Ignou Brihadaranyaka
Ignou Brihadaranyaka
Ignou Brihadaranyaka
UNIT 2 BRIHADARANYAKA
Contents
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 An Overview
2.3 Reflection on a Core Issue
2.4 Philosophical Response
2.5 Let Us Sum Up
2.6 Key Words
2.7 Further Readings and References
2.8 Answers to Check Your Progress
2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this Unit you are expected to know the essential content of the Upanishad
such as:
significance of the Asvamedha sacrifice and the creation of the Universe
the meaning of ‘prana’ (life)
the importance of vital force
the theme of ‘Righteousness’
the magnanimity of Supreme Brahman
the direction of seeking the Truth and Supreme Brahman
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The Bridharanyaka is literally translated as ‘Great-forest-teaching’. The
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is generally recognized to be the most important of
the Upanishads. It forms the part of Shatapatha Brahmana. It illustrates an all-
embracing, absolute, self-luminous and blissful reality of Brahman recognized
as Atman. The Upanishad is widely known for its philosophical statements. The
whole composition of the Upanishad is in prose except for a few verses here and
there. There are six chapters. They are further divided into forty seven sections
called Brahmanas and they are further divided into paragraphs called Kandikas.
There are three major sections or Kandas consisting of – Madhu Kanda which
explains the teaching of basic identity of the individual and the universal self.
Muni Kanda or Yajnyavalkya Kanda has philosophical teachings and Khila Kanda
narrates certain modes of worship and meditation. The aim of the Upanishad is
to teach about self and thereby to show the identity of Atman and Brahman.
2.2 AN OVERVIEW
The first chapter deals with Asvamedha sacrifice and creation. It is known as
Madhu Kanda. The Upanishad starts with the description of a sacrificial horse as
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a cosmic form. Each part of the horse is described as a divine thing in nature. Brihadaranyaka
And the horse has to be meditated as Prajapati or Hiranyagarbha. The Upanishad
says that meditating on the horse is equivalent to the horse sacrifice
There is a fable to illustrate the magnanimity of the vital force. Gods requested
different organs to sing hymns for them. Once demons learnt about it they put
evil to the organs and it was only Vital force who could chant for the gods,
rescued the organs from evil, fought against the death and brought victory to the
gods. As an appreciation, gods offered food for vital force and all the organs
agreed to be the part of the vital force.
The creator created the Universe and food. There are seven types of food created.
One is the basic food for sustenance. Two foods for gods mean of making libation
to the gods. One is for animals – milk. The other three he retained for himself.
Second to fourth chapters are Muni Kanda or Yajnyavalkya Kanda. The second
chapter starts with a discussion between Ajathasathru and Gange. Ajathasathru
preaches about self and explains three state of mind – waking, dream and deep
sleep.
Whereas Yajnyavalkya teaches, answers and speaks; about Self with his wife,
scholars at the emperor Janaka’s court and to the emperor Janaka himself.
Yajnyavalkya tells his wife Maitreyi about the knowledge of self. He says that
the real self is heard, reflected on and meditated upon and thus realized. Everyone
even the gods, being and all reject the man who knows them to be different from
the self, because all these are only the self. As various kinds of smoke proceed
from the fire kindled with damp fuel, even so the Veda etc. have come out of the
Supreme Self.
The Emperor Janaka performed a sacrifice and wished to give a thousand cows
to a learned Vedic scholar. Yajnyavalkya instructs his pupil to lead the cows to
his place. And when challenged by the other scholars he answered all their
questions satisfactorily.
One of the scholars asked him - what is immediate and direct, to the inner self.
He replied that it is that which works in the body –‘prana, apana, vyana and
udana’. He further explained that it is a sun, hearer, thinker and knower in every
body and it cannot be seen directly, heard, thought or known like a sense object.
He said more by explaining that it does have physical or psychological emotion.
The one who understands this knowledge, he too will be just such. Self knowledge
he said once attained will not be lost. When asked if he is aware of ‘inner control’
and the sutra connect to it. He confirmed that he knows and said that the sutra is
’vayu’, and explained about the inner control how it is in all being but not
acknowledged. It does not have a separate body but it is his presence that makes
the body and the organs. He gave in detail the strength of the inner control,
Fifth and sixth chapters form the third and the last division, Khila Kanda of the
Upanishad. Khila means supplement. In the beginning of fifth chapter, invocation
is repeated. Adi Sankara’s commentary says, “Brahman, which is the them of all
the Upanishads, is describing once more in this Mantra to introduce what follows;
for certain aids, to be presently mentioned, viz, ‘OM’. Self – restraint, charity
and compassion, have to be enjoined a steps to the knowledge of Brahman – aids
that, occurring in this supplementary portion, from part of all meditation.”
Some explain the Mantra thus “From the infinite causes the infinite effect is
manifested. The manifested effect is also infinite or real at the present moment
even in its dualistic form.
The fifth chapter introduces some of the auxiliary meditation which do not clash
with rites, confer to prosperity and lead one gradually to liberation.
“tad etad evaisa daivi vag anuvadati stanayitnuh – da, da, da, iti damyata, data,
dayadhvam iti. Tad etad trayam sikset, daman, danam, dayam iti.” (5. 2. 3)
There is a parable about how gods, men and demons understood one sound,
‘da’. Prajapati taught gods, men and demons. At the conclusion of the education
before leaving the Guru they asked for a final guidance from the Guru. Prajapati
said, ‘da’ and asked them how they understood the sound. Gods said ‘da’ was
‘control,’ men said it was, ’charity’, and demon said that it was, ‘merciful’. At
that moment they heard the rumbling of the clouds sounding, da, da, da and
repeated – control, give and have compassion.
