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Chandogya Upanisad

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 7.19, Translation and Purport:

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

The living entity, while executing devotional service or transcendental rituals after many, many births, may actually become situated in transcendental pure knowledge that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of spiritual realization. In the beginning of spiritual realization, while one is trying to give up one's attachment to materialism, there is some leaning towards impersonalism, but when one is further advanced he can understand that there are activities in the spiritual life and that these activities constitute devotional service. Realizing this, he becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrenders to Him. At such a time one can understand that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's mercy is everything, that He is the cause of all causes and that this material manifestation is not independent from Him. He realizes the material world to be a perverted reflection of spiritual variegatedness and realizes that in everything there is a relationship with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus he thinks of everything in relation to Vāsudeva, or Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such a universal vision of Vāsudeva precipitates one's full surrender to the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the highest goal. Such surrendered great souls are very rare.

This verse is very nicely explained in the Third Chapter (verses 14 and 15) of the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad:

sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ
sahasrākṣaḥ sahasra-pāt
sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vṛtvā-
tyātiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam
puruṣa evedaṁ sarvaṁ
yad bhūtaṁ yac ca bhavyam
utāmṛtatvasyeśāno
yad annenātirohati

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (5.1.15) it is said, na vai vāco na cakṣūṁṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṁsīty ācakṣate prāṇa iti evācakṣate prāṇo hy evaitāni sarvāṇi bhavanti: "In the body of a living being neither the power to speak, nor the power to see, nor the power to hear, nor the power to think is the prime factor; it is life which is the center of all activities." Similarly Lord Vāsudeva, or the Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the prime entity in everything. In this body there are powers of speaking, of seeing, of hearing, of mental activities, etc. But these are not important if not related to the Supreme Lord. And because Vāsudeva is all-pervading and everything is Vāsudeva, the devotee surrenders in full knowledge (cf. Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.17) and (BG 11.40))

BG 8.3, Purport:

The Chāndogya Upaniṣad describes the Vedic sacrificial process. On the sacrificial altar, five kinds of offerings are made into five kinds of fire. The five kinds of fire are conceived of as the heavenly planets, clouds, the earth, man and woman, and the five kinds of sacrificial offerings are faith, the enjoyer on the moon, rain, grains and semen.

BG 8.16, Purport:

Those who attain the highest material planets, the planets of the demigods, are again subjected to repeated birth and death. As persons on earth are elevated to higher planets, people on higher planets such as Brahmaloka, Candraloka and Indraloka fall down to earth. The practice of sacrifice called pañcāgni-vidyā, recommended in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, enables one to achieve Brahmaloka, but if, on Brahmaloka, one does not cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he must return to earth.

BG 8.26, Translation and Purport:

According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world—one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.

The same description of departure and return is quoted by Ācārya Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (5.10.3-5). Those who are fruitive laborers and philosophical speculators from time immemorial are constantly going and coming. Actually they do not attain ultimate salvation, for they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

BG 9.7, Purport:

Brahmā lives for one hundred years, and his one day is calculated at 4,300,000,000 of our earthly years. His night is of the same duration. His month consists of thirty such days and nights, and his year of twelve months. After one hundred such years, when Brahmā dies, the devastation or annihilation takes place; this means that the energy manifested by the Supreme Lord is again wound up in Himself. Then again, when there is a need to manifest the cosmic world, it is done by His will. Bahu syām: "Although I am one, I shall become many." This is the Vedic aphorism (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3). He expands Himself in this material energy, and the whole cosmic manifestation again takes place.

BG Chapters 13 - 18

BG 15.18, Purport:

The Supreme Lord, in His localized aspect of Paramātmā, is also described in the Vedas themselves. The following verse appears in the Vedas (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.12.3): tāvad eṣa samprasādo 'smāc charīrāt samutthāya paraṁ jyoti-rūpaṁ sampadya svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyate sa uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ. "The Supersoul coming out of the body enters the impersonal brahmajyoti; then in His form He remains in His spiritual identity. That Supreme is called the Supreme Personality." This means that the Supreme Personality is exhibiting and diffusing His spiritual effulgence, which is the ultimate illumination. That Supreme Personality also has a localized aspect as Paramātmā. By incarnating Himself as the son of Satyavatī and Parāśara, He explains the Vedic knowledge as Vyāsadeva.

