NINE PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS
With illustrations,
abstract, explanatory rendering (without
Sanskrit verses) of all verses in simple, modern English;
copious notes and gloss
on difficult verses and words;
simpler important verses are
printed in underlined-
bold for
the first time readers; 83 quotations from
the Bhagavad-Gita;
Chapter&Section headings,
Glossary of Sanskrit
words used, Cross
reference and Appendixes.
Ramananda
Prasad, Ph.D.
© International Gita
Society (IGS)
No permission is required for non-profit
use of materials
in this book, provided proper credit
is given to IGS.
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LIST
OF ABBREVIATIONS USED
01.
IsU Ishāvāshya Upanishad
02.
KeU Kena Upanishad
03.
KaU Ka!ha Upanishad
04.
PrU Prashna Upanishad
05.
MuU Mundaka Upanishad
06.
MaU Māndukya Upanishad
07.
TaU Taittiriya Upanishad
08.
AiU Aitareya Upanishad
09.
ShU Shvetāshvatara Upanishad
10. ChU Chāndogya Upanishad
11. BrU
Brihadāranyaka Upanishad
12. RV Rigveda
13. YV
Yajurveda
14. SV
Sāmaveda
15. AV
Atharvaveda
16. BG
Bhagavad-Gita, 83 Quotes
17. MB Mahābhārata
18. BP Bhāgavata
Purāna
Read all references to Gita verses in this book on:
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For
a Glossary of Sanskrit words used:
www.gita-society.com/glossary-up.doc
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This book is meant for the first time readers who have
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Sanskrit
words. Advanced study of the Upanishads should be
pursued
by “sitting down near a
qualified spiritual master."
Revised June/2019
CONTENTS
1. ISHĀVĀSHYA UPANISHAD..............................................
Description of the Un-Describable Ātmā
The Beauty of Advaita Philosophy
Reconciliation of Contradictions
2. KENA UPANISHAD............................................................
CHAPTER 1. KNOWLEDGE OF BRAHMAN
CHAPTER 2. BRAHMAN IS UNKNOWABLE
Brahman is Unknown to the Wise
CHAPTER 3. BRAHMAN RUNS THE UNIVERSE
Everything Runs by The Power of God
CHAPTER 4 . THE GLORY OF BRAHMAN
The Teachings of Upanishad Lead to Liberation............
SECTION 1. NACHIKETĀ IS NOT AFRAID OF DEATH
Three Wishes Offered to Nachiketā
Nachiketā’s Third Wish: Life After Deat
SECTION 2. EXISTENCE OF THE SUPREME BEING.......
The Requirement of Renunciation and Reflection
Know Om as Brahman....................................................
The Eternal Indestructible Soul
Characteristics of the Supreme
The Conditions for Knowing Brahman
The Universal and Individual Soul
Nachiketā Sacrificial Fire as an Aid
Homeward Journey of the jiva in a Chariot
Control of the mind is Necessary
Order of Progression to the Supreme
A call to the Way of Liberation from Death
The Immortal Value of this Teaching
SECTION 4. THE INNER WAY OF THE SPIRIT
The Self cannot be Sought Through the Senses
Ātmā is working in All the Senses, in All
states
Universal Soul is same as the Individual Soul
The Eternal Lord Abides In One's Body
The Results of Seeing Diversity in Unity
SECTION 5. THE STAGES OF SELF-CONTROL
The Individual soul and the creation
Embodiment of the Reincarnating Soul
One's Real Self is the Same as the Universal Self..........
Indescribable Bliss of Self-Realization
The Self-Luminous Light of the World
Brahman is the source of the Cosmos
Degrees of Perception of the Self
The Gradation Up To the Cosmic Being
The Self is attained by faith in Scriptures
Requires Renunciation of Desires, Attachments............
This Teaching: A Way to Immortality
QUESTION 1. THE ORIGIN OF CREATION
QUESTION 2. PRĀNA IS THE POWER OF GOD
QUESTION 3. GOD IS THE ORIGIN OF PRĀNA
QUESTION 4. THREE
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Sixteen components (Kalā, parts) of the Supreme
Sixteen major powers (Kalā) of the Supreme
The theory and purpose of creation
Transcendental Knowledge leads to Liberation
Brahman is the source of every thing
Self is both with form and without form
The metaphor of bow, arrow and the target
Knowledge is the bridge to cross maya..........................
To know Brahman is to become Brahman
Three States of individual Consciousness
Turiya or Super-Conscious State
Advance Omnic Sound Meditation Technique
APPENDIX 2.Chakra
balancing and healing with Om
Section 2. Lesson on pronunciation
Section 3. Reflection on the combinations
Section 4. The Universal prayer
Section 5. Description of Four Great Utterances
Section 6. Reflection on saguna Brahman
Section 7. Reflection on fivefold nature
Section 10. A mantra for daily contemplation
Section 11. Advice to the students
CHAPTER 2. BRAHMĀNANDA, THE BLISS OF
BRAHMAN
(The
Five Sheaths (koshas, coverings) of Ātman)
Section 1. The sheath of food or body
Section 2. The sheath of the Prāna
Section 3. The sheath of the mind
Section 4. The sheath of the intellect
Section 5. The sheath of Knowledge and Bliss
Section 6. Brahman: Source, support, sink of all
Section 7. Brahman as fearlessness
Section 8. The bliss of Brahman
Section 9. The merging of good and evil
CHAPTER 3. VARUNA-BHRIGU DIALOGUE
Section 1. Know Brahman by Tapas
Section 2. The body as Brahman
Section 3. The Prāna as Brahman
Section 4. The mind as Brahman
Section 5. The intellect as Brahman
Section 6. Knowledge and Bliss as Brahman
Section 7. The importance of food (i)
Section 8. The importance of food (ii)
Section 9. The importance of food (iii)
Section 10. Contemplation on Brahman
CHAPTER 1. THE THEORY OF CREATION
Section 1. Creation of the Jiva
CHAPTER 2. TRANSMIGRATION OF SOUL
CHAPTER 3. MANIFESTATION OF BRAHMAN
APPENDIX 3. Immortality by giving up Ego
Description of the Glory of God
Rudra is another name of Ishvara
Personal and impersonal aspects of Brahman
The supreme can be described only by Parables...........
The Parable of Two Birds...............................................
CHAPTER 5............................................................................
Reasons for the reincarnation of jiva..............................
Lord is the efficient and material
cause of creation............
Brahman is the light of all lights .....................................
Explanation of : Om! purnamadah purnamidam.......
(The most
important shloka of the Vedas)
The philosophical
portion of the Vedas is called the Upanishads. The
Upanishads are found mostly in the concluding part of the Vedas and are also
called Vedānta (added at the end of the Vedas). They are
found appended to all the four Vedas, and thus we have Upanishads belonging to
all four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sāma
and Atharva. Each Vedas reveals its contents under four sections: (1) The Samhitās, containing
beautiful lyrical poems or mantras
describing and adoring the beauty of nature and the power of the extraordinary
forces. (2) The Brahmanas
section containing the ritualistic injunctions
and prescriptions for various ceremonies. (3)
The Aranyakas, containing various methods of worship or Upāsanās and (4) The Upanishads,
containing the philosophical discussions and sermons that had taken place at
various periods of time between different teachers (Rishis) and their students,
regarding Brahman, Eternal Purpose of creation and the goal of human life. While the hymns of the Vedas emphasize rituals and the
Brahmanas serve as a manual for those Vedic rituals. The Upanishads are
inherently opposed to rituals.
The name ‘Upanishad’ has a very
purposeful meaning and deep significance. The Sanskrit word Upanishad translates to: “Upa
(near) ni (down) shad (sit), sitting down near a teacher". The term
'Upanishad' literally means sitting near the enlightened Master and listening
closely to the mystic doctrines of the spiritual teacher, who
has grasped the fundamental truths of the universe. To
Indian scholars ‘Upanishad’
also means a literature that destroys our present ignorance of Reality and
helps the student to attain the Supreme Knowledge. There are more than 200
known Upanishads, one of which, Muktikā Upanishad, predates 1656 and contains a list of 108 authorized Upanishads, including
itself as the last. The
first dozen out of 108 Upanishads are the oldest and most important known as
the principal Upanishads. They all predate 6th century BCE. The top Nine Principal Upanishads are introduced
in this book in simple, easy to understand modern English.
ö p=U[=*m=d/
p=U[=*im=d], p=U[==*t=< p=U[=*m=udcy=t=e
p=U[=*sy= p=U[=*m==d=y=, p=U[=*m=ev==v=òx={y=t=e
ö x==ûnt=/
x==ûnt=/ x==ûnt=/
purnāt purnam-udacyate.
purnasya purnamādāya,
purnam-eva-avashishyate.
Read
an explanation of this very important verse at the end of this book.
The Ishāvāshya
Upanishad is one of the shortest of the Upanishads. It is more like a short poem than a
philosophical treatise, consisting of only 18
verses in poetry. This Upanishad constitutes the final chapter of the Shukla Yajurveda. The study of Upanishads traditionally starts with
this Upanishad and should go on in the sequence given in this book.
µµµµö w*x== v==sy=im=d] s=v=*], y=itk:Jc= j=g=ty==]
j=g=t=< +
t=en= ty=kt=en= B=uJj=Iq==, m== g=&Q=/ k:sy=isv=d<
Q=n=m=< ++
Om! Ishāvāsyam idam sarvam, yatkincha jagatyām jagat.
Tena tyaktena bhunjithā, mā gridhah
kasyasvid dhanam.
01. Whatever exists in this (transient) world is an abode
(v==s=) of Lord
of the universe (Isha, God). Enjoy whatever (wealth) is allotted to you by the
Lord with a spirit of renunciation (Samnyāsa) —that nothing belongs to you, but to
God. Do not seek or covet any one
else’s wealth. (Also see BG 7.19)
After many births, the enlightened
one surrenders to My Will by realizing that everything is, indeed, My
manifestation. Such a great soul is very rare. (BG 7.19) (Also see BG
7.07, 18.66)
Seven Sanskrit verses
of the Vedas, called great sayings (m=h=v==ky=) are: (1) All this is, of course, the Spirit
because everything is born from, rests in, and merges into the Spirit (s=v=*]
K=Dv=< wd] b=>É in
ChU 3.14.01 of Sāmaveda). (2) All this is
Spirit. The Spirit is everywhere. All this universe is, indeed, Supreme Brahman
(b=>ÉeEv=ed]
iv=xv=im=d] v=ir{@m=<) in
MuU 2.02.11 of Atharvaveda. The Bible also says: You are gods (John 10.34). The Vedas and Upanishads
declare: (3) Consciousness is
Brahman (p=>N=n=]
b=>É in AiU 3.03 of
Rigveda). (4) I am the Spirit (ahm=< b=>É=ûsm= in BrU 1.04.10 of Yajurveda). (5)
You are the Spirit (t=t=< tv=m=< ais= in
Because of being
beginningless and unaffectable by the three modes of material Nature, the
eternal Supersoul—even though dwelling in the body as a living entity—neither
does anything nor becomes tainted by Karma, O Arjuna. (BG 13.31)
The universe is made up
of the Lord
(s=Iy==r=m= m=y=). He
is the creator, operator and destroyer. The universe is made up of God, made by
God, and made for God to reside, play and enjoy His own creation by becoming
jivātmā.
02. People should wish to live full life span by doing their prescribed duty (without ego and
attachment to results). There is no
other way to avoid the bondage of karma.
The Bhagavad-Gita also says:
One
who does all work as an offering to God—abandoning attachment to
results—remains untouched by karmic reaction or sin, just as a lotus leaf
never gets wet by water. (BG 5.10)
03. Those devoid of
Self-knowledge, also called the slayers of Ātmā (a=tm=hnt==), are verily born in
the wombs of evil beings, lacking Self-knowledge, after death.
I hurl these cruel, sinful, and mean people, into
the cycles of death and birth in the womb of demons (or degraded parents) again
and again, according to their karma. (BG 16.19)
Description of the Un-Describable
Ātmā
04. Ātmā appears Immovable (ac=l), yet it remains in constant motion (at=<
, c=l)**. It is swifter than mind and beyond the reach of intellect, always
remaining ahead of mind and senses (because it carries mind and
senses with it). Thus, Ātmā out runs all those who run. The cosmic energy of
Ātman, the Prāna, sustains activities of all living
beings; Ātman really does no action.
**The electrons and protons are in constant motion. This
motion is what we call ‘RāsaLilā’ of
05. Ātmā moves
and also does not move; it is very far as well as very near. It is both inside
and outside all beings. (Also see BG
13.15)
The Beauty of Advaita Philosophy
06.
The wise one perceives one’s own higher Self in all, and all in one’s own
higher Self. Therefore, he does not hate or injure anyone. Such a person loves everybody as one loves
God.
07. The wise one who has realized that his own higher Self has become all,
and sees the oneness of entire existence (a8Et=, non-dual), what sorrow and what
delusion can overwhelm him?
One, who sees One in all and all in One,
sees the One everywhere and in everything. To fully understand this and to
experience the oneness of individual soul and the Supersoul, is the highest
achievement and the only goal of human birth.
08.
He (the Self) is all-pervading, radiant, bodiless, spotless, all-powerful,
pure, untouched by sin, all-seeing, all-knowing, transcendent, and
self-existent. He assigns duty and properly gives the fruits of one’s karma.
Reconciliation of Contradictions
09. Into the blinding darkness enter those who practice Avidyā (rituals, fruitive actions, k:m=*k:=[#) only; and into greater darkness
those who practice Vidyā (or seek
theoretical Knowledge of the Vedas, N=n=k:=[#) only.
He who worships deities (many gods) to fulfill
material desires is in the mode of passion (Rajas). Such a person is ignorant
like a child, because he thinks: I am different from God
(8Et=B==v=). Pursuit of only theoretical Vedic knowledge without
any action is useless and is in the
mode of greater ignorance (Tamas). There is no doubt that twelve years of Vedic study had left Shvetaketu
both ignorant, proud and arrogant (
10. One thing, they say, is
obtained from Vidyā (Jnāna) and another thing from
Avidyā (karma). Thus we have heard
from the wise who have taught us this.
11. One who pursues both Avidyā and Vidyā together, attains relative immortality—by going to heaven where there is no fear of death—by Avidyā or good
karma, and
obtains immortality by Vidyā, the Self-knowledge.
The idea behind verses 9, 10 and
11 is that one must not neglect either karma or Jnāna. The fruit of Jnāna can only come out
from the soil of karma, therefore karma is better than mere book knowledge of
the Vedas. (BG 5.02). Both are complementary and not exclusive or contradictory as some may
believe. (Also see BG 18.78)
12. Into a blind darkness
enter they who worship manifest god or a deity (as=]B=Uit=, s==k:=r
b=>É, Z=r p=uo{=, 8Et=, aiv=6=) only (just to fulfill desires, without knowing that
deities are not God). But into a greater
darkness enter they who worship formless, Brahman (s=]B=Uit=, in=r=k:=r
b=>É, aZ=r b=>É, a8Et=, iv=6=) only. (Also see KeU 1.05)
The Bhagavad-Gita says: Self-realization is more
difficult for those who fix their mind on the impersonal and formless Absolute,
because worship of the impersonal is difficult for ordinary human beings and
the beginners. (BG 12.05). Shri Ramakrishna
said: “Image worship is necessary in the beginning, but not afterwards, just as
scaffolding is necessary during the construction of a building.”
13. One thing, they say, is
obtained from knowledge of the manifest Brahman; another, they say, from
Knowledge of the unmanifest Brahman. Thus we have heard from the wise who
taught us this.
14. He who worships (realizes
or fully understands)
both the un-manifest and the manifest aspects Brahman, overcomes fear of death in
the heaven by the worship of deities (manifest,
s==k:=r, as=]B=Uit=) and obtains immortality
by true Knowledge of the Absolute, formless, non-dual, Brahman (un-manifest,
in=r=k:=r, s=]B=Uit=).
To those
who worship Me meditating on My personal form with unswerving devotion, setting
Me as their supreme goal, offering all actions to Me—I swiftly become their
savior from the world that is the ocean of death and transmigration. (Also see
KaU 6.13, BG 12.06-07)
The ideas behind verses 12, 13 and 14 are
that one must fully understand both aspects—the personal and the impersonal—of
the coin of Reality. The Absolute Being is beyond the human conception of form
and formless. It has a transcendental form beyond human conception of form and
formless. (BG 7.24).
15. The face of
Truth is covered with a golden curtain of ego (maya, ignorance).
Uncover it, O God, so that I, who am devoted to the Truth, may behold it! (Also
see APPENDIX 3 on ego)
16. O Pushan, the nourishing God in the form of Sun, O controller and
supporter of all, withdraw your blinding radiance of ignorance; and focus your
soothing rays of jnāna on me, so that I may be able to fully comprehend Your transcendental
form. And realize that whosoever person is up there, that also I am
(s==eChm=<).
17. Now, let my breath be merged in all-pervading immortal Prāna,
and the body be reduced to ashes. O mind, remember Om, remember past deeds. The
mind remembers all that I have done. (Also see BG 8.06-07)
During the last moment of our life, the mind automatically remembers what we have done during the entire life, as mentioned in BG 8.06.
Rishi Ghora Āngirasa,
communicated the following teaching to his student, Krishna, the son of Devaki—and it
quenched Krishna’s thirst for any other knowledge. Rishi said: "When a man
approaches death he should take refuge in these three last thoughts: “Om! Thou
art indestructible,” “Thou art unchanging,” and “Thou art the subtle essence of
Prāna.” (ö tv=] aiZ=t=]
ais=, tv=] acy=ut=] ais=, tv=] p=>=[=s]=i]x=t=m=is=) (ChU 3.17.06)
18. O Agni (the Bright Being)! Lead us to blessedness by the noble
path—the Northern path of gods. O Lord! You
know all our deeds, remove all evil and delusion from us. To Thee we offer our
prostrations and prayers again and again.
Note 1: The
Northern path—the path of no return—has been also mentioned in
the Upanishads (ChU 4.15.05, BrU
6.2.15, BG 8.24-26)
ö s=h n==v=v=t=u +
t=ej=ûsv=
n==v=Q=It=m=< ast=u +
ö x==ûnt=/
x==ûnt=/ x==ûnt=/
O= saha nāvavatu
Saha nau bhunaktu
Saha v$rya= karvāvahai
Tejasvi nāvadh$tam astu
Mā vidvi^āvahai
May He protect us both (the
teacher
and the
pupil). May
He nourish us both.
May we work together with
great vigor.
May our study be thorough
and fruitful.
May we never misunderstand
each other.
The Kenopanishad is one of the
earlier primary Upanishads.
It is associated with the Sāmaveda where it is found
inserted into the last section of the Jaiminiya Upanishad
Brahmana. It discusses how our senses get their power from Brahman. Brahman is
the unknown and unknowable. Everything runs by the power of God, Devas (gods)
also get their power from Brahman. The Sanskrit word ‘Kena’ means by whom. It
has 35
verses written in prose.
CHAPTER
1. KNOWLEDGE OF BRAHMAN
1.01. The disciple asked:
1.02. The teacher replied: it is the
spirit (Ātmā) by whose power the ear hears, the eyes see, the tongue
speaks, the mind understands and Prāna function. Having distinguished the
Self (or Real) from the non-Self (unreal)—body,
mind, sense-organs—the wise attains immortality.
1.03-04. The eye does not go there, nor speech, nor the mind. We do
not know it, nor do we know any method of instructing about it. It is different
from everything known; it is unknowable. Thus we have heard from the teachers
who taught it to us.
1.05. That which cannot be expressed by speech, but by which
speech is expressed, know that alone as Brahman, and not what people here
worship.
Note 2: People worship deities or some extra-cosmic Being to
fulfill desires. These deities are not Brahman. Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna,
even those devotees who worship the deities with faith, they also worship Me,
but without proper understanding (9.23).
1.06. That which cannot be comprehended by the mind, but by
which the mind comprehends, know that alone as Brahman, and not what people
here worship.
1.07. That which cannot be seen by the eye, but by which the eye
sees, know that alone as Brahman, and not what people here worship.
1.08. That which cannot he heard by the ear, but by which the
ear hears, know that alone as Brahman, and not what people here worship.
1.09. That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the
breath smells, know that alone as Brahman, and not what
people here worship.
CHAPTER 2. BRAHMAN IS UNKNOWABLE
2.01. The teacher said: If
you think: "I know Brahman well," then surely you know very little
about it. You only know it as perceived by human mind. Therefore you should
enquire further about Brahman.
2.02. The disciple said: I
think I know Brahman, but very little. I do not think I know it well, nor do I
think I do not know it. He among us who knows the meaning of "Neither do I not know, nor do I
know"—knows Brahman. (Jivātmā does has very limited Knowledge of
Brahman.)
Brahman is Unknown to the Wise
2.03. The teacher said: He by whom
Brahman is not known, knows it; he by whom it is known, does not know it. It is
unknown by those who know it; it is known only by those who do not know it.
(Brahman is unknown to the wise and known only to the
ignorant, aiv=N=t=] iv=j==n=t==], iv=N=t=m=< aiv=j==n=t==m=<)
2.04. Brahman is known when
it is realized as a witness in all the three (waking, dream and deep sleep)
states of consciousness (see MaU 01-06); by such Knowledge one attains
immortality and strength to face all difficulties and fear of death.
2.05. If a man knows
Ātmā in this life, he then attains the true goal of human birth. If
he does not know it in this life, a great calamity awaits him. Having realized the Self in every being, the wise mentally
renounce the illusory world and become immortal.
CHAPTER 3. BRAHMAN RUNS THE UNIVERSE
Everything Runs by The Power of God
3.01. Brahman, according to
the story, got a victory for Devas over Asuras (demons); and by that victory
(of Brahman) the gods became elated. They said to themselves: "Verily,
this victory is ours; verily, this glory is ours only."
All actions are actually performed by various forces (or
Gunas) of Nature, but due to delusion of ego or ignorance, people assume
themselves to be the sole doer and get bound by karma. (BG 3.27)
3.02. Brahman—knowing their
pride born out of ego (The ego is a
notion that oneself, instead of God, does all works!) —appeared before them
as a male Spirit. But gods did not know who that adorable Spirit was.
