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.