Inner Controller and still take away the cows that belong only to the knowers of Brahman, your head will fall off.
The Sage Yajnavalkya addresses the Saintly Uddalaka: I know, O’ Gotama, that Gita and that Inner Controller.
The Saintly Uddalaka Gotama: Anyone might say, ‘I know, I know.’ Tell us what you know.
The Sage Yajnavalkya: Vayu, O’ Gotama, is that Gita. By Vayu, as by a thread, O’ Gotama, are this world, the other world, and all beings held together. Therefore, O’ Gotama, they say of a person who dies that his limbs have been loosened; for they are held together by Vayu as by a thread.
The Saintly Uddalaka: Quite so, Yajnavalkya. Now de-scribe the Inner Controller.
The Sage Yajnavalkya: He who inhabits the Earth, yet is within the Earth, whom the Earth does not know, whose body the Earth is and who controls the Earth from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits water yet is within the water, whom water does not know, whose body water is and who controls water from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits fire yet is within the fire, whom fire does not know, whose body fire is and who controls fire from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the sky, yet is within the sky, whom the sky does not know, whose body the sky is and who controls the sky from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits air yet is within the air, whom the air does not know, whose body the air is and who controls the air from within; He is your Self, the Inner Control-ler, the Immortal.
He who inhabits heaven yet is within the heaven, whom heaven does not know, whose body heaven is and who controls heaven from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits Sun yet is within the Sun, whom the Sun does not know, whose body the Sun is and who controls the Sun from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits quarters of space, yet is within them, whom the quarters do not know, whose body the quar-ters are and who controls the quarters from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits moon and stars yet is within the moon and stars, whom the moon and stars do not know, whose body the moon and stars are and who controls the moon and stars from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits akasa yet is within the akasa, whom the akasa does not know, whose body the akasa is and who controls the akasa from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits darkness yet is within the darkness, whom darkness does not know, whose body darkness is and who controls darkness from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits light yet is within the light, whom light does not know, whose body light is and who con-trols light from within; He is your Self, the Inner Con-troller, the Immortal.
This much with reference to the gods (adhidaivatam).
He who inhabits all beings yet is within all the beings, whom no beings know, whose body all beings are and who controls all beings from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
This much with reference to the beings.
He who inhabits the nose yet is within the nose, whom the nose does not know, whose body the nose is and who controls the nose from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the organ of speech, yet is within speech, whom speech does not know, whose body speech is and who controls speech from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the eye yet is within the eye, whom the eye does not know, whose body the eye is and who controls the eye from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the ear yet is within the ear, whom the ear does not know, whose body the ear is and who con-trols the ear from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the mind yet is within the mind, whom the mind does not know, whose body the mind is and who controls the mind from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the skin yet is within the skin, whom the skin does not know, whose body the skin is and who controls the skin from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
He who inhabits the intellect (vijnana) yet is within the intellect, whom the intellect does not know, whose body the intellect is and who controls the intellect from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Im-mortal.
He who inhabits the organ of generation yet is within the organ, whom the organ does not know, whose body the organ is and who controls the organ from within; He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
This much with reference to the body.
He is never seen, but is the Seer; He is never heard, but is the Hearer; He is never thought of, but is the Think-er; He is never known, but is the Knower. There is no other seer than He, there is no other hearer than He, there is no other thinker than He, there is no other knower than He. He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.
Everything else but Him is perishable.
EPILOGUE
Uddalaka’s Vaivasvata Gita is an insightful discourse between the Atmani and Atma, for Lord Vaivasvata is intimate or One with the Overself.
Only, The Holy Trinity, Atmani, Atma and Brahman are but the One complete Reality, for they contrast in an unenlightened mind.
All Upanishads lead an aspiring soul to the highest, greatest, and most majestic Yoga rightly understood, because there is no other ultimate goal for a man than to be intimate with Atma.
Vaivasvata Gita perhaps took place at the end of Satya Yuga and antedates Treta yuga.
Perhaps, the inquisition of the soul, “Vaivasvata Gita,” may have taken place in a previous aeon and will take place again and again in future aeons, because they are repeated in all aeons for guiding the inebriated soul.
Vaivasvata Gita’s precise inculcation and the soul in-quest plunges an aspirant into the quest of the Light of Truth and Immortal Yoga.
There are many Uddalakas and Gotamas, and many Vyasas and Vasishthas, as there are many aeons; some with greater understanding and some lesser; yet they all inhabit here, at a needful point in time, to guide hu-manity.
