Aitareya Upanishad (with commentary) · Chapter 3

AitUpBh_2.6
sa vāmadeva ṛṣiryathoktamātmānamevaṃ vidvānasmāccharīrabhedāccharīrasyāvidyāparikalpitasya āyasavadanirvedyasya jananamanaṇādyanekānarthaśatāviṣṭaśarīraprabandhanasya paramātmajñānāmṛtopayogajanitavīryakṛtbhedāccharīrotpattibījāvidyādinimittopamardahetoḥ śarīravināśādityarthaḥ /
ūrdhvaḥ paramātmabhūtaḥ sannadhobhāvātsaṃsārādutkramya jñānāvadyotitāmalasarvātmabhāvamāpannaḥ sannamuṣminyathokte 'jare 'mare 'mṛte 'bhaye sarvajñe 'pūrve 'napare 'nantare 'bāhye prajñānāmṛtaikarase pradīpavannirvāṇamatyagamatsvarge loke svasminnātmani sve svarūpe 'mṛtaḥ samabhavat /
ātmajñānena pūrvamāptakāmatayā jīvanneva sarvānkāmānāptvetyarthaḥ /
dvirvacanaṃ saphalasya sodāhaṇasyātmajñānasya parisamāptipradarśanārtham //6//
iti prathamādhyāye prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ samāptaḥ
dvitīyaḥ adhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ
=======================================================================
START 3.1
bahmavidyāsādhanakṛtasarvātmabhāvaphalāvāptiṃ vāmadevādyācāryaparamparayā śrutyāvadyotyamānāṃ brahmavitpariṣadyatyantaprasiddhāmupalabhamānā mumukṣavo brāhmaṇa adhunātanā brahmajijñāsavo 'nityātsādhyasādhanalakṣaṇātsaṃsārādājīvabhāvād vyāvivṛtsavo vicārayanto 'nyonyaṃ pṛcchanti ko 'yamātmeti? katham -
ko 'yam |
ātmeti vayam upāsmahe |
kataraḥ sa ātmā |
yena vā paśyati yena vā śṛṇoti yena vā gandhāñ jighrati yena vā vācaṃ vyākaroti yena vā svādu cāsvādu ca vijānāti

AitUpBh_3.1
yamātmānamayamātmeti sākṣādvayamupāsmahe kaḥ sa ātmeti yaṃ cātmānamayamātmeti sākṣādupāsīno vāmadevo 'mṛtaḥ samabhavattameva vayanamapyupāsmahe ko nu khalu sa ātmeti /
evaṃ jijñāsāpūrvamanyonyaṃ pṛcchatāmatikrāntaviśeṣaviṣayaśrutisaṃskārajanitā smṛtirajāyata /
'taṃ prapadābhyāṃ prāpadyata brahmemaṃ puruṣam' 'sa etameva sīmānaṃ vidāryaitayā dvārā prāpadyata' etameva puruṣam /
atra dve brahmaṇī itaretaraprātikūlyena pratipanne iti /
te cāsyapiṇḍasyātmabhūte /
tayoranyatara ātmopāsyo bhavitumarhati /
yo 'tropāsyaḥ kaḥ ātmeti viśeṣanirdhāraṇārthaṃ punaranyonyaṃ papracchurvicārayantaḥ /
punasteṣāṃ vicārayatāṃ viśeṣavicāraṇāspadaviṣayā matirabhūt /
katham? dvevastuni asmin piṇḍa upalabhyete /
anekabhedabhinnena karaṇena yenopalabhate /
yaścaika upalabhyete /
karaṇāntaropalabdhaviṣayasmṛtipratisandhānāt /
tatra na tāvadyenopalabhate sa ātmā bhavitumarhati /
kena punarupalabhata ityucyate yena vā cakṣurbhūtena rūpaṃ paśyati /
yena vā śruṇoti śrotrabhūtena śabdam, yena vā ghrāṇabhūtena gandhānājighrati, yena vā vākkaraṇabhūtena vācaṃ nāmātmikāṃ vyākaroti gauraśva ityevamādyāṃ sādhvasādhviti ca, yena vā jihvābhūtena svādu cāsvādu ca vijānātīti //1//
