Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

Download March 2026 (English)  

Editorial

Preparation for Attaining the Knowledge of Brahman

(Taittiriya Upanishad–Shiksha Valli)

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and all ancient scriptures proclaim that the purpose of human life is to realize our true nature, which is divinity–that we are the embodiments of the divine Atma or Brahman. We can acquire this knowledge, this realization, through Brahma Vidya.

Brahma Vidya is described in many scriptures–the Vedas, Itihasas (historic epics), Puranas (sacred mythology), and Smritis (sacred codes of Hindu dharma). But there are three standout scriptures called the Prasthana Trayam, which are the canonical texts for a spiritual seeker who wants to attain the knowledge of Brahman. They provide guidelines for those who sincerely want to tread the spiritual path. They are:

• The Brahma Sutras, which expound on the knowledge of Brahman. 
• The Bhagavad Gita, the discourse that Lord Krishna gave to Arjuna in the middle of the Kurukshetra battlefield, which is also a very oft-quoted scripture. 
• The Upanishads, which constitute the part of the Vedas called Vedanta (the final wisdom section of the Vedas).

Our good fortune is that Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba wrote commentaries on all these three major scriptural texts in the form of Vahinis. The Sutra Vahini is on the Brahma Sutras, Gita Vahini is on the Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishad Vahini is on the Upanishads. These are comprehensive and exhaustive scriptures, so we are going to only touch on the highlights of this theme, in preparation for attaining the knowledge of Brahman.

Link Between Sri Sathya Sai Organizations and the Vedas

The Upanishads constitute Vedanta, the culmination of the Vedas, because they are the quintessence of the knowledge of Brahman. The Vedas are also called Shrutis because they were ‘heard’ and not written by any one person. These revelations to the sages were passed from generation to generation over many millennia. They are also called Apaurusheya (not of human origin), which means they are revelations from God and are also considered as the breath of God.

These profound revelations were subsequently codified by the great sage Veda Vyasa into the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva Vedas, each of which is also divided into three sections:

• Karma Kanda, which focuses on various sacrificial rites and rituals related to Karma Yoga. 
• Upasana Kanda, which contains mainly sacred hymns and rituals for worshipping the Supreme Brahman in various names and forms. It also delves into Bhakti Yoga, or how to develop devotion. 
• Jnana Kanda, which contains all the Upanishads, mainly focuses on the knowledge of Atman or Brahman.

All three sections–Karma Kanda, Upasana Kanda, and Jnana Kanda–are reflected in our organization’s service wing (Karma Yoga), devotional wing (Bhakti Yoga), and educational wing (Jnana Yoga). It is in the Jnana Kanda that we delve deeply into the teachings of Bhagawan through these Upanishads. 

Taittiriya Upanishad

When the Upanishads were originally revealed, there were 1,180 in total. Over time, only 108 were preserved. Of these 108 Upanishads, only ten received special attention because of the great Advaitic master, Adi Shankara, who gave detailed commentaries (bhashyas) on them. Swami has also written brief commentaries on some of these Upanishads, which have been published as part of the Upanishad Vahini.

Among them, the Taittiriya Upanishad, belonging to the Krishna Yajur Veda, is one of the most profound and practical Upanishads for spiritual aspirants. It is interesting to know how this word, “Taittiriya,” came about. When the great sage Vaishampayana punished his student, the great sage Yajnavalkya, by commanding him to return all that he had learned from him, Yajnavalkya vomited out all the scriptural knowledge he had attained. Some wise sages recognized that Yajnavalka’s vomit contained very valuable knowledge. So, they transformed themselves into Tittiri (partridge-like) birds and ate the vomit, which contained the ultimate knowledge. As Tittiri birds, these sages then became a source of the profound knowledge, called the Taittiriya Upanishad, which is in the Krishna Yajur Veda.

The Taittiriya Upanishad has three major sections. The first is Shiksha Valli; the second is Brahmananda Valli; and the third is Bhrigu Valli. While the Brahmananda Valli and Bhrigu Valli mainly explore the knowledge of Brahman and the nature of bliss (Brahmananda), the Shiksha Valli serves as a guideline, laying the foundation for disciplined living, sacred learning, ethical conduct, and credentials to attain Brahma vidya.

