Shatyayaniya Upanishad

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Shatyayaniya Upanishad

Shuklayajurveda, group of Upanishads – sannyasa

Om! That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite comes from the infinite.
(Then) accepting the infinity of the infinite (universe),
She remains as the infinite (Brahman) one.
Om! Let there be Peace in me!
May there be Peace in my surroundings!
May there be Peace in the forces that act upon me!

1. The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation of men; (the mind) attached to the objects of the senses leads them to bondage; freed from objects, it leads them to liberation. (Thus) has it been declared.

2. If this attachment of the mind of man to the objects of the senses is directed towards Brahman, who will not be freed from bondage?

3. Only the mind (chitta) is worldly life; therefore it should be purified by effort. As the mind is, so it becomes. This is the eternal mystery.

4. He who does not know the Veda does not realize that omnipresent One (Brahman); he who does not know Brahman does not attain that supreme abode. He who realizes that the omnipresent god (Vishnu), the omniscient, the support of all (Vasudeva) (is himself), that sage, the seer of reality, attains the state of wisdom in life (vipratvam).

5. Then (observing the four disciplines) those Brahmins, learned in the Vedas and unaffected by desires, who meditate on the eternal supreme Brahman (realize Brahman). (A person desiring liberation) who is calm, self-satisfied, has given up all sense pleasures, abstinent, well versed in the scriptures, known as unperturbed, has given up the basic desires (of wealth, wife and progeny) and is free from debts (to families, etc.), having realized the Atman, will live observing silence in some or other stage of life as Kuticaka (or Paramahamsa).

6. Then, entering the final stage of life (i.e. Sannyasa), he may possess the five (minor) things (matras) as required.

7. He should possess, while he lives, (five things, namely) a triple staff (of bamboo), a sacred thread, a garment consisting of a loincloth, a sash, and a sacred ring of sacred grass.

8. This fire is the things belonging to the ascetic (of the Kuticaka order); (for all ascetics the inner possessions are five, namely, 'a', 'u', 'm', bindu and nada, constituting Om.) This matra (namely the five constituents) is heard in Pranava (Brahman). Until the final exit (of the vital breath) the ascetic should not give up (the two-part five matras); even at the time of death (the five outer matras) should be buried with him.

9. The sign of Vishnu (i.e. the means leading to liberation) is considered to be twofold, external and internal. If one of them is discarded (the ascetic), he is undoubtedly fallen.

10. The triple staff is the symbol of (leading to) Vishnu; it is the means of attaining liberation by learned Brahmins as ascetics. It is the destruction of all worldly qualities – so says the Vedic teaching.

11-12. Then indeed, O Brahmana, there are four kinds of ascetics, namely, Kuticaka, Bahudaka, Hamsa and Paramahamsa. All these bear the marks of Vishnu (i.e., strive for liberation), wear the bunch and the sacred thread, are pure in mind, consider their Self to be Brahman, strive for worship (of God) in the form of pure consciousness, practise muttering prayers and the major and minor disciplines (Yama and Niyama), behave well and (thus) become exalted. This is stated in the Vedic verse: The ascetics Kuticaka, Bahudaka, Hamsa and Paramahamsa are distinguished by their manner of life; all of them possess the marks of Vishnu, external and internal, which are always visible and invisible (respectively). By practising the five acts of devotional service (yajna), by penetrating into Vedanta, by observing the rites (appropriate to one's position in life), by resorting to spiritual knowledge, by giving up the tree (of worldly life) but resorting to its root cause (namely Brahman), by giving up its flowers (rites) but enjoying its (true) essence, by playing at Vishnu (i.e. leading a spiritual life), by enjoying Vishnu, by being freed (from external worship), by identifying themselves with Vishnu, they realise the omnipresent Vishnu.

13. Worship during the three junctions of the day (Sandhyasa) bathing according to one's capacity, offering water to the manam, purification (i.e. purifying oneself with water), service (to the deities with prayers) – these five devotional actions (Kutichaka) should be performed until death.

14. With ten Pranavas and seven mystic words (vyahritis), the four-legged Gayatri along with her 'head' is the prayer to be recited during the three Sandhyasas.

15. The practice of yoga consists of constant one-pointed devotional service to Vishnu, the Guru; non-harm in word, thought and deed is the devotional act of penance (tapoyajna).

16. It is declared that the devotional act of scriptural study (Svadhyaya-yajna) consists of reading the various Upanishads. Attentive repetition of Om offers (the concept of the individual) Self in the fire of (non-dual) Brahman.

17. The devotional act of possessing spiritual wisdom (Jnana-yajna) should be known as the best of all yajnas. (Paramahamsas) have Jnana (true knowledge) for the (symbolic) staff, Jnana for the bundle and Jnana for the sacred thread.

18. He whose bundle consists of Jnana and whose sacred thread is also of that (Jnana), has all the characteristics of Brahman – such is the injunction of the Vedas.

19. Then indeed, O Brahman, these mendicant monks are as they appear (i.e. naked as at birth). They should desire to remain like a tree, having gone beyond passion, anger, greed, delusion, false pride, arrogance, envy, 'mine' and egoism; and having given up honour and dishonour, blame and praise; and when cut down (like a tree), they will not complain. Thus these sages will become immortal here (in this world) themselves. This is stated in the Vedic verse: Having bade farewell to his relatives and son with good will and not seeing them again, having endured the pairs (of opposites, heat and cold, etc.) and having become at peace, he will turn towards the east or the north and proceed on foot.

