A collection of quotes and teachings from Brahma Upanishad.
As oil in the sesame seed, butter in the curd, water in the stream, fire in the
As oil in the sesame seed, butter in the curd, water in the stream, fire in the
arani wood, so is the Atman in one’s self to be discovered
by one who realizes it through truth and tapasya.
Just as spiders by means of one thread project and withdraw
the web, so also the Prana, (who) retires drawing back his creation.
One in dreamless sleep goes through that state to one’s own
Abode, like a falcon and the sky – just as a falcon goes (to its nest) borne on
the sky.
Just as this Devadatta (in dreamless sleep) runs not away
even when struck with a stick, even so he does not also attach himself to good
or evil consequences of the life’s ordained activities; just as a child enjoys
itself (spontaneously) without motive or desiring fruit, even so this Devadatta
(the subject of dreamless sleep) enjoys happiness in that state. He knows being
the Light Supreme.
The enlightened one should discard the external thread putting it off with the sacred tuft of hair on the head; the Supreme Brahman as the all-pervading one is the thread, and he should put this on.
Jnana is the greatest purifier – Jnana, that is the best as such. Those who have this Jnana for their tufted hair are as non-different from it as is fire from its flame. This wise one is (really) said to be a Shikhi (or wearer of the tufted hair), while others are mere growers of hair (on the head).
The One Lord (self-effulgent) in all beings remaining hidden, all-pervading and the Self of all beings, controlling and watching over all works (good or bad), living in all creatures and the Witness (i.e. neither the doer of any acts nor the enjoyer), the Supreme Intelligence, the One without a second, having no attributes.
The one Intelligent (active) Being among the many inactive, He who makes the many from what is one – the wise men who find out this Self, theirs is the eternal peace, not of others.
As the spider weaves out the web and again withdraws it, so the Jiva comes out to and goes back again to the wakeful and dreaming states respectively.
Brahma Upanishad Teachings on the Supreme Indestructible One
Purusha has four seats, the navel, the heart, the throat, and the head. In these shines forth the Brahman with four aspects: the state of wakefulness, of dream, of dreamless sleep, and the fourth or transcendental state.
In the wakeful state, He is Brahma; in the dreaming state, He is Vishnu; in dreamless sleep He is Rudra; and the fourth state is the Supreme Indestructible One; and He again is the Sun, the Vishnu, the Ishwara, He is the Purusha, He is the Prana, He is the Jiva or the animate being, He is the Fire, The Ishwara, and the Resplendent; (yea) that Brahman which is transcendent shines within all these!
In Itself, It is devoid of mind, of ears, of hands and feet, of light. There neither are the worlds existing nor non-existing, neither are the Vedas or the Devas or the sacrifices existing nor non-existing, neither is the mother or father or daughter-in-law existing nor non-existing, neither is Chandala’s son or Pulkasa’s son existing nor non-existing, neither is the mendicant existing nor non-existing, so neither all the creatures or the ascetics; and thus only the One Highest Brahman shines there.
Within the recess of the heart is that Akasa of consciousness – that with many openings, the aim of knowledge, within the space of the heart – in which all this (universe outside) evolves and moves about, in which all this is warped and woofed (as it were). (Who knows this), knows fully all creation.
There the Devas, the Rishis, the Pitris have no control, for being fully awakened; one becomes the knower of all truth.