The source of all existence (A study of the Taittiriya Upaniṣad, #8)
The final part of the course on the Taittiriya Upanisad, revealing the ultimate conclusions of the text, and how they can be applied in our practical life.
Although the Lord is always with us, our consciousness is currently focused on matter, and thus we can't associate with Him. We are covered by the false ego, intelligence, mind, senses, and gross body, and by identifying with these different layers, we can't see the Lord. The teachings of the Taittiriya Upanisad help us to gradually purify our consciousness, helping us to see ourselves as what we really are: eternal souls, parts and parcels of the Lord, eternally connected to Him in a bound of love.
📺 Video:
Transcript:
Text 3.3.1
prāṇo brahmeti vyajānāt
prāṇāddhyeva khalvimāni bhūtāni jāyante/ prāṇena jātāni jīvanti
prāṇam prayantyabhisamviśantīti
tad vijñāya/ punareva varuṇam pitaramupasasāra/ adhīhi bhagavo brahmeti/ tam hovāca
tapasā brahma vijijñāsasva/ tapo brahmeti
sa tapo’tapyata/ sa tapastaptvā
From his austerities, he realized prāṇa as Brahman. From prāṇa, all beings arise. By prāṇa, they are maintained, and into prāṇa, they enter at the time of death. Having understood this, he again inquired from his exalted father: "Please teach me more about Brahman." The father answered: "Search for Brahman in austerity. This austerity is Brahman." Bhṛgu again practiced austerities and further increased his spiritual realization.
Commentary: On SB 11.3.39 it is mentioned that prāṇo hi jīvam upadhāvati tatra tatra, “In all species of life the prāṇa, or vital air, remains unchanging and follows the spirit soul from one body to another”. However, on SB 4.28.24 it is mentioned that yadā tam evānu purī, viśīrṇā prakṛtim gatā, “As soon as they all left the city of the body, the five-hooded serpent (the five types of vital air) was immediately dismantled and smashed to dust”. In this way, it appears that prāṇa has two components: a gross component that is destroyed at the time of death, and a subtle component that carries the subtle body from one gross body to another, following the soul.
Because the soul is not observable by material means, being perceived only by the presence of consciousness, prāṇa is the only component that is observable when the soul leaves the body. It thus appears that at the time of death, the soul enters into prāṇa, or merges into prāṇa. The words "prāṇam prayantyabhisamviśantīti" are used in this sense. During life, the consciousness of the soul spreads over the whole body, but at death, this consciousness is withdrawn from the body and is carried by the vital air to the next body. Thus, it is said that the consciousness enters into prāṇa.
Text 3.4.1
mano brahmeti vyajānāt
manaso hyeva khalvimāni bhūtāni jāyante/ manasā jātāni jīvanti
manaḥ prayantyabhisamviśantīti
tadvijñāya punareva varuṇam pitaramupasasāra/ adhīhi bhagavo brahmeti
tam hovāca
tapasā brahma vijijñāsasva/ tapo brahmeti
sa tapo’atapyata/ sa tapas taptvā
By practicing austerities he realized Brahman in the mind. From the mind, all beings arise, by the mind they live and they finally enter into the mind at death. Understanding this, he again inquired from his father: "Please teach me more about Brahman." The father answered: "Search for Brahman in austerity. This austerity is Brahman." Bhṛgu again practiced austerities and further increased his spiritual realization.