20-22. (Possessing) a vessel (for water) and a staff, seeing before him four cubits of land, wearing the sacred thread and the topknot or remaining shaved-headed, having a family (of his own body only) and receiving from people alms, unbegged or begged for simple sustenance, having a vessel of clay, wood, gourd or strung leaves, as was originally provided, and dressed in clothing made of hemp, silk, grass, patched, (deerskin) or leaf, strung or unstrung; shaving his head only at the turn of the seasons, not removing the hair below and in the armpits and never the topknot; he has to stay in a certain place for four months (the rainy season), during which time the inner soul, the omnipresent Purusha (Vishnu) sleeps (in the ocean of milk).

23. When (God, Vishnu) has risen (from sleep), the ascetic may remain in one place to do his work (such as study, meditation or samadhi) for the remaining eight months, or he may travel (like a mendicant). (While traveling) he may stay (for short periods) in a temple, a hut where a ritual fire is kept, in the shade of a tree or a cave, without attachment and unnoticed by people. He should be motionless like fire when its fuel is exhausted, and he should not cause or cause trouble to anyone anywhere. (On seeing someone equal to or inferior to him, he should not shrink back or consider anyone as existing other than himself.)

24. If a person has realized that he is Atman, non-different from the universal Self, what can he desire, and for the fulfillment of what desire does he need to torture his body (with various types of austerities)?

25. The wise man who knows this (truth) and thus knows Brahman will have this consciousness. He will not trouble himself with many words; for that is but a painful tongue.

26. Having attained the knowledge of Brahman, he should desire to remain with dispassion (literally with the innocence of a child); the sage has realized the Atman when he has the knowledge of Brahman and dispassion.

27. When all the desires that cling to the heart are given up, then one becomes immortal and enjoys (the bliss of) Brahman here (himself).

28. Then verily, O Brahmana, he who gives up this austerity, which is the highest spiritual life, becomes a murderer of children, a murderer of a Brahmana, a murderer of the embryo, a great sinner. He who gives up this steady life pertaining to Vishnu (i.e., the external and internal discipline in the spiritual life) becomes a thief, a seducer of his preceptor's wife, a traitor to his friend, an ingrate; he is denied all (auspicious) worlds. This is stated in the Vedic verse – the thief, the drinker of liquor, the seducer of his preceptor's wife and the traitor to his friend are purified by atonement; (but) he who gives up the mark of Vishnu, external or internal, which he possessed, is never purified in spite of all his own efforts.

29. Giving up the mark of Vishnu worship, external or internal, he who resorts to his stage of life or to no (prescribed) stage at all, or returns (to his former way of life before renunciation) – for that great fool (and for people of his race) there is no liberation even in tens of millions of aeons.

30. Abandoning all other stages of life, the sage should live long in the stage of life leading to liberation. There is no liberation for one who has fallen from the stage leading to final bliss.

31. Having adopted asceticism, if a person does not continue to observe its laws, he should be known as "fallen from grace" (arudhachyuta) – this is the Vedic injunction.

32. Then, verily, O Brahmana, when (the sage) has accepted this age-old spiritual life pertaining to Vishnu and remains impregnable, he becomes self-controlled, worthy of mention as auspicious, (true) knower of the world, knower of the Vedanta, knower of Brahman, omniscient, self-luminous; he becomes the supreme God Brahman, he saves from (the sufferings of) worldly life his forefathers, relatives by marriage, (other) relatives, comrades and friends.

33. When a wise man renounces the world, those who belong to his family become blessed in this world, a hundred generations before him and three hundred generations after him.

34. It is said in the scriptures that a very pious mendicant monk saves thirty generations of his family after him, thirty generations before him, and thirty generations after those who follow (the first thirty).

35. The Vedic teaching is that the forefathers (of a sage) are atoned for if he says that he has renounced even when his last breath remains in his throat (i.e. just before death).

36. Therefore, O Brahmana, the sages have said that this ancient knowledge of the Self, the discipline pertaining to Vishnu, will not be expounded until one himself realizes (the goal) and (it) is not for one who has not studied the Vedas, has no conviction in the Self, is not freed from attachment, has not become pure, has not approached (to obtain it by one's own desire) and who has not made sincere efforts (to know them). This has been said (also) in the Vedic verse:

Once (Brahma-)Vidya approached (god) Brahma and said: "Protect me, I am your treasure. Do not reveal me to anyone who is envious, fraudulent or cunning. In this way I will have great power."

37. This discipline of the Atman, which pertains to Vishnu (i.e. this knowledge of the realization of Brahman), will be revealed to a person after careful examination of whether he is pure in action, attentive, intelligent, whether he observes celibacy and whether he has approached (the Guru of his own free will for instructions).

38. With those ascetics whom the Guru has taught (the scriptures) and who do not honour him in word, thought and deed, the Guru does not dine; similarly (good ascetics) do not eat food (from houses where ill-bred people receive alms). This is (the injunction) of the scripture.

39. The Guru is the highest righteousness (Dharma); the Guru alone is the sole means (of liberation). He who does not revere his Guru, who gives (initiation) in one syllable (Om, which is Brahman), has all his scriptural knowledge, penance and spiritual wisdom flowing out like water from an unbaked earthen vessel.

40. He who has the highest faith in God and the same faith in his Guru, is a knower of Brahman who attains the highest bliss. Such is the teaching of the Veda. Thus (ends) the Upanishad.

Thus ends the Shatyayaniya Upanishad, which belongs to the Shuklayajurveda.