ShrIgurubhyo namaH

Ten Times Tat tvam asi – A contemplation based on the VivekachUDAmaNi

The seminal teaching of the Upanishads, also known as Vedanta, is directed at

empowering those who are caught in the trammels of transmigratory existence,

samsara, with the true knowledge of themselves. This empowerment instantly releases

them from the samsara and launches them in the eternal state of liberation, moksha. In

the run-up to this empowerment the Vedanta gives out the teaching in a systematic

manner consisting of the knowledge of the goal and the means to attain it. It also

provides the seeker with the means to attain the means as well. The central teaching,

however, is Tat tvam asi, ‘You are That’. Here, the ‘you’ is the spirit that is separated

from the unreal superimpositions of the body-mind complex. The ‘That’ is the All-

pervading Consciousness that incidentally is shown as the Cause of the Universe. The

Consciousness, spirit, freed from its incidental attribute of creatorhood is what the

seeker really is.

This Vedantic teaching of Tat tvam asi occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad Chapter VI

in the famous UddAlaka-Shvetaketu dialogue. In this discourse the teaching is given

out nine times to the disciple, culminating in the disciple becoming enlightened.

In the process of sadhana, a stage comes where the seeker has just one primary

engagement: contemplate upon the sense underlying this central teaching: Tat tvam

asi. The VivekachUDAmaNi (A crest jewel of Discrimination) is a famous work of Sri

Shankaracharya that gives out the entire teaching of the Vedanta in some 550 verses.

Herein contains a decad of verses giving out the manner of contemplating on Tat tvam

asi. The eminently elucidatory commentary of the Jivanmukta Acharya His Holiness Sri

Chandrashekhara Bharati Swamiji of Sringeri is an invaluable aid in understanding

these verses and deriving their best use. In the sequel these ten verses are taken up

for a somewhat detailed study. The translation for each verse is taken from the site:

shankaracharya.org.

1. jAti-nIti-kula-gotra-dUragam nAma-rUpa-guNa-doSha-varjitam

desha-kAla-viShayAtivarti yat brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 255

That which is beyond caste and creed, family and lineage; devoid of name and form,

merit and demerit; transcending space, time and sense-object – that Brahman art

thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

Caste, creed, family, lineage, name and form are all attributes of the body. The

body is inert, made of the five elements. It has a date of arrival and departure. It

undergoes several modifications and is exposed to disease. Merit and demerit

could be ascribed to the body as well as the mind-apparatus. This apparatus,

too, is inert and is made of subtle elements. The body-mind is subject to spatial

and temporal constraints. The body and mind are themselves objects to the

Consciousness that Sees them. This See-er consciousness that itself is not an

object of anything else is Brahman. Again, Brahman is free of all the attributes

that are listed above. ‘The seeker I am Brahman in Truth and not the body-mind

complex.’ Such ought to be one’s method of contemplation.

2. Yat param sakala-vAgagocharam gocharam vimala-bodha-chakShuShaH

Shuddha-chid-ghanam anAdi vastu yad brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani

256

That Supreme Brahman which is beyond the range of all speech, but accessible

to the eye of pure illumination; which is pure, the Embodiment of Knowledge, the

beginningless entity – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

Everything that comes under the categories of species, attributes, action and

relationship can be denoted by a word, coming as it is within the range of

speech. For example the animal cow belongs to the bovine species and can

be thus designated. A black cow is attributed thus and so is designatable as

such. A car driver is designatable with reference to his action. A land-lord is

referred as such owing to his relationship with the estate that he owns. Thus

all that comes within the range of words is limited, of the world and only a

product and is perishable. Brahman, on the other hand, being One Only and

therefore not being a species, unattributed, actionless and relationless cannot

be designated by means of words. It is thus beyond speech. Then how is It

to be known at all? The suitably cultivated and trained mind alone can grasp

Brahman and that too not as an object by a subject but as the very knower-

subject itself. While everything that is objectifiable is perishable, Brahman is

Beginningless and therefore Eternal. ‘Such a Brahman am I.’ Thus has one

to contemplate.

