This article was published in Mihira in 90s by Dr. Kolluru Avatara Sarma
That you are!!… ‘Tat Twamasi’ - is one of the FOUR greatest preachings of the Indian sacred texts.
Every seeker of knowledge, at the outset questions himself, ‘who am I? Where am I from? And where do I have to go? What is my goal? And what am I doing? What ought I to do?’
Our authentic religious texts answered these questions in only one simple sentence! Thus the four Vedas assured in their own way. This four - fold answer is named Mahaa Vakya Chatushtaya- which means ‘The four great sentences’. Though they are different in their form and syntax, they hold the same meaning. The present sentence ‘That you are’ consists of three words. Among these the last two are addressed to the seeker. The first one is the source of the search That is ‘THAT’–thad in Sanskrit.
What is THAT? The answer is- All that is seen and unseen. That means all that exists as WORLD or UNIVERSE. Then arises another question about its manifestation. Who could have created this universe and who is guiding all of its movements? Readily we get the answer from within–There must have been an infinite intelligence at the back of this world because we find that everything behaves according to some universal law following certain principles in a uniform design with a slight variation. Really it is the wonder of wonders!
The seeker, who surrenders himself to this Supreme Intelligence only can understand the truth, i.e. the real knowledge; otherwise he will be thrown into the veils of ignorance and perish.
In this context, we ought to recall the description of Newton, the father of physics about intellectual knowledge and the vastness of the ocean - " gathering a few pebbles on the shore". Thus the more closely one deals with nature, God’s wondrous handwork, the more one is drawn to the infinite. The pettiness of the human ego diminishes in direct proportion to such observation and experience. The ego is governed by the limits of the universe which the great unseen intelligence behind all things visible and invisible is continuously creating.
He alone created both the earth and heaven at a time says ‘Sruti- Dyaava Prthivi janayan Deva ekah. Sa Bhooriti Vyaharata. Bhuvamasrujata and so on… The first book of Bible also agrees with this text - “God said - Let there be light and there was light …. God made the firmament and called the firmament as ‘Heaven’. God again said - Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear. It was so. God called the dry land EARTH.”
Thus every spiritual seeker praised the supreme intelligence and named it God, the creator, omnipotent, omniscient and all pervading. So says the sacred Text - Tat Srishtva Thadevaanupravisat.
By this observation the seeker has found the answer where that intelligence which took the name of God the omnipotent dwells. As it is all pervading it can be seen everywhere. But one is not able to see Him. What is the mystery?
This mystery is unveiled if we understand the path clearly. At first one should search within by understanding himself as the abode of God. For this great courage is necessary, says Sruthi.