TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD 

SHIKSHAVALLI

CHAPTER ONE

Hari OM. Be peace to us Mitra. Be peace to us Varuna. Be peace to us Aryaman. Be peace to us Indra and Brihaspati. May far-striding Vishnu be peace to us. Adoration to the Eternal. Adoration to thee, 0 Vayu. Thou, thou art the visible Eternal and as the visible Eternal I will declare thee. I will declare Righteousness! I will declare Truth! May that protect me! May that protect the speaker! Yea, may it protect me! May it protect the speaker. OM! Peace! Peace! Peace!

CHAPTER TWO

OM. We will expound Shiksha, the elements. Syllable and Accent, Pitch and Effort, Even Tone and Continuity; in these six we have declared the chapter of the elements.

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CHAPTER THREE

Together may we attain glory, together to the radiance of holiness. Hereupon we will expound next the secret meaning of Sanhita whereof there are five capitals. Concerning the Worlds: Concerning the Shining Fires: Concerning the Knowledge: Concerning Progeny: Concerning Self. These are called the great Sanhitas.

Now concerning the Worlds. Earth is the first form, the heavens are the second form; ether is the linking; air is joint of the linking. Thus far concerning the Worlds.

Next concerning the Shining Fires. Fire is the first form, the Sun is the latter form; the waters are the linking; electricity is the joint of the linking. Thus far concerning the Shining Fires.

Next concerning the Knowledge. The Master is the first form, the disciple is the latter form. Knowledge is the linking. Exposition is the joint of the linking. Thus far concerning the Knowledge.

Next concerning Progeny. The mother is the first form; the father is the latter form. Progeny is the linking, act of procreation is the joint of the linking. Thus far concerning Progeny. 

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Next concerning Self. The upper jaw is the first form; the lower jaw is the latter form; speech is the linking; the tongue is the joint of the linking. Thus far concerning Self.

These are the great Sanhitas. He who knows thus the great Sanhitas as we have expounded them, to him are linked progeny and wealth of cattle and the radiance of holiness and food and all that is of food and the world of his high estate in heaven.

chapter four

The bull of the hymns of Veda whose visible form is all this Universe, he above the Vedas who sprang from that which is deathless, may Indra increase unto me intellect for my strengthening. O God, may I become a vessel of immortality. May my 

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body be swift to all works, may my tongue drop pure honey. May I hear vast and manifold lore with my ears. 0 Indra, thou art the sheath of the Eternal and the veil that the workings of brain have drawn over Him; preserve whole unto me the sacred lore that I have studied.

She brings unto me wealth and extends it, yea, she makes speedily my own raiment and cattle and drink and food now and always; therefore carry to me Fortune of much fleecy wealth and cattle with her. Swaha!

May the Brahmacharins come unto me. Swaha!

From here and there may the Brahmacharins come unto me. Swaha!

May the Brahmacharins set forth unto me. Swaha!

May the Brahmacharins attain self-mastery. Swaha!

May the Brahmacharins attain to peace of soul. Swaha!

May I be a name among the folk! Swaha! May I be the first of the wealthy! Swaha!

O Glorious Lord, into that which is thou may I enter. Swaha!        ,

Do thou also enter into me, O shining One. Swaha!

Thou art a river with a hundred branching streams, O Lord of Grace, in thee may I wash me clean. Swaha!

As the waters of a river pour down the steep, as the months of the year hasten to the old age of days, O Lord that cherisheth, so may the Brahmacharins come to me from all the regions. Swaha!

O Lord, thou art my neighbour, thou dwellest very near me. Come to me, be my light and sun. 

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CHAPTER FIVE

Bhur, Bhuvar and Suvar, these are the three Words of His naming. Verily, the Rishi Mahachamasya made known a fourth to these, which is Mahas. It is Brahman, it is the Self, and the other gods are his members.

Bhur, it is this world; Bhuvar, it is the sky; Suvar, it is the other world: but Mahas is the Sun. By the Sun all these worlds increase and prosper.

Bhur, it is Fire; Bhuvar, it is Air; Suvar, it is the Sun; but Mahas is the Moon. By the Moon all these lights of heaven¹ in­crease and prosper.

Bhur, it is the hymns of the Rig-veda; Bhuvar, it is the hymns of the Sama; Suvar, it is the hymns of the Yajur; but Mahas is the Eternal. By the Eternal all these Vedas increase and prosper.

Bhur, it is the main breath; Bhuvar, it is the lower breath;

Suvar, it is the breath pervasor; but Mahas is food. By food all these breaths increase and prosper.

These are the four and they are fourfold; — four Words of His naming and each is four again. He who knows these knows the Eternal, and to him all the Gods carry the offering.

¹Or, shining fires

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CHAPTER SIX

Lo, this heaven of ether which is in the heart within, there dwells the Being who is all Mind, the radiant and golden Immortal. Between the two palates, this that hangs down like the breast of a woman, is the womb of Indra; yea, where the hair at its end whirls round like an eddy, there it divides the skull and pushes through it.

