Summary:
Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 2: One who desires objects while thinking about them is reborn in worlds where those objects exist, as desires are like a bottomless pit where fulfilling one spawns ten more. For the fulfilled person who knows they are the cause of the universe, all desires dissolve here itself. Moksha is a special desire – a desire that wakes up from the dream of endless desiring.
Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 5: Realizing all-pervasive Brahman, the wise no longer ask “Who am I?” but live as the answer, cognitively knowing everything resolves into Self and directly appreciating it now. For the jivanmukta, death is like removing a glove where the hand (Self) was always free.
Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 6: For seekers who applied consistent effort matching perception to Upanishadic vision through either renunciation (leaving householder life) or karma-yoga (remaining householder while renouncing attachment to results), Vedantic knowledge becomes well-ascertained. At death, they resolve into Ishvara and become objects of prayer and worship for others.
Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 7: The 15 components return to their sources. The functional ego remains for transactional purposes while knowing it's not true identity. When the jnani's physical body dies, this functional ego-sense completely dissolves.
Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 8: While Ganga and Yamuna traveled, they were water with name-form. When they reach the ocean (physical death), only name-form disappears while they continue being water. Similarly, the knower of Self drops name-form limitations and remains as pure consciousness, which was their true nature all along.
Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 9: The liberated being benefits his students, including everyone who has contributed to his/her journey.
SECTION 2:
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 2: Jivanmukta and Desires Relationship
कामान् यः कामयते मन्यमानः
स कामभिः जायते तत्र तत्र
पर्याप्त-कामस्य कृत-आत्मनः तु
इह एव सर्वे प्रविलीयन्ति कामाः (३.२.२)
kāmān yaḥ kāmayate manyamānaḥ
sa kāmabhiḥ jāyate tatra tatra
paryāpta-kāmasya kṛta-ātmanaḥ tu
iha eva sarve pravilīyanti kāmāḥ (3.2.2)
That person who desires objects, thinking (about them), is born in those respective worlds with those objects. Whereas for a fulfilled person, for whom everything has been achieved, all desires dissolve here itself.
“One who desires objects, is born in that world (kāmān kāmayate manyamānaḥ)”
You’re reborn where your objects of desire exist. Want heavenly pleasures? You’ll take birth in heaven. Desires are like trying to fill a bottomless pit, fulfilling one desire spawns ten more.
“Knowing you are the cause of the universe, all desires dissolve here itself (paryāpta-kāmasya kṛtātmanaḥ)”
Mokṣa is a special type of desire: It’s a desire that wakes up from a dream where you were endlessly desiring.
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 5: Knower of Brahman is Cheerful
सम्प्राप्य एनम् ऋषयः ज्ञान-तृप्ताः
कृत-आत्मानः वीत-रागाः प्रशान्ताः
ते सर्वगम् सर्वतः प्राप्य धीराः
युक्त-आत्मानः सर्वम् एव आविशन्ति (३.२.५)
samprāpya enam ṛṣayaḥ jñāna-tṛptāḥ
kṛta-ātmānaḥ vīta-rāgāḥ praśāntāḥ
te sarvagam sarvataḥ prāpya dhīrāḥ
yukta-ātmānaḥ sarvam eva āviśanti (3.2.5)
Having gained this Brahman, the ṛṣis become satisfied due to this knowledge. Having rendered the mind ready, they are free from rāga- dveṣas and are naturally cheerful. Committed to Brahman and having always gained the all-pervasive Brahman, they become everything.
“Having gained Brahman, the sages are satisfied, their minds perfected, free from attachments, and naturally serene (jñānatṛptāḥ, kṛtātmānaḥ, vītarāgāḥ, praśāntāḥ)”
- Mind is perfected: A relatively perfected mind (kṛtātmānaḥ) is like a calm lake — reflecting the world without distortion, devoid of ripples caused by binding likes/dislikes.
