Taittriyaka Upanishad

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The Taittirīya Upanishad (Devanagari: तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्) is a Vedic era Sanskrit text, embedded as three chapters (adhyāya) of the Yajurveda. It is a mukhya (primary, principal) Upanishad, and likely composed about 6th century BC .

Taittirīyaka-Upanishad.

First Vallī,

Or, the Chapter on Śīkshā (Pronunciation).

First Anuvāka.

HARIḤ, OM! May Mitra be propitious to us, and Varuṇa, Aryaman also, Indra, Bṛhaspati, and the wide-striding Vishṇu.

Adoration to Brahman! Adoration to thee, O Vāyu (air)! Thou indeed art the visible Brahman. I shall proclaim thee alone as the visible Brahman. I shall proclaim the right. I shall proclaim the true (scil. Brahman).

(1-5) May it protect me! May it protect the teacher! yes, may it protect me, and may it protect the teacher! Om! Peace! peace! peace!

Second Anuvāka.

Om! Let us explain Śīkshā, the doctrine of pronunciation, viz. letter, accent, quantity, effort (in the formation of letters), modulation, and union of letters (sandhi). This is the lecture on Śīkshā.

Third Anuvāka.

May glory come to both of us (teacher and pupil) together! May Vedic light belong to both of us!

Now let us explain the Upanishad (the secret meaning) of the union (saṃhitā) under five heads, with regard to the worlds, the heavenly lights, knowledge, offspring, and self (body). People call these the great Saṃhitās.

First, with regard to the worlds. The earth is the former element, heaven the latter, ether their union;

That union takes place through Vāyu (air). So much with regard to the worlds.

Next, with regard to the heavenly lights. Agni (fire) is the former element, Āditya (the sun) the latter, water their union. That union takes place through lightning. So much with regard to the heavenly lights.

Next, with regard to knowledge. The teacher is the former element,

The pupil the latter, knowledge their union. That union takes place through the recitation of the Veda. So much with regard to knowledge.

Next, with regard to offspring. The mother is the former element, the father the latter, offspring their union. That union takes place through procreation. So much with regard to offspring.

Next, with regard to the self (body). The lower jaw is the former element, the upper jaw the latter, speech their union. That union takes place through speech. So much with regard to the Self. These are the great Saṃhitās. He who knows these Saṃhitās (unions), as here explained, becomes united with offspring, cattle, Vedic light, food, and with the heavenly world.

Fourth Anuvāka.

May he who is the strong bull of the Vedas, assuming all forms, who has risen from the Vedas, from the Immortal, may that Indra (lord) strengthen me with wisdom! May I, O God, become an upholder of the Immortal!

May my body be able, my tongue sweet, may I hear much with my ears! Thou (Om) art the shrine (of Brahman), covered by wisdom. Guard what I have learnt

She (Śrī, happiness) brings near and spreads,

And makes, without delay, garments for herself, cows, food, and drink at all times; therefore bring that Śrī (happiness) hither to me, the woolly, with her cattle! Svāhā! May the Brahman-students come to me, Svāhā! May they come from all sides, Svāhā! May they come forth to me, Svāhā! May they practise restraint, Svāhā! May they enjoy peace, Svāhā!

May I be a glory among men, Svāhā! May I be better than the richest, Svāhā! May I enter into thee, O treasure (Om), Svāhā! Thou, O treasure, enter into me, Svāhā! In thee, consisting of a thousand branches, in thee, O treasure, I am cleansed, Svāhā! As water runs downward, as the months go to the year, so, O preserver of the world, may Brahman-students always come to me from all sides, Svāhā!

(1) Thou art a refuge! Enlighten me! Take possession of me!

Fifth Anuvāka.

Bhū, Bhuvas, Suvas, these are the three sacred interjections (vyāhṛti). Māhācamasya taught a fourth, viz. Mahas, which is Brahman, which is the Self. The others (devatās) are its members.

Bhū is this world, Bhuvas is the sky, Suvas is the other world.

Mahas is the sun. All the worlds are increased by the sun. Bhū is Agni (fire), Bhuvas is Vāyu (air), Suvas is Āditya (sun). Mahas is the moon. All the heavenly lights are increased by the moon.

Bhū is the Ṛc-verses, Bhuvas is the Sāman-verses, Suvas is the Yajus-verses.

Mahas is Brahman. All the Vedas are increased by the Brahman.

(1-2) Bhū is Prāṇa (up-breathing), Bhuvas is Apāna, (down-breathing), Suvas is Vyāna (back-breathing). Mahas is food. All breathings are increased by food.

Thus there are these four times four, the four and four sacred interjections. He who knows these,

(1-2) Knows the Brahman. All Devas bring offerings to him.

Sixth Anuvāka.

There is the ether within the heart, and in it there is the Person (purusha) consisting of mind, immortal, golden.

Between the two palates there hangs the uvula, like a nipple—that is the starting-point of Indra (the lord) Where the root of the hair divides, there he opens the two sides of the head, and saying Bhū, he enters Agni (the fire); saying Bhuvas, he enters Vāyu (air);

Saying Suvas, he enters Āditya (sun); saying Mahas, he enters Brahman. He there obtains lordship, he reaches the lord of the mind. He becomes lord of speech, lord of sight, lord of hearing, lord of knowledge. Nay, more than this. There is the Brahman whose body is ether, whose nature is true, rejoicing in the senses (prāṇa), delighted in the mind, perfect in peace, and immortal.

(1) Worship thus, O Prācīnayogya!

Seventh Anuvāka.

‘The earth, the sky, heaven, the four quarters, and the intermediate quarters,’—’Agni (fire), Vāyu (air), Āditya (sun), Candramas (moon), and the stars,’—’Water, herbs, trees, ether, the universal Self (virāj),’—so much with reference to material objects (bhūta).

Now with reference to the self (the body): ‘Prāṇa (up-breathing), Apāna (down-breathing), Vyāna (back-breathing), Udāna (out-breathing), and Samāṇa (on-breathing),’—’The eye, the ear, mind, speech, and touch,’—’The skin, flesh, muscle, bone, and marrow.’ Having dwelt on this (fivefold arrangement of the worlds, the gods, beings, breathings, senses, and elements of the body), a Ṛshi said: ‘Whatever exists is fivefold (pāṅkta) .’

(1) By means of the one fivefold set (that referring to the body) he completes the other fivefold set.

Eighth Anuvāka.

Om means Brahman. 2. Om means all this. 3. Om means obedience. When they have been told, ‘Om, speak,’ they speak. 4. After Om they sing Sāmans. 5. After Om they recite hymns. 6. After Om the Adhvaryu gives the response. 7. After Om the Brahman-priest gives orders. 8. After Om he (the sacrificer) allows the performance of the Agnihotra. 9. When a Brāhmaṇa is going to begin his lecture, he says, 10. ‘Om, may I acquire Brahman (the Veda).’ He thus acquires the Veda.

Ninth Anuvāka

(What is necessary?) The night, and learning and practising the Veda. The true, and learning and practising the Veda. Penance, and learning and practising the Veda. Restraint, and learning and practising the Veda. Tranquillity, and learning and practising the Veda. The fires (to be consecrated), and learning and practising the Veda. The Agnihotra sacrifice, and learning and practising the Veda. Guests (to be entertained), and learning and practising the Veda. Man’s duty, and learning and practising the Veda. Children, and learning and practising the Veda.

(1-6) Marriage, and learning and practising the Veda. Children’s children, and learning and practising the Veda.

Satyavacas Rāthītara thinks that the true only is necessary. Taponitya Pauraśishṭi thinks that penance only is necessary. Nāka Maudgalya thinks that learning and practising the Veda only are necessary,—for that is penance, that is penance.