Thirty Minor Upanishads: 5. Kaivalya-Upanishaḍ of K... | Internet Sacred Text Archive

Hinduism

KAIVALYA 1-UPANISHAḌ

OF

KṚSHṆA-YAJURVEḌA

Harih-Om. Then 2 Āśwalāyana went to Lord Parameshtī (Brahmā) and addressed Him thus: "Please initiate me into Brahmaviḍyā (Divine Wisdom), which is the most excellent, which is ever enjoyed by the wise, which is mystic, and by which the learned, after having soon freed themselves from all sins, reach Purusha, the Supreme of the supreme."

To him the Grandfather (thus);replied: "Know (It) through Śraḍḍhā (faith), Bhakṭi (devotion), Ḍhyāna (meditation), and Yoga. Persons attain salvation not through Karma, progeny or wealth but through Sannyāsa (renunciation) alone. Ascetics of pure mind through (the realisation of) the meaning well-ascertained by Veḍānṭa-Vijñāna and through Śannyāsa-Yoga enter into That which is above Swarga (heaven) and is in the cave (of the heart). They all attain Paramāṭmā 3 in the Brahma-world and are (finally) emancipated.

"Being seated in a pleasant posture in an unfrequented place with a pure mind, and with his neck, head, and body erect, having given up the duties of the (four) orders of life, having subjugated all the organs, having saluted his Guru with devotion, having looked upon the heart (-lotus) as being free from Rajoguṇa and as pure, and having contemplated in its (heart's) centre Parameśwara who is always with His consort Ūma, who is pure and free from sorrow, who is unthinkable and invisible, who is of endless forms, who is of the nature of happiness,

who is very quiescent, who is of the form of emancipation, who is the source of Māyā, who has no beginning, middle or end, who is One, who is All-Pervading, who is Chiḍānanḍa (Consciousness-Bliss), who is formless, who is wonderful, who is the Lord (of all), who has three eyes, who has a blue neck, (Nīlakaṇtha), and who is serenity (itself)—the Muni attains Paramāṭmā, the womb of all elements, the All-Witness, and above lamas. He only is Brahma. He only is Śiva. He only is Inḍra. He only is the indestructible. He only is the Supreme. He only is the Self-Shining. He only is Vishṇū. He only is Prāṇa. He only is Time. He only is Agni (fire). He only is the moon. He only is all things that exist or will hereafter exist. He only is eternal. Having known Him, one crosses death. There is no other path to salvation. He only attains Parabrahman who sees in himself all elements and himself in all elements. There is no other means. Having constituted his body an Araṇi (the lower attritional piece of wood) and Praṇava (Om), the upper Araṇi, a wise man burns Ajñāna by the churning of meditation.