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SECOND VALLĪ (Brahmānanda Vallī, ‘Bliss-of-Brahma Chapter’) - Misc (Upanishads), The Thirteen Principal Upanishads [1921]

Edition used:

The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, translated from the Sanskrit with an outline of the philosophy of the Upanishads and an annotated bibliography, by Robert Ernest Hume (Oxford University Press, 1921).

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SECOND VALLĪ

(Brahmānanda Vallī, ‘Bliss-of-Brahma Chapter’)

First Anuvāka

The all-comprehensive Brahma of the world and of the individual; knowledge thereof the supreme success

Om! He who knows Brahma, attains the highest!

As to that this [verse] has been declared:—

  • He who knows Brahma as the real (satya), as knowledge (jñāna), as the infinite (ananta),1
  • Set down in the secret place [of the heart], and in the highest heaven (parame vyoman),2
  • He obtains all desires,
  • Together with the intelligent (vipaścit) Brahma.

The course of evolution from the primal Ātman through the five elements to the human person

From this Soul (Ātman), verily, space (ākāśa) arose; from space, wind (vāyu); from wind, fire; from fire, water; from water, the earth; from the earth, herbs; from herbs, food; from food, semen; from semen, the person (puruṣa).

The person in the sphere of food

This, verily, is the person that consists of the essence of food. This, indeed, is his head; this, the right side; this, the left side; this, the body (ātman); this, the lower part, the foundation.

As to that there is also this verse:—

Second Anuvāka

Food the supporting, yet consuming, substance of all life; a phase of Brahma

  • From food, verily, creatures are produced,
  • Whatsoever [creatures] dwell on the earth.
  • Moreover by food, in truth, they live.
  • Moreover into it also they finally pass.1
  • For truly, food is the chief of beings;
  • Therefore it is called a Panacea.2
  • Verily, they obtain all food.
  • Who worship Brahma as food.
  • For truly, food is the chief of beings;
  • Therefore it is called a Panacea.
  • From food created things are born.
  • By food, when born, do they grow up.
  • It both is eaten and eats things.
  • Because of that it is called food.3

The person in the sphere of breath

Verily, other than and within that one that consists of the essence of food is the self that consists of breath. By that this is filled. This, verily, has the form of a person. According to that one’s personal form is this one with the form of a person. The in-breath (prāṇa) is its head; the diffused breath (vyāna), the right wing; the out-breath (apāna), the left wing; space, the body (ātman); the earth, the lower part, the foundation.

As to that there is also this verse:—

Third Anuvāka

Breath, the life of all living beings; a phase of Brahma

  • The gods do breathe along with breath (prāṇa),
  • As also men and beasts.
  • For truly, breath is the life (āyus) of beings.
  • Therefore it is called the Life-of-all (sarvāyuṣa).
  • To a full life (sarvam āyus) go they
  • Who worship Brahma as breath.
  • For truly, breath is the life of beings;
  • Therefore it is called the Life-of-all.

This, indeed, is its bodily self (śarīra-ātman), as of the former.

The person in the sphere of formative faculty

Verily, other than and within that one that consists of breath is a self that consists of mind (mano-maya). By that this is filled. This, verily, has the form of a person. According to that one’s personal form is this one with the form of a person. The Yajur-Veda is its head; the Rig-Veda, the right side; the Sāma-Veda, the left side; teaching,1 the body (ātman); the Hymns of the Atharvans and Aṅgirases, the lower part, the foundation.

As to that there is also this verse:—

Fourth Anuvāka

Beyond the formative faculty an inexpressible, fearless bliss

  • Wherefrom words turn back,
  • Together with the mind, not having attained—
  • The bliss of Brahma he who knows,
  • Fears not at any time at all.

This, indeed, is its bodily self (śarīra-ātman), as of the former.

The person in the sphere of understanding

Verily, other than and within that one that consists of mind is a self that consists of understanding (vijñāna-maya). By that this is filled. This, verily, has the form of a person. According to that one’s personal form is this one with the form of a person. Faith (śraddhā) is its head; the right (ṛta), the right side; the true (satya), the left side; contemplation (yoga), the body (ātman); might (mahas), the lower part, the foundation.

As to that there is also this verse:—

Fifth Anuvāka

Understanding, all-directing; a saving and satisfying phase of Brahma

  • Understanding directs the sacrifice;
  • And deeds also it directs.
  • ’Tis understanding that all the gods
  • Do worship as Brahma, as chief.
  • If one knows Brahma as understanding,
  • And if he is not heedless thereto,
  • He leaves his sins (pāpman) in the body,
  • And attains all desires.

This, indeed, is its bodily self, as of the former.

The person in the sphere of bliss

Verily, other than and within that one that consists of understanding is a self that consists of bliss (ānanda-maya). By that this is filled. That one, verily, has the form of a person. According to that one’s personal form is this one with the form of a person. Pleasure (priya) is its head; delight (moda), the right side; great delight (pra-moda), the left side; bliss (ānanda), the body (ātman); Brahma, the lower part, the foundation.

As to that there is also this verse:—

Sixth Anuvāka

Assimilation either to the original or to the derivative Brahma which one knows

  • Non-existent (a-sat) himself does one become,
  • If he knows that Brahma is non-existent.
  • If one knows that Brahma exists,
  • Such a one people thereby know as existent.

This, indeed, is its bodily self, as of the former.

Query: Who reaches the Brahma-world of bliss?