BG 17.23, Purport:

The three words oṁ tat sat are uttered in conjunction with the holy name of the Supreme Lord, e.g., oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ. Whenever a Vedic hymn or the holy name of the Supreme Lord is uttered, oṁ is added. This is the indication of Vedic literature. These three words are taken from Vedic hymns. Oṁ ity etad brahmaṇo nediṣṭhaṁ nāma (Ṛg Veda) indicates the first goal. Then tat tvam asi (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8.7) indicates the second goal. And sad eva saumya (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1) indicates the third goal. Combined they become oṁ tat sat.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.4.19, Purport:

Śrī Vyāsadeva and his many disciples were all historical personalities, and they were very kind and sympathetic toward the fallen souls of this age of Kali. As such, the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata were made from related historical facts which explained the teaching of the four Vedas. There is no point in doubting the authority of the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata as parts and parcels of the Vedas. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.1.4), the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata, generally known as histories, are mentioned as the fifth Veda. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, that is the way of ascertaining the respective values of the revealed scriptures.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.26.15, Purport:

According to the Vedic version there is no existence beyond Brahman. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1). It is stated also in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that whatever we see is parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ; everything is an expansion of the energy of the Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.22.24, Purport:

Trying to advance in spiritual life outside the disciplic succession is simply ludicrous. It is said, therefore, ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who follows the disciplic succession of ācāryas knows things as they are (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2).

SB 4.28.65, Purport:

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is said, ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who approaches a bona fide spiritual master can understand everything about spiritual realization."

SB Canto 5

SB 5.4.5, Purport:

We should act in such a way in this life that after giving up this body, we will become liberated from the bondage of repeated birth and death. This is called jīvan-mukti. Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya states that in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad there are eight symptoms of a jīvan-mukta, a person who is already liberated even when living in this body.

SB 5.12.8, Purport:

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is stated: yathā saumy ekena mṛt-piṇḍena sarvaṁ mṛnmayaṁ vijñātaṁ syād vācārambhaṇaṁ vikāro nāmadheyaṁ mṛttikety eva satyam. If one studies the earth, he naturally understands the by-products of the earth. The Vedas therefore enjoin, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3): if one simply understands the original cause, Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all causes, then naturally everything else is understood, although it may be presented in different varieties.

SB 5.19.4, Purport:

Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38):

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee." Similarly, in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad it is stated, etās tisro devatā anena jīvena. In this verse of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad the word anena is used to distinguish the ātmā and Paramātmā as two separate identities. The words tisro devatā indicate that the body of the living entity is made of three material elements—fire, earth and water. Although the Paramātmā enters the heart of the jīvātmā, who is influenced and designated by a material body, the Paramātmā has nothing to do with the jīvātmā's body.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.12.8, Purport:

Although someone may say that the Supreme Person is different from the cosmic manifestation, actually He is not. The Lord says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "In My impersonal feature I am spread throughout the world." Therefore, this world is not different from Him. The difference is a difference in names. For example, whether we speak of gold earrings, gold bangles or gold necklaces, ultimately they are all gold. In a similar way, all the different manifestations of matter and spirit are ultimately one in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ekam evādvitīyaṁ brahma. This is the Vedic version (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1). There is oneness because everything emanates from the Supreme Brahman.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.1.56, Purport:

The word deva refers to God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original source of all the demigods, who are also called devas. In Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.2) the Lord says, aham ādir hi devānām: "I am the source of all the devas." The Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, the Original person, expands in different forms. Tad aikṣata bahu syām (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.3). He alone has expanded into many. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33).

SB 10.10.10, Purport:

Unless one approaches a spiritual master, one remains in ignorance. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2): one has full knowledge about life when one is ācāryavān, controlled by the ācārya.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 7.74, Purport:

Although Māyāvādīs profess monism, they differentiate between the holy name of the Supreme Lord and the Lord Himself. For this offense of nāmāparādha they gradually glide down from their exalted position of brahma-jñāna, as confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 10.2.32):

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

Although by severe austerities they rise to the exalted position of brahma-jñāna, they nevertheless fall down due to imperfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Although they profess to understand the Vedic mantra sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma (Chāndogya Up. 3.14.1), which means "Everything is Brahman," they are unable to understand that the holy name is also Brahman. If they regularly chant the mahā-mantra, however, they can be relieved from this misconception. Unless one properly takes shelter of the holy name, he cannot be relieved from the offensive stage in chanting the holy name.

