Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (with commentary) · Chapter 1.1

ADHYAYA 1
oṃ
bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad
oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇātpūrṇamadacyate /
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate //
oṃ śāntiḥ ! śāntiḥ !! śāntiḥ !!!
oṃ namo brahmādibhyo brahmavidyāsampradāyakartṛbhyo vaṃśaṛṣibhyo namo gurubhyaḥ /
'uṣā vā aśvasya'ityevamādyā vājasaneyibrāhmaṇopaniṣat /
tasyā iyamalpagranthā vṛttirārabhyate saṃsāravyāvivṛtsubhyaḥ saṃsārahetunivṛttisādhanabrahmātmaikatvavidyāpratipattaye /
seyaṃ brahmavidyā upaniṣacchabdhavācyātatparāṇāṃ sahetoḥ saṃsārasyātyantāvasādanāt /
upaniṣūvasyasadestadarthatvāt /
tādarthyād grantho 'pyupaniṣad ucyate /
seyaṃ ṣaḍadhyāyī araṇye 'nūcyamānatvādāraṇyakam,bṛhattvātparimāṇato bṛhadāraṇyakam /
tasyāsya karmakāṇḍena sambandho 'bhidhīyate /
sarvo 'pyayaṃ vedaḥ pratyakṣānumānābhyāmanavagateṣṭāniṣṭaprāptiparihāropāya- prakāśanaparaḥ sarvapuruṣāṃ nisargata eva tatprāptiparihārayoriṣṭatvāt /
dṛṣṭaviṣaye ceṣṭāniṣṭaṣṭaprāptiparihāropāya- jñānasya pratyakṣānumānābhyāmeva siddatvānnāgamānveṣaṇā /
na cāsati janmāntarasambandhyātmāstitvavijñāne janmāntarasambandhyātmāstitvavijñāne janmāntareṣṭāniṣṭaṣṭaprāptiparihārecchā syāt svabhāvavādidarśanāt /
tasmājjanmāntarasambandhyātmāstitve janmāntareṣṭāniṣṭaṣṭaprāptiparihāropāyaviśeṣe ca śāstraṃ pravartate /
"yeyaṃ prete vicikitsā mānuṣye 'stītyeke nāyamastīti caike" (ka.u. 1 / 1 / 20) ityupakramya"astītyevopalabdhavyaḥ" (ka.u. 2 / 3 / 13) ityevamādinirṇayadarśanāt /
"yathā ca maraṇaṃ prāpya" (ka.u.2 / 2 / 6) ityupakramya"yonimanye prapadyante śarīratvāya dehinaḥ /
sthāṇumanye 'nusaṃyanti yathākarma yathāśrutam"(ka.u.2 / 2 / 7) iti ca /
"svayañjyotiḥ" (bṛ.u. 4 / 3 / 9) ityupakramya"taṃ vidyākarmaṇi samanvāramete"( 4 / 4 / 2 ) "puṇyo vai puṇena karmaṇā bhavati pāpaḥ pāpena"( 3 / 2 / 13 ) iti ca /
"jñapayiṣyāmi"(bṛ.u.2 / 1 / 15) ityupakramya"vijñānamayaḥ"(2 / 1 / 16) iti ca vyatiriktātmāstitvam /
tatpratyakṣaviṣayameveti cenna, vādivipratipattidarśanāt /
na hi dehāntarasambandhina ātmanaḥ pratyakṣeṇāstitvavijñāne lokāyatikā bauddhāśca naḥ pratikūlāḥ syunāstyātmeti vadantaḥ /
na hi ghaṭādau pratyakṣaviṣaye kaścidvipratipadyate nāsti ghaṭa iti /
sthāṇvādau puruṣādidarśanānneti cenna nirūpite sthāṇvādau vipratipattirbhavati /
vaināśikāstvahamitipratyaye jāyamāne 'pi dehāntaravyatiriktasya nāstitvameva pratijānate /
