TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD – 68. Rishi Yajnavalkya.

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Tuesday 05, November 2024, 06:15.
Taittiriya Upanishad
Part-2.
BRAHMANANDA VALLI
PART 2: 9 No. Anuvakas (Chapters)
THE BLISS THAT IS BRAHMAN
Anuvaka 2.5 
From Vijnanamaya to Anandamaya 
Mantram -  2.5.1:   Shruti Quotation on Vijnana  
Post - 68.

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Anuvaka 2.5 

From Vijnanamaya to Anandamaya 

Mantram - 2.5.1:   Shruti Quotation on Vijnana  

1 

“vijnaanam  yajnam tanute; = “Knowledge actualizes a sacrifice; 

karmaani tanute api cha. = and it makes one do his duties well. 

2 

vijnaanam devaah sarve; = Conditioned by knowledge, all the Gods 

brahma jyeshtham upaasate. =   on Ishwara, the “first-born”. 

3 

vijnaanam brahma chet veda; = If a man knows knowledge as Ishwara, 

tasmaat chet na pramaadyati; = if he never deviates from it, 

4 

shareere paapmanah hitvaa; = and if he abandons all sins in the body – 

sarvaan kaamaan samashnute,” iti = (then he) fully enjoys all enjoyable things.

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1

The essential feature of the intellect is its ability to KNOW. Through knowledge it 

can perform sacrifices, i.e. acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity. And it can do these really 

well for the same reason. In other words, intellect enhances one’s power to acquire 

knowledge as well as to execute actions due to the understanding gained about the way 

actions work. It is clear that we are speaking of secular knowledge.  

2

As before, an Upasana is taught in order to go beyond the Intellect sheath. One 

meditates on the “First-Born Brahman”, i.e. Ishwara, who is the first emanation of the Pure 

Supreme Brahman when He gets into association with the Cosmic Maya. [We note that in 

Manomaya Upasana, the worship was of Hiranyagarbha, who comes next down in the 

hierarchy after Ishwara.] 

3

Knowledge at the intellectual level is also deeply revered and respected. As Food 

was worshipped at the Annamaya level, Apara Vidya or secular knowledge is worshipped at 

the Vijnanamaya level. One who does this Upasana without swerving from it even the 

slightest, achieves the following result: 

4

He is able to free himself from the sins of the body. What does this imply? It implies 

that the intellect does not swerve from the path shown to him by the knowledge he 

has gained, whatever that may apply to. His intellect controls his entire life. If it does not 

swerve in this manner then it is able to exercise all its power over the mind, and through 

mind over the other two Koshas after it. All the first three sheaths will function under the 

strict orders of the well-meaning, fully informed Vijanamaya. 

The pure intellect is one’s best friend. When the intellect is purified, no sins can 

possibly be committed by the mind and senses. Only the exhaustion of existing Karmas is 

possible. This brings liberation at the level of the intellect – i.e. “fully enjoys all enjoyable 

things”. The latter statement refers only to those benefits available to the intellect. This is a 

lower achievement compared to  Anuvaka 1, line 5, which spoke of absolute Liberation. 

Liberation at the Vijnanamaya level means freedom from all sins. It is a step towards 

absolute Liberation, but the two are not the same. The former yet requires one to be free 

from the root cause of Samsara, namely Avidya or Ignorance, in order to be fully liberated. 

*****

Next

Mantram- 2.5,2: Vijnanamaya Kosha as “Inner Self” of Manomaya Kosha 

Continued

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