These are the Three Worlds. The organ of speech is this world (The Earth), the Mind is the Sky, and the vital force is that World (Heaven). These are the Three Vedas. The organ of speech is the Rig-Veda, the mind is the Yajur-Veda and the vital force the Sama-Veda. These are the Gods, the Ancestral Spirits and Men.

The organ of speech is the Gods, the mind the Ancestral Spirits, and the vital force is Men. These are the father, mother and child. The mind is the father, the organ of speech the mother, and the vital force the child. These are what is known, what it is desirable to know, and what is unknown. Whatever is known is a form of the organ of speech, for it is the knower. The organ of speech protects him (who knows this) by becoming that (which is known). Whatever it is desirable to know is a form of the mind, for the mind is what it is desirable to know. The mind protects him (who knows this) by becoming that (which it is desirable to know). Whatever is unknown is a form of the vital force, for the vital force is what is unknown. The vital force protects him (who knows this) by becoming that (which is unknown).

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 1.5.4 – 10

 

 

As the ocean is the one goal of all sorts of water,
as the skin is the one goal of all kinds of touch,
as the nostrils are the one goal of all odors,
as the tongue is the one goal of all tastes,
as the eye is the one goal of all colors ,
as the ear is the one goal of all sounds,
as the Human is the one goal of all Thought,
as the intellect is the one goal of all kinds of Knowledge,
as the hands are the one goal of all sort of work,
as the organ of generation is the one goal of all kinds of enjoyment,
as the anus is the one goal of all excretions,
as the feet are the one goal of all kinds of walking,

So is The Organ of Speech the One Goal of all Vedas.

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 2.4.11

 

 

As a lump of salt dropped into water dissolves with (its component) water, and no one is able to pick it up, but from wheresoever one takes it, it tastes salt, even so, my dear, this great, endless, infinite Reality is but Pure Intelligence.

The Self comes out as a separate entity from these elements, and this separateness is destroyed with them. After attaining this oneness it has no more consciousness. This is what I say, my dear. So said Yajnavalkya.

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 2.4.12

 

 

Maitreyi said, ‘Just here you have thrown me into confusion, sir – by saying that after attaining (oneness) the self has no more consciousness’. Yajnavalkya said, ‘Certainly, I am not saying anything confusing, my dear; this is quite sufficient for knowledge, O Maitreyi’

Because when there is duality, as it were, then one smells something, one sees something, one hears something, one speaks something, one thinks something, one knows something.

But when to the knower of Brahman everything has become the self, then what should one smell and through what, what should one see and through what, what should one hear and through what, what should one speak and through what, what should one think and through what, what should one know and through what ? Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known – through what, O Maitreyi, should one know the Knower ?

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 2.4.13 – 14

 

 

This earth is like honey to all beings, and all beings are like honey to this earth. The same with the shining immortal being who is in this earth, and the shining, immortal, corporeal being in the body. These four are but this Self. This Self-knowledge is the means of immortality; this underlying unity is Brahman; this knowledge of Brahman is the means of becoming All.

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 2.5.1

 

 

 

(Question)

He asked them through these verses: As a large tree, so indeed is a man. This is true. His hair is its leaves, his skin its outer bark. It is from his skin that blood flows, and from the bark sap. Therefore when a man is wounded, blood flows, as sap from a tree is injured. His flesh is its inner bark, and his tendons its innermost layer of bark; both are tough. His bones lie under, as does its wood; his marrow is comparable to its pith. If a tree, after it is felled, springs again from its root in a newer form, from what root indeed does man spring forth after he is cut off by death ?

(Answer)

Do not say, ‘From the seed’, for it is produced in a living man. A tree springs also from the seed; after it is dead it certainly springs again from the seed as well. If someone pulls out a tree with its root, it no more sprouts. From what root does a man spring forth after he is cut off by death ? If you think he is ever born, I say, no, he is again born. Now who should again bring him forth ? — Knowledge, Bliss, Brahman, the supreme goal of the dispenser of wealth as well as of him who has realized Brahman and lives in It.

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 3.4.28 (1) – 3.4.28 (7)

 

 

 

‘Yajnavalkya, what serves as the light for a man ?’
‘The light of the sun, O Emperor’, said Yajnavalkya; ‘It is through the light of the sun that he sits, goes out, works and returns’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.
‘When the sun has set, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man ?’ ‘The moon serves as his light. It is through the light of the moon that he sits, goes out, works and returns’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.
‘When the sun and the moon have set, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man ?’ ‘The fire serves as his light. It is through the fire that he sits, goes out, works and returns’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.

When the sun and the moon have both set, and the fire has gone out, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man ?’ Speech serves as his light. It is through the light of speech that he sits, goes out, works and returns. Therefore, O Emperor, even when one’s own hand is not clearly visible, if a sound is uttered, one manages to go there.’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’. ‘When the sun and the moon have both set, the fire has gone out, and speech has stopped, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man ?’ ‘The Soul serves as his light. It is through the light of the self that he sits, goes out, works and returns.’ ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 4.3.2 – 4.3.6

 

 

‘Which is the self ?’ ‘This infinite entity that is identified with the intellect and is in the midst of the organs, the light within the heart. Assuming the likeness, it moves between the two worlds; it thinks, as it were, and shakes, as it were. Being identified with dream, it transcends this world – the forms of death.

– Brihadranyaka Upanishad 4.3.7

 

 

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