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Ch-9-The Greatest

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Chhandogya Upanishad

Who is the Greatest
From  Chapter 5
The same story is given in Ken Upanishad also

Praan is the Best and the Greatest
We have one body and five senses. Who knows who is the oldest and the greatest himself becomes the Greatest and he oldest. The Praan indeed is the oldest and the greatest.

Once the five senses started fighting themselves - "I am the best, I am the greatest." Who is going to decide that who is the best and the who is the greatest. So they all went to Prajaapati (Brahmaa Jee) and told him their problem - "O revered, Please tell us, who ois the best and the greatest among all of us." Prajaapati said - "By whose gong away from the body, the body looks worse than the worst is the best among you."

So first the organ of speech "tongue" went away. He stayed away for an year and then came back and asked the other senses - "How did you feel without me?" They replied - "As a dumb man ,lives without speaking." Hearing this tongue got a bit disappointed that he was not the best and entered the body.

Next, the organ of seeing "eyes" went away. He also stayed away for one year and then returned to kknow the condition of the body. The other senses said - "We lived as a blind man lives, without seeing." Hearing this the eyes also got disappointed and entered the body.

Thus, the next the sense of hearing "ears" went away. he also stayed away for one full year and came back. He also asked - "How have you been without me?" The other senses said - "As a def person lives." Hearing this ear also got disappointed. He also then entered the body.

Next the mind went out and stayed away for one full year. he came back after a year and asked the other senses - "How have ou been without me?" The other organs replied - "As a child whose mind has not yet grown up without thinking. We spoke with the tongue, saw with the eye, heard with the ear," Mind also did not like this reply but he could not do anything so he also entered the body.

Now the breath got ready to leave the body, he uprooted the other organs, so all other organs got restless, they came to him and said - "Please don't go. You are our Lord. We cannot live without you, so do not go."

Then the organ of speech said - "That is the best thing I possess is of yours." The organ of seeing eye said - "That is rhe best thing I ;possess is yours." The sense of hearing ear said - "That is the best thing, prosperity, I possess is yours." The mind also said - "That attribute of being abode I possess is yours." That is why people do not call them the sense of organs but they call "Praan" - the Praan alone is over all.

"Praan is the Supreme. It rules over our entire body. If it is not there we cannot live."
In Part 5/2 of the Upanishad it is written that, Satyakaam told the doctrine of Praan (given in the same part) to Goshruti (the son of Vyaaghrapaad) - "If one will tell this to even to a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves spring forth." - then a Karm Kaand is given to attain greatness.

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/05
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 02/13/13