| Brihadaranyaka | |
|---|---|
| Devanagari | बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् |
| Sanskrit Transliteration | Bṛhadāraṇyaka |
| Date of composition | Mid-first millennium BCE |
| Place of composition (ancient name) | Videha, Mithila, Mathura, Delhi |
| Place of composition (modern name) | North (eastern) India, Southern Nepal |
| Authors | Yajnavalkya |
| Type of Upanishad | Mukhya Upanishad |
| Associated Veda | Shukla Yajurveda |
| Associated Brahmana | Shatapatha Brahmana |
| Associated Aranyaka | Brihad Aranyaka |
| Core philosophy | The basic identity of the Atman |
| Commented upon by | Adi Shankara |
| Popular verse | "Aham brahmāsmi" |
| Previous Upanishad | – |
| Next Upanishad | Chandogya Upanishad |
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The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad (Sanskrit: बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्) is one of the older, "primary" (mukhya) Upanishads. It is contained within the Shatapatha Brahmana, and its status as an independent Upanishad may be considered a secondary extraction of a portion of the Brahmana text. This makes it one of the oldest texts of the Upanishad corpus. It is largely the oldest Upanishad, excluding some parts which were composed after the Chandogya.[1] and the largely neglected Jaiminiya Upanisad Brahmana[2]. It is associated with the Shukla Yajurveda. It figures as number 10 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads and was notably commented upon by Adi Shankara.
Contents |
It is widely known for its philosophical statements, and is ascribed to Yajnavalkya. Its name means "great-wilderness-Upaniṣad".[3] It includes three sections, namely, Madhu Kanda, Muni Kanda (or Yajnavalkya Kanda) and Khila Kanda. The Madhu Kanda explains the teachings of the basic identity of the individual or Atman. Muni Kanda includes the conversations between the sage Yajnavalkya and one of his wives, Maitreyi. Various methods of meditation and some secret rites are dealt in the Khila Kanda. The doctrine of "neti neti" (later on understood as "neither this, nor that") and a often quoted verse, "Asato Maa" is found in this Upanishad.
ॐ असतोमा सद्गमय ।
तमसोमा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय ।।
ॐ शान्ति शान्ति शान्तिः ।। – बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 1.3.28.
IAST:
oṁ asato mā śad gamaya
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya
oṁ śānti śānti śāntiḥ – bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad 1.3.28
Translation:
Lead Us From the Unreal To the Real,
Lead Us From Darkness To Light,
Lead Us From Death To Immortality,
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace. – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.
According as one acts, so does he become.
One becomes virtuous by virtuous action,
bad by bad action. – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5[4]
Poet T. S. Eliot makes use of the story "The Voice of the Thunder", found in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Sections of the story appear in his poem The Waste Land under part V What The Thunder Said.
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