START 3.2
kiṃ punastadevaikamanekadhā bhinnaṃ karaṇam ityucyate -
yad etad dhṛdayaṃ manaś caitat |
sañjñānam ājñānaṃ vijñānaṃ prajñānaṃ medhā dṛṣṭir dhṛtir matir manīṣā jūtiḥ smṛtiḥ saṅkalpaḥ kratur asuḥ kāmo vaśa iti sarvāṇy evaitāni prajñānasya nāmadheyāni bhavanti

AitUpBh_3.2
yaduktaṃ purastātprajānāṃ reto hṛdayaṃ hṛdayasya reto mano manasā sṛṣṭā āpaśca varuṇaśca hṛdayānmano manasaścandramāḥ /
tadevaitaddhṛdayaṃ manaśca ekameva tadanekadhā /
etenāntaḥkaraṇenaikena cakṣurbhūtena rūpaṃ paśyati śrotrabhūtena śṛṇoti ghrāṇabhūtena jighrati vāgbhūtena vadati jihvābhūtena rasayati svenaiva vikalpanārūpeṇa manasā vikalpayati hṛdayarūpeṇādhyavasyati /
tasmātsarvakaraṇaviṣayavyāpārakamekamidaṃ karaṇaṃ sarvopalabdhyarthamupalabdhuḥ /
tathā ca kauṣītakīnāṃ"prajñayā vācaṃ samāruhya vācā sarvāṇi nāmānyāpnoti /
prajñā cakṣuḥ samāruhya cakṣuṣā sarvāṇi rūpāṇyāpnoti"(3 / 3) ityādi /
vājasaneyake ca -"manasā hyeva paśyati manasā śṛṇoti hṛdayena hi rūpāṇi jānāti"(bṛ.u.1 / 5 / 3) ityādi /
tasmād hṛdayamanovācyasya sarvopalabdhikaratvaṃ prasiddham /
tadātmakaśca prāṇo"yo vai prāṇaḥ sā prajñā yo vai prajñā sa prāṇaḥ"(kauṣī.3 / 3) iti hi brāhmaṇam /
karaṇasaṃhatirūpaśca prāṇa ityavocāma prāṇasaṃvādādau /
tasmādyatpadbhyāṃ prāpadyata tadbrahma tadupalabdhurupalabdhikaraṇatvena guṇabhūtatvānnaiva tadvastu brahmopāsyātmā bhavitumarhati /
pāriśeṣyādyasyopalabdhurupalabdhyarthaṃ etasya hṛdayasya manorūpasya karaṇasya vṛttayo vakṣyamāṇāḥ /
sa upalabdhopāsya ātmāno 'smākaṃ bhavitumarhatīti niścayaṃ kṛtavantaḥ /
tadantaḥkaraṇopādhisthasyopalabdhuḥ prajñārūpasya brahmaṇa upalabdhyarthā yā antaḥkaraṇavṛttayo bāhyāntarvartiviṣayaviṣayāstā imā ucyante /
saṃjñānaṃ saṃjñaptiścetanabhāvaḥ, ājñānamājñaptirīśvarabhāvaḥ vijñānaṃ kalādiparijñānam, prajñānaṃ prajñaptiḥ prajñatā, medhāgranthadhāraṇasāmarthyam dṛṣṭirindriyadvārā sarvaviṣayopalabdhiḥ, dhṛtirdhāraṇamavasannānāṃ śarīrendriyāṇāṃ yayottambhanaṃ bhavati - dhṛtyā śarīramudvahantīti hi vadanti, matirmananam, manīṣā tatra svātantryam. jūtiścetaso rujādiduḥkhitvabhāvaḥ smṛtiḥ smaraṇam, saṃkalpaḥ śuklakṛṣṇādibhāvena saṃkalpanaṃ rūpādīnām, kraturadhyavasāyaḥ asuḥ prāṇanādijīvanakriyānimittā vṛttiḥ, kāmo 'saṃnihitaviṣayākāṅkṣā tṛṣṇā, vaśaḥ strīvyatikarādyabhilāṣaḥ, ityevamādyā antaḥkaraṇavṛttayaḥ prajñaptimātrasyopalabdhurupalabdhyarthatvācchuddhaprajñānarūpasya brahmaṇa upādhibhūtāstadupādhijanitaguṇanāmadheyāni bhavanti saṃjñānādīni /
sarvāṇyeva etāni prajñānasya nāmadheyāni bhavanti na svataḥ sākṣāt /
tathā coktaṃ"prāṇanneva prāṇo nāma bhavati"(bṛ.u.1 / 4 / 7) ityādi //2//
START 3.3
eṣa brahmā |
