तत्वमसि।

तत्वमसि। 

There is a beautiful story of Svetaketu and his father Uddalak in Chandogya Upanishad. When Svetaketu returned after studying Vedas and other scriptures his father took test of his knowledge and found that he had missed the major learning of the truth (सत्). He was taught thereafter by giving different examples of clay, gold etc.

It’s so easy a teaching, only three steps process; but these are giant leaps how Vamanavtar took. 

It can click in less than a second or may take years or births to resolve the mystery. 

Three steps: तत्-त्वम्-असि। that-thou-art. 

First to know ‘तत्-that’, not changing Sat on which we see constant change in the existence. The names and forms—nāma and rūpa, are attributes superimposed on that which is constant, unchanging, unchangeable. The Param. 

Thereafter, look at the Self-‘त्वम्-thou’ and identify the real self beyond the body, mind, varna, caste, creed, learned, ignorant, tall, short, upper-lower, etc, identification. Find out the unchanging reality within (the finder). 

Thereafter the last but the most important as well as the most difficult step असि, to make unity of both. 

It’s not that ‘transactional I’ becomes the Brahman or Shiva and he/she becomes God or Guru, different than others. The whole universe turns into one I, the truth, the universal pure consciousness. This self realisation is rarest of the rare and one in billion may realise it by the grace of Lord Shiva or his representative, the realised Guru. 

तत्वमसि। 

Punamchand 

20 January 2023