"A Discussion between Father(Uddalaka) and Son(Svetaketu)-7"

 

 

 

1. “May I see the drama of my own manifestation.” This is the Will, and it alienated itself into an effect, like the pot being created out of clay. So, an interesting assumption is already made that the effect is not really substantially different from the cause. Just as pot is not different from clay essentially, the effect in the form of this creation and every stage in the process of creation is not different in essence from the cause which is pure Being.

 

 

 

2. And according to the doctrine of this particular teaching in the Chhandogya Upanishad, the original creation, the first creation, was of agni (fire)—tat teja aiksata—and at every stage of the argument Uddalaka refers to this effect as God or deity, devata. They are not material objects. The fire or the water or the earth that we will be speaking of are not material things.

 

 

 

3. Devata is the word used to designate these items. They are, in essence, identical with the Supreme Being Himself. So how can you not identify their importance with the importance of the Supreme Being Himself? Teja aiksata: There is a chain action taking place in creation. The Supreme Being, whom you may tentatively call A, willed, “May I become B.” Now, the original will of A charged into the being of B has a tremendous effect upon B. The creative will of A works through B. It again willed, “May I become C.” C willed, “May I become D.”

 

 

 

4. So there is a downward descent into greater and greater forms of particularisation and diversification until the largest considerable diversity in the form of this world is here before us. The Supreme Being or Sat, the pure Being willed, “May I be another.” It then became the Fire Principle operating universally everywhere. That, in turn willed, and It became the Water Principle operating everywhere,—tat teja aiksata, bahu syam prajayeyeti, tad apo'srjata. The waters congealed into solid objects and became the Earth Principle, not necessarily this little globe of the earth but anything that is of earth anywhere oranything physical in its nature. Tasmad yatra kva ca socati svedate va purusah tejasa eva tad adhy apo jayante.

 

 

 

5. “Whenever there is heat felt in the body there is an expression of liquidity like perspiration,” says the Upanishad. Heat in the form of fever or for any other reason whatsoever is seen to produce an effect in the form of water oozing out. The example given here is, that when you are grieved or when you are perspiring, you feel that the heat generated within yourself either due to sorrow or due to fatigue becomes the cause of the water of perspiration. By this, the connection between fire and water is explained. From water comes earth.

 

 

 

6. Chandogya Upanishad: Chapter-2 ( Uddalaka the father makes sure that his Son Svetaketu's learning in Gurukulam), Section-2 ( Primacy of Being), Mantram-3.