Satyayaniya
Upanishad
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. The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation of the people;
(the mind) attached to the objects of the senses leads them to bondage;
freed from the objects it leads them to liberation. (Thus) it has been
declared.
2. If that attachment of the mind of a person to the objects of the
senses is directed towards Brahman, who shall not be liberated from
bondage ?
3. The mind (chitta) alone is worldly life; hence it should be purified
with effort. As the mind is, so he becomes. This is the eternal secret.
4. One who knows not the Veda realizes not that omnipresent One
(Brahman); one who knows not Brahman reaches not that supreme abode. He
who realizes that the omnipresent god (Vishnu), the omniscient one, the
prop of all (Vasudeva) (is himself), that sage, seer of reality, attains
the state of wisdom while living (vipratvam).
5. Then (observing in the four disciplines) those Brahmanas well-versed
in the Veda and untouched by desires, who ponder over the eternal
supreme Brahman (realize Brahman). (A person desiring liberation) who is
quiescent, self-subdued, has renounced all sensory pleasures, is
forbearing, well versed in the scripture, is known as equanimous, has
discarded the primary desires (for wealth, wife and progeny) and is free
from the debts (to the manes, etc.,), coming to realize the Atman, shall
live, observing silence, in some stage of life or other as the Kutichaka
(or Paramahamsa).
6. Then entering into the final stage of life (i.e. Sannyasa) he may
possess five (small) things (matras) as is proper.
7. He should possess as long as he lives (the five things, namely) a
three-fold staff (of bamboo), sacred thread, garment consisting of a
loin-cloth, sling and holy ring of sacred grass.
8. These fire are the things pertaining to an ascetic (of the Kutichaka
order); (to all ascetics the inward possessions are five, namely, the
‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’, the bindu and the nada constituting Om.) This matra
(namely the five constituents) is heard in the Pranava (Brahman). Till
the final exit (of the vital breath) the ascetic shall not abandon (the
twofold five matras); even at death (the five external matras) shall be
buried with him.
9. The sign of Vishnu (i.e. means leading to liberation) is said to be
twofold, the external and the internal. If one of them is discarded (the
ascetic) is without doubt fallen.
10. The threefold staff is an emblem (leading to) Vishnu; it is a means
of attaining liberation by learned Brahmanas as ascetics. It is the
extinction of all worldly characteristics – thus runs the Vedic
teaching.
11-12. Then indeed, Oh Brahmana, there are four kinds of ascetics,
namely Kutichaka, Bahudaka, Hamsa and Paramahamsa. All these bear the
signs of Vishnu (i.e. they strive for liberation), wear tuft and sacred
thread, are pure in mind, consider their own Self as Brahman, are intent
on worship (of God) in the form of pure consciousness, practise
muttering of prayers and the principal and secondary disciplines (Yama
and Niyama), are of good conduct and (thus) become exalted. This is
declared in a Vedic verse: The Kutichaka, Bahudaka, Hamsa and
Paramahamsa ascetics are different in their way of life; all these
possess the signs of Vishnu, the external and internal, which are always
visible and invisible (respectively). Practising the five devotional
acts (yajnas), having penetration into the Vedanta, observing the rites
(appropriate to the station in life), resorting to the spiritual lore,
abandoning the tree (of worldly life) but having recourse to its
root-cause (namely Brahman), renouncing its flowers (of rituals) but
enjoying its (true) essence, sporting in Vishnu (i.e. leading the life
spiritual), delighting in Vishnu, freed (from external worship),
identifying themselves with Vishnu, they realize the omnipresent Vishnu.
13. Worship during the three junctures of the day (Sandhyas) bathing
according to capacity, presenting libations of water to the manes,
cleansing (i.e. purifying oneself with water), waiting upon (the deities
with prayers) – these five devotional acts (the Kutichaka) shall perform
till death.
14. With ten Pranavas and seven mystic words (vyahritis) the four-footed
Gayatri along with its ‘head’ is the prayer to be recited during the
three Sandhyas.
15. The practice of yoga consists of the constant single-minded devoted
service of Vishnu, the Guru; non-injuring by word, thought and deed is
the devotional act of penance (tapoyajna).
16. It is declared that the devotional act of studying the scripture (Svadhyaya-yajna)
consists of reciting the various Upanishads. The attentive reciting of
Om offers the (concept of the individual) Self in the fire of the
(non-dual) Brahman.
17. The devotional act of possessing spiritual wisdom (Jnana-yajna) is
to be known as the very best of all yajnas. (The Paramahamsas) have
Jnana (true knowledge) for the (emblematic) staff, Jnana for the tuft
and Jnana for the sacred thread.
18. He whose tuft consists of Jnana and the sacred thread too of that (Jnana)
has all the characteristics of a Brahmana – thus is the injunction of
the Veda.
19. Then indeed, Oh Brahmana, these
mendicant monks are as they appear (i.e. unclad, as when they were
born). They should desire to remain as a tree, having gone beyond
passion, anger, greed, delusion, false pride, pride, envy, ‘mine-ness’
and egotism; and having discarded honour and dishonour, blame and
praise; and when cut down (like a tree) they shall not complain. Thus
these wise men become immortal here (in this world) itself. This has
been said in the Vedic verse: Having taken leave of his kinsmen and son
with good will and not seeing them again, enduring the pairs (of
opposites, heat and cold, etc.,) and quiescent he shall turn eastward or
northward and proceed on foot.
