Rudra-Hridaya
Upanishad
Om ! May He protect us both together; may
He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
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 !
Now, at this moment, I take refuge in that Pure State of the Supreme
Absolute which can be known by the Vidya, called the Rudra Hridaya
Upanishad.
After prostrating before the celebrated form of Sri Mahadeva-Rudra in
his heart, adoring the sacred Bhasma and Rudraksha and mentally reciting
the great Mahavakya-Mantra, Tarasara, Sri Suka asked his father Sri
Vyasa Maharshi, thus:
Who is the real God of gods? In whom are all these existences
established? By worshipping whom, can I please the Devas in whole?
Hearing these words, Sri Veda Vyasa replied thus:
Rudra is the embodiment of all Devas. All devas are merely different
manifestations of Sri Rudra Himself. On the right side of Rudra, there
is the sun, then the four-headed Brahma, and then three Agnis (fires).
On the left side, there exist Sri Umadevi, and also Vishnu and Soma
(moon). Uma Herself is the form of Vishnu. Vishnu Himself is the form of
the moon. Therefore, those who worship Lord Vishnu, worship Siva
Himself. And those who worship Siva, worship Lord Vishnu in reality.
Those who envy and hate Sri Rudra, are actually hating Sri Vishnu. Those
who decry Lord Siva, decry Vishnu Himself. Rudra is the generator of the
seed. Vishnu is the embryo of the seed. Siva Himself is Brahma and
Brahma Himself is Agni. Rudra is full of Brahma and Vishnu. The whole
world is full of Agni and Soma. The masculine gender is Lord Siva. The
feminine gender is Sri Bhavani Devi. All the mobile and immobile
creation of this universe, is filled up with Uma and Rudra. The Vyakta
is Sri Uma, and the Avyakta is Lord Siva. The combination of Uma and
Sankara is Vishnu. Hence everybody should prostrate to Sri Maha Vishnu
with great devotion. He is the Atman. He is the Paramatman. He is the
Antaratman. Brahma is the Antaratman. Siva is the Paramatman. Vishnu is
the Eternal Atman of all this universe. This whole creation of Svarga,
Martya and Patala Lokas is a big tree. Vishnu is the top portion
(branches) of this tree. Brahma is the stem. The root is Lord Siva. The
effect is Vishnu. The action is Brahma. The cause is Siva. For the
benefit of the worlds. Rudra has taken these three forms. Rudra is
Dharma. Vishnu is the world. Brahma is Knowledge. Therefore, do Kirtan
of His name, ‘Rudra’, ‘Rudra’. By singing like this, the hallowed name
of this great Lord, all your sins will be destroyed. Rudra is man. Uma
is woman. Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Brahma. Uma is Sarasvati.
Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Vishnu. Uma is Lakshmi.
Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Sun. Uma is shadow. Prostrations
to Him and Her. Rudra is moon. Uma is star. Prostrations to Him and Her.
Rudra is day. Uma is night. Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Yajna.
Uma is Vedi. Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Agni, Uma is Svaha.
Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Veda. Uma is Sastra. Prostrations
to Him and Her. Rudra is tree. Uma is creeper. Prostrations to Him and
Her. Rudra is scent. Uma is flower. Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra
is meaning. Uma is word. Prostrations to Him and Her. Rudra is Linga.
Uma is Pitha. Prostrations to Him and Her. The devotee should worship
Sri Rudra and Uma with these Mantras referred to above. O my son, Suka!
With these hymns, you should meditate on the Eternal Para-Brahman, which
is beyond the reach of the senses, which is pure Existence, knowledge
and Bliss and which cannot be understood either by the speech or by the
mind. After knowing this, there is nothing more to be known, because
everything is the form of That, and there is nothing separate from That.
There are two Vidyas to be known. They are Para and Apara. Apara Vidya
is the embodiment of the four Vedas and their six Angas. They do not
deal with the Nature of the Atman. But the Para Vidya is called the
Moksha-Sastra. It deals with that supreme philosophy of the Absolute
Truth, ununderstandable, impersonal, Nirguna, Nirakara, without ears,
without eyes, without hands, without feet, eternal, omnipresent,
imperishable, and knowable by the intelligent daring sages.
From that Lord Siva who performs a terrible penance in the form of
Supreme Jnana-Marga, this whole world is created which is the food of
the mortals. This world is Maya. It seems to appear just like a dream.
It is superimposed on the Lord just like a rope on a serpent. This is
the eternal Truth. There is no creation in reality. All is absolute. All
is Truth. Knowing this, one is liberated at once. Only through Jnana,
you can get rid of this Samsara. Only through Jnana, you can understand
this existence and never through Karma. Understand this through the
guidance of a Brahmanishtha-Srotriya Guru. The Guru will give the
disciple all the necessary knowledge of Brahman, the Absolute. By
cutting off the bondage of Ajnana or Avidya, one should take refuge in
Lord Sadasiva. This is the real wisdom to be understood by an aspirant
seeking after Truth. The Pranava is the bow. The Atman is the arrow. The
Para-Brahman is the target. Just like the arrow, the Atman will become
one with Brahman. But all these three, the bow, the arrow and the target
are not different from that Sadasiva. There do not shine the bodies of
the sun, moon or the stars. There does not blow the wind, there do not
exist many Devatas. He, the One Lord only exists. He only, the Purity of
purities, shines for ever and ever.
There are two birds in this body, the Jiva
and the Paramatman. The Jiva eats the fruit of his Karmas, but the
Paramatman is untouched by anything. The Paramatman is only the Sakshi.
He does not do anything. He only assumes the form of the Jiva through
His Maya, just as the Akasa inside a pot seems to be different from the
Akasa outside and assumes the form of the pot. In reality all is Siva,
Advaita, the One Absolute. There is no difference of whatever kind.
When all is understood to be One, Omkara, the Absolute, there is no
sorrow, there is no Maya. Then the attainment of the Advaita-Paramananda
is very easy. Think that you are the basis of all this universe, you are
the One, Kevala, Sat-Chit-Ghana. All people cannot understand this
Truth. Those devoid of Maya can know this secret. After knowing this,
the Atman does not move towards any place at any time. It becomes one
with the Absolute, just like Ghatakasa with Paramakasa. Just as Akasa
does not move anywhere, similarly this Atman does not have any movement.
It becomes one with OM.
One who knows this great secret Truth is the real Muni. He becomes the
Para-Brahman Itself. He becomes Satchidananda. He attains permanent
peace.
Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
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 Rudra-Hridayopanishad belonging to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda. |