Invocation Prayer in Taittiriya Upanishad

All three sections of the Taittiriya Upanishad begin with the famous peace chant or invocation prayer:

This prayer fosters a trusting relationship between the teacher and the student who are both in pursuit of the knowledge of Brahman. It also prays for threefold peace:

• At the adhyatmika (arising from self) level, which includes physical illness (fever, pain, disease), mental distress (anxiety, fear, anger, grief, depression), and emotional conflict, confusion, and doubt. 
• At the adibhautika (caused by other beings) level, which includes harm from other people, trouble from animals, insects, and microbes, and environmental disturbances caused by living beings.
• At the adidaivika (caused by forces beyond human control, such as acts of God) level, which includes natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, lightning, drought, and extreme heat or cold. 

It is for avoiding these three types of calamities that we recite ‘Shanti’ thrice.

The Taittiriya Upanishad says that Brahman cannot be described: ‘yatho vacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha,’ which means that Brahman is beyond the comprehension of the mind and cannot be expressed in words.

Shiksha Valli: Treasure Trove of Practical and Highest Knowledge

The word shiksha means instruction, discipline, and phonetics. It includes training of speech, taming the mind, and development of character. It is a complete framework for values-based education and spiritual life.

There are 12 anuvakas (sections) in the Shiksha Valli, and they contain invaluable guidance through immortal sayings for daily spiritual practice. It also contains information on the various Vyahritis (sacred cosmic syllables representing the planes of existence and levels of consciousness), which are part of the Gayatri Mantra, the Pranava Upasana (meditative worship of the pranava, ’Om,’ as Brahman), and the importance of svadhyaya (study of the scriptures). The importance of Om has been discussed in detail in a past editorial (October 2022). 

The Convocation Address

Perhaps the most celebrated part of Shiksha Valli is the convocation address, in which the teacher gives guidance to the graduating student. It includes the famous injunctions or sayings often quoted, including ‘matru devo bhava, pitru devo bhava, acharya devo bhava, athithi devo bhava’ (Treat the mother, father, teacher, and guest as God), and ‘sathyam vada dharmam chara’ (Speak the truth, practice right conduct). These aphorisms form the ethical backbone of Indian civilization. They are not just commandments or instructions, but expressions of wisdom, born of insight. In fact, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba proclaimed sathya and dharma as two of the five universal human values, along with peace, love, and nonviolence. Baba sees these injunctions as universally and eternally true and relevant. 

Sathyam Vada

Bhagawan Baba’s very name includes the word Sathya, Truth. But this sathyam, Swami says, is different from ‘fact.‘ A fact or factual truth relates only to what is happening. Real or eternal ‘Truth,’ however, is that which remains true at all times–past, present, and future–and in all places. Swami gives a beautiful example to illustrate the difference between fact and sathya, which is eternal. We say that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. That is an observed fact by everyone, including scientists. But the ultimate truth is that the sun never sets, never rises. That is sathyam, truth for all times. 

‘Sathyam vada’ exhorts one to speak the ultimate, eternal truth, which doesn’t change–Brahman or Atman. Everything else–the body, mind, intellect–changes. That is why the supreme reality is described by Vedanta as asti (‘is’ or existence), bhati (‘shining’ or consciousness), priyam (‘pleasing’ or bliss), and also composed of nama (name) and rupa (form). The first three are eternal, while the latter two are transitory and changing.

Asti means ‘it exists,’ pointing to the fact of existence; bhati means “it shines” or “is known,” referring to consciousness or awareness; and priyam means “it is dear,” indicating the intrinsic joy or value of what is experienced. Together, they express the divine essence underlying all things–existence (sat), awareness (chith), and bliss (ananda)–which Vedanta identifies verily as Brahman. Nama (name) and rupa (form) also exist, but they keep changing.

For example, suppose you see a beautiful flower. Firstly, it exists (asti), then, you are aware of it (bhati), and lastly, you feel delight in it (Priyam). The flower’s name and form may change or fade, but the three aspects–existence, awareness, and bliss–remain constant in every experience. These are the five components of the ultimate reality. Of these, two components are transitory, subject to change–that is, name and form. But Sat, Chith, Ananda–existence, knowledge, bliss–which is also called asti, bhati, priyam, are eternal, never change with time and space.

Practicing Sathyam Vada

Delving deeper into Sathyam Vada, Swami says, whenever you speak, make use of four filters to decide.