3.03-06. They said to Agni
(Fire god): "O Agni! Find out who this Great Spirit is. "Yes,"
he said, and hastened to find out. Brahman asked him: "Who are you?"
He replied: "I am known as Agni." Brahman said: "What power is
in you?" Fire replied: "I can burn all—whatever there is on
earth." Brahman put a dry straw before him and said: "Burn this."
He rushed toward it with full force but could not burn it. When he returned
from the visit with this Spirit and said to the other gods: "I could not
find out who this Spirit is."
3.07-10. Then they said to
Vāyu (Air god): "O Vāyu! Find out who this Great Spirit is.
"Yes Sir," he said and hastened to find out. Brahman asked him:
"Who are you?" He replied: "I am known as Vāyu."
Brahman said: "What power is in you that make you great?" Vāyu
replied: "I can carry off all—whatever there is on earth." Brahman put
a dry straw before him and said: "Carry this." He rushed toward it
with full force but could not move it. Then he returned from the Spirit and
said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit is."
3.11-12. Then the gods said to
Indra: "Indra Bhagavān! Find out who this Great Spirit is.
"Yes," he said and hastened to find out. But the Spirit disappeared
from him. Then Indra saw in that very region of the sky a Woman highly adorned.
She was Umā Devi, the daughter of the King of Himalayas. He approached Her
and said: "Mother, who that Great Spirit could be?"
CHAPTER 4. THE GLORY OF BRAHMAN
Devi
instructs Indra about Brahman
4.01. Mother replied in
great detail: "It was, indeed, Brahman. Through the victory of Brahman
alone you have attained glory." After that Indra understood that it was
Brahman and realized his mistake and learned a lesson from Mother.
4.02. Since these Devas came
very near Brahman and were the first to know Brahman. These three Devas,
namely: Indra, Agni, and Vāyu excelled the other gods.
4.03. Since Indra approached
Brahman and he was the first to know Brahman, Indra excels the other gods and
is considered the King of gods.
4.04. This is the description of
Brahman with regard to the gods: Devas get power from Brahman. Brahman is
behind every form of power, movement and life (Prāna) in the universe.
4.05. Now the description of
Brahman with regard to the individual self: Because of the
powers of Brahman, the mind knows the external world, remembers, creates and
imagines things.
4.06. That Brahman is called
the adorable of all; it should be worshipped by all. All creatures
love him who worships (or realizes) Brahman.
The Teachings of Upanishad Lead to Liberation
4.07. The disciple said;
“Teach me, sir, the Upanishad." The teacher replied: "I just now told
you the Upanishad about Brahman." But I will repeat again:
4.08. Austerities,
self-restraint, and sacrificial works are its feet, and the Vedas are all its
limbs. Knowledge is its abode.
4.09. He who thus knows this
Upanishad shakes off all sins and becomes firmly established in the Infinite.
He reaches the main goal of human birth.
3. KAûHA UPANISHAD
ö as=t==e m== s=d<g=m=y=
t=m=s==e m==
jy==eit=g=*m=y=
m=&ty==em==*
am=&t=] g=m=y=
ö x==ûnt=/ x==ûnt=/
x==ûnt=/
O= asato mā sad
gamaya
Tamaso mā
jyotirgamaya
M&tyormā am&ta= gamaya
O= %ānti+ %ānti+ %ānti+
Om! Lead me from unreal to real,
lead me
from darkness to light.
lead me
from death to immortality,
The Katha Upanishad is also titled "Death as a Teacher". It is one of the primary Upanishads and is associated with the Krishna Yajurveda. It has 119 verses in poetry.
SECTION 1. NACHIKETĀ
IS NOT AFRAID OF DEATH
1.01. Rishi
Uddālaka, the son of maharishi Aruna, desiring heaven, performed the
Vishvajit sacrifice, in which he gave away all his property. He had a son named
Nachiketā.
1.02−03. When the gifts were being
distributed, faith entered into the mind of Nachiketā, who was still a
boy. He said to himself: Joyless are the worlds to which he goes who gives away
cows that no longer are able to drink, to eat, to give milk, or to give a calf.
Nachiketā’s felt very compassionate for his
father. Thus to save his father from the sin of giving such a fake donation, he
presented himself as a real object of donation and said to his father:
1.04.
Father! To whom will you give me? He repeated this a second and a third time.
Then his father angrily replied: To death I will give you.
1.05.
Nachiketā thought: Among some of the followers of my father, I am the
first; or among many I am the middlemost. But certainly I am never the last.
What work of Yama, the King of Death, will be accomplished by my father giving
me away to Yama?
1.06.
Look back and see how the ancients honored their promise at any cost. Like
corn, the mortals ripen and fall and are born again. Thinking like this,
Nachiketā decided to go to Yama.
Nachiketā’s father really did not want him to
die, but to make the words of his father true, Nachiketā convinced his
father to allow him to go to Yama.
Nachiketā in the House of Death
Yama was not at home when Nachiketā arrived. He
waited for three days without any food or water. Upon Yama’s return, Yama said
thus:
1.07.
Like fire, when a Brāhmana guest enters a house; the householder pacifies
him by giving him water and a seat.
1.08.
The Brāhmana, who stays in a house without a meal, destroys that foolish
householder’s hopes and expectations, the reward of his good associations, the
merit of his beneficial speech, the good results of his sacrifices and
beneficial deeds and all his cattle and children as well.
Three
Wishes Offered to Nachiketā
1.09. Yama was very pleased
with Nachiketā’s firm determination and said: O Brāhmana, salutations
to you! You are a venerable guest and have dwelt in my house three nights
without a meal; therefore now choose your three wishes, one for each night, O
Brāhmana
Return to an Appeased Father on Earth
1.10.
Nachiketā said: O Death, may my father, be calm, cheerful and free from
anger toward me! May he recognize me (not as ghost!) and welcome me when I
shall be sent home by you! This I choose as the first of the three wishes.
1.11.
Yama said: Through my favor, your father will recognize you and be again toward
you as he was before. After having seen you freed from the jaws of death, he
will sleep peacefully at night and bear no fear against you.
Understanding of the Sacrificial Fire
1.12.
Nachiketā said: In the Heavenly World there is no fear of
death and no one is afraid of old age.
There one rejoices leaving behind both hunger and thirst
and is out of the reach of sorrow.
1.13.
You know, O Death, the fire-sacrifice, which leads to Heaven. Explain it to me.
The inhabitants of heaven attain immortality. This I ask as my second wish.
1.14.
Yama said: I know the fire-sacrifice well, which leads to Heaven and I will
explain it to you. Listen to me. Know this to be the means of attaining Heaven.
It supports the universe; it dwells in the causal hearts of the wise who know
it.
1.15.
Yama then told him about the fire, which is the source of the worlds and what
kind of bricks and how many were to be gathered for the altar and how many and
how the sacrificial fire was to be lighted. Nachiketā memorized all that
was told to him. Then Yama, being pleased with him, spoke again.
1.16.
Death, being well pleased, said to Nachiketā: I will now give you another
wish: This fire-sacrifice shall be named after you. Take also from me this
beautiful chain.
1.17.
He who has performed this Nachiketā fire sacrifice three times, has read
the three Vedas and also has performed his three duties (Dharma, Artha and
1.18.
He who has performed the Nachiketā sacrifice three times; becomes free
from fear of death in this life, overcomes grief and rejoices in Heaven.
1.19. This, O Nachiketā, is your fire-sacrifice, which leads to Heaven and which you have chosen as your second wish. People will call this Fire by your name. Now, O Nachiketā, choose the third wish.
Knowledge of life after death
1.20. Nachiketā said: There is this
doubt about a man when he is dead: Some say that he exists; others say he does
not exist. This I would like to know from you. This is the third of my wishes.
1.21.
Yama said: On this subject even the gods formerly had their doubts. It is not
easy to understand. The nature of Ātmā is very subtle. Therefore,
choose another wish, O Nachiketā! Do not press me. Release me from this
favor.
1.22.
Nachiketā said: O Death, even the gods have their doubts about this
subject; and you have also declared it to be not easy to understand. But
another teacher like you cannot be found and surely no other wish is comparable
to this.
1.23.
Yama said: Choose sons and grandsons who shall live a hundred years; choose
elephants, horses, herds of cattle and gold. Choose a vast empire on earth;
live there as many years as you wish.
1.24.
If you deem any other wish equal to that, choose it; choose wealth and a long
life. Be the king, O Nachiketā, of the wide earth. I will make you the
enjoyer of all desires.
1.25.
Whatever desires are difficult to satisfy in this world of mortals, choose them
as you wish: these fair maidens, with their chariots and musical
instruments—men cannot obtain them. I give them to you and they shall wait upon
you. But do not ask me about death.
1.26.
Nachiketā said: But, O Death, all these material enjoyments
are very transient. Furthermore, they wear out the vigor of sense organs.
Even the longest life is short indeed. Keep
your horses, dances and songs for yourself.
1.27. Man never gets satisfied with wealth.
Moreover, since I have seen you, I shall certainly obtain wealth; I shall also
live as long as you rule. But, no wish will be accepted by me other than the
one I have asked for.
1.28.
Who among the mortals of the world—having reached the Imperishable—would
rejoice a long life, after he has pondered over the temporary pleasures from
beauty and song?
1.29.
Tell me, O Death, of that supreme life after death
about which a man has doubts. I do not choose any wish other than that
incomprehensible one.
SECTION 2. EXISTENCE OF THE SUPREME BEING
2.01.
Yama said: The beneficial (Xey=s=) path is one thing and quite different is the
path of sensual pleasures
(p=>ey=s=). Both of these, serving different
needs, bind a man. Blessed is he who chooses the beneficial path. He who
chooses the path of sensual pleasures misses the goal of human life.
The path of Self-knowledge is
beneficial and the path of material and sensual pleasure is harmful. Any desire is bondage. Thus
both—the desire for sense pleasure and liberation—are bondages, although the
latter is absolutely necessary as it ultimately relieves one from the bondage.
Sensual pleasures are, in fact,
the source of misery in the end and have a beginning and an end. Therefore,
the wise, O Arjuna, do not rejoice in sensual pleasures. (BG 5.22)
The
pleasure that appears as poison in the beginning, but is like nectar in the
end, comes by Self-knowledge and is in the mode of goodness. (BG 18.37) Sensual pleasures that appear as nectar in the
beginning, but become poison in the end, are in the mode of passion. (BG
18.38)
The wise constantly reflect on the futility of sensual pleasures that inevitably become the cause of misery; therefore, they do not become victims of sensual cravings.
One who enjoys the ocean of the nectar of devotion has no use for the sensual pleasures that are like water of a pond. The river of material joy dries up quickly after the rainy season if there is no perennial source of spiritual water. Material objects are like straws to the wise.
2.02. Both the beneficial (Xey=s=) and the pleasant (p=>ey=s=) paths
present themselves to a man. The calm soul, (in the mode of goodness) examines
them well and prefers the beneficial over the pleasant; but the fool, (in the
modes of passion and ignorance) chooses the pleasant out of greed and
attachment.
2.03.
O Nachiketā, after pondering well the pleasures that seem to be
delightful, you have renounced them all. You have not taken the road to wealth, where many perish.
2.04.
Wide apart and leading to different ends are these two: the pleasant path of
material and sensual enjoyment and the path of Knowledge. I regard you, O
Nachiketā, an aspirant of Knowledge; for even many pleasures could not
tempt you away.
2.05.
Intellectuals dwelling in darkness—but thinking themselves to be wise—have to
undergo many cycles of birth and death by following various difficult paths of
rituals. Like a blind person led by a priest who is also blind, they miss the
goal of human life.
Those who are dominated by
material desires, consider the attainment of heaven as the highest goal of
life. They engage in specific rites for the sake of material prosperity and
enjoyment. Rebirth is the result of their action. (BG 2.43)
2.06.
The Self never reveals itself to a person devoid of differentiation between the
Real and the unreal, careless and perplexed by the delusion of wealth.
"This world alone exists," he thinks, "and there is no
other." Such a person comes under
control of death and re-birth, again and again.
2.07.
There are many who have not heard of Ātmā; though hearing of Him,
many still do not understand it. It’s rare to find the man who is
able to teach the Self; and how blessed is the one who comprehends the Self,
when taught by an able master.
2.08.
Ātmā can never be comprehended when taught by an inferior teacher,
because it can be diversely explained and argued. But when it is taught by him
who has become one with Ātmā, no more doubt remains. Ātmā is subtler than the subtlest and not to be
known by logic, but by sincere enquiry (Brahma-Jignāsā) and
contemplation.
2.09.
This Knowledge cannot be obtained by reasoning. Ātmā becomes
easy to comprehend, O dear one, when taught by another awakened soul.
You have attained this Knowledge now. You are, indeed, a man of firm resolve.
May we always get an inquirer like you!
The Requirement of Renunciation and Reflection
2.10.
Yama said: I know that the fruit of action (such as Nachiketā sacrifice
and other rituals) is not eternal; for Eternal Self is never attained
by non-eternal means. Yet I have performed the Nachiketā
sacrifice with the help of non-eternal means and attained this position which
is only relatively eternal.
2.11. The fulfillment of desires, the foundation of the
universe; and the
fruits of rituals: freedom from fear of death and obtaining wide heavenly
pleasures—all these you have seen; and being wise you have rejected them with
firm resolve.
2.12.
The wise man gives up both joy and sorrow after having realized—by means of
contemplation on the inner Self (v=>Éiv=c==r)—that
ancient, effulgent, un-manifest, hard to be seen (hidden by the veil of maya)
and residing in the body.
2.13.
The mortal—who has heard this and comprehended the subtle Self as the source of
Dharma, who has differentiated Ātmā from body mind and all physical
objects (in=idQy==s=n=)—rejoices, because he has obtained the Source of Bliss, the
Abode of Brahman. I believe the Supreme Abode is open for Nachiketā.
2.14.
Nachiketā said: That which you know as beyond Dharma and Adharma,
different from cause and effect, and different from past and future—tell me all
about That.
Know
2.15.
Yama said: The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at,
and which men desire when they lead the life of celibacy, I will tell you that briefly:
it is Om!
2.16.
This monosyllable Om is indeed Brahman. This syllable is the Highest. Whosoever
knows this syllable obtains all that he desires.
2.17.
The Eternal Indestructible Soul
2.18. Know that the Spirit (Soul,
Ātmā, Jivātmā or Jiva) is neither born nor does it ever die. It
is not born from anything and nothing is born from it. It is birthless,
eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not destroyed when the body is
destroyed.
The Spirit is neither born, nor
does it die at any time. It does not come into being nor cease to exist. It is
unborn, eternal, permanent, and primeval. The Spirit is not destroyed when
the body is destroyed. (BG
2.20)
2.19. If the killer thinks he kills and if the killed thinks he
is killed, neither of these has the right Knowledge. The Self neither kills,
nor is killed.
One who
thinks that the Spirit is a slayer, and one who thinks the Spirit is slain are
both ignorant because the Spirit neither slays nor is slain. (BG
2.19)
Characteristics of the Supreme
2.20.
Ātmā is smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest. It is
hidden in the causal hearts of all living beings. A man who is free from
desires beholds the majesty of the Self by equanimity of mind and senses and becomes
free from all grief.
2.21. Though sitting
still, it travels far; though lying down, it goes everywhere. Who, but advanced
souls, can know that luminous Ātmā who
rejoices as a jiva and also does not rejoice as a witness? (Also
see MuU 3.1.01 and ShU 4. 06)
2.22.
The wise one does not grieve, having known the bodiless, vast, immortal and all-pervading
Ātmā dwelling in all mortal bodies.
Lord Krishna said: You grieve for those who are not worthy of grief and
yet speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the
dead. (BG
2.11)
The Conditions for Knowing Brahman
2.23. Ātman is not attained through discourses or through
intellect or through much learning. It is gained by one who seeks it diligently
(and qualifies for it). To such a person the Ātman reveals its true
nature. (The same as MuU 3.2.3)
This
four-armed form of Mine that you have just seen cannot be seen even by study of
the Vedas or by austerity or by acts of charity or by the performance of
rituals. (BG 11.53) But by
unswerving devotion (or Knowledge), I can be seen in this form, can be known in
essence, and also can be rea
2.24. Neither those who have not turned away from
wickedness, nor the unrestrained or the un-meditative, nor the one whose mind
is not at peace, can attain this Ātman even by Knowledge.
2.25.
He to whom the good and mighty people such as the Brāhmanas and the
Kshatriyas classes are (as it were) but food, and the lord of Death a condiment
(chatani c=!n=I), how can one know where He is? (Thus Self or God is the mightiest
of the mighty and is called the All Mighty!)
The Universal and Individual Soul
3.01. Two beings (jivātmā and Paramātmā) dwell
within the body, in the intellect and in the supreme space of the causal heart.
Jivātmā tastes the fruits of his own deeds. The knowers of Brahman—as
well as well as those householders who have offered oblations in the Five Fires
and also those who have performed the Nachiketā fire sacrifice three
times—describe Paramātmā
as the light and jivātmā as the shadow or reflection of the
light.
Nachiketā Sacrificial Fire as an Aid
3.02.
We know how to perform the Nachiketā sacrifice, which is the bridge to heaven for sacrificers. We also
know the Supreme, imperishable Brahman, which is sought by those who wish to
cross over to the spiritual shore where there is no fear of death.
Homeward Journey of the jiva in a Chariot
Also read: www.gita-society.com/bhagavad-gita.html#journey
3.03. Know that the Paramātmā is the owner of the
chariot, Jivātmā or jiva is the passenger in the chariot; the body is
the chariot; the intellect is the charioteer; and a well-controlled mind is the
rein.
3.04.
The senses, they say, are the horses; the sense objects, the roads. The wise
call Lord as the enjoyer, when He is united with the body, the senses and the
mind by becoming a jiva.
3.05.
If one is of unrestrained mind, devoid of differentiation between the Real and
the unreal, his senses become uncontrollable, like the wicked horses of a
charioteer.
3.06.
But one who has control over the mind and possesses differentiation between the Real and the unreal,
then the senses come under control, like the trained horses of a charioteer.
Note
3: The mind is the rein to control
the senses, but mind itself has to be reined by a strong intellect. Only a
controlled mind can control the sense-horses as mentioned below:
Control of the mind is Necessary
3.07. One who is devoid of Knowledge, thoughtless and impure never attains the
goal, but enters into the rounds of birth and death.
3.08. But one who is intelligent, pure and has control over
his mind, verily reaches the goal and is not born again.
3.09.
A man who has a purified (or strong) intellect as his charioteer and a
well-controlled mind—he reaches the goal, the Supreme abode of Vishnu.
Order of Progression to the Supreme
3.10−11. Superior to the
senses are the sense-objects; superior to the sense-objects is the mind;
superior to the mind, the intellect; superior to the intellect is Knowledge,
superior to Knowledge is Brahman; superior to Brahman is the ParaBrahman
(Purusha or the Absolute). Beyond the Absolute there is nothing: this is the
end, the Supreme Goal.
(Also see KaU 6.07-08, MB 12.204.10, and BG 3.42)
3.12.
That Self hidden inside all beings does not reveal itself to all. It is seen
only by the seers through their one-pointed and sharp intellect.
3.13.
The wise man should drown his speech in his mind and his mind in his intellect
and his intellect in the Cosmic Mind and the Cosmic Mind in the Universal Self.
Here reference seem to be the yogic practice of
samyama (concentration
(Q==r[==), reflection (Qy==n=) and trance (s=m==iQ=)) to
submerge the mind in the Self.
A call to the Way of Liberation from Death
3.14.
Arise! Awake! Approach a Sad-guru and learn. Like the sharp edge of a sword is
that path to God, so the wise say: Hard to walk and difficult to cross and
reach the goal.
The path of spiritual life is very slippery and has to
be trodden very carefully to avoid falls. It is not a joyous ferryboat ride,
but a very difficult path. It is like treading on the sharp edge of a sword.
3.15.
Having realized Ātmā as soundless, intangible, formless,
imperishable, tasteless, eternal, odorless, without beginning or end and
unchanging—one is freed from the jaws of Death.
The Immortal Value of this Teaching
3.16.
The wise one having heard and imparted this ancient story of Nachiketā, as
told by the lord of Death, to others is glorified in the world of Brahman.
3.17.
And he who, practicing self-control, recites this supreme secret in an assembly
of devotees or at an after-death ceremony (Shrāddha) obtains immortality.
SECTION 4. THE
The Self cannot be Sought Through the Senses
4.01.
Yama said: The self-existent Supreme has made the senses such that they go
outward, and hence man sees the external objects only and not the internal
Self. But a wise man with his senses averted from sense-objects and desirous of
immortality, beholds the Self within.
4.02.
The ignorant pursue sensual pleasures and fall into the net of wide spread
transmigration. But
the wise, having known the immortal amidst all mortals, do not desire anything
in this world.
Ātmā is working in All the Senses, in All states
4.03.
Through Ātmā one sees, knows, tastes, smells, hears, touches and
enjoys sensual pleasures. Is there anything that remains unknown to
Ātmā? This is That knower you wanted to know.
4.04.
It is through Ātmā that one perceives all objects in waking and dream
states. Having known the vast, all-pervading Ātmā, the wise does not
grieve.
Universal Soul is same as the
Individual Soul
4.05.
He who knows this Ātmā as the enjoyer of the fruits of action by
becoming jiva, the sustainer of life and the Lord of the past, present and the
future, and as very near (within the body)—he has no fear of death.
4.06.
He who knows that Brahman came first before creation began and dwells inside
the body made up of the five basic elements (earth, water, fire, air, and the subtle
Ethereal substance or Ākāsha), actually knows Brahman. This is verily That.
4.07. The soul of gods (Brahmā)—who manifested in the form of
Prāna with its five major components—enters the body and abides in the
cavity of the causal heart. One who knows this knows Brahman, indeed. This is verily That.
4.08.
Agni, hidden in the wood-sticks and well-guarded—like a child in the womb by its
mother—is worshipped day after day by wise men and by those who offer oblations
in the sacrifices. This is verily That.
4.09.
That from which the universe comes out and into which it merges again, on which
all Devas depend, and no one can ever surpass. This is indeed That.
