Prasnopanishat – Answers to the Second and Third Students

Just as the reflection is not stuck to the mirror,
Just as lotus leaves are not wet by the water they dwell in,
Sins cannot stick to a devotee.

Birth and death are an inseparable pair,
Like the two wheels of a chariot.
If one of them ceases to exist, so will Creation.
This is the secret of the Cosmos.

Students, Embodiments of Divine Love!

Ekoham Bahushyam – The One has become many. The will of Prajapati created the pairs of basis (moolam) and based (sthulam), inert (jada) and conscious (chaitanya), life-force (prana) and living being (prani), matter and energy.

The interaction of these dualities resulted in the living and non-living universe. The foundation of the world is the union of the sun and the moon principles. The sun represents life-force (prana) and the moon, the living being (prani). You saw yesterday that this wisdom was imparted by Sage Pippalada to Kabandhi, the son of Sage Katya. Kabandhi heard the sage’s words attentively, appreciated the secrets of creation and experienced bliss.

The Cycle of Birth and Death

At this time, a disciple from the kingdom of Vidarbha, Bhargava by name, entered the hermitage. Bhargava saluted Sage Pippalada and questioned, “Swami! Birth and death seem to be incurable diseases. All scriptures propagate that death follows birth and vice versa. Is existence nothing but this cycle of life and death? Is there no end to this cycle?”

Pippalada said, “My child! God is without beginning and end. The living and non-living world is transitory (mithya). Although there is truth (Satya) in this transient world (mithya), it is formless. Everything must perish one day.

Uttarayan and Dakshinayan

The Sun causes days, seasons and years. They are cogs in the wheel of time. The path of the Sun is the basis for time. These divisions of time are as per Prajapati’s will. Time is a form of Prajapati.

Time is divided into two halves – Uttarayan and Dakshinayan. Ayana means journey. When the Sun travels towards the North, this period of time is called Uttarayan. The Sun’s southward trajectory occurs during Dakshinayan. Uttarayan is characterised by brightness, peace, contentment, fearlessness and purity. Dakshinayan is a period of darkness, unrest, fear and delusion.

Those who seek to travel during Dakshinayan perform various rituals and acts of charity and embark in the ‘southerly’ direction. Their journey takes them to the Moon. The Moon represents matter. In other words, with impressions of worldly desires, you will attain the material world alone, not God. As long as the results of your good deeds permit, you stay in the world called chandra-lokam (lunar plane of existence). When that store of merits is exhausted, you return to this world. The scriptures say – Kshine Punye Martya Lokam Vishanti – Depletion of merits forces a return to the world of mortals.

Take an example. The victor in a political election becomes a member of the legislative assembly for five years. As each year passes, he recedes further and further away from the assembly. His membership ceases after five years. Similarly, man achieves the chandra-lokam with good deeds, but returns for rebirth in the physical world when the fruits of his merit are exhausted.

The one who travels during Uttarayan acquires attachment to Brahman, leading him to knowledge of Brahman. He reaches the Surya mandalam (solar plane of existence). Surya mandalam represents life-force (prana). One who merges into prana does not take rebirth.

Therefore, child, only when your prana is merged into the universal prana, you escape from birth and death. As long as you have delusion (bhrama), you cannot attain God (Brahma). Cultivate Brahma-bhavam (feeling of Brahma) and reach the world of the Sun. Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati – The one who recognises Brahman becomes Brahman Himself. Thus, understand the link between Uttarayan, Dakshinayan and rebirth. Those who journey during Dakshinayan have rebirth, while Uttarayan leads to immortality.

Bright and Dark Fortnights

The five elements are like the five parts of the Sun. We have twelve months. In each month, the Sun enters a specific house. As the Sun traces its path through these houses, its radiance changes, and gives birth to the seven colours. Every month has two fortnights - Shukla-paksham (bright half) and Krishna-paksham (dark half). What are Shukla-paksham and Krishna-paksham?

The moon is in front of the Sun and catches the Sun’s aura, shining with 16 kahas (aspects). Meaning, due to his proximity to the Sun (life-force), the moon (living being) shines brightly with all his 16 aspects – This is called poornima (full moon).

During the new moon day, the moon merges into the Sun and is unseen. Krishna-paksham is the period from full-moon to new-moon, when the moon’s brightness wanes. From the new-moon to the full-moon, the brightness of the moon increases. This is Shukla-paksham. The bright fortnight is the life-force (prana) and the dark fortnight is the living being (prani). The combination of prana and prani is this Divine world. All these are merely results of Prajapati’s will.

Prani and Prana

Ekoham Bahushyam – The One manifests as many. How? When you sow one seed in the Earth, it becomes a gigantic tree with thousands of fruits, each of which contains innumerable seeds. These seeds give birth to many other trees, in turn. Thus, one seed becomes many trees. One prana has become countless pranis. Creation has no bounds.

