Concept of Oneness in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, which is the very largest among all the Upaniṣads and part of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, belongs to the Śukla Yajurveda. The term bṛhat indicates big or large as this Upaniṣad is huge among the ten principal Upaniṣads. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad consists of six chapters. As per the contents of these chapters, scholars divided it as Upadeśa kāṇḍa, Upapatti kāṇḍa and Upāsanā kāṇḍa, also known as Madhu kāṇḍa, Muni kāṇḍa and Khila kāṇḍa. In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, the main teaching contains the spiritual wisdom, i.e., the Brahman, the Highest Reality as one and only Supreme Spirit of this whole universe. The main subject matter of each Upaniṣad is spiritual wisdom, i.e., the concept of Ultimate Reality and its oneness with all existing beings. Besides it there is only emptyness and void. Therefore, almost all the Upaniṣads teach about the Brahmavidyā, the science of the absolute, where exist these whole. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad also gives emphasis on the theosophical teaching, as these multiform beings and the whole universe is only a vivarta or appearance of Parama Brahman. Therefore, the real thing knowing what man can merge himself into the Supreme Being and become free from birth and death, is the Brahman, the Ultimate Truth of this universe.

About the nature of this Reality, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad says in its fourth Brāhmaṇa of first chapter that:

‘brahma vā idamagra āsīttadātmānamevāvedahaṃ brahmāsmīti tasmāttatsarvamabhavat..//’^[1]

Here the Upaniṣad says that at the very beginning, the Brahman was alone, He experienced his single entity as ‘I am Brahman’. That is why, He became all. Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad declares that Brahman or Ātman is the source of all beings and he controls every thing. No one is separate from Him and no one can live without this Reality. This Ātman is the main force of all existing beings. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka

Upaniṣad states:

‘sa yathorṇanābhistantunoccaredyathā’gneḥ kṣudrā visfuliṅgā vyuccarantyevamevāsmādātmanaḥ sarve prāṇāḥ sarve lokāḥ sarve devāḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni vyuccaranti tasyopaniṣatsatyasya satyamiti prāṇā vai satyaṃ teṣāmeṣa satyam//’^[2]

This mantra states that, as a spider moves through its web, as the sparks springforth from agni, in the same way, all worlds (bhū, bhuva sva, maha, jana, tapa and satya), all beings, all breaths, and the deities originated from Parama Brahman. The real nature of this Ātman or Brahman is ‘satyasya satyam’, i.e., truth of truth. Śruti states: ‘satyam brahma’^[3]

Rohit Mehta writes, in this context—

“The Flame and the Spark are identical in nature-for the spark emanates from fire and shares all the qualities of the fire. In Ātman resides the nature of Brahman–such is the cardinal doctrine of the Upanishadic philosophy.”^[4]

In the fourth brāhmaṇa of second adhyāya, we find the conversation between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyī, where the theosophical concept is reflected in a beautiful manner. When Maitreyī ignored the properties offered by her husband Yajñavalkya and asked him to teach her about the way of immortality then Yajñavalkya told her that after realising the Ātman or Brahman one can gain the immortality, which is the main goal of our life.

Yajñavalkya explained to her the path of Supreme Bliss and said:

‘ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyo maitreyyātmano vā are darśanena śravaṇena matyā vijñānenedaṃ sarvaṃ viditam//’^[5]

Here Yajñavalkya states that we should try to understand the nature of our own self. We should try to contemplate and meditate upon our own self. Because through contemplating, listening observing, and understanding the self, all is known in this universe. No one is superior to this Ātman.

