Sthitha pragnan from Chāndogya Upanishad by Swami Lokeswarananda
Verse 8.4.2
तस्माद्वा एतं सेतुं तीर्त्वान्धः सन्ननन्धो भवति विद्धः सन्नविद्धो
भवत्युपतापी सन्ननुपतापी भवति तस्माद्वा एतं सेतुं तीर्त्वापि
नक्तमहरेवाभिनिष्पद्यते सकृद्विभातो ह्येवैष ब्रह्मलोकः ॥ ८.४.२ ॥
tasmādvā etaṃ setuṃ tīrtvāndhaḥ sannanandho bhavati viddhaḥ sannaviddho
bhavatyupatāpī sannanupatāpī bhavati tasmādvā etaṃ setuṃ tīrtvāpi
naktamahare vābhini ṣpadyate sakṛdvibhāto hyevaiṣa brahmalokaḥ || 8.4.2 ||
2. Therefore, by crossing this dam, if you are blind you do not feel you
are blind. Similarly, if you are hurt, you do not feel you are hurt, and if
you are mentally upset, you no longer feel the sorrow. This is why if you
cross this dam, even night will be like day, for this world of Brahman is
always full of light.
Tasmāt, this is why; vai etam setum tīrtvā, when crossing this dam; andhaḥ
san, if a person is blind; anandhaḥ bhavati, he behaves as if he is not
blind; viddhaḥ san, if a person is hurt; aviddhaḥ bhavati, he behaves as if
he is not hurt; upatāpī san, if a person is mentally upset; anupatāpī
bhavati, he behaves as if he is not mentally upset; tasmāt, this is why;
vai etam setum tīrtvā, when crossing this dam; api naktam, even night; ahaḥ
eva abhiniṣpadyate, looks like day; hi eva eṣaḥ brahmalokaḥ, for this
Brahmaloka; sakṛt vibhātaḥ, is always manifest.
Again and again the Upaniṣad stresses knowledge of the Self. Why? This
knowledge is necessary for us to live in this world; otherwise, we are not
safe. We are vulnerable to all the forces of this phenomenal world. These
forces may sweep us off our feet. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, ‘Tie the
knowledge of Advaita in the corner of your cloth and then go wherever you
like.’ That is, once we know we are the Self, nothing can affect us. We are
like that dam, without any change. A person may be a householder or a
monk—it doesn’t matter. He is safe.
Here, the Upaniṣad says, you may be blind, but you do not feel you are
blind. The blindness does not affect you. It affects the body, but you know
you are not the body. Similarly, you may have some disease or illness in
the body, but you do not feel you are ill. If you are conscious of the body
then you will also be conscious of its limitations. Blindness is a
limitation, so you will be conscious that you are blind. But the pure Self
is not conditioned by anything. If you feel you are the Self you are not
subject to the limitations of the body. This applies to the mind also.
Swami Turiyananda would now and then get carbuncles that would have to be
removed by surgery. He would not let the doctor give him any anaesthetic,
however. He would ask the doctor to give him a few minutes’ warning, and he
would meditate for a while. Then he would tell the doctor he was ready. The
carbuncle might be large and require a long time for the surgery, but Swami
Turiyananda would not show any sign
When Swami Shivananda was old he suffered from asthma. Sometimes he had no
sleep at all during the night, but in the morning people would come and
find him very cheerful. They would ask him, ‘Sir, how are you?’ and he
would smile and say, ‘I am fine.’ Then he would say: ‘Look, if you are
asking about the body, then I will say this body is old and diseased. But
by the grace of my Master, I know I am not this body, so I am not affected
by it.’
Suppose there is something wrong with the shirt you are wearing. You would
not think there is something wrong with you. You know you are independent
of the shirt. Similarly, your body is just a covering, as it were. You are
independent of your body.
