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he cannot say anything; now, what sort of learning is this? So, they repudiate the very
learning of a person merely because of the absence of memory in that person. If we have
strong memory power, whatever we speak will carry conviction. People listen to such a
person, not to the other one who calls himself learned but cannot remember anything.
So the personality is ultimately rooted in chitta, the capacity of remembering, which
retains in itself all that is valuable in the form of one s learning or in the form of any type
of experience in life. Therefore, O Narada, you have to hold that chitta, memory, is
superior to will. So contemplate the content of the chitta which is superior to will. Let
this be the object of your meditation.
3. Sa yas-cittam brahmety-upaste, cittan vai sa lokan dhruvan dhruvah
pratisthitan pratisthito vyathamanan avyathamano bhisidhyati, yavat
cittasya gatam, tatrasya yatha kamacaro bhavati, yas-cittam brahety-
upaste, asti, bhagavah, cittadbhuya iti, citted vava bhuyo stiti, tan-me,
bhagavan, bravitviti.
The expansiveness of memory is larger than the content of will. Therefore, one who
meditates on the content of memory attains all those realms which are capable of being
reached by the operation of memory, and then enjoys identity of oneself with those
realms. One becomes free and successful to the extent of the operation of one s memory.
Therefore let that be your meditation; this is the stage to which you have reached now
by way of analysis and practice, says Sanatkumara. Narada is highly satisfied, but puts
a question again, Is there anything beyond chitta? Sanatkumara answers, There is
something beyond that also. Though chitta is superior to the other functions, viz.,
name, speech, mind and will, already mentioned, it is inferior to something beyond that.
Narada now wants to know what that is.
The Chhandogya Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda
92
SECTION 6
CONTEMPLATION
1. Dhyanam vava cittad-bhuyah, dhyayativa prthivi, dhya- yativan-
tariksam, dhyayativa dyauh, dhyayantivapah, dhyayantiva parvatah,
dhyayantiva deva-manusyah, tasmad-ya iha manusyanam mahattvam
prapnuvanti dhyanapadamsa ivaiva te bhvanti, atha ye lpah kalahinah
pisuna upavadinas-te atha ye prabhavah dhyanapadamsa ivaiva te
bhavanti, dhyanam upassveti.
Dhyana, concentration, is beyond even ordinary memory. It is a superior faculty. The
more you are able to concentrate your attention, rather to meditate in the proper sense
of the term, to that extent you become superior to others. Concentration is fixity of
mind. Wherever we find stability of any kind, fixity of any kind, we will discover the
presence of concentration. Here, the passage of the Upanishad goes on to say that the
earth contemplates, as it were, on account of its stability and fixity of character. We do
not see any kind of chaotic activity in nature. There is a stability maintained by the
various things of nature. The heaven and the earth themselves are contemplating or
meditating, as it were, in a fixed form without creating any kind of confusion between
themselves. We see the earth and the heaven and the waters, even the oceans, the sun
and the moon, the stars, all maintain their position due to a concentratedness of their
purpose inherent in their very nature brought into action by forces, of course, which are
superior, to be mentioned further on. Whoever has attained any kind of greatness in life
has achieved it only through the power of concentration. Whether he is a god or a
human being, success is due to the power of concentration of the mind, inherent
applicability of the mind. The application of thought in a particular direction is the cause
of success. The tenacity of the mind in a given direction and a persistent effort in that
direction alone, without deviating the mind from the given thought, is concentration.
The whole-souled absorption of thought on a particular object, to the exclusion of any
other thought, is concentration. This is dhyana.
It is by this action of the mind that people have attained greatness in this world, not by
distracted thinking. If we start thinking of a hundred things, we will achieve nothing. We
should apply ourselves to one thing only at a time, apply our soul and heart to it and
then we see that we succeed. This is the importance of the power of concentration.
Those who lack the power of concentration and application of thought are the
quarrelsome people of this world. They are the disturbers of society. They are the people
who carry tales. They are the dregs of human society. Not so are those who have power
of concentration of the mind. They apply wholly to their purpose to such an extent that
they have no time at all to engage themselves in useless activity. Those who have the
capacity to concentrate, they are the great ones. Therefore, one should always apply
oneself to concentration and meditation.
2. Sa yo dhyanam brahmety-upaste, yavad-dhyanasya gatam, tatrasya
yatha kamacaro bhavati yo dhyanam brahmcty-upaste, asti, bhagavah,
dhyanad-bhuya iti, dhyanad-vava bhuyo stiti tan-me, bhagavan,
bravitv-iti.
It is difficult to explain the grand nature of the result that will follow by the practice of
The Chhandogya Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda
93
concentration. As a matter of fact, Yoga practice is nothing but concentration in various
degrees of its manifestation. And as the Upanishad has beautifully put it, nothing in life
has any sense or meaning when concentration is absent. One becomes free, liberated
from bondage, and succeeds in life to the extent of success one has in the practice of
concentration of mind. So, one should apply oneself to concentration which is superior
to everything that has been mentioned earlier, viz., memory, will, mind, speech and
name.
This is the stage Narada has reached now. Narada again asks: O, great master, is there
something greater than dhyana, concentration? Yes, says Sanatkumara, there is
something, because you cannot apply yourself to concentration unless you understand
what concentration is. Then, please instruct me on that which is superior to dhyana,
says Narada.
SECTION 7
UNDERSTANDING
1. Vijnanam vava dhyanad-bhuyah, vijnanena va rg-vedam vijanati
yajur-vedam sama-vedam atharvanam caturtham, itihasapuranam
pancamam, vedanam vedam, pitryam, rasim, daivam, nidhim
vakovakyam, ekayanam, deva-vidyam, brahma-vidyam, bhuta-vidyam,
ksatra-vidyam, naksatra-vidyam, sarpa-devajana vidyam, divam ca
prthivim ca vayum cakasam capasa-ca tejas-ca, devams-ca manusyams-
ca pasums-ca vayamsi ca trna-vanaspatin svapadanyakita-patanga-
pipilakam dharmam cadharmam ca satyam canrtam ca sadhu casadhu
ca hrdayajnam cahrdayajnam cannam ca rasam cemam ca lokam
amum ca vijnanenaiva vijanati, vijnanam upassveti.
Vijnana, understanding, is superior even to the action of concentration. All the pros and
cons of concentration should be clear to the mind first, before it is applied to the activity
called concentration. On what should one concentrate? If one does not understand that
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