Taittiriya Upanishad
तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद्
From the Taittiriya Aranyaka of the Krishna Yajurveda, in three sections: Shiksha Valli (sacred instruction), Brahmananda Valli (Brahman as bliss — Ananda), and Bhrigu Valli (the enquiry of Bhrigu). Teaches the Pancha Kosha (five sheaths of existence) and Brahman as Sat-Chit-Ananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss).
Read Overview →Shlokas (18)
+ Add ShlokaBhrigu Approaches His Father Varuna
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 1
भृगुर्वारुणिर्वरुणं पितरमुपससार । अधीहि भगवो ब्रह्मेति । तस्मा एतत्प्रोवाच — अन्नं प्राणं चक्षुः श्रोत्रं मनो वाचमिति ॥ १ ॥
bhṛgur vāruṇir varuṇaṃ pitaram upasasāra | adhīhi bhagavo brahmeti | tasmā etat provāca — annaṃ prāṇaṃ cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ mano vācam iti || 1 ||
Bhrigu, son of Varuna, approached his father Varuna: "O Venerable One, teach me Brahman." Varuna said to him: "Food, prana, eye, ear, mind, speech..."
Shanti Patha — May We Both Be Protected
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 1 · Verse 1
ॐ शन्नो मित्रः शं वरुणः शन्नो भवत्वर्यमा । शन्न इन्द्रो बृहस्पतिः शन्नो विष्णुरुरुक्रमः । नमो ब्रह्मणे नमस्ते वायो त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि । त्वामेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्म वदिष्यामि ॥
oṃ śan no mitraḥ śaṃ varuṇaḥ śan no bhavatv aryamā | śan na indro bṛhaspatiḥ śan no viṣṇur urukramaḥ | namo brahmaṇe namas te vāyo tvam eva pratyakṣaṃ brahmāsi | tvām eva pratyakṣaṃ brahma vadiṣyāmi ||
May Mitra be auspicious to us; may Varuna; may Aryama. May Indra, Brihaspati, and Vishnu of wide strides be auspicious. Salutation to Brahman! Salutation to you, O Vayu! You alone are the visible Brahman. I shall declare you as the visible Brahman.
Brahman Is That from Which All Beings Are Born
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 2 · Verse 1
यतो वा इमानि भूतानि जायन्ते । येन जातानि जीवन्ति । यत्प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशन्ति । तद्विजिज्ञासस्व — तद्ब्रह्मेति ॥ १ ॥
yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante | yena jātāni jīvanti | yat prayanty abhisaṃviśanti | tad vijijñāsasva — tad brahmeti || 1 ||
That from which all these beings are born, that by which, having been born, they live, that into which they enter on departing — seek to know That. That is Brahman.
The Convocation Address — Speak the Truth, Practice Dharma
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 1 · Verse 2
सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर । स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः । आचार्याय प्रियं धनमाहृत्य प्रजातन्तुं मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः ॥
satyaṃ vada | dharmaṃ cara | svādhyāyān mā pramadaḥ | ācāryāya priyaṃ dhanam āhṛtya prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchet sīḥ ||
Speak the truth. Practice Dharma. Do not be negligent about self-study (svadhyaya). Having brought the beloved gift to the teacher, do not cut the thread of progeny.
The Five Sheaths — Annamaya to Anandamaya
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 2 · Verse 2
अन्नमयो हि सोम्यायं पुरुषः । तस्येदमेवान्नं शरीरम् । प्राणो वै पुरुषः । वाङ्मनःप्राणाः ॥ २ ॥
annamayo hi somyāyaṃ puruṣaḥ | tasyedam evānnaṃ śarīram | prāṇo vai puruṣaḥ | vāṅmanaḥprāṇāḥ || 2 ||
This person is indeed made of food (annamaya). This very food is his body. Prana is truly the person. Speech, mind, and prana — these are his coverings.
Brahman Is Annam — Food
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 2
तपसा ब्रह्म विजिज्ञासस्व — तपो ब्रह्मेति । स तपोऽतप्यत — स तपस्तप्त्वा । अन्नं ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ॥ २ ॥
tapasā brahma vijijñāsasva — tapo brahmeti | sa tapo tapyata — sa tapas taptvā | annaṃ brahmeti vyajānāt || 2 ||
"Seek to know Brahman through tapas (austerity). Tapas is Brahman." He performed tapas. Through tapas he came to know: Annam (food) is Brahman.
The Ananda — Bliss of Brahman
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 2 · Verse 3
आनन्दो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् । आनन्दाद्ध्येव खल्विमानि भूतानि जायन्ते । आनन्देन जातानि जीवन्ति । आनन्दं प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशन्तीति ॥ ३ ॥
ānando brahmeti vyajānāt | ānandād dhy eva khalv imāni bhūtāni jāyante | ānandena jātāni jīvanti | ānandaṃ prayanty abhisaṃviśantīti || 3 ||
He knew: "Ananda (bliss) is Brahman." For from bliss alone all these beings are born; by bliss, having been born, they live; into bliss they depart and merge.
The Teacher's Final Charge to Students
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 1 · Verse 3
मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव ॥
mātṛdevo bhava | pitṛdevo bhava | ācāryadevo bhava | atithidevo bhava ||
Let your mother be a god to you. Let your father be a god to you. Let your teacher be a god to you. Let the guest be a god to you.