Commentary: In conditioned life, material intelligence works to satisfy the desires of the mind, and thus both are frequently amalgamated in different examples and allegories mentioned in the scriptures. In the allegory of King Purañjana (mentioned in the 4th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam), for example, mind and intelligence are amalgamated into the figure of the Queen. Identifying with her, Purañjana would helplessly follow all her steps, just like a conditioned soul follows the dictations of the mind and intelligence:
"When the Queen drank liquor, King Purañjana also engaged in drinking. When the Queen dined, he used to dine with her, and when she chewed, King Purañjana used to chew along with her. When the Queen sang, he also sang. Similarly, when the Queen cried, he also cried, and when the Queen laughed, he also laughed. When the Queen talked loosely, he also talked loosely, and when the Queen walked, the King walked behind her. When the Queen would stand still, the King would also stand still, and when the Queen would lie down in bed, he would also follow and lie down with her. When the Queen sat, he would also sit, and when the Queen heard something, he would follow her to hear the same thing. When the Queen saw something, the King would also look at it, and when the Queen smelled something, the King would follow her to smell the same thing. When the Queen touched something, the King would also touch it, and when the dear Queen was lamenting, the poor King also had to follow her in lamentation. In the same way, when the Queen felt enjoyment, he also enjoyed, and when the Queen was satisfied, the King also felt satisfaction." (SB 4.25.57-61)
When one realizes prāṇa, he has the impression that prāṇa is the real being, because at the time of death, prāṇa carries the subtle body to the next body, just like a plane carrying passengers. One who has insufficient knowledge or vision may see only the plane and not the people inside it. In a higher stage of understanding, however, one may understand that in reality the consciousness is included in the subtle body, the combination of ego, mind, intelligence, desires, subtle senses, and so on, which is transported by the vital air.
All the creatures we see roaming around the earth can exist only in the presence of the soul, whose only visible symptom is consciousness, which goes from one body to the next with the assistance of subtle body and vital air, under the sanction of the Supersoul. The body remains alive only as long as the consciousness of the soul permeates it, and at the time of death, the consciousness withdraws into the subtle body and is carried by it to the next body.
Text 3.5.1
vijñānam brahmeti vyajānāt
vijñānāddhyeva khalvimāni bhūtāni jāyante/ vijñānena jātāni jīvanti
vijñānam prayantyabhisamviśantīti tadvijñāya
punareva varuṇam pitaramupasasāra adhīhi bhagavo brahmeti/ tam hovāca
tapasā brahma vijijñāsasva/ tapo brahmeti
sa tapo’tapyata/ sa tapastaptvā
Further increasing his understanding, Bhṛgu realized that the soul is Brahman, because all beings arise from the soul, are maintained by the soul, and enter into the soul at death. After realizing this, he again approached his father: "Please teach me more about Brahman." The father answered: "Search for Brahman in austerity. This austerity is Brahman." Bhṛgu again practiced austerities and further increased his spiritual realization.
Commentary: In his purport to BG 2.20, Prabhupada mentions: "The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with consciousness. Therefore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one does not find the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can still understand the presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness. Sometimes we do not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for some other reason, but the light of the sun is always there, and we are convinced that it is therefore daytime. As soon as there is a little light in the sky early in the morning, we can understand that the sun is in the sky."
As one understanding increases further, he can realize that the real being is the soul and that the soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord.
Text 3.6.1
ānando brahmeti vyajānāt
ānandādhyeva khalvimāni bhūtāni jāyante/ ānandena jātāni jīvanti
ānandam prayantyabhisamviśantīti
saiṣā bhārgavī vāruṇī vidyā/ parame vyoman pratiṣṭhitā
sa ya evam veda pratitiṣṭhati/ annavān annādo bhavati/ mahān bhavati prajayā paśubhir brahmavarcasena/ mahān kīrtyā
Having further increased his spiritual understanding, Bhṛgu realized Brahman as spiritual bliss. From this Supreme Source of spiritual bliss, all beings arise, by this Supreme Source of bliss, they live, and at death, they return to this Supreme Source of bliss.
This knowledge imparted by Varuna and realized by Bhṛgu starts with the understanding of anna-maya and is concluded in the understanding of the ananda-maya, the Supreme Lord. One who understands this knowledge becomes firmly situated. He becomes connected with the Lord and is maintained by the Lord with all facilities. He becomes great with fame and spiritual radiance.
Commentary: As a result of his meditation, Bhṛgu surpassed all previous stages of realization and finally came to realize the Lord in His personal aspect.
Although the Lord is always with us, our consciousness is currently focused on matter, and thus we can't associate with Him. We are covered by the false ego, intelligence, mind, senses, and gross body, and by identifying with these different layers, we can't see the Lord. The teachings of the Taittiriya Upanisad help us to gradually purify our consciousness, helping us to see ourselves as what we really are: eternal souls, parts and parcels of the Lord, eternally connected to Him in a bound of love.