As Bhur He is established in Agni, as Bhuvar in Vayu, as Suvar in the Sun, as Mahas in the Eternal. He attains to the kingdom of Himself; He attains to the Lord of Mind; He becomes Lord of Speech, Lord of Sight, Lord of Hearing, Lord of the Knowledge. Thereafter this too He becomes,—the Eternal whose body is all ethereal space, whose soul is Truth, whose bliss is in Mind, who takes His ease in Prana, the Rich in Peace, the Immortal. As such, 0 son of the ancient Yoga, do thou adore Him.

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CHAPTER SEVEN

Earth, sky, heaven, the quarters and the lesser quarters; Fire, Air, Sun, Moon and the Constellations; Waters, herbs of healing, trees of the forest, ether and the Self in all; these three concerning this outer creation.

Then concerning the Self. The main breath, the middle breath, the nether breath, the upper breath and the breath pervasor;

Eye, ear, mind, speech and the skin; hide, flesh, muscle, bone and marrow. Thus the Rishi divided them and said, "In sets of five is this universe; five and five with five and five He relates."

CHAPTER EIGHT

OM is the Eternal, OM is all this universe. OM is the syllable of assent: saying, 'OM! let us hear,' they begin the citation. With OM they sing the hymns of the Sama; with OM SHOM they pronounce the Shastra. With OM the priest officiating at the sacrifice says the response. With OM Brahma begins creation.¹ With OM one sanctions the burnt offering. With OM the Brah­min ere he expound the Knowledge, cries "May I attain the Eternal." The Eternal verily he attains.

¹Or, with OM the chief priest gives sanction.

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CHAPTER NINE

Righteousness with the study and teaching of Veda; Truth with the study and teaching of Veda; askesis with the study and teaching of Veda; self-mastery with the study and teaching of Veda. Peace of soul with the study and teaching of Veda. The household fires with the study and teaching of Veda. The burnt offering with the study and teaching of Veda. Progeny with the study and teaching of Veda. Joy of thy child's mother¹ with the study and teaching of Veda. Children of thy children with the study and teaching of Veda — these duties. "Truth is first," said the truth-speaker, the Rishi, son of Rathitara. "Askesis is first," said the constant in austerity, the Rishi, son of Purushishta. "Study and teaching of Veda is first," said Naka, son of Mudgala. For this too is austerity and this too is askesis.

CHAPTER TEN

"I am He that moves the Tree of the Universe and my glory is like the shoulders of a high-mountain. I am lofty and pure like sweet nectar in the strong, I am the shining riches of the world, I am the deep thinker, the deathless One who decays not from the beginning." This is Trishanku's voicing of Veda and the hymn of his self-knowledge.

¹Or, act of procreation

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

When the Master has declared Veda, then he gives the commandments to his disciple.

Speak truth, walk in the way of thy duty, neglect not the study of Veda. When thou hast brought to thy Master the wealth that he desires, thou shalt not cut short the long thread of thy race. Thou shalt not be negligent of truth; thou shalt not be negligent of thy duty, thou shalt not be negligent of welfare;

thou shalt not be negligent towards thy increase and thy thriving;

thou shalt not be negligent of the study and teaching of Veda.

Thou shalt not be negligent of thy works unto the Gods or thy works unto the Fathers. Let thy father be unto thee as thy God and thy mother as thy Goddess whom thou adorest. Serve the Master as a God and as a God the stranger within thy dwelling. The works that are without blame before the people, thou shalt do these with diligence and no others. The deeds we have

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done that are good and righteous, thou shalt practise these as a religion and no others.

Whosoever are better and nobler than we among the Brahmins, thou shalt refresh with a seat to honour them. Thou shalt give with faith and reverence; without faith thou shalt not give. Thou shalt give with shame, thou shalt give with fear; thou shalt give with fellow-feeling.

Moreover if thou doubt of thy course or of thy action, then to whatsoever Brahmins be there who are careful thinkers, devout, not moved by others, lovers of virtue, not severe or cruel, even as they do in that thing, so do thou. Then as to men ac­cused and arraigned by their fellows, whatsoever Brahmins be there who are careful thinkers, devout, not moved by others, lovers of virtue, not severe or cruel, even as they are towards these; so be thou.

This is the law and the teaching. These are the Commandments. In such wise shalt thou practise religion yea, verily, in such wise do ever religiously.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Be peace to us Mitra. Be peace to us Varuna. Be peace to us Aryaman. Be peace to us Indra and Brihaspati. May far-striding Vishnu be peace to us. Adoration to the Eternal. Adoration to thee, 0 Vayu. Thou, thou art the visible Eternal and as the visible Eternal I have declared thee. I have declared Righteousness; I have declared Truth. That has protected me. That has protected the speaker. Yea, it protected me; it protected the speaker. OM! Peace! Peace! Peace!

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BRAHMANANDAVALLI

CHAPTER ONE

Hari OM. Together may He protect us, together may He possess us, together may we make unto us strength and virility. May our study be full^ to us of light and power. May we never hate. OM! Peace! Peace! Peace!

