My dear friends and listeners, it’s been a while I could upload any new episode. The reason being multiple, but here I am with a new story from the Upanishads. Before I begin, my earnest request to you to follow, subscribe, like, share and download my podcast. It will immensely help me to keep going and provide you with these contents. Also please do write to me at my email address [email protected]. I receive emails from my listeners and we discuss lot of things and often goes into a discovery session on various questions. It’s real fun and interesting.
Today’s story is a follow up or continuation stories from three characters on which I have already told you earlier. Pravahana’s story was discussed in Episode 14 i.e. Story of 3 friends - Pravahana, Silaka and Chaikitayana and Uddalaka Aaruni and Shwetaketu’s story was discussed in Episode 15 - Tat Tvam Asi - Story of Uddalaka Aaruni and Shwetaketu. I would highly recommend you to listen to them to understand the continuity.
As per the book - The character of the Self in Ancient India by Brian Black brings in portrayal of character contributes in philosophical position of the texts. Such as the character of Shwetaketu, which has been mentioned in the Brihaddarankya Upanishad, Chhandogya Upanishads and Kausitaki Upanishad. As per Upanishadic researcher Patrick Olivelle, there are variations in the character and presentation and different Upanishads present the same story in a different ways. He argues that this variation in presentation is deliberate and that each version has its own narrative logic. So different portrayals of Shwetaketu and Pravahana Jaivali in different Upanishads tells us something about the overall stance. Olivelle concluded that Brihaadaaranyaka Upanishad favors the east and is critical about Kuru-Paanchala Brahmins and presents Shwetaketu as a rude and spoiled brahmin. However in Chhandogya Upanishad the portrayal is more conservative and presents the story of Shwetaketu and Uddalaka Aaruni more positively. Thus portrayal of certain characters in the Upanishads is a part of narrative strategy and political positioning of the texts. If incase you have not listened to my story of Tat Tvam Asi, please do listen to that episode. In Brihaadaaranyaka and Chhandogya Upanishad, Shwetaketu’s story introduces the teachings of five fires and the two paths whereas in Kausitaki Upanishad it introduces the doctrine of the path to heaven.
Another important point to note is that in CU seem to emphasize on the formal instructions between the teacher and student more such as Story of Tat Tvam Asi. BU focuses mostly on debates such as stories of Yaagnavalkya.
Today’s story is featured in Brihaadaaranyaka Upanishad Chapter 6, section 2. Chronologically this story falls after episode 15, when Shwetaketu gained the knowledge of Tat Tvam Asi from his father Uddalaka Aaruni.
As per book - “Political History of Ancient India” by Hemchandra Raychaudhuri, Pravahana Jaivali was a Paanchaala king and contemporary to King Janaka of Videha. We have already heard his story when he and his two other friends exchanged their experiences of Brahman and how he brought out the significance of Om. As a king Pravahana was a good ruler and was ruling his kingdom as per the ancient Hindu Polity as explained by Bheeshma in Shanti Parva of Mahabharata. Pravahana was a man of action, knower of truth and a preceptor of Aatman.
As we have seen that courtroom of King Janaka of Videha was filled with scholars and well-versed brahmins, so was King Pravahana’s courtroom. It was also filled with innumerable eminent scholars and brahmins questing for fame, name and money.
Today’s story begins from the point when Shwetaketu weaponised with the knowledge of vedas and true knowledge from his father about Brahman comes to King Pravahana’s courtroom.
Completely drenched in arrogance about the knowledge of vedas and Brahman, which he used as a means to measure other’s knowledge, asks the guards of the courtroom seeking to see the king.
The guards informed the king about Shwetaketu’s arrival.
Pravahana knew about the deadly pride, which has coiled Shwetaketu completely like a python. He also knew that this will not bring any fame rather will only aid in his downfall. So he decided to teach him a lesson. He asked the guards to bring him in the courtroom.
As Shwetaketu entered boldly, he saw great scholars, wise men and courtmen sitting in the courtroom. They were all looking at him. They were curious to know about what will happen next. Shwetaketu burned with his pride didn’t bother to pay much heed to these great scholars and rather walked up straight to the king.
The king smiled and without showing much respect said -
“Oh boy! Have you been taught by your father?”
King Pravahana being a Kshatriya, addressing a Brahmin in this manner was quite unexpected. This shook Shwetaketu and other brahmins in the court room.
Taken a back, Shwetaketu replied -
“Yes sir!”
“If you have a doubt, please question me!”
The king nodded and smiled and thought for a while. Then he asked the brahmin -
“Do you know how it is that the beings travel over different paths after death? How they would return to this world?
Shwetaketu was not expecting such a question. He had no idea on what he would respond to. So he said -“No sir, I don’t know about it!”
The king asked his next question -
“How is it that the world of the dead is never filled although many die and pass away?”
Before Shwetaketu could answer anything, the king asked his next question -“ How does the water that is offered as oblation rises and speaks with the human voice as it were?”
The king continued his next question - “What is Devayana that is access to the way of the gods and Pitriyana or the access to the way of the manes and how does one gain access to them?”
Then the king continued, we have heard the words of the mantra from the sages -
Dwe suti ashri-na-vam pitrinaa -
Maham devaa-naa-mut matyaarnaam,
Taabhya-midam vishwa-me-jatsameti,
Yadantra Pitram Maatram cha || iti;
Naahamat ekanchan vedeti howach||
Which means - I have heard of two routes for men, leading to the gods and to then manes. Going along with them all this is united. They lie between the father i.e. heaven and the mother i.e earth.
Shwetaketu was completely stumped, he was at the loss of words and could only nod and said “Sir, I dont know them!”
These questions pertained to the secret lore of the Kshatriyas, and had been jealously guarded by them as Raajaguhya or royal secret.
Completely uprooted Shwetaketu stood there in the courtroom not knowing what to do next.
The king invited him to stay. He asked the court ladies to bring water for washing his feet and customary offerings for the respected guests.
Shwetaketu rejected the invite and hurried away from the court room.
Boiling with anger, he came back to his father the Sage Uddalaka Aaruni. He was so angry that he didn’t even greeted his parents. The sage knew something was cooking up.
Shwetaketu asked his father - “Father, how do you say that you have taught me everything, every branch of knowledge?”
Sage asked - “What happened my child? You seemed to be hurt by someone”
Angry Shwetaketu roared - “That wretched Kshatriya King Pravahana asked me questions and I didn’t know the answers to any one of them! See how I am disgraced in the court room filled with scholars and learned men and women. I could not answer even one question asked by that Kshatriya and it is all because of you!”
Then Shwetaketu told his father about the questions which the king had asked!
On hearing these questions, the sage told his son - “My child, believe me, I have taught you everything I knew of. As far as Pravahana’s questions unfortunately I too don’t have complete answers to them. That’s why they weren’t taught to you.”
Let me propose you something my child, let us both go to the king’s court as a seeker of truth and as students.
Shwetaketu was adamant, and refused to go as he thought he was humiliated by the king in the courtroom. He could not bear any single moment in that courtroom. After repeated pleading, the sage failed to convince his son.
Uddalaka decided to go alone. He went to the courtroom of the king and with all humility greeted all the scholars and the king.
The reception that awaited him was entirely different. The king gave him a seat, washed his feet, and made him the reverential offerings of cattle and horses.
With all humility he told the king - “I am grateful to you my king, for all the honour and offer of gifts! But I haven’t come here for the sake of gifts. I have come here to seek the answers to the questions you have asked my son Shwetaketu. Please grant me the treasure of knowledge, which is far superior than any type of treasure or wealth! I approach you as a student my king!
The king was deeply touched by the sage’s humility and hunger for his knowledge. He knew that it is this sincerity which qualifies the seeker to the reception of the knowledge of Brahman.
With folded hands the King told the sage -
“O Sage Uddalaka, please do not take offence with us. This learnings were never shared with the Brahmins in the past. However, your sincerity and humility is pristine as your earnestness is also excellent and which has won my heart, so I shall teach you about it. So please listen to the answers.”
The king continued, but he started responding to the fourth question first as this would bring out the solution to the other questions. He started explaining Panchaagni Vidya that is the knowledge of five fires.
Friends Panchaagni Vidya is also mentioned in Chhandogya Upanishads in Chapter 5 and also in BU. This knowledge or Vidya presents the symbolic Agni or fire is the object of meditation and has 5 important aspects to it and they are three worlds i.e. heaven, earth and intermediate space, man and woman. This knowledge or Vidya is taught in connection with the ‘Doctrine of Transmigration of Souls’ as the ‘Doctrine of decent’. The Panchaagni Vidya or the Knowledge of the 5 fires explains how the body is linked to the universe and why the mind’s true nature is to manifest its will in the universe. The Five Fires, called the Panchaagnis, are not physical fires but meditation techniques. The Fire, here, is symbolic of a sacrifice which one performs through contemplation. The elemental matter gets converted into life or a person gradually by going through five different stages. These five different stages represent five different sacrifices or Paanchaagni.
In CU, it conceives the entire universal activity of creation as a Yagna or Sacrifice, where everything is connected. This sacrifice knowledge is known as Panchaagni Vidya.
Coming back to the story, the king began is Panchaagni Vidya with the first fire i.e, Swargaloka-
“O sage, that Swarga or heaven is a fire and of that fire , the sun is the fuel or Samit or sacrificial stick, the rays of the sun are its smoke, the days its flames, the four quarters its cinder and the intermediate quarters are its sparks. In this fire the gods offer faith and out of that offering King Moon is born.”
Here what is meant is that heaven is the first fire and sun is the fuel to that fire because the sun illuminates the heaven. The rays its smoke because of its similarity of rising from the fuel, for the rays emanate from the sun, and smoke as we know it comes out from the fuel. The day its flame, because both are bright! Due to sun, the day shines brightly so are the flames which shines brightly. The four quarters are its cinder, because both present a pacified state as it is like a space where there is no heat or lustre. The intermediate quarters its sparks, because they are scattered like sparks. In this fire of heaven possess such attributes, the gods i.e. Indra offer faith as oblation. When Agnihotra is performed, the jivas become Soma Raja I,e, King Moon and enter swargaloka or heaven. Thus out of that offering King moon which are king of manes and Brahmins are born.
Then the king continued to explain about the second fire which is Parjanya -
Parjanya the god of rain is a fire, the year is its fuel, the clouds its smoke, lightening its flame, thunder its cinder, and the rumblings its sparks. In this fire the gods offer Soma Raja or the King Moon. Out of that offering rain is produced.”
This means - the second receptacle of the two oblations in the order of their return is Parjanya which is fire. The year is its fuel, for this fire Parjanya is kindled by that as it revolves with its parts commencing with autumn and ending with summer. The clouds its smoke, being produced from smoke, or because of its cloudy appearance. Lightning its flame, since both are luminous. Thunder its cinder, because both represent a pacified state and are hard. The rumblings of the clouds its sparks, because both scatter and are numerous. In this receptacle of the two oblations the gods, those very priests mentioned earlier, offer King Moon, who was produced out of the offering of ‘faith’ in the fire of heaven, he is offered in the second fire, that of Parjanya and out of that offering of the moon, rain is produced.
The King now started explaining about the third fire. -
“This world is a fire, the earth is its fuel, fire its smoke, the night is its flame, the moon its cinder, and stars its sparks. In this fire the gods offer rain. Out of that offerings, food is produced.
In this the king meant is the world where all creatures are born and experience the results of their past deeds, it contains of actions, its factors and its results. This world is the third fire. The earth is the fuel for this fire as it is kindled by the earth which is provided with numerous materials for enjoyment of living beings. Fire is its smoke, as they both rise above from their abode that is the earth. The night is its flame because both are created when they come in contact with the fuel. That means as flame is produced by the contact of fuel with fire, so is the night by the contact of the fuel of the earth, for the earth’s shadow is called the darkness of the night. The moon is the cinder and is created from flames. The cinder produced from the flames and so is the moon in the night because both represents the pacified state. The stars its sparks because both scatter. The food is produced only when there is adequate rain fall so food is produced from rain.
Again the king continued to explain about the fourth fire.
“The Man is the fourth fire, O sage, the open mouth is its fuel. The
