THE SPEECH:-

Chapter:-1.

Mantra:4.

Yad  vaca  nabhyuditam  yena  vagabhyudyate;

Tadeva  Brahma  tvam  viddi  nedam  yad-idam-upasate.

What speech cannot reveal, but what reveals speech, know THAT alone as Brahmam and not this, that people worship here. 

The Atma-Chaithanyam (Dynamic life center  within us):-

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The power of speech is not in the words or in the instrument of utterance. It is a manifestation of the Eternal Self, "THE ATMA-CHAITHANYA" in us--the dynamic Life-Center in us, because of which speech is being uttered while we are 'alive' and in the absence of which ends, is the Atma. Again though words are uttered because of the Chaithanyam, words cannot themselves explain it.

Example- Just as fire can burn and illuminate other things, but does not consume or lit up itself, so too, speech uttered as a manifestation of Truth, cannot itself illuminate Truth. 'Tat'( the Atma-Chaithanyam)  'eva'(alone) : this word alone has a very deep significance)

 Our attempts to explain or indicate Truth can be only a conditioned Atma. We cannot indicate the pure Truth as such, it being without name or form.

Example- Electricity as such cannot be explained to a layman: the easiest way would be to explain to him the filament and the glass encasement of the lit-up bulb, then indicate to him that 'Electricity is THAT power running uniformly all over the electrical-circuit and which on reaching the filament manifests as light'. Now layman must learn to understand that 'current is nameless and formless power without any reference to the bulb, the filament or the light even'. So too, here, though the Guru indicates to the aspirant that Truth is 'that Life-Center which manifests as the power of sight in the eye, power of hearing in the ear, the power of speech in the tongue, etc.'Absolute Truth is the power which is no way associated with any of its seeming conditioning, such as the ear, eye, mind,etc'. that alone Brahmam.

And not this, that people worship here:-

This portion of the mantra should not be misused to deny idol-worship(vigraha aradhana) or laugh down the BHAKTI MARGA. The one who has evolved into higher stages of perfection through kirthanam, tapam, dyanam etc... is here initiated into a still higher camp of pilgrimage to the pinnacle of Truth. The anxiety of Rishi is not to damn the aspirant, but lovingly to stretch out helping hand to draw him nearer to the spiritual Goal. Rishi wants the disciple to go beyond pictures of Rama or Krishna. Through Rama to Rama tattvam; through Krishna to Krishna tattvam: through names and forms to the beyond!