eṣa indraḥ |
eṣa prajāpatiḥ |
ete sarve devāḥ |
imāni ca pañca mahābhūtāni pṛthivī vāyur ākāśa āpo jyotīṃṣīty etānīmāni kṣudramiśrāṇīva bījānītarāṇi cetarāṇi cāṇḍajāni ca jārujāni ca svedajāni codbhijjāni cāśvā gāvaḥ puruṣā hastino yat kiñcedam prāṇi jaṅgamaṃ ca patatri ca yac ca sthāvaram |
sarvaṃ tat prajñānetram |
prajñāne pratiṣṭhitam |
prajñānetro lokaḥ |
prajñā pratiṣṭhā |
prajñānaṃ brahma

AitUpBh_3.3
sa eṣa prajñānarūpa ātmā brahmāparaṃ sarvaśarīrasthaḥ prāṇaḥ prajñātmā /
antaḥkaraṇopādhiṣvanupraviṣṭo jalabhedagatasūryapratibimbavaddhiraṇyagarbhaḥ prāṇaḥ prajñātmā eṣa eva indro guṇāddevarājo vā eṣa prajāpatiryaḥ prathamajaḥ śarīrī /
yato mukhādinirbhedadvāreṇāgnyādayo lokapālā jātāḥ sa prajāpatireṣa eva /
ye 'pyete 'gnyādayaḥ sarve devā eṣa eva /
imāni ca sarvaśarīropādānabhūtāni pañca pṛthivyādīni mahābhūtānyannānnādatvalakṣaṇānyetāni kiñcemāni ca kṣudramiśrāṇi kṣudrairalpakairmiśrāṇi iva śabdo 'narthakaḥ sarpādīni bījāni kāraṇānītarāṇi cetarāṇi ca dvairāśyena nirdiśyamānāni /
kāni tāni! ucyante - aṇḍajāni pakṣyādīni, jārujāni jarāyujāni manuṣyādīni, svedajādīni yūkādīni, udbhijāni ca vṛkṣādīni, aśvā gāvaḥ puruṣā hastino 'nyacca yatkiñcedaṃ prāṇijātam, kiṃ tat? jaṅgamaṃ yaccalati padbhyāṃ gacchati /
yacca patatri ākāśena patanaśīlam /
yacca sthāvaramacalam /
sarvaṃ tadeṣa eva /
sarvaṃ tadaśeṣataḥ prajñānetram /
prajñaptiḥ prajñā tacca brahmaiva /
nīyate 'neneti netram prajñā netraṃ yasya tadidaṃ prajñānetram /
prajñāne brahmaṇyutpattisthitilayakāleṣu pratiṣṭhitaṃ prajñāśrayamityarthaḥ /
prajñānetro lokaḥ pūrvavat /
prajñācakṣurvā sarva eva lokaḥ prajñā pratiṣṭhā sarvasya jagataḥ /
tasmātprajñānaṃ brahma /
tadetatpratyastamitasarvopādhiviśeṣaṃ sannirañjanaṃ nirmalaṃ niṣkriyaṃ śāntamekamadvayaṃ"neti neti"iti (bṛ.u.3 / 9 / 26) sarvaviśeṣāpohasaṃvedyaṃ sarvaśabdapratyayāgocaram /
tadapyantaviśuddhaprajñopādhisaṃbandhena sarvajñamīśvaraṃ sarvasādhāraṇāvyākṛtajagadbījapravartakaṃ niyantṛtvādantaryāmisaṃjñaṃ bhavati /
tadeva vyākṛtajagatbījabhūtabuddhyātmābhimānalakṣaṇahiraṇyagarbhasaṃjñaṃ bhavati /
tadevāntaraṇḍodbhūtaprathamaśarīropādhimadvirāṭprajāpatisaṃjñaṃ bhavati /
tadbhūtāgnyādyupādhimaddevatāsaṃjñaṃ bhavati /
tathā viśeṣaśarīropādhiṣvapi brahmādistambaparyanteṣu tattannāmarūpalābho brahmaṇaḥ /
tadevaikaṃ sarvopādhibhedabhinnaṃ sarvaiḥ prāṇibhistārkikaiśca sarvaprakāreṇa jñāyate vikalpyate cānekadhā /
"etameke vadantyagniṃ manumanye prajāpatim /
indrameke 'pare prāṇamapare brahma śāśvatam"(manu.12 / 123) ityādyā smṛtiḥ //3//
START 3.4
sa etena prajñenātmanāsmāl lokād utkramyāmuṣmin svarge loke sarvān kāmān āptvāmṛtaḥ samabhavat samabhavat