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The next example is from the Vaishvānara vidya of the Chhāndogya
Upanishad and its connection to the Vaishvānara Agni mentioned
in numerous hymns of the Rigveda. Even though all
sādhanās of the Upanishads lead to the attainment of
brahmic realization, their starting points, their approaches,
and the results experienced on the way to realization may differ.
Sādhanās may differ from one another in their emphasis on
different aspects of brahman. The Vaishvānara vidya
mentioned in the 5th book of Chhāndogya begins with question,
“what do you worship as the ātman” posed by the teacher,
the king Ashwapathy Kaikeya to eager students who approached him
for the elucidation of the supreme realization. The teacher shows
the limitations of various answers and teaches them about the
universal person, Vaishvānara, who is adored as, “in all
worlds, in all beings, in all selves, he eats the food”. The
teacher exhorts the students in the art of living in accord with
the truths of Vaishvānara, the universal person. He enjoins them,
“not to eat the food and live as if the vaishvānara ātman
were something separate, but to live and eat for living with the
knowledge of Him as the one fire who lives aglow in all
creatures”. Such a person lives also for other souls, for other
beings around, for the rest of the whole universe. His living is a
source of joy and power to all living beings at all levels. He
radiates wisdom and life-giving strength. The food he takes is an
offering to the universal fire. This is the real-meaning of the
fire-ritual. The text says that whosoever performs the fire-ritual
without knowing its meaning is wasting his efforts like pouring
his offering on ashes after removing the burning charcoal. As
mentioned earlier, the Vaishvānara vidya directly draws its
inspiration from the numerous hymns on the Vaishvānara Agni in the
Rigveda. Sri Kapāli Sāstry gives a detailed discussion on
this topic. We will content ourselves by giving references to some
of the relevant hymns: Rigveda, (10.88, 1.59, 1.98.1,
3.3.2, 3.3.4, 3.26.7).
sa sarveşhu lokeşhu sarveşhu bhūteşhu sarveşhu ātmāsu annam
atti.
Ch. U (5.18.1), last line.
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