Posted on: 23 Sep 2022
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
Smt. Lakshmi lavanya K asked: Pada namaskaram Swami, I have read the Chandogyopanishat in Google search, I request You to explain the following in detail.
1) The Chandogya Upanishad presents the "Madhu Vidya" ("Honey Knowledge") in the first eleven volumes of the third chapter. [61]. Please explain Madhu vidya.
2) One, in verse 3.16.7, the normal age of man is stated to be 116 years, split into three stages of 24, 44 and 48 year each. [89]. Please explain about 3 stages
3) The struggles of an individual, such as hunger, thirst and events that make him unhappy, states the Upanishad, is Diksha (preparation, effort or consecration for the ceremony/festival). [88]
The prosperity of an individual, such as eating, drinking and experiencing the delights of life is Upasada (days during the ceremony/festival when some foods and certain foods are consumed as a community). [82]
When an individual lives a life of laughs, feasts and enjoys sexual intercourse, his life is akin to becoming one with Stuta and Sastra hymns of a Soma-festival (hymns that are recited and set to music), states verse 3.17.3 of the text.[81][88] Death is like ablution after the ceremony. [81] Please explain about 3 stages. Pada namaskaram Swami.
Swami replied:- In the word ‘Madhu vidyaa’, the word madhu means honey indicating sweetness or love or devotion related to mind or moon. The word vidyaa means knowledge related to intelligence or Sun. Shankara also defined devotion as love impregnated with analytical spiritual knowledge (Paramaartha Jnaana Lakshana sampannam bhaktim…). Love or mind based on intelligence alone will lead the devotee to God. Without knowledge, love or devotion is just blind emotion as we see in the ignorant devotees. Chaandogya Upanishat says that Madhu or devotion means Sun or knowledge. Knowledge itself is treated as devotion because knowledge produces devotion spontaneously. The product can be mentioned by the name of the cause just as we see that a golden chain is referred to as gold. Hence, if knowledge is obtained, spontaneously, devotion is obtained. If devotion is obtained, it indicates the existence of pre-requisite knowledge. In such a case, how are we observing blind emotional devotion without knowledge? Just like we see golden chain, we can see knowledge based devotion. Similarly, as we see an iron chain, we can see also blind emotional devotion based on ignorance. The golden chain is the correct path to God whereas the Iron chain is the correct path to hell. The four Vedas are mentioned as the sources of honey. The very word Veda (Vidul—Jnaane) means knowledge and this suggests that the spiritual knowledge generates devotion. All the details of Mumbai city are knowledge and on hearing all the details, attraction or love to see Mumbai is generated. Similarly, on hearing all the details of the personality of God, attraction to God is developed.
In the time of projection of Vedas (Vedic age) the total longevity was 116 yrs. which is almost equal to 120 yrs. called as the Purushaayusham. The whole longevity is divided into three stages as we see the same in the Gita (Kaumaaram Yavanam Jaraa). The same total is also divided in to four stages by some people (Baalya Kaumaara Yavana Jaraa). The Upanishat takes the three steps and compares the three stages with three meters called Gayatri, Trishtup and Bruhatii meters containing 24, 44 and 48 letters respectively coming to a total of 116 yrs. Different angels are suggested to cure illness in each of these three stages. The illness is worldly fascination and the three sets of angels are Knowledge, Devotion and Practice.
The words Upasada, Stuta and Shastra mean in a direct sense, some delightfulness obtained through eating, drinking and singing in a community. Direct meaning shall not be taken and the indirectly suggested greater meaning shall be followed. When somebody is attending a birthday party, he says “many happy returns of the day”. What is the important meaning of this statement? It means that the person shall live for several years. It does not mean the desiring for many birthday cakes and many tape recorder songs. Similarly, sacrifices or Yajnas are conducted by sages in which debates on spiritual knowledge followed by singing of devotional songs (Saama Veda) take place. In such rituals, the noon lunch is provided by the host sage. The food that is cooked with ghee is called Ghrutam or Ghee and the fire in which the food is burnt is the hungry fire (Vaishvaanara Agni), which refers to the feeding of the hungry sages after debates. This is the real sacrifice or Yajna and not the foolish blind process of burning ghee in the physical fire. The physical fire is used for cooking food and the hunger fire is used for burning the cooked food. The eating and drinking in the community of sages indicate the conducting of spiritual debates in the gathering of sages. This should not mean worldly enjoyment of communities. When old age comes, only milk is taken and milk is also taken in the advanced stage of debates also because light food like milk is recommended in such spiritual rituals. By such light food, drowsiness is avoided, which is very essential for intellectual discussion. The Upanishat mentions that such days of fasting by taking milk alone are not far off. In this way, we shall extract the internal hidden meaning in the hymns of the Upanishads.