20-22. (Equipped with) a (water) vessel and staff, seeing four cubits of
ground alone before him, wearing sacred thread and tuft or remaining
shaven-headed, having a family (of his body alone), and receiving from
people alms unbegged or begged for bare sustenance’ having a vessel made
of clay, wood, gourd or strung leaves as originally provided, and
clothed with a garment of hemp, silk, grass, a patched one, (deer-)skin
or a leafy one strung or unstrung; shaving his head alone at the
junction of the seasons without removing hair below and in the arm pits
and never the tuft; he shall reside in a fixed place for four months (of
the rainy season) during which the inward soul, the omnipresent Purusha
(Vishnu) is asleep (in the milky ocean).
23. When (God, Vishnu) has risen (from sleep), the ascetic may reside in
one place to carry out his work (such as study, meditation or Samadhi)
for the other eight months or he may go about (as a mendicant monk).
(During the journey) he may stay (for short periods) in a temple, a hut
where the ritual fire is kept, the shade of a tree, or a cave, without
attachment and unnoticed by the people. He shall be quiescent like fire
when fuel is exhausted and he shall not give or cause trouble to any one
anywhere. (On seeing one equal to or inferior to him he shall not shrink
nor consider any one existing as different from himself).
24. If a person has realized that he is the Atman non-different from the
universal Self, what can he wish for, and to fulfil which desire need he
torture his body (by various kinds of austerities) ?
25. A wise-man knowing this (truth) and thus a knower of Brahman shall
have this consciousness. He shall not worry himself with many words; for
it is only torturing language.
26. Having discerned the knowledge of Brahman he should wish to remain
with dispassion (lit. with the innocence of the child); a sage has
realized the Atman when he has the lore of Brahman and dispassion.
27. When all desires which cling to the heart have been shed, then the
man becomes immortal and he enjoys the (bliss of) Brahman here (itself).
28. Then indeed, Oh Brahman, he who abandons this asceticism which is
the highest spiritual life, becomes a child-murderer, a murderer of a
Brahmana, a killer of an embryo, a great sinner. He, who abandons this
steady life pertaining to Vishnu (i.e. the external and internal
discipline in spiritual life), becomes a thief, a seducer of his
preceptor’s wife, treacherous to a friend, ungrateful; he is denied all
(auspicious) worlds. This has been declared in the Vedic verse – A
thief, a drinker of spirituous liquor, a seducer of his preceptor’s wife
and one treacherous to his friend get purified by expiation; (but) one
who abandons the sign of Vishnu, external or internal, which he was
possessing, will never be purified in spite of all his self-exertions.
29. Abandoning the sign of Vishnu-worship, external or internal, he who
resorts to his stage of life or no (prescribed) stage at all, or returns
(to his former way of living prior to renunciation) – to that great fool
(and to people of his kind) there is no liberation seen even in tens of
millions of eons.
30. Abandoning all other stages of life a wise man should live for long
in the stage of life leading to liberation. There is no liberation
possible to one who has fallen from the stage leading to final
beatitude.
31. Having embraced asceticism, if one does not remain observing its
laws, he is to be known as ‘fallen from grace’ (arudhachyuta) – such is
the Vedic injunction.
32. Then indeed, Oh Brahmana, when (a wise man) has embraced this age
old spiritual life pertaining to Vishnu and remains without
transgressing it, he becomes self-controlled, worthy of being remembered
as auspicious, a (true) knower of the world, a knower of the Vedanta, a
knower of Brahman, omniscient, self-luminous; he becomes the supreme God
Brahman, he redeems from (the misery of) worldly life his ancestors,
relations by marriage, (other) kinsmen, associates and friends.
33. When a wise man renounces the world, those belonging to his family
become blessed in this world, a hundred generations before him and three
hundred generations after him.
34. The scripture says that a very pious mendicant monk redeems thirty
generations of his family after him, thirty generations before him and
thirty generations after those that follow (the first thirty).
35. The Vedic teaching is that the ancestors of (a wise man) are
redeemed if he were to say that he has renounced even while his final
breath remains in his throat (i.e. just before death).
36. Hence, Oh Brahmana, wise men have said that this age old lore of the
Self, the discipline pertaining to Vishnu, shall not be expounded till
one has oneself realized (the goal) and (that) not to one who has not
studied the Veda, has not the conviction of the Self, has not freed
himself from attachment, has not become pure, has not approached (to
receive this of his own accord), and who has not made earnest efforts
(to know them). This has been said in a Vedic verse (as well):
Once (Brahma-)Vidya approached (the god) Brahma and said: ‘Guard me, I
am your treasure. Do not reveal me to one who is envious, crooked or
crafty. Thus shall I be of potent strength’.
37. This discipline of the Atman pertaining to Vishnu (i.e. this lore to
realize Brahman) shall be revealed to a person after a careful test as
to whether he is of pure conduct, attentive, intelligent, observes
celibacy and has approached (the Guru of his own accord for receiving
instruction).
38. With those ascetics who have been taught (the scripture) by a Guru
and who do not honour him in word, thought and deed, the Guru does not
dine; similarly (good ascetics) do not eat the food (from houses where
the ill-mannered receive alms). Such is the (injunction of the)
scripture.
39. The Guru is the supreme righteousness (Dharma); the Guru alone is
the sole means (of liberation). He who honours not his Guru who gives
(initiation into) the single syllable (Om which is Brahman) has all his
scriptural learning, penance and spiritual wisdom oozed out as water
from an unbaked clay vessel.
40. He who has supreme faith in God and the same faith in his Guru is a
knower of Brahman, who reaches supreme beatitude. Such is the teaching
of the Veda. Thus (ends) the Upanishad.
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 Satyayaniyopanishad belonging to the Sukla-Yajur-Veda. |