OM. The knower of Brahman attains the Highest; for this is the verse that was declared of old, "Brahman is Truth, Brah­man is Knowledge, Brahman is the Infinite, he finds Him hidden in the cavern heart of being; in the highest heaven of His creatures, lo, he enjoys all desire and he abides with the Eternal, ever with that cognisant and understanding Spirit."

This is the Self, the Spirit, and from the Spirit ether was born; and from the ether, air; and from the air, fire; and from the fire, the waters; and from the waters, earth; and from the earth, herbs and plants; and from the herbs and plants, food;

and from food man was born. Verily, man, this human being, is made of the essential substance of food. And this that we see is the head of him, and this is his right side and this is his left;

and this is his spirit and the self of him; and this is his lower member whereon he rests abidingly. Whereof this is the Scrip­ture.

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CHAPTER TWO

Verily, all sorts and races of creatures that have their refuge upon earth, are begotten from food; thereafter they live also by food and it is to food again that they return at the end and last. For food is the eldest of created things and therefore they name it the Green Stuff of the universe. Verily, they who worship the Eternal as food, attain the mastery of food to the uttermost; for Food is the eldest 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^¹ 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 the other, so is it in the image of the man. The main Breath is the head of him, the breath pervasor is his right side and the lower breath is his left side; ether is his spirit which is the self of him, earth is his lower member whereon he rests abidingly. Whereof this is the Scripture.

¹Or, increase

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CHAPTER THREE

The Gods live and breathe under the dominion of Prana and men and all these that are beasts; for Prana is the life of created things and therefore they name it the Life-Stuff of the All. Verily, they who worship the Eternal as Prana, reach¹ Life to the uttermost; for Prana is the life of created things 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 that is of 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 a man; according as is the human image of the other, so is it in the image of the man. Yajur is the head of him and the Rig-veda is his right side and the Sama-veda is his left side: the Commandment is his spirit which is the self of him, Atharvan Angiras is his lower member whereon he rests abidingly. Whereof this is the Scripture.

¹Or, attain mastery of

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CHAPTER FOUR

The delight of the Eternal from which words turn away without attaining and the mind also returns baffled: who knows the delight of the Eternal, he shall fear nought now or hereafter. 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 is it in the image of the man. Faith is the head of him. Law is his right side. Truth is his left side; Yoga is his spirit which is the self of him; Mahas¹is his lower member whereon he rests abidingly. Whereof this is the Scripture.

¹Or, the material world

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CHAPTER FIVE

Knowledge spreads the feast of sacrifice and knowledge spreads also the feast of works; all the gods offer adoration to him as to Brahman and the Elder of the Universe. For if one worship Brahman as the knowledge and if one swerve not from it neither falter, then he casts sin from him in this body and tastes all desire. 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. Love is the head of him; Joy is his right side; pleasure is his left side; Bliss is his spirit which is the self of him; the Eternal is his lower member wherein he rests abidingly. Whereof this is the Scripture.

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CHAPTER SIX

One becomes as the unexisting, if he knows the Eternal as negation; but if one knows of the Eternal that He is, then men know him for the saint and the one reality. And this Self of Bliss is the soul in the body to the former one which was of Knowledge. And thereupon there arise these questions. "When one who has not the Knowledge, passes over to that other world, does any such travel farther? Or when one who knows, has passed over to the other world, does any such enjoy possession?"

The Spirit desired of old, "I would be manifold for the birth of peoples." Therefore He concentrated all Himself¹ in thought, and by the force of His brooding He created all this universe, yea, all whatsoever exists. Now when He had brought it forth. He entered into that He had created, He entering in became the Is here and the May Be there; He became that which is denned and that which has no feature; He became this housed thing and that houseless; He became Knowledge and He became Ignorance; He became Truth and He became falsehood. Yea, He became all truth, even whatsoever here exists. Therefore they say of Him that He is Truth. Whereof this is the Scripture.

¹Or, strength

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CHAPTER SEVEN

In the beginning all this Universe was Non-Existent and Unmanifest, from which this manifest Existence was born. Itself created itself; none other created it. Therefore they say of it the well and beautifully made. Lo, this that is well and beautifully made, verily, it is no other than the delight behind existence. 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, Undefinable and Unhoused Eternal 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. Whereof this is the Scripture.

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Through the fear of Him the Wind blows; through the fear of Him the Sun rises; through the fear of Him Indra and Agni and Death hasten in their courses. Behold this exposition of the Bliss to which ye shall hearken. Let there be 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.  

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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 a 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 firstborn in heaven, is one bliss of the Gods of work who are Gods, for by their 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 of Indra'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. Whereof this is the Scripture. 

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CHAPTER NINE

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 these¹ and delivers from them his Spirit; yea, he knows 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.

Together may He protect us, together may He possess us, together may we make unto us strength and virility. May our reading be full of light and power. May we never hate. OM! Peace! Peace! Peace!

¹Or, knows that they are alike 

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