In the very beginning, there were only prani and prana. Their union brought about the universe. The world has no beginning or end. Since people see diversity in this manifestation of God’s will, they see it as finite. Creation, sustenance and destruction are not solely God’s will, but human effort also matters to a certain extent. Depending on his actions and thoughts, man achieves the destination he decides for himself, good or bad. The man (manava) born of God (Madhava) has forgotten his Divinity. Thus, he becomes a demon, behaves like an animal and wastes his innate potential.

Child! Death is inescapable. However, man has the capacity to prevent further rebirth. Take a seed of green gram. When sown, it becomes a plant with many fruits. But no one knows the seed’s parents, its grandfather, great-grandfather and so on. No one knows how long it has been born as a green gram seed. Thus, the beginning is beyond anyone’s reach. But pop the seed into your mouth and chew – its life ends. The beginning is beyond us, but the end is in our control! Similarly, no one can tell when man began his existence, in what manner. The end, however, is dependent on our spiritual effort (sadhana). When you journey during Uttarayan, you become one with Brahman.

Students! A paddy seed is covered with husk. Till the husk remains, you can plant it and water it, and it germinates. This is – Punarapi Jananam, Punarapi Maranam – Repeated birth and death. Remove the husk, and it becomes rice. Rice will never germinate in soil, no matter how much you try. This is – Punarjanma Na Vidyate – No more rebirths. Paddy has rebirth, rice does not. Husk distinguishes paddy from rice. Husk represents desire. Desires compel you to take birth again and again. Without desires, you are free.

We spend our entire life on matter, matter, matter… This is the chandra (moon). The “moon” in the Upanishats does not refer to the planetary body circling the Earth! Chandramas Manaso Jatuh, Chaksho Surya Ajayatah – From His mind emerged the Moon and from His eyes, the Sun.

Rebirth is unavoidable as long as the mind harbours thoughts and counter-thoughts (sankalpas and vikalpas). When you nullify both likes and dislikes in the awareness of Brahman (Brahma-bhavam), you destroy the mind and conquer rebirth. Therefore, O Bhargava, do not fear that birth and death are grim finalities. There is a state beyond birth and death, and it is possible to attain it”, were Pippalada’s beautiful words.

Living Beings and Life-Force

Then the third disciple entered. He prostrated to the Guru. “Swami, in each living being (jivi), what kind of life-forces sustain and protect the life energy?” This was Asvalayana. “Swami, who is the most exalted of all beings? What is the power that pervades the various limbs of a living being?”, questioned Asvalayana, son of Asvala.

Pippalada replied, “Son! Wind, fire, water and earth take birth from the ether. Their manifestations in the human body are speech, vision, hearing and the mind. These four faculties protect the living being. Of these, the Sun principle or life-force (prana) is primary. Without prana, the eyes cannot see, the ears cannot hear, the mouth cannot speak and the mind cannot think. Prana is more important than any other part of the body. The body is the home for prana, its dwelling place, its temple. Deho Devalayam Prokto, Jivo Devo Sanatanah – The body is the temple, the Indweller is the eternal One. Prana is eternal. It takes shelter in the temporary body.

The body contains thousands of Nadis. Do not consider the human body as ordinary. Truly, there are 720 million Nadis in the human body. A life-force by the name of vyana travels in these Nadis. Without vyana, the Nadis cannot function. There is another force, udana, which witnesses the good and bad done by man and takes him to the corresponding destinations. Our state of existence depends on our actions. Thus, the scriptures advise us not to be elated in joy or depressed in sorrow, but to follow the eternal principle of equanimity.

The Five Life-Forces

Difficulties are not caused by someone else. Joys are also not favours done to us by others. Due to weakness, you blame others for your grief and praise them for your joy - but both are baseless. For joy and sorrow, profit and loss, honour and dishonour - your thoughts and actions alone are responsible. Sin does not exist somewhere, waiting to grab you. God also does not reside in some secluded corner. Both God and sin dwell in your own body, in your actions. We attain heaven, hell, liberation or any other after-death state based only on our karmas. The principle of udana decides this destination.

There are five types of life-forces (pranas) – prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana. They reside in the body, and in the five elements outside. The Sun is composed of prana. From the Earth emanates apana. From the Sky or Ether, samana. From the Wind, udana. From Fire, vyana. In each of the five elements, its corresponding life-force is immanent. Clinging inseparably to the five life-forces is the repercussions of the good and bad done by man.

You Reap What You Sow

The secrets of Creation are not easily explained by anyone. Every object has a shadow associated with it. The results of karmas follow the life-force like a shadow. Wherever prana ventures, karmas follow. Results of karmas are attached to your present body as well. When prana leaves your body and dons another one, the karmic shadows go to the new body instead of staying with the dead body.

