
	Brahadaranyaka Upanishad - Part 5
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Part Five

Chapter I—The Infinity of Brahman

1.    Om. Infinite is That Brahman, infinite in this manifested universe. From the Infinite Brahman proceeds the infinite. After the realization of the Great Identity or after the cosmic dissolution, when the infinity of the infinite universe merges in the Infinite Brahman, there remains the Infinite Brahman alone. Om is the Akasa Brahman—the primeval akasa. It is the akasa containing air, says the son of Kauravayarn. It (Om) is the Veda—thus the knowers of Brahman know; for through it one knows what is to he known.

Chapter II—The Three Great Disciplines

1.    Prajapati had three kinds of offspring: gods, men and demons (asuras). They lived with Prajapati, practising the vows of brahmacharins. After finishing their term, the gods said to him: "Please instruct us, Sir." To them he uttered the syllable da and asked: "Have you understood?" They replied: "We have. You said to us, ‘Control yourselves (damyata).’ He said: "Yes, you have understood."

2.    Then the men said to him: "Please instruct us, Sir" To them he uttered the same syllable da and asked: "Have you understood?" They replied: "We have. You said to us, ‘Give (datta).’ He said: ‘Yes, you have understood.

3.    Then the demons said to him: "Please instruct us, Sir." To them he uttered the same syllable da and asked: "Have you understood?" They replied: "We have. You said to us: ‘Be compassionate (dayadhvam).’ He said: "Yes, you have understood." That very thing is repeated even today by the heavenly voice, in the form of thunder, as "Da," "Da," "Da," which means: "Control yourselves," "Give," and "Have compassion." Therefore one should learn these three: self—control, giving and mercy.

Chapter III—Brahman as the Heart

1.    Prajapati is this—the heart (intellect). It (the heart) is Brahman. It is all. Hridayam (the heart) consists of three syllables. One syllable is hri; and to him who knows this, his own people and others bring presents. One syllable is da; and to him who knows this, his own people and others give their powers. One syllable is yam; and he who knows this goes to heaven.

Chapter IV—Meditation on Satya Brahman

1.    That intellect Brahman was verily this—satya alone. And whosoever knows this great, glorious first—born one as the Satya Brahman conquers these worlds. And his enemy is thus conquered and becomes non—existent—yes, whosoever knows this great, glorious first—born one as the Satya Brahman; for Satya indeed is that Brahman.

Chapter V—In Praise of Satya Brahman

1.    In the beginning this universe was water alone. That water produced Satya. Satya is Brahman. Brahman produced Prajapati and Prajapati the gods. Those gods meditate on Satya. This name Satya consists of three syllables. Sa is one syllable, ti is one syllable and ya is one syllable. The first and last syllables are the truth. In the middle is untruth. This untruth is enclosed on both sides by truth; thus truth preponderates. Untruth does not hurt him who knows this. 180

2.    Now, that which is Satya is the sun—the being who dwells in yonder orb and the being who is in the right eye. These two rest on each other. The former (the being in the sun) rests on the latter (the being in the right eye) through his rays and the latter rests on the former through his organs. When the individual self is about to leave the body, he sees the solar orb clearly (i.e. without rays). Those rays no longer come to him.

3.    Of this being who is in the solar orb, the syllable Bhuh is the head, for there is one head and there is this one syllable; the word Bhuvah is the arms, for there are two arms and there are these two syllables; the word Svah is the legs, for there are two legs and there are these two syllables. His secret name is Ahar. He who knows this destroys evil and leaves it behind.

4.    Of this being who is in the right eye, the syllable Bhur is the head, for there is one head and there is this one syllable; the word Bhuvar is the arms, for there are two arms and there are these two syllables; the word Svar is the legs, for there are two legs and there are these two syllables. His secret name is Aham. He who knows this destroys evil and leaves it behind.

Chapter VI—Meditation on Brahman as the Mind

1.    This being identified with the mind and resplendent by nature is realized by yogis within the heart as of the size of a grain of rice or barley. He is the lord of all, the ruler of all and governs all this —whatever there is.

