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Kumar_Das
11 December 2010, 09:06 AM
Please list such instances.

Thanks

yajvan
11 December 2010, 07:55 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté kumar das,

Here is my offer for this conversation. Perhaps there is some value...


This tat tvam asi is found in the chāndogya upaniṣad as an instruction and insight from the teacher āruṇi-ji to his son & śiṣya (student) śvetaketu. This then is called upadeśa-vākya¹ an instructional word or statement.

This comes, as mentioned, from the chāndogya upaniṣad . Since this chāndogya has roots in chandas (meter) it informs us it is a brāhmaṇa from the sama ved ( that which is chanted) ; It is chāndasa - having the sacred text of the veda (chándas) as its subject , relating or belonging to the veda. Chanda means very pleasing to the ear, as is the sama ved that is sung.


One can go from upadeśa-vākya to anubhava vākya via this instruction of tat tvam asi pending the readiness of the śiṣya and the strength and intent of the teacher.
What is this anubhava¹ vākya ? A personal and direct experience. The exclaimation/realization of the śiṣya would then be ahaṁ brahama asmi - I (ahaṁ) am (asmi) brahman.
Yet I prefer to view 'asmi' as as + mi. This 'as' = 'belong to', 'equal to', 'exist ,become' , 'to abide , dwell , stay' + mi = 'to be fixed'. Hence, I ( ahaṁ) + belong to, exist (as) + and am fixed (mi) + in brahman. This comes from the bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad which is part of the yajur-ved.


So, this instruction in the chāndogya upaniṣad is found in 6.8.7 as the teacher āruṇi-ji says,
That sat (satyaṁ) so subtle is the Self of everything (sarvaṃ) in all the worlds. That is the Real, that is ātma, thou art that (tat tvam asi) śvetaketu.


praṇām
words

vākya - speech , saying , assertion , statement , command , words
upadeśa - instruction , teaching , information , advice , prescription
anubhava - experience , knowledge derived from personal observation or experiment