{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/tmu/tmu05.htm","path":"hin/tmu/tmu05.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/tmu/tmu05.htm","text":"Thirty Minor Upanishads, tr. by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar, [1914]\nHarih-Om. I shall relate in the form of a catechism whatever should be known for the removal of all miseries that befall these ignorant creatures [men].\nWhat is Brahman? Who is \u012a\u015bwara? Who is J\u012bva? What is Prak\u1e5b\u1e6di? Who is Param\u0101\u1e6dm\u0101? Who is Brahm\u0101? Who is Vish\u1e47u? Who is Ru\u1e0dra? Who is In\u1e0dra? Who is Yama? Who is S\u016brya? Who is Chan\u1e0dra? Who are \u1e0cevas? Who are R\u0101kshasas? Who are Pi\u015b\u0101chas? Who are Manushyas? Who are Women? Who are Pa\u015bus, etc.? What is S\u1e6dh\u0101vara? Who are Brahmans and others? What is J\u0101\u1e6di (caste)? What is Karma? What is Akarma? What is J\u00f1\u0101na? What is Aj\u00f1\u0101na? What is Sukha? What is \u1e0cu\u1e25kha? What is Swarga? What is Naraka? What is Ban\u1e0dha? What is Moksha? Who is Up\u0101sya? Who is Vi\u1e0dw\u0101n? Who is M\u016bdha? What is \u0100sura? What is \u1e6capas? What is Paramapa\u1e0da? What is Gr\u0101hya? What is Agr\u0101hya? Who is Sanny\u0101si? Thus are the questions.\n1. What is Brahman?\nIt is the Chai\u1e6danya that appears, through the aspects of Karma and J\u00f1\u0101na, as this vast mundane egg composed of Maha\u1e6d, Aha\u1e45k\u0101ra and the five elements, earth, water, fire, V\u0101yu and \u0100k\u0101\u015b\u2014that is secondless\u2014that is devoid of all Up\u0101\u1e0dhis [vehicles], that is full of all \u015aak\u1e6dis [potencies], that is without beginning and end, that is described as pure, beneficial, peaceful, and Gu\u1e47a-less and that is indescribable.\n2. Who is \u012a\u015bwara? and what are His characteristics?\nBrahman itself, having through His \u015aak\u1e6di called Prak\u1e5b\u1e6di (matter) created the worlds and being latent in them, becomes the ruler of Bu\u1e0d\u1e0dhi and In\u1e0driyas (organs of sense and action) as well as Brahma (the creator) and others. Hence he is named \u012a\u015bwara.\n3. Who is J\u012bva?\n\u012a\u015bwara Himself, subject to the false superimposition upon Himself [of the idea] \"I am the gross\" through the [assumption of the] names and forms of Brahm\u0101, Vish\u1e47u, Ru\u1e0dra, In\u1e0dra, and others is J\u012bva. Though one, he appears as many J\u012bvas, through the force of the different Karmas originating the bodies.\n4. What is Prak\u1e5b\u1e6di (matter)?\nIt is nothing else but the \u015aak\u1e6di [potency] of Brahman which is of the nature of Bu\u1e0d\u1e0dhi that is able to produce the many motley worlds by virtue of the mere presence of Brahman.\n5. What is Param\u0101\u1e6dm\u0101?\nThe supreme \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101 or soul. It is Brahman alone that is Param\u0101\u1e6dm\u0101 as it (the former) is far superior to bodies and others.\nThat Brahman is Brahm\u0101, Vish\u1e47u, Ru\u1e0dra and In\u1e0dra, Yama, Sun and Moon, \u1e0cevas, Asuras, Pi\u015b\u0101chas, men, women, beasts, etc., the fixed ones, Brahmans and others. Here there is no manyness in the least degree: all this is verily Brahman.\n21. What is J\u0101\u1e6di (caste)\nIt cannot refer to the skin, the blood, the flesh or the bone. There is no caste for \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101; caste is only conventional.\n22. What is Karma?\nKarma is that action alone which is performed by the organs and ascribed to \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101 as \"I do\" (viz., agency being attributed to \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101).\n23. What is Akarma [or non-Karma]?\nAkarma is the performance, without any desire for the fruits, of the daily and occasional rites, sacrifices, vows, austerities, gifts and other actions that are associated with the egoism of the actor and the enjoyer, and that are productive of bondage, rebirth, etc.\n24. What is J\u00f1\u0101na?\nIt is the realisation by direct cognition of the fact that in this changing universe there is nothing but Chai\u1e6danya [the one life] that is Consciousness, that is of the form of the seer and the seen, pervading all things, that is the same in all, and that is not subject to changes like pot, cloth, etc. This realisation is brought about by means of the subjugation of the body and the senses, the serving of a good Guru (teacher), the hearing of the exposition of Ve\u1e0d\u0101n\u1e6dic doctrines and constant meditation thereon.\n25. What is Aj\u00f1\u0101na?\nIt is the illusory attribution, like the snake in the rope, of many \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101s (souls) through the diverse Up\u0101\u1e0dhis [or vehicles] of the angels, beasts, men, the fixed ones, females, males, castes and orders of life, bondage and emancipation, etc., to Brahman that is secondless, all-permeating and of the nature of all.\n26. What is Sukha (happiness)?\nIt is a state of being of the nature of bliss, having cognized through experience the Reality of Sachchi\u1e0d\u0101nan\u1e0da [or that which is be-ness, consciousness and bliss].