Translated by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar
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Om ! May my speech be based on
(i.e. accord with) the mind; May my mind be based on speech. O
Self-effulgent One, reveal Thyself to me. May you both (speech and
mind) be the carriers of the Veda to me. May not all that I have heard
depart from me. I shall join together (i.e. obliterate the difference
of) day And night through this study. I shall utter what is verbally
true; I shall utter what is mentally true. May that (Brahman) protect
me; May That protect the speaker (i.e. the teacher), may That protect
me; May that protect the speaker – may That protect the speaker.
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !
1. The syllable ‘A’ is
considered to be its (the bird Om’s)
right wing, ‘Upanishad’, its left; ‘M’, its tail; and the Ardha-Matra
(half-metre) is said to be its head.
2. The (Rajasic and Tamasic) qualities,
its feet upwards (to the
loins); Sattva, its (main) body; Dharma is considered to be its right
eye, and Adharma, its left.
3. The Bhur-Loka is situated in its feet;
the Bhuvar-Loka, in its
knees; the Suvar-Loka, in its loins; and the Mahar-Loka, in its navel.
4. In its heart is situate the Janoloka;
Tapoloka in its throat and
the Satya-Loka in the centre of the forehead between the eyebrows.
5(a). Then the Matra (or Mantra) beyond
the Sahasrara (thousand-rayed) is explained (viz.,) should be
explained.
5(b)-6(a). An adept in Yoga who bestrides
the Hamsa (bird) thus
(viz., contemplates on Om) is not affected by Karmic influences or by
tens of Crores of sins.
6(b)-7. The first Matra has Agni as its
Devata (presiding deity);
the second, Vayu as its Devata; the next Matra is resplendent like the
sphere of the sun and the last, Ardha-Matra the wise know as belonging
to Varuna (the presiding deity of water).
8. Each of these Matras has indeed three
Kalas (parts). This is
called Omkara. Know it by means of the Dharanas, viz., concentration on
each of the twelve Kalas (or the variations of the Matras produced by
the difference of Svaras or intonation).
9-11. The first Matra is called Ghoshini;
the second, Vidyunmali (or
Vidyunmatra); the third, Patangini; the fourth, Vayuvegini; the fifth,
Namadheya; the sixth, Aindri; the seventh, Vaishnavi; the eighth,
Sankari; the ninth, Mahati; the tenth, Dhriti (Dhruva); the eleventh,
Nari (Mauni); and the twelfth, Brahmi.
12. If a person happens to die in the
first Matra (while
contemplating on it), he is born again as a great emperor in
Bharatavarsha.
13. If in the second Matra, he becomes an
illustrious Yaksha; if in
the third Matra, a Vidyadhara; if in the fourth, a Gandharva (these
three being the celestial hosts).
14. If he happens to die in the fifth,
viz., Ardha-Matra, he lives
in the world of the moon, with the rank of a Deva greatly glorified
there.
15. If in the sixth, he merges, into
Indra; if in the seventh, he
reaches the seat of Vishnu; if in the eighth, Rudra, the Lord of all
creatures.
16. If in the ninth, in Mahar-Loka; if in
the tenth, in Janoloka
(Dhruva-Loka -- ?); if in the eleventh, Tapoloka, and if in the
twelfth, he attains the eternal state of Brahma.
17. That which is beyond these, (viz.,)
Para-Brahman which is beyond
(the above Matras), the pure, the all-pervading, beyond Kalas, the ever
resplendent and the source of all Jyotis (light) should be known.
18. When the mind goes beyond the organs
and the Gunas and is
absorbed, having no separate existence and no mental action, then (the
Guru) should instruct him (as to his further course of development).
19. That person always engaged in its
contemplation and always
absorbed in it should gradually leave off his body (or family)
following the course of Yoga and avoiding all intercourse with society.
20. Then he, being freed from the bonds
of karma and the existence
as a Jiva and being pure, enjoys the supreme bliss by his attaining of
the state of Brahma.
21. O intelligent man, spend your life
always in the knowing of the
supreme bliss, enjoying the whole of your Prarabdha (that portion of
past Karma now being enjoyed) without making any complaint (of it).
22-23(a). Even after Atma-Jnana
(knowledge of Atman or Self) has
awakened (in one), Prarabdha does not leave (him); but he does not feel
Prarabdha after the dawning of Tattva-Jnana (knowledge of Tattva or
truth) because the body and other things are Asat (unreal), like the
things seen in a dream to one on awaking from it.
23(b)-24. That (portion of the) Karma
which is done in former births
and called Prarabdha does not at all affect the person (Tattva-Jnani),
as there is no rebirth to him. As the body that exists in the dreaming
state is untrue, so is this body.
25(a). Where then is rebirth to a thing
that is illusory ? How can a
thing have any existence, when there is no birth (to it) ?
25(b)-26(a). As the clay is the material
cause of the pot so one
learns from Vedanta that Ajnana is the material cause of the universe
and when Ajnana ceases to exist, where then is the cosmos ?
