TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD – 50. Rishi Yajnavalkya.

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Sunday 25, Feb 2024. 06:45.

Taittiriya Upanishad

Part-2.

BRAHMANANDA VALLI

PART 2: 9 No. Anuvakas (Chapters)

THE BLISS THAT IS BRAHMAN

Post - 50.

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UPANISHAD SARA SANGRAH 

Anuvaka 2.1 

The Essence of the Upanishads :

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Objection 1:  How Can “Limited” Attain Another “Limited” ?

Poorvapakshi: 

We read that Brahman is the all-pervading Self of all. In 1, we see one 

limited thing attaining another limited thing. This statement does not tie up with the all

pervasive Brahman. There is some incongruity here, something not agreeing. 

Answer: 

There is no flaw here. It only appears so; it is part of our own ignorant 

vision. We are identified with limited Upadhis, so we appear to be limited to ourselves. 

When the Ignorance is cleared, we can say we have realized the truth, or attained 

realization of Brahman. This attainment is not like reaching from point A to Point B; it is 

removal of ignorance. That is like reaching A which has a wrapper B around it. 

Example: 

There is the story of the 10 idiots that could not count their own group size 

because each one forgot to count himself, so all were arriving at the answer ‘nine’. We all 

are doing the same thing. We count all the outer sheaths composed of food, Prana, etc, as 

individual limited units, but not the unlimited Self. So Brahman, our own Self, remains 

unattained or ‘uncounted’ by us through ignorance. 

Just as someone is needed to remind the idiot to count himself, so too someone is 

needed to remind us that we are not limited beings but Brahman Himself. That person is our 

Guru. The realization of the Truth comes through enlightenment, and results from following 

the instructions of the scriptures.

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The Notation adopted: 

i)  Level 1: The lines of a verse,    as 1 , 2 , etc. 

iii) Level 2: Major Bhashya divisions  as A/, B/, C,/ … etc  

 (the “/” is to differentiate a Bhashya division from subtitles A., B., etc.) 

ii)  Level 3: The Objections in Bhashya,   as OBJ 1, etc. 

iv) Level 4: Minor Bhashya divisions  superscripted as 1,2,3…  

Introduction to Bhashya Discussion :

Six major pieces of Bhashya commentaries for this Valli (Part 2) are inter-weaved 

into the Anuvakas, and run from A to F. The three lines of this verse are so important that 

each one is discussed elaborately in the first Bhashya. We have highlighted them below.  

In the course of the discussion in the Bhashya, Objections are encountered and 

answered by Sri Shankaracharyaji. These Objections are kept together and placed at the end 

of the explanation for each line. References to them are given (in blue) in the discussion to 

indicate where they fit in. In this way, the drift of the discussion remains uninterrupted. The 

discussion here is a summary and not a translation of the original Bhashya. 

We begin with Bhashya A . . .

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Next

“Satyam, Jnaanam, Anantam Brahman” 

Bhashya A: “On the Nature of BRAHMAN” 

Coverage :   Mantram - 2.1.2   (3 Padas)

Continued

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