Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

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Editorial

Bhrigu Valli - The Journey to Realization of Brahman

Part 2 of 2

The Bhrigu Valli describes one of the most practical and experiential spiritual journeys in the Upanishads. Guided by the sage Varuna, his son Bhrigu, who was also his disciple, undertakes intense tapas and progressively realizes Brahman through the stages of annam (food), prana (life force), manas (mind), vijnana (wisdom), and finally ananda (bliss). Through this inward journey, the Upanishad demonstrates how the seeker moves from the gross to the subtle, transcending layer after layer of identification until the truth of Brahman as infinite bliss is revealed. Yet such realization does not end in abstraction or withdrawal from life. Having attained the highest truth, the Upanishad returns to the world–to food, service, compassion, and reverence for all existence–showing that true spiritual realization sanctifies life rather than rejecting it. It is this profound culmination of the Bhrigu Valli that we now continue to explore.

Insights from the Inquiry

This process of inquiry that leads to realization and illumination teaches important and valuable lessons. It teaches that partial truth is not false, but incomplete. Food is Brahman in the sense that Brahman appears as food. Prana is Brahman in the sense that life force is an expression of Brahman. Mind and intellect are also manifestations of Brahman. But none of these limited expressions can fully describe Brahman.

The spiritual journey also teaches that one should not be satisfied with incomplete realization. Bhrigu did not cling to his first experience. He kept marching forward. That is why the Katha Upanishad says: “Arise! Awake! Stop not till the goal is reached.” We too should keep going until we reach the goal, and not stop with partial realization.

The sincere seeker represented by Bhrigu does not stop until he reaches the ultimate goal. Also, the guru, represented by Varuna, provides guidance and indication but does not simply give away the knowledge. He makes the student discover the truth for himself because truth is found through a progressive journey, inwards. It moves from gross to subtle, from outer to inner, from object to subject, from experience to the experiencer, and finally beyond even the experiencer into pure Reality.

Having experienced these five stages of realization, one finally realizes that Brahman is beyond all these, because it is beyond the comprehension of the mind and beyond the description of words.

Annam Brahmopasana - Hymn to Food

Having reached the peak by leading the seeker to the highest realization, the Bhrigu Valli does something remarkable. It then lovingly and reverentially descends back to food. The Upanishad bursts into hymns of reverence for food over several verses. Spiritual life does not reject the world; it sanctifies it.

The Bhrigu Valli prescribes three vows in relation to  food:

Expanding on this in the Upanishad Vahini, Swami says, “Food (anna) is not to be decried; that should be the vow of the wise. The vital airs (prana) are all food. The physical body is the gift of food, and the vital airs have the body as the vehicle. So, food should not be slighted. That should be the resolution.” He further adds, “Food is the Guru, for it leads you on to the knowledge of Brahman. Therefore, it should not be treated with disrespect. That must be observed just like a vow by the aspirant.” 

Food is one of the most vital elements because it sustains the body, which is the temple of God. The body is an instrument to realize God. Therefore, we need to nourish the body, and this can be done only through food. Thus, by practicing the food vows described in the Bhrigu Valli, one can connect with Brahman.

Sage Uddalaka and Shvetaketu

A very interesting episode in the Chandogya Upanishad highlights the importance of food through a famous dialogue between the sage Uddalaka Aruni and his son Shvetaketu. Sage Uddalaka explains that food is not merely a physical means to sustain the body; it is deeply connected to life, mind, and spiritual understanding.

He teaches that when food is consumed, the gross part becomes waste, the subtle part becomes flesh, and the subtlest part becomes the mind. The Upanishad presents this idea explicitly.

To demonstrate this truth in practice, Sage Uddalaka asked Shvetaketu to fast for fifteen days, drinking only water. After the fast, Shvetaketu realized he could not properly remember or recite the Vedas he had learned. When he began eating again, his memory and understanding returned. Through this experiment, the teacher showed that food nourishes not only the body but also supports memory, thought, and intelligence. Therefore, food is sacred and essential for spiritual life.

Service to Man is Service to God

Understanding of this Truth manifests as reverence, generosity, and service. If all beings arise from Brahman, live in Brahman, and return to Brahman, then feeding others becomes worship, hospitality becomes spirituality, and service becomes Vedanta in action. That is why Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings are especially relevant, particularly His emphasis on selfless service as love in action.

Swami teaches that “Service to man is service to God” is the highest truth. If the same Brahman dwells in all, then feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, educating children, and comforting the distressed are not just social duties; they are the highest worship.

Importance of Food

Food is a vital part of life, especially for spiritual seekers. Swami often speaks about food, about the quality of food, the amount of food, and how it should be obtained and eaten. One should eat satvic food, only in the quantity necessary to satisfy hunger. Food should be obtained through dharmic (righteous) means, without exploiting anyone. Finally, food should ideally be eaten in the company of holy people. Sometimes we do not have control over these factors. Therefore, one should offer the food prayer before eating to remove the negative elements. 

Lord Krishna also speaks about the types of food we eat in the Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga, in the 17th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. In Shlokas 8, 9, and 10, He explains satvic, rajasic, and tamasic foods, respectively. 

Since the essence of food becomes the mind, which is responsible for both bondage and liberation, one should pay special attention to the food one eats. 

Swami also says that food is not just what we consume through the mouth, but also the inputs received through the eyes and ears. One should see good, hear good, and use all the sense organs only for good and godly purposes.

