A figure in the Chandogya Upanishad, a theoretical
literature that makes up the Vedas' newest layer.
Uddalaka is the father and teacher of Shvetaketu Aruneya in
the Upanishad, and the two serve as a paradigm for the transfer of hidden
teachings between guru and disciple.
Shvetaketu is sent away by his father to study the Vedas,
according to a tale in the Upanishad's sixth chapter, and when he returns
twelve years later, having mastered all the Vedas, he incorrectly believes
himself knowledgeable.
Shvetaketu's hubris is shattered when his father asks him
questions about the nature of the universe, demonstrating the difference
between memory and genuine understanding.
When Shvetaketu is unable to respond, he acknowledges his
ignorance and accepts his father's lesson on the essence of the Self (atman).
The teaching "That thou art" is included in this
lesson (Tat tvam asi).
This is one of Indian philosophy's "big
declarations" (mahavakya), asserting the ultimate unity of Brahman and
atman, the universe and the human Self.
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