Introduction
It belongs to Yajur Veda. Brih means big in volume and teaching. Aranyaka means forest. One meaning of Upanishad is destroyer of darkness, i.e., ignorance. It has 6 chapters (adhyaya) divided into 47 sections called BrAhmana containing 434 mantrAs. There is another division. Chapters 1 and 2 together is madhu khanda or updesha khanda as it is akin to sravan. Chapters 3 and 4 together is muni khanda because yajnavalkya muni is the teacher. It is also called upapati khanda because it provides logic to the teaching. Upapati means reason. 5th and 6th Chapters together is khila khanda having miscellaneous topics. Khila means assortment. Many mantrAs, especially in chapters 5 and 6, talk about meditations and do not have Vedantic teaching. There is a meditation on bodily illness so as to practice austerity for voluntary practice of austerity is difficult.
In order to focus on Vedantic teaching, in chapter 1, section 4 will be discussed. Chapters 2 (except section 6 which is about lineage of teachers), 3 and 4 will be discussed in full. Chapters 5 and 6 will be omitted. The main sources are Brihadaranyaka Upanishad with commentary of ShankarAcharya Translated by Swami MAdhavAnand, Published by Advaita Ashrama (in short, Br Up, AA) and transcripts of lectures of SwAmi ParmArthananda (in short, Sw P)
Chapter 1 Section 4
Section 4 has broadly three parts. One part is about karma yoga and is meant for a beginner. Karma yoga and meditation make mind fit to receive Self-knowledge. Another part is about meditation and its fruits. It is meant for a middle level spiritual aspirant. The highest benefit of meditation is attainment of Brahm-loka and krama mukti. The third part about Self-knowledge is meant for advanced aspirants. Self-knowledge leads to liberation.
1.4.1 to 1.4.6 All Upanishads agree that there is a creator of the universe. They differ in details of creation. A reader should take the details with a pinch of salt as is made clear in the ‘disclaimer’ by Shankaracharya in his commentary on the mantra 1.4.7:
“The passages delineating the projection of the universe and the entrance of the Self into it as well as its continuance and dissolution, serve only as aids to the realisation of the Self, for this is described in the Sruti as the highest end of man. ‘The knower of Brahman attains the highest’ (Tai. II. i. I), ‘He who knows that Supreme Brahman becomes Brahman’ (Mu. III. ii. 9), Besides, since duality has been repudiated, the passages delineating the manifestation etc. of the universe can have the sole aim of helping the realisation of the unity of the Self. ” [Br Up, AA]
The universe is in potential form in the Absolute called Brahman which is of the nature of consciousness and has mAyA power. MAyA is lower order reality as it derives its existence from Brahman. Brahman together with mAyA is Isvara. Here it is said that in the beginning of the manifested universe there is Prajapati only in human form. Prajapati is a post. Anyone can acquire this post if he earns sufficient punya by doing meditation and has no papa. Isvara has transferred the blueprint of creation to Prajapati and entrusted the task of creation to him. He is alone and he utters, ‘I am’. This has set the tradition as the first introduction of all creatures is ‘I am’.
Being alone, Prajapati develops fear because he lacks Self-knowledge. Isvara imparts Self-knowledge to him and he overcomes fear. He does not like his loneliness and he desires to create the universe by multiplying himself. He projects the world out of himself. He is both material and intelligent causes of creation. By sankalp (desire) he creates a pair of Manu and Satrupa who are like two halves of a grain. They are separated and become the first couple. Manu and Satarupa give birth to many human children.
In some point of time, Satarupa develops guilt because she feels Manu and she are like brother and sister. Sagotra rule does not apply here because Manu and Satarupa are born of desire unlike human birth. Therefore, Satarupa’s guilt is unfounded. Yet she takes the form of cow. Manu takes the form of bull. Their union produces children of cow species. But the same guilt continues, and she takes female forms of different species. Manu does not have such guilt and continues to take male forms of corresponding species. As a result, different species are produced. Satarupa means hundred forms.
Prajapati is both creator and creation and He appears as creation. This theory is called vivartavada. Since creation is an appearance of the creator, it has a reverential status. Whoever meditates on creation with reverence is eligible to become Prajapati in the next cycle of creation.
To maintain order and harmony in the creation, presiding deities are created to supervise different aspects of creation. Two important deities are fire deity and moon deity. It is one meaning of the pair. Moonlight enters the plant kingdom and is responsible for plant juice called soma. It is also stated in chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita. Soma is poured as ablation in sacrificial fire. It is the second meaning. There is digestive fire in the stomach which is responsible for digestion of soma representing eaten food. It is the third meaning. It also means that fire is the consumer, and soma is the consumed entity. In other words, fire is the experiencer, and soma is the entity experienced thereby encompassing the whole creation. It is the 4th meaning of the pair.
Creation of fire is described.
In a sacrifice, fire is generated due to friction by churning a wooden object (upper arani) in a scoop (lower arani) made in a wooden log. Prajapati uses his two hands as uttar arani and mouth as lower arani. Thereafter, other deities are created. In karma kanda of the Vedas, there are described different deities who are worshipped, and they give material benefits to the worshipper. Deities are superior to human beings because deity status is acquired by earning lot of punyas. Human beings are in the middle level and plant and animal kingdom are the lowest. However, only a human being can aspire for and get liberation. This is so because other two are the enjoyer of result of karma; they do not earn fresh karma. A human being can gain knowledge and be liberated.
Contd Part 2