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Introduction: Trisikhi Brahmana Upanishad belongs to the
White Yajur Veda. It is
about a conversation between a brahmana named Trishakhi and Surya, the
sun god, who explains to the former the distinction between the body and
the soul and the means to achieve kaivalya or liberation. He describes
how Siva, as the all pervading Supreme Self, created the objective
reality (Brahmam), which is a combination of Truth (sath), and ignorance
and illusion, and how all the tattvas or principles, from mahat to the
mahabhutas, ensued from it. He further explains how the elements
manifest themselves as the twelve aspects of human personality. These
twelve aspects of the beings are responsible for the bondage, attachment
and births and rebirths of individual souls who are but Sada Shiva only.
But because of ignorance and pride, they cannot see the truth about
themselves. It is only after taking birth hundreds of times, an
individual aspires to become free from the world of illusion and
ignorance. With the constant practice of yoga and by renouncing
attachment to actions, he succeeds in sending the soul power into his
head and becomes enlightened. The Upanishad also holds the view that
Siva is the only Truth and the rest is illusion. - Jayaram V
Translated by P. R. Ramachander
Om ! That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
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 A Brahmin called ‘Trishiki Brahmana’ went to the land of Sun God
and asked him, “Oh God, What is body? What is soul? What is the cause
and what is Athma?” 1
The Sun God replied:
You have to realize that all this is Shiva. Because only Shiva is
ever clean, who is devoid of any blemishes, and who is everywhere and
for whom there is no second. He is the only one who creates everything
by his light and similar to the fire appearing in different forms on
different pieces of steel, he appears in different forms. If you ask, to
what he gives light, the answer would be, Brahmam which is denoted by
the word, “Sath”, and which is merged with ignorance and illusion.
That Brhamam gave rise to, “that which is not clear”. “That which
is not clear” gave rise to, “Mahat (great)”. “Mahat” gave rise
to egoism. Egoism gave rise to “Five Thanmathras”. That “Five
Thanmathras” gave rise to “Five Bhoothas” viz earth, water, fire
air and ether.
1. Ether is consciousness viz mind, wisdom, self will, and egoism
2. Air is Samana, Udhana, Vyana, Apana and Prana which are the airs
in the body.
3. Fire is ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose.
4. The concept of water is feelings of sound, touch, view, taste and
smell.
5. Earth is words, hands, legs and other physical organs.
6. Ether which is the concept of wisdom is decision, behavior and
self esteem.
7. The actions related to air are uniting, changing of places,
taking, hearing and breathing.
8. The actions related to fire are the feeling of touch, sight,
taste, view and sound. These also depend on water.
9. The actions related to earth are talking, giving, taking, going
and coming.
10. The actions of the Prana Thanmathra (Symbolic soul) are the
organs for doing work and organs for earning wisdom.
11. Egoism is limited to mind, brain and the will to do.
12. The micro aspects of the symbolic soul (Prana Thanmathra) are
giving place, scattering, seeing, uniting and being firm.
These twelve are the aspects of philosophy, early concept of
godliness and early concept of physical existence. Chandra, Brahma,
directions, air, sun, Varuna, Aswini devas (divine doctors), Fire, Indra
(king of devas), Upendra, Prajapathi and Yama (God of death) are the
Gods of the organs and senses who travel like soul in these twelve
aspects.
[Slokas 2 & 3 are not available.]
4 From there, Earth came in to existence, embracing one thing with the
other, pervading by criss-cross connections, step by step as the result
of Pancha Boothas (Five aspects of earth, air, water, fire and ether)
gained life.
5 In that earth, plants, climbers, food and four types of pindas (body
centers) arose. The root sections of the body are taste, blood, flesh,
fat, bones, nerves and semen.
6 Some Pindas arose because of their own interaction and some Pindas
arose because of the interaction of Pancha Boothas. In this that Pinda
called “Anna Mayam (area of food)” is in the area of the belly.
7 In the middle of this body is the heart which is like the lotus
flower with its stalk. The Gods for management, egoism and action are in
there.
8 The seed for this is the thamo guna (baser qualities) pinda which is
passion oriented and solidified (does not move or change). This is the
world with its varied nature and is situated in the neck.
9 The inside looking happy Athma (soul) is on the summit of the head
and is situated in the Parama Patha place. This is in its earth like
form and shines with great strength.
10 The state of awakening is every where. The state of dream is also is
there in the state of wakefulness. The state of sleep and the state of
higher knowledge (Thuriya) is not there in other states.
11 Similar to the tastes pervading in all parts of a good fruit, Shiva
Shakthi pervades every where.
12 Similarly all kosas (area of the body) are within Annamaya Kosa.
Similar to the kosam is the soul. Similar to the soul is Shiva.
13 The living being is one with feelings. Shiva is one without feelings.
The kosas are the places of feelings of living being. And they give rise
to states of existence.
14 Similar to the fact that churning of water produces ripples and foam,
by churning of mind several painful thoughts are produced.
15 By performing duties, the living being, becomes the slave to those
duties. By forsaking them, he attains peace. He becomes one, who sees
the world in southern path.
16 The living being with egoism and self esteem is indeed Sadashiva. The
living being attains that type of illusion because of his company with
the ignorant soul.
17 He attains hundreds of yonis (female reproductive organ) and stays
there because of familiarity. Like a fish traveling in between the banks
of a river, he keeps on traveling till he attains salvation.
18 Over passage of time due to the wisdom of the knowledge of the soul,
he turns on the northern path and step by step goes up.
19 When he is able to send his soul power to his head and does permanent
practice of Yoga, he gets wisdom. Because of wisdom, his yoga acts.
20 Once Yoga and wisdom become stable in him, he becomes a yogi. He will
never be destroyed. He would see Lord Shiva in his deficiencies and will
not see deficiencies in Lord Shiva.
21 To get results of yoga, it has to be done without any other thought.
Without practice you will not succeed in Yoga or wisdom. The yogi will
not get the results out of these also.
22 So by practice of yoga, mind and soul should be controlled. The Yogi
should cut off the problems in yoga similar to the cutting of material
with a sharp knife.
[Slokas 23 to 145 are not available.]
146 With pure knowledge of Athma (soul) the sensory organs should be
controlled. We should always meditate on Para Vasudeva who is the
greatest soul.
147-157 Kaivalya (salvation) is attained by the selected and sorted form of
meditation on shape and form. If a yogi is able to meditate at least for
a small time on Vasudeva while he is in the Kumbhaka stage of Pranayama,
the sins that he has done in seven births will be destroyed. You have to
understand that the portion from belly to the heart is the wakeful
action. In the neck, there exists the action of the dream. In between
the Jaws exists the sleep. Thuriya exists in between the eyelids. That
action of synthesis with Parabrahmam which is much above thuriya exists
in the skull top middle called Brahmarandra. There in the foremost
thuriya corner of thuriya , the soul is called Vishnu. When one
meditates in the very pure Paramakasa (great ether), he should meditate
on that Adhokshaja who shines for ever with the light of crores of Suns,
as sitting in the lotus of his own heart. Otherwise he has to meditate
on that Viswa Roopi(One who is of the form of universe), who has several
forms, several faces, several planks with several armaments, several
eyes which shine like crores of suns, several colours and who is
peaceful and also very angry. All the mental preoccupations of a Yogi
who meditates in such a manner will be completely calmed down. That Yogi
who meditates on that indestructible matter which shines like God’s
grace in the center of the heart, on that ultimate truth which is beyond
Thuriya, on that Sun who is the form of wisdom which is immeasurable and
unending, on that being who is like a shining lamp in a windless place
and on that being who is like the shine of unprocessed gems, would have
salvation in his grip.
158-159 To that Yogi who is able to see and experience the shine of that deva
with the universal macro or micro form or atleast a small portion of him
in his lotus like heart, all the occult powers like Anima would be very
much within his reach.
160-161 One has to understand that the realization of the universal truth of
the unity of Jeevathma (Soul) and Paramathma (God) which is that “I am
Brhamam and Brahmam is me" is he real state of Samadhi (an
enlightened state of meditation where all the thought process are
unified with God). That man becomes Brahmam and he does not take another
birth.
162 The one who examines such principles with detachment becomes like a
fire without wood and becomes one with himself.
163 Since his mind and soul does not have anything to catch hold of (get
attached), he becomes stable in the form of wisdom, and his soul melts
like a piece of salt and he merges in to the sea of pure consciousness.
164 He sees the word which is a thing of passion and magic like a dream.
In the natural state that Yogi stands without changing as him to himself
and attains the nude form in his sleep and attains salvation.
Om ! That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
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 !
Here ends the Trisikhi-Brahmanopanishad belonging to the
Sukla-Yajur-Veda.
Suggested Further Reading
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