4.10. What is here, the same is there and what is there,
the same is here. He
goes from death to death who sees any difference between Brahman and the world.
The wise see no difference between the
microcosm (vy=ò{@) and macrocosm (s=m=ò{@). This is a
very important key verse.
4.11. By the mind and intellect alone Brahman is realized;
then one does not see any difference, whatsoever, between the creator and the
creation. He goes from death to death who sees any difference between the
creator and the creation.
The Eternal Lord Abides In One's Body
4.12.
The Purusha, the size of a thumb, dwells in the body. He is the Lord of the
past, present and the future. After knowing Him, one does not have any fear of
death. This is indeed Brahman.
4.13.
The Purusha, the size of a thumb, is like a bright white flame of the lamp
without smoke. The Lord of the past, present and the future, is the same today
and tomorrow. This is indeed Brahman.
The Results of Seeing Diversity in Unity
4.14. As the rainwater
falling on a mountain top, when distracted by some external forces, runs down
the slope in all directions and does not reach the ocean; similarly, those who see the creation as
different from the Creator, verily run after the distractions of creation (or
maya) and do not reach the goal of human birth.
4.15.
As pure water poured into pure water becomes one with it, so also, O
Nachiketā, does the pure soul of the sage who knows the Truth becomes one
with the Self. (An impure soul cannot merge in pure Brahman).
SECTION 5. THE STAGES OF SELF-CONTROL
The Individual soul and the creation
5.01. There is a city with nine gates belonging to Ātmā
as His residence. He who meditates on Him as such grieves no more; liberated
from the bonds of ignorance, becomes free. This is indeed Brahman.
The human
body has been called the City of Nine Gates (or openings) in the scriptures.
The nine openings are: Two openings ea
A
person, who has completely renounced the attachment to the fruits of all work
from his mind, dwells happily in the City of Nine Gates, neither performing nor
directing action. (BG
5.13)
5.02.
He is the sun dwelling in the sky. He is the air in the sky. He is the fire. He
is the guest dwelling in the house. He dwells in men, in the gods, in truth, in
the space. He is born in the water, on earth and as a river on the mountains.
He is the Truth (Knowledge) and He is Great.
5.03.
He is the One who sends Prāna upward and leads Apāna downward. All Devas
(gods) worship that adorable One seated in the causal heart.
5.04.
When the soul—the owner of the body and dwelling in the body as jiva—is
separated from the body after death and is freed from the body, what remains
are the five basic elements. This is, verily, That.
5.05. No mortal ever lives by Prāna alone, which goes
up, nor by Apāna, which goes down. Men live by the Spirit of Brahman on
which Prāna and Apāna also depend.
Embodiment of the Reincarnating Soul
5.06.
Well then, Nachiketā, I shall tell you again about this mysterious eternal
Brahman and also about what happens to the Ātmā after meeting death.
5.07. Some souls enter the womb to have another human body,
others go to animals, plants and insects according to their Karma and
Knowledge.
(Read more in the Gita Chapter 14 verses: 14, 15, 18
and 19)
One's Real Self is the Same as the Universal Self
5.08.
He, the Purusha, who remains active and a witness while the sense-organs are
asleep or shaping one lovely form after another in a dream world, that indeed
is Brahman and that alone is called the immortal. All worlds are contained in
Him and none can outshine Him. This, indeed, is Brahman.
5.09.
As one fire, after entering the world of woods, assumes different forms
according to the type of wood it enters, similarly one Ātman that exists
in all beings appears different according to the forms of the objects it
enters. It also exists outside all forms in its original transcendental form.
5.10.
As one water after entering a container, assumes different forms according to
the vessel it enters, similarly the one Ātman that exists in all being
appears to have different forms according to the bodies it enters. It also
exists outside all forms in its original transcendental form.
5.11.
As the sun, the Eye of the whole world, is not affected by the blemishes of the
eyes or by the objects lighted by the sun, similarly one and the same
Ātmā, dwelling in all beings, is un-affected by the miseries of the
world, being beyond the world. (Just as the
rope is not affected by the appearance of snake-in-the rope.)
Indescribable Bliss of Self-Realization
5.12.
There is only one Supreme Ruler, the innermost Self of all beings, who makes
His one form manifold. Eternal happiness belongs to the wise—who perceive Him
within themselves—and not to others.
5.13.
There is One eternal Reality among non-eternal objects, the consciousness in
the conscious objects and who, though One, fulfils the desires of many. Eternal peace belongs to the wise—who perceive Him within
themselves—and not to others.
5.14.
The sages realize that indescribable Supreme Joy as "This is That.” How
shall I know That? Is it self-luminous or does it shine by another’s light? The
answer comes:
The Self-Luminous Light of the World
5.15. The sun does not illumine Him, nor the moon and the
stars, nor these lightning or the fire. Everything (sun, moon, stars,
lightning, fire etc.) shines by His energy (or light, power). By His light all
this is lighted.
The Supreme Abode is self-luminous, not illumined by any other source. He illumines the sun and the moon as a luminous lamp illumines other objects. Similar verses appear in other Upanishads (See MuU 2.2.10, ShU 6.14) and the Bhagavad-Gita:
The sun does not illumine My Supreme Abode,
nor does the moon, nor the fire. Having reached there, people attain permanent
liberation (Moksha) and do not come back to this temporal world. (BG 15.06) The
light energy of the sun which illumines the entire world, which is in the moon
and in the fire, know that light to be Mine. (BG 15.12).
Abode of the Supreme Being is self-luminous,
not illumined by any other source. He illumines the sun and the moon as a
luminous lamp illumines other objects. Transcendental light of Brahman (Divine
Light, Brahma Jyoti) is the source of all light energy and is called the light
of all lights in BG 13.17. The Supreme Being existed before the sun,
moon, and fire came into existence during creation, and it will exist even
after everything gets dissolved into unmanifest Nature during complete
dissolution. The word ‘light’ has also been symbolically used to indicate the
light of Knowledge.
Brahman is the source of the Cosmos
6.01.
This cosmos is like an eternal Ashvattha tree with its root above (in Brahman)
and branches (Cosmos) below. That Brahman is bright. That is Brahman and That
alone exists and is immortal. In Brahman all worlds are contained and nothing
is beyond That. This is indeed Brahman (Also see BG 15.01)
The Great Fear of Brahman
6.02.
This whole universe evolved from it and is supported by Brahman’s energy, the Prāna.
Brahman is very stern and a just controller with a thunderbolt. No one can escape from His laws. Those who
thus know Him become immortal.
6.03.
From fear of Brahman, fire burns, the sun shines, Indra, Vāyu and the
fifth: the lord of Death perform their respective duties.
Degrees of Perception of the Self
6.04. If a man is able to comprehend or know Brahman before
death, he is liberated; if not, one has to take birth again and again in the
created worlds.
6.05.
On the earth, Brahman can be very clearly seen—as in a mirror—in one’s own
inner psyche. In the World of the forefathers (manes), it can be seen like one
sees objects in dream; In the world of the Gandharvas, it’s seen like one sees
an image in water; and in the abode of Brahmā, it is seen as light and
shade.
The Gradation Up To the Cosmic Being
6.06. Having known that the senses have their separate
origin from Prakriti and they are distinct from Ātmā and also that
their actions belong to senses alone and not to Ātmā, a wise man is
no more bothered by sense objects.
6.07. Superior to the senses is the mind, superior to the
mind is the intellect, higher than the intellect is the avyakta (or the
unmanifest) Brahman, higher than unmanifest Brahman is the Brahman.
6.08.
The senses are said to be
superior to the body; superior to senses are the sense objects; superior to
sense objects is the mind; superior to mind is the intellect; superior to
intellect is the Self-Knowledge; and the Self is the highest. (BG 3.42)
Thus, knowing (your true nature
as) the Self to be the highest, and controlling the mind by the intellect (that
is purified and made strong by Self-knowledge), one must kill this mighty
enemy, lust (with the sword of true Knowledge of the Self), O Arjuna. (BG 3.43)
6.09. His transcendental form is not within the field of our
vision; none can see Him with the physical eyes. One can know
Him when He is revealed by the intuition of purified intellect that is free
from all doubts; and by constant contemplation (a=tm=-iv=c==r). Those who know Him become immortal (y= At=d<
iv=dur<Cm=&t==st=e B=v=ònt=).
6.10.
When the five senses of perception lie still, together with the mind; and when
the intellect does not work, that is the Supreme or Super-conscious state of mind.
6.11. The firm Control of the mind and senses (ûsq=r=m=< wûn7y= Q==r[==m=<)
is called yoga. Then the yogi becomes free from the
erratic behavior of mind. But, one must be very vigilant,
for the yoga can be acquired only with great difficulty and lost easily (but the
Self-knowledge, once obtained, can never be lost!).
The Self is attained by faith in Scriptures
6.12.
Ātmā can never be understood by mind or by speech, nor by eyes. It is only realized by faith in the words of sages who
have realized it and say: He exists. (Also see BG 13.25)
6.13. He is to be
realized first in manifest aspect
(s==k:=r
Op=),
and then in His true transcendental, un-manifest aspect (in=r=k:=r Op=).
Of these two aspects, Ātmā realized as manifest leads the knower to
the realization of His true un-manifest aspect. (Also see IsU 14)
Requires Renunciation of
Desires, Attachments
6.14. When all the desires that dwell in the heart go away
at the dawn of Knowledge, then the mortal becomes immortal and immediately attains
Brahman.
By transcendental Knowledge one truly
understands what and who I am in essence. Having known Me in essence, one immediately
becomes one with
6.15. When all the ties (desires, attachments, ego etc.) are
severed by Knowledge, then the mortal becomes immortal—in this very body on the
earth. This alone is the summary of all
the Vedāntic teachings.
6.16.
There are one hundred and one arteries (nādis) of the heart, only one of
them—the Sushumnā
nādi—pierces the crown of the head. Going upward by it,
a man at death attains immortality. But when his Prāna passes out by any
other arteries, one is reborn in the world.
6.17.
The Spirit, not larger than a thumb, is always seated in the causal heart of all
beings. One should
distinguish Spirit from the body as one distinguishes grain from the husk.
One must know that the Self (or Spirit) is pure and immortal.
This Teaching:
6.18.
Having received this wisdom taught by the King of Death and the entire process
of yoga, Nachiketā became free from impurities and fear of death (aiB=in=v=ex=) and attained Brahman. Thus, it will be also with any other
who knows the inner Self as described above.
OM
TAT SAT
The Prashna Upanishad or PrashnoPanishad is one of
the earlier, primary Upanishads. It is associated with the Atharvaveda.
It has 67 verses written in prose. Rishi Pippalāda answers six questions: (1) matter (rayi) and energy (Prāna) is the origin of
creation, (2) Prāna is the power of God
that controls everything, (3) God is the origin of Prāna, (4) the three
states of consciousness, (5) meditation on Om, and (6) Ātmā resides
as Prāna in the body.
QUESTION 1. THE ORIGIN OF CREATION
1.01.
1.02. The
rishi Pippalāda said to them: Stay with me a year practicing austerities,
chastity and faith. Then you may ask questions according to your desires. If I
know them I shall tell you everything.
1.03. Then
Kabandhi, the son of Katya, came to him after a year and asked: Sir, where are
these creatures born from?
1.04. To
him the teacher said: Prajāpati (Brahmā), the Lord of Creatures, was
desirous of progeny. He performed austerities (t=p=s=) and having performed austerities,
created the pair: Energy (Prāna) and Matter (Rayi). He said to Himself: "This
pair will produce creatures for Me in manifold ways."
‘Austerity’ here means samkalpa or Divine Will to
create: “Eko'ham bahu syām (Let Me be many, ChU 6.2.3)”. In Brahman, there is the thought vibration of
1.05. The
Sun is Prāna, the energy that supports life; the Moon is Rayi or primordial
matter (Adi Prakriti). Matter is, indeed, all this—what has form and what is
formless. Therefore everything having form is, indeed, matter (Moon, Rayi).
1.06. The
sun, when it rises, enters the eastern quarter and thereby holds the living
beings of the east by its rays. When it illumines the southern, western,
northern, lower, upper and the intermediate quarters (or all directions)—it
illumines everything and supports all living beings by its rays.
1.07-08.
The sun is the soul of all forms, it is
life. It is Prāna, the heat energy that rises everyday. The wise know the
sun who is in all forms, full of rays, all-knowing, non-dual, the eye of all
beings, the giver of heat. The sun rises with thousands of rays that support
the life of all creatures.
1.09. The
year, verily, is Prajāpati (Lord of the creatures) and his paths are two:
the Southern and the Northern. Those who perform sacrifices and engage in pious
actions, go to the World of the Moon (heaven) by the Southern path; verily they
return to earth again. Therefore, the rishis who desire off-spring travel by
the Southern Path.
1.10. But
those who seek the Self through austerity, chastity, faith and Knowledge travel
by the Northern Path and attain SunLoka, from where they do not return back to
earth. This path is blocked for the ignorant.
1.11. Some
call Sun the father with twelve forms (months), the giver of rain and the
dweller in the region above the sky. Others, say that the Sun is omniscient,
placed on a chariot with seven wheels (seven colors of the rainbow) and six
spokes or seasons.
(The
word “Sun or sun” has been also used for the Supreme Being)
1.12. The
month is Prajāpati. Its dark fortnight is matter, rayi; its bright half,
the eater, Prāna. Therefore some rishis perform sacrifice in the bright
half, some in the other half of the lunar month.
1.13. Day
and night are Prajāpati. Day is Prāna (energy) and night is the
matter or Rayi. Those who join in sexual enjoyment during day dissipate their Prāna
more; but to join in sexual enjoyment by night is said to have self-control or
celibacy by some.
1.14. Food
is Prajāpati. From food comes semen; from semen all creatures are born.
1.15. Those
who follow the rule of Prajāpati should produce a pair of children, a son
and a daughter. But Brahmā-loka belongs to those who observe austerity and
chastity and are firmly established in Knowledge.
1.16. The
pure world of Brahmā belongs only to those in whom there is no deceit,
falsehood or deception.
QUESTION 2. PRĀNA CONTROLS ALL
2.01. Then
Vaidarbhi, belonging to the family of Bhrigu, asked him: Sir, how many gods
support the body of the created being? How many of them manifest their power?
And which one of them is the greatest?
2.02. To
the disciple he said: Ākāsha (ether, the
origin of the other four basic elements), verily is that God; together with the
air, fire, water, earth together with the speech, mind, eye and ear. These,
having manifested their power, said boastfully: "We support this body and
uphold it."
2.03. To
them the chief of Prāna said: "Do not fall into delusion. I, the
Universal life force alone, dividing myself into five vital breaths [Prāna
(inhalation), apāna (exhalation, excretion), samāna (digestive fire),
udāna (speech) and vyāna (blood circulation)] support this body and
uphold it." The other gods were not convinced.
2.04. Prāna,
out of pride, rose upward from the body. Now, when it rose upward all the
others rose upward also and when it settled down they all settled down with it.
As bees go out when their queen goes out and return when she returns, even so
did speech, mind, eye and ear. They were now satisfied and praised Prāna.
2.05. Prāna
burns as fire. It is the sun, the rain, the rain god, the wind, the earth, it
is food. It is the luminous god. It is the visible and the invisible; it is the
basis of relative immortality of even gods.
2.06. Like
spokes in the hub of a wheel, all are fixed in Prāna, including the birth
of Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, the Kshatriyas, the Brāhmans
and all beings.
2.07. As
Prajāpati, the universal life force, you (Prāna) move about in the
womb; it is you, indeed, who are born again. O Prāna, creatures bring
offerings to you, who dwell in the body and in the organs.
2.08. You
are the chief carrier of oblations to the gods and the offering to the departed
fathers; you are the senses of the rishis.
2.09. You
are the creator, the supporter and the destroyer too. You move in the sky as
the sun-god, the lord of lights.
2.10. O
Prāna, when you shower down rain, these creatures of yours are delighted,
thinking there will be as much food as they desire.
2.11. O Prāna, You are pure. You are
the Fire that enjoys the offerings by the devotees. You are the Supreme Lord of
all. We are the givers of oblations that you consume. You are our father.
2.12. These
forms of yours—which abide in speech, which abide in the ear, which abide in
the eye and which pervade the mind—make it stay and auspicious.
2.13. Whatever exists in
the three worlds is all under the control of Prāna. O Prāna, protect us as a mother protects her sons;
give us prosperity and wisdom.
QUESTION 3. THE ORIGIN OF PRĀNA
3.01. Then
Kausalya, the son of Asvala, asked Pippalāda: Sir, Where is this Prāna
born from? How does it come and abide in the body of all? How does it depart
from body? How does it support the external world and the internal world (all
the six senses)?
3.02. To
him the teacher replied: You are asking such difficult questions; you must be
exceedingly devoted to Brahman. Therefore I will answer you.
3.03. This
Prāna or energy is born of Ātman. As a shadow is cast by a person, so this Prāna is
cast by Ātman. It is the
action of the mind that causes Prāna to enter into the body.
3.04. As an emperor commands his officials,
saying: "Reside here and rule those villages," so this chief of Prāna
engages the other five major Prānas in their different functions.
3.05. Apāna
dwells in the organs of excretion and procreation; Prāna himself moves
through these four organs: the mouth, the nose, the eye and the ear. In the
middle of the body dwells samāna; it distributes what has been offered as
food in the stomach to all parts of the body.
3.06. The
Ātman dwells in the causal heart, where there are one hundred and one
arteries (nādis); for each of these there are one hundred veins or branches
and for each of these veins, again, there are seventy-two thousand subsidiary
veins. Vyāna circulates blood in all these 101x100x72,000=727,200,000 total
branches.
3.07.
And then udāna, ascending upward
to the crown in the head, through sushumnā nādi, takes the departing
soul to the virtuous world of heaven for its virtuous deeds; and to the sinful
world of animals, insects and plants for its sinful deeds; and to the world of
humans, for mixed deeds.
3.08. The
rays of the sun are the cosmic Prāna in the eye that make the eye see. The
deity (gravity) that exists in the earth attracts the apāna towards earth.
The space or ākāsha between the heaven and the earth is samāna.
The air is vyāna.
3.09. The
internal fire (body temperature) is udāna; therefore those in whom this
fire has been extinguished die, taking the senses with the subtle body.
The jiva takes its subtle body—the six sensory faculties of perception, mind,
intellect, ego, and five vital forces (Prāna)—from one physical body to
another after death, just as the wind
carries away aroma from the flower (BG
15.08).
3.10. Whatever
one's thought, with that one enters into Prāna. Prāna united with
udāna leads Jivātmā to whatever world has been created by the predominant
thought during one’s life-time.
Whatever
object one remembers as one leaves the body at the end of life, that object is
attained. Thought of whatever object prevails during one's lifetime, one
remembers only that object at the end of life and achieves it. (BG
8.06)
One’s destiny is determined by the predominant thought
at the time of death. Even if one has practiced devotion and God-consciousness
during one’s lifetime, the thought of God may or may not come at the hour of
death. Therefore, God-consciousness should be continued till death.
3.11. The
wise one who knows Prāna as described above attains immortality and his Knowledge
does not perish.
3.12. He
who knows the origin of Prāna, its entry, its place, its fivefold
distribution, its all-pervasive internal and external aspects as described
above, obtains immortality in the space of Brahmā (or Brahma-loka) until
the end of the creative cycle for sure.
QUESTION 4. THREE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
4.01. Next
Sauryayāni, belonging to the family of Garga, asked: Sir, what is it that
sleeps in man and becomes awake again? Which deity is it that sees dreams? Who
enjoys and remembers the bliss of a deep sleep? In whom do all these senses and
organs abide during sleep?
4.02. To
him Pippalāda replied: O Gargya, as the rays of the setting sun remain
dormant in the luminous orb and again come out when sun rises, similarly, all
these—the sense objects and the senses together with the mind—take rest.
Therefore, during deep sleep (s=u{=uûpt=) a man does not hear, see, smell,
taste, touch, speak, grasp, enjoy, secrete and does not move.
4.03. The
Prāna alone remains awake or active in the body of a sleeping man. The
Prāna(s) are also called by other names.
4.04. Samāna
is so called because it carries the out-breathing and the in-breathing equally
(Samāna) into all parts of the body. Thus, Samāna is the priest. The
mind is the sacrificer. Udāna is the fruit of the sacrifice, because it
takes the sacrificer, the mind, close to Brahman every day during
deep sleep.
4.05. In
dream state the mind experiences the Glory of God. Whatever has been seen it
sees again; whatever has been heard it hears again; whatever has been
experienced in different places at different times, it experiences again.
Whatever has been seen or not seen, heard or not heard and whatever is real or
not real—the mind sees it all. The mind itself becomes the dreamer as well as all the objects of the
dream world. (Similarly, Creator Himself becomes the Creation!)
4.06. When
the mind is subdued by that unknown power causing the deep (or dreamless) sleep.
Jiva sees no dream at this time; and in
this body, temporary bliss is enjoyed by the mind.
4.07-08.
just as birds go to a tree to rest, so
do all the following rest in the Supreme Ātman: The earth and its subtle
elements, water and its subtle elements, fire and its subtle elements, air and
its subtle elements, ākāsha and its subtle elements, the eye and what
can be seen, the ear and what can be heard, the nose and what can be smelt, the
taste and what can be tasted, the skin and what can be touched, the organ of
speech and what can be spoken, the hands and what can be grasped, the organ of
generation and what can be enjoyed, the organ of excretion and what can be
excreted, the feet and what is their destination, the mind and what can be
thought, the intellect and what can be comprehended, the ego and the object of
egoism, the memory and its object, knowledge and its object, Prāna and
everything supported by it—all these rest in Ātman during deep sleep.
4.09. It is
He who sees, feels, hears, smells, tastes, thinks and knows. He is the doer,
the ego, the Purusha. He
is also known as the highest imperishable Being.
4.10. One
who knows that imperishable Being is bright, without shadow, without body and
without color—verily attains the Supreme. O my good friend, one who knows Ātman, becomes all-knowing and becomes
all.
4.11. He,
O friend, who knows that imperishable Being—in which rest the mind, the
intellect, the senses, the ego, the gods, the Prānas, the five elements
and all—becomes omniscient (all-knowing) and realizing himSelf as Ātman,
feels himself as infinite Self—existing everywhere and in all. Such a person is
called Self-realized or ParamaHamsa.