It is apparent from our studies that these Conscious-nesses always remain as “work in progress-WIP,” as opposed to “rest in peace-RIP” on the behest of God, as the Sun never rests from its duty to shower its Glory and sagacity, yet unperturbed in its long-lasting efful-gence, for the Lord of Death, Vaivasvata, who is the son of the Sun God, Vivasvata, is also unfailingly duti-ful on behest of the Spirit of God.
They are indeed immortals, and remain indeed as im-mortals engulfed in Sat-Chit-Ananda, for they have their spiritual work rendered in their Consciousnesses; so have the Sages of yore, like the Saptarishis Va-sishtha, Angirasa, Gotama, et al, who are indeed im-mortal beings, yet they put on the garb of mortal physi-cality to relate to humanity, for they are also preceptors of Gods as well as Asuras.
Say then, can humanity relate to a Spirit apparition? No! For they relate to flesh much easier for teaching purposes, likewise a Spirit apparition can easily relate to etheric Siddhas, Devas, Asuras, et al. Afterall, what is a hundred years or even a thousand years of service to humanity once or twice or even thrice in an aeon com-pared to full aeons and aeons of rapturous happiness and immortal bliss?
The seven great Sages or Saptarishis of the first man-vantara are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pu-lastya, and Vasishtha. Of the other manvantaras, there were more or less the same Sages, but in the present manvantara, Vaivasvata or Sraddhadeva, the seven are Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishtha, Vishvamitra, Gotama, Jamadagni, and Bharadvaja, for they are indeed the bright twinkling consciousnesses of the extrinsic noc-turnal skyline and intrinsic entoptic glimpses.
As we rest under the cooling shadow of a Ficus tree at midday, so the philomath, the philosopher, and the en-lightened mind rest assured in the sagacity and auspi-ciousness at the feet of great Sages.
The planet Jupiter is exemplified in Hindu Puranas as the divine abode or consciousness of the great Sage Brihaspati; a formidable immortal preceptor of Devas; likewise, the preceptor Lord Vasishtha and his consort Arundhati have their immortal bright twinkling abodes in the nocturnal skyline who are identified with the Ursa Major and the morning star respectively; and also with the star Alcor, which forms a double star with Mi-zar, respectively.
Prophet Brunton asserts, “The Sage returns, for it is not enough for the illuminate when the veil falls and the inner meaning of universal life is read. His efforts do not come to such an abrupt end. For he does not con-sider his own salvation complete while others remain unsaved. Consequently, he dedicates himself to the task of trying to save them. But in order to do this, he has to reincarnate on Earth innumerable times. For men can attain the goal here alone and nowhere else.”
“This changes the whole concept of salvation. It is no longer a merely personal matter but a collective one. It also alters the concept of survival. This is no longer a prolonged enjoyment of post-death heavenly spheres but a prolonged labour through countless Earthly lives for the service of one’s fellow creatures.”
“And yet, even this sombre path bears its own peculiar rewards. For he shall receive the fraternal love of those who have been healed, the encouraging thoughts of those who are beginning to find a foothold in life, the pledged loyalty of those who want to share, with their lesser strength, the heavy burden through untold incar-nations.”
“Bergson was right. His acute French intelligence pene-trated like an eagle’s sight beneath the world-illusion and saw it for what it is; a cosmic process of continual change, which never comes to an end, a universal movement whose first impetus and final exhaustion will never be known, a flux of absolute duration and therefore unimaginable."
“And for the Sage who attains to the knowledge of “That,” which forever seems to be changing but forever paradoxically retains its own pure reality, for him as for the ignorant, the flux must go on. But it will go on here on this Earth, not in the same mythical heaven or mirage-like hell. He will repeatedly have to take flesh, as all others will have to, so long as duration lasts, that is, forever. For he cannot sit apart like the yogi while his compassion is too profound to waste itself in mere sentiment.”
“It demands the profound expression of sacrificial ser-vice in motion. His attitude is that so clearly described by a nineteenth-century agnostic whom religionists once held in horror, Thomas Huxley: “We live in a world which is full of misery and ignorance, and the plain duty of each and all of us is to try to make the little corner he can influence somewhat less miserable and somewhat less ignorant than it was before he en-tered it.”