In Srimad Bhagavatam (4.28.52-55) the Lord (in the form of a Brahmana) speaks to King Purañjana, in his next birth as a woman:
"Who are you? Whose wife or daughter are you? Who is the man lying here? It appears you are lamenting for this dead body. Don’t you recognize Me? I am your eternal friend. You may remember that many times in the past you have consulted Me.
My dear friend, even though you cannot immediately recognize Me, can’t you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a position as enjoyer of this material world.
My dear gentle friend, both you and I are exactly like two swans. We live together in the same heart, which is just like the Mānasa Lake. Although we have been living together for many thousands of years, we are still far away from our original home.
My dear friend, you are now My very same friend. Since you left Me, you have become more and more materialistic, and not seeing Me, you have been traveling in different forms throughout this material world, which was created by some woman."
The material world is temporary and transient by nature. When we desire to lord over this material world, we accept different material identities under the spell of the false ego, but because these identities are different from our original identity as a soul, they can't be eternal. In this way, we transmigrate through different forms of life, with each body representing a new chapter in our journey in the material ocean.
Once inside a body, we can play for some time, but eventually, everything comes to an end. If we are not ready to return to our original spiritual nature, we are forced to abandon it and accept another body, starting again from the beginning. This process is called death, and the Lord is the ultimate controller.
This is ultimately His mercy because if we would be allowed to stay eternally in the same body, we would become entrapped into some kind of eternal torment, without ever being able to return to our original sat-cit-ananda position. Through this process of birth and death in different forms of life, the Lord gradually coaches us into returning to our original consciousness, and he patiently waits until we turn our attention to Him.
Text 3.7.1
annam na nindyāt/ tad vratam
prāṇo vā annam/ śarīram annādam
prāṇe śarīram pratiṣṭhitam/ śarīre prāṇaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ
tad etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam
sa ya etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam veda pratitiṣṭhati
annavān annādo bhavati
mahān bhavati prajayā paśubhirbrahmavarcasena
mahān kīrtyā
One should value food and not disrespect it. This is the vow. Food is the energy that maintains life, the body subsists on food. Prāṇa is also food because it maintains the body. The body is established in prāṇa, and prāṇa is established in the body. All types of food are the energy of the Lord and one who understands this becomes well established. He is maintained by the Lord with sufficient food, good progeny, cows and other animals, and spiritual understanding.
Commentary: After describing the spiritual realization of Bhṛgu, the book is closed with instructions that help us to attain the same goal.
The perfection of the stage of anna-maya is to see the Lord in the food, and thus connect our act of eating with the Lord. We practice this process of seeing the Lord in the food by honoring prasadam.
The complexity of the analogies described in this verse is quite difficult to express. Life is maintained by food, and food is the energy of the Lord. Similarly, the body depends on prāṇa, the vital air, and prāṇa is also the energy of the Lord. Prāṇa, on the other hand, is established in the body and has thus no meaning without the existence of the body. The two are thus interdependent. Just like prāṇa maintains the body, prāṇa has no meaning without the body, therefore, in a sense, one is food for the other, since one maintains the other. The Lord however is the maintainer of both, and all types of food are the energy of the Lord. The Lord is thus the ultimate maintainer.
Since everything is the energy of the Lord, and maintained by the Lord, everything should be seen in connection with the Lord and used in the service of the Lord.
Text 3.8.1
annam na paricakṣīta/ tad vratam
āpo vā annam/ jyotir annādam
apsu jyotiḥ pratiṣṭhitam/ jyotiṣyāpaḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ
tad etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam
sa ya etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam veda pratitiṣṭhati
annavān annādo bhavati
mahān bhavati prajayā paśubhir brahmavarcasena mahān kīrtyā
Water is food; it sustains life. Water should not be wasted, this is the vow.
Fire is the eater of food. Fire is established in water, and water is established in fire, thus they depend on each other. All types of food are the energy of the Lord and one who understands this becomes well established. He is maintained by the Lord with sufficient food, good progeny, animals, and spiritual understanding.
