CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD

The Chandayoga Upanishad expounds the Oriental equivalent of creation as follows:-

In the beginning, all this was Pure Being, One without a second.

It thought: 'May I be many, may I grow forth.' It projected fire.

The fire thought: 'May I be many, may I grow forth.' It projected water.

Therefore, whenever anybody is hot, he perspires and water is produced on him from fire alone.

The water willed: 'May I be many, may I grow forth.' It projected food.

Therefore, whenever it rains anywhere, food is then produced. From water alone eatable food is produced.

The being thought: 'Well, may I enter into all these three things with this living self (Jivatma). Let me appear under different names and forms.'

FAQs

Q1. What was the main point we took from the Chandogya Upanishad?

Oneness in the world, the immanent reality and of Man. The Chandogya Upanishad in volume 6.9, states that all Selfs are interconnected and one. The inmost essence of all beings is same, the whole world is One Truth, One Reality, One Self.

Q2. What does the Chandogya Upanishad teach?

It tells the story of a father teaching his son the ultimate truth of Hinduism. The father sends the boy away to study the Vedas with a religious instructor. It takes the boy 12 years to study the Vedas. When he returns home, his father apparently thinks that he is too full of himself because he believes that the Vedas (the most sacred Hindu scriptures) tell everything that needs to be known about Hinduism. But the father decides to teach his son that there is more to Hinduism – there is a mystical knowledge as well that cannot come from reading scriptures alone. The Upanishads, ironically, emphasize this theme over and over again – in a work of scripture the stories keep repeating that religion is more than just scripture.

Q3. How many chapters are there in Chandogya Upanishad?

It is one of the largest Upanishadic compilations, and has eight Prapathakas (literally lectures, chapters), each with many volumes, and each volume contains many verses.

Q4. What is the meaning of Chandogya?

The "Chandogya Upanishad" is a Sanskrit text that has served as a core text for the Vedanta school of Hinduism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit, chanda, meaning “poetic meter,” and Upanishad, meaning “sitting at the foot of.” It is considered one of the oldest Upanishads and consists of eight chapters.