3. ShaDbhirUrmibhirayogi yogi-hRd-bhAvitam na karaNair-vibhAvitam

Buddhyavedyam anavadya-bhUti yad brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 257

That which is untouched by the six-fold wave; meditated upon by the Yogi’s

heart, but not grasped by the sense-organs; which the Buddhi cannot know; and

which is unimpeachable – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

The six-fold waves that continuously afflict a born entity is: A. birth and death.

This pair pertains to the gross body, the anna-maya kosha. B. hunger and

thirst. This pair affects the life-sheath or prANamaya kosha. C. misery and

delusion. This pair affects the mental personality, the mano-maya kosha.

Any being endowed with these personalities is not free from these afflictions.

Brahman being without these is definitely the Goal, free of all misery born of

all these afflictions. While anything other than Brahman is full of defects,

Brahman alone is beyond all defects and therefore the Goal Adorable. ‘I am

That Pure Brahman.’ This is the method of contemplation.

4. bhrAnti-kalpita-jagat-kalAshrayam svAshrayam cha sadasad-vilakShaNam

niShkalam nirupamAnam-Rddhimat brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 258

That which is the substratum of the universe with its various subdivisions which

are all creations of delusion; which Itself has no other support; which is distinct

from the gross and subtle; which has no parts, and has verily no exemplar – that

Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

In the earlier verses the emphasis was on the ‘thou’ (Self) part of the

mahAvAkya. In this verse the ‘That’ (Brahman) part of the sentence is taken

up. Brahman is the support of the entire universe that is superimposed on It

out of delusion. There is no entity that supports Brahman. All distinctions

based on duality like gross and subtle obtain only in the world; Brahman

being neither gross nor subtle. In the world, the earth element is gross and

the space element is subtle. Again, the waking world is gross, the dream

world is subtle and the causal sleep (potential) world is the subtlemost.

Brahman that transcends all the three states does not come under the

category of gross and subtle. ‘I am That Brahman’ is the mode of

contemplation.

5. Janma-vRddhi-pariNatyapakShaya-vyAdhi-nAshana-vihInam-avyayam

vishvasRShTy-anavaghAta-kAraNam brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani

259

That which is free from birth, growth, development, waste, disease and death;

which is indestructible; which is the cause of the projection, maintenance and

dissolution of the universe – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

While anything that comes into being, sentient or insentient, is subject to

transformations beginning from birth and ending in death/destruction,

Brahman that does not come into being is free from these transformations.

That which is the Cause of the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the

universe remains outside the realm of creation, etc. ‘Such a Brahman am I’ is

the way one should engage in contemplation.

6. astabhEdam anapAsta-lakShaNam nistaranga-jala-rAshi-nishchalam

nityamuktam avibhakta-mUrti yad brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 260

That which is free from differentiation; whose essence is never non-existent;

which is unmoved like the ocean without waves; the ever-free; of indivisible

Form – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

Every object in the universe, being created, is not free from the three types of

differentiation: 1. sajAtIya – an object similar to itself like a fig tree

differentiated from another fig tree, 2. vijAtIya - an object different from itself

like a tree that is different from a stone, and 3. Svagata: internal parts that are

different like branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, trunk, etc. in a tree. Such

differences are inevitable in anything that is created and subject to

destruction. Brahman alone is that un-created, imperishable, totally

difference-free Entity. While every object created will go out of existence,

Brahman will never become extinct. ‘I am Brahman that is thus described’ is

the way an aspirant contemplates.

7. EkamEva sadanEka-kAraNam kAraNAntara-nirAsa-kAraNam

kArya-kAraNa-vilakShaNam svayam brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 261

That which, though One only, is the cause of the many; which refutes all other

causes, but is Itself without cause; distinct from Maya and its effect, the

universe; and independent – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy

mind.

Everything produced can be seen to be caused by some other thing, which

itself is a product of yet another produced object. This makes all created

things come under the category of products. Brahman alone is the

unproduced Cause of everything else that manifests, as a vivarta of Brahman,

and appears as this universe of cause and effect. This vivarta takes place

through the agency of mAyA, the cause. Thus, in the created phase, we have

mAyA as the cause and the entire world of variety as products of mAya. In

dissolution all effects resolve in mAyA and emerge from it in the next cycle of

creation. Brahman is beyond even this creative-cause mAyA. ‘I am That

Brahman that transcends even mAyA and its effects’ – such is the mode of

contemplation of a sincere aspirant.