\n27. What is \u1e0cu\u1e25kha (pains)?\nIt is the mere Sa\u1e45kalpa [or the thinking] of the objects of mundane existence [or of not-Self according to the Bombay Edition].\n28. What is Swarga (heaven)?\nIt is the association with Sa\u1e6d [either good men or Brahman which is Sa\u1e6d, the true].\n29. What is Naraka (hell)?\nIt is the association with that which brings about this mundane existence which is Asa\u1e6d [the false].\n30. What is Ban\u1e0dha [bondage]?\nSuch Sa\u1e45kalpas [thoughts] as \"I was born,\" etc., arising from the affinities of beginningless Aj\u00f1\u0101na form bondage.\nThe thought obscuration [or mental ignorance] of the mundane existence of \"mine\" in such as father, mother, brother, wife, child, house, gardens, lands, etc., forms bondage.\nThe thoughts of I-ness as actor, etc., are bondage.\nThe thought of the development in oneself of the eight Si\u1e0d\u1e0dhis (higher psychical powers) as Anima and others 1 is bondage.\nThe thought of propitiating the angels, men, etc., is bondage. The thought of going through the eight means of Yoga 2 practice, Yama, etc., is bondage.\nThe thought of performing the duties of one's own caste and order of life is bondage.\nThe thought that command, fear and doubt are the attributes of [or pertain to] \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101 is bondage.\nThe thought of knowing the rules of performing sacrifices, vows, austerity and gift is bondage. Even the mere thought of desire for Moksha (emancipation) is bondage. By the very act of thought, bondage is caused.\n31. What is Moksha [emancipation]?\nMoksha is the (state of) the annihilation, through the discrimination of the eternal from the non-eternal, of all thoughts of bondage, like those of \"mine\" in objects of pleasure and pain, lands, etc., in this transitory mundane existence.\n32. Who is Up\u0101sya [or fit to be worshipped]?\nThat Guru (or spiritual instructor) who enables (the disciple) to attain to Brahman, the Consciousness that is in all bodies.\n33. Who is \u015aishya (the disciple)?\nThe disciple is that Brahman alone that remains after the consciousness of the universe has been lost (in him) through Br\u0101hmic wisdom.\n34. Who is Vi\u1e0dw\u0101n (the learned)?\nIt is he who has cognized the true form (or reality) of his own consciousness that is latent in all.\n35. Who is M\u016bdha [the ignorant]?\nHe who has the egoistic conception of the body, caste, orders of life, actor, enjoyer and others.\n36. What is \u0100sura [the demoniacal]?\nIt is the \u1e6capas [austerity] practised by one inflicting trouble on the \u0100\u1e6dm\u0101 within through Japa [or inaudible muttering of Man\u1e6dras], abstinence from food, Agniho\u1e6dra [the performance of the worship of fire], etc., attended with cruel desire, hatred, pain, hypocrisy and the rest for the purpose of acquiring the powers of Vish\u1e47u, Brahma, Ru\u1e0dra, In\u1e0dra and others.\n37. What is \u1e6capas?\n\u1e6capas is the act of burning\u2014through the fire of direct cognition of the knowledge that Brahman is the truth and the universe, a myth\u2014the seed of the deep-rooted desire to attain the powers of Brahma, etc.\n38. What is Paramapa\u1e0da [the supreme abode]?\nIt is the seat of the eternal and emancipated Brahman which is far superior to Pr\u0101\u1e47as (the vital airs), the organs of sense and actions, the internal organs (of thought), the Gu\u1e47as and others, which is of the nature of Sachchi\u1e0d\u0101nan\u1e0da and which is the witness to all.\n39. What is Gr\u0101hya [or fit to be taken in]?\nOnly that Reality of Absolute Consciousness which is not conditioned by space, time or substance.\n40. What is Agr\u0101hya?\nThe thought that this universe is truth\u2014this universe which is different from one's Self and which being subject to M\u0101y\u0101 (or illusion) forms the object of (cognition of) Bu\u1e0d\u1e0dhi and the organs.\n41. Who is the Sanny\u0101si [ascetic]?\nA Sanny\u0101si is an ascetic who having given up all the duties of caste and orders of life, good and bad actions, etc., being freed from [the conceptions of] \"I\" and \"mine\" and having taken his refuge in Brahman alone, roams at large practising Nirvikalpa Sam\u0101\u1e0dhi and being firmly convinced of \"I am Brahman\" through the realisation of the meaning of such sacred (Vedic) sentences as \"Thou art That\" \"All this is verily Brahman\" and \"Here there is no manyness in the least\". He only is an emancipated person. He only is fit to be adored. He only is a Yogin. He only is a Paramahamsa. He only is an Ava\u1e0dh\u016b\u1e6da. He only is a Brahman. Whoever studies the Nir\u0101lamba-Upanisha\u1e0d becomes, through the grace of Guru, pure like fire. Ho becomes pure like V\u0101yu (air). He does not return. He is not born again: nay he is not born again.\nSuch is the Upanisha\u1e0d.\n18:1 Lit.\u2014without support.\n21:1 There are 18 Si\u1e0d\u1e0dhis, 8 higher and 10 lower.\n21:2 They are Yama, Niyama, etc.","title":"Thirty Minor Upanishads: 3. Nir\u0101lamba-Upanisha\u1e0d...","type":"page"}