Commentary: Water is also a form of food, and is even more essential for life. When one is hungry, he can feel satisfied by just drinking some water. The fire mentioned here is the fire of digestion. The fire digests the water, as well as other types of food, and thus fire is the eater. Because the fire of digestion is a representative of the Lord, one should offer only pure food to it, avoiding any type of polluted ingredients, such as meat, eggs, and so on. The fire of digestion has no meaning without food, therefore it is in a sense maintained by the food. The Lord, in the form of food, is thus also the support for the fire of digestion. Again, the conclusion is that everything is a manifestation of the Lord and should be used in His service.
Text 3.9.1
annam bahu kurvīta/ tad vratam
pṛthivī vā annam/ ākāśo’nnādaḥ
pṛthivyām ākāśaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ/ ākāśe pṛthivī pratiṣṭhitā
tad etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam
sa ya etad annam anne pratiṣṭhitam veda pratitiṣṭhati
annavān annādo bhavati/ mahān bhavati prajayā paśubhir brahmavarcasena
mahān kīrtyā
Food should be plentiful, and distributed to guests, that's the vow. Earth is the origin of food, and earth rests on ether. Ether is thus the eater. All types of food are the energy of the Lord and one who understands this becomes well established. He is maintained by the Lord with sufficient food, good progeny, animals, and spiritual understanding.
Commentary: All material elements originate in ether and everything rests on ether. At the time of dissolution, everything returns to ether, therefore ether is also the eater of everything.
In the Vedanta-sutra, this ether, or ākāśa is defined as a representative of the Lord. Everything comes from the Lord, everything rests on the Lord, and everything returns to the Lord. Food comes from earth, and earth comes from ether (through the transformation of ether into air, fire, water, etc.), therefore food comes from the Lord and is a representative of the Lord.
Food, in the form of prasadam, should be plentiful. While one should not eat more than necessary, one should cook a lot and distribute the prasadam to guests. That's also an important part of our spiritual practice.
Mrgari, the hunter, attained perfection by chanting the holy names in front of Tulasi and distributing prasadam to guests, by cooking the ingredients he was receiving as donations. By doing so, we satisfy the Lord, and we are maintained not only with sufficient food but also with spiritual understanding.
Text 3.10.1
na kañcana vasatau pratyācakṣīta/ tad vratam
tasmād yayā kayā ca vidhayā bahv annam prāpnuyāt
arādhy asmā annam ity ācakṣate
etadvai mukhato’nam rāddham/ mukhato’smā annam rādhyate
etad vai madhyato’nnam rāddham/ madhyato’smā annam rādhyate
edad vā antato’nnam rāddham/ antato’smā annam rādhyate
One should not refuse food to a guest, and he should not refuse anyone who comes for shelter. That is the vow. Therefore, one should attain sufficient food. The śruti says one benefits the most by serving a worthy guest with the utmost respect, benefits moderately by serving a guest with medium courtesy, and benefits the least by serving a guest negligently.
Commentary: On his purport to CC Madhya 3.41, Srila Prabhupada writes:
"This is the ideal householder’s life. The husband and wife live together, and the husband works very hard to secure paraphernalia for worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. The wife at home cooks a variety of foods for Lord Viṣṇu, and the husband offers it to the Deity. After that, ārati is performed, and the prasādam is distributed amongst family members and guests. According to the Vedic principles, there must always be a guest in a householder’s house. In my childhood I have actually seen my father receive not less than four guests every day, and in those days my father’s income was not very great. Nonetheless, there was no difficulty in offering prasādam to at least four guests every day. According to Vedic principles, a householder, before taking lunch, should go outside and shout very loudly to see if there is anyone without food. In this way he invites people to take prasādam. If someone comes, the householder offers him prasādam, and if there is not much left, he should offer his own portion to the guest. If no one responds to his call, the householder can accept his own lunch. Thus the householder’s life is also a kind of austerity. Because of this, the householder’s life is called the gṛhastha-āśrama. Although a person may live with his wife and children happily in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he also observes the regulative principles followed in any temple. If there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the householder’s abode is called a gṛha-medhī’s house. Householders in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually gṛhasthas — that is, those living in the āśrama with their families and children. Śrī Advaita Prabhu was an ideal gṛhastha, and His house was the ideal gṛhastha-āśrama."
