Taittiriya Upanishad

Excerpts

Invocation

Aum. May Mitra be propitious unto us! May Varuna be propitious unto us! May Aryaman be propitious unto us! May Indra and Brihaspati be propitious unto us! May Vishnu, of wide strides, be propitious unto us!
Salutation to Brahman! Salutation to Thee, O Vayu [air or prana]! Thou indeed art the visible Brahman. Thee indeed I shall proclaim as the visible Brahman. Thee indeed, O Vayu, I shall proclaim as the right (ritam)! Thee indeed, I shall proclaim as the true (satyam)!
May It protect me! May It protect the teacher! May It protect me! May It protect the teacher!
Aum. May Brahman protect us both! May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of Knowledge! May we both obtain the energy to acquire Knowledge! May what we both study reveal the Truth! May we cherish no ill-feeling toward each other! Aum. Peace! Peace! Peace! (2.1.1)

The Knower of Brahman

Aum. He who knows Brahman attains the Supreme.
On the above, the following mantra (Rik) is recorded:
"He who knows Brahman which is Reality, Knowledge, and Infinity hidden in the cave of the heart and in the highest akasa—he, being one with the omniscient Brahman, enjoys simultaneously all desires."
From that Atman (Brahman) was born akasa; from akasa, air; from air, fire; from fire, water; from water, earth; from earth, herbs; from herbs, food; from food, man.
He, that man, verily consists of the essence of food. This indeed is his head, this [right arm] is his right wing, this [left arm] is his left wing, this [trunk] is his body (atman), this support [below the navel] is his tail. (2.1.3)

"In the beginning all this (i.e. the manifested universe) was nonexistent. From it was born what exists. That (i.e. Brahman described as non-existent) created Itself by Itself; therefore It is called the Self-made (Sukritam)."
That which is Self-made is flavour (rasa, or essence); for truly, on obtaining the flavour one becomes blissful.
Who could direct the prana and the apana [to perform their functions] if this Bliss (Brahman) did not exist in the akasa [of the heart] ? Brahman verily exists because It alone bestows bliss.
When a man finds fearless support in That which is invisible, incorporeal, indefinable, and supportless, he has then obtained fearlessness.
If he makes the slightest differentiation in It, there is fear for him. That [Brahman] becomes [the cause of] fear for the knower [of differentiation] who does not reflect. (2.7.1)

Brahman is Bliss (Ananda)

He realized that bliss (ananda) is Brahman; for from bliss, verily, are these beings born; by bliss, when born, do they live; into bliss [at the time of dissolution] do they enter, do they merge.
This is the wisdom taught by Varuna and learnt by Bhrigu. It is established in the supreme akasa [in the heart]. He who knows this is established in the Bliss of Brahman. He becomes a possessor of food and an eater of food. He becomes great in offspring and cattle and in spiritual radiance, and great in fame. (3.6.1)

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THE UPANISHADS — Overview — The Greatