Krishn Discourses Arjun - Anugeetaa-4 - Braahman's Discourse-1

Krishn said - "In this connection there is another ancient story of a married couple. A Braahman had mastery over every kind of knowledge. One day his wife said - " As your wife in what regions I will go? You have abandoned every religious duties and don't care even for me. It has been heard that a wife attains the same regions as those of her husband." 

Braahman said - "I am not offended with your words, O sinless. Whatever acts exist, they are adopted with the aid of others (like Deekshaa etc). That are seen and that are true, are done as Karm by those people who are devoted to Karm. Those people who don't have knowledge, only store delusion by doing Karm. The situation of not doing Karm is impossible to attain even for a moment. From birth to attainment of a different form, Karm, good or bad are accomplished by mind, speech and action. Those paths of Karm which are characterized by visible objects such as Som juice or Ghee, being destroyed by Raakshas, so turning away from them I have perceived the seat of soul that is in the body (this seat, called Avimukt, lies in between eyebrows and nose), without the aid of soul.

Which is not capable being attained by smelt by smelling sense nose, tasted by the tongue, touched by the skin, it is attained by the mind. It is not conquered by the eye and ear. It is without scent, taste, touch, and form as attributes. It is from that form the Universe appears and it is upon which it rests. The life breaths called Praan, Apaan, Udaan, Saman, Vyaan flow from it, and they enter in it too in the end. The breaths Praan and Apaan move between Samaan and Vyaan. When the soul sleeps, both Samaan and Vyaan Vayu are absorbed. Between Praan and Apaan Vaayu, dwells only Udaan Vaayu pervading all. Hence Praan and Apaan Vaayu do not desert a sleeping person. In consequence of its controlling all the life winds, the final controlling breath is Udaan Vaayu; that is why the people who want Me undergo for penance (Udaan is controlled by penance, and it is penance only that breaks the cycle of birth and death, and leads to absorption into Brahm.

In the midst of all those life breaths that swallow up one another and move within the body blazes forth the fire called Vaishwaanar made up of seven flames. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, the mind and the understanding - these are the seven tongues of Vaishwaanar flame. That which is smelt, or seen, or drunk, or touched, or heard, or thought, or understood - these are the seven types of fuel for me. That which smells (nose), eats (mouth), sees (eyes), touches (skin), hears (ears), thinks (mind), understands (understanding) - these are the seven priests for me. The learned sacrificers, casting seven libations, in seven ways, in seven fires (which is smelt, or seen, or drunk, or touched, or heard, or thought, or understood), create them in their own wombs.

Earth, wind ether, water and light, might and understanding - these are the seven wombs for all things (everything appears from them). All the attributes which constitute the sacrificial offerings, enter into the attribute that is born of the fire and dwelling in that becomes reborn in their respective wombs. They, which generates all beings, remain absorbed during the period of dissolution. From that is produced smell, from smell is produced taste, from taste is produced color, from color is produced touch, from touch is produced sound, from sound arises doubt, and from doubt is produced resolution. This is called seven-fold creation. It is in this way that all was comprehended by the ancients. By the three full and final libations, the full become full with light."

The Braahman continued - "I tell you an ancient story in this regard, so that you can understand "What kind the institution of the ten Hotri (sacrificing priests) is?" The ear, the skin, two eyes, the tongue, the nose, the two feet, the two hands, the genital organs, the lower duct (anus), the speech (the ten senses or Indriyaan) - these are the ten priests. Sound, touch, color, taste, scent, speech, action, motion, the discharge of vital seed, of urine, of excreta - are the ten libations. The points of the compass, Quarters, Wind, Sun, Moon, Earth, Fire, Vishnu, Prajaapati, Mitra - these are the ten sacrificial fires. The ten organs (senses or Indriyaan) are the sacrificial priests. The libations are ten. The objects of the senses are the fuels that are cast into ten fires, as also the mind which is the ladle, and wealth (good and bad Karm of the sacrificer).