- Cheerfulness without cause: Ordinary happiness depends on external situations (eg: a promotion). The sage’s joy (praśānti) is like the sun’s light — self-sustaining, unaffected by clouds. Contentment (tṛpti) comes from knowing everything is already the Self.
“Having realized the all-pervasive Brahman, they become everything (sarvagaṁ sarvataḥ prāpya, āviśanti)”
Jnani no longer asks “Who am I?” — they live as the answer. Cognitively knows, everything resolves into Self, which I am right now. But also directly appreciates it NOW.
“They enter Brahman (yuktātmānaḥ, dhīrāḥ)”
“They enter Brahman” is figurative — like pot-space ‘merging’ into total space when the pot breaks.
For the jivanmukta – death is like removing a glove – the hand (Self) was always free, or removing a costume after the play. The Upaniṣad uses transactional language (“enter”, or “merge”) because it’s what we relate to.
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 6: Who Practices Karma-Yoga, Easily Gets It
वेदान्त-विज्ञान-सुनिश्चित-अर्थाः
सन्न्यास-योगात् यतयः शुद्ध-सत्त्वाः
ते ब्रह्म-लोकेषु पर-अन्त-काले
परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे (३.२.६)
vedānta-vijñāna-suniścita-arthāḥ
sannyāsa-yogāt yatayaḥ śuddha-sattvāḥ
te brahma-lokeṣu para-anta-kāle
parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve (3.2.6)
For those who become renunciates having lived a life of karma-yoga, whose minds are free from the hold of rāga-dveṣas, the knowledge gained from Vedanta is very well-ascertained. Being not separate from Brahman, all of them are completely free from the sense of limitation and they resolve into Brahman at the time of the death of the subtle body.
“For those who become renunciates having lived a life of karma-yoga… Vedantic knowledge is well-ascertained”
Until moksha, one has applied consistent effort (yatayaḥ) of matching perception to the Upanishadic vision, such as removing notion that any particular experience is the Self. This effort fell knowingly or unknowingly under two categories:
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- Sannyasa: Practitioner decided to renounce world of a householder – took official sannyasa. Renounces actions. Lives simple life.
- Karma-Yogi: Practitioner remained a householder, and used every situation as means of growth, to perceive it as expression of Ishvara. Renounced attachment to results, meaning recognized that things can't always happen one's way, and the real joy is in the journey (action), not in the destination (result).
“They resolve into Brahman at the time of the death of the subtle body: (parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve)”
When wise person drops the body, he cannot be referred to as “they” anymore. Because there is only Brahman. He remains non-separate from Īśvara, and becomes an object of prayer and worship for others.
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 7: Jivanmukta’s Ahamkara Merges with Ishvara’s
गताः कलाः पञ्चदश प्रतिष्ठाः
देवाः च सर्वे प्रतिदेवतासु
कर्माणि विज्ञानमयः च आत्मा
परे अव्यये सर्वे एकीभवन्ति (३.२.७)
gatāḥ kalāḥ pañcadaśa pratiṣṭhāḥ
devāḥ ca sarve pratidevatāsu
karmāṇi vijñānamayaḥ ca ātmā
pare avyaye sarve ekībhavanti (3.2.7)
The fifteen aspects of the jīva go back to their causes, and all sense organs go to their respective presiding deities. The ahaṅkāra and its karma become one with Brahman which is not subject to end.
“The 15 aspects of the jīva return to their sources; sense organs merge with their presiding deities; karmas dissolve (pañcadaśa kalāḥ, devāḥ, karmāṇi)”
Everything you’ve learned, all the discipline and skills you worked so hard for, returns to potential from whence it originally came.
The 15 components are: (1) Prāṇa (vital force), (2) Śraddhā (faith), (3) Ākāśa/Space, (4) Vāyu/Air, (5) Agni/Fire, (6) Āpaḥ/Water, (7) Pṛthivī/Earth, (8) Śrotra (ear/hearing), (9) Tvak (skin/touch), (10) Cakṣus (eye/vision), (11) Jihvā (tongue/taste), (12) Ghrāṇa (nose/smell), (13) Manas (mind), (14) Buddhi (intellect), and (15) Ahaṅkāra (ego).