26(b)-27. As a person through illusion
mistakes a rope for a
serpent, so the fool not knowing Satya (the eternal truth) sees the
world (to be true). When he knows it to be a piece of rope, the
illusory idea of a serpent vanishes.
28-29(a). So when he knows the eternal
substratum of everything and
all the universe becomes (therefore) void (to him), where then is
Prarabdha to him, the body being a part of the world ? Therefore the
word Prarabdha is accepted to enlighten the ignorant (only).
29(b)-30. Then as Prarabdha has, in
course of time, worn out, he who
is the sound resulting from the union of Pranava with Brahman who is
the absolute effulgence itself, and who is the bestower of all good,
shines himself like the sun at the dispersion of the clouds.
31. The Yogin being in the Siddhasana
(posture) and practising the
Vaishnavi-Mudra, should always hear the internal sound through the
right ear.
32. The sound which he thus practises
makes him deaf to all external
sounds. Having overcome all obstacles, he enters the Turya state within
fifteen days.
33. In the beginning of his practice, he
hears many loud sounds.
They gradually increase in pitch and are heard more and more subtly.
34. At first, the sounds are like those
proceeding from the ocean,
clouds, kettle-drum and cataracts; in the middle (stage) those
proceeding from Mardala (a musical instrument), bell and horn.
35. At the last stage, those proceeding
from tinkling bells, flute,
Vina (a musical instrument) and bees. Thus he hears many such sounds
more and more subtle.
36. When he comes to that stage when the
sound of the great
kettle-drum is being heard, he should try to distinguish only sounds
more and more subtle.
37. He may change his concentration from
the gross sound to the
subtle, or from the subtle to the gross, but he should not allow his
mind to be diverted from them towards others.
38. The mind having at first concentrated
itself on any one sound fixes firmly to that and is absorbed in it.
39. It (the mind) becoming insensible to
the external impressions,
becomes one with the sound as milk with water and then becomes rapidly
absorbed in Chidakasa (the Akasa where Chit prevails).
40. Being indifferent towards all
objects, the Yogin having
controlled his passions, should by continual practice concentrate his
attention upon the sound which destroys the mind.
41. Having abandoned all thoughts and
being freed from all actions,
he should always concentrate his attention on the sound and (then) his
Chitta becomes absorbed in it.
42-43(a). Just as the bee drinking the
honey (alone) does not care
for the odour, so the Chitta which is always absorbed in sound, does
not long for sensual objects, as it is bound by the sweet smell of Nada
and has abandoned its flitting nature.
43(b)-44(a). The serpent Chitta through
listening to the Nada is
entirely absorbed in it and becoming unconscious of everything
concentrates itself on the sound.
44(b)-45(a). The sound serves the purpose
of a sharp goad to control
the maddened elephant – Chitta which roves in the pleasure-garden of
the sensual objects.
45(b)-46(a). It serves the purpose of a
snare for binding the deer –
Chitta. It also serves the purpose of a shore to the ocean waves of
Chitta.
46(b)-47(a). The sound proceeding from
Pranava which is Brahman is
of the nature of effulgence; the mind becomes absorbed in it; that is
the supreme seat of Vishnu.
47(b)-48(a). The sound exists till there
is the Akasic conception
(Akasa-Sankalpa). Beyond this, is the (Asabda) soundless Para-Brahman
which is Paramatman.
48(b). The mind exists so long as there
is sound, but with its
(sound’s cessation) there is the state called Unmani of Manas (viz.,
the state of being above the mind).
49(a). This sound is absorbed in the
Akshara (indestructible) and the soundless state is the supreme seat.
49(b)-50(a). The mind which along with
Prana (Vayu) has (its) Karmic
affinities destroyed by the constant concentration upon Nada is
absorbed in the unstained One. There is no doubt of it.
50(b)-51(a). Many myriads of Nadas and
many more of Bindus – (all) become absorbed in the Brahma-Pranava sound.
51(b)-52(a). Being freed from all states
and all thoughts whatever,
the Yogin remains like one dead. He is a Mukta. There is no doubt about
this.
52(b). After that, he does not at any
time hear the sounds of conch or Dundubhi (large kettle drum).
53. The body in the state of Unmani is
certainly like a log and does not feel heat or cold, joy or sorrow.
54. The Yogin’s Chitta having given up
fame or disgrace is in Samadhi above the three states.
55. Being freed from the waking and the
sleeping states, he attains to his true state.
56. When the (spiritual) sight becomes
fixed without any object to
be seen, when the Vayu (Prana) becomes still without any effort, and
when the Chitta becomes firm without any support, he becomes of the
form of the internal sound of Brahma-Pranava.
Such is the Upanishad.
Om ! May my speech be based on
(i.e. accord with) the mind; May my mind be based on speech. O
Self-effulgent One, reveal Thyself to me. May you both (speech and
mind) be the carriers of the Veda to me. May not all that I have heard
depart from me. I shall join together (i.e. obliterate the difference
of) day And night through this study. I shall utter what is verbally
true; I shall utter what is mentally true. May that (Brahman) protect
me; May That protect the speaker (i.e. the teacher), may That protect
me; May that protect the speaker – may That protect the speaker.
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !