This is the 108th Upanishad in the series of 108 important Upanishads. There are two parts for this Upanishad. Just before Lord Rama leaving the world (DEHA TYAAGAM) by disposing the body in River Sarayu, Hanuman asked a question to Lord, in presence of Lakshmana, Bharatha, Satrughna, Vasishta and others. The question was about the Vedic and non Vedic literature. As reply, Lord Rama thus explained.
1. There are four Vedas. Rig-Veda has 21 recensions, Yajurveda has 109 recensions, Sama Veda has 1000 recensions and Atharveda has 50 recensions.
2. The Lord said there are 108 Upanishads. From Aitareya Upanishad to bahvruchopanishad there are ten Upanishads belonging to Rig-Veda and all these Upanishads have the saanthi mantra starting from vaang may manasi prathishtithaa mano may vaachi prathishtithaa
3. From eesaavaasya Upanishad to muktika Upanishad there are 19 Upanishads belonging to Sukla Yajurveda having the saanthi mantra starting from poorna matha poorna midam poornaath…….. From Katopanishad to saraswatee rahasyopanishad there are 32 Upanishads for Krishna Yajurveda having the saanthi mantra saha naavavathu saha nou bhunaktu saha veeryam
4. From kena Upanishad to jaabaala Upanishad there are 16 Upanishads for Sama Veda having the saanthi mantra aapyaayanthu mamaangaani vaak praana schakshu……………. From prasna Upanishad to garuda Upanishad there are 31 Upanishad for Atharveda which are chanted with the saanthi mantra Bhadram karnebhi srunuyaama devaa……….. thus Lord Rama gives the explanation about the Vedic literature in the first part of this Upanishad.
In the second part Lord explains about praana, yoga, wisdom and intelligence, knowledge (jnaanam), analyses, estimation, as the mental attitude and capacity to intellectual analyses. Finally Lord Rama explains why he himself is known as an Avathaara/ and the divinity in him. In short the analyses of mind and psychology were done in the second part.
Saturday 27 September 2008
Krishna Yajurveda
These Upanishads are either the part of the Krishna Yajurveda, Krishna yajurvedeeya brahmana, Krishna yajurvedeeya aaranyaka or those written by the Rushies belonging to the Krishna Yajurveda saakha.
1. The first among the series of Krishna yajurvedeeya Upanishads is the Katopanishad. The subject matter is described in vallies (chapters).
2 The Upanishad starts (in the first vally) with the description of a minor incident. The son of Vajasravas, a great emperor performed a yaaga and at the end he donated (performing daana) many cows and gold coins to scholars. Many of these cows were very old. Seeing this the son of the emperor, Nachiketas asked his father why he was giving this old useless cows to scholars. He further commented to his father, that he may even donate his son to others for getting heaven, if so to whom will the emperor donate his son ? The father angrily answered that he will donate Nachiketas to Yamadharma (god of death)! Listening to these words, the son said that he shall go by himself to Yamadharma and the Upanishad starts with the discussion between Nachiketas and Yamadharma.
3. The description of the absolute truth – soul- jeevaathma – paramaathma is given in second vally . In the third vally excellent description/ comparison of human body is given as: The human body is compared with a chariot, the wisdom is the charioteer, the five sensory organs are the five horses, all the five, that are linked with the five sensory organs are the pathway of the horses to move. Says Yama to Nachiketas.
4. For deep meditation and realization of the soul, the preliminary requirements like purity, control and guidance of the mind are needed says Yama.
5. The description of pancha praana : praana-apaana – vyaana – udaana –samaana and vyaana are given.
6.The relation between Brahmam and also aathma chaitanyam are described further
7. In the last vally Yamadharma shows the path for the realization of the soul and for the attainment of the heavenly abode, to Nachiketas. 7. After listening to the detailed description from Yamadharma, Nachiketas attained moksha. Thus ends the Upanishad which is tough to understand too.
1. The first among the series of Krishna yajurvedeeya Upanishads is the Katopanishad. The subject matter is described in vallies (chapters).
2 The Upanishad starts (in the first vally) with the description of a minor incident. The son of Vajasravas, a great emperor performed a yaaga and at the end he donated (performing daana) many cows and gold coins to scholars. Many of these cows were very old. Seeing this the son of the emperor, Nachiketas asked his father why he was giving this old useless cows to scholars. He further commented to his father, that he may even donate his son to others for getting heaven, if so to whom will the emperor donate his son ? The father angrily answered that he will donate Nachiketas to Yamadharma (god of death)! Listening to these words, the son said that he shall go by himself to Yamadharma and the Upanishad starts with the discussion between Nachiketas and Yamadharma.
3. The description of the absolute truth – soul- jeevaathma – paramaathma is given in second vally . In the third vally excellent description/ comparison of human body is given as: The human body is compared with a chariot, the wisdom is the charioteer, the five sensory organs are the five horses, all the five, that are linked with the five sensory organs are the pathway of the horses to move. Says Yama to Nachiketas.
4. For deep meditation and realization of the soul, the preliminary requirements like purity, control and guidance of the mind are needed says Yama.
5. The description of pancha praana : praana-apaana – vyaana – udaana –samaana and vyaana are given.
6.The relation between Brahmam and also aathma chaitanyam are described further
7. In the last vally Yamadharma shows the path for the realization of the soul and for the attainment of the heavenly abode, to Nachiketas. 7. After listening to the detailed description from Yamadharma, Nachiketas attained moksha. Thus ends the Upanishad which is tough to understand too.
Brahma Upanishad
Now we shall go to the next Upanishad known as Brahma Upanishad ( brahmopanishad).
1. First part of this Upanishad is composed as prose and the second part in poetical style.
2. In the first part the description goes through the panchapraana: praana – apaana – vyaana- udaana and samaana, which control different parts of our body
3. The aathma is the soul about which detailed descriptions are given.
4. The relation between the aathma – paramaathma : i.e the soul and the universal energy is further narrated.
5. The three states of the mind which are jaagrath – swapna – sushupti are further described. In jaagrath state we see /listen/smell/discuss / and know all the bodily stimuli. In swapana state we dream and in the sushupti state fast eye ball movements take place in deep sleep. Thureeya state beyond all these three states
6. Detailed description of Brahma thathwam as given in other Upanishads and its (brahma) manifestation in nature, as deities (devathas) and their symbolic presentation of Brahma – Vishnu – Maheswara and so on are given for the better understanding of nature for the common man.
7. The description of the words like eeswara, devathas, prakruti, prapancha, etc is given at the end of the first part of the Upanishad.
8. In the second part, the importance of human heart where the devathas/ praana / soul / etc dell is given.
9. The importance of sacred thread (yajnopaveeetha), sikha ( tuft in the head ), the ceremony connected with the wearing of sacred thread (upanayanam) for all the castes , the meditation procedures to be adopted for the realization of divinity in self are demonstrated.
10. It is described that once a person has attained the status of a yogi, he can experience the divinity like he can see the waves in the ocean, oil in sesame seeds, through transcendental meditation. Says the Upanishads.
1. First part of this Upanishad is composed as prose and the second part in poetical style.
2. In the first part the description goes through the panchapraana: praana – apaana – vyaana- udaana and samaana, which control different parts of our body
3. The aathma is the soul about which detailed descriptions are given.
4. The relation between the aathma – paramaathma : i.e the soul and the universal energy is further narrated.
5. The three states of the mind which are jaagrath – swapna – sushupti are further described. In jaagrath state we see /listen/smell/discuss / and know all the bodily stimuli. In swapana state we dream and in the sushupti state fast eye ball movements take place in deep sleep. Thureeya state beyond all these three states
6. Detailed description of Brahma thathwam as given in other Upanishads and its (brahma) manifestation in nature, as deities (devathas) and their symbolic presentation of Brahma – Vishnu – Maheswara and so on are given for the better understanding of nature for the common man.
7. The description of the words like eeswara, devathas, prakruti, prapancha, etc is given at the end of the first part of the Upanishad.
8. In the second part, the importance of human heart where the devathas/ praana / soul / etc dell is given.
9. The importance of sacred thread (yajnopaveeetha), sikha ( tuft in the head ), the ceremony connected with the wearing of sacred thread (upanayanam) for all the castes , the meditation procedures to be adopted for the realization of divinity in self are demonstrated.
