Word

Upakosala Vidya

Sanskrit

उपकोशल विद्या

IAST

upakoṣla vidyā

In General

The Upanishads uses the word vidya as a technique to do spiritual Sadana. It is meditation and also all other faculties like memorizing, wishing, understanding, aspiring, contemplating and physical activities like developing personality. The technique help the Sadhaka to finally evolve into a supra physical spiritual life

Veda

This Vidya occurs in the Chandogyopanishad (4.10-15). Upakosala, the disciple of Satyakama Jabala instructed on this Vidya by the three fires.

Prana is Brahman. Happiness is Brahman. Ether is Brahman. Happiness and Ether are one.

The Garhapatya, Dakshinagni and Ahavaniya fires instruct Upakosala on their being the Purushas in the Sun, moon and lightning respectively. Those who meditate upon these pass beyond the world of Agni to which the soul passing through the Devayana is led by the Amanava Purusha. Collective meditation on these leads the Upasaka to Prana and Akasa which reflect the bliss of Brahman. The meditator on these three goes beyond earth, fire, food, Sun, water, quarters, stars, moon, breath, space, sky, lightning, which are the bodies of the fires, and reaches the Centre of Joy through the Devayana Path, when these are conceived of as subjective and not objective.