The Upaniṣad states:

‘sa vā ayamātmā sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāmadhipatiḥ sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ rājā tadyathā rathanābhau ca rathanemau cārāḥ sarve samarpitā evamevāsminnātmani sarvāṇi bhūtāni sarve devāḥ sarve lokāḥ sarve prāṇāḥ sarva eta ātmānaḥ samarpitāḥ//’^[6]

In this mantra Brahman or Ātman is said to be the lord of all existing beings. He is the king of all, i.e., he presides the whole, without Him nothing is possible. As all the spokes are united in a wheel, in the same way all devas (gods) all lokas (worlds) all bhūtas (beings) all prāṇas (breaths) and all the selves unite together in the Supreme Brahman or Ātman. That is why the Upaniṣad states:

‘na hyetasmāditi netyanyatparamasty’^[7]

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad states that this Supreme Spirit (Brahman) is not a subject of our eyes, but he is the seer. He is not heard by our ears, but he is the hearer. Our thought process fails to contemplate the Supreme Ātman, but he is the thinker. Except this Highest Reality, there is not a second, which can think itself, see itself, know itself and hear itself. But only Brahman has all these qualities which are not found in other temporary things. All surrounding beings exist in this Supreme Brahman. It reveals in its own nature without any help of other things. After knowing the truth, i.e., Brahman, nothing remains to be known in this universe.

The Upaniṣad speaks:

‘sa yathā dundubherhanyamānasya na bāhyāñchabdāñchaknuyādgrahaṇāya dundubhestu grahaṇena dundubhyāghātasya vā śabdo gṛhītaḥ//’^[8]

‘sa yathā śaṅkhasya dhmāyamānasya na bāhyāñchabdāñchaknuyād grahaṇāya śaṅkhasya tu grahaṇena śaṅkhadhmasya vā śabdo gṛhītaḥ//’^[9]

‘sa yathā vīṇāyai vādyamānāyai na bāhyāñchabdāñchaknuyādgrahaṇāya vīṇāyai tu grahaṇena vīṇāvādasya vā śabdo gṛhītaḥ//’^[10]

Here the Upaniṣad states that the sound of a drum can not be heard when a drum is beaten, but the sound may be grasped by grasping the drum or the beater of the drum. When a conch is blown we can not grasp the sound, but the sound can be grasped by grasping the conch or the blower of the conch. One can not listen the sound of a lute when it is played, but by grasping the lute or the player of the lute, the sound can be grasped. In this way we can not grasp the existence of the objects separately without accepting the existence of the Supreme Soul. Those objects can only be known when one acquires the knowledge of the Ātman or the Supreme Brahman.

Explaining the secret nature of this Ultimate Truth the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad announces that:

‘yaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhansarvebhyo bhūtebhyo’ntaro yaṃ sarvāṇi bhūtāni na viduryasya sarvāṇi bhūtāṇi śarīraṃ yaḥ sarvāṇi bhūtānyantaro yamayatyeṣa ta ātmāntaryāmyamṛta ityadhibhūtamathādhyātmam//’^[11]

This mantra enumerates that, he who resides in the heart of each living beings but is different from all beings, whom the beings unable to know, but He is in the body of all beings and rules them from within, that is the Ātman, the constant reality, the inner controller.

The Upaniṣad again says:

‘yaḥ prāṇe tiṣṭhanprāṇādantaro yaṃ prāṇo na veda yasya prānaḥ śarīraṃ yaḥ prāṇamantaro yamayatyeṣa ta ātmāntaryāmyamṛtaḥ//’^[12]

He who abides in prāṇa but is different from prāṇa, whom the prāṇa is unable to understand, but dwelling in the middle portion of prāṇa who controls prāṇa, that is the Self, the Supreme Reality. He is amṛta and abhayaḥ, who has no birth and death. He who knows this truth becomes Brahman himself and completely free from the fear.

About this eternal entity, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad states:

‘tadyathā tṛṇajalāyukā tṛṇasyāntaṃ gatvā’nyamākramamākramyātmānamupa saṃharatyevamevāyamātmedaṃ śarīraṃ nihatyā’vidyāṃ gamayitvā’nyamākramamākramyātmānamupasaṃharati//^[13]

Here the Upaniṣad says that as a leech leaving the edge of a grass takes another grass for its resort, in the same way, Ātman leaving one body and eliminating avidyā enters into another body.