1. Is it necessary to speak?
2. If it is necessary to speak, is it truthful?
3. If it is truthful, is it kind? 
4. If it is kind, is it an improvement over silence? 

Speech should be soft like butter and sweet as honey. It should also be brief, concise, and to the point–not verbose. Speech should also be helpful. Swami gives the example of Lord Rama as the perfect master of speech. He says Rama is sathyabhashi–speaks the truth; mithabhashi–talks very little; hithabhashi–says what is good; and madhurabhashi–talks sweetly.

Lord Krishna speaks about the true penance of speech (BG 17.15):

Dharmam Chara

A famous quote from the Mahabharata is ‘dharmo rakshati rakshitah’–the one who protects dharma will be protected by dharma. Swami says that the purpose of living is to live in dharma. There are four purusharthas–the four fundamental goals of human life, which are dharma (right conduct), artha (wealth), kama (desire), and moksha (liberation)–which together guide a balanced and purposeful life. The closest translation for dharma is righteousness or right conduct. Artha is having wealth in its various forms–money, knowledge, courage, etc. Kama is desire, which could be good or bad; and lastly, moksha is liberation. These are the four goals of human life.

Swami beautifully integrates the purusharthas, saying, 

That means the only desire one should have is the desire for moksha or for God. The desire for God is not considered a desire. For that, Swami recommends that one should have a ceiling on desires. As one practices ceiling on desires, it becomes easier to divert the focus away from worldly objects and develop one-pointedness toward God.

The greatest example here is Lord Rama. It is said, Ramo vigrahavan dharma–Rama is the embodiment of dharma. He led an exemplary life as a human being. He demonstrated how one should live as an ideal king, ideal friend, ideal foe, ideal leader, ideal husband, and ideal father. In all aspects, he showed the ideal way a human being can live at home, in society, as a leader, or as a worker.

Focus Only on Atma Dharma

To start with, Swami says that dharma depends on one’s gender. Men have their dharma–how they should conduct themselves in life, supporting the family and earning a living. Similarly, women have their dharma–helping with household duties and responsibilities, taking care of their spouse and children. Dharma also depends on the ashrama, or stage of life. If one is a brahmachari (a student), the focus should be completely on studies. Once the studies are finished, the next stage is that of a grihastha (householder). One should find a job or career, earn by righteous means, support the family, and also support society. The next stage is vanaprastha–living as a recluse. Having completed all duties, one should now focus on spiritual pursuits with God as the sole aim of life. The fourth and final stage is sanyasa, the stage of renunciation, where one completely gets rid of worldly bondage and attachment, whether to family, work, or anything else. The heart, mind, soul, and strength are all fully dedicated to God and used in the pursuit of knowledge of Brahman. This is the ashrama dharma that ultimately fulfils the Atma dharma.

Then there is the varna dharma (rules for profession), depending on one’s aptitude, as Lord Krishna says:

However, these dharmas refer to transience. They are related to body, mind, and intellect, because gender, ashrama (stage of life), and varna (occupation) are all related to the body. But the highest dharma of all dharmas, Swami says, is Atma dharma, which supersedes all other dharmas. Anything in conflict with Atma dharma should be overruled, and one should focus only on Atma dharma.

Regard Parents as God

Another important teaching of the Shiksha Valli is to regard one’s parents as God. Swami says that you should treat parents as divine, and love and respect them sincerely. Many faith traditions also emphasize this, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Even in Chinese tradition, filial piety–that is, honoring one’s parents–is strongly emphasized, especially during Lunar New Year celebrations.

Swami says that one’s head (intelligence and knowledge), blood (life), and wealth are all gifts from parents. Playing on the word ‘parent,’ He says beautifully that one should ‘pay rent’ by respecting them, loving them, and expressing gratitude to them. 

Swami Himself is the greatest example of loving and serving His parents. He fulfilled all His mother’s wishes for the good of humanity. When His compassionate mother was moved by the hardship of village children for basic education, and pleaded with Him for help, Swami started educational institutions, which now provide free values-based education from the primary to doctoral level. Also, when she saw the need for basic healthcare in the remote village, He started a small general hospital which has now grown into a worldwide medical mission providing primary to tertiary healthcare with love and compassion. When His mother appealed for a water-well in the drought-stricken village, the compassionate Lord provided that too, which grew into a mega-project providing free potable water to millions of people in India. Inspired by Him, the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization continues to implement many projects across 114 countries, providing free education, free health care, and humanitarian relief to the needy and the distressed.