The third section has, the deeper and significance of the Prajapati - heart, (intellect)
– hr da ya. If one meditate on these three syllable, one obtains results
corresponding to the meaning of ‘hr’ receive presents, ‘da’ receive power, ‘ya’
have heavenly world. If the meditation on the three syllables is so powerful, how
much more must be that on intellect itself?
Whole of fifth chapter deals with meditation and the result of such meditation.
There are meditations on – Satya, Solar being, Mind, Lightning, Vedas as cow,
and Vaisvanara. The main objective of these meditations is that one must have
definite goal. It is meaningless and will not yield result if one meditate on different
things at a time. Meditation means concentration on one thing, deeply, regularly
and with determination. The main aim of the meditation is to get enlightenment.
There is an elaborate discussion how one should be able to face illness, death
and funeral. The Upanishad says that one should look at it as a penance.
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The qualities, virtues and importance of the vital force are explained at different Brihadaranyaka
sections, with explanations and with fables. Here is a meditation on the vital
force in different names. As vital force is the chief of all the organs, it has to be
meditated as, “Uktha,” as it raises the universe. The one, who meditate on vital
force as ‘Uktha’, will have a son who is a knower of vital force. And the one who
meditates will achieve union with and abode in the same world as ‘Uktha’ then
the vital force has to be meditated as “yajus,” for all the beings are joined with
one another. Next one is to meditate on vital force as, ‘saman’, because it brings
in the union, for him who knows it. The last one is to meditate on vital force as,’
ksattra’, as vital force protects the wounds. The one who knows the significance
of the word will not need any other protection and achieve the world of ‘ksattra’.
The meaning and the power of Gayatri chandas, meter is dealt in detail. Gayatri
is the chief of the poetic meters. Only Gayatri chandas has the power to protect
those who chant Gayatri Mantra. It is a prayer to ‘Savit’, the Sun. Each pada is of
eight syllables. The first pada’s eight syllables are equivalent to – ‘bhumi’, the
earth, ‘antariksa, the sky, ‘dyaus’, heaven. The second pada’s eight syllables are
same as ‘Rcah’, ‘Yajumsi’, and ’Samani’, the three treasures of knowledge, the
three Vedas. The third pada’s eight syllables are similar to ‘prana, apana, and
udana’. And the fourth pada is ‘supermundane,’ ‘paro’raja’. It is a visible foot,
because the solar being is visualized and he alone shines the entire universe. The
results of knowing the whole of Gayatri are incalculable.
The sixth chapter opens with an allegory. The organs had a dispute among
themselves and each claimed that it was ancient and very important. Finally they
decided to take their dispute to Prajapati. He said that, the organ which makes
the body wrenched while leaving would be the superior than the others. So, to
test each one’s superiority, organs one by one left the body for a year and came
back after that period to find out how the body was in its absence. The explanation
given is very practical and beautiful. The answer carries scientific meaning. To
give an example, the organs said that that they lived like ‘idiots’ in the absence
of mind. But still the body functioned. The last one to leave was vital force.
Once it started leaving, all the organs started losing their strength. Immediately,
they pleaded that the vital force should not leave the body.
“ma bhagavah utkramih, na vai saksyamas tvad rte jivitum iti, tasyo me balim
kurutcti, tatheti.” (6. 1. 13)
They agreed that the vital force is the superior and offered food to the vital force.
Only material things, which effects and have dimensions, come within the range
of the organs, but not the Self. Similarly it is beyond all other characteristics of
limited objects such as decay, relationship, bondage, pain and
death.”(Ramakrishna Math publication)
Adi Sankara says even though each caste is assigned with specific rituals,
meditation guides to enlightenment. In the Upanishad it is repeatedly stressed on
the importance of meditation and suggests that it is equivalent to rituals and
brings intelligence and understanding of self. And who ignore this and deport
this world with ignorance will sustain great lose, lose of enlightenment.
The realization of such Brahman as supreme self will lead to ‘Truth’. This truth
does not come in slow pace, but like flash of a lightning. The enlightenment is
instantaneous. “Not this, not this, suggest that while there is a realm which consists
of the duality of subject and object , which is perceived by the intelligence to be
coextensive and reciprocally necessary, there is absolute unity from which all
dualities proceed, which is itself above duality. …. Many systems of thought
distinguish between the absolutely transcendent Godhead, ‘who dwelleth in the
light which no man can approach unto’ and the creator God. In this famous
passage of ‘na iti na iti,’ the Upanishad speaks to us of the absolute transcendent
non – empirical Godhead.” (S. Radhakrishnan)
The Upanishad takes the readers to examine the depth of perfection in them and
see the purity within to realize Brahman. The means to this end is ‘Knowledge
Truth, Righteousness, and understanding the magnanimity of the Heart.’ If one
is determined and honest in seeking the enlightenment, one is sure to experience
the power of Supreme Brahman within.
Check Your Progress II
Note: a) Use the space provided for your answer
b) Check your answer with those provided at the end of the unit.
1) What is the difference between ritual performance and meditation?
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Brihadaranyaka
2) Write a brief note on the significance of ‘OM.’
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Raj, A. R. Victor. The Hindu Connection: Roots of the New Age. St. Louis,
Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1995.
Walker, Benjamin. The Hindu World. New York: Frederick Praeger, 1978.
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