There is
nothing other than Me, the Supreme Being, O Arjuna. Everything in the universe
rests in Me like different thread-beads rest on the thread. (BG
7.07)
5.01. Then
Satyakāma, the son of Sibi, asked Pippalāda: Sir, to what world does
one go to who regularly meditates on
5.02. He
replied: O Satyakāma, the syllable
5.03. If
he meditates on one letter A; becoming enlightened by that alone, he quickly
comes back to earth after death. The Rik deva leads him to the world of men. By
practicing austerity, chastity and faith he attains greatness on the earth.
5.04. If,
again, he meditates on the second letter U, he is led up by the deity of Yajur
verses to the world of moon or heaven. He returns to this world after enjoying
greatness in the heaven.
5.05. Again,
he who meditates on the Supreme through the mono-syllable Om, becomes
united with the Sun (the light of Knowledge). He is freed from all sin just
like a snake is freed from its old skin. He is taken to the world of
Brahmā by Sāma hymns via Northern path—the path of gods. Once there,
he attains gradual liberation (KramaMukti).
5.06. When
the three letters of AUM are meditated upon separately (like A…. U…. M), the
contemplator is born again and again; but when they are meditated together as Om, it is said to be meditated properly
on all the activities of the three states—waking, dream and sleep—of
consciousness; one does not waver from Brahma-consciousness (a=tm=B==v=).
5.07. The
wise man, meditating on letter A, attains this world by means of the Rik
verses; attains heaven by means of the Yajur verses (by meditating on letter
U); and obtains Knowledge by means of the Sāma verses (by meditating on Om).
It is through the monosyllable Om
that one realizes what is tranquil, immortal, and becomes free from fear of
death. This is the Highest.
(Learn
a proper technique of meditation on Om on pages 60-62)
6.01. Then
Sukesa, the son of Bhāradvāja, said to Pippalāda: Sir,
Hiranyabha, the prince of Kosala, once came to me and asked this question:
"O son of Bhāradvāja, do you know the person with
sixteen
Kalā or parts?" I said to the prince: "I do not know Him; if I
knew Him, why should I not tell you? Surely he who speaks what is not true
withers away to the very root; therefore I should not speak untruth." Then
he silently mounted his chariot and went away. Now I ask you: Where does that
Person dwell?
Sixteen components (Kalā, parts) of the Supreme
6.02. Pippalāda said to him: My dear
friend, the Supreme Person (Purusha)—from whom these sixteen parts arise—dwells
here, within this body and in the entire creation.
6.03. The
Purusha reflected: "What is it by whose departure I shall depart and by
whose staying I shall stay in the creation?"
6.04. Thus, He created Prāna; from Prāna
Ākāsha, air, fire, water,
earth, the organs, mind, intellect and matter; from matter (or food) vigor,
austerity, mantra, karma and the universe; and in the universe He created
different forms with names.
Thus, Prāna is the basis of all other fifteen parts mentioned above.
6.05. When
ocean bound rivers reach the sea, their names and forms disappear and are
called simply the ocean. Similarly these sixteen parts disappear when they turn
inward towards their Real source, and away from the false identification with
the parts. The parts then become one with the whole, the immortal Brahman.
6.06. Know
that Purusha—who alone is to be known and in whom the parts rest like the
spokes in the center of a wheel—so that death may not affect you.
6.07. Sage Pippalāda said to them: As far as I know, there is
nothing higher than the ParaBrahman.
6.08. The
students worshipping him said: You, indeed, are our father—you have taken us
across our ocean of ignorance to the spiritual
APPENDIX 1: It is also said that the Supreme Being has the following sixteen major
Transcendental Kalā (powers, virtues):
(1) shrih (Opulence), (2) bhuvaḥ (Land, Property), (3) kīrtih (Fame),
(4) ilā (Communicator), (5) lilā (Pleasure, pastime), (6)
kāntih (Radiance, Beauty), (7)
vidyā (Knowledge), (8) Vimala (Void
of flaws), (9) Utkarshini (Motivator), (10) Gnāna (Wisdom), (11) Kriyā (Action), (12) Yoga (uniter), (13) Prahvi (Humility), (14) Satya
(immortality), (15) Ishana (Lord), and (16) Anugraha (Bestower of boon).
The wise see God in all and all in God
The Mundaka
Upanishad is one of the earlier, primary Upanishads associated with the Atharvaveda.
It has 64 verses in poetry. This Upanishad discusses the
purpose of creation, the purpose of rituals and its futility, Knowledge of
Brahman, metaphor of bow, arrow and the target, analogy of two birds and how to
attain Brahman.
1.1.01.
1.1.02. The Knowledge of Brahman was first taught by Brahmā to
Atharvā, Atharvā taught to Angira. Angira taught it to
Satyavāhā, belonging to the clan of Bhāradvāja, and the
latter taught it, in succession, to Angiras
1.1.03. Saunaka, the great householder, approached Angiras in
the proper manner and said: Sir, what is that by knowing which everything in
the universe becomes known?
The same question was also posed by Lord Krishna in
the Bhagavad-Gita when He said to Arjuna:
I shall impart to you both the
transcendental Knowledge and the transcendental experience or a vision, after
knowing that nothing more remains to be known in this world. (BG 7.02)
When one
firmly knows that everything in this universe is Brahman, then he knows
everything as Brahman and nothing else. Thus everything becomes known to a
Self-realized soul as “Brahman” only and nothing else!
1.1.04. To him he said: Two
types of knowledge must be known—that is what the knowers of Brahman tell us.
They are the Higher Knowledge and the lower knowledge.
1.1.05. Of these two, the
lower knowledge is the Rig-Veda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, and the
Atharvaveda. Six
auxiliary disciplines of the Vedas (called Vedānga) associated with study
of the Vedas are:
sikshā (rules for correct pronunciation), kalpa (details of rituals),
vyākaranam (grammar), nirukta (etymology, explanation of difficult words), chhandas (prosody), and jyotish (astronomy). The Higher
Knowledge is that by which Brahman is attained.
1.1.06. By means of the Higher Knowledge
the wise see Brahman everywhere and in everything; otherwise
Brahman cannot be seen or grasped, because He has no attributes, no eyes or
ears, no hands or feet. He is eternal and omnipresent, all-pervading and
extremely subtle. He is imperishable and the source of all beings.
The theory and purpose of
creation
1.1.07. As the spider sends forth and draws in its thread,
as plants grow on the earth, as hair grows on the head and the body of a living
man—so does everything in the universe naturally
arise from the Imperishable.
Creation is a natural effortless projection
of the powers of Spirit and is therefore, purposeless. The creative
activity of the Lord is a mere pastime of the divine power (maya) without any
purpose or motive. It is nothing but an apparent natural
modification of His infinite limitless energy (E) into matter (m) and vice
versa (E=mc2 of Einstein) done as
His mere pastime. (Also see ShU 4.01)
1.1.08. Brahman creates the
universe by Tapas1 (t=p=s=)—decision (samkalpa) or His Will to create. From His primal Energy, primal
matter, Annam2, is produced; and from primal matter, the Prāna, the mind, the five
elements, the worlds, the works and the fruits of works: one after another.
1 Tapas implies both heat and thought. Maxmuller
translates it as ‘brooding’ of Brahman. This is the same as Brahma-samkalpa. It
generally means deep thinking on Brahman (b=>É-iv=c==r, a=tm= ic=nt=n=). Deep
concentration of mind is called the highest tapas in MB
12.250.04.
2 The word ‘annam’
is used here not for the food we eat, but the primal matter out of which
material objects, including food, are made by God.
1.1.09. From Brahman—who
knows all and understands everything, whose creative power is Knowledge
itself—is born Brahmā (the creative force); then came name, form, and food.
1.2.01. This is the Truth: The ritualistic works which were
revealed to the rishis in the hymns, have been described in many ways in the
three Vedas. Perform them, being desirous to enjoy their fruits. This is your
path leading to heaven.
1.2.02. When the fire is well lit and the flames begin to move, one
can then offer his oblations—in the space between the two portions of the
fire—by pouring clarified butter (Ghee).
1.2.03. When the Agnihotra sacrifice is not regularly performed at
the full moon, new moon, the four months of autumn, and during the harvest
time, at the right time, without guests, worship, feeding of animals, birds and
trees; or is it is performed contrary to injunctions of the Vedas—then he
cannot attain any of the seven worlds (bhur, bhuvar, svar, mahar, jana, tapas
and satya).
1.2.04. The seven types of flames are: black, fierce, swift as
mind, deep red, smoke colored, sparkling, and shining.
1.2.05. When the sacrificial oblations are offered at the proper
time into these shining flames, his oblations are carried by the flames and the
rays of the sun to heaven where the King of gods, Indra, dwells.
1.2.06. These bright oblations await the sacrificer and remain
ready to greet him in the heaven by such words: “Welcome, welcome!! This is the
world of heaven gained by your good deeds!”
After describing the almost impossible task of
performing rituals correctly, in a great detail, the wise rishi now gives a
stern warning by pointing out the utter futility, in attainment of the goal of
human life, to all those who are attached to such rituals.
1.2.07. Verily, frail indeed are those rafts of sacrifices,
conducted by eighteen persons (sixteen priests plus the sacrificer and his
wife), upon whom rests such inferior spiritual practice. Fools who
rejoice in them as the Highest Goal, fall victims again and again to rebirth, old
age, disease and death.
The resolute determination for God-realization is
not possible for those ignorant ones who are atta
1.2.08. Fools—dwelling in darkness, yet thinking themselves to be
wise and learned, puffed up with vain scholarship—go round and round (or
reincarnate), suffering again and again, as a blind person when led by the
blind (priest).
1.2.09. Persons immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter
themselves by saying: We have accomplished life's purpose. These performers of
rituals do not know the Truth due to their desires for enjoyment. They fall
from heaven, misery-stricken, when the fruit of their good deed is exhausted.
1.2.10. Deluded ones, regarding sacrifices and unselfish
humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. When they have
exhausted their rewards in heaven gained by the good deeds, they enter again
into this world or a lower one.
1.2.11. But those wise men of tranquil minds—who live in the forest
(or solitude) on alms, practicing austerity and deity worship become free from
impurities, and depart by the Northern Path to the abode of Brahmā.
Transcendental Knowledge leads to Liberation
1.2.12. Let the wise—after having examined all these worlds that
are gained by rituals and humanitarian works—acquire freedom from desires and
reflect that the eternal Brahman cannot be
obtained by non-eternal means (such as rituals, Sevā). In
order for him to understand the Eternal, let him approach a guru who is well
versed in the Vedas and is a Self-realized soul (X=eiF=y= b=>Éin={@).
Acquire
this transcendental Knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence,
by sincere inquiry, and by service. The empowered ones, who have realized the
Truth, will give you this Knowledge. (BG 4.34)
1.2.13. To the pupil who has respectfully approached him, whose
mind is completely serene, and whose senses are under control; the
Self-realized teacher will, indeed, impart the metaphysical science of Brahman,
by which the immortal Purusha is known.
2.1.01.
This is the Truth my good friend: As thousands of similar sparks come from a
blazing fire, so also are various beings produced from the imperishable
Brahman, and back to Him they go again.
2.1.02. He is the self-luminous and formless Absolute, uncreated
and existing both inside
and outside of creation. He is devoid of Prāna, devoid of
human mind, pure, and higher than the eternal Brahman. He is known as
ParaBrahman.
2.1.03. From Him are born Prāna(s), mind, all the
sense-organs, Ākāsha (Ether), air, fire, water, and earth, which
support all creatures.
2.1.04. The heavens are His head; the sun and moon, His eyes; the
quarters (four directions), His ears; the revealed Vedas, His speech; the wind
is His breath; the universe, His heart. From His feet is produced the earth. He
is, indeed, the inner Self of all beings
2.1.05. From Him comes the Fire whose source is the sun; from the sun
comes rain; from rain, the herbs that grow on the earth; from the herbs, the
seminal fluid which a man pours into a woman. Thus many living beings are born of
the Absolute.
2.1.06. From Him have come the Rik, the Sāma, the Yajur Vedas,
the rites, all sacrifices, ceremonies, Knowledge, the time, the sacrificer, and
the earth sustained by the sun and the moon.
Brahman is the source of every thing
2.1.07. From Him are born various devas, the celestials, men,
cattle, birds, and also prāna and apāna, rice and corn, penance,
faith, truth, celibacy, and the laws.
2.1.08. From Him are born the seven Prānas, the seven flames,
the seven kinds of fuel, the seven oblations, and also the seven worlds where Prānas
move in the body of all living beings.
2.1.09. From Him come all the oceans and the mountains; from Him
flow all rivers; from Him come all plants and their saps, by which the subtle
body (consisting of mind and intellect) subsists enshrined by the physical
body. (Also see Gita Chapter 10)
Entering the earth, I support
all beings with My energy. Becoming the sap-giving moon, I nourish all the
plants and living beings. (BG 15.13)
2.1.10. Verily, the omnipresent Being
alone is all this universe, work and austerity. O my good friend!
He who knows this Brahman as the Supreme and immortal—hidden in the cavity of
the causal heart—cuts down, even in this life, the knot of ignorance.
Self is both with and without form
2.2.01. Brahman dwells and operates in the cavity of the causal
heart. He supports all there is; everything that moves, breathes, and blinks is
in Him. O disciples, know that Self is both with form (gross) and without form
(subtle), He is adorable, Supreme,
and beyond human understanding.
2.2.02. That which is
radiant, subtler than the subtlest, That by which all the worlds and their
inhabitants are supported—is the immortal Brahman; That is the Prāna,
speech, and the mind; That is the Truth and the immortal. That alone is to be
known. Know Him only, my friend.
The metaphor
of bow, arrow and the target
2.2.03. Take the great weapon (Om)
provided by the Upanishad as the bow, and place the arrow—the sharp and
purified mind—on the bow. Then, draw back the arrow of mind from sense
pleasures, fix the mind on the target (Brahman) and strike that imperishable
target—Brahman; O my good friend.
What is the bow, arrow and the target is further
summarized:
2.2.04. Contemplation on Om
is the bow; mind is the arrow; Brahman is said to be the target. One should hit
the target with an undistracted mind, and like the arrow let the mind become
one with Brahman.
Knowledge of Brahman is the bridge to cross maya
2.2.05. The heaven, the earth, entire cosmos, the Prāna, the
mind with all sense organs and sense objects, and everything else rests in
Brahman. Know the non-dual Brahman only and give up all other talk. This
Knowledge alone is the jiva’s bridge to cross the ocean of maya (s=]s==r-s==g=r) and reach the shore of immortality—Brahman.
2.2.06. Ātman operates within the heart where all the arteries
meet like the spokes of a chariot wheel meet in the hub. Meditate solely on Ātman
as Om. May He help you cross the ocean of ignorance (maya)!
2.2.07. He is all-knowing, all-wise, glorious and effulgent. He
becomes the mind and leads the body and the senses. He dwells within every cell
of the body and operates from inside the causal heart to keep the body alive
and well. By the Knowledge of the immortal Brahman the wise
behold Him in all things and everywhere.
2.2.08. When He is seen in both—the mortal and the immortal (Z=r a=Er aZ=r), the saint and the sinner—all shackles
(ego, desires, attachments etc.) are broken, all doubts are resolved, and all accumulated
karma are burnt up. (Also see BG 4.37)
2.2.09. The wise know Him as the pure and indivisible Brahman,
shining behind the bright, golden cover of maya. He is the Light of all lights.
2.2.10. The sun does not
illumine Him, nor the moon and the stars, nor the lightning—how can this
earthly fire illumine Him? Everything in the cosmos is illumined by His light.
(Also
see KaU 5.15, ShU 6.14 and BG 15.06)
2.2.11. Verily, this entire universe is the Supreme Brahman (b=>ÉeEv=ed] iv=xv=im=d]
v=ir{@m=<). He is everywhere—above and below, in
the front and the back, on the right and the left. He alone pervades
everything.
3.1.01. Two birds (Ishvara and jiva) of the same feather
(related to each other), reside on the same tree (body). One of them (jiva)
eats and enjoys the fruits of the tree, while the other (Ishvara) simply looks
on as a witness, without eating the fruits. (Also see ShU 4.06)
The One and the same Spirit in
the body is called the witness, the guide, the supporter, the enjoyer (Jiva),
the great Lord (Ishvara) and also the
Supreme Self. (BG 13.22)
Two main aspects of Reality—the divine spark (Lord, Ishvara) and the living entity (individual soul, Jiva)—make their nest and reside on the same tree of the body as a part of the cosmic drama. Virtue and vice are the flowers of this tree; pains and pleasures of sense gratification are its sweet and sour fruits. The living entity, due to ignorance, becomes captivated by the fruits of the tree and gets attached to material Nature; eats these fruits and becomes subject to bondage and liberation; whereas the Lord sits on the tree, observes and guides the living entity. The Lord, being unattached to material Nature, remains free as a mere witness of the cosmic play. The Lord remains unaffected and unattached to the modes of material Nature just as a lotus leaf remains unaffected by water.
3.1.02. Seated on the same tree, one of them (jiva) sunk in
ignorance and deluded, grieves. But when Jiva beholds the worshipful God and
His glory, he becomes free from grief.
3.1.03. When the wise realizes the self-luminous Creator, the Lord,
the Purusha, the progenitor of Brahmā; he becomes free from the evils of
dualities—good and bad—and becomes pure. He finally becomes united with the
supreme Reality.
3.1.04. He indeed is the Prāna that pervades all this. The
wise man who knows Him does not engage in useless conversation. When one
becomes free from confusion and delighted in the Self, he performs all actions
for Him. Such a person is the foremost among the knowers of Brahman.
3.1.05. When
the impurities fade away by unceasing practice of truthfulness, austerity,
right Knowledge, and sense control—the wise behold the glorious and pure
Ātman within his very body.
3.1.06. Only the good prevails over the evil in the end (s=ty=m=ev= j=y=t=e
n==n=&t=m=<). By goodness is laid
out the Divine Northern Path—the way to the gods—over which the seers, free
from desires, ascend to the Supreme abode of Truth.
Note 4: The word ‘Truth’ or ‘Sat’ also means God.
3.1.07. Vast, divine and beyond all imaginations, shines Brahman—subtler than the subtlest and farther than the farthest.
He is here within
the body. The sages realize Him in this very life as dwelling in the bodies of
all beings.
3.1.08. Brahman cannot be described by words, nor perceived
by the eyes and the senses, nor revealed by penance and rituals. When the mind
becomes pure and serene by spiritual practices, then one realizes the Absolute
by contemplation.
3.1.09. That subtle truth of Ātman is realized by means of the
light of intellect within the body. The intellect is interwoven with the
senses. Thus, when the intellect is purified by Knowledge,
Ātman shines forth. (Also
see BG 3.43)
3.1.10. Whatever world a man of pure Knowledge desires and whatever
objects he cherishes, he obtains those worlds and those objects. Therefore let
everyone, who wants spiritual progress, hold on to a hard to find Self-realized
guru.
3.2.01. The Knower of the Self, knows that Supreme Abode of
Brahman, which shines brightly and in which the universe rests. Those wise
men—without any material desire—who are devoted to such a guru, go beyond
rebirth.
3.2.02. Whoever longs for the objects of desire and broods
over them, are reborn to fulfill those desires. But in the case of a sage, who
becomes established in the Self, desires vanish away here in this very life and
he has no further birth.
3.2.03. Atman is not attained through discourses or through
intellect or through much learning. It is gained only by one who longs for it diligently
(and qualifies for it). To such a person the Atman reveals its true nature. (Same
as KaU 2.23)
3.2.04. This Ātman is not attained by one who is weak in faith
and sincerity or by those who practice improper austerities. But wise men who
strive with vigor, attention and sincerity attain union with Brahman.
3.2.05. Having realized Ātman, the seers become satisfied with
the Supreme Knowledge. Their souls are established in the Supreme Self, they
are free from passions, and their mind becomes tranquil. Such calm souls are
ever devoted to the Self and behold everywhere the omnipresent Brahman and in
the end enter into Him.
3.2.06. Becoming well established in the Self, the goal of the Vedāntic
Knowledge, and having purified their minds through the practice of
samnyāsa; the seers, never relaxing in their efforts, enjoy supreme peace
on the earth and at the time of death attain Brahman.
3.2.07. The fifteen
components (five basic elements and ten organs) that constitute jiva, go back
to their sources after death, and the five sense objects to their deities; the
actions and the Ātman reflected in the intellect, become one with the
highest imperishable Brahman, which is the Self of all.
(Also
see details of sixteen components or Kalās of Purusha mentioned in PrU
6.04)
3.2.08. As flowing rivers disappear in the sea, losing their names
and forms, so a wise man, freed from name and form, attains the Purusha, who is
the Greatest.
To know Brahman is to become Brahman
3.2.09. He who knows the Supreme Brahman
verily becomes Brahman (b=>Év=ed
b=>ÉEv= B=v=it=). In his family no one is born ignorant of Brahman. When one
becomes free from the impurities of his mind, he overcomes sorrow and sin, and
becomes immortal. (Also see BG 18.55)
3.2.10. A Rik verse declares: This Knowledge of Brahman should be
told only to those who have performed the necessary rituals, who are versed in
the Vedas, devoted to Brahman, and who have faith and perform fire sacrifice.
To speak of wisdom to a
deluded person, to glorify sacrifice to a greedy person, to advise sense
control to an irascible person, and to discourse on Lord Rama’s exploits to a
lecher, is as useless as sowing seed on barren ground. One should not force
others to believe. The study of the Bhagavad-Gita or any scripture is meant
only for sincere persons. According to Shri Ramakrishna, one can understand Him as
much as He makes one understand. Only they to whom He gives the divine
Knowledge, in accordance with their karma, obtain it. (Also see BG 18.67).
3.2.11. Thus the seer
Angiras declared this truth in ancient times. A man who has not taken the
vow—or is not very serious—should not study this. Salutation to the great
seers! Salutation to the great seers!