8. Nirvikalpakam analpam aksharam yat kSharAkShara-vilakShaNam param

Nityam avyaya-sukham niranjanam brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 262

That which is free from duality; which is infinite and indestructible; distinct from

the universe and Maya, supreme, eternal; which is undying Bliss; taintless – that

Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

Everything created has divisions in it in the form of seer, seeing and seen.

This is a kind of vikalpam. Brahman alone being uncreated is not subject to

this kind of a division. All worldly joy is finite, being produced in time due to

contact. The innate bliss of Brahman is uncaused, being secondless,

advaitam. While everything in creation is tainted by defects such as

perishability, disintegration, etc., Brahman is untainted by any defect. ‘I am

Brahman of this description’- such is the kind of contemplation that a seeker

engages in diligently.

9. yadvibhAti sat anEkadhA bhramAn-nAmarUpa-guNa-vikriyAtmanA

hEmavat svayam avikriyam sadA brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani 263

That Reality which (though One) appears variously owing to delusion, taking on

names and forms, attributes and changes, Itself always unchanged, like gold in

its modifications – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

A ring, chain, bangle etc. are all modifications of gold; they are gold alone

appearing in their shapes. Even though we use these ornaments differently,

at the back of our mind we do not cease to be aware that they are all gold

alone in truth. Even so, all things seen in the world are appearances of the

Cause, Brahman alone. It is owing to ignorance of the underlying reality that

we think that objects of the world are real things themselves. It is with the

help of the teaching of the Scripture and the Acharya that the truth is known.

The contemplation that leads to the direct realization of the truth is: ‘I am

Brahman appearing as this variegated world.’

10. Yat chakAsti anaparam parAt-param pratyagEka-rasam AtmalakShaNam

Satya-chit-sukham anantam avyayam brahma tat tvam asi bhAvayAtmani

264

That beyond which there is nothing; which shines even above Maya, which again

is superior to its effect, the universe; the inmost Self of all, free from

differentiation; the Real Self, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute; infinite

and immutable – that Brahman art thou, meditate on this in thy mind.

In this concluding verse on the contemplation of ‘Tat tvam asi’, Sri

Shankaracharya points out that the all-pervading Universal Cause, Brahman,

is none other than the inmost Self of all, the Atman. The ‘Tat’ is shown to be

the very ‘tvam’ that the aspirant thus far identified himself with. This ‘tvam’,

now cleansed of all the ignorance-based adjuncts (upAdhi) is verily the

Brahman, the Consciousness. The realization ‘I am Brahman, the Supreme

Cause of the entire universe’ dawns as a result of constant deliberation and

meditation.

The fruit of the above manner of contemplation:

uktamartham imam Atmani svayam bhAvaya prathita-yuktibhir-dhiyaa

samshayAdi-rahitam karAmbuvat tena tattva nigamo bhaviShyati 265

On the Truth, inculcated above, one must oneself meditate in one’s mind, through the

intellect, by means of the recognised arguments. By that means one will realise the truth

free from doubt etc., like water in the palm of one’s hand.

The exercise of hearing, cogitating and contemplating culminates in the direct

realization of the Truth. It is this realization that puts an end to bondage and confers

liberation to the aspirant. For the exercise to really work and result in liberating

knowledge, the mind-apparatus where the exercise takes place has to be rendered

pure, sharp and subtle. When an aspirant strives with these prerequisites in place, the

resultant liberated state will be distinctly discernible just as water put on one’s palm is

clearly discernible. The idea is that such an aspirant will be left without any doubt,

miscomprehension and non-comprehension regarding his state of liberation. It is the

Guru’s constant care, blessing and guidance that enables this attainment.

Glory to the Guru! Glory to Acharya Shankara!!

[An article titled ‘Tat tvam asi Nine Times’ available in the Files Section could be studied

for an elaborate treatment of the subject.]

Om Tat Sat