Offering food to guests is another principle of Krsna Consciousness, especially in family life. Guests should be treated with respect, especially spiritually advanced persons, and they should be served with the proper honor. By doing this we can achieve all auspiciousness.
Text 3.10.2
ya evam veda/ kṣema iti vāci
yoga-kṣema iti prāṇāpānayoḥ/ karmeti hastayoḥ
gatir iti pādayoḥ/ vimuktir iti pāyau
iti mānuṣīḥ samājñāḥ
One should meditate on Brahman as welfare in speech and as attainment and preservation in the vital air (prāṇa and apāna). One should meditate on Brahman as the enabler of the actions of the hands and the movement of the feet, as well as in the function of the excretory organ. These are the meditations connected with the human body.
Commentary: This verse teaches us to see the Lord in the functions of the body and the forces of nature. When we learn to see the Lord in all these features of the natural manifestation, we can see the Lord everywhere we look. At the same time, by understanding that everything is connected to the Lord, we will be inclined to use everything in His service.
As Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita:
"I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being – moving or nonmoving – that can exist without Me." (10.39)
"Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." (10.41)
Text 3.10.3
atha daivīḥ/ tṛptir iti vṛṣṭau/ balam iti vidyuti
yaśa iti paśuṣu/ jyotir iti nakṣatreṣu
prajātir amṛtam ānanda ity upasthe/ sarvam ity ākāśe
tat-pratiṣṭhety upāsīta/ pratiṣṭhāvān bhavati
tan maha ity upāsīta/ mahān bhavati
tan mana ity upāsīt/ mānavān bhavati
Now listen about the meditation on the devatās. One should meditate on Brahman as satisfaction in the rain and strength in the lightning, as fame in cows and light in the constellations. One should see Brahman in progeny, in immortality, and the genital. One should meditate on ether as the basis of everything. When one meditates on ether as the greatest, he becomes great. By meditating on ether as the mind, one becomes mindful.
Commentary: Rain is essential for the production of food, as well as for bringing the water that is necessary for all human activities. Therefore, rain brings satisfaction. Through the genital one can obtain children, who are not only the source of great satisfaction but also the way to pay one's debts to the ancestors, and (in the case of the ones on the fruitive path) the means for attaining life in Pitri-loka. All of this can be seen in connection with the Lord.
This verse also brings additional meditations in the ether, which is the source of everything material, including the mind. By seeing the mind as a product of the element ether, and thus connected with the Lord, one can control the activities of the mind.
In the teachings of Lord Kapila (SB 3.26.34), it's mentioned that: "The activities and characteristics of the ethereal element can be observed as the accommodation of room for the external and internal existences of all living entities, namely the field of activities of the vital air, the senses and the mind."
In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada mentions that this verse could become the basis for great scientific research because it deals with the creation of reality from the ether.
According to the Vedas, there are five material elements: earth, water, air, fire, and ether. The Vedic conception of ether is a subtle element that serves as a fabric for all the other gross manifestations by the interaction with the mind, intelligence, and false ego. In other words: the reality in which each and every conditioned soul lives is created from his own consciousness.
The subtle elements (the mind, intelligence, and false ego, as well as all desires, ideas, and so on) are created from the ether, and from the further interaction of these subtle elements with the ether, gross elements (earth, water, air, and fire), as well as all physical manifestations are created. As previously discussed, everything that exists starts in the form of an idea, created as part of the primary creation by Mahā-Viṣṇu. As different souls desire to create different objects and go through different experiences, the knowledge about all these creations is revealed to them from inside the heart and they use this knowledge to create the material forms and objects they desire. In other words, the ideas and desires stored in our minds are the basis for the gross forms and experiences that will be experienced in our future lives.
By meditating on the powerful, creational, and all-pervading nature of ether as a demonstration of the power of the Lord, we can see everything in connection to Him.