OM TAT SAT
Ādi
Guru ShankarāChārya
The Māndukya Upanishad is the shortest of the Upanishads. It belongs to the Atharvaveda group of Upanishads. It
is written in prose, consisting
of just 12 verses expounding the mystic monosyllable Om, the
three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the
transcendent Turiya state of illumination.
According to the Vedic theory of creation, the
creation begins with the vibration of the primal energy that has a sound
symbol,
Om is the
sacred sound that is considered to be the greatest of all Vedic mantras.
This
monosyllable Om is composed of the three
sounds A-U-M (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o). The
symbol's threefold nature is central to its meaning. Everything is contained in
It:
·
“A” for Action of
creation (Brahmā).
·
“U” for Upholding, and preservation (Vishnu).
·
“M” for destructive
power of Mahesha.
·
Three worlds—Earth, Planets,
and Galaxies (B=U/, B=uv=/, sv=/).
·
Three sacred
Vedas—Rig,
Yajur, and Sāma.
·
Three names of
God (Om Tat Sat).
·
Three Gunas of
Nature.
·
Three aspects of
Reality: Sat, Chit, Ānanda.
·
O’ ham, sa
·
When God decides to create, “
Thus
When one leaves
the physical body, by controlling all the senses, focusing the mind on God and
the bioimpulses (Life forces, Prāna) in the cerebrum, engaged in yogic
practice, meditating on Me, and uttering Om—the sacred monosyllable cosmic
sound power of the Spirit—one attains the Supreme Abode. (BG
8.12-13)
The sound of ‘
Āgama Prakarana (The Preface)
01. Harih Om! The whole
universe is
02. All this is, indeed, Brahman. This
Ātman (or Jivātman, the Self within the body) is the same as Brahman (ay=m==tm== b=>É). The Self or Consciousness has four parts or states.
Note
5: The word Ātman or Ātmā in
Vedānta stands for Jivātmā which is an integral part of Brahman.
The Self and the self are the same.
03. The
self in the waking state is also called Vaishvānara, who is conscious of
external objects, who has seven limbs and nineteen mouths and experiences gross
(material) sense objects. This is the first state of consciousness.
04. The
self seated in the dream state is called Taijasa, who is conscious of internal
(mental) objects, who is also endowed with seven limbs and nineteen mouths and
who enjoys the subtle objects of mental-world. This is the second state of
consciousness.
Note 6: The seven limbs of the
macroCosmic being (s=m=ò{@) are: The space as the main body, the head as heavens,
the suns as eyes, fire as mouth, the air as Prāna, water as the belly and
the planets are the legs.
Note 7: The nineteen mouths of the
microCosmic being (vy=ò{@) are: five sense organs (nose, tongue, eye, skin and
ear); five organs of action (mouth, hand, leg, anus, and urethra); five Prānas,
and the four subtle organs (ant=/k:r[=)—mind, intellect,
chitta and ego.
05. The
Self present in the deep sleep state is called Prajnā (intellect, p=>N=) at personal (vy=ò{@) level and Ishvara at universal (s=m=ò{@) level where a sleeper neither desires any object nor sees
any dream. All experiences become unified and full of consciousness and
(temporary) bliss. This is the gateway to the remembrance of all three states.
This is the third state of consciousness.
06. Ishvara
is the Lord of all three states. He is the knower of all. He is the inner
controller. He is the source of all; from Him all beings originate and in Him
they finally disappear.
Note 8: This is a description of our own personal level of prajnā during deep sleep as well as the universal Prajnā, Ishvara or Brahman. In deep sleep all experiences, education, sorrow etc. is dissolved and after waking up everything is created as it was.
Three States of individual Consciousness
THREE
STATES |
1.
Individual (vy=ò{@) or Microcosmic
level |
2. Universal (s=m=ò{@) or Macrocosmic level |
(1) Waking state (Physical body) Beta Brain waves >8Hz or cycles/sec |
Vaishvānara(Vishva) Physical/
body level. letter A (a)of AUM |
Virāt or Cosmic body/
cosmos. (BG, Ch. 11) |
(2) Dream state (Subtle body) Theta Brain waves 4-8 Hz (REM state) |
Taijasa
(Brilliant) Mental/ mind level. Letter U (W)of AUM |
HiranyaGarbha, The Cosmic mind in seed or egg
form. |
(3) Deep Sleep (Causal
body, seed, Samskāra) Delta brain waves 1-4 Hz |
Prajnā, Conscious-ness or Intellect
level, letter M (m=<) of AUM |
Creator (Ishvara), Controller, God, Brahman. |
The Turiya state Non-dual existence Brain waves 0.2-1 Hz |
µSelf-realized or Soul level. Jnāna-Samādhi,
a=em=< |
ParaBrahman, The Absolute, Source ö Om |
The three states are also related to our
three bodies:
(1) Physical body consists of body and all
supporting organs.
(2) Astral or subtle body consists of mind,
intellect and ego.
(3) Causal body: This is the storehouse of
karmic records, known as Samskāra. In waking state all three bodies
are active, working together and are attached by the chord of Prāna.
In dream state, physical body gets separated
from the other two bodies (subtle and causal). In this state, physical body#
(1) and its organs are at rest, but mind (subtle body# (2) and causal body# (3)
remains active. Mind creates a replacement dream body to do dream actions
called dreaming. In this state only bodies (2) and (3) are active, working
together and are connected by Prāna.
In the deep sleep state, mind also becomes
inactive and all three bodies get separated and become non-active. This is a
state of temporary freedom (Mukti) for jiva. One enjoys complete rest, gets
refreshed and enjoys peace. The chord of Prāna keeps the physical body alive in idling mode. If this chord
breaks, the body becomes dead. Three bodies
are kept alive by the chord of Prāna in all three states of consciousness. In deep sleep state the three bodies are not
connected with each other, they are only connected by the chord of Prāna.
And in death the chord of Prāna is also cut; subtle and causal bodies
together with Prāna leave the physical body that becomes dead and contains
five basic elements. These basic elements also go to their source, the Ākāsha
(ether or God), when cremation takes place and one life cycle of Jiva ends. Om!
Turiya or
07. The Fourth (or
Turiya) state is thought of as that which is not conscious of the internal
world, nor conscious of the external world, nor conscious of both the worlds,
nor dense with consciousness, nor simple consciousness, nor unconsciousness. It
is unperceived, unrelated, incomprehensible, unthinkable and
indescribable. It is the essence of Consciousness manifesting as the self in
all three states, It is the end of all experience; it is all
peace, all bliss and non-dual. This Brāhmic state has to be realized and
is called Turiya/ Super-conscious state.
The
truth about the transcendental state of Turiya cannot really be described by or
taught to anyone—it has to arise by itself as a result of the individual
drawing closer to the Self. It is a matter of spiritual evolution.
The individual
self has been sleeping in the darkness of ignorance created by maya from time
immemorial. When jiva wakes up at the dawn of Knowledge (in
Turiya) after many many lives; the world and its objects look unreal like dream
objects to him even while he is physically awake! The Turiya
state is permanent Jnāna-Samādhi
as opposed to temporary Dhyāna-Samādhi. In this state one realizes
that waking world is also a transcendental dream world.
He comes to realize that the world is not as one sees, and what it really is
cannot be seen, except in Turiya state. The world of duality exists only due to
deep-rooted ignorance created by maya (m==y== m==F=] wd] 8Et=m=<).
The Creator, Creation
and Jiva (Jiva, Jagat and Jagadisha) are one and the same with different forms
and names. To perceive the existence of Brahman only in the universe is Moksha.
Note
9: The
Turiya state is not a state in a real sense, it is the Supreme Goal of life,
the end of all states where world disappears even in waking state, and one sees
Brahman only!
08. That
same Self, from the point of view of the single syllable is
09. Vaishvānara
Ātman, whose sphere of activity is the waking state, is A, the first
letter of AUM, on account of his all-pervasiveness or being the first alphabet. He who knows this obtains
all desires and becomes the first among the
great.
No sound can be produced without opening the mouth and
the first sound produced on opening the mouth
is ‘A’. Hence ‘A’ is all pervasive and the first letter of most languages and
the first sound of a newborn child. The waking state precedes dream and sleep
states.
10. Taijasa Ātman,
whose sphere of activity is the dream state, is U, the second letter of AUM,
and it comes in between A and M. Letter ‘U’ is said to be superior
only apparently, because it comes just after ’A’. He who knows all this9 attains a superior Knowledge of Brahman, receives
equal treatment from all and finds no one in his family ignorant of Brahman.
9 The dream or REM state comes between waking and deep sleep. REM means
Rapid Eye Movement. It is a state of half sleep when you are dreaming and your
eyes move rapidly.
11. Consciousness present in the state of deep sleep is M, the last
letter of the word ‘AUM’. Because of M being the entity wherein A and U seem to
merge or become absorbed
into M. He who knows all this10 is able to absorb and comprehend all Knowledge within
himself.
10Waking
and dream seem to merge into deep sleep.
12. That
Om—which is without letters (monosyllable) representing all three states—is the Turiya
state, beyond comprehension by ordinary means, the cessation of the
extraordinary world, the auspicious and the non-dual. Thus
Read
Karika of Gaudapada: www.gita-society.com/pdf/karika.pdf
OM
TAT SAT
A BASIC MEDITATION-1 (For the Beginners)
A simple
technique of meditation is described here: (1) Sit in a clean, quiet,
dark place; in any comfortable posture with head, neck, and spine straight and
vertical. Make sure before starting the process that breathing is equalized using
alternate breathing or any other technique.
(1) No music
or incense during meditation is recommended. The time and place of meditation
should be fixed. Midnight, morning, and evening are the best times to meditate
for 15 to 20 minutes every day. (2) Remember any name or form of the
personal god (Ishta Deva) you believe in, and ask His or Her blessings. (3)
Close your eyes, take 5 to 10 very slow and deep breaths. (4) Fix your
gaze, mind, and feelings inside the
If mind starts to wander, start from
step (3) again.
Advance Omnic Sound Meditation
Technique
NOTE: Equalization
of the breathing through both nostrils before meditation is necessary for
concentration. One method is the alternate breathing (or Anuloma-viloma).
Another method is:
If you want to equalize the breath in
the right nostril, concentrate your mind on left side of your brain for 30
secs. and check till the breath is equalized. For the left nostril, concentrate
your mind on the right side of the brain.
A practical advanced method of meditating on Om is
presented for advanced devotees. This very powerful
technique should be prac-ticed only after 108 or more days of practice of basic
Meditation 1.
WARNING: This is a very powerful method, and
is known to produce harm if done without guidance or proper preparation such as
Yama and Niyama. Stop this meditation if you feel some unusual signs and do not
drive or use any machinery while practicing this technique.
This
Omnic meditation is the only meditation mentioned in Bhagavad-Gita verses 8.12-13
by Lord Krishna: When one leaves the physical body, by controlling all the
senses, focusing the mind on God and the bioimpulses (Life forces, Prāna)
in the cerebrum, engaged in yogic practice, meditating on Me, and uttering Om!—the
sacred monosyllable cosmic sound power of the Spirit—one
attains the Supreme Abode.
Here we provide the details—based on years of study
of yogic scriptures, research, practice and teaching—for the benefit of advanced
seekers. The place of meditation should be light-free (a dark room), odor-free (no
incense), and sound-free (no music) for the best results. Sit on the floor or
on a chair, look straight, close your eyes, keep arms on knees with palms
upward or use any other mudra. A good time to meditate is before sunrise and
sunset.
(1) Take few
deep breaths. Sincerely ask your guru's/ Ishta Deva's, or Lord
Shiva's/Ganesha's blessings for success in meditation before starting.
(2) Inhale
slowly and deeply through nose.
(3) Hold the
breath for a second then exhale slowly and
(4) Chant a strong but soft,
audible, continuous, sound vibration of
Let the mind and eyes be focused at
an imaginary origin of the Omnic sound situated at the pituitary gland
(the master gland) inside the brain—located four inches deep from the mid-brows
(Also called Ājnā or sixth chakra).
The place above
the pituitary gland is also known as the seventh chakra or the
baby’s soft spot on top of the head. Keep your mind and eyes focused at the seventh chakra,
and imagine that a shining energy of Omnic sound wave is radiating from the pituitary gland
to the seventh chakra and is filling your entire skull with the sound of Om
and feel the vibration at the top of your head.
The secret is, eventually, not to utter
any sound, but make your mind submerge into the fullness of the sound by
entering into the core of the Om sound
and trying to become one with it in love of Om. The sound you are using here is not an arbitrary or ordinary
sound, but a symbol of the Reality—the fullness of the universe, and the very
subtle transcendental sound of cosmic vibration.
Repeat the process 5 or more times
starting at step (2): Continue the
process in steps (2) to (4) with a humming Om
sound from nose only, then with slow Om sound and in the end just mental Om sound
for 10 to 15 minutes total. Practice twice a day for one to three months, and
then slowly and gradually increase the time of mental chanting to 25 minutes.
APPENDIX 2. Chakra balancing and healing with Om
It is sometimes possible to revive or heal a person by intoning
The Taittiriya Upanishad is associated with the Taittiriya School of the Yajurveda.
It figures as number 7 in the Muktika list
of 108 Upanishads. It has three chapters and
several sections dealing with diverse subjects. It has about 52 paragraphs written in prose.
Harih
Om! May Mitra be auspicious to us! May Varuna be auspicious to us! May Aryaman
be auspicious to us! May Indra and Brihaspati be auspicious to us! May Vishnu,
of wide steps, be auspicious to us! Salutation to Brahman! Salutation to You, O
Vāyu! You indeed are the visible Brahman. I shall proclaim You as the
visible Brahman. O Vāyu, I shall proclaim You as the right. I shall
proclaim You as the Truth.
May it protect me! May it
protect the teacher! May it protect me! May it protect the teacher!
Section 2.
Lesson on pronunciation
Section 3.
Reflection on the combinations
1.3.01. May glory come to both
of us together! May the light of Brahman shine alike through both of us! Now we
shall explain the
teaching of the combinations
under five headings: The worlds, the heavenly lights,
Knowledge, progeny and the body.
1.3.02. First, with regard to
the worlds: The earth is the first form,
heaven is the second from, the ākāsha is the union and the air is the
medium. Thus one should contemplate upon the universe.
1.3.03. Next, with regard to
the heavenly lights: Fire is the first form,
the sun is the second form, water is the union and lightning is the medium.
Thus one should contemplate upon the heavenly lights.
1.3.04. Next, with regard to Knowledge: The teacher is the first form,
the pupil is the second form, Knowledge is the union and instruction is the
means of joining them, the medium. Thus is with regard to Knowledge.
1.3.05. Next, with regard to progeny: The mother is the first form, the
father is the second form, the progeny is the union and procreation is the
medium.
1.3.06. Next, with regard to
the body: The lower lip is the first form, the
upper lip is the second form, the speech is the union and the tongue is the
medium.
The five great combinations
Headings |
First
form |
Second
form |
Intermediate form,
union |
Means of joining |
|
Worlds |
earth |
heaven |
space |
air |
|
Luminaries |
fire |
sun |
water |
lightning |
|
Knowledge |
teacher |
student |
Knowledge |
instruction |
|
Progeny
|
mom |
dad |
progeny |
reproduction |
|
Body |
Lower lip |
Upper
lip |
speech |
tongue |
|
1.3.07. These are the great
Samhitās (collection of
Vedic mantras). He who meditates on these Samhitās, as explained above, becomes united with progeny, cattle,
the light of Brahman, food and the heavenly world.
Section 4.
The Universal prayer
1.4.01. May He who is the bull
of the Vedic hymns, who assumes all forms, who has sprung from the immortal
hymns of the Vedas—may God give me wisdom. O God, may I be the possessor of
immortality! May my body be competent; may my tongue be exceedingly sweet; may
I hear abundantly with my ears. You are the sheath of Brahman, concealed by
intelligence. Guard for me what I have learned.
1.4.02.
1.4.03. May I become famous
among men! Svāhā! May I become richer than the rich! Svāhā!
O gracious Lord, may I enter into You! Svāhā! May You, O gracious
Lord, enter into me! Svāhā! O Lord, I am cleansing my sins in that
Self of Your’s, which is like a river of a thousand branches. Svāhā!
O Preserver, as water flow downward, as the months merge into a year, so may students
of Brahma-vidyā come to me from everywhere. Svāhā!
Note 10: In the above payer the rishi is praying not only for
himself, but for the welfare of all creatures.
ö s=v=*e B=v=nt=u s=uòK=n=/, s=v=*e s=nt=u in=r=m=y==/ + s=v=*e
B=d>=i[= p=xy=nt=u, m== k:ûxc=t=< du/K= B==gB=v=et=< ++
Sarve
santu nirāmayāh Sarve
bhadrāni pashyantu Mā
kashchit duhkha bhāgbhavet
|
May all be prosperous and happy May all be free from illness May all see what is spiritually uplifting May no one suffer |
Section 5. Description of Four Great Utterances
1.5.01. Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah—these are the three great
utterances (m=h=vy==Åit=y==]) chanted during Vedic rituals and upāsanās.
Besides these there is a fourth one,
called Mahah, which became known to
the son of Mahāchamasa. That Mahah is Brahman, that is the Self. The
other gods are its limbs.
1.5.02. Bhuh is, verily, this earth; Bhuvah, the planets;
Svah, the galaxies; Mahah, the sun. Through the sun, indeed, all the
worlds are nourished. (in stage 1)
1.5.03. Bhuh is, verily, fire; Bhuvah, the air; Svah, the sun;
Mahah, the moon. By the moon light,
indeed, do all creatures get their nourishing crop to thrive. (in stage 2)
1.5.04. Bhuh is, verily, the Rik verses; Bhuvah, the Sāman; Svah, the Yajus; Mahah, Brahman. By Brahman, indeed, do all the Vedas came. (in stage 3)
1.5.05. Bhuh is, verily, the Prāna, Bhuvah, the apāna; Svah, the vyāna; Mahah, food. By food, indeed, do all living beings (prāni) thrive. (in stage 4)
1.5.06. These above mentioned
four are themselves fourfold: the four vyāhritis are each described in
four different stages as given below in a tabular form below. He who knows
these knows Brahman. All the gods bring offerings to him.
Description of utterances
(vyāhritis)
Vyāhritis |
Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
Stage 3 |
Stage 4 |
Bhuh |
Earth |
Fire |
Rik |
Prāna |
Bhuvah |
Planets |
Air |
Sāma |
Apāna |
Svah |
Galaxies |
Sun |
Yajur |
Vyāna |
Mahah |
Cosmos |
Moon |
|
Food |
Section 6. Reflection on saguna Brahman
1.6.01. There is a space within
the causal heart; in it resides the intelligent, immortal, luminous Purusha.
The Sushumnā passes through the piece of flesh—a cherry-size pituitary gland—which
hangs down like a nipple between the two palates and ends where the skull
splits and the roots of hair lie apart. That Sushumnā is the path for the
realization of God. The souls of the aspirants, passing through the
Sushumnā, rest in the fire, represented by the vyāhriti Bhuh; and also
rest in the air, represented by the vyāhriti Bhuvah.
1.6.02. He rests in the sun,
represented by the vyāhriti Svah; he rests in Brahman, represented by the
vyāhriti Mahah. He attains the Self. He attains the lordship of the mind;
he attains the lordship of speech; he attains the lordship of sight; he attains
the lordship of hearing; he attains the lordship of intelligence. Furthermore,
he becomes Brahman, whose body is space, whose nature is existence (SAT), who
sports in life as Prāna, whose mind is bliss, who is full of peace, who is
immortal. Thus one should meditate on saguna or visible Brahma.
Section 7.
Reflection on fivefold nature
1.7.01. The earth, planets,
galaxies (heaven), the four directions (North, South. East and West) and the
intermediate directions. Agni (fire), Vāyu (air), Aditya (sun),
Chandramā (moon) and the Nakshatras (stars). Water, herbs, tree, space and
the body—So much with reference to
material objects. Now with reference to the body: The Prāna, apāna,
vyāna, udāna and samāna; the eye, the ear, the mind, speech and
touch; the skin, flesh, muscle, bone and marrow. Having thus instructed, Rishi
said: "Whatever exists is fivefold." The one set of fivefold grouping
sustains the other set of fivefold in the group.
Divinity pervades and sustains the entire universe of multiplicity as mentioned in the Gita: Everything in the universe is strung on Me like different thread-beads are strung on a garland made of thread (BG 7.07).
Section 8.
Reflection on
Learning and propagating the truths of the Vedas are to be practiced along with: righteousness, austerity, sense-control, tranquility, the kindling of sacrificial fires, the performance of the Agnihotra sacrifice, hospitality to guests, the performance of social duties and procreation and propagation of the race. All these are to be practiced sincerely.
There are differing views on the subject: righteousness alone, according to
Satyvachas of the line of Rathitara, should be practiced; austerity alone,
according to Taponitya the son of Purusishti; according to Naka, the learning
and teaching of the Vedas alone, for
that is austerity.
Section 10. A
mantra for daily contemplation
1.10.01. Trisanku proclaimed
after the attainment of the Knowledge of the Self: I am the mover of the tree
of the universe. My fame rises high, like a mountain peak. My root is the
Supremely Pure Brahman. I am the unstained essence of the Self, like the nectar
of immortality that resides in the sun. I am the brightest treasure. I am the
shinning wisdom. I am immortal and imperishable. (Lord Krishna also used ‘I’ in the sense
of the Self in many verses of the Gita.)
Section 11.
Advice to the students
1.11.01. Speak the truth.
Practice dharma. Do not neglect the study of the Vedas. Having brought to the
teacher the gift (Guru Dakshina or guru’s fee) desired by him, enter the householder's life and see that the line of
progeny is not cut off. Do not swerve from the truth. Do not swerve from Dharma.
Do not neglect personal welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not neglect the
study, practice and the propagation of teachings of the Vedas.
1.11.02. Do not neglect your duties to the gods
and the Manes (souls of deceased ancestors).
Treat your mother as god. Treat your father as god. Treat
your teacher as god. Treat your guest as god. Whatever deeds are
faultless, these are to be performed, not others. Whatever good works have been
performed by us, those should be performed by you, not others.
1.11.03. Those brāhmanas who are superior to
us, you should comfort them by giving them seats. Whatever is to
be given should be given with faith, not without faith. And according to one’s
capacity to give, with modesty, without fear, and with sympathy.
