NIRALAMBA-UPANISHAD OF SHUKLA-YAJURVEDA

NIRALAMBA-UPANISHAD OF SHUKLA-YAJURVEDA

HARIH-OM. I shall relate in the form of a catechism whatever should be known for the removal of all miseries that befall these ignorant creatures [men].

What is Brahman? Who is Is'wara? Who is Jiva? What is Prakriti? Who is Paramatma? Who is Brahma? Who is Vishnu? Who is Rudra? Who is Indra? Who is Yama? Who is Surya? Who is Chandra? Who are Devas? Who are Rakshasas? Who are Pis'achas? Who are Manushyas? Who are Women? Who are Pas'us, etc.? What is Sthavara? Who are Brahmans and others? What is Jati (caste)? What is Karma? What is Akarma? What is Jnana? What is Ajnana? What is Sukha? What is Dukkha? What is Swarga? What is Naraka? What is Bandha? What is Moksha? Who is Upasya? Who is Vidwan? Who is Mudha? What is Asura? What is Tapas? What is Paramapada? What is Grahya? What is Agrahya? Who is Sannyasi? Thus are the questions.

1. What is Brahman?

It is the Chaitanya that appears, through the aspects of Karma and Jnana, as this vast mundane egg composed of Mahat, Ahankara and the five elements, earth, water, fire, Vayu and --that is seconds--that is devoid of all Upadhis [vehicles], that is full of all S'aktis [potencies], that is without beginning and end, that is described as pure, beneficial, peaceful, and Guna-less and that is indescribable.

2. Who is Is'wara? and what are His characteristics?

 itself, having through His S'akti called Prakrti (matter) created the worlds and being latent in them, becomes the ruler of Buddhi and Indriyas (organs of sense and action) as well as Brahma (the creator) and others. Hence he is named Is'wara.

3. Who is Jiva?

Is'wara Himself, subject to the false superimposition upon Himself [of the idea] "I am the gross" through the [assumption of the] names and forms of Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Indra, and others is Jiva. Though one, he appears as many Jivas, through the force of the different Karmas originating the bodies.

4. What is Prakrti (matter)?

It is nothing else but the S'akti [potency] of Brahman which is of the nature of Buddhi that is able to produce the many motley worlds by virtue of the mere presence of Brahman.

5. What is Paramatma?

The supreme Atma or soul. It is Brahman alone that is Paramatma as it (the former) is far superior to bodies and others.

6. Who is Brahma [the creator]?

 7. Who is Vishnu [the preserve]?

 8. Who is Rudra [the destroyer]?

 9. Who is Indra?

 10. Who is Yama [the angel of death]?

 11. Who is Surya [the Sun]?

 12. Who is Chandra [the Moon]?

 13. Who are Devas [the Angels]?

 14. Who are Asuras [the Demons]?

 15. Who are Pis'achas [the evil spirits]?

 16. Who are Manushyas [the men]?

 17. Who are Women?

 18. What are beasts, etc.?

 19. What are the Sthavaras [fixed ones]?

 20. Who are Brahmans and others?

That Brahman is Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Indra, Yama, Sun and Moon, Devas, Asuras, Pis'achas, men, women, beasts, etc., the fixed ones, Brahmans, and others. Here there is no manyness in the least degree: all this is verily Brahman.

21. What is Jati (caste)

It cannot refer to the skin, the blood, the flesh or the bone. There is no caste for Atma; caste is only conventional.

22. What is Karma?

Karma is that action alone which is performed by the organs and ascribed to Atma as "I do" (viz., agency being attributed to Atma).

23. What is Akarma [or non-Karma]?

Akarma is the performance, without any desire for the fruits, of the daily and occasional rites, sacrifices, vows, austerities, gifts and other actions that are associated with the egoism of the actor and the enjoyer, and that are productive of bondage, rebirth, etc.

24. What is Jnana?

It is the realisation by direct cognition of the fact that in this changing universe there is nothing but Chaitanya [the one life] that is Consciousness, that is of the form of the seer and the seen, pervading all things, that is the same in all, and that is not subject to changes like pot, cloth, etc. This realization is brought about by means of the subjugation of the body and the senses, the serving of a good Guru (teacher), the hearing of the exposition of Vedantic doctrines and constant meditation thereon.

25. What is Ajnana?

It is the illusory attribution, like the snake in the rope, of many Atmas (souls) through the diverse Upadhis [or vehicles] of the angels, beasts, men, the fixed ones, females, males, castes and orders of life, bondage and emancipation, etc., to Brahman that is second less, all-permeating and of the nature of all.

