Of these various Vidyas, what is called the Dahara Upasana or Vidya is the most favoured of all the Upasanas in the Svetasvatara and Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Katha, Mundaka and Kaivalya, Atharva Sikha and in the Bhagavad Gita.

The references to this Highest Yoga practice are most numerous in the Upanishats and the sameness of the various references form the subject of discussion in the Vedanta Sutras (iii. 3. 23).

The famous passages are what occur in the Chandogya Upanishat, commencing with the sentences "There is the city* of Brahman" (viii. 1. 1). "All this is Brahman." (iii. 14. 1 to 4). This worship or Yoga, consists in the aspirant contemplating in his heart, the Supreme one, as the Person of Light and as AkaSa, as Satchidananda Paramesvara, with the particular formula that "God is in all beings and all beings are in God." And various synonyms are used to denote this heart of man, such as Dahara (subtle) Guha (cave), Pundarika (lotus), Brahmapura (city), Hridaya (heart).

*This City is exactly reproduced in modern symbolism in the Great Temple of Chidambaram.

And the meaning of the words Akasa, and Vyoma has also to be carefully noted. They are synonymous and do not mean the Bhuta Akasa, nor the Mayasakti or Avidya, but as interpreted by the Puranas themselves, they mean Chit or Jnana, or, Light or Grace, which is the Parasakti of the Supreme Isvara. That this Akasa is Chit and not Achit, is further proved by the phrases, Chitakasa and Chidambara, and this Chit Sakti is the Devatma-Sakti of our Upanishat,'which is inherent and concealed in him, (i. 3). and the supreme Sakti, which is revealed as manifold, inherent (Siva) and manifesting as Kriya and Jnana (vi. 8). It is this which is called Uma and Light and Bhargas† and Savilri and Gayatri. And when we understand therefore, this Akasa, as light and knowledge, the Supreme Sakti of God, its description as the highest light, the revealer of all forms, the Highest object of adoration, is clear. The description of God also as AkaSa (Sakti) and as dwelling in AkaSa (Sakti) will not be conflicting, as no distinction is made between Sun and his light, much less between God and his Power. ‡

It is this Jnana Sakti who gives to the Chetana and Achetana Prapancha its form and shape and life and love'and light; but the substance or Upadana out of which this

† Cf. Mait. Up. vi. 7, " Rudra is called Bhargas, thus say the Brahman teachers," cf. also vi. 28 last para. "The Shrine (Paramalaya) which consists of the Akas in the heart, the blissful, the highest retreat, that is our own, that is our Goal, and that is the heat and brightness of the Fire and Sun."

‡ In the Yajur Veda, this God and Ambika are called Saha which may mean equal or brother and sister.

It is Badarayana's view that there is no other Upadana except God and these worlds arise out of God Himself. When a tree springs out of

Prapaiicha is evolved is the Maya or Pradhana, which also dwelling in Him is drawn out and drawn in by the Supreme Power (Sakti) with just the ease and dexterity of a spider which spins out or in; or of the magician who draws forth, out of an empty basket, fruits and flowers and sweets. The Maya (meaning also power) is also a Sakti of His, (Mayasakti), but differing from the other Sakti, Ichcha Jnana and Kriya, just as darkness differs from light. As darkness is necessary for rest and recuperation, so this power of God also works for our rest and recuperation and salvation. And God is called the Lord of Maya (Mayin) and "beyond" all forms of the tree, as transcending all the "Tattvas, Kala" etc, and as 'transcending '.Pradhana.' Why we are required to contemplate God as Akasa, Light or Chit is, that by this Light alone we can know Him, and as such Light; and it is as Light, Chit God is immanent in the world, and omnipresent. And this brings out again the reason why this Chit is called Akasa, the most subtle and invisible and omnipresent element we have in Nature.

God is present in all nature and pervades it, as oil in seeds, butter in ghee and fire in wood (i 15). And this all pervasive-ness is thus explained in a text of the Atharva Siras Upanishat - "Why is it called Sarva Vyapi? It is so called because like ghee diffusing and soaking itself through and through the Ruda (Milk or seed), it pervades every created thing through and through as warp and woof."

And as by reason of this pervasiveness, nothing could be imagined as existing out of Him, the whole is called also Brahman, the whole, with the parts and limbs and bodies (iv. 10) as the Chetana-Achetana Prapancha, has antahkarana as Chit the bare ground, we naturally suppose there was some seed imbedded in it without our knowledge, though the earth contained it and is essential for .the support and growth of the plant. This is the Aupanishadic view. Badarayana would say that no seed is necessary and the earth alone is sufficient.

Sakti, and Himself the Soul of this vast whole. And as all of us form but parts of him, we are also enjoined to be kind to one another, for, whatever we do to each other will be also done to His body. We quote the following from Srlkantha Siva-charya's commentary in which this point is discussed.

"All this is Brahman, as beginning, ending, and breathing in Him ; and therefore let a man meditate on him."

"This passage maybe explained as follows: The origin, existence and end of all this depends on Brahman. All this, both the sentient and insentient existence, is verily Brahman, and therefore let a man meditate on Brahman, tranquil in mind. Just as the water-bubbles which have their origin, existence and end in the ocean, are found to be only forms of that ocean, so too, that which depends for its orign, etc., on Brahman associated with Sakti must be made of Brahman and nothing else. Nothing distinct from him is ever perceived. Accordingly in the Atharva-Siras, it has been declared by Isana as follows: -