Read more on three types of charity as
given in the Gita verses (17.20-21) on:
www.gita-society.com/explanationRead.html
1.11.04. Now, if there arises in your mind any
doubt concerning any act, or any doubt concerning conduct, you should conduct
yourself in such a manner as brāhmanas would conduct
themselves—brāhmanas who are competent to judge, who of their own accord
are devoted to good deeds and are not urged to their performance by others, and
who are not too difficult, but are lovers of Dharma. Now, with regards to
persons who speak against, you should conduct yourself in such a way as
brāhmanas would conduct themselves—brāhmanas who are competent to
judge, who of their own accord are devoted to good deeds and are not urged to
their performance by others, and who are not cruel, but are lovers of dharma.
This is the rule. This is the teaching. This is the secret wisdom of the Vedas.
This is the command of God. This alone should be observed.
Section 12.
The peace chant
May
all the Devas be auspicious to us and protect me and protect the students.
CHAPTER 2. BRAHMĀNANDA, THE BLISS OF BRAHMAN
(The Five Sheaths (koshas, coverings) of Ātman)
Section 1.
The sheath of food or body
2.1.01.
2.1.02. From the Ātman was born Ākāsha
(or Ādi Prakriti); from Ākāsha, air; from air, fire; from fire,
water; from water, earth; from earth, herbs; from herbs, food; from food, man.
2.1.03. This physical body is
made up of the essence of food. Food, indeed, is the head, right arm, left arm,
the body and the legs or the tail. (The whole physical body is made up of food.)
Section 2.
The sheath of the Prāna
2.2.01. “From food, verily, are
produced all creatures—whatsoever dwell on earth. By food alone, furthermore,
do they live and to food, in the end, do they return; for food alone is the
eldest of all created beings and therefore, it is called the “cure all, panacea
(Annam).” (Proper food is called the best medicine)
They who worship food as Brahman obtain all
food. Food alone is the eldest of all beings and therefore it is called the
panacea for all. From food all creatures are born. By food, when born, they grow.
Because it is eaten by beings and because improper food eats beings (by causing
disease and death), therefore it is called food.
The etymology of the word ‘
2.2.02. Verily, different from
this, which consists of the essence of food, but within it, is another self,
which consists of the vital breath (Prāna). The sheath of
food (or the physical body) is supported by Prāna. This too
has the shape of a man. Like the human shape of the former, is the human shape
of the latter. Prāna, indeed, is its head; vyāna is its right wing;
apāna is its left wing; ākāsha is its trunk; the earth is its
tail, its support. (Prānas fully
occupy the body, thus its shape is same as body it enters.)
Section 3.
The sheath of the mind
2.3.01. “The gods also live by Prāna,
so also do men and cattle; for the Prāna is the life of all beings.
Therefore it is called the universal life of all.
Those who worship the Prāna as Brahman obtain a full life.
2.3.02. This sheath of the Prāna supports the body. And is different
from this sheath of body; within the sheath of Prāna, is another self,
which consists of the mind. The Prāna is supported by
the mind. This mind sheath too has the shape of a man. Like the
human shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. The Yajurveda is
its head, the Rigveda is its right wing, the Sāmaveda is its left wing,
the teaching is its trunk, the hymns of Atharvaveda and Angiras are its tail,
its support.
Section 4.
The sheath of the intellect
2.4.01. He who knows the Bliss
of Brahman, which is beyond the reach of the mind and speech, is not afraid of
anything whatsoever. The mind supports Prāna and is being supported by the
intellect. (A similar verse is in TaU 2.9.1)
2.4.02. The sheath of the mind supports and guides the Prāna.
Verily, different from this sheath of mind, but within it, is another self,
which consists of the intellect. The mind is supported by the
intellect. This also has the shape of a man. Like the human
shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. Faith is its head, what
is right is its right wing, what is truth is its left wing, yoga is the trunk, Mahah
(the Cosmic Intellect) is its tail, and its support.
Section 5.
The sheath of Knowledge and
Bliss
2.5.01. The Knowledge performs
all the sacrifices; it also accomplishes all actions. All the gods worship the
Knowledge, who is the eldest, as Brahman. If one knows the Knowledge as Brahman
and if he does not depart from it, he is freed from all evils and desires, and
becomes Blissful!
2.5.02. Verily, different from Knowledge,
but within the Knowledge, is another self, which consists of Bliss. Bliss supports Knowledge and Bliss is supported by the Ātmā or Brahman.
This also has the shape of a man**. Like the human shape of the former is the
human shape of the latter. Joy is its head, delight is its right arm, great
delight is its left arm, Bliss is its trunk. Brahman is its leg and its
support.
(**
Note: Knowledge and Bliss, intellect, mind, and Prāna pervade every
cell of the body-container and are not localized. They take the shape of the container
they enter. )
Section 6.
Brahman: Source, support and sink of all
2.6.01. “If a person knows
Brahman as non-existent, he himself becomes non-existent (or the atheist misses
the goal of human birth and perishes). If he knows Brahman as existent, then he
knows himself as existent.” Brahman exists and supports all.
The irrational, the faithless, and the disbeliever
(atheist) perish (or transmigrate). There is neither this world nor the world
beyond nor happiness for a disbeliever. (BG
4.40)
In the hierarchy
of support, the higher supports and guides the lower ones:
Brahman > Knowledge/Bliss > intellect
> mind > Prāna > body
Thus,
Brahman is the ultimate source and support
of all its five coverings as discussed and shown above.
2.6.02. Thereupon the following
questions arise: Does the ignorant, after leaving this world, go There or, does
the Knower, after leaving this world, obtain That Supreme Being?
Note 11: The answer to this question is left to be
discovered by the students. This question implies a doubt as to what is the
special benefit derived by spiritual endeavor, when every born creature would
ultimately merge back to the Source? The world is a mere divine drama, and we
are divine instruments!
2.6.03. He desired: “May I be
many, may I be born. He performed austerities. Having performed austerities
(tapas, deep thinking, brooding), He created all this, whatever there is.
Having created all this, He entered into it. Having entered into it, He became
both the manifest and the unmanifest, both the defined and undefined, both the
supported and unsupported, both the intelligent and the non-intelligent, both
the real and the unreal. The SAT or Brahman became all this.
Section 7.
Brahman as fearlessness
2.7.01. “In the beginning all
this was non-existent or invisible Brahman. From It was born what exists. Brahman
created Himself by Himself; therefore it is called the self-made
(sv=]B=U).”
2.7.02. That which is self-made
is an object of joy; for truly, on knowing the joy (Bliss, Brahman) one becomes
blissful and fearless. Who could direct the Prāna
and the Apāna if this Bliss did not exist in the cavity of the heart?
Brahman verily exists, because it alone bestows bliss.
2.7.03. When a man finds
fearless support in That which is invisible, spiritual, indefinable and
supportless, he has then obtained fearlessness (of transmigration and becomes
immortal, and blissful!).
If one makes even the slightest
differentiation between Brahman and His creation, there is fear of death and
birth for him. That becomes fear for the knower also who does not understand
(or reflect on) Brahman very well.
(Here is a partiahanswer to the question posed earlier in verse 2.6.2.)
Section 8. Brahmānanda,
the Bliss of Brahman
2.8.01. “From fear of Him the
wind blows; from fear of Him the sun rises; from fear of Him Agni, Indra and
Death, the fifth, do their respective duties.” (Also see KaU 6.02)
2.8.02. The following is the inquiry
regarding the Bliss (of Knowing Brahman, Brahmānanda-Rasa). Suppose there
is a young man—a noble young man, the best of rulers, firm in body and strong
and possesses the whole world, full of wealth. That is one unit of human bliss.
This human bliss, multiplied one hundred times,
is one unit of the bliss of the human gandharvas.
This also is less than or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas who is
free from all desires.
2.8.03. This bliss of the
human gandharvas, multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of the
celestial gandharvas. This also is less
than or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas who is free from all
desires.
2.8.04. This bliss of the
celestial gandharvas, multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of
the Manes, who dwell in the long-enduring
world. This also is less than or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas
who is free from all desires.
2.8.05. This bliss of the
Manes who dwell in the long-enduring world, multiplied one hundred times, is
one unit of the bliss of the gods born in the Ajana heaven.
This also is less than or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas who is
free from all desires.
2.8.06. The bliss of the gods
born in the Ajana heaven, multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the
bliss of the sacrificial gods who have attained divinity by
means of sacrifices. This also is less than or equal to the bliss of a follower
of the Vedas who is free from all desires.
2.8.07. The bliss of the
sacrificial gods, multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of the gods. This also is less than
or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas who is free from all desires.
2.8.08. The bliss of the gods,
multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of Indra.
This also is less than or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas who is
free from all desires.
2.8.09. The bliss of Indra,
multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of
Brihaspati. This also is less than or equal to the bliss of a
follower of the Vedas who is free from all desires.
2.8.10. The bliss of
Brihaspati, multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of
Prajāpati, Brahmā. This
also is less than or equal to the bliss of a follower of the Vedas who is free
from all desires.
2.8.11. The bliss of
Brahmā, multiplied one hundred times, is one unit of the bliss of the Knowers of Brahman
(b=>É=n=nd). This equals the bliss
of a follower of the Vedas who becomes absolutely free
from all desires.
Note:
The gist of verses 2.8.02-11 is: There is no bliss equal to or greater than the
bliss of a very sincere follower of the teachings of the Vedas (or a
Self-realized soul) who becomes free from all desires. The degree of Bliss depends on the degree of
desirelessness attained.
2.8.12. He who is here in man
and he who is in the sun—both are one and the same. He who fully understands
this before leaving this world, attains the Self which consists of food,
attains the self which consist of the vital breath, attains the self which
consists of the mind, attains the self which consists of intellect, attains the
Self which consists of Bliss.
Section 9.
The merging of good and evil
2.9.01. He who knows the Bliss of Brahman, which is beyond
the reach of mind and speech, is no more afraid of anything whatsoever. (A similar verse is in TaU 2.4.1)
2.9.02. He does not distress
himself with the thought: Why did I not do what is good?
Why did I do what is evil? Whosoever knows the Truth, regards all work as the
work of Nature and not his own work. (Also see BG 3.27). Such,
indeed, is the power of the teachings of Upanishads, the secret Knowledge of
Brahman.
CHAPTER 3. VARUNA-BHRIGU DIALOGUE
Section 1. Definition
of Brahman
Om!
Shantih! Shantih! Shantih!
3.1.01. Harih Om! Bhrigu, the
son of Varuna, approached his father and said: "Venerable Sir, teach me
about Brahman." Varuna said this to Bhrigu: "Food, the
vital breath, the eyes, the ears, the mind and the speech—are Brahman". To
him he said further: "That from which these beings are born, That by
which, when born, they live, That into which they enter, they merge. That is
Brahman. Seek to know That by austerities." Bhrigu
performed austerities (tapas, deep contemplation). Having performed austerities—
(Also see MuU 1.1.08 for a definition of tapas)
Section 2.
The body as Brahman
He realized that food is Brahman;
for from food, verily, are these beings born; by food, when born, do they live;
into food they merge. Having realized this, he approached his father again and
said: "Venerable Sir, teach me Brahman."
To him, the son, he said this: "Seek to
know Brahman by means of austerities (t=p=s== b=>Ä iv=ij=N=s=sv=) or Tapas, deep concentration or thinking on
Brahman. For austerities (Tapas) are the only means of knowing Brahman." He
practiced austerities.
Tapas does not mean torturing of the body
as popularized in the Purānas. It is deep thinking of Brahman to know Him.
Section 3.
The Prāna as Brahman
Having practiced austerities— He realized that
the Prāna is Brahman; for from the Prāna,
verily, are these beings born; by the Prāna, when born, do they live; into
the Prāna do they enter, do they merge. Having realized this, he
approached his father again and said: "Venerable Sir, teach me
Brahman."
To him, the son, he said this: "Seek to
know Brahman by means of austerities. For austerities are the only means of
knowing Brahman." He practiced austerities. Having practiced austerities—
Section 4.
The mind as Brahman
He realized that the mind is Brahman;
for from the mind, verily, are these beings born; by the mind, when born, do
they live; into the mind, at the time of dissolution, do they enter, do they
merge. (The mind is also called maya or Prakriti.)
Having realized this, he approached his father
again and said: "Venerable Sir,
teach me Brahman."
To him, the son, he said this: "Seek to
know Brahman by means of austerities; for austerities are Brahman." He
practiced austerities. Having practiced austerities—
Section 5.
The intellect as Brahman
He realized that the intellect is
Brahman; because, from the intellect of Brahman (Brahmā), verily, are these beings born; by the intellect, when
born, do they live; into the intellect, at the time of dissolution, do they
enter, do they merge.
Having realized this, he approached his father
again and said: "Venerable Sir, teach me Brahman."
To him, the son, he said this: "Seek to
know Brahman by means of austerities; for austerities are the means of knowing
Brahman." He practiced austerities. Having practiced austerities—
Section 6.
Knowledge or Bliss as Brahman
He realized that Bliss is
Brahman; for from Bliss (Ānanda), verily, are these beings
born; by bliss, when born, do they live; into bliss, at the time of
dissolution, do they enter, do they merge.
This is the wisdom taught by Varuna and learnt
by Bhrigu. It is established in the supreme ākāsha, the causal heart.
He who knows this is established in the Bliss of Brahman. He becomes a
possessor of food and an eater of food. He becomes great in offspring and cattle
and in spiritual radiance and great in fame.
Sage Bhrigu finally came to
realize, by persistent deep thinking, that the basis of body, prāna, mind, intellect and Knowledge
is the Supreme Being. He had very little help from his father.
Deep concentration of mind is repeatedly taught by
sage Varuna in order to emphasize the fact that it’s the best discipline to
learn any subject or to reach any goal as also mentioned in the Gita verse 17.03:
One can
become whatever one wants to be, if one
constantly contemplates (or visualizes) the object of desire with deep faith in
God and a burning desire (BG 17.03). Bhagavad-Gita verse 7.19 says: Everything—Body, Prāna, mind, intellect, Knowledge
etc. —is part and parcel of Brahman (v==s=udev=/ s=v=*m=< wit=).
Section 7.
The importance of food (i)
Let him (the knower of Brahman) never discard
food; that is the duty.
The Prāna is food; body is the eater of
food. The body survives on Prāna and Prāna survives in the body.
Thus, one body survives on another body. Similarly food survives on
food.
He who knows this surviving of food on food (or
the food-chain) becomes one with God; he
becomes a possessor of food and an eater of food. He becomes great in offspring
and cattle and in spiritual radiance and great in fame.
Section 8.
The importance of food (ii)
Let him (the knower of Brahman) never discard
food; that is the duty. Water is, verily, food; fire is the eater. Fire rests
on water and water rests on fire. Thus food rests or survives on food. The
higher form of life uses the lower form of life as food for sustenance.
He who knows this resting of food on food is knowledgeable;
he becomes a possessor of food and an eater of food. He becomes great in
offspring and cattle and in spiritual radiance and great in fame.
Section 9.
The importance of food (iii)
Let him (the knower of Brahman) accumulate
plenty of food; that is the duty.
The earth is, verily, food; the
ākāsha is the eater. The ākāsha rests on the earth and the
earth rests in the ākāsha. Thus food rests on food.
He who knows this resting of food on food is well-educated;
he becomes a possessor of food and an eater of food. He becomes great in
offspring and cattle and in spiritual radiance and great in fame.
Section 10. Contemplation
on Brahman
Let him not deny shelter to anyone: this is the
duty. Therefore he should procure as much food by any legal means. To guests,
he should say: "Food is ready."
3.10.01. If the food is given
(to others) in the early age, food comes to the giver in the early age. If the
food is given in the middle age, food comes to the giver in the middle age. If
the food is given in the old age, food comes to the giver in the old age. He
who knows this obtains the fruits mentioned above.
3.10.02. The Supreme resides in
speech as ‘well-being’; in Prāna and apāna as acquirer and preserver, in hands as actions, in the legs as
movement, in the anus as excretion. This is the contemplation on Brahman
through actions. (One should see Brahman behind all bodily functions)
Next follows the contemplation on Brahman,
through the gods: One should meditate on Brahman as contentment (t=&òpt=) in rain, as power in
lightning.
3.10.03. Brahman is to be
worshipped as
fame in cattle, as light in the stars, as procreation, immortality and joy in
the organ of generation and as everything in the ākāsha.
Let him contemplate Brahman as the support and
he will be supported; let him contemplate Brahman as greatness and he will
become great; let him contemplate Brahman as the mind and he will be endowed
with a thoughtful mind.
3.10.04. Let him contemplate on Brahman
as reverence (or honor, homage) and all desires will bow down before him and
pay homage. Let him contemplate Brahman as the Supreme Lord and he will be
endowed with supremacy. Let him contemplate on Brahman
as the destructive agent, then all hatred—in the enemies who hate him and also
those whom he hates—will die away!
The
verses above and verse 17.03 of the Gita illustrate a great psychological
truth: ‘As you think, so you become’.
3.10.05. He who knows this, as
described above, after dying attains the Self which consists of food, Prāna,
mind, intellect, Knowledge and Bliss. Then he goes all over the globe, eating
the food he desires, assuming the forms he likes and singing the glory of non-dual
Brahman as follows:
3.10.06. "I am the food, I
am the food, I am the food! I am the eater of the food, I am the eater of the
food, I am the eater of the food! I am the uniter, I am the uniter, I am the
uniter!”
"I am the first-born (food) of the Truth,
even prior to the gods and I am immortal. He who gives away food, he alone
preserves me. I am the food that eats him who
eats (improper) food.” (Also see BG 3.12)
"I, as the Supreme Lord, overpower the entire
world. I am as radiant as the Sun." Whosoever knows this becomes one with
Brahman. Such, indeed, is the teaching of Upanishad.
OM TAT SAT
In the beginning and the end of a creative
cycle only ParaBrahman exists
The Aitareya Upanishad is one of the older, primary Upanishads commented upon by āchāryas
such as Ādi Shankarāchārya
and Madhvāchārya. It is a principal Upanishad, associated with the Rigveda. It deals primarily with a theory of creation and
transmigration of soul. It has 30 verses written in prose.
CHAPTER 1. THE THEORY OF CREATION
Section 1. Creation of the Jiva
1.1.01. In the beginning of a new
creative cycle, called MahāKalpa
lasting over 311 trillion solar years, there remains nothing but ParaBrahman (commonly known as Ātman) alone. Nothing other than
Ātman exists. Ātman’s inherent nature is
to create the universe. (Also see MuU 1.1.08)
1.1.02. Thus it creates everything,
including three worlds: the earth (B=U/), the planets (B=uv=/), and the galaxies or heaven (sv=/).
1.1.03. Ātman thought: These indeed
are the worlds I have created. Now let Me create the Lord of the Universe to
control these worlds. There was water (or Nāra, the ocean
of Total Energy after MahāPralaya)
alone in the universe at first. In it the Lord of the Universe, Ādi Nārāyana
or Cosmic Being (Purusha,
shown as Shri Krishna on a Peepal leaf in the illustration on Page 80) arose.
1.1.04. Ātman contemplated over
Purusha and there came out mouth. From the mouth proceeded speech, from speech
fire. Then two nostrils came out. Power of smell came out of nostrils. From
power of smell came air. Then two eyes burst forth; from the eyes came sight,
and from sight the Sun. Ears burst forth: from the ears came out hearing. Skin
burst forth from which hairs came. From the earth came herbs and trees. Then
heart burst forth; from the heart came mind and from mind the Moon. Then burst
forth the navel and from the navel the Apāna,
from Apāna, Death. Then regenerative organ burst forth; from this organ the semen and from semen
the Waters. Then He created the controlling deities (Devtās) of the
organs.
Note 12: it may appear curious at first
that the text described the evolving of the senses from the sense-organs and
the presiding/supporting deities from the senses. But, in the evolution of a
fetus, organs appear first and then the power of utilizing those organs appears
and develops gradually.
Note 13: The rishis of India or
even modern scientists such as Einstein have not been—or will ever be—able to
give one unanimous theory of creation of the universe. The Source will,
forever, remain unknown to the human mind. We find over 20 different theories
of creation by various masters in the Vedas and Upanishads. Some of the
theories of creation are given in PrU
1.04, MuU 1.1.07-08, AiU 1.1.01 and ShU 4.01. All
theories of creation are, at best, “profound speculation”. Another detailed
theory of creation based on other Vedic scriptures is given for the advanced
readers on:
www.gita-society.com/genesis.pdf
Darwin’s
theory of evolution is only very a small part of the creation theory given in
the Vedas, the Bible and other scriptures. The Source creates by evolution and
it takes 4.32 Billion of solar years to evolve.
Note 14: The
creationists and evolutionists will not agree until they realize that both
theories are not different at all. According Vedic cosmology, Lord or Mother
Nature takes trillions of years to complete one cycle of creation using a slow,
but perfect evolutionary process. The Creation does not and cannot happen
overnight or over a week like a magic! The Darwin’s theory of evolution is only
a very small part of the general theory
of creation by the power (Maya) of an unknowable God.
1.2.01. Thus Nārāyana
or Cosmic person, Purusha came into worldly existence that needed a body to
live in; food and water to survive.
1.2.02. The Lord brought the
form of a cow and then a horse and other bodies. Devtās said, these bodies are
not sufficient for them.
1.2.03. When He brought the
form of a human being to them they were very pleased and accepted. He said:
Enter into your respective abodes.
1.2.04-05. The deity of fire became the organ of
speech and entered the mouth. Air became breath and entered the nostrils. The Sun becoming the sight
entered the eyes, hearing entered the ears, the deities of herbs, plants and
trees entered the soil and hair came out through human skin. The moon, becoming
mind, entered the causal heart. The God of death becoming the out-breath,
entered the navel. The deity of waters, becoming the semen entered the regenerative
organs. Hunger and thirst entered the stomach. To whatever deity an
oblation is made, hunger and thirst became sharer in it.
1.3.01. After creating the
worlds and Devatās, the controlling deities or guardian
angels, Lord created food for them.
1.3.02. Lord brooded over the
five basic elements and food was thus produced from those five elements.
