ADHYATMA-UPANISHAD OF SHUKLA-YAJURVEDA

ADHYATMA-UPANISHAD OF SHUKLA-YAJURVEDA

 

THE One Aja (unborn) is ever located in the cave (of the heart) within the body. (Prthivi) the earth is His body; though He pervades the earth, it does not know Him. The waters are His body; though He pervades the waters, they do not know Him. Agni is His body; though He pervades Agni, it does not know Him. Vayu is His body; though He pervades Vayu, it does not know Him. Akas' is His body; though He pervades akas', it does not know Him. Manas is His body; though He pervades manas, it does not know Him. Buddhi is His body; though He pervades buddhi, it does not know Him. Ahankara is His body; though He pervades ahankara, it does not know Him. Chitta is His body; though He pervades Chitta, it does not know Him. Avyakta is His body; though He pervades avyakta, it does not know Him. Akshara is His body; though He pervades Akshara, it does not know Him. Mrtyu is His body; though He pervades mrtyu, it does not know Him. He who is the inner soul of all creatures and the purifier of sins is the one divine Lord Narayana.

 

The wise should through the practice of deep meditation of Brahman leave off the (recurrent) conception of "I" and mine" in the body and the senses which are other than Atma. Having known himself as Pratyagatma, the witness of buddhi and its actions, one should ever think "So'ham" ("I am That") and leave off the idea of Atma in all others. Shunning the pursuits of the world, the body and the S'astras, set about removing the false attribution of self. In the case of a Yogin staying always in his own Atma, his mind parishes having known his Atma as the Atma of all, through inference, Vedas, and self-experience. Never giving the slightest scope to sleep, worldly talk, sounds, etc., think of Atma, (in yourself) to be the (supreme) Atma. Shun at a distance like a chandala (the thought of) the body, which is generated out of the impurities of parents and is composed of excreta and flesh. Then you will become Brahman and be (in a) blessed (state). O Sage, having dissolved (Jiva-) Atma into Paramatma with the thought of its being partless, like the ether of a jar in the universal ether, be ever in a state of taciturnity. Having become that which is the seat of all Atmas and the self-resplendent, give up the macrocosm and microcosm like an impure vessel. Having merged into Chidatma, which is ever blissful, the conception of "I" which is rooted in the body, and having removed the (conception of) Linga (here the sign of separateness), become ever the Kevala (alone). Having known "I am that Brahman" in which alone the universe appears like a town in a mirror, become one that has performed (all) his duty, O sinless one. The ever-blissful and the self-effulgent One being freed from the grip of ahankara attains its own state, like the spotless moon becoming full (after eclipse).

 

With the extinction of actions, there arises the extinction of chinta. From it arises the decay of vasanas; and from the latter, arises moksha; and this is called Jivanmukti. Looking for everything in all places and times as Brahman brings about the destruction of vasanas through the force of vasanas of sattvic nature. Carelessness in Brahmanishtha by (or meditation of Brahman) should not in the least be allowed (to creep in). Knowers of Brahman style (this) carelessness, in Brahmic science, as death (itself). Just as the moss (momentarily) displaced (in a tank) again resumes its original position, in a minute, so Maya envelops even the wise, should they be careless (even for a moment). He who attains the Kaivalya state during life becomes a Kevala even after the death of his body. Ever devoted to samadhi, become a nirvikalpa (or the changeless one), O sinless. one. The granthi (or knot) of the heart, full of ajnana, is broken completely only when one sees his Atma as secondless through nirvikalpa samadhi.

 

Now, having strengthened the conception of Atma and well given up that of "I" in the body, one should be indifferent as he would be towards jars, cloth, etc. From Brahma down to a pillar, all the upadhis are only unreal. Hence one should see (or cognize) his Atma as all-full and be existing by itself (alone). Brahma is Swayam (Atma); Vishnu is Atma; Rudra is Atma; Indra is Atma; all this universe is Atma and there is nothing but Atma. By expelling (from the mind) without any remainder all objects which are superimposed on one's Atma, one becomes himself Parabrahman the full, the secondless and the actionless. How can there be the heterogeneity of the universe of Sankalpa and vikalpa in that One Principle which is immutable, formless and homogeneous? When there is no difference between the seer, the seen, and sight, there being the decayless and Chidatma, full like the ocean at the end of a Kalpa and effulgent, all darkness, the cause of false perception, merges in it. How can there be heterogeneity in that one supreme Principle which is alike? How can there be heterogeneity in the highest Tattva which is One? Who has observed any heterogeneity in sushupti (the dreamless sleep), where there is happiness only? This vikalpa has its root in Chitta only. When chitta is not, there is nothing. Therefore unite the Chitta with Paramatman in its Pratyagatmic state. If one knows Atma as unbroken bliss in itself, then he drinks always the juice (or essence) of bliss in his Atma, whether internally or externally.

