Aruni speaks to Svetaketu

Chandogyopanishad

Part 2: Food

An account of food (Annam, Ahara) is available in the sixth chapter of Chandogyopanishad. It is a part of Tri-vrit, ‘the theory of triplication’, i.e. food consumed is converted into three parts in a grade of gross to subtle to subtler components of a human.  It forms a part of the talks on Genesis, the process of evolution as per Vedanta.

 

Note:  Tri-vrit means the process of triplication. It means from one origin three graded layers of products are developed.  When similar process is described in five layers, it is called Panchi-karana (quintiplication).     

 

This account on food is as follows:

Aruni describes to his son Svetaketu how a human body-mind complex is made from various types of food:  

1.a:  Food when consumed is processed in the body. In this process, food is converted into three types of products.  The grossest part of food becomes faces, subtler part becomes flesh and the finest part is made into mind.

1.b:  Water (includes all forms of fluids, liquids and juices) is made into Dhatu (body constituents), urine and blood. 

1.c:  Fire (oil, ghee, butter, fat) taken becomes bone, marrow and speech.

O Dear Saumya! Therefore, it may be concluded that (quality of) mind is based on food, Prana of water and speech of fire.

a) The student wants to know the rationale of this process, ‘how come mind is made of food?’

The master elaborates with an example. ‘Just as curd when churned produces Ghee (butter floats above which is refined further into Ghee) which is the finest product, similar is the case of mind.  It is the finest product of gross food’.

b) Finest produce of all forms of consumable liquids is Prana.

c) Subtlest portion of fire when consumed is converted into (rises up, refines into) speech.    

Note:  Thus the Mind, having been developed from food, is a material (elemental) substance, and it is not perceived to be something eternal and impartible (as defined in certain section of Darshanas such as Vaisheshika).

This is said (Chandogyopanishad-viii.xii.5) that ‘the mind is His Divine Eye’ – hence the present statement that mind is a material product is contested.  A clarification is presented. It is said not to substantiate the view of its being eternal.  Mind ‘dominates’ over all the senses and also their respective objects which can be extremely subtle, not easily perceptible or may be lying beyond the range of senses. Secondly, it has been repeatedly ascertained in the Upanishads that Brahman is One and Supreme without a second.  This negates the possibility of mind being eternal.

Water (liquids and fluids) when consumed is made into three products:  a) the grossest material becomes urine, b) the intermediate content is blood and, c) the subtlest matter is Prana.

Fire (oil, Ghee, fat) eaten, is made three types of bodily components. The grossest matter becomes bone, the middle matter becomes marrow and the subtlest matter becomes Speech.

 

Aruni: “My Dear son!  Therefore, mind is made up of food, Prana is made up of water and speech is made up of fire.

“Let us go for a test to validate my point.  You may use yourself as an experimental subject to conduct this test.  Now, My Dear son! Don’t eat any solid food for next fifteen days.  But you may drink as much water you like.

“Prana is made of water.  If you do not drink water, Prana would be delinked from its source and hence it will gradually wane off”.

 

Note:  It is only when mind is strong a man is capable of seeing, hearing, thinking, cognizing, moving, knowing and carrying on all kind of activities.  These abilities are lost if the said force is weak. It is going to be said later on that,  ‘It is through food that one becomes a Seer’.  Basic ability of all causes and effects is that of the mind.  Persons endowed with a strong mindset are seen to be strong and powerful in all fields of life.  

Accordingly, Svetaketu skipped food for fifteen days. After fifteen days, he approached his beloved father Aruni and said, “My Dear Sir, I did not consume food for fifteen days. Now what (scripture) should I pronounce before you?”

Aruni, “Dear son, please reproduce all the Vedas”. 

Svetaketu, “Dear Sir, I am sorry to say, I am unable to recollect any of the Vedas.”

 

Note:  It has been said that the subtlest part of the food consumed infuses force in mind. This force derived from the food is divisible into sixteen parts (Kalas).  These sixteen parts make a human being (physical entity) and its association with Consciousness is considered as a living human being.  

 

Aruni, “It is like this. Suppose a big blazing fire is extinguished saving just a tiny ember. Just as this tiny ember can rekindle a large fire again, in the same manner, even one of the sixteen parts, when saved, of a human being is capable enough to make you recollect all the lessons of the Vedas.

“I would like you to take food to your hearts content. Then after some time you will certainly notice that all the Vedas are recollected by you.

“Therefore, I stand by my contention that from food mind is made, and so on”.