Vedanta is often misunderstood as denying the world, but the Bhrigu Valli teaches the opposite. Seeing Brahman everywhere naturally fosters compassion and reverence for life. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly emphasizes this ideal by exhorting, “Love all, serve all. Help ever, hurt never.” True realization expresses itself as universal love.

Therefore, in summary, the Bhrigu Valli states that the seeker is not separate from Brahman, and the bliss one seeks is the very essence of one’s own Self. This realization is liberation.

Sadachara Pradarshanam - Living the Realization

Bhrigu Valli closes not with abstract metaphysics but with a code of right conduct for the realized soul: sadachara pradarshanam, the exemplification of right living. The Upanishad instructs one, “Na Kanchana Vasatau Pratyachakshita,” (Do not turn away anyone who comes seeking shelter), emphasizing that one should always serve others because the realized one sees Brahman in everything.

Baba says the essence of all scriptures is the five fundamental human values: Truth (Sathya), Right Conduct (Dharma), Peace (Shanti), Love (Prema), and Non-Violence (Ahimsa). Practice of these human values is essential not only for spiritual seekers but for all beings. The basis of the five human values is Love. Swami exhorts us to start the day with love, fill the day with love, spend the day with love, and end the day with love, to realize God.  Baba says that the best way to love God is by loving all and serving all. His life is His Message, and His Message is Love. He exemplified love and service by providing humanitarian services to millions of people by giving food to the hungry and the impoverished, supplying drinking water to the thirsty, and giving education and healthcare to those in need. Inspired by His example, millions of devotees around the world are engaged in selfless service.  

Brahmananda Anubhava - Song of Liberation

In the final verses, the person experiencing Brahmananda Anubhava (experience of highest bliss) blissfully sings the song of liberation. The liberated sage is described as, “Sa Yaschaayam Purushe Yascha Savaditye Sa Ekah.” (He who is here in person and He who resides in the Sun are the same.) This means that the individual Self and the universal Self are one and the same.

This is the realization of the Mahavakya (Great Saying) “Tat Tvam Asi” (That Thou Art), which is repeated nine times in the Chandogya Upanishad. This aphorism is echoed in Swami’s great declaration, “I am God: you are also God. But while I am aware of it, you are still unaware. That is the only difference.”

The Upanishad closes with the spontaneous cry: “Haa Vuu, Haa Vuu, Haa Vuu!”–a spontaneous song of unbridled joy, beyond words, expressing the overflowing bliss of the enlightened seer. Words fall away into a song. Most ecstatically, the realized soul sings, “Aham Annam! Aham Annam! Aham Annam! Aham Annado! Aham Annado! Aham Annado!”
“I am food! I am food! I am food! I am the consumer of food! I am the consumer of food! I am the consumer of food!”

Why return to food after reaching the peak of bliss? This is because true realization does not reject the gross; it elevates, sanctifies, and divinizes it. Having seen Brahman as ananda, the sage now sees that the same Brahman is also the food on the plate, the hand that serves, and the mouth that eats. The threefold repetition signifies the unshakable joy of this realization. The subject, the object, and the one who experiences the action are all one!

Swami, who personally fed thousands and launched massive free food programs across villages, embodies this teaching. He says that food is God, and so we should not waste even a single grain. When we waste food, we insult the divine mother who provides. In the same vein, feeding the hungry is the highest worship.

This teaching is strikingly practical in our age of food waste and food insecurity. That is why the Upanishad says, “Produce food in abundance.” This axiom is not just a spiritual command, but also essential for the survival of civilization.

Summary and Conclusion

The Bhrigu Valli gives a complete map of sadhana. It begins with reverence for the guru. Bhrigu, a sincere spiritual seeker, approaches the teacher Varuna with humility, openness, and receptivity.

He possesses the proper credentials to be a worthy student, as described in the Brahma Sutras in the Sadhana Chatushtaya. He has viveka (fundamental discrimination), vairagya (dispassion toward the unreal and the temporary), shat-sampatti (the six noble virtues), and finally mumukshutva (intense desire to realize the ultimate goal).

Then the sincere student approaches the guru, represented by Varuna, who is not only his father but also his teacher. Varuna is patient and confident that the disciple will reach the goal if he practices intensely and sincerely.

The teacher gives a simple definition of Brahman: “That from which all beings arise, by which they live, and into which they return.” This provides the foundation for the student to contemplate Brahman. Then he explains the method to reach that stage, namely tapas. We have already described in detail what tapas is in the first part of this editorial: intense spiritual practice that takes us through the various stages of realization, culminating in Ananda, bliss.

Through all these stages, the seeker discovers that Brahman is not far away. Brahman is present as food, life, mind, intelligence, and bliss. Yet Brahman is beyond all these–it is all these and beyond all these.

Thus, this path does not reject the world; it elevates and divinizes it. It does not deny the body; it sanctifies it. It does not glorify the mind; it purifies and transcends it. It insists on continuing the journey until one realizes that everything is Brahman–Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma.

Thus, the Bhrigu Valli serves both as a scripture and a spiritual guide to Self-realization. It tells us what Brahman is, how to inquire into Brahman, how to live in Brahman, and how to transform every act, such as eating, breathing, thinking, knowing, and serving, into a pathway to reach God.

Jai Sai Ram.