tasmātpratyakṣaviṣayavailakṣaṇyāt pratyakṣānnātmāstitvasiddhiḥ /
tathānumānādapi /
śrutyā ātmāstitve liṅgasya darśitvālliṅgasya ca pratyakṣaviṣayatvānneti cenna, janmāntarasambandhasyāgrahaṇāt /
āgamena tvātmāstitve 'vagate vedapradarśitalaukikaliṅgaviśeṣaiśca tadanusāriṇo mīmāṃsakāstārkikāśca ahampratyayaliṅgāni ca vaidikānyeva svamatiprabhavāṇīti kalpayanto vadanti pratyakṣaścānumeyaścātmeti /
sarvathāpyastyātmā dehāntarasambandhītyevaṃ pratipatturdehāntaragateṣṭāniṣṭaprāptiparihāropāyaviśeṣārthinastadviśeṣajñāpanāya karmakāṇḍamārabdham /
na tvātmana iṣṭāniṣṭaprāptiparihārecchākāraṇamātmaviṣayamajñānaṃ kartṛbhoktṛsvarūpābhimānalakṣaṇaṃ tadviparītabrahmātmasvarūpavijñānenāpanītam /
yāvaddhi tannāpanīyate tāvadayaṃ karmaphalarāgadveṣādisvābhāvikadoṣaprayuktaḥ śāstravihitapratiṣiddhātikrameṇāpi vartamāno manovākkāyairdṛṣṭādṛṣṭāniṣṭasādhanāni adharmasaṃjñakāni karmāṇyupacinoti bāhulyena, svābhāvikadoṣabalīyastvāt /
tataḥ sthāvarantādhogatiḥ /
kadācicchāstrakṛtasaṃskārabalīyastvam, tato manaādibhiriṣṭasādhanaṃ bāhulyenopacinoti dharmākhyam /
tad dvividham-jñānapūrvakaṃ kevalañca /
tatra kevalaṃ pitṛlokādiprāptiphalam /
jñānapūrvakaṃ devalokādibrahmalokāntaprāptiphalam /
tathā ca śāstram-"ātmayāji śreyāndevayājinaḥ"(śata.brāhma.) ityādi /
smṛtiśca"dvividham karma vaidikam"(manu.12 / 88) ityādyā /
sāmye ca dharmādharmayoḥ manuṣyatvaprāptiḥ /
evaṃ brahmāndyā sthāvarāntā svābhāvikāvidyādidoṣavatī dharmādharmasādhanakṛtā saṃsāragatirnāmarūpakarmāśrayā /
tadevedaṃ vyākṛtaṃ sādhyasādhanarūpaṃ jagatprāgutpatteravyākṛtamāsīt /
sa eṣa bījāṅkurādivadavidyākṛtaḥ saṃsāra ātmani kriyākārakaphalādhyāropalakṣaṇo 'nādirananto 'narthaḥ, ityetasmādviraktasyāvidyānivṛttaye tadviparītabrahmavidyāpratipattyarthopaniṣadārabhyate /
asya tvaśvamedhakarmasambandhino vijñānasya prayojanaṃ yepāmaśvamedhe na adhikārasteṣāmasmādeva vijñānāt phalaprāptiḥ /
'vidyayā vā karmaṇā vā' "taddhaitallokajideva"(bṛ.u.1 / 3 / 28) ityevamādiśrutibhyaḥ /
karmaviṣayatvameva vijñānasyeti cenna,"yo 'śvamedhena yajate ya u cainamevaṃ veda"iti vikalpaśruteḥ /
vidyāprakaraṇe cāmnānāt karmāntare ca sampādanadarśanād vijñānāt tatphalaprāptirastītyavagamyate /
sarveṣāṃ ca karmaṇāṃ paraṃ karmāśvamedhaḥ samaṣṭivyaṣṭiprāptiphalavatvāt tasya ceha brahmavidyāprārambha āmnānaṃ sarvakarmaṇāṃ saṃsāraviṣayatvapradarśanārtham /
tathā ca darśayiṣyati phalamaśanāyāmṛtyubhāvam /
na nityānāṃ saṃsāraviṣayaphalatvamiti cenna, sarvakarmaphalopasaṃhāraśruteḥ /
sarvaṃ hi patnīsambaddhaṃ karma /
"jayā me syāt ........etāvānvai kāmaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 4 / 17) iti nisargata eva sarvakarmaṇāṃ kāmyatvaṃ darśayitvā, putrakarmāparavidyānāṃ ca"manuṣyalokaḥ pitṛloko devalokaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 5 / 16) iti phalaṃ darśayitvā, tryannātmakatāṃ cānte upasaṃhariṣyati"trayaṃ vā idaṃ nāma rūpaṃ karma"(bṛ.u.1 / 6 / 1) iti /
sarvatarmaṇāṃ phalaṃ vyākṛtaṃ saṃsāra eveti /
idameva trayaṃ prāgutpattestarhyavyākṛtamāsīt /
tadeva punaḥ sarvaprāṇikarmavaśādvyākriyate bījādiva vṛkṣaḥ /
so 'yaṃ vyākṛtāvyākṛtarūpaḥ saṃsāro 'vidyāviṣayaḥ;kriyākārakaphalātmakatayā ātmarūpatvenādhyāropitaḥ avidyayaiva mūrtāmūrtatadvāsanātmakaḥ /
ato vilakṣaṇo 'nāmarūpakarmātmako 'dvayo nityaśuddhabuddhamuktasvabhāvo 'pi kriyākārakaphalabhedādiviparyayeṇāvabhāsate /
ato 'smātkriyākārakaphalabhedasvarūpād etāvadidamiti sādhyasādhanarūpādviraktasya kāmādidoṣakarmabījabhūtāvidyānivṛttaye rajjvāmiva sarpavijñānāpanayāya brahmavidyā ārabhyate /
tatra tāvadaśvamedhavijñānāya'uṣā vā aśvasya'ityādi /
tatrāśvaviṣayameva darśanamucyate prādhānyādaśvasya /
prādhānyaṃ ca tannāmāṅkitatvātkratoḥ prājāpatyatvācca /
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uṣā vā aśvasya medhyasya śiraḥ |
sūryaś cakṣur vātaḥ prāṇo vyāttam agnir vaiśvānaraḥ saṃvatsara ātmāśvasya medhyasya |

dyauḥ pṛṣṭham antarikṣam udaraṃ pṛthivī pājasyaṃ diśaḥ pārśve avāntaradiśaḥ parśava ṛtavo 'ṅgāni māsāś cārdhamāsāś ca parvāṇy ahorātrāṇi pratiṣṭhā nakṣatrāṇy asthīni nabho māṃsāni |
ūvadhyaṃ sikatāḥ sindhavo gudā yakṛc ca klomānaś ca parvatā oṣadhayaś ca vanaspatayaś ca lomāni |
udyan pūrvārdho nimlocañ jaghanārdhaḥ |
yad vijṛmbhate tad vidyotate |
yad vidhūnute tat stanayati |
yan mehati tad varṣati |
vāg evāsya vāk

BrhUpBh_1,1.1 uṣā iti, brāhmo muhūrta uṣāḥ /
vaiśabdaḥ smaraṇārthaḥ prasiddhaṃ kālaṃ smārayati /
śiraḥ prādhānyāt /
śiraśca pradhānaṃ śarīrāvayavānām /
aśvasya medhyasya medhārhasyayajñiyasyopāḥ śiraḥ iti sambandhaḥ /
karmāṅgasya paśoḥ saṃskartavyatvāt kālādidṛṣṭayaḥ śira ādiṣu kṣipyante /
prājāpatyatvaṃ ca prajāpatidṛṣṭyadhyāropaṇāt /
kālalokadevatātvādhyāropaṇaṃ ca prajāpatitvakaraṇaṃ paśoḥ /
evaṃrūpo hi prajāpatiḥ, viṣṇatvādikaraṇamiva pratimādau /
sūryaścakṣuḥ śiraso 'nantaratvāt sūryādhidaivatatvācca /
vātaḥ prāṇo vāyusvābhāvyāt /
vyāttaṃ vivṛtaṃ mukhamagnirvaiśvānararḥ /
vaiśvānara ityagnerviśeṣaṇarm /
vaiśvānaro nāmāgnirvivṛtaṃ mukhamityartho mukhasyāgnidaivatatvāt /
saṃvatsara ātmā, saṃvatsaro dvādaśamāsastrayodaśamāso vā,ātmāśarīram /
kālāvayavānāṃ ca saṃvatsaraḥ śarīraṃ cātmā "madhyaṃ hyaṣāmaṅgānāmātmā"iti śruteḥ /
aśvasya medhyasyeti sarvatrānupaṅgārthaṃ punarvacanam /
dyauḥ pṛṣṭhamūrdhvatvasāmānyāt /
antarikṣamudaraṃ suṣiratvasāmānyāt pṛthivī pājasyaṃ pādasyaṃ pājasyamiti varṇavyatyayena, pādāsanasthānamityarthaḥ /
diśaścatasro 'pi pārśve pārśvena diśāṃ sambandhāt /
pārśvayordiśāṃ ca saṅkhyāvaiṣamyādayuktamiti cenna, sarvamukhatvopapatteraśvasya pārśvābhyāmeva sarvadiśāṃ sambandhādadoṣaḥ /
avāntaradiśa āgneyyādyāḥ parśavaḥ pārśvāsthīni /
ṛtavo 'ṅgāni saṃvatsarāvayavatvādaṅgasādharmyāt /
ahorātrāṇi pratiṣṭhāḥ /
bahuvacanāt prājāpatyadaivapitryamānuṣāṇi, pratiṣṭhāḥ pādāḥ pratitiṣṭhatyetairiti /
ahorātrairhi kālātmā pratitiṣṭhatyaśvasya pādaiḥ /
nakṣatrāṇyasthīni śuklatvasāmānyāt /
nabho nabhaḥsthā meghā antarīkṣasyodaratvokteḥ, māṃsānyudakarudhirasecanasāmānyāt /
ūvadhyaṃ udarasthamardhajīrṇamaśanaṃ sikatā viśliṣṭāvayavatvasāmānyāt /
sindhavaḥ syandanasāmānyannadyo gudā nāḍyo bahuvacanācca /
yakṛccaklomānaśca hṛdayasyādhasthāddakṣiṇottarau māṃsakhaṇḍau /
klomāna iti nityaṃ bahuvacanamekasminneva /
parvatāḥ kāṭhinyāducchritatvācca /
oṣadhayaśca kṣudrāḥ sthāvarā vanaspatayo mahānto lomāni keśāśca yathāsambhavam /
udyannudgacchanbhavati savitā āmadhyāhnādaśvasya pūrvārdho nāmerūrdhvamityarthaḥ /
nimlocannastaṃ yannāmadhyāhnājjaghanārdho 'parārdhaḥ pūrvāparatvasādharmyāt /
yadvijṛmbhate gātrāṇi vināmayati vikṣipati tadvidyotate vidyotanaṃ mukhaghanavidāraṇasāmānyāt /
yadvidhūnute gātrāṇi kampayati tatstanayati garjanaśabdhasāmānyāt /
yanmehati mūtraṃ karotyaśvastadvarṣati varṣaṇaṃ tat secanasāmānyāt /
vāgeva śabda evāsyāśvasya vāgiti, nātra kalpanetyarthaḥ //1//
aharvā iti /
sāvarṇarājatau mahimākhyau grahāvaśvasyāgrataḥ pṛṣṭhataśca sthāpyete tadviṣayamidaṃ darśanam--
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ahar vā aśvaṃ purastān mahimānvajāyata |
tasya pūrve samudre yoniḥ |
rātrir enaṃ paścān mahimānvajāyata |
tasyāpare samudre yonir |
etau vā aśvaṃ mahimānāv abhitaḥ sambabhūvatuḥ |
hayo bhūtvā devān avahad vājī gandharvān arvāsurān aśvo manuṣyān |
samudra evāsya bandhuḥ samudro yoniḥ