Upanishads

Atharvaveda
upanishad group – yoga

Oh! May our ears hear what is auspicious, O gods
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O worshipable ones!
May we enjoy the life span allotted by the gods,
Praising them unwaveringly with our bodies and limbs!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the omniscient Sun bless us!
May Tarkshya, the thunderstorm of the wicked and vicious, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us prosperity and good fortune! Om!
May peace be in me!
May peace be in my surroundings!
May peace be in those forces that act upon me!

Then the Self-born Brahma desired to create progeny. (Then) the desire of desires, the lord of desires, Vaishravana, appeared.

Vaishravana, Valakhilya, the son of Brahma asked the Self-born:

“What is the symbol of the universe? Who is the deity, who is the deity of wakefulness and turiya, to whom is time subject, what are the means of knowledge? By whose command do the suns, moon, planets and others shine? Whose greatness is the essence of space? This I wish to hear. You know this, and no one else. Tell (about this), O Brahma!”

The Self-born said:

“The matrix is the symbol of the entire universe, with two or three varnas, with two varnas, with three varnas. The deity is the essence of my breath, the syllable OM, consisting of four matras. I am the sole lord of the three worlds. All ages are subject to me. Times revolve around me, beginning with the day. My forms are the light of the sun, moon, fire, stars and planets. Space is my essence, consisting of three shakti. There is nothing but me. Maya consisting of tamas is Rudra. Maya consisting of sattva is Vishnu. Maya consisting of rajas is Brahma. Indra and others are of tamas and rajas, but not of sattva, what to speak of Aghora? (He) is the Essence of all proportion, Rudra Pashupati, the Creator of all sacrifices. Rudra is the God of sacrifice, Vishnu is adhvaryu, Indra is hotar, the deity (intermediary) is the Devourer of the sacrifice (Agni).

Mind is Brahma, Maheshvara is Brahma, mind is Hamsa. He is the Self, Hamsa. Sacrifice like him is nada anusandhana. Changing like him is jiva. The essence of the supreme Atman is Hamasa. (He Who) moves within and outside – Hamsa. Dwelling within as the inner bird – the indivisible Hamsa, manifested like a thread (consisting) of thirty-six tattvas. Three threads of consciousness, thrice embracing the nine essences. The essence of Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara, endowed with three parts of fire, tying consciousness into a knot. The knot of non-duality is an integral part of the sacrifice. (Fire), blazing inside and outside – a symbol of sacrifice, the Essence of Brahman – Hamsa.

The entwining thread denotes the sacrifices that dwell in Brahman. The thread of Brahman denotes the connection with a part of Brahman. This is the Brahma Sutra (sacred thread). The Yajna Sutra denotes the sacrifice to Brahman. His Essence – parts, matras, mental sacrifice, Hamsa, the sacred cord.

Pranava (OM) – is the sacred thread, consisting of the sacrifice to Brahman. The sacred thread is Hamsa, moving inside the pranava. This sacrifice to Brahman is the path of Liberation. Performing sacred sandhya is a mental sacrifice. The sign of mental sacrifice is the rite of sandhya. Those who own the sacred thread, pranava, and the rite of sacrifice to Brahman are brahmins. Gods are (those) who acquire (everything) by brahmacharya. Observance of the rule of the sacred thread is a sacrifice. Hamsa and pranava are inseparable.

Hamsa is a threefold prayer. Three times are three varnas. Contemplation of three fires is a sacrifice. Contemplation of three fires, the image of Atman, varna, the syllable OM and Hamsa is an internal sacrifice. Identity with the Essence of Consciousness is the essence of turiya. The essence of light within the sun is Hamsa. The goal of sacrifice is the attainment of Brahman. In the beginning, the Brahmins perform contemplation (through) the pranava of Hamsa and the sutra.”

The son of Brahma, the rishi Valakhilya again addressed the Self-born:

“Explain what is the number of Hamsa sutras. What is the pramana?”

(Brahma replied):

“Ninety-six in the region of the heart, (like) the rays of the sun. The thread of Consciousness, residing in the sky, supporting the pranava in the nostrils – six angulas, ninety.

Hamsa moves between the left hand and the right shoulder, (He is) the Supreme Atman, He is the image of the cave of Brahman, (thus He) is known, not otherwise. Without performing the internal contemplation of pranava and Hamsa there is no Liberation. Those who revere the nine sutras, they follow Brahman. By those by whom He is not known within the sun, in the middle of the universal sun, those mortals, the awakened ones, perform austerity and prayer.

(In the world) at (the rite of) vajapeya – the slayer of animals (the slaughterer) is the adhvaryu (priest), the deity is Indra. (For the knower of Brahman) non-violence is the righteous sacrifice, the Supreme Hamsa is the adhvaryu, the deity is the Supreme Atman, Pashupati, Brahma. (This is) the instruction about Brahman. By means of svadhyaya the brahmins perform (this sacrifice).

(Now) the description of the ashvamedha sacrifice. It is royal, one performs it by following brahmacharya.”

“(Verily), the Path of all these sacrifices to Brahman is the path of Liberation!” said the son of Brahma.

The Awakened One, Hamsa, the Rishi, the Self-born in concealment, Rudra, the instruction in Brahman, the Light of Hamsa, Pashupati, the pranava, the Savior. Thus should one know (Him) (the syllable OM).