 

The fruit of vairagya is bodha (spiritual wisdom); the fruit of bodha is uparati (renunciation); santi (sweet patience) is attained out of the enjoyment of the bliss of one's Ming, and this santi is the fruit of uparati. If the latter in each of these is absent, the former is useless. Nivrtti (or the return path) leads to the highest contentment and (spiritual) bliss is said to be beyond all analogy. That which has Maya as its upadhi is the womb of the world; that true one which has the attribute of omniscience, etc., and has the variegated mystery is denoted by the word "Tat" (that). That is called Apara (the other or inferior) which shines through meditation upon the idea and the world asmat and the consciousness of which is developed by antahkarana. By separating the upadhis Maya and avidya from Para and Jiva (cosmic and human Atmas respectively), one realizes Parabrahman which is partless and Sachchidananda. Making the mind dwell upon such sentences (or ideas) as the above constitutes s'ravana (hearing). It becomes manana (contemplation) when such ideas are quieted (in one) through logical reasoning. When (their) meaning is confirmed through these (two processes), the concentration of the mind on it alone constitutes nididhyasana. That is called samadhi in which the chitta, rising above the conception of the contemplator and contemplation, merges gradually into the contemplated, like a light undisturbed by the wind. Even the mental states are not known (at the time when one is within the scope of Atma). But they are only inferred from the recollection which takes place after samadhi. Through this samadhi are destroyed crores of karmas which have accumulated during cycles of births without beginning and pure dharma is developed. Knowers of Yoga call this samadhi, dharma-megha (cloud), inasmuch as it showers nectarine drops of karma in great quantities, when all the hosts of vasanas are destroyed entirely through this, and when the accumulated karmas, virtuous and sinful, are rooted out. Then that in which speech was hidden till now, appears no longer so, and shines as Sat; and direct cognition reveals itself, like the myrobalan in the palm of the hand. Vairagya begins from where the vasanas cease to arise towards objects of enjoyment. The cessation of the rising of the idea of "I" is the highest limit of buddhi; uparati begins from where the mental states once destroyed do not again arise. That ascetic is said to possess Sthitaprajna who enjoys bliss always and whose mind is absorbed in Brahman that is formless and actionless. That state of mind is termed prajna that realizes the oneness of Brahman and Atma after deep inquiry, and that has the vrtti of nirvikalpa and chinmatra. He who possesses this always is a Jivanmukta. He is a Jivanmukta who has, neither the conception of "I" in the body and the senses, nor the conception of another (different from himself) in everything else. He is a Jivanmukta who sees through his prajna no difference between his own Atma and Brahman as well as between Brahman and the universe. He is a Jivanmukta who preserves equanimity of mind, either when revered by the good or reviled by the vicious. One who has cognized the true nature of Brahman is not subject to rebirth as before. But were he so subjected, then he is not a true knower, the knowledge of Brahman being external only? A man is subject to prarabdha so long as he is affected by pleasure, etc. The attainment of a result is always preceded by action, and nowhere is it without karma. Through the cognition "I am Brahman" are destroyed the karmas accumulated during hundreds of crores of previous births, like the actions in the dreaming state (that are destroyed) during the waking state.

 

An ascetic having known himself as associate less and indifferent like ether, is not at all affected by any of his karmas at any time. Just as the ether is not affected by the alcoholic smell through its contact with a pot, so Atma is not affected by the gunas produced by its upadhi. The prarabdha karma that has begun to act before the dawn of jnana is not checked by it; and one should reap its fruit, as in the case of an arrow discharged at a target. An arrow that is discharged towards an object with the idea that it is a tiger, does not stop when it (the tiger) is found to be a cow; but it (even) pierces the mark through its speed, without stopping. When one realizes his Atma as free from old age and death, then how will prarabdha affect him? Prarabdha accomplishes (its work) only when one considers his body as At ma. This conception of Atma as the body is not at all a desirable one; so it should be given up along with prarabdha, since it is simply a delusion to attribute prarabdha to this body. How can there be the reality to that which is superimposed upon another? How can there be birth to that which is not real? How can there be death to that which is not born? How can there be prarabdha to that which is unreal? The Veda speaks of prarabdha in an external sense only, to satisfy those foolish persons that doubt, saying: "If jnana can destroy all the results of ajnana (such as body, etc.), then whence is the existence of this body to such a one?" but not to inculcate to the wise the existence of the body.

 

Atma is all-full, beginningless, endless, immeasurable, unchangeable, replete with Sat, Chit, and Ananda, decayless, the one essence, the eternal, the differentiated, the plenum, the endless, having its face everywhere, the one that can neither be given up nor taken up, the one that can neither be supported nor be made to support, the gunaless, the actionless, the subtle, the changeless, the stainless, the indescribable, the true nature of one's Atma, above the reach of speech and mind, the one full of Sat, the self-existent, the immaculate, the enlightened, and the incomparable; such is Brahman, one only without a second. There are not in the least many. He who knows his Atma himself through his own cognition, as the one who is not restricted by any, is a Siddha (one that has accomplished his object), who has identified his Atma with the one changeless Atma. Whither is this world gone, then? How did it appear? Where is it absorbed? It was seen by me just now, but now it is gone. What a great miracle! What is fit to be taken in? and what to be rejected? What is other (than Atma)? And what is different (from It)? In this mighty ocean of Brahman full of the nectar of undivided bliss, I do not see, hear, or know anything. I remain in my Atma only and in my own nature of Sat, Anandarupa. I am an Asanga (or the associates). I am an Asanga. I am without any attributes. I am Hari (the Lord taking away sin). I am the quiescent, the endless, the all-full and the ancient. I am neither the agent nor the enjoyer.

 

I am changeless and decayless. I am of the nature of pure enlightenment. I am the one and the perpetual bliss.

 

This science was imparted to Apantaratama who gave it to Brahma,. Brahma gave it to Ghora-Angiras. Ghora-Angiras gave it to Raikva, who gave it to Rama. And Rama gave it to all beings. This is the teaching of Nirvana, and this is the teaching of the Vedas; yea, this is the teaching of the Vedas. Thus ends the Upanishad.