Revere Teacher as God

When we are told to respect the teacher, it is not only for teachers of secular subjects like physics, chemistry, mathematics, botany, astrophysics, or calculus. Of course, we respect them because they have educated us, providing a means to make a livelihood. But the real acharya is the one who shows us the path to God. This is what even the little prince, Prahlada, tells his demonic father, Hiranyakashyapu. In fact, he goes on to say that the real father and mother are the ones who take us toward God. 

It is said, 

It means that Guru is God as the Trinity–Brahma (creator), Vishnu (sustainer), and Maheshwara (destroyer)–and also the supreme Parabrahman. So, we need to have absolute faith in teachers (acharya), and also in their teachings. The important quality of the teacher can be understood from the term acharya, which means ‘the one who puts precepts into practice.’ So, by following them and serving them, we get closer to enlightenment. 

When we serve the teacher with love, respect, and selflessness, he will take us toward enlightenment. The greatest respect one can show a teacher is to follow their teachings implicitly. That is why even Lord Jesus said, “What is the use of calling me Lord, Lord, when you don’t do what I say?”

Revere Guest as God

This is a very important principle that has been observed by the Bharatiyas (Indians) over millennia. It is a deep-rooted Hindu tradition, which means that anybody who enters the house should be treated as God. A guest is not only one who has been invited; atithi means one who comes uninvited. You should also treat uninvited guests as if God has come in that form and serve them.

Charity Should Be a Way of Life 

Another important lesson in the Shiksha Valli concerns how one should give charity. It says that a very important part of living is to help others by giving part of one’s hard-earned earnings. This is also a part of Swami’s mission. The Shiksha Valli beautifully explains how one should give charity. It says:

• shraddhaya deyam (give with faith)
• ashraddhaya adeyam (do not give without faith)
• shriya deyam (give with generosity)
• hriya deyam (give with modesty)
• bhiya deyam (give with reverence)
• samvida deyam (give with understanding and discrimination).

Therefore, one should give with the sincerity and faith that one is serving God. One should give generously and avoid being stingy or selfish. On one occasion, Swami advised that one should give liberally and in plenty, whatever one has. All of this becomes possible if we think we are serving God in that form. That is the attitude we should have.

Swami and the great teachers say that the attitude of gratitude is very important when we are serving or giving in charity. One should do charity with humility, not with a condescending attitude, since this is for our own transformation. It is said that giving without reverence or humility reinforces the ego, while, on the other hand, charity is intended to purify the mind and the heart. 

The Shiksha Valli also issues strong directives to the students as part of the convocation address. Let us also consider this with the same sincerity and devotion:
“You will not swerve from Sathya, and you will not swerve from Dharma–neither will you swerve from well-being. You will not swerve from study and teaching nor from the duties toward gods and ancestors.”

Preparing Oneself for the Highest Goal

By sincerely following the Shiksha Valli, we can become ready for the knowledge of Brahman, which is dealt with in the next two sections of the Taittiriya Upanishad, namely the Brahmananda Valli and Bhrigu Valli. 

The Brahmananda Valli of the Taittiriya Upanishad describes the different degrees of bliss experienced by human beings, with the highest being the bliss of Brahman, called Brahmananda. It begins by saying that the knowledge of Brahman is the highest, which one should seek because the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman itself. The Brahmananda Valli gives the closest definition of Brahman as ‘sathyam jnanam anantam brahma.’ Brahman is truth, knowledge, and infinite. To underscore this aphorism, Swami beautifully sings the bhajan ‘sathyam jnanam anantam brahma.’

Bhrigu Valli, the third and final section of the Taittiriya Upanishad, recounts Bhrigu’s spiritual inquiry, guided by his father and guru, Varuna, to realize Brahman through meditation and introspection. Bhrigu Valli, also called Varuni Vidya, takes one inward from the gross level of the body to the innermost level of the bliss sheath. It describes successive realizations through food, life-force, mind, intellect, and finally bliss (ananda) as Brahman.

We shall deal with the Brahmananda Valli and Bhrigu Valli in the editorials of future issues of Sathya Sai–The Eternal Companion. 

Jai Sai Ram.