Word

Brhadaranyaka Upanishad

Sanskrit

बृहतारण्यक उपनिषद्

IAST

bṛhatāraṇyaka upaniṣad

In General

Br.U. is greatest of the Upanishad in extend and clarity of thought where Yajnavalkya, the great logician and philosopher expound Brahmavidya, the brilliant philosophy of all times. Though the subject of study is intellectual debate, it touches all the fundamental tenants of Hindu thought such as creation, nature of the world, law of Karma, individual soul and its destiny, Hiranyagarbha - Brahman - Atman, Characteristic of liberated soul. The practical aspect of various meditation techniques was also given due importance in this U. The popular santi mantras like pūrṇam adaḥ, pūrṇam idaṃ (पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं ) and Asatō mā sadgamaya (असतो मा सद्गमय) are from Br.U.

Veda

Br.U. is form adhyayas 3 to 8 of the 17th kanda of S.B. ( Kanva Recension). Each adhyaya is divided into brahmanas and further subdivided into Kandikas (similar to mantras). There are 435 kandikas distributed in 47 brahmanas of 6 adhyayas of this Upanishad.

The first Adhyaya with six brahmana describe various kinds of meditation and spiritual interpretation yaga. World is created out of Brahman or the Purusha but even after creation of Manu, Satarupa and all other creatures, the Brahman remained the same. The world can be also be defined by nama(name) rupa(form) and Karma(work).

Second adyaya with its six brahmana is an exposition of the idea of Atman. In the first brahmana, Ajatasatru, the king of Kasi teach Balaki the concept of Brahman which is unconditioned and stand as the source of everything. Prana, the vital force is the primary thread for spiritual life that is praised by Rudra and Aditya. The conversation between Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya where Maitreyi reject wealth for atmajnana also appear in this adyaya.

The third adhyaya is very special for the brilliance of Yajnavalkyas philosophical insight. There are nine brahmanas in this chapter. The first is asvala brahmana where king Janaka proposes a gift of 1000 cows and gold coins to the most learned. Yajnavalkya accept the challenge. Aswala was the first to challenge him with 8 questions. Then came a number of scholars like Artabhaga, Usasta, Gargi, Uddalaka Aruni and to all of them Yajnavalkya gave satisfactory answers. Yajnavalkya answered to the group of scholars that the soul of man transmigrates after death to a new body and is bound by Karma of previous birth. Atman is beyond hunger, thirst, old age but work in the body through five pranas. The Brahman is the ultimate reality, that cannot be known by logic and philosophy but by scriptures and by the guidance of realized souls. It is by Vayu, the thread by which one climb the ladders of spiritual knowledge (meditation). Brahman is akshara, un-destroyable and it has no qualities. It is by Brahman that the heavenly bodies take their position, so also all other activities on earth. Though there are innumerable gods, all of them are manifestation of but one source, the Hiranyagarbha, who is the cosmic aspect of prana, the vital force.

Fourth adyaya with six barahmanas have the conversation between King Janaka and Yajnavalkya in the introductory section. The three states of consciousness Jagrath(waking sate), swapna(dream state) and susupthi(deep sleep state) of self is described in this chapter. Vasana follow jiva even after the death and migrate to the next life.

Fifth adyaya is devoted to various meditation techniques. Heart is the seat of intellect. Dama(दमः ;self control), dana(दानं ; help others) and daya (दया ; compassion to the suffering) are some good qualities which help meditation.

Sixth adyaya start with an allegory in which Prajapati teaches the sense organs that prana is the eldest and best of all organs without which other organs cannot execute their work. The Panchagni vidya, the doctrine of five fires as taught by king Pravahana Javali to Svataketu is another topic discussed in this chapter.