Now what remains is the pure highest knowledge. We have heard that the Universe was well differentiated [from knowledge]. All objects of knowledge are Mind, knowledge only perceives (discovers the Mind without being attached to it). The knower (Jeev), dwelling in Subtle form, lives within the Gross body which is produced by the vital seed. The bearer of the body is Gaarhpatya Fire, and from it is produced another fire - mind , Aavaahneeya Fire. The oblations are poured into this fire. Ved or Word have also appeared from this Aavaahneeya Fire, then was born Mind (desirous of creation), Mind sets itself on the Ved. Then appears form (color) undistinguished by particular colors and it runs towards the Mind."*

* Note - Hridaya (Heart) is the Gaarhapatya Fire. From this fire is produced another Fire - Aavaahneeya Fire - the Mind. [The heart was pierced, and from it arose Mind, and from the Mind arose Chandramaa. The Aahvaaneeya Fire is the mouth. Food or Fire, poured into mouth develops into speech or word. First arises the word, then the Mind sets itself upon it desirous of creation. This corresponds with Moses' Genesis - "God said, Let there be Light, and there was Light". The Word was first.

The Braahman's wife said - "Why did Word first arise, and why did Mind arise afterwards? Seeing that Word comes into existence, after having been thought upon Mind, upon this authority, can it be said that Mati (Praan) takes refuge in Mind? Why then, in dreamless slumber, although separated from mind, does not Praan apprehend all objects? What is that which restraints it?*

* Note - In dreamless state the Mind also disappears totally. If it is the mind upon which Praan rests, then why does not Praan also disappear? It is seen that Praan exists separately from mind, because it continues to exist while Mind does not exist. And if it is so, why does it not apprehend the objects? What is it which restraints it power to apprehend them?

The Braahman said - "The Apaan breath, when it has controlled Praan breath, becomes the Lord; and with this Lordship it makes Praan identical to itself. This situation restrains the motion of the Praan which becomes identical with the Apaan breath for the time being. Praan is said to be the motion of mind. Hence the Mind is dependent on Praan, not Praan on the Mind. Therefore, in dreamless slumber, when the Mind has disappeared, Praan does not disappear. 

Since you have asked me the question about the Word and Mind, I tell you a talk between them. Once both Word and Mind went to the Soul of matter (Prajaapati, but some people take its meaning as individual Soul or Jeev or or Self) and asked him - "Tell us who is superior between us? Please clear our doubt." On that occasion the Holy One replied - "The Mind is definitely superior." Word said - "I give you all the fruits of your desires." (It is through words only that desirable fruits, visible and invisible, are acquired. Of course, Word means both speech and Vedic Mantra)."

Jeev said to Word - "Know that I have two minds, immovable and movable. That which is immovable is verily with me; while the movable is in your dominion. (Immovable means that which can be seized by external senses; and Movable means that which is beyond the reach of the senses - such as Heaven etc. The external world, being only a manifestation of the mind, is identical with it. So the ideas in the mind which are not due to the senses, are only the mind - this is movable mind; thus this mind depends upon Word or scriptures.) This mind is called movable which in the form of Mantra or letter or voice is referable to your dominion. That is why you are superior to the other Mind which concerns itself with only the external word.

But since you enter into the engagement about the fruits of all wishes, therefore filling myself with breath, I utter you. The goddess Word always used to dwell between Praan and Apaan. But sinking into Apaan, though going upwards in consequence of becoming disassociated from Praan, she ran to Prajaapati and said - "Be pleased with me. The Praan appeared once more fostering Word; hence Word, encountering deep exhalation never utters anything. Word always flows as endued with utterance or without it (noisy or noiseless). Amongst these two, Word without utterance is superior to the Word with utterance.

The Braahman's wife said - "What did the goddess of Word then say, in olden days, though impelled by the Wish to speak, Speech couldn't come out?" The Braahman said - "The Word that is generated in the body by Praan, then attains Apaan from Praan. Then transformed into Udaan and getting out of the body covers all the directions with Vyaan. After that she dwells in Samaan, and still speak. Hence, Mind, in consequence of being immovable, is distinguished; and the goddess Word, being in consequence of being movable is also distinguished."