Glimpses of Vedic Literature - Taittiriya Upanishad

Taittiriya Upanishad

JUST as the Kathopanishad belongs to the Krishna (Black) Yajurveda, even so the Taittiriya Upanishad also belongs to the same Veda. Both these Upanishads have internal connection. In particular, the knowledge of the soul, which we find in the Kathopanishad, is confirmed and elucidated in the Taittiriya Upanishad. And it is to this aspect that we may turn at once.

The Kathopanishad speaks of three fires and five fires, indicating that the soul that is fire is to be found at three levels, the level of the body, the level of the vital being and the level of the mental being. The Kathopanishad also tells us that the mental being is not the highest, since the faculty of knowledge is even higher than the mind. It further tells us that there is even a greater self higher than the faculty of knowledge. Both these higher levels are accessible to the ascending fire of the soul, and when the soul ascends to these two, the fire of the soul does no more remain three-fold but becomes five-old.

In the Taittiriya Upanishad we have a more explicit statement of the ascension of the soul on all the five planes. There are,according to this Upanishad, five sheaths, koshas, and our soul is encaged in these koshas. The first is called the annamaya, the physical sheath; the second is called the pranamaya, the vital sheath; the third is called the manomaya, the mental sheath. These three are familiar to all of us who have risen above the animal level of existence and have even gone above the level of passions and desires so as to lead the life of reflections, reasoning and understanding. But these three levels belong to the plane of Ignorance, because while living on these levels we grope blindly in search of knowledge. Knowledge, even when achieved, is only mental in character; it is besieged by error and is uncertain. We are always in need to verify our conclusions in various ways; and even verified knowledge does not give us the total sense of certainty.

But when the soul ascends to a higher sheath, knowledge is found to be its very natural characteristic. Here knowledge is not only jnana, realization of the essence, but also vijnana, realization of the entire manifestation. This level is, therefore, called by the Upanishad the level of vijnanamaya, the sheath of holistic knowledge. But higher than this is the anandamaya kosha, the sheath of bliss, which is described at length as that of inexpressible delight from which all creations burst out.

Let us go to the original text of this Upanishad and listen to the relevant words of it on this important subject.

"Food (anna) is the oldest of created things and therefore they name it the Green Stuff of the Universe. From food all creatures are born and being born they grow by food. Lo, it is eaten and it eats; yea, it devours the creatures that feed upon it, therefore it is called food from the eating.

"Now there is a second and inner Self which is other than this that is of the substance of food; and it is made of the vital stuff called Prana. And the self of Prana fills the self of food. Now the self of Prana is made in the image of a man; according as is the human image of man. . . . Prana is the life of created tilings and therefore they name it the Life-Stuff of the All. And this self of Prana is the soul in the body of the former one which was of food."

"Now there is yet a second and inner Self which is other than this Prana, and it is made of Mind. And the self of Mind fills the self of Prana. Now the self of Mind is made in the image of man; according as is the human image of the other, so is it in the image of the man. . . . And this self of Mind is the soul in the body to the former one which was of Prana."

"Now there is yet a second and inner self which is other than this which is of Mind and it is made of Knowledge. And the self of Knowledge fills the self of Mind. Now the Knowledge self is made in the image of a man; according as is the human image of the other, so it is in the image of the man.. .. And this self of Knowledge is the soul in the body to the former one which was of Mind."

"Now there is yet a second and inner self which is other than this which is of Knowledge and it is fashioned out of Bliss. And the Self of Bliss fills the self of Knowledge. Now the Bliss self is made in the image of a man; according as is the human image of the other, so is it made in the image of the man... . And this self of Bliss is the soul in the body to the former one which was of Knowledge. . ."

The Upanishad then proceeds to describe the xperience of bliss.

"When he has got him this delight, then it is that this creation becomes a thing of bliss; for who could labour to draw

in the breath or who could, have strength to breathe it out, if there were not that Bliss in the heaven of his heart, the ether within his being? It is He that is the fountain of bliss; for when the Spirit that is within us finds the Invisible, Bodiless, Indefinable and Unhoused Eternal as his refuge and firm foundation, then he has passed beyond the reach of Fear. But when the spirit that is within us makes for himself even a little difference in the Eternal, then he has fear, yea, the Eternal himself becomes a terror to such a knower who thinks not..."

We now come to the full exposition of Bliss. Says the Upanishad:

"Behold this exposition of the Bliss to which ye shall hearken. Let there he a. young man, excellent and lovely in his youth, a great student, let him have fair manners, and a most firm heart and great strength of body, and let all this wide earth be full of wealth for his enjoying. That is the measure of bliss of one human being. Now a hundred and a hundredfold of the human measure of bliss, is the one bliss of men that have become angels in heaven. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of angelic bliss is one bliss of Gods that are angels in heaven. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and hundredfold of this measure of divine angelic bliss is one bliss of the Fathers whose world of heaven is their world for ever. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of bliss of the Fathers whose worlds are for ever, is one bliss of the Gods who are born as Gods in heaven. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of bliss of the first bom in heaven,

is one bliss of the Gods of work who are Gods, for, by the strength of their deeds they depart and are Gods in heaven. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of bliss of the Gods of work, is one bliss of the great Gods who are Gods for ever. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of divine bliss, is one bliss of Indra, the King in Heaven. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure oflndra's bliss is one bliss of Brihaspati, who taught the Gods in heaven. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of Brihaspati's bliss, is one bliss of Prajapati, the Almighty Father. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundredfold of this measure of Prajapati's bliss, is one bliss of the Eternal Spirit. And this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not."

"The Spirit who is here in a man and the Spirit who is there in the Sun, it is one Spirit and there is no other. He who knows this, when he has gone away from this world, passes to this Self, which is of food; he passes to this Self which is of Prana; he passes to this Self which is of Mind, he passes to this Self which is of Knowledge; he passes to this Self which is of Bliss. . ."

"The Bliss of the Eternal from which words turn back without attaining and mind also returns baffled: who knows the Bliss of the Eternal, he fears not for aught in this world or elsewhere. Verily, to him comes not remorse and her torment saying, "Why have I left undone the good and why have I done that which was evil?" For he who knows the Eternal,

knows these and delivers from them his Spirit; yea, he knouxs both evil and good for what they are and delivers his Spirit who knows the Eternal. And this is Upanishad, the secret of the Veda."