Text 3.10.4
tan-nama ity upāsīta/ namyante’smai kāmāḥ
tad-brahmety upāsīta/ brahmavān bhavati
tad-brahmaṇaḥ parimara ity upāsīta
pary eṇam mriyante dviṣantaḥ sapatnāḥ/ pari ye’priyā bhrātṛvyāḥ
By meditating on Brahman as the giver of respect, one can attain all his desires. By meditating on Brahman as ether, one attains greatness. By meditating on Brahman as the destroyer, all who are hostile to him will be vanquished.
Text 3.10.5
sa yaś cāyam puruṣe/ yaś cāsāvāditye/ sa ekaḥ
sa ya evamvit/ asmāl lokāt pretya
etam anna-mayam ātmānam upasaṅkramya
etam prāṇa-mayam ātmānam upasaṅkramya
etam manomayam ātmānam upasaṅkramya
etam vijñāna-mayam ātmānam upasaṅkramya
etam ānanda-mayam ātmānam upasaṅkramya
imān lokan kāmān nīkāmarūpy anusañcaran/ etat sāma gāyann āste
hā vu hā vu hā vu
The Lord in the heart (Paramātmā) is the same Lord present in the Sun (Surya-Narayana). He who meditates on Him while departing from this world attains the Supreme Destination. He attains the ātmā of the anna-maya puruṣa, the ātmā of the prāṇa-maya puruṣa, the ātmā of the manomaya puruṣa, the ātmā of the vijñāna-maya puruṣa, He attains Paramātmā, the ananda-maya puruṣa. Becoming completely free, he wanders in this world happily singing this sound.
Commentary: This verse reinforces that all the previous levels of realization, the anna-maya, prāṇa-maya, and vijñāna-maya are all manifestations of the Lord, and thus when one attains the ananda-maya, the Lord in His personal form, all the previous levels of realization are included, just like being a billionaire includes having a hundred, a thousand and a million.
The line, “hā vu hā vu hā vu” at the end is a Vedic hymn that symbolizes the joyful expression of someone who attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death and realized his eternal relationship with the Lord. It indicates that one happily sings the song contained in the next verse.
Text 3.10.6
aham annam aham annam aham annam
aham annādo ’ham annādo āham annādaḥ
aham śloka-kṛd aham śloka-kṛd aham śloka-kṛt
aham asmi prathama-jā ṛtāsya/ pūrvam devebhyo’mṛtasya nābhāyi
yo mā dadāti sa ideva mā ’vāḥ
aham annam annam adantam ā dmi
aham viśvam bhuvanam abhyabhavām
suvarna jyotīḥ/ ya evam veda/ ity upaniṣat
The Lord is the giver of food! The giver of food! The giver of food! The Lord is the eater of food! The eater of food! The eater of food! The Lord is worthy of all praise! He is worthy of all praise! He is worthy of all praise! The Lord creates the universe and the conditions for the activities of all! He is the giver of liberation! He is the one who existed before the demigods! One who instructs a worthy student about the Lord attains the Lord. The Lord pervades matter and is the enjoyer of matter. The Lord exists after the destruction of the universe. One who knows this assumes a shining spiritual form. This is the secret knowledge.
Commentary: This is a verse that praises the transcendental qualities of the Lord. Mayavadis like to translate this verse as “I’m food, I’m the eater of food, I’m worthy of all praise, I am the firstborn, etc.” but this is not the correct interpretation. The “aham” mentioned in the verse can't refer to the jiva, because the jiva doesn't have all the qualities mentioned in the verse. The jiva is not the one who creates the material world or creates the conditions for the activities of all. The jiva is also not the giver of liberation and so on. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana explains in great length in his Govinda Bhasya that passages like that must be interpreted as meaning the Supreme Lord. The word “aham” in this verse thus refers to Paramātmā, and not to the jiva.
How does it work? Let's say, for example, that you see me reciting the verse "aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattaḥ sarvam pravartate, iti matvā bhajante mām, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ" (I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.)
Although the word "aham" ordinarily means "I", you would be able to easily understand that I'm not speaking about myself, but just repeating a verse spoken by Krsna in the Bhagavad-Gita by the context, since it would be absurd to presume that everything emanates from me, and so on. In this case, you would understand that Krsna is the source of the spiritual and material worlds and so on, even though I'm the one speaking the verse and the word "aham" is used. Therefore, when Krsna says "aham sarvasya prabhavo" it means Krsna is the source, and when I say "aham sarvasya prabhavo" it is also understandable by the context that Krsna is the source, and not myself.
