Ushasti Chakrayana (Chhandogya Upanishad) This is the story of Ushasti Chakrayana, Ushasti the son of Chakra. But could it be that the name means one who drives a wheel, like Shakatayana,the driver of śakaṭa, the bullock cart? Or is it something similar to Kamalayana, one who tends or enjoys a kamala, the lotus, lotus-eater? The Chakra or wheel here might be the potter's wheel, or it might as well be the spinner's wheel or Charkha. Does the name then mean something like one who owns or plies a Charkha, just as we term Kamliwalla an ascetic with a Kambal or blanket ? However that may be, here is the story. The Kuru country where Ushasti had h

Satyakama and Upakoshala (I) Satyakama was now a Rishi, a brahmarṣi, a sage and seer who had realised the Truth. He was himself a teacher now, had his own Ashrama where the seekers and aspirants came to receive his instruction and guidance. Today I shall tell you something of the aim and method of Satyakama's work as teacher. Upakoshala Kamalayana, the son of Kamala, resided with Satyakama as a student of sacred lore for twelve years, tending his fires. What this tending of the fires really meant we shall learn as we proceed. There were other resident pupils along with Upakoshala; and after they had finished their twelve-year course, they wer

Parables from the Upanishads Nolini Kanta Gupta SRINVANTU 63, College Street, CALCUTTA - 700 073 Translated from the original Bengali by Sanat Kumar Banerjee 15 August 1979 Rs. 3.00 © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1979 Published by Srinvantu, 63 College Street, Calcutta-700 073 Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry-605 002, India

BODY, THE OCCULT AGENT The body has an individuality of its own. It is an organised formation and acts as a whole in each and all its parts. The human body is, par excellence, such a formation; for it is moved and controlled by the consciousness which overshadows or informs it, which is its master whose will it executes scrupulously. The body is an epitome of the world. It encases within its frame the whole world, particularly the earth—earth itself being an epitome of the world— on a miniature scale, the mikros reproducing all the features and characters of the makros. Such being the case, a wholly conscious body governed and inspired by the