Brahman Is Prana — Life
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 3
नायं केवलमन्नमिति । सः पुनर्वरुणं पितरमुपससार । अधीहि भगवो ब्रह्मेति । प्राणो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ॥ ३ ॥
nāyaṃ kevalam annam iti | saḥ punar varuṇaṃ pitaram upasasāra | adhīhi bhagavo brahmeti | prāṇo brahmeti vyajānāt || 3 ||
"This is not merely food." He again approached Varuna: "Teach me more." Through further tapas he came to know: Prana is Brahman.
Brahman Is Manas — Mind
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 4
नायं केवलः प्राण इति । सः पुनः — मनो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ॥ ४ ॥
nāyaṃ kevalaḥ prāṇa iti | saḥ punaḥ — mano brahmeti vyajānāt || 4 ||
"This is not merely prana." He went again. Through tapas he came to know: Manas (mind) is Brahman.
The Ananda Mimamsa — Scale of Bliss
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 2 · Verse 4
एको मानवानन्द । ते ये शतं मानवानन्दाः — स एको मनुष्यगन्धर्वानन्दः । श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य ॥ ४ ॥
eko mānavānanda | te ye śataṃ mānavānandāḥ — sa eko manuṣyagandharv ānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatassya || 4 ||
One unit of human joy (manava-ananda). A hundred of those equals one joy of the human gandharvas. This is also the joy of a learned brahmin free from desires.
Only the Actions That Are Without Doubt Are Good
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 1 · Verse 4
यान्यनवद्यानि कर्माणि तानि सेवितव्यानि नो इतराणि । यान्यस्माकꣳ सुचरितानि तानि त्वयोपास्यानि ॥
yāny anavadyāni karmāṇi tāni sevitavyāni no itarāṇi | yāny asmākaṃ sucaritāni tāni tvayopāsyāni ||
Those actions of ours that are without blemish should be performed by you — not others. Those conduct patterns of ours that are good — those alone should be followed by you.
Brahman Is Both Sat (Being) and Ananda (Bliss)
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 2 · Verse 5
सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म । यो वेद निहितं गुहायां परमे व्योमन् । सोऽश्नुते सर्वान्कामान्सह ब्रह्मणा विपश्चितेति ॥ ५ ॥
satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma | yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ parame vyoman | so'śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaściteti || 5 ||
Brahman is Truth, Knowledge, Infinite. Whoever knows It hidden in the cave of the heart, in the highest ether — he, together with the all-knowing Brahman, attains all desires.
Brahman as Annam — Food
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 1 · Verse 5
अन्नं न निन्द्यात् — तद्व्रतम् । प्राणो वा अन्नम् । शरीरमन्नादम् । प्राणे शरीरं प्रतिष्ठितम् । शरीरे प्राणः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥
annaṃ na nindyāt — tad vratam | prāṇo vā annam | śarīram annādam | prāṇe śarīraṃ pratiṣṭhitam | śarīre prāṇaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
Do not speak ill of food — that is the rule. Prana is food; the body eats food. The body is established in prana; prana is established in the body.
Brahman Is Vijnana — Consciousness
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 5
नायं केवलो मन इति । सः पुनः — विज्ञानं ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ॥ ५ ॥
nāyaṃ kevalo mana iti | saḥ punaḥ — vijñānaṃ brahmeti vyajānāt || 5 ||
"This is not merely mind." He went again. Through tapas he came to know: Vijnana (wisdom-consciousness) is Brahman.
Brahman Is Ananda — Bliss (Final Realization)
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 6
नायं केवलो विज्ञान इति । सः पुनः — आनन्दो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ॥ ६ ॥
nāyaṃ kevalo vijñāna iti | saḥ punaḥ — ānando brahmeti vyajānāt || 6 ||
"This is not merely vijnana." He went again. Through tapas he came to know: Ananda (bliss) is Brahman. This is the final realization.
Do Not Speak Ill of Food — Ten Maxims on Food
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 7
अन्नं न परिचक्षीत तद्व्रतम् । प्राणो वा अन्नम् । शरीरमन्नादम् । अन्नं न कुत्सयेत् — अन्नं बहु कुर्वीत ॥ ७ ॥
annaṃ na paricakṣīta tad vratam | prāṇo vā annam | śarīram annādam | annaṃ na kutsayet — annaṃ bahu kurvīta || 7 ||
Do not speak ill of food — that is the vow. Prana is food; the body eats food. Do not despise food; produce food in abundance.
He Who Knows Brahman as Ananda — Is Free from Fear
Taittiriya Upanishad · Chapter Valli 3 · Verse 8
भयं ह वा एतस्माद्विज्ञानमयाद्द्वितीयात् । उदरमन्तरं कुरुते — अथास्य भयं भवति । यो ह वा एतत्समुद्रमभिजानाति — न बिभेति ॥ ८ ॥
bhayaṃ ha vā etasmād vijñānamayād dvitīyāt | udaram antaraṃ kurute — ath āsya bhayaṃ bhavati | yo ha vā etat samudram abhijānāti — na bibheti || 8 ||
Fear arises from a second (from duality). But one who finds even a slight separation — fear comes to him. One who knows this ocean of bliss as Brahman — has no fear.