“The escape into Nirvana for him is only the escape into the inner realization of the truth whilst alive: it is not to escape from the external cycle of rebirths and deaths. It is a change of attitude. But that bait had to be held out to him at an earlier stage until his will and nerve were strong enough to endure this revelation. There is no escape except inwards. For the sage is too compassionate to withdraw into proud indifferentism and too understanding to rest completely satisfied with his own wonderful attainment.”
“The sounds of sufferings of men, the ignorance that is the root of these sufferings, beat ceaselessly on the tympanum of his ears. What can he do but answer, and answer with his very life; which he gives in perpetual reincarnation upon the cross of flesh as a vicarious sac-rifice for others? It is thus alone that he achieves im-mortality, not by fleeing forever; as he could if he willed-into the Great Unconsciousness, but by suffering forever the pains and pangs of perpetual rebirth that he may help or guide his own.”
The author relates to the Prophet Brunton through ex-pansive consciousness that inculcates and understand the enormity and span of time of many aeons that have come to pass, for the same divine immortal Conscious-nesses of Sages keep incarnating for guidance.
Perhaps, the seed Consciousness of Gotama Maharshi incarnates as Sage Uddalaka Aruna (Gotama) and later as Aruni and then as Siddhartha Gautama. However, the Hindu scriptures and the Bhagavad Puranas assert that Siddhartha is an Avatar incarnate on behest of Vishnu like Prince Rama and Lord Krishna.
Lord Vishnu taught Vivasvata Immortal Yoga, which is subsequently passed down to his son Vaivasvata and then down a series of lineages to Uddalaka and Bhrigu etc. Therefore, we may through syllogism, assert that Siddhartha is the Consciousness of Uddalaka Aruni (Gotama), for there cannot be any difference in Spirit, merely in the form!
Moreover, when the Sages take rebirth here in their mortal form, perhaps suffer some bruising during their childhood, until the intellect or the “genius of right reason” spontaneously blooms to flower into a supreme Sat-Chit-Ananda, which they have always enjoyed, even here in their mortal form. Therefore, the sacrifice is merely for a few years of childhood; besides, the Sag-es know that all they feign is merely dream image-animation that come to pass. Therefore, the conscious-nesses of the Sages that frequent the Earth, in physical form, are merely a minutia of their collective whole immortal Consciousness of Spirit, in contrast to most consciousnesses of nescience here, who have left the minutest part in Spirit.
The divine Consciousness, styled as Sage Adi Shankara, frequented Earth for a measly thirty-two years, but had the sagacity to match his wit, which declares: “As the appearance of silver that is apparently seen in a nacre, until on closer sight it is seen merely as a pearl, so the world seems real until the Self as the underlying reality is realized.” However, we read further on and under-stand the remarkable Saintly Uddalaka’s adamant devo-tion and coalescent-Yoga to the utmost, to his or to the ultimate coalescent immortality; and thus, refute the idea that the “Sage returns.”
Say then, where does Consciousness go but to return? Nowhere! Understand this. Consciousness does not move from one place to another or go there or some-where or traverse to another realm or planet but to re-turn here; It is motionless; It is omnipresent, right here, right now!
Uddalaka is right here, right now, and so are the Va-sishthas, Vyasas, Valmikis, Ramas, Krishnas, Siddhar-thas, et al! That which is the cause of the apparent movement of consciousness, like an ape the leaps from one branch to another, is the mind. Therefore, we assert that Sages have not gone anywhere in particular where immortal bliss resides but to return, for it is divinely ordained in the Sagely mind to be a guide, always in the here and in the transcendental now; therefore, the lure of immortality dangled by the Spirit, asserted by the Prophet Brunton, is not a lure but an absolute pos-sibility, beyond any reasonable doubt!
There is neither bondage nor Nirvana, for there is only the One without a second! Say then, who goes where and who returns from where, who is bound and who is unbound?
If life is deeply and thoroughly understood, say then, how can life repeat itself?
Only when one can deeply and thoroughly understand life, can life cease to repeat itself. To deeply and thor-oughly understand life, one needs to deeply and thor-oughly understand death. Only, Atmani is here reborn to enforce its own deep and thorough understanding of life. Only, the idea of life or the states of conscious-nesses are falsely held in the egocentric memory (puryastakas) as the source of existence, for the Brah-mana guest (Atmani; soul) is merely seen to be deluded through Maya (Avidya) and nothing else besides, for mortal life is transient and “unreal.” Mortal life is imag-ined in the sphere of the spatiotemporal aspect of the mind, i.e., life is a dream of the deluded soul!
OM
DIPPACK MISTRI 