CC Adi 7.108, Purport:

Regarding the Upaniṣads, the following eleven Upaniṣads are considered to be the topmost: Īśa, Kena, Kaṭha, Praśna, Muṇḍaka, Māṇḍūkya, Taittirīya, Aitareya, Chāndogya, Bṛhad-āraṇyaka and Śvetāśvatara. However, in the Muktikopaniṣad, verses 30–39, there is a description of 108 Upaniṣads. They are as follows: (1) Īśopaniṣad, (2) Kenopaniṣad, (3) Kaṭhopaniṣad, (4) Praśnopaniṣad, (5) Muṇḍakopaniṣad, (6) Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad, (7) Taittirīyopaniṣad, (8) Aitareyopaniṣad, (9) Chāndogyopaniṣad, (10) Bṛhad-āraṇyakopaniṣad, (11) Brahmopaniṣad, (12) Kaivalyopaniṣad, (13) Jābālopaniṣad, (14) Śvetāśvataropaniṣad, (15) Haṁsopaniṣad, (16) Āruṇeyopaniṣad, (17) Garbhopaniṣad, (18) Nārāyaṇopaniṣad, (19) Paramahaṁsopaniṣad, (20) Amṛta-bindūpaniṣad, (21) Nāda-bindūpaniṣad, (22) Śiropaniṣad, (23) Atharva-śikhopaniṣad, (24) Maitrāyaṇy-upaniṣad, (25) Kauṣītaky-upaniṣad, (26) Bṛhaj-jābālopaniṣad, (27) Nṛsiṁha-tāpanīyopaniṣad, (28) Kālāgni-rudropaniṣad, (29) Maitreyy-upaniṣad, (30) Subālopaniṣad, (31) Kṣurikopaniṣad, (32) Mantrikopaniṣad, (33) Sarva-sāropaniṣad, (34) Nirālambopaniṣad, (35) Śuka-rahasyopaniṣad, (36) Vajra-sūcikopaniṣad, (37) Tejo-bindūpaniṣad, (38) Nāda-bindūpaniṣad, (39) Dhyāna-bindūpaniṣad, (40) Brahma-vidyopaniṣad, (41) Yoga-tattvopaniṣad, (42), Ātma-bodhopaniṣad, (43) Nārada-parivrājakopaniṣad, (44) Triśikhy-upaniṣad, (45) Sītopaniṣad, (46) Yoga-cūḍāmaṇy-upaniṣad, (47) Nirvāṇopaniṣad, (48) Maṇḍala-brāhmaṇopaniṣad, (49) Dakṣiṇā-mūrty-upaniṣad, (50) Śarabhopaniṣad, (51) Skandopaniṣad, (52) Mahānārāyaṇopaniṣad, (53) Advaya-tārakopaniṣad, (54) Rāma-rahasyopaniṣad, (55) Rāma-tāpaṇy-upaniṣad, (56) Vāsudevopaniṣad, (57) Mudgalopaniṣad, (58) Śāṇḍilyopaniṣad, (59) Paiṅgalopaniṣad, (60) Bhikṣūpaniṣad, (61) Mahad-upaniṣad, (62) Śārīrakopaniṣad, (63) Yoga-śikhopaniṣad, (64) Turīyātītopaniṣad, (65) Sannyāsopaniṣad, (66) Paramahaṁsa-parivrājakopaniṣad, (67) Mālikopaniṣad, (68) Avyaktopaniṣad, (69) Ekākṣaropaniṣad, (70) Pūrṇopaniṣad, (71) Sūryopaniṣad, (72) Akṣy-upaniṣad, (73) Adhyātmopaniṣad, (74) Kuṇḍikopaniṣad, (75) Sāvitry-upaniṣad, (76) Ātmopaniṣad, (77) Pāśupatopaniṣad, (78) Param-brahmopaniṣad, (79) Avadhūtopaniṣad, (80) Tripurātapanopaniṣad, (81) Devy-upaniṣad, (82) Tripuropaniṣad, (83) Kaṭha-rudropaniṣad, (84) Bhāvanopaniṣad, (85) Hṛdayopaniṣad, (86) Yoga-kuṇḍaliny-upaniṣad, (87) Bhasmopaniṣad, (88) Rudrākṣopaniṣad, (89) Gaṇopaniṣad, (90) Darśanopaniṣad, (91) Tāra-sāropaniṣad, (92) Mahā-vākyopaniṣad, (93) Pañca-brahmopaniṣad, (94) Prāṇāgni-hotropaniṣad, (95) Gopāla-tāpany-upaniṣad, (96) Kṛṣṇopaniṣad, (97) Yājñavalkyopaniṣad, (98) Varāhopaniṣad, (99) Śāṭyāyany-upaniṣad, (100) Hayagrīvopaniṣad, (101) Dattātreyopaniṣad, (102) Gāruḍopaniṣad, (103) Kaly-upaniṣad, (104) Jābāly-upaniṣad, (105) Saubhāgyopaniṣad, (106) Sarasvatī-rahasyopaniṣad, (107) Bahvṛcopaniṣad and (108) Muktikopaniṣad. Thus there are 108 generally accepted Upaniṣads, of which eleven are the most important, as previously stated.