The example the Upaniṣad gives of the dam is very apt. A dam stands
supreme. Nothing can affect it. Similarly, if you know your true nature,
you will stand firm like a rock even when waves of sorrow come and try to
overwhelm you. Disease, poverty, humiliation—all kinds of misfortunes may
come, but they will all be forced back without making any impression on
you, as if there is a dam that stands between the world and your Self.
The scriptures are constantly reminding us that this is what we are
missing. Why else should we care for Self-knowledge? All this is just to
encourage us and to invite us to taste the bliss of Self-knowledge.
Lots of people say: ‘What do you mean by Self-knowledge? I know who I am.
What else should I know?’ But do they know they are not the body? Do they
know they cannot be affected by old age, disease, or death, or by poverty
or misfortune? Most people are slaves of their circumstances. Only one who
knows his real Self is free.
Most of our external conditions cannot be changed. They are not under our
control. If it is summer it will be hot. Can you change it? No, but you can
change yourself. Similarly, with other circumstances in our lives. Our
attitude should be: ‘Well, I don’t care. I will face this problem. It can
never affect my real Self.’ When you have this attitude, you know you will
not be cowed by adversities and external circumstances. This is the message
of the Upaniṣads and also of the Gītā. In the Gītā Kṛṣṇa again and again
talks about the sthitā-prajña, the person of steady wisdom, who is firmly
rooted in Self-knowledge, and whom nothing can sway.
When Alexander the Great came to India, he met a yogī and was so impressed
with him that he wanted to bring him to Greece. Alexander tried in many
ways to tempt the yogī to go to Greece, but nothing worked. Then Alexander
threatened to kill him. The yogī just laughed and said: ‘You have never
told such a lie. You cannot kill me. You may kill the body, but I am not
the body. I am the Self.’
The Upaniṣad says that when you know the Self, night and day are the same
to you. It may appear to be night to others, but for you there is always
light. You always have inner light. You always see yourself as Brahman.
Śaṅkara says that the word Brahmaloka here means the state of Brahman.
Whether you are blind or not, whether you are healthy or not, you are
always conscious that you are Brahman. Not for a moment do you forget it.
Verse 8.4.1
अथ य आत्मा स सेतुर्धृतिरेषां लोकानामसंभेदाय नैतं सेतुमहोरात्रे तरतो न जरा न
मृत्युर्न शोको न सुकृतं न दुष्कृतं सर्वे पाप्मानोऽतो निवर्तन्तेऽपहतपाप्मा
ह्येष ब्रह्मलोकः ॥ ८.४.१ ॥
atha ya ātmā sa seturdhṛtireṣāṃ lokānāmasaṃbhedāya naitaṃ setumahorātre
tarato na jarā na mṛtyurna śoko na sukṛtaṃ na duṣkṛtaṃ sarve pāpmāno'to
nivartante'pahatapāpmā hyeṣa brahmalokaḥ || 8.4.1 ||
1. Next, this Self is like a dam. It supports the worlds and protects them
from getting mixed up. Day and night cannot cross over this dam, nor can
old age, death, bereavement, good actions, and bad actions. All sins turn
away from it, for this Brahmaloka is free from evil.
WHERE MY MIND DWELLS OVER SELF AND NOT ON MY BODY, I BECOME A STHITHA
PRAGNAN WHERE NOT MECHANICALLY, BUT WITH THE SINCERETY OF PURPOSE I WISH A
GOOD MORNING, SINCE ITS NOT MY BODY WISHING BUT……….BUT HOW MANT BIRTHS HAVE
I TO WAIT? K RAJARAM IRS 19725
On Sat, 19 Jul 2025 at 07:34, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Dear Friend
>
> A simple “good morning” has the power to set a positive tone for the
> entire day. At times even saying to strangers the simple Golden Word "Good
> Morning" you can make a profound difference in their lives
>
> Good morning again and Blessing you of having a Positive filled Honest
> Good Day.
>
>
> *N Jambunathan , Chennai " What you get by achieving your goals is not as
> important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a
> happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "*
>
>
>
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