Brahman is the essence of Hamsa, the garland of varnas, awakened by time, the supreme Atman, the Purusha, who gives birth to the attainment of Brahman. /1/

Nothing can compare with the internal rite of Brahman. The wise strive for the light of the Knowledge of Brahman, (which is) the time of sandhya. That is why Hamsa is called the soul of God, emanating from the Essence of Atman. /2/

The internal pranava, called nada, is Hamsa, the Goal of awareness, true comprehension, the shining, blazing fire of Knowledge within./3/

The form of the Essence of Shiva and Shakti, perceived as filled with Consciousness and Bliss, is the triple eye: nada, bindu and kala, embracing the universe./4/

Three parts, three flames, two and three constitute its number. Hamsa is true knowledge hidden within. The means of knowledge are outside./5/

The word "Brahma Sutra" (is known) as an expression of sacred ritual. In the ocean of knowledge it is called Hamsa, the sun, pranava, dhyana./6/

Through its knowledge (man becomes) experienced in the ocean of knowledge. He is Shiva Himself, Pashupati, the Witness of everything and always./7/

All are forced to submit to the mind. (Under its influence) the senses rush to objects, prana becomes excited, the tongue speaks, the eye sees forms, the ear hears everything. All other senses are controlled by it./8-9/

Being attracted each to its object, they act thus constantly. Their movement is produced by maya, and not by their own nature./10/

Purusha, who resides in the essence of hearing, is Pashupati Himself. Having penetrated (there), Shiva endows the ear with hearing./11/

Similarly, Parameshvara, having penetrated the essence of the mind, resides there. Undoubtedly, he endows the mind with abiding in reality (sattva)./12/

Ishvara is distinct from the other senses, from the objects known and unknowable by them. /13/

Certainly, whatever form is acquired, He gives it to the eye, speech, mind and other senses./14/

They do not attain the supreme Light, the Self, the supreme Atman. The Self is the light for inactive (inanimate) (objects)./15/

He who knows Brahman without arguments and pramanas, he (truly) knows. Atman is the supreme Light Itself, Maya is the great darkness./16/

For one who abides in Atman, what maya can be possible? Therefore, in the integral Consciousness there is no experience of the “I”, achieved by speculation and pramana. On attaining the Supreme Atman, the One, the Self-existent, there is no Maya. This (world) from the worldly view is knowledge and ignorance, nothing else! From the viewpoint of Truth, it does not exist, but only Truth. The worldly view is an obstacle to Light./17-19/

Light is eternal. Since It is non-dual, the expression “non-dual” is not an obstacle to Light./20/

Light is eternal. Therefore silence applies to It. Its great meaning is self-evident./21/

It is not jiva, not Brahma, nor anything else. It has no varna and ashrama./22/

For him there is neither Dharma nor a-dharma, neither rule nor prohibition. When the Essence of Brahman reveals everything, then not even a glimmer of suffering and other divisions appears. He who does not know the supreme Atman, seeing the universe, jiva and other forms, does not see the form of consciousness, does not see the reality of Brahman. By dividing reality into quality and the bearer of qualities, reality is fragmented. For the supreme Atman, which is itself divisible and indivisible, it is divisible and indivisible. There is nothing superior to one's own Atman, the "I" always exists. It is known as Brahman, real and unreal. Hence, the Jnanin who knows Brahman, what does he accept, what does he reject?/23-27/

(Brahman), He Who has no location, incomparable, unattainable by speech and mind, invisible, elusive, without genus, devoid of form./28/

He is without eyes, without hearing, without mind, without hands and feet, Eternal, Great, Omnipresent, extremely subtle, Imperishable./29/

This Brahman is immortality, the Supreme Bliss of Brahman is in front, the Supreme Bliss of Brahman is behind, the Supreme Bliss of Brahman is on the right, the Supreme Bliss of Brahman is above./30/

Fearless, who always sees everything in his own Atman (he becomes) then liberated, free from bondage and liberation./31/

This form of the highest vidya is obtained by truthfulness. By Brahmacharya and other righteous (actions), by those who follow Vedanta./32/

Those who have destroyed sin see in their body the form of the supreme reality, the self-luminous (Light), but not others who are engulfed by maya./33/

The yogi who has knowledge of his Essence has nowhere to go, for him (everything is) the form of Fullness./34/

The one space has nowhere to go, also the best of those who know Brahman goes nowhere./35/

The cessation of eating (unlawful) food is the purification of the heart. With pure food, consciousness itself becomes pure./36/

With the purification of consciousness, knowledge gradually clears the knots (of ignorance), it is clear that unlawful food is the absence of knowledge of Brahman in the embodied./37/

All this is completely not so for those who know their own Essence directly. “I am food, (I) am always eating food” – such is the realization of Brahman./38/

Thanks to Knowledge, the knower of Brahman perceives everything as the Essence of Brahman. For him, everything; Brahmanism, Kshatra, and the rest are always food./39/

For whom death is a seasoning, he is a jnanin. Due to the realization of the inner Essence of Brahman, the universe becomes absorbed. When it becomes absorbed, the Essence of the universe appears. Then whatever is constantly absorbed is as the Self-Essence of Brahman./40-41/

When the universe becomes absorbed in the form of light, absorbed, it is necessarily filling its own Atman./42/

That which is absorbed is its own Essence, it does not exist separately from Itself. If there is any form that has existence, it is a sign of the existence of Brahman./43/

The sign of existence is Reality. Reality is Brahman, nothing else. There is no reality superior to this. In reality, maya does not exist./44/

For yogis established in Atman, maya is a derivative in their own Atman. It appears in the form of the subject, eliminated by the Knowledge of Brahman./45/

When the Knowledge of Brahman appears, the entire universe is seen clearly, but the one who sees it separately from his Atman never sees (anything)./46/

Such is the Upanishad.

Om! May our ears hear what is auspicious, O gods
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O worshipable ones!
May we enjoy the life span allotted by the gods,
Praising them unwaveringly with our bodies and limbs!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the omniscient Sun bless us!
May Tarkshya, the thunderstorm of the wicked and vicious, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us prosperity and good fortune! Om!
May peace be in me!
May peace be in my surroundings!
May peace be in the forces that act on me!