Episode 15- "Tat Tvam Asi" - Story of Uddalaka Aaruni and Shwetaketu

Update: 2023-01-21

Description

Podcast Credits -

The Concept, Script, Narration and Audio Design: Arghya Goswami

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Credits, Acknowledgements and Source Contents

Source content collected from various books on Upanishads such as “Messages of the Upanishads” by Swami Ranganathanada, “The Brhadaaranyaka Upanishad” by Swami Madhavananda, “Eight Upanishads” from Advaita Ashrama, Upanishads.org, “Vedas and Upanishads for Children” by Roopa Pai and several other write-ups and thoughts on Upanishads.

Background Music is sourced from various royalty-free music sources, Apple Loops and Internet Archives with a Non-Commercial 4.0 International license. Aum Shantih chants are from Youtube - source - Gaiea Sanskrit.

Music -

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2021/08/09/audio_6b294070f5.mp3?filename=forest-with-small-river-birds-and-nature-field-recording-6735.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/10/13/audio_2f54f9f4b8.mp3?filename=the-winter-fall-by-prabajithk-122683.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/07/04/audio_477fb4c391.mp3?filename=sunrise-114326.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/11/23/audio_af8f60c3a6.mp3?filename=deep-in-the-dell-126916.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/02/18/audio_b3c6f0c96f.mp3?filename=always-with-me-always-with-you-long-21256.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/02/07/audio_fe3203e65a.mp3?filename=greenfield-birds-suburban-sounds-in-the-background-16683.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/03/09/audio_bc2ea94e5e.mp3?filename=bees-and-other-insects180527-24412.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/11/11/audio_84306ee149.mp3?filename=please-calm-my-mind-125566.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/08/02/audio_884fe92c21.mp3?filename=inspiring-cinematic-ambient-116199.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/03/09/audio_0dda787382.mp3?filename=birds-in-the-morning-24147.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/03/09/audio_05483e3d6e.mp3?filename=shining-neural-network-26727.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/08/18/audio_6999ee78e1.mp3?filename=strong-117533.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/10/24/audio_75bc71dae3.mp3?filename=boom-geomorphism-cinematic-trailer-sound-effects-123876.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/07/25/audio_25c05ffd84.mp3?filename=sitar-in-the-moonlight-115602.mp3

https://pixabay.com/

https://cdn.pixabay.com/download/audio/2022/10/11/audio_d28d2bedf8.mp3?filename=ghost-dark-beat-halloween-122461.mp3

about:client

https://ia600201.us.archive.org/4/items/ImcOnairPresents...Microtonalityshruti-sInHindustaniSangeet2008_20/20081104_2100_IMCpresents-MICROTONALITY-in-Hindustani-Sangeet-part3-1.mp3

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript of the Podcast

Tat Tvam Asi - That Art Thou - Story of Uddalaka and Shwetaketu

Dear friends and listeners, today’s episode is very important as it talks about the one of the four Mahavaakya’s mentioned in the Upanishads. Tat Tvam Asi - which means “That Art Thou” or “That is you!” Today’s story is about the great Vedic sage Uddalaka Aaruni and his son Shwetaketu. This story is mentioned in Chaandogya Upanishad, 6th Prapathaka or section. Before we start today’s story a bit about both the principle characters.

Sage Uddalaka is mentioned in many philosophical discussions mentioned in both Chaandogya and Brihaadaaranyaka upanishad, which are two of the oldest Upanishads. He lived few centuries before Gautama Buddha and was one of the most well known Vedic teacher and guru. It is believed that he lived around 7th Centuary BCE.

According to Ben-Ami Scharfstein, a professor emeritus of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University, Uddalaka Aruni was one of the first philosophers in recorded history. Debiprasad Chattopadhyay, the famous marxist philosopher established him as the first “Natural Scientist” in the intellectual history of the world.

He was the first ever sage to find out that the world, including human beings, is fundamentally made up of three elements, food, water and heat, in fact today we’ll learn about it in much detail.

Uddalaka Aaruni was a descendant of Gautama lineage from Kuru-Panchala region. He was pupil of his father Sage Aruna and Patanchala Kaapya. He defeated Prāaciīnayogya Śauceya and likely Bhadrasena Ājātaśatrava in debate. Friends, please dont get confused with Ajatashatru here, Bhadrasena Ajaatasatrava was a brahmin priest at the time of Uddalaka Aruni and Yaagnavalkya, much earlier than the king Ajaatashatru. You may remember that in my earlier episode in which I talked about the debate between Yaagnavalkya and Gargi Vachaknavi, I briefly spoke about Uddalaka Aaruni and how he was defeated by Yaagnavalkya in King Janaka’s symposium. Ironically sage Uddalaka Aaruni was the teacher or guru of Yaagnavalkya. Sometimes in many scriptures he was called Vajashravas.

Now let me bring some controversy before I being today’s story! As per the various Puranas and scriptures it is not very clear that Vajasravas was Uddalaka Aaruni as there may be some differences between the names Auddalaki Aaruni and Uddalaki Aaruni. As per Max Muller, the renowned indologist at Oxford, claims them to be different person! However, as per him,… Adi Shankaracharya considered them to be same Aaruni in his bhasya or commentries on Upanishads. If we believe in Adi Shankaracharya’s commentary then, Sage Uddalaka Aaruni is Sage Vajasravas and he had 3 children named Nachiketa, Shwetaketu and Sujata. We all know Nachiketa’s story from Katha Upanishad. If not, please do listen to my retelling of the famous story in this podcast series. If we believe in Max Muller’s theory, then Uddalaka Aaruni was a different sage from the same lineage of Sage Vajasravas who was father of Nachiketa.

Another controversy, it is also believed that Shwetaketu was not a biological child of Sage Uddalaka Aaruni. It is believed that the Sage practiced Niyoga, in which a woman has a man other than her husband father a child with her, either because her husband is unable to father a child or because he’s dead. This story is kind of touched in Adi Parva of Mahabharata during a conversation between Kunti and Pandu before the divine births of their children through Niyoga with Lord Dharma, Vaayu, Indra, and the Ashvinikumars.

There are many confusion in such off-shoot stories in various scriptures as we also know that Uddalaka Aaruni’s daughter was Sujata, who was married to Sage Kahoda and the famous deformed sage Ashtavaakra was the son of Sujata and Kahoda.

Let me now talk about a bit about Shwetaketu, son of Sage Uddalaka Aaruni and he is known for many things. He was the one who abolished polyandry, the practice of a wife having multiple husbands, as described in the Aadi Parva of the Mahabharata. (A husband having multiple wives, on the other hand, is a well-established practice). And he was the uncle of the famous sage Ashtavaakra, the purported author of the Ashtavaakra Gita. And he is said to have written a text which formed the basis of a certain work of Vatsayaana. Shwetaketu has been referenced across several Upanishads, He is referenced in Brihaadaaranya Upanishad, Chaandogya Upanishd and also in Kausitaki Upanishad.

So, my dear friends let’s concentrate on today’s story. Today’s episode is an ode to the great sage Uddalaka and his Mahavakya “Tat Tvam Asi”.

Sage Uddalaka had a son name Shwetaketu. Until the age of 12 he was like a normal child, spending his time playing with his friends, playing pranks on others and was having a gala time of his life. The great sage thought that it was time when Shwetaketu must be initiated into Brahminhood and must be sent to a gurukul for learning and understanding Vedic scriptures.

One day, the sage called upon young Shwetaketu and told -

“Soumya, there has never being one in our family who is a Brahmin by birth. All of our ancestors were well versed in Vedic scriptures and I think so you should be!”

Shwetaketu like an obedient son, agreed and went away to a gurukul of Sandeepan Muni. He spent 12 long years learning Vedas and other Vedic scriptures which was an achievement in itself. It was a popular belief then,