26. What is Sukha (happiness)?

It is a state of being of the nature of bliss, having cognized through experience the Reality of Sachchidananda [or that which is be-ness, consciousness, and bliss].

27. What is Duhkha (pains)?

It is the mere Sankalpa [or the thinking] of the objects of mundane existence [or of not-Self according to the Bombay Edition].

28. What is Swarga (heaven)?

It is the association with Sat [either good men or Brahman which is Sat, the true].

29. What is Naraka (hell)?

It is the association with that which brings about this mundane existence which is Asat [the false].

30. What is Bandha [bondage]?

Such Sankalpas [thoughts] as "I was born," etc., arising from the affinities of beginningless Ajnana form bondage.

The thought obscuration [or mental ignorance] of the mundane existence of "mine" in such as father, mother, brother, wife, child, house, gardens, lands, etc., forms bondage.

The thoughts of I-ness as an actor, etc., are bondage.

The thought of the development in oneself of the eight Siddhis (higher psychical powers) as Anima and others in bondage.

The thought of propitiating the angels, men, etc., is bondage. The thought of going through the eight means of Yoga practice, Yama, etc., is bondage.

The thought of performing the duties of one's own caste and order of life in bondage.

The thought that command, fear, and doubt are the attributes of [or pertain to] Atma is bondage.

The thought of knowing the rules of performing sacrifices, vows, austerity and gift is bondage. Even the mere thought of desire for Moksha (emancipation) is bondage. By the very act of thought, bondage is caused.

31. What is Moksha [emancipation]?

Moksha is the (state of) the annihilation, through the discrimination of the eternal from the non-eternal, of all thoughts of bondage, like those of "mine" in objects of pleasure and pain, lands, etc., in this transitory mundane existence.

32. Who is Upasya [or fit to be worshipped]?

That Guru (or spiritual instructor) who enables (the disciple) to attain to Brahman, the Consciousness that is in all bodies.

33. Who is S'ishya (the disciple)?

The disciple is that Brahman alone that remains after the consciousness of the universe has been lost (in him) through Brahmic wisdom.

34. Who is Vidwan (the learned)?

It is he who has cognized the true form (or reality) of his own consciousness that is latent in all.

35. Who is Mudha [the ignorant]?

He who has the egoistic conception of the body, caste, orders of life, actor, enjoyed and others.

36. What is Asura [the demoniacal]?

It is the Tapas [austerity] practised by one inflicting trouble on the Atma within through Japa [or inaudible muttering of Mantras], abstinence from food, Agnihotra [the performance of the worship of fire], etc., attended with cruel desire, hatred, pain, hypocrisy and the rest for the purpose of acquiring the powers of Vishnu, Brahma, Rudra, Indra and others.

37. What is Tapas?

Tapas is the act of burning--through the fire of direct cognition of the knowledge that Brahman is the truth and the universe, a myth--the seed of the deep-rooted desire to attain the powers of Brahma, etc.

38. What is Paramapada [the supreme abode]?

It is the seat of the eternal and emancipated Brahman which is far superior to Pranas (the vital airs), the organs of sense and actions, the internal organs (of thought), the Gunas and others, which is of the nature of Sachchidananda and which is the witness to all.

39. What is Grahya [or fit to be taken in]?

Only that Reality of Absolute Consciousness which is not conditioned by space, time or substance.

40. What is Agrahya?

The thought that this universe is the truth--this universe which is different from one's Self and which is subject to Maya (or illusion) forms the object of (cognition of) Buddhi and the organs.

41. Who is the Sannyasi [ascetic]? A Sannyasi is an ascetic who has given up all the duties of caste and orders of life, good and bad actions, etc., being freed from [the conceptions of] "I" and "mine" and having taken his refuge in Brahman alone, roams at large practising Nirvikalpa Samadhi and being firmly convinced of "I am Brahman" through the realisation of the meaning of such sacred (Vedic) sentences as "Thou art That" "All this is verily Brahman" and "Here there is no manyness in the least". He only is an emancipated person. He only is fit to be adored. He only is a Yogin. He only is a Paramahamsa. He only is an Avadhuta. He only is a Brahman. Whoever studies the Niralamba-Upanishad becomes, through the grace of Guru, pure like fire. Ho becomes pure like Vayu (air). He does not return. He is not born again: nay he is not born again.

Such is the Upanishad.