[Chaturamnaya] Upanishads - 3

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 

7. Taittiriya Upanishad
 
This belongs to the Krishna Yajur Veda. This has three chapters:
Seekshaa valli deals with aspects of studies and teaching, various upaasanas
including that of pranava, aavahanti home mantras fundamental duties and
values etc . The famous statements that "mother father teacher and guest
are personifications of divinities" occur in this chapter.
 
mAtR^i devo bhava . pitR^i devo bhava .
aachaarya devo bhava . atithi devo bhava .
 
The second chapter brahmaananda valli deals with an unique analysis of
five sheaths - panca kolas namely, annamaya (food) , praana maya (life),
mana maya (mind) , vijnaana maya (knowledge) and aananda maya (bliss) sheaths.
The popular inquiry of "bliss" in an ascending order culminating with
'brahmaananda' is expounded at the end of this chapter.
 
The third chapter , Bhrigu valli, is the teaching (upadesa) of Varuna to
his son Bhrighu where he enables his son to go through an intense enquiry
of the Self through the stages of the panca kosas and the son finally
achieves the results. The value of food - "do not abuse food, grow more
food; do not waste food" - is given in detail. The chapter ends with
the proclamation that the Realized Jiva thinks that he alone is the food,
the one who eats it, the one who generated link between the food and the eater.
He sings in bliss where himself and divinity are One.
 
8. Aitareya Upanishad
 
This is placed at the end of the Aitareya Aranyaka of Rig veda and is
so called because it came through the revelation of the rishi Aitareya.
This expounds the cycle of life and death according to one's own
merits (punya) and demerits (paapa) and how freedom from this cycle is
possible through knowledge (jnaana) of the nature of aatmaa. This contains
the great saying "prajnaanam brahma".
 

(To be continued)