Chapter VII—Meditation on Brahman as Lightning

1.    They say that lightning is Brahman. It is called lightning (vidyut) because it scatters (vidanat) darkness. Whosoever knows this—that lightning is Brahman—scatters the evils that are ranged against him; for lightning is indeed Brahman.

Chapter VIII—Meditation on the Vedas as a Cow

1.    One should meditate upon speech (the Vedas) as a cow. She (speech) has four teats: the sounds Svaha; Vashat, Hanta and Svadha. The gods live on two of her teats, Svaha and Vashat; men, on Hanta; and the Manes on Svadha. Her bull is the vital breath (prana) and her calf, the mind.

Chapter IX——Meditation on the Vaisvanara Fire

1.    This fire which is within a man and digests food that is eaten is Vaisvanara. Its sound is that which one hears by stopping the ears. When a man is about to leave the body, he hears this sound no more.

Chapter X——The Path of the Departing Soul

1.    When a man departs from this world, he reaches the air. The air opens there for him as wide as the hole of a chariot wheel. Through this opening he ascends and reaches the sun. The sun opens there for him as wide as the hole of a lambara. By this opening he ascends and reaches the moon. The moon opens there for him as wide as the hole of a drum. By this opening he ascends and reaches a World free from grief and cold. There he dwells for endless years.

Chapter XI—The Supreme Austerities

1.    The supreme austerity is indeed that a man suffers when he is ill. He who knows this wins the highest world. The supreme austerity is indeed that a man, after death, is carried to the forest. He who knows this wins the highest world. The supreme austerity is indeed that a man, after death, is laid on the fire. He who knows this wins the highest world.

Chapter XII—Meditation on Food and the Vital Breath as Brahman

1.    Some say that food is Brahman; but this is not so, for food decays without the vital breath (prana). Others say that the vital breath is Brahman; but this is not so, for the vital breath dries up without food. These two deities (food and the vital breath), when they become united, attain the highest state (Brahmanhood). Thus reflecting, Pratrida said to his father: "What good, indeed, can I do him who knows this and what evil can I do him either?" His father answered, stopping him with a gesture of his hand: "Oh, no, Pratrida; for who would attain the highest merely by being identified with these two?" Further, he (the father) said to him this: "It is vi; food is verily vi, for all these creatures rest (visanti) on food. It is ram; the vital breath is ram, for all these creatures delight (ramante) in the vital breath." All creatures rest on him, all creatures delight in him, who knows this.

Chapter XIII—Meditation on the Vital Breath

1.    One should meditate on the vital breath as the Uktha. The vital breath is the Uktha, for it raises up (utthapayati) all this universe. From him who knows this there is raised a son who is a knower of the vital breath and he wins union with and abode in the same world as the Uktha.

2.    One should meditate upon the vital breath as the Yajus. The vital breath is the Yajus, for all these beings are united (yujyante) with one another if the vital breath is present. All beings are united to give eminence to him who knows this and he wins union with and abode in the same world as the Yajus (vital breath).

3.    One should meditate upon the vital breath as the Saman. The vital breath is the Saman, for all these beings meet (samyanchi) if the Saman (vital breath) is present. For the sake of him who knows this all beings are united and they succeed in giving him eminence; and he wins union with and abode in the same world as the Saman.

4.    One should meditate upon the vital breath as the Kshatra. The vital breath is the Kshatra, for the vital breath protects (trayate) the body from wounds (khanitoh). He who knows this attains the Kshatra (vital breath) which needs no other protector and he wins union with and abode in the same world as the Kshatra.

Chapter XIV—The Sacred Gayatri

1.    The words Bhumi (earth), Antariksha (sky) and Dyaus (heaven) form eight syllables and the first foot of the Gayatri consists of eight syllables. So the three worlds constitute the first foot of the Gayatri. Whosoever knows this about the first foot of the Gayatri wins all that is in the three worlds.

2.    Richah, Yajumshi and Samani form eight syllables and the second foot of the Gayatri consists of eight syllables. So these three Vedas constitute the second foot of the Gayatri. Whosoever thus knows the second foot of the Gayatri wins as much as that treasury of knowledge, the three Vedas, has to confer.