“The individual ego (ahaṅkāra) unites with Ishvara’s (vijñānamaya ātmā)”
Even after self-realization, a functional sense of “I” remains as the subject. This allows the jnani to conduct transactionally. Wise person knows the subject/actor isn’t my true identity. The sense that “I” am here and not over there is illusionary created by māyā.
When jnani’s physical body dies, his functional ego-sense completely dissolves like in deep sleep. Like the cup dissolves, “freeing” the cup-space — now it’s “united” with total-space.
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 8: As “Rivers into the Ocean”
यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रे
अस्तम् गच्छन्ति नाम-रूपे विहाय
तथा विद्वान् नाम-रूपात् विमुक्तः
परात्-परम् पुरुषम् उपैति दिव्यम् (३.२.८)
yathā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudre
astam gacchanti nāma-rūpe vihāya
tathā vidvān nāma-rūpāt vimuktaḥ
parāt-param puruṣam upaiti divyam (3.2.8)
Just as the rivers flowing in various directions disappear in the ocean, giving up their names and forms, so too, the knower of ātman becomes free from name and form and gains Brahman, which is of the nature of consciousness and is superior to māyā.
“Just as the rivers flowing in various directions disappear in the ocean, giving up their names and forms… so too, the knower of ātman becomes free from name and form”
The various rivers like Gaṅgā and Yamunā flow downward with a commitment to reach the ocean.
They don't wander aimlessly like saṁsārins – they know exactly where they're heading.
When these rivers reach their destination, they give up their individuality.
Though they appeared separate due to name and form — as water, they were never truly distinct from the ocean.
“Gains Brahman, which is superior to māyā (parātparaṁ puruṣamupaiti divyam)”
This “gaining” is only figurative since you already are that self. The text describes this reality as parāt param – “greater than māyā”.
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 9: Knower of Brahman Becomes Brahman
स यः ह वै तत् परमम् ब्रह्म वेद
ब्रह्म एव भवति न अस्य अब्रह्मवित् कुले भवति
तरति शोकम् तरति पाप्मानम्
गुहा-ग्रन्थिभ्यः विमुक्तः अमृतः भवति (३.२.९)
sa yaḥ ha vai tat paramam brahma veda
brahma eva bhavati na asya abrahmavit kule bhavati
tarati śokam tarati pāpmānam
guhā-granthibhyaḥ vimuktaḥ amṛtaḥ bhavati (3.2.9)
Indeed that person who knows that limitless Brahman, becomes Brahman itself. In such a person’s family there is no one who does not know Brahman. He (or she) crosses sorrow and the pāpas. Having been released from the knots of the heart, the person is no longer subject to death.
“In such a wise person’s family [circle of influence], there is no one who does not know Brahman”
Interpretation 1: Guru’s students benefit.
Interpretation 2: Guru’s biological family benefits because they contributed in some way. Including those people who hurt the guru have also positively contributed.
CH 3, SECTION 2, VERSE 11: Conclusion
तत् एतत् सत्यम्
ऋषिः अङ्गिराः पुरोवाच न एतत्
अचीर्ण-व्रतः अधीते
नमः परम-ऋषिभ्यः नमः
परम-ऋषिभ्यः (३.२.११)
tat etat satyam
ṛṣiḥ aṅgirāḥ purovāca na etat
acīrṇa-vrataḥ adhīte
namaḥ parama-ṛṣibhyaḥ namaḥ
parama-ṛṣibhyaḥ (3.2.11)
This is satyam. Sage Aṅgiras taught this once upon a time. One who has not done the prescribed ritual may not study this upaniṣad. Salutation to the seers of Brahman.
— This concludes the retreat —
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Recorded 13 July, 2025