10. It is described that once a person has attained the status of a yogi, he can experience the divinity like he can see the waves in the ocean, oil in sesame seeds, through transcendental meditation. Says the Upanishads.
Thaithireeya Upanishad
The second and one of the very important Upanishads of Krishnayajurveda is the Thaithireeya Upanishad. This belongs to the Thaithireeya recension/ sakha of the Krishna Yajurveda and it comes at the end of Thaithireeya Aaranyaka
1. The word Thaithireeyam means pigeon.
2. The message of this word here is that 'one should take the absolute knowledge like the pigeon takes small grains'.. There are three chapters for this Upanishad and they are known as Siksha valli, Brahmananda valli and Bhrugu valli.
In the first chapter known as Siksha valli, the rules and the customs to be followed for learning the Vedas are given very systematically. The message and the worship of Vedas, the importance of the vedic tones and sruthies, Omkara and brahma thathwa, the customs to be followed by the brahmacharies /Vedic students, the qualities and qualifications of the Vedic guru, the greatness of the Vedic scholars etc are further described in the first chapter.
In the second chapter, detailed description of the Brahma thathwam, the message that it (Brahmam) is the universal manifestation and manipulation of the awareness and consciousness etc., are given in the first part of the second chapter. In the second part of the second chapter, the Brahmam and its relation with food (annam), soul (jeeathma), cosmic power (prapachapurusha), mind ( mana), jeevaathma (the life force), paramaathma (the universal energy0 …etc are described. The method of realization of the absolute truth is given as the brahmajnaana maargam (pathway) brahma saakshaathkaaram, brahmaanandam etc.
In the final statement it is mentioned that one who has attained this level is equal to god himself – deva.. In the third chapter, known as Bhrugu valli, Maharshi Varuna gives the guidance/ knoledge to his son Maharshi Bhrugu on the relation between the food / annam and the Brahma thathwam, the mind and soul, worship of food, the benefits of free distribution of food to poor, etc. Here the principles that annam brahmeti vyajaanaath, mano brahma, agnireva brahma, aham brahmaasmi, ayam aathma brahma, thath brahma thwam asi, prajnaanam brahma etc are described directly and indirectly. Each chapter of the Thaithireeya Upanishad is further divided into anuvaakaas.
1. The word Thaithireeyam means pigeon.
2. The message of this word here is that 'one should take the absolute knowledge like the pigeon takes small grains'.. There are three chapters for this Upanishad and they are known as Siksha valli, Brahmananda valli and Bhrugu valli.
In the first chapter known as Siksha valli, the rules and the customs to be followed for learning the Vedas are given very systematically. The message and the worship of Vedas, the importance of the vedic tones and sruthies, Omkara and brahma thathwa, the customs to be followed by the brahmacharies /Vedic students, the qualities and qualifications of the Vedic guru, the greatness of the Vedic scholars etc are further described in the first chapter.
In the second chapter, detailed description of the Brahma thathwam, the message that it (Brahmam) is the universal manifestation and manipulation of the awareness and consciousness etc., are given in the first part of the second chapter. In the second part of the second chapter, the Brahmam and its relation with food (annam), soul (jeeathma), cosmic power (prapachapurusha), mind ( mana), jeevaathma (the life force), paramaathma (the universal energy0 …etc are described. The method of realization of the absolute truth is given as the brahmajnaana maargam (pathway) brahma saakshaathkaaram, brahmaanandam etc.
In the final statement it is mentioned that one who has attained this level is equal to god himself – deva.. In the third chapter, known as Bhrugu valli, Maharshi Varuna gives the guidance/ knoledge to his son Maharshi Bhrugu on the relation between the food / annam and the Brahma thathwam, the mind and soul, worship of food, the benefits of free distribution of food to poor, etc. Here the principles that annam brahmeti vyajaanaath, mano brahma, agnireva brahma, aham brahmaasmi, ayam aathma brahma, thath brahma thwam asi, prajnaanam brahma etc are described directly and indirectly. Each chapter of the Thaithireeya Upanishad is further divided into anuvaakaas.
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