CC Adi 7.121, Purport:

In the Brahma-sūtra, Second Chapter, the first aphorism is as follows: tad-ananyatvam ārambhaṇa-śabdādibhyaḥ. Commenting on this sūtra in his Śārīraka-bhāṣya, Śaṅkarācārya has introduced the statement vācārambhaṇaṁ vikāro nāmadheyam from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.1.4) to try to prove that acceptance of the transformation of the energy of the Supreme Lord is faulty. He has tried to defy this transformation of energy in a misguided way, which will be explained later.

CC Adi 7.121, Purport:

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad there is the following mantra: aitad-ātmyam idaṁ sarvam. This mantra indicates without a doubt that the entire world is Brahman. The Absolute Truth has inconceivable energies, as confirmed in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport)), and the entire cosmic manifestation is evidence of these different energies of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is a fact, and therefore whatever is created by the Supreme Lord is also factual. Everything is true and complete (pūrṇam), but the original pūrṇam, the complete Absolute Truth, always remains the same.

CC Adi 7.122, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura comments that if one does not clearly understand the meaning of pariṇāma-vāda, or transformation of energy, one is sure to misunderstand the truth regarding this material cosmic manifestation and the living entities. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.8.4) it is said, san-mūlāḥ saumyemāḥ prajāḥ sad-āyatanāḥ sat-pratiṣṭhāḥ. The material world and the living entities are separate beings, and they are eternally true, not false.

CC Adi 7.128, Purport:

The Māyāvādī philosophers consider many Vedic mantras to be the mahā-vākya, or principal Vedic mantra, such as tat tvam asi (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8.7), idaṁ sarvaṁ yad ayam ātmā and brahmedaṁ sarvam (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.5.1), ātmaivedaṁ sarvam (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.25.2) and neha nānāsti kiñcana (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.1.11). That is a great mistake. Only oṁkāra is the mahā-vākya. All these other mantras that the Māyāvādīs accept as the mahā-vākya are only incidental. They cannot be taken as the mahā-vākya, or mahā-mantra. The mantra tat tvam asi indicates only a partial understanding of the Vedas, unlike oṁkāra, which represents the full understanding of the Vedas. Therefore the transcendental sound that includes all Vedic knowledge is oṁkāra (praṇava).

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 6.145-146, Purport:

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.2.3), it is said, tad aikṣata bahu syāṁ prajāyeya. This statement confirms the fact that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead wishes to become many, the cosmic manifestation arises simply by His glancing over material energy. It may be noted that the Supreme Lord glanced over the material nature before the creation of this cosmic manifestation. Before the creation there were no material minds or material eyes; therefore the mind by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead desired to create is transcendental, and the eyes with which He glanced over material nature are also transcendental. Thus the Lord's mind, eyes and other senses are all transcendental.

CC Madhya 12.194, Purport:

The true conclusion of advaita-siddhānta, expressed at the very beginning of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Adi 1.3), is not the same as the philosophy of the monists. Here advaita-siddhānta means advaya-jñāna, or oneness in variety. Actually Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu was praising Śrīla Advaita Ācārya through friendly mock fighting. He was giving the Vaiṣṇava conclusion in terms of the Bhāgavatam's conclusive words, vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ. This is also the conclusion of a mantra in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, ekam evādvitīyam.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 24:

According to Muktika Upaniṣad, there are 108 Upaniṣads. Among these are: (1) Īśa, (2) Kena, (3) Kaṭha, (4) Praśna, (5) Muṇḍaka, (6) Māṇḍūkya, (7) Tittiri, (8) Aitareya, (9) Chāndogya, (10) Bṛhad-āraṇyaka, (11) Brahma, (12) Kaivalya, (13) Jāvāla, (14) Śvetāśva, (15) Hansa, (16) Arunih, (17) Garbha, (18) Narayana, etc. These 108 Upanisads contain all knowledge about the Absolute Truth. Sometimes people inquire abou the meaning of these 108 prayer beads, but because we think there are 108 Upanisads which contain full knowledge of the Absolute Truth, therefore 108 beads are accepted. Sometimes on the other hand, the Vaiṣṇava transcendentalists think that the 108 beads represent the 108 companions of Lord Kṛṣṇa in His rāsa dance, and therefore 108 beads are accepted.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 24:

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (5.2.3), it is said that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead desires to become many, He turns over material nature. As also confirmed in Aitareya Upaniṣad (1.1), sa aikṣata: "The Lord glanced at material nature." The cosmic manifestation did not exist before His glance; therefore His glance is not materially contaminated. His seeing power existed before the material creation; therefore His body is not material. His thinking, feeling and acting are all transcendental.

Page Title:Chandogya Upanisad
Compiler:Sahadeva, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:02 of Apr, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=7, SB=10, CC=8, OB=2, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:27