Where does prana go? After death, your prana does not just acquire a random body. It attains the kind of body determined by your actions. We obtain a good rebirth only when we perform good actions and entertain good thoughts. Can you expect sweet mangoes to emerge from bitter lemon seeds? Man forgets this truth.

“I will do this, I will attain that” –
Do not tire yourself in such planning.
Whatever seeds you have sown yesterday,
You will get the corresponding results today.
When your seeds do not fit the fruits you expect,
How can your ambitions be achieved?

All your actions are recorded, one by one,
Whether good or bad, without exception.
Brahma sends with you a heavy necklace -
The necklace of the results of past karmas.

At birth, no necklace is seen around your neck.
There isn’t a string of pearls adorning you,
Nor a gold chain,
Nor a set of diamonds shining brilliantly,
Nor an ornament of green emeralds.
But it is there - An unbreakable necklace,
Put together the results of past karmas.
Brahma sends with you a heavy necklace --
The necklace of the results of past karmas.

Therefore, O men! Your joy and sorrows are repercussions of your own good and bad actions. First, recognise this truth. Then engage in good thoughts, words and deeds to obtain a good life and after-life. We reap what we sow – no more, no less. Whatever you eat, you experience its belch! When you eat a cucumber, is it possible to taste mango in your burp? God is not responsible for your joys or sorrows. God is merely a witness.

Devotion Burns Away Karmas

Having said that, bear in mind: No matter how large the pile of your bad karmas, if you pray to God with genuine feeling emanating from the depth of your heart, all karmas disappear like snow on a summer day.

The reflection appears inside the mirror, but it is not stuck to the mirror. The lotus dwells in a lake, but its leaves are not wet by the water. Similarly, no karmas, however heinous or numerous, can trouble man when he has pure devotion. A small spark can consume mountains of cotton. The tiniest spark is enough. Therefore:

You cry for wife, children, friends,
wealth, business, pleasures, name and fame.
If you yearn for Krishna’s Lotus Feet for a moment,
You can easily cross the terrible doors of Death.

For the amount of time you spend on crying for wife, children, friends and fame, if you set aside just a moment - a single moment - for heartfelt contemplation on the Lord, it is said that the terrible doors of hell can be transcended. How can we expect peace if we do not even dedicate a fraction of our time to meditate on God?

Dedicate Actions to the Lord

Therefore, son, prana is most important. You need to follow a specific path. Merge your senses into your mind. Merge your mind into your Atma. In other words, whatever actions you perform, dedicate them to the Atma. Sarva Karma Bhagavat Preetyartham – Perform actions with the motivation to become dear to the Lord. Do not be inactive.”

You can be a lawyer, doctor, banker, businessman. Whatever your vocation, work is transformed into worship with this pure outlook. Transform work into worship, offer it to the Lord. With work done in this manner – Punarjanma Na Vidyate – you will have no rebirth.

It is not enough to repeat “Krishnarpanam” with your tongue. It must come from your heart! Dedication through mere words will produce mere verbal results! How? For example, if you tell Me, “Swami, please grace my home with a visit”, my reply is, “Definitely, I will come.” But if, in reality, you are not inviting Me, I’m not going to come! When you call me from the core of your heart, I will definitely come – with all My heart. Yat bhavam Tat Bhavati – As is your feeling, so is the result you experience.

As is your desire, so is your feeling. As is your feeling, so is the result you experience. It is important that whatever you do, do with your heart. The heart is the junction of all Nadis in the human body. When pious intentions emerge in the heart, the entire body is filled with enthusiasm and Divinity. Everything originates in the heart. This is not the physical heart, but the spiritual heart. The way to overcome birth and death is to harness this heart through Love.

Thoughts - The Root Cause

Thus, six students approached Pippalada with basic doubts which assail every human being. The great sage gave them detailed and satisfactory answers. The first question was put by Kabandhi, “What is the cause of Creation?” Thought is the cause of Creation. Pippalada gave a simple analogy. “Son, what causes dreams? Some people think that indigestion causes dreams. Others say it is excess thoughts or weakness in the body. None of these are true. Truly, sleep alone causes dreams! One without sleep can never have dreams! Therefore, thought causes Creation. When thought is destroyed, Creation is no more. Then the sight (drishti) becomes the seer (drashta). Everything is perceived as One, full of Bliss.” Pippalada taught his disciples to gradually limit thoughts and to control the mind.

Tomorrow we shall talk about the fourth disciple and the question he posed. The Bal-vikas children of Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar are ready, waiting with costumes and makeup. They have prepared a beautiful dance-drama. For this reason, I conclude with our discussion of the third disciple.

(Swami sang "Govinda Krishna Jai, Gopala Krishna Jai, Gopala Pala Bala Radha Krishna Jai!")

May 27, 1991