Taittiriya Up. on Five Levels of Consciousness

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JAYA JAGANNATHA!

 

Dear members,

 

Namaste.

 

I include here the translation of the first seven Anuvakas of the second chapter

(Aananda-valli) of Taittiriya Upanishad by Swami Nikhilananda, which are

describing the five koshas or sheaths of consciousness:

 

(The Sanskrit is ont included, although for those who know some of it the close

study of the verses could prove very interesting, especially the phrase brahma

puccham pratistha indicating tha the Brahman is the tail and support of all

five koshas, vis-a-vis Krishna's statement brahmano hi pratisthaaham, i.e. "I

am the basis of the Brahman".)

Part Two

On Brahmananda or the Bliss of Brahman

Chapter I—The Sheath of Food

1

Om. May Mitra be propitious unto us! May Varuna be propitious unto us! May

Aryaman be propitious unto us! May Indra and Brihaspati be propitious unto us!

May Vishnu, of wide strides, be propitious unto us!Salutation to Brahman!

Salutation to Thee, O Vayu! Thou indeed art the visible Brahman. Thee indeed, O

Vayu, I shall proclaim as the right! Thee indeed, I shall proclaim as the

true!May It protect me! May It protect the teacher! May It protect me! May It

protect the teacher!

2

Om. May Brahman protect us both! May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of

Knowledge! May we both obtain the energy to acquire Knowledge! May what we both

study reveal the Truth! May we cherish no ill-feeling toward each other!Om.

Peace! Peace! Peace!

3

Om. He who knows Brahman attains the Supreme.On the above, the following mantra

is recorded:“He who knows Brahman which is Reality, Knowledge and

Infinity, hidden in the cave of the heart and in the highest akasa—he,

being one with the omniscient Brahman, enjoys simultaneously all

desires.”From the Atman was born akasa; from akasa, air; from air, fire;

from fire, water; from water, earth; from earth, herbs; from herbs, food; from

food, man.He, that man, verily consists of the essence of food. This indeed is

his head, this right arm is the right wing, this left arm is the left wing,

this trunk is his body, this support below the navel is his tail.

Chapter II—The Sheath of the Vital Breath

“From food, verily, are produced all creatures—whatsoever dwell on

earth. By food alone, furthermore, do they live and to food, in the end, do

they return; for food alone is the eldest of all beings and therefore, it is

called the panacea for all.”“They who worship food as Brahman

obtain all food. Food alone is the eldest of all beings and therefore it is

called the panacea for all. From food all creatures are born: by food, when

born, they grow. Because it is eaten by beings and because it eats beings,

therefore it is called food.”Verily, different from this, which consists

of the essence of food, but within it, is another self, which consists of the

vital breath. By this the former is filled. This too has the shape of a man.

Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. Prana,

indeed, is its head; vyana is its right wing; apana is its left wing; akasa is

its trunk; the earth is its tail, its support.

Chapter III—The Sheath of the Mind

1

“The gods breathe after the prana, so also do men and cattle; for the

prana is the life of creatures. Therefore it is called the life of all. Those

who worship the prana as Brahman obtain a full life; for the prana is the life

of creatures. Therefore it is called the life of all.”

2

This sheath of the Prana is the embodied soul of the former. Verily, different

from this sheath, which consists of the essence of the prana, but within it, is

another self, which consists of the mind. By this the former is filled. This too

has the shape of a man. Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of

the latter. The Yagur-Veda is its head, the Rig-Veda is its right wing, the

Sama-Veda is its left wing, the teaching is its trunk, the hymns of Atharva and

Angiras are its tail, its support.

Chapter IV—The Sheath of the Intellect

1

“He who knows the Bliss of Brahman, whence all words together with the

mind turn away, unable to reach it—he never fears.”

2

This sheath of the mind is the embodied soul of the former.Verily, the different

from this sheath, which consists of the essence of the mind, but within it, is

another self, which consists of the intellect. By this the former is filled.

This too has the shape of a man. Like the human shape of the former is the

human shape of the latter. Faith is it head, what is right is its right wing,

what is truth is its left wing, absorption is its trunk, Mahat is its tail, its

support.

Chapter V—The Sheath of Bliss

1

“The intellect accomplishes the sacrifice; it also accomplishes all

actions. All the gods worship the intellect, who is the eldest, as

Brahman.”“If a man knows the intellect as Brahman and if he does

not swerve from it, he leaves behind in the body all evils and attains all his

desires.”

2

This is the embodied soul of the former.Verily, different from this, which

consists of the essence of the intellect, but within it, is another self, which

consists of bliss.By this the former is filled. This too has the shape of a man.

Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. Joy is its

head, delight is its right wing, great delight is its left, bliss is its trunk.

Brahman is its tail, its support.

Chapter VI—Brahman: The Source of All

“If a person knows Brahman as non-existent, he himself becomes

non-existent. If he knows Brahman as existent, then know him as

existent.”This is the embodied soul of the former.Thereupon the following

questions of the pupil: Does anyone who knows not attain that World after

departing this life? Or does he who knows attain that World after departing

this life?He desired: “May I be many, may I be born. He performed

austerities. Having performed austerities, He created all this—whatever

there is. Having created all this, He entered into it. Having entered into it,

He became both the manifested and the unmanifested, both the defined and

undefined, both the supported and unsupported, both the intelligent and the

non-intelligent, both the real and the unreal. The Satya became all this:

whatever there is. Therefore call It the True.

Yours,

 

Gauranga Das Vedic Astrologer gauranga (AT) brihaspati (DOT) net Jyotish Remedies:

WWW.BRIHASPATI.NET Phone:+36-309-140-839