1.3.03-09. The food thus created could not be consumed by speech, eyes,
ears, skin, mind or by any other organ.
1.3.10. Therefore, Apāna
Vāyu (out-breath) was created to support life by food.
1.3.11-12. Lord thought how can
all these survive without Me? And the creator entered creatures’ body through the
top of the skull to support them.
CHAPTER 2. TRANSMIGRATION OF SOUL
2.01.
The soul that enters into the transmigratory cycle becomes the seed or semen.
Seed is the essence gathered from all the limbs of male. Man holds his essence
in his own body as semen.
2.02.
The seed becomes one with the woman, just as a limb of her own. Therefore it
does not hurt her, and the seed does not get rejected. She nourishes man’s self
that has come to her.
2.03.
The mother bears the child in her womb and the father bestows his cherishing
care from pregnancy to prenatal and afterwards. Son, the father’s very self, is
to continue the holy deeds of his father. This is the father’s second birth.
2.04.
The father having done his duty, departs from this world and is born again.
This is father’s third birth.
Note 15: it is said that just
before leaving the present body the soul makes a subtle body out of subtle
elements of the present physical body. It remains in this body waiting for the
next reincarnation. This process is also described in the Bhagavad-Gita:
When
the individual soul leaves one physical body and acquires a new physical body,
He carries away the causal and subtle bodies from the physical body just as the
wind carries away aroma from the flower. (BG 15.08)
2.05.
A qualified jiva could realize the true nature of Self even inside the womb of
the mother. Through the efforts of self-purification and contemplation
conducted in several past lives, sage Vāmadeva was
suddenly illuminated while he was still in the womb.
CHAPTER 3. MANIFESTATION OF BRAHMAN
3.01.
Who is He whom we meditate upon as Ātman? Which of the two— Brahman or ParaBrahman
(the Absolute or the highest Reality)?
3.02.
We meditate on ParaBrahman, the Absolute or the highest Reality. It is also
commonly known as Ātman by which a living being sees forms, hears sounds,
smells, speaks, tastes and differentiates
between right and wrong.
3.03-04. The other names of Ātman are
consciousness, wisdom (Prajnā),
Knowledge, power, vision, memory, recollection, desire etc. Ātman is
Brahmā, Indra, all the gods, five great elements, and all those born of
eggs, of womb, all the living and non-living beings. Because all these come out
of Brahman and totally depend on it, thus: “All is Brahman”. It is said that one who realizes that consciousness
is Brahman
(p=>N=n=] b=>É), attains
immortality. (Also see BG 7.07, 7.19, IsU 01)
OM TAT SAT
APPENDIX 3. Immortality
by giving up Ego
The ultimate path to Immortality (am=rtv=) or nirvāna is so
beautifully described in the key verse of the Bhagavad-Gita. It should be
learnt and practiced by all aspirants. We are quoting it below from our main publication
available from: www.amazon.com/dp/1481142143
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Setting aside all Dharmas, just
surrender to My Will. I shall liberate you from all sins or the bonds of Karma.
Do not grieve. (Also see BG 2.07,
3.18, 7.01, 7.14, 7.15, 7.18, 7.19, 7.29, 9.32, 15.04, 18.17, 18.56 and 18.62) (BG
18.66)
We interpret the meaning of setting aside all ‘Dharmas’ as neither giving up various spiritual paths or practices such as service, charity, austerity, meditation, yoga, rituals, worship, efforts etc. nor giving up one’s prescribed duties in life, but embracing a spirit of renunciation in all actions. Some commentators feel it means giving up all acts of righteousness. Setting aside all ‘Dharmas’ also means to perform all duties (Dharmas) setting aside doership, attachment and ego or the false notion that an individual soul (Jiva) is separate, independent and different from Brahman. Ego stands on our way to God. It is not possible to progress on our spiritual journey without first renouncing ego, the origin of doership, ownership, and attachment to all works.
Ego is very difficult to get rid of. One cannot fight ego and win, just as one cannot fight against darkness, because ego runs the show of life. Jnāna or ParāBhakti is the only way to break the wall of ego that stands between Jiva and Ishvara. After this mental wall of separation is gone, “Jiva is Brahman”. It is just like the wall of pot when it is broken, there is no pot space—pot space becomes free! Saint Jnaneshwar defines surrender to God as firm intellectual conviction that there is nothing but Brahman (Gita 7.07 and 7.19) and Jiva and Brahman are non-different. It is surrendering (x=r[==g=it=) of the ego: Individual existence, and individual will (s=v=*s=]k:Dp=s=]ny==s= Gita 6.04). Thus, our only effort should be the acquisition of Jnāna which is also not an easy task. It is well known that Jnāna dawns in a man through the Grace of God. The Grace comes only after one has done selfless service or any other Sādhanā such as contemplation on Brahman (b=>Éiv=c==r, t=p=), or devotional service in countless births with the feeling that he is an instrument of the Lord and his work is an offering and a worship to the Lord. The following discussion is a detailed elaboration of the principles of surrender that will expedite the process of surrender. Gladly bearing all that fate imposes is taking refuge in the universal laws of Karma.
When everything is surrendered to Him and one truly understands that He is the goal, the path, the traveler, as well as the obstacles on the path, vice and virtue become powerless and harmless as a cobra with fangs removed. The grace of God is always available—effort is needed to collect it. To win the grace is not easy. One has to earn it by sincere spiritual discipline. Surrendering is the complete renunciation of individual existence or the ego. It is the feeling: O my beloved Lord, nothing is mine, everything—including my body, mind, effort and ego—is Yours. I tried to get out of the ocean of the material world using all the methods given in the scriptures, and failed. In surrender one lets the divine plan rule one’s life after putting one’s best effort.
Surrendering is giving up confidence in our own effort and depending on God. Get rid of confidence in your self-effort and replace it with confidence in divine help. It is giving up sole reliance to one’s effort alone to reach Him. God can be discovered by seeking His help in discovering Him and not by spiritual practices alone. Surrendering to Lord alone means turning only to Him for help. Give up individual will and accept the Will of God because the world is controlled by the laws or Will of God. One has to learn to abide by His Will. Be thankful in prosperity and resigned to His Will in adversity.
When we turn to Him, our responsibility ceases. Lord takes full
responsibility for a person who totally depends on Him. The scripture says: The
wise should not be atta
A true devotee perceives: O Lord, I remembered You because You remembered me first. One breaks away every yoke of bondage and becomes free in this very life as soon as one gains the knowledge and a firm conviction that everything is done by the Will of God, that it is His world, His sport, and His battle, not ours, and regards oneself as a mere actor in the divine play and the Lord as the great director in the cosmic drama of the soul on the stage of creation. Surrendering of individual will to divine Will is the culmination of all spiritual practices, resulting in joyful participation in the drama of joys and sorrows of life. This is called liberation, or Mahāyāna in Buddhism.
When one firmly understands that there is nothing else except the
Supreme Being and His sport, all Karma gets exhausted; one surrenders to His Will,
and attains salvation. One cannot surrender to God as long as one does not
completely get rid of the notion of doership or ego. The miracle of surrender
is triggered when one realizes: One is not the doer, and Lord arranges for the
science of Self-realization to be revealed to su
Surrendering to God does not involve leaving the world, but realizing that everything happens in accordance with His laws and by His direction and power. To fully recognize that everything is controlled and governed by a divine plan and order is to surrender to Him. Learn to accept all results as His Will. Soul is unable to get out of the trap of Maya without help from the Source. As birds seek the shelter of a tree when tired, similarly human beings should seek the divine shelter after long spiritual journey to attain union with Him.
The process of surrender may be called the fifth or the ultimate
path of yoga—the other four being the path of selfless service, metaphysical
knowledge, devotion, and meditation. The Good Lord directs the mind and senses
of the living entities according to their Karma-born desires. But in case of
surrendered devotees, however, He controls the senses directly according to His
desires and in the best interest of the devotee. Let Him be the driver of your
spiritual journey and you just enjoy the ride. Muniji beautifully explains this
process. He says: “Every pain, every a
Shri
Yukteshwar said: “Human life is beset with sorrow until we know how to
surrender or tune in with the divine Will that baffles our intellect”. The Lord
chooses much better things for you if you let Him be your guide by completely
surrendering unto His Will. If one depends on the supreme Lord under all
circumstances, then the good and bad results (Karma, sins) of work
automatically go to Him after total surrender of individual existence
(ego) and individual will by realizing: All
this universe is, indeed, Supreme Brahman. This only happens at the dawn of true Knowledge of the Self.
This Upanishad has six chapters
belonging to the Shukla Yajur Veda and takes its name from the sage Shvetāshvatara. It has non-dualism as its
ultimate conclusion. Still, its devotional tone is too strong to be ignored.
The harmony of Knowledge and devotion is quite evident in the texts. It has 113 verses in beautiful
poetry.
1.01. Students of the
Vedas discuss these questions: Is Brahman the
cause of creation? Whence are we born? Why do we live? Where do we dwell at the
end? Under whose orders are we subjected to the laws of happiness and misery?
1.02. Should time, or nature, or matter, or energy, or chance, or
the five elements, or a combination of these be regarded as the cause? Or He
who is called the Purusha, the living Self?
1.03. The sages, absorbed in contemplation through one-pointed mind,
discovered the creative power, belonging to the Lord hidden in His own Gunas.
That non-dual Lord rules over all those causes—time, the self and the rest.
1.04. The sages saw the
Divine Wheel, which has one axis (Maya or Prakriti), a triple tyre (3 Gunas),
sixteen end-parts (24 or 16 transformations of Prakriti), fifty spokes (?),
twenty counter-spokes (senses and its objects) and six sets of eight (?); whose
one rope (desire) is manifold; which moves on three different roads (Dharma,
Artha, Kāma); and whose illusion arises from two causes (pair of opposites).
The above verse uses a highly technical (Sāmkhya
type) imagery. This is a very difficult mantra to explain and to comprehend. The universe is compared to a Divine rotating wheel
in order to indicate its dynamic nature—its perpetual motion. In the following
verse the universe is compared to a river:
1.05. We can think of the universe like a river whose five currents are the five senses, which is made winding by the five elements, whose waves are the five Prānas and whose fountain-head is the mind, the source of the five forms of perception. This River has five whirlpools and its rapids are the fivefold misery; and lastly, it has many branches and five distresses (Ignorance, ego, fear of death, likes and dislikes).
1.06. In this infinite
Divine wheel, in which all things abide and finally rest, the swan (Jiva)
wanders about as long as jiva thinks itself different from the Controller. When
grace is bestowed by Him—after
one has reached the limits of self-effort—Jiva attains immortality. (Effort precedes
Grace)
Jiva, Jagat and Jagadisha
1.07. All this is the Supreme Brahman alone. The triad of the enjoyer (Jiva), the object of enjoyment
(Jagat) and the Lord (Jagadisha, the Controller) is established in Him. Brahman
is the immutable Source; it is imperishable. The sages,
having realized Brahman to be the essence of all changing universe, become
devoted to Him. Completely merged in the Knowledge of Brahman, they attain
freedom from rebirth.
1.08. The Lord supports
the perishable and the imperishable, the manifest (the effect) and the
unmanifest (the cause). The same Lord gets bound as a
jiva, because of assuming the attitude of the doer and enjoyer.
The jiva when realizes the Supreme Self, is freed from all fetters.
1.09. The Supreme Lord appears as Ishvara, omniscient and omnipotent and
as jiva, of
limited Knowledge and power; both unborn. Apart from these two, there is another unborn prakriti (the changing
Universe), which creates the idea of enjoyer, enjoyment and the
object of enjoyment. Brahman is infinite and all-pervading, and therefore
devoid of doership. When
the seeker realizes all these three —Jiva, Universe and Ishvara— to be Brahman, he is freed from his fetters.
1.10. Prakriti
is perishable, but God is immortal and imperishable. The non-dual Supreme Self
rules both prakriti and the individual souls. Through constant contemplation on
Him, by union with Him, by the Knowledge of identity with Him, one attains, in
the end, cessation of all illusion of the marvelous visible universe.
1.11. When the Lord is
known, all fetters fall off; with the cessation of miseries, fear of birth and
death come to an end. From reflection on Him there arises a state of universal
lordship. And lastly, the aspirant, transcending this state also, abides in
complete Knowledge and Bliss of Brahman.
1.12. The enjoyer (jiva),
the objects of enjoyment (jagat) and
the Ruler (Ishvara, jagadisha)—the
triad described by the knowers of Brahman—is nothing but Brahman.
This Brahman alone, which abides within the body, should
be known. Beyond it, truly, there is nothing else to be known.
1.13. The subtle form of
fire, that lies latent in the source (wood), is not seen; yet it is there. That
very fire can be brought out by means of persistent rubbing of the wood, its
source. Likewise, Ātman, which exists in all three states of consciousness
like fire, can be grasped in this very body as explained below:
1.14. By
making the intellect the lower piece of wood and
1.15-16. As oil exists in sesame seeds, butter in the milk, water
under the ground and fire in the wood, so the Self is realized as existing
within oneself—when a man searches within again and again—by means of truthfulness and contemplation on Brahman.
2.01. First control the mind and senses with a view to realize the Truth. When the Truth is found by the
torch of Knowledge, the evolving soul is freed from attachment.
2.02. When our
minds are under our control, we are under the command of divine power. May He
give us sufficient strength to attain the Supreme.
2.03. May the Sun-God bestow favor to the senses and the mind by
joining them with the Self, so that the senses may be directed toward the
Blissful Brahman and may reveal, by means of Knowledge, the mighty and radiant
Brahman.
2.04. Only
those rare few, who are convinced, undertake the necessary discipline and
spiritual practices to realize the glory of the indwelling soul who is
all-pervading, all-knowing, infinite and self-luminous.
2.05. O senses and O deities who rule them! Through salutations I
unite myself with the eternal Brahman, who is also your source. Let this prayer
sung by me, who follow the immortal sons of God as well as those who occupy
celestial positions, hear this prayer of mine!
2.06. If sacrifices are performed without first praying to the
Sun, then the mind becomes attached to sacrifices in which fire is kindled, oblations
are offered to the deity Vāyu, and the juice of
Soma vine is drunk excessively.
2.07. Serve the eternal Brahman with the blessings of the Sun, the
cause of the universe. Be absorbed in the thought of
the eternal Brahman. Thus your work (karma) will not bind you.
2.08. The wise man should hold his body steady, with chest, throat
and head erect; turn his senses, with the help of the mind, toward the heart
and by means of the raft of Brahman, cross the fearful ocean of the world. (Also read BG 6.13-14)
2.09. The yogi of well-regulated efforts should control the Prānas;
when they are quieted by the breathing process, he should breathe out through
the nostrils. Then let him restrain his mind, as a charioteer restrains his
vicious horses.
2.10. Let yoga be practiced in a place protected from high wind,
which is level, pure and free from pebbles, gravel and fire, undisturbed by the
noise of water or of market-booths and which is delightful to the mind and not
offensive to the eye.
2.11. When yoga is practiced, the forms which appear first—and that
gradually manifest Brahman—are: snow-flakes, smoke, sun, wind, fire,
fire-flies, lightning, crystal and the moon.
2.12. When earth, water, fire, air and ākāsha arise,
that is to say, when all the qualities of the five basic elements, mentioned in
the books on yoga, become visible to a yogi after attaining yogic perfection, then
the yogi's body becomes purified by the fire of yoga and he is freed from
illness, old age or death.
2.13. The precursors of perfection in yoga, they say, are
lightness and healthiness of the body, absence of desire, clear complexion,
pleasant voice, sweet odor and slight excretions.
2.14. As gold covered by dirt shines bright after it has been
cleaned; similarly, the yogi upon realizing the truth of Ātman becomes one
with the non-dual Ātman, attains the goal and shines by becoming free from
grief.
2.15. When the yogi
realizes the real nature of Brahman in this body—by the Knowledge of the Self—as a radiant lamp; then, having known the unborn and
immutable Lord, who is untouched by ignorance and its effects, he is freed from all fetters.
Lord
Krishna said: Self-knowledge
is the only goal of all spiritual practices, O Arjuna. (BG 4.33)
Description of the Glory of God
2.16. This Divinity pervades all directions in their entirety. He
is the first-born (Brahmā or HiranyaGarbha). He has entered into the womb.
He alone is born as a child, and is to be born in future. He is inside all
persons as the Indwelling Self and His face is everywhere.
2.17. Salutations to that
Divinity who is in the fire, who is in the water, who is in the plants, who is
in the trees, and who has pervaded the entire universe.
3.01. It is the non-dual
Self that exists at all times—before and during
the creation and after dissolution
of the universe. It assumes manifold powers and appears as the Divine Lord by
virtue of His unfathomable power of maya. He is the protector of all the worlds
and controls all forces working therein. Those who realize this Being, become
immortal.
Rudra is another name of Ishvara
3.02. Rudra or the Self is only One; for the
knowers of Brahman do not admit the existence of a second, He alone rules all
the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner self in every living being.
After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them back into
Himself at the time of great dissolution (m=h=p=>ly=).
3.03. His eyes, faces, arms, and feet are
everywhere. He endows men with arms and feet, birds with legs and wings. Having
produced heaven and earth, He remains as their non-dual manifester.
3.04. He is the omniscient Rudra, the creator
of the gods, the bestower of their powers, and the supporter of the universe.
He, who in the beginning, gave birth to Hiranyagarbha (Brahmā), may endow us with clear intellect!
3.05. O Rudra, You dwell in the body and
bestow happiness! Look upon us with your most blessed form, which is
auspicious, non-terrifying and all good.
3.06. O Dweller in the body and bestower of
happiness, make gentle that arrow which You hold in Your hand ready to shoot, O
Protector of the body! Do not injure man nor the beast!
(The destructive power
of God is also called Rudra.)
Personal and impersonal aspects of Brahman
3.07. The Supreme Lord is higher than Brahmā and even beyond Brahman. He is vast
and hidden in the bodies of all living beings. By knowing Him,
who alone pervades the entire universe, one become immortal.
3.08. I know that great Purusha, who is
luminous like the sun and beyond darkness. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death; there is no
other way to reach the Supreme Goal.
3.09. The whole universe is
pervaded by Purusha, to whom there is nothing superior, from whom there is
nothing different, than whom there is nothing either smaller or larger; who
stands motionless as a tree and established in His own Glory.
3.10. That Being is far beyond this world, is
without form and without misery. They who know Him become immortal; but others,
indeed, suffer pain.
3.11. All faces are His
faces; all heads, His heads; all necks, His
necks. He dwells in the causal hearts of all beings. He is the all-pervading
Bhagavān. Therefore He is the omnipresent and merciful Lord.
3.12. He, indeed, is the great Purusha, the Lord of creation,
preservation and destruction, who inspires the mind to attain the state
of stainlessness. He is the Ruler and the imperishable Light.
3.13. The Purusha, no bigger than a thumb, is
the inner Self, ever seated in the causal heart of all creatures. He is known
by the intellect which is purified by Knowledge and is perceived in the causal
heart. They who know Him become immortal.
The supreme
can be described only by Parables
3.14. That infinite Purusha has many heads, eyes, feet, and envelopes
the whole universe. And yet He is very close residing in our causal heart.
3.15. The Purusha alone is all this—what has
been and what will be. He is also the Lord of immortality and of the universe.
3.16. His hands and feet
are everywhere; His eyes, heads and faces are everywhere; His ears are
everywhere; He exists pervading everything in the universe.
The Supreme Being has His
hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth, and ears everywhere, because He is
all-pervading and omnipresent. (BG 13.13-14)
3.17. Himself devoid of human senses, He
shines through the functions of all the senses. He is the capable ruler of all;
He is the shelter of all and the friend of all.
3.18. It is
He who resides in the body, the city of nine gates. He is the soul that sports
in the outside world. He is the master of the whole animate and inanimate world.
The human body has
been called the City of Nine Gates (or openings) in the scriptures. The nine
openings are: Two openings ea
3.19. Without hands and feet He goes fast and grasps; without
eyes He sees; without ears He hears. He knows whatever is to be known, yet
there is none who knows Him. They say He is the foremost, the great Infinite
Being.
The Supreme Being
walks without legs, hears without ears, performs many actions without hands,
smells without a nose, sees without eyes, speaks without a mouth, and enjoys
all tastes without a tongue. All His actions are so marvelous that one finds
His greatness utterly beyond description.
3.20. Subtler
than the subtlest and greater than the greatest, the Ātman is concealed in
the causal heart of all creatures. By earning the grace of the Creator, one
becomes free from sorrows and desires, and then realizes Him as the great Lord.
3.21. Know Him as the non-decaying, primeval
One, the Self of all things; which, being all-pervading, exists everywhere, and
which the wise declare to be free from birth and death. The teachers of
Brahman, indeed, speak of it as Eternal.
4.01. May that Divine
Being—though Himself formless, gives rise to various forms in different ways
with the help of His own power, for His own unknowable purpose,
and who dissolves the entire universe in Himself in the end—endow us with good
thoughts!
4.02. The Divine Being
Himself is
the fire, the sun, the air, the moon, the starry sky, the waters, the Cosmic
manifestation (Virāt) and Prajāpati, Brahmā.
4.03. You are woman, You are man; You are youth and the maiden.
You are an old man tottering along with a staff; it’s You alone
who assume diverse forms.
4.04. You are the dark-blue butterfly; You are the green parrot
with red eyes; You are the thunder-cloud, the seasons and all the oceans. You
are beginningless and all-pervading. From You all the worlds manifest.
4.05. There is a single, unborn Female (Prakriti) of red, white
and black colors (the three Gunas) which gives birth to many individual souls
(Jiva). Some individual souls (Jiva) enjoy Her and become attached to Her,
while other individual souls enjoy Her and then leave Her after discovering the
uselessness of worldly pleasures.
4.06. Two birds (Jiva and Ishvara) of beautiful feathers,
who are inseparable friends, reside on the same body-tree. One of them eats the
fruits of the tree and enjoys, while the other looks on as a witness without
eating. (Also see MuU 3.1.01)
4.07. Sitting on the same
tree of life, the individual soul (Jiva) gets entangled and becomes miserable;
being deluded on account of forgetting his real divine
nature. When he sees the other, the Lord of all, whom all
devotees worship, and realizes that all glory is His (and not that of jiva),
then Jiva is relieved of his misery.
4.08. Of what use are the
Vedas to him who does not know the indestructible, highest divine Being, in
whom the gods and the Vedas reside? Only those who know this Being attain Bliss.
4.09. The Lord of maya
projects sacrifices, spiritual practices, past and future, religious
observances, all that the Vedas declare, and the whole world including
ourselves. It is in this
world that
Brahman as jiva gets entangled by maya (and tries to get out of it!).
4.10. Know that Prakriti is maya and that Great God is the Lord of
maya. The whole universe is filled with objects which are His
parts and parcel.
4.11. One attains infinite peace on realizing that self-effulgent
Adorable Lord, the bestower of blessings, who, though one, presides over all
the various aspects of Brahmā, and in whom this entire universe dissolves,
and from whom it appears again and again in manifold forms.
4.12. May He—who created the
gods and supports them; who witnessed the birth of the Cosmic mind (Brahmā
or HiranyaGarbha); who confers Bliss and wisdom to the devotees, destroying
their sins and sorrows, and punishing all breachers of The Law (of karma), the
great seer and the Lord of all—endow us with good thoughts!
4.13. He who is the Lord of the gods, in whom the worlds find
their support, who rules over all two-footed and four-footed beings—let us
serve the Supreme God, who is radiant and blissful, with an oblation.
4.14. By knowing Him—who is subtler than the subtlest, who organized
an orderly universe from scatter (rabble, chaos, void),** who takes various forms without
undergoing any real change, the creator of
all, who pervades the universe and is all auspicious—one attains the supreme
peace. (Also see ShU 5.13)
** This verse seems to refer to the Big Bang theory of
creation when there was rabble, disorder, void and chaos in the space before
creative cycle began! The word ‘Kalila’
could also mean amidst huge difficulties.
4.15. He alone is the protector of the world at the proper time.
He is the lord of the universe hidden in all creatures. In Him the divine sages
and the gods merge. Realizing Him thus, one cuts asunder the fetters of death.
4.16. One is released from
all fetters on realizing the Blissful One who envelops the world, and who hides Himself in all beings
in an extremely subtle form, as butter—the essence of milk—hides in the milk.
4.17. The Divinity, who
created the universe and who pervades everything, always dwells in the causal
hearts of all creatures; becoming individualized by emotions, intellect, will
and imagination. Those who realize this become immortal.
4.18. When
ignorance is dispelled, there is neither day nor night, neither being nor
non-being. There is only that Auspicious One who is imperishable, and who is
worthy of being adored by Brahmā, the creator. From Him has proceeded all
the ancient wisdom which has come down to us in the form of the Vedas.
4.19. No one can comprehend Him in any way. There is none equal to
or greater than Him. His name is Great Glory.
4.20. His form does not
come within the range of the senses. No one perceives Him with the eye. Those who
know Him, through the faculty of intuition, as seated in their causal heart,
become immortal.
4.21. Because You are birthless; some souls, frightened by birth
and death, take refuge in You—wishing Your help in getting out of the cycle of
birth and death. O Rudra, may Your compassionate heart protect us!
4.22. O Rudra, do not destroy our children and grand children. Do
not destroy our lives; do not destroy our cows or horses; do not destroy good
people by Your anger. We invoke Thee always, with oblations, for our
protection.
5.01. In the immutable, infinite Supreme Brahman remain hidden the
two: Knowledge and ignorance. Ignorance leads to worldliness and Knowledge to immortality. Brahman,
who controls both Knowledge and ignorance, is different from both.
5.02. He alone presides over Nature in all
aspects and controls all forms and all sources of production (y==ein=). He witnesses the
birth of the first born seer of golden color (HiranyaGarbha,
the Golden Egg, Brahmā) and gives him Knowledge and wisdom.
5.03. Creating a network of
different species and sub-species within a biological kingdom or domain, the Supreme Being withdraws them
into their source and brings them forth again and again. The Great Self
holds control over all of them.
5.04. Just as the sun shines
lighting up all space above, below and across, so also the adorable God—the
repository of all goodness and greatness—presides over everything and is the cause of all causes (s=v=*k:=r[=
k:=r[=m=< ).
5.05. He who is the
one source of the world, brings everything out of Himself, and
leads creatures to perfection according to their karma. He endows each being
with its distinguishing characteristics and presides over the entire universe.
5.06. He lies hidden in the teachings
of Upanishads, which form the essence of the Vedas. Lord Brahmā knows
Him as the source of himself and the Vedas. Those gods and seers who realized
Him in former days became identified with Him, and verily became immortal.
Reasons for the reincarnation of jiva
5.07. Endowed with three Gunas,
jiva performs actions and seeks its fruits; one reaps the fruit of what one has
done. Taking various forms led by the Gunas, jiva roams around the wheel of transmigration—according to its deeds. (Also see BG
8.24-26 and 14.18)
5.08. He is subtle and pure, effulgent and infinite like the
sun, He alone is seen becoming another entity (individual soul or Jiva), equal
to the size of a thumb on account of the finiteness of the causal heart in
which He appears. Jiva associates himself with the ego and choice due to
limitations of his past deeds.
5.09. That individual soul (Jiva) is as subtle as a hair point
divided and sub-divided hundreds of times. Yet he is potentially infinite.
5.10. Jiva is neither
female, nor male, nor neuter. It becomes identified with whatever body it
assumes.
5.11. By means of desire,
attachment and delusion, the embodied soul takes successive various forms in
various places according to his deeds. Just as the body develops when nourished
by food and drink, Jiva develops by its own effort
and attains the highest destiny.
5.12. The embodied soul/ spirit (or Jiva) chooses many forms,
gross and subtle, based on the qualities of his previous body, mind and
actions. Yet another cause of Jiva’s choice is God, the all-knowing and
controller who keeps
records of karma, helps and guides the individual in his choice.
5.13. By realizing Him—who is without beginning or end, who
creates cosmos in the midst of (chaos and) huge difficulties, who assumes
various forms, the creator of all things, who is the non-dual pervader of the
universe and Divine Being—one is freed from all fetters. (Also see ShU
4.14)
5.14. That Supreme Divinity, who created both Energy and Matter,
is the source of all arts and sciences; and is intuitively perceived by a pure
and devoted mind. After realizing Him—as the blissful, nameless and
formless—one is freed from further embodiment.
6.01. Some deluded thinkers speak of Nature, and others of time
as the force that revolves this Divine wheel of creation. The creation is
the Glory of God manifested in the form of the universe!
6.02. It should be known that a very small fraction of His
divine energy (Teja) takes various forms such as: Ether, air, fire,
water, and earth at His command. He is the master of three Gunas and the maker
of time, who is omniscient, who is pure consciousness, and all this is
made up of His energy.
6.03. After setting the
creation in motion and withdrawing (by remaining aloof as a mere witness)
Himself from it, He unites the principle of Spirit with the principle of
Matter—with one (Consciousness), with two (duality), with three (Gunas) and
with eight (elements)—with the help of time and their own inherent properties.
6.04. He who attains purity of mind by performing actions as an
offering to the Lord and attaching Prakriti and all its effects to Brahman,
realizes his true Self and thereby transcends the physical world. When one is
freed from three Gunas, all one’s past karma are destroyed by Knowledge. And after
paying off the prārabdha karma (or fate) he attains final Liberation.
6.05. The Great Lord is the origin and the cause that unites the
soul with the body. He is above the three divisions of time (past, present and
future) and is seen to be without any real part.
When one knows the adorable God dwelling in the causal heart, taking many forms
and as the Source of all things—one attains final liberation.
6.06. He from whom this
universe manifests, is higher and other than all forms as well as time. When one knows Him—who is
the indweller, the bringer of good, the destroyer of evil, the Lord of all
powers, the immortal support of all—one attains
final liberation.
6.07. May we realize Him who is the Supreme Lord of lords, the Supreme
Deity of deities, the Ruler of rulers (gods). He is the self-luminous, and adorable
Lord of the universe.
6.08. He is without a body or organs. No one is equal or
superior to Him. The Vedas speak of His transcendental form
and powers, which are inherent and capable of producing diverse effects, and
also of His omniscience and might.
6.09. No one in the world is
His master, no one has any control over Him. There is no way
to prove His existence. He is the cause of all causes, and the
ruler of individual souls. He has no parent, nor is there anyone who is His
lord.
Lord is the efficient and material cause of creation
6.10. May the Supreme
Lord—who covers Himself by the products of His own maya, the material
world;
just as a female spider does with the threads drawn from her own navel—grant us
merger in Brahman!
As a female spider spreads out the web from within, plays in it, and again draws the web into itself, similarly the Eternal Being (or Spirit) creates the material world from itself, plays in it as living entity, and takes it into itself during complete dissolution. All manifestations are born, sustained, and finally merge in Spirit as bubbles of water are born, sustained, and merge in water. Spirit manifests itself into the universe by using its own internal power without the help of any external help. It is possible for one Spirit—by virtue of possessing diverse powers—to be transformed into multiplicity without any outside help. The Eternal Being is thus both the efficient and the material cause of creation.
6.11. God, who is the One only, is hidden in all
beings. He is all-pervading, and is the inner self of all
creatures. He presides over all actions, and all beings reside in Him. He is
the witness, and He is the Pure Consciousness free from the three Gunas of
Nature.
6.12. To those wise men who ever feel the presence of God—who
is the ruler of all, and who makes the one seed (Prakriti) diversify—belongs
eternal happiness, and to none else.
6.13. He is the Eternal among
the eternal and the Intelligent among all that are intelligent. Though one, He
grants the desires of many. One is released from all fetters on realizing Him
as the cause of all. He is realized through philosophy and religious
disciplines.
Brahman is the light of all lights
6.14. The sun does not shine
there; neither the moon, nor the stars. These lights do not shine there—much
less this fire. Because He shines, everything
shines after Him. By His light all this shines. (Also see KaU 5.15 and BG 15.06)
The way to
the Supreme
6.15. The only destroyer of
ignorance in the midst of this universe, He alone is in the fire and also in the
water. Those who realize Him overcome death. There
is no other way to reach the Supreme Goal.
6.16. He is the creator of everything as well as the knower of
everything. He is His own source, He is all-knowing, and He is the Author of
time. He is the repository of all good qualities, and the master of all
sciences. He is the controller of both Matter and Spirit, and the lord of the
Gunas. He is the cause of liberation from cycle of birth and death, and also of
bondage which results in continuance of the cycles of birth and death.
6.17. He
is the soul of the universe, He is immortal and He is the ruler. He is the all-knowing,
the all-pervading, the protector of the universe, and the eternal ruler. None
else is there efficient to govern the world eternally.
6.18-19. He is who in the
beginning of creation created Brahmā and delivered the Vedas to him; who creates
the supreme bridge to immortality, who is the partless,
free from actions, tranquil, faultless, taintless, and without ignorance. Seeking
liberation, I take refuge in that Effulgent One, who’s light of grace, aids the
understanding of Ātman.
6.20. Only when men
can roll up the sky like a paper, will there be an end of misery for them
without realizing God.
Any effort to be free from misery without realizing
God, is as futile as an attempt to roll up the sky!
6.21. Himself realizing
Brahman by the power of self-control and concentration of mind, as well as by
the grace of God, sage Shvetāshvatara explained—to the
highest order of Samnyāsins—the truth of that supremely holy Brahman
sought by all the seers.
6.22. The profound Knowledge of Vedānta
was taught in the former age. It should not be given to one whose passions
(Rajo Guna) have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a worthy son or a
worthy disciple.
6.23. These
truths, when taught, will surely shine forth only in that high-minded person
who has supreme devotion to God and an equal degree of devotion to the
spiritual master.
Explanation of: Om! purnamadah
purnamidam …
(The most important shloka of the Vedas)
purnāt purnam-udacyate.
purnasya purnamādāya,
purnam-eva-avashishyate.
A simple translation:
Brahman is infinite, all creatures
are also infinite;
From infinite Brahman, all
creatures come out.
Having come out all
creatures, from the Infinite Brahman;
Brahman still remains
infinite, unlimited, unchanged!
The dictionary meanings of the most important word
"Purnam" in this verse are: full, whole, complete, boundless, accomplished,
powerful, infinite, limitless etc. The word limitless (Anantam) has been used
to describe Brahman in the Vedas and the Upanishads. We have chosen the word
limitless or infinite for the word “Purnam” here.
Mathematically, the word
"infinite or limitless" fits better than any other word to describe
the indescribable Brahman in our opinion. Taittiriya Upanishad (verse 2.1.1)
defines Brahman as: s=ty=], N=n=], an=nt=m=< v=>É [Satyam
(Reality), Jnānam (Knowledge), Anantam
(Infinite, Purnam)]. This Upanishad also states Brahman is that from which
everything comes, and is sustained by, and into which everything enters in the
end (verse 3.1.1).
Reading any literal
translation, a new student or any first time reader of Vedānta can get
confused. But, as we will see, this verse is very profound. It is so profound
that someone said: Let all the Upanishads and Vedic literatures disappear from
the face of the earth, I don’t mind so long as this one verse survives and
remains engraved in the mind of even a single individual. This is not an
ordinary verse. It contains the Vedic vision, the universal Truth of oneself.
It answers the fundamental question: Who am I and how can I live a peaceful and
happy life in this world full of difficulties?
The first part of this great
mantra says that everything— unknown Spirit (Adah,
That, Ātmā or I, Jagadish) and known objects of the world (or Idam,
all this, Jiva and Jagat)— is nothing but the limitless (Brahman, Purnam). The Bhagavad-Gita also says
in verse 7.24: Everything is Brahman (vāsudevah sarvam-iti). There is nothing that is
not Brahman. There is Brahman only and nothing else in the universe and that
Brahman is limitless, infinite, one of a kind, and the source and sink of the
entire cosmos.
Our experience indicates that all the objects that we
see seem to be limited in space, time, and in many other ways. Then how can
everything in the universe and the world be unlimited? Ātmā or spirit
is considered limitless, but how can visible objects, such as the world and our
bodies, be called infinite? Can we call everything as infinite? The ocean can
be called limitless, but not the waves. Some waves are quite large, some are
small, but all are limited in time and space. The waves appear limited as long
as we look at the waves and the ocean as separate or "dual" entities.
If we consider the wave as part and parcel of the ocean, or consider both the
ocean and the wave as water only, then the wave is limitless like the ocean.
From a non-dualistic viewpoint if ocean is limitless,
so is the wave, because both the ocean and the wave are a single, non-dual
entity. Thus from a dualistic view point, the wave
"appears" incomplete, and limited, but is really infinite as the
ocean itself. Thus, if there is only a single entity, then the question of one
being infinite or complete and the other limited or finite does not arise at
all. If we consider we are not the body, but the infinite spirit
residing in the bodies, then, we are limitless and infinite. Duality is apparent, not real.
The negation of
duality means negation of the reality of duality, but not the negation of
appearance or experience of duality. The experience of duality that we see in real life
is apparent or relative, called unreal in Vedānta. From a dualistic
viewpoint, a small wave is afraid of being swallowed by the large wave and
prays to the ocean for protection from large waves. This is what prayers and
worships are. From a non-dualistic point of view, there is no such fear.
Everything in the world is an interaction, a play, a cosmic drama, only.
Vedānta acknowledges duality as apparent—not real—experience of difference
between various objects. The Unity appears diversified. The experience of
non-duality brings joy and bliss. Even a temporary escape from duality and the
experience of non-duality during Samādhi (or super-conscious state of mind) brings
bliss and peace. The elimination of duality in Samādhi is temporary and beyond the reach of everyone. A
complete and full negation of the reality of duality has a permanent, wonderful,
blissful, effect on our entire psyche. It comes after the true Knowledge of the
Self.
The experience of duality
does not create a problem as long as we fully understand that duality is apparent and not real.
And I am not different or separate from the world, and the world is not
different from me. Everything is Brahman only. The limitless, infinite or non-dual Brahman also means
that no entity other than Brahman exists in the cosmos and Brahman is both the creator and
the creatures. In other words, Brahman is both the material and
efficient or instrumental cause of the creation, the cosmos. There is no other
cause or existence, except Brahman.
Vedānta cites two
beautiful examples of how one and the same entity can be both the material and
instrumental cause of creation. One example is that of the female spider who
creates its web from the material within herself. The female spider is both: the creator and
creation, the web. The entire creation, both visible and
invisible, comes out during the creative cycle and gets dissolved or drawn into
Brahman during great dissolution (see BG 9.07). Brahman brings the
material from within, weaves the beautiful and wonderful tapestry called the
cosmos, and takes it all within again and again, just as the spider does.
Another example is the dream
world where the dreamer’s
mind is both the material and instrumental cause of the dream world.
The cosmos is created as the cosmic mind’s dream creation. When we dream, both
the subject (or the seer of the dream-world) and the objects of the dream-world
both happen to be the dreamer himself. The dreamer’s mind is both the material
and creative cause of the dream-world. When we fight a dream-war in a
dream-battlefield, the warriors on both sides—the bombs, bullets, rocky
terrain, the land mines, nurses, ambulance, medical supplies as well as the
seer of the dream-world—are all none other than the dreamer’s mind.
Thus, the first half of this great Upanishadic verse
beautifully tells in a nutshell that the limitless Brahman is both the material
and efficient cause of creation. The creation comes from the
creator, and both the creation and the creator are infinite and the same.
There is no entity in the cosmos other than the creator. He has become all, and
He is all, and He is in all. The Creator undergoes no real change to become the creation.
Now, what happens to the
infinite when infinite creations come out of it during creation and goes into
it during dissolution is explained in the second half of the verse that states:
purnasya
purnamādāya, purnam-eva-avashishyate
After taking away the infinite creation from the
infinite Brahman during the creative cycle or adding infinite universes to the
infinite Brahman during the great dissolution, the infinite Brahman alone
remains in His infinite Universal form. This can be mathematically expressed
as: infinity plus or minus infinity, equals infinity. This infinite Universal
form of
The limitless
Brahman remains unchanged even after countless universes come out of it. What kind of change does
the limitless transcendental form have to undergo to produce limitless visible
and invisible worlds? Actually, there is no real change during the process of
this transformation because nothing is created or destroyed in the universe. It
just changes form, and a name-change goes with the new form. According to the law of
conservation of energy, energy or matter can never be created or destroyed, but
only can be transformed from one form to another; from the invisible form to
the visible form and vice-versa. Much later, Einstein came up with the same
conclusion when he proposed his famous equation: E= mc2. Thus
Brahman does not undergo any intrinsic change when infinite, visible cosmos
come out of it. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita that the visible
infinite world is just a tiny fraction of His energy (BG 10.41-42).
Several examples can be given
of such a change. The dreamer
does not undergo any change when the objects of the dream-world come out of
him. Cotton
appears as cloth without undergoing a real change. The cloth is nothing but
cotton in a different form. The gold chain is made from gold without any
real change in gold itself. Similarly, clay becomes a pot. Clay remains clay
before the creation of the pot, during the creation of the pot, and after the
pot is destroyed. There was no pot ever; it was clay all the time. Clay
appeared as pot. Water
appears as ocean, waves and bubbles; gold became a chain; dreamer became dream
objects without undergoing any real change. Similarly, the rope appears as a
snake in the darkness of night, and the non-dual Brahman appears as a dual world due
to our mental conditioning created by the darkness of ignorance. The visible
world and all its objects are nothing but the invisible—but not
formless—Brahman only.
Unreal duality is temporarily
superimposed on Reality like a wave is superimposed on the ocean, snake on the
rope, and body on the Spirit!! Temporary superimposition is called Mithyā
in Sanskrit. This verse
leads us to discover that I am not this body, but the limitless Spirit which I
longed to be. This discovery
is called Moksha in Upanishads.
Thus, the creation, an
effect, is not different from its material and instrumental cause, the
imperishable Brahman (see BG Chapters 13 and 15). The objects of the
world do not have to be eliminated, given up, or even completely negated, as dream-objects,
to see Brahman everywhere and in everything (BG 6.30). The chain need
not be melted to see the gold in it. Similarly, one need not leave the world to
find God. In a piece
of cloth, the weaver is not hidden inside the cotton or the yarn.
However, in the creation, the creator is not only the material and the
efficient cause, but He
is present in every atom of the creation, in every cell of our body
(Ishāvāsyam idam sarvam). This is the difference
between human engineering and the cosmic engineer. The cosmic mind manifests
Himself in different forms. This is the Knowledge of transcendental science, so
simple and beautiful.
The entire creation is His
body, a divine manifestation that one must learn to love, respect and revere.
There is no sin or sinner, just different masks of the supreme. The sinner is
the one who is like an unripe mango, very sour and bitter; while a true saint
is the juicy, sweet and flavorful, like a ripe mango.
This understanding of spirituality will bring a fresh outlook, a refreshing
breeze of fresh air of understanding persons of other faiths, cultures, and
countries. It will enrich our individual lives, it cannot change the world
overnight. It can be concluded that an understanding of non-duality is
spirituality; and duality is the partial knowledge and understanding of the
creator in any religion. This partial knowledge of the so called religions has
created conflicts and religious wars that can only be eliminated with the Vedic
science of non-dual, transcendental, metaphysical Knowledge—so beautifully
explained in the Vedic scriptures such as the Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads.
This single Upanishadic verse is the essence of spirituality and the true
religion. It can bring peace, understanding, and harmony in the world and in
our personal lives. One does not have to change one’s religion to become
spiritual.
From infinite Brahman, infinite universes come out and
get dissolved, but infinite Brahman remains infinite. Just like infinite number
of waves come up and go down in the ocean, but ocean ever remains the same. Because
ocean and the wave are, indeed, always
One only—that’s neither ocean nor the
wave, but water.
Om! Tat Sat
Read all 108 Upanishads : www.gita-society.com/pdf/108upanishads.pdf
(2) Shri RamaKrishna MaTh Publications on Upanishads
by Swami Sharvananda and Swami
Nikhilananda.
(3) Adi Shankarachārya,
Swami Chinmayananda and
others’ commentaries on the Upanishads on
the web.
(4) www.ishwar.com,
with permission from Ishwar Joshi
upanishads-9/pooja…/pooja11.05x8.3-workingIGSvyas2bkrishna2.pdf