TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD – 74. Rishi Yajnavalkya.

 

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Friday 10, January 2025, 09:20.

Taittiriya Upanishad

Part-2.

BRAHMANANDA VALLI

PART 2: 9 No. Anuvakas (Chapters)

THE BLISS THAT IS BRAHMAN

Anuvaka 2.6 

From Anandamaya to Atman  

THE ANUPRASHNAS: (Vital Questions by the Disciple) 

Mantram - 2.6.3: Who Goes There – the Ignorant or the Knower? 

Post - 74.

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THE ANUPRASHNAS: (Vital Questions by the Disciple) 

Mantram - 2.6.3: Who Goes There – the Ignorant or the Knower? 

0 

atha atah anuprashnaah: = Thereupon arise the following Questions: 

4 

uta avidvaan amum lokam pretya; = Does the ignorant, leaving this world, 

kashchana gacchhatee-3-ee-ee-ee? = Go there? (Or does he not?) 

5 

aho, vidvaan amum lokam pretya; = Or, does the knower, leaving this world, 

kaschit samashnutaa-3-aa-aa-aa u = Obtain That? (Or, does he not?)

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The Significance of the Anuprashnas

 An Anuprashna means a question asked by a disciple after the teacher has spoken. 

The teacher has just explained that Brahman is the cause of all creation right up to the 

creation of man.  A doubt arises in the student’s mind: If that is so then does everyone go 

back to Brahman when he dies, whether the person is ignorant or has been initiated into the 

knowledge of the Self?  

If one can go back to Brahman by remaining ignorant, then what is the point in doing 

various spiritual disciplines? And if one cannot go back to Brahman even after receiving all 

this knowledge, then the doubt arises: What is the point of it? Are we not wasting our time? 

Anuprashnaah is in plural, suggesting that there are three or more questions. On the 

surface we see only 2 questions, so the dual form should have been used. 

This leads to three interpretations of what the questions are: 

i) 3 Questions:

In this interpretation, the first question is taken to be “Is Brahman Non-existing or Existing?” – i.e. 1-2 of this Anuvaka. Then the above two questions – 4 and 5– are taken, without their negative forms. This makes up three questions.  

ii) 4 Questions:

Each of the two questions given in the verse can also be phrased in 

its negative form, as shown above in brackets, making a total of four questions.  

iii) 5 Questions:

 If, in the case of i) above, the negative forms are also taken, then we 

get a total of five questions, although three are sufficient to justify the plural form.  

The topic of Anuprashnas paves the way for the Proofs of Brahman’s Existence that is to follow, showing that Brahman definitely exists.

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Next

Bhashya C: 

THE SEVEN PROOFS OF BRAHMAN’S EXISTENCE  

Coverage:  Anuvaka 2.6.4 onwards upto 2.8.1

Continued

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