TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD – 70. Rishi Yajnavalkya.

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Saturday 30, November 2024, 07:35.
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 - 2.5.4:  Human Form Characteristics of Anandamaya Kosha 
Post - 70.

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Mantram - 2.5.4:  Human Form Characteristics of Anandamaya Kosha: 

9 

tasya priyam eva sheerah; = Of this Bliss form, Priyam is verily the head. 

modah dakshinah pakshah; = Modais the right side. 

pramodah uttara pakshah; = Pramoda is the left side. 

aananda aatmaa; = Bliss (objectless pleasure) is the trunk. 

brahma pucchham pratishthaa. = the Supreme Brahman is the tail that stabilizes. 

10 

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

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When used for the Anandamaya Kosha, these lines mean the following: 

a. Priyam is the head. 

b. Moda is the right side.  

c. Pramoda is the left side.  

d. Ananda is the trunk.  

e. Brahman is the supporting tail.  

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The Upasana: the Bliss Sheath Symbolised in “Human Form”:

This is the final and most subtle sheath. It takes us higher than the intellect into a   region that is beyond thoughts. In the Anandamaya Kosha, there is only Avidya or pure Ignorance, and it modifies the limitless Bliss of the Self into something that is immensely limited by the Avidya. Only in name does this sheath have connection to the Absolute Bliss; in actual experience, so delimited is the Supreme Bliss that it bears no resemblance to the original. It dwindles into the experience of sensual pleasure and is connected to sense objects in the following way: 

Only in name is this pseudo-bliss called Ananda, symbolised by the trunk. In reality it is only an experience of a desirable sense object. We are yet to come to the Anuvaka 8 where different degrees of this pseudo-Ananda are described and even provided with a measuring scale! 

How does this “Ananda” get symbolised as the “human form”? Once again, we reduce the Ananda into five components, each one being matched by the five parts of the human form. The parts of “Ananda” are actually different in its experience as follows: 

i) Priyam: This is Stage 1: 

The pleasure of merely thinking of sense objects. In the early stages of desire, there is an intense rumination of the sense object in one’s mind. This   may be compared to ‘window shopping’. The object is seen and a desire for it is built up. The mind gets busy by imagining how nice it would be to enjoy it. This stage is represented by the head. 

ii) Moda: This is Stage 2: 

The pleasure of possessing a sense object. This stage is represented by the right hand, which gets busy with the task of acquiring the object. The only thing Moda demands is to possess the object. It will turn heaven to hell to get what it wants. This is like buying the object that was in the shop window earlier.

iii) Pramoda: This is Stage 3:

 The ecstacy of actually enjoying the object. This is represented by the left hand, the hand of emotions. After possessing the object, the final stage of Ananda is to actually enjoy the object and get the full emotional satisfaction out of it. This is like consuming the object that has been purchased. 

 iv) Ananda: 

The trunk of the human form represents the whole relative bliss that is split into the above three stages. It is the reflected Bliss of the Self as experienced by the unenlightened man. 

v) Brahman: 

This is the true Bliss of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. This is the original Bliss, unmodified by any of the human form’s Upadhis. It is the experience of pure Bliss by the enlightened sage. There is nothing it can be compared with. It is Absolute in nature. Without pure Bliss there cannot be any reflected bliss. Therefore, it is described as the ‘supporting tail’ for relative bliss. 

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10

 The next Anuvaka quotes the Shruti describing the Anandamaya Kosha.

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Next

INSIGHTS INTO “ANANDA” & “BRAHMAN” 

(from the Bhashyam) 

Continued

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