In this way, the expression “aham annam” doesn’t mean “I’m food”, but “The Lord is food”. The Lord maintains everyone, therefore He is the giver of food. The Lord is also the Supreme enjoyer, so He is the eater of food. The Lord is both the Supreme maintainer and the Supreme enjoyer.
The Lord is also the creator of the material manifestation and in fact of everything that exists. Although the spiritual planets are not created, since they are eternal, still it is sometimes said that the Lord created them to indicate the relationship. Even though the souls, the Vaikunta planets in the spiritual sky, and everything else that is spiritual are never created (nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ), still the Lord is the origin of everything, and therefore He is worthy of all praise. Before the appearance of Brahma and all demigods, the Lord already existed as Mahā-Viṣṇu, lying on the causal ocean.
It’s only because of the Lord that the living entities can perform material activities. He is the one who creates the material universes and the different conditions for them. The Lord is also the one who gives them the results of their karma. He does all of that only to give the souls an opportunity to return to their original position. When a soul is ready, He is also the giver of liberation, which is indicated by the words amṛtasya nābhāyi.
Because the material world is created with the ultimate purpose of teaching the conditioned souls about devotional service, so they can retain their original position of service to the Lord, devotees who dedicate their lives to teaching this transcendental science are thus very dear to the Lord. As He says in the Bhagavad-Gita (18.68-69): “For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” Thus, one who teaches worthy students about the science of devotional service surely attains the Lord.
It’s also mentioned that the Lord pervades matter. This is another feature of Paramātmā: not only does He provide for everyone, from the elephant to the ant, but He also pervades everything. Although all material objects are nothing more than the energy of the Lord, they are vehicles to express our devotional sentiments. The Lord is not interested in material objects, but He is interested in our devotion, therefore when we offer some material object to the Lord, He happily accepts (patram puṣpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayacchati) and we make advancement. Everything we have should be thus offered to the Lord and used in His service.
The material universes are temporary, but the Lord is eternal, just like we are eternal. The temporality of life in this material world is an artificial condition for the soul. No one wants to die because unconsciously we understand that we are eternal, and thus we desire an eternal position. However, there is nothing eternal in this material world, just as the bliss we hanker for is not available here. Although we are eternal, we are forced to transmigrate from one body to another, following the desires of the mind. However, once we understand the glories of the Lord and revive our eternal relationship with Him, we can assume a shining, eternal spiritual body (suvarna jyotīḥ) and join the Lord in His eternal pastimes.
As mentioned in the previous verse, a liberated soul who realizes his eternal relationship with the Lord can chant this verse in great ecstasy (hā vu hā vu hā vu).
Śānti-pāṭhaḥ
om śam no mitraḥ śam varuṇaḥ
śam no bhavatv aryamā
śam na indro bṛhaspatiḥ
śam no viṣṇur urukramaḥ
namo brahmaṇe namaste vāyo
tvam eva pratyakṣam brahmāsi
tvām eva pratyakṣam brahma vadiṣyāmi
ṛtam vadiṣyāmi satyam vadiṣyāmi
tan mām avatu tad-vaktarām avatu
avatu mām avatu vaktāram
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
May the sun give us auspiciousness! May Varuṇa give us auspiciousness! May Aryamā give us auspiciousness! May Indra and Bṛhaspati give us auspiciousness! May Lord Viṣṇu, who as Vamanadeva covered the universe with His great steps give us auspiciousness! I offer my respects to the Vedas. O Vāyu, I offer my respects to you. You are directly Brahman. I shall speak proper words and the truth. Protect me and protect the speaker. Protect me and protect the speaker. Peace, peace, peace.
saha nāv avatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha vīryam karavāvahai
tejasvi nāv adhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
May the mantra protect both of us. May we enjoy studying together. May we be able to study with vigor. May the knowledge we study bless us with understanding and realization, and may it not give rise to enmity due to misunderstanding. Peace, peace, peace.