3.    Prana, apana and vyana form eight syllables and the third foot of the Gayatri. consists of eight syllables. So these three forms of the vital breath constitute the third foot of the Gayatri. Whosoever knows this about the third foot of the Gayatri wins all the living beings that are in the universe. Now, its turiya, apparently visible (darsata) and supramundane (paroraja) foot is this—sun that glows yonder. That which is fourth is called turiya. He (the being in the solar orb) is apparently visible (darsata), because he is seen, as it were, by the yogis. He is supramundane (paroraja), because he shines alone on the whole universe as its overlord. He who thus knows the fourth foot of the Gayatri shines with splendour and glory.

4.    That Gayatri rests on that fourth, apparently visible, supramundane foot. And that, again, rests on truth. The eye is truth, for the eye is indeed truth. Therefore, even today, if two persons come disputing, one saying: "I saw it," and another: "I heard of it," we should trust the one who says: "I saw it. That truth rests on strength. The vital breath (prana) is strength. Hence truth rests on the vital breath. Therefore they say that strength is more powerful than truth. Thus the Gayatri is based on the vital breath within the body. That Gayatri protected the gayas. The organs are the gayas; therefore the Gayatri protected (tatre) the organs. Because it protected the organs, it is called the Gayatri. The Savitri verse, which the teacher communicates to the pupil, is no other than this. It saves the organs of the pupil to whom it is imparted by the teacher.

5.    Some impart to the pupil the Savitri which is in the Anushtubh metre, saying: "The goddess of speech is Anushtubh; so we shall impart it to him." But one should not do that. One should impart only that Savitri which is Gayatri. Verily, if one who knows this accepts too much as a gift, as it were, it is not enough for even one foot of the Gayatri.

6.    If he (the knower of the Gayatri) accepts as a gift the three worlds full of wealth, he will be receiving the fruit of knowing only the first foot of the Gayatri. If he accepts as a gift as much as this treasury of knowledge, the Vedas, has to confer, he will be receiving the fruit of knowing only the second foot of the Gayatri. And if he accepts as a gift as much as is covered by all living creatures in the world, he will be receiving the fruit of knowing only the third foot of the Gayatri. While the fruit of knowing its fourth, apparently visible, supramundane foot— yonder sun that glows—is not to be counterbalanced by any gift received. Indeed, how could anyone receive so much as a gift?

7.    The salutation to the Gayatri: "O Gayatri, thou art one—footed, two—footed, three—footed and four—footed. And thou art without any feet, for thou art unattainable. Salutation to thee, fourth foot, apparently visible and supramundane! May the enemy never attain his object!" Should the knower of the Gayatri bear hatred towards anyone, he should either use this mantra: "May his desired object never flourish!"—in which case that object of the person against whom he thus salutes the Gayatri never flourishes—or he may say: "May I attain that cherished object of his!"

8.    On this subject Janaka, Emperor of Videha, said to Budila, the son of Asvatarasva: "Well, how is it that you, who called yourself a knower of the Gayatri, have come to he an elephant and are carrying me?" He replied: "Because, Your Majesty, I did not know its mouth." Janaka said: "Fire is its mouth. If people put a large quantity of fuel into the fire, it is all burnt up. Similarly, a man who knows this, even if he commits a great many sins, consumes them all and becomes pure, clean and free from decay and death."

Chapter XV—The Prayer of a Dying Person

1.    The door (real nature) of the truth (Satya Brahman) is covered by a golden disc. Open it, O Nourisher! Remove it so that I who have been worshipping the truth may behold it. O Nourisher! O lone Traveller of the sky! O Controller! O Sun! O Offspring of Prajapati! Gather your rays. Withdraw your light. I would see through your grace that form of yours which is the most benign. I am indeed He, that purusha who dwells in the sun. I am immortal. Now when my body falls may my breath return to the all— pervading Prana! May this body, reduced to ashes, return to the earth! Om. O Fire, who art the symbol Om, O god of deliberations, remember, remember all that I have done. O Fire, lead us by the good path towards the enjoyment of the fruit of our action. You know, O god, all our deeds. Destroy our sin of deceit. We offer by words repeated salutations to you.