Now next, the appurtenant questions (anu-praśna):—

  • Does any one who knows not,
  • On deceasing, go to yonder world?
  • Or is it that any one who knows,
  • On deceasing, attains yonder world?

All plurality and antitheses of existence developed from an original and still immanent unity

He desired: ‘Would that I were many! Let me procreate myself!’ He performed austerity. Having performed austerity, he created this whole world, whatever there is here. Having created it, into it, indeed, he entered. Having entered it, he became both the actual (sat) and the yon (tya), both the defined (nirukta) and the undefined, both the based and the non-based, both the conscious (vijñāna) and the unconscious, both the real (satya) and the false (anṛta). As the real, he became whatever there is here. That is what they call the real.

As to that there is also this verse:—

Seventh Anuvāka

The original self-developing non-existence, the essence of existence and the sole basis of fearless bliss

  • In the beginning, verily, this [world] was non-existent.
  • Therefrom, verily, Being (sat) was produced.1
  • That made itself (svayam akuruta) a Soul (Ātman).
  • Therefore it is called the well-done (su-kṛta).2

Verily, what that well-done is—that, verily, is the essence (rasa) [of existence]. For truly, on getting the essence, one becomes blissful. For who indeed would breathe, who would live, if there were not this bliss in space! For truly, this (essence) causes bliss. For truly, when one finds fearlessness as a foundation in that which is invisible, bodiless (an-ātmya), undefined, non-based, then he has reached fearlessness. When, however, one makes a cavity, an interval therein, then he comes to have fear. But that indeed is the fear of one who thinks of himself as a knower.3

As to that there is also this verse:—

Eighth Anuvāka

All cosmic activity through fear

  • Through fear of Him the Wind (Vāyu) doth blow
  • Through fear of Him the Sun (Sūrya) doth rise.
  • Through fear of Him both Agni (Fire) and Indra
  • And Death (Mṛityu) as fifth do speed along.1

The gradation of blisses up to the bliss of Brahma2

This is a consideration (mīmāṁsā) of bliss.—

Let there be a youth, a good (sādhu) youth, well read, very quick, very firm, very strong. Let this whole earth be full of wealth for him. That is one human bliss.

A hundred human blisses are one bliss of the human Gandharvas (genii)—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures (śrotriya) and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of the human Gandharvas are one bliss of the divine Gandharvas—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of the divine Gandharvas are one bliss of the fathers in their long-enduring world—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of the fathers in their long-enduring world are one bliss of the gods who are born so by birth (ājāna-ja)—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of the gods who are born so by birth are one bliss of the gods who are gods by work (karma-deva), who go to the gods by work—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of the gods who are gods by work are one bliss of the gods—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of the gods are one bliss of Indra—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of Indra are one bliss of Bṛihaspati—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of Bṛihaspati are one bliss of Prajāpati—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

A hundred blisses of Prajāpati are one bliss of Brahma—also of a man who is versed in the scriptures and who is not smitten with desire.

The knower of the unity of the human person with the personality in the world reaches the blissful sphere of self-existence

Both he who is here in a person and he who is yonder in the sun—he is one.

He who knows this, on departing from this world, proceeds on to that self which consists of food, proceeds on to that self which consists of breath, proceeds on to that self which consists of mind, proceeds on to that self which consists of understanding, proceeds on to that self which consists of bliss.1

As to that there is also this verse:—

Ninth Anuvāka

The knower of the bliss of Brahma is saved from all fear and from all moral self-reproach

  • Wherefrom words turn back,
  • Together with the mind, not having attained—
  • The bliss of Brahma he who knows,
  • Fears not from anything at all.2

Such a one, verily, the thought does not torment: ‘Why have I not done the good (sādhu)? Why have I done the evil (pāpa)?’3 He who knows this, saves (spṛṇute) himself (ātmānam) from these [thoughts]. For truly, from both of these he saves himself—he who knows this!

Such is the mystic doctrine (upaniṣad)!

[1 ]Deussen proposes to emend to ānanda, ‘bliss,’ in order to have the customary threefold definition of Brahma as sat-cit-ānanda, ‘being, intelligence, and bliss,’ and in order to introduce the great, culminating thought of the chapter.

[2 ]A very common Vedic phrase for the abode of the gods.

[1 ]These first four lines are quoted in Maitri 6. 11.

[2 ]sarvauṣadham, literally ‘consisting of all sorts of herbs.’

[3 ]The last four lines recur at Maitri 6. 12.

[1 ]Possibly referring to the Brāhmaṇas, which contain ‘teaching’ concerning the sacrifices.

[1 ]This theory is controverted at Chānd. 6. 2. 1-2.

[2 ]Compare the saying ‘A person is a thing well done,’ Ait. 1. 2. 3.

[3 ]But who really is not a knower. If the reading should be ’manvānasya in accordance with Śaṅkara, then ‘. . . the fear of one who knows, but who is unthinking.’

[1 ]A very similar stanza is Kaṭha 6. 3.

[2 ]Similar hierarchies of bliss leading up to the bliss of Brahma occur at Bṛih. 4. 3. 33 K and Śat. Br. 14. 7. 1. 31-39 (= Bṛih. 4. 3. 31-39 M). Other gradations of worlds up to the world of Brahma occur at Bṛih. 3. 6. 1 and Kaush. 1. 3.

[1 ]That is, in the self there are various selves, but the true knower must advance to the highest self.

[2 ]This stanza has already occurred in 2. 4, with a verbal change in the last line.

[3 ]Or, ‘What good have I failed to do! What evil have I done!’