In this context following mantra of the Śrimadbhagavadgītā may be mentioned:

‘vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro’parāṇi/ tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇānyanyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī//’^[14]

[Trans: As a man shedding worn-out garments, takes other new ones, likewise, the embodied soul, casting off worn-out bodies, enters into others that are new.]^[15]

According to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Ātman denotes the Supreme Brahman and these two are equal and same as there is no difference between them.^[16] According to this Upaniṣad he who is free from worldly attachment, i.e., whose desires are in a satisfactory level, who always seeks for the Self, the Supreme, after death he becomes one with the Supreme Brahman and becomes free from birth and death. At the same time the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad announces that he who sees all beings as Brahman and also sees him in other beings, becomes free from sorrows and sufferings. Men should try to understand the real nature of Supreme Brahman for their ultimate liberation. The real nature of Brahman is ‘neha nānāsti kiṃcana’,^[17] i.e., there is no plurality there. He is always one and the same.

The nature of human beings after unification with Supreme Brahman is described in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad thus:

‘atra pitā’pitā bhavati māta’mātā lokā alokā devā adevā vedā avedāḥ/ atra steno’steno bhabati bhrūṇahā’bhrūṇahā cāṇḍālo’cāṇḍālaḥ paulkaso’paulkasaḥ śramaṇo’śramaṇastāpaso’tāpaso’nanvāgataṃ puṇyenānanvāgataṃ pāpena tīrṇo hi tadā sarvāñchokānhṛdayasya bhavati//’^[18]

The above mantra points out that, after unification with the Brahman a father is not a father, mother is not a mother, the worlds are not the worlds, the gods are not the gods, the Vedas are not the Vedas, a thief is not a thief, a murderer is not a murderer, a paulkasa is not a paulkasa, a mendicant is not a mendicant, cāṇḍāla is not a cāṇḍāla, an ascetic is not an ascetic. In that state he is not affected by good or evil as he becomes indifferent and all his sorrows and sufferings turn into joy. When his soul is united with the Brahman, he enjoys complete bliss.

The Brahman or Ātman according to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is honey of all bhūtas which is not far away from us. That is why, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad says, ‘eṣa ta ātmā sarvāntaraḥ.’^[19] The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad gives stress on taking the path of truth. Because, truthfulness in life is very essential for any kind of achievement. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad says, ‘asato mā sadgamayaḥ’.^[20] The inner self, who controls us and without whom our life becomes meaningless is also said to be the symbol of truth.^[21] Truthfulness in life helps us to achieve our goal. It ultimately helps us to gain the liberation or mokṣa from this world.

According to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad tapas or austerity, renunciation or tyāga, Brahmacarya or continence, śraddhā or faith are the essential qualities for attaining the Supreme Brahman.

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad teaches the concept of oneness among all the created beings. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad proclaims that immortality is the state of union with the Supreme Brahman, i.e., oneness with the Ultimate Reality. There is nothing apart from this Supreme Reality. The fact of realisation all is Brahman is the attainment of immortality, i.e., oneness with the Supreme Brahman. Because, all beings in this universe are associated with that Supreme Brahman, Therefore, the actual nature of us is that we are not different from Brahman. In this way, there is a wholeness or oneness in all these creations. All are manifestations of the Supreme Brahman. Thus, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad conveys the message of unity and brotherhood through the concept of one Reality. According to this Upaniṣad, Reality is one and there is no diversity in Brahman. Separatism is the result of hatred and jealousy, which are the main disturbances for establishing social harmony, but the feeling of oneness helps people to live unitedly in the society.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad , I.4.10

[2]:

Ibid.,II.1.20

[3]:

Taittirīya Upaniṣad , II.1.1

[4]:

Mehta, Rohit., The Call of the Upanishads , p. 257

[5]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad , II.4.5

[6]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ,II.5.15

[7]:

Ibid.,II.3.6

[8]:

Ibid., II.4.7

[9]:

Ibid., II.4.8

[10]:

Ibid,II.4.9

[11]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad , III. 7.15

[12]:

Ibid.,III.7.16

[13]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ,IV.4.3

[14]:

Śrīmad-bhagavad-gītā ,II.22

[15]:

English translation from Śrīmad-bhagavad-gītā , Gitapress Gorakhpur., p.37

[16]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad , IV.4.5

[17]:

Ibid., IV.4.19

[18]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ,IV.3.22

[19]:

Ibid.,III.4.2

[20]:

Ibid.,I.3.28

[21]:

Ibid.,II.1.20