TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD – 64. Rishi Yajnavalkya.

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Monday  09, September 2024, 06:30.
Taittiriya Upanishad
Part-2.
BRAHMANANDA VALLI
PART 2: 9 No. Anuvakas (Chapters)
THE BLISS THAT IS BRAHMAN
Post - 64.

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UPANISHAD SARA SANGRAH 
Anuvaka 2.3 : From Pranamaya to Manomaya 
The Essence of the Upanishads:

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“Satyam, Jnaanam, Anantam, Brahman” 
Bhashya A: 
“On the Nature of BRAHMAN” 
Coverage

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“PANCHA KOSHA VIVARANAM” 

Bhashya B: 
“The Differentiation of the Five Sheaths” 
Coverage:  From 2.1.4 – 2.6.2 (crosses 5 Anuvakas) 
Mantram -  2.3.1:Shruti Quotation on Prana 

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Anuvaka 2.3 : From Pranamaya to Manomaya 
Mantram -  2.3.4: Human Form Characteristics of Manomaya Kosha 

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Mantram -  2.3.4: Human Form Characteristics of Manomaya Kosha 

9 

tasya yajuh eva sheerah; = Of this, the Mind form, Yajur  is the head; 

rig dakshinah pakshah; = Rig is the right side; 

saama uttara pakshah; = Sama is the left side; 

aadeshah aatmaa; =  Brahmana is the trunk (body); and 

atharva-angirasah pucchham pratishthaa. =  Atharva  is the tail that stabilizes. 

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10 

tat api eshah shlokah bhavati. =  Pertaining to this also is the following mantram: 

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9

 As before, these standard lines are now describing the characteristics of the 

Manomaya Kosha. Referring to the overall human form, for the Manomaya Kosha: 

a. Yajur Mantras are the head;   

b. Rig Mantras are the right side;  

c. Sama Mantras are the left side;   

d. Brahmanas are the trunk; and 

e. Atharva Mantras are the supporting tail. 

This means that the mental sheath can be boiled down to comprise the entire Vedas 

in a figurative sense. This is quite an imaginative way of describing the mind, and makes for 

an interesting Upasana by which we are expected to understand the essence of the mind. 

The Upasana: the Mind Symbolised as a “Human Form”

 If we go a little deeper into the make-up of the mind, and try to figure out the 

psychology of its functioning, we see that it exhibits a well-ordered structure. The Upasana 

presented here attempts to unravel this structural pattern within the mind. That is the 

theme of the Upasana. The structural parts of the mind are being symbolised as the parts of 

the “human form”. This is being done in the case of all the five sheaths, not just the mind.  

What do we discover when we apply this symbolism built into the Upasana? 

Naturally, the discovery requires us to have some knowledge of the characteristics 

that differentiate the five types of Mantras listed in the verse. When these characteristics 

are known, we shall be able to get a glimmer of the wisdom that is packed into this 

apparently unintelligible verse. The mysticism shrouding it will be unveiled and the rich 

meaning conveyed will be unlocked. Let us, therefore, probe into this discovery further: 

The Five Varieties of Vedic Mantras:

 i) The Yajur Veda Mantras: These Mantras have no strict rules governing them. In 

other words, they are prose passages, not poetical compositions. They represent freedom of 

thought, unfettered by any rules. For a mind to be well-developed, this is most essential. 

That is why the head, the most important part of the Human form, is compared to the free

flowing, uninhibited Yajur Mantras.

 

ii) The Rig Veda Mantras: These Mantras are strictly bound by a metrical 

composition. They are governed by the rules of Chandas or metre, of which there are many 

types in Rig Vedic writings. These are said to represented by the right hand, the hand which 

puts into action what is in the mind. When thoughts are to be expressed as actions, strict 

rules are necessary!  

iii) The Sama Veda Mantras: Similarly, the left hand which stands for our emotions 

and feelings, are indicated by the sweet-sounding songs of the Sama Vedas. 

iv) The Brahmanas: These are linked to the trunk or the main part of the body. The 

Brahmanas are portions which are suited to the Grihasthas or householders. As this group 

forms the main body of the population in a community, they are represented by the trunk. 

The bulk of the Vedas fall into the Brahmana category. Most of the Brahmanas are classified 

under the Karma Kanda, which section concerns rituals and sacrifices to attain material 

ends. 

v) The Atharva Veda Mantras: The foundation of the mind is represented by the 

Atharva Veda, which consists largely of all the secular sciences. There is a strong meaning 

that comes out of this symbolism. It tells us that, in the Vedic view of life, the secular 

sciences held an important place in the development of the mind. All development begins 

first with mastery over some secular science. Only after that is attained, can the rest of the 

structure be built upon it.  

 The next Anuvaka quotes the Shruti describing the Manomaya Kosha. 

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Next 

Anuvaka 2.4 : From Manomaya to Vijnanamaya 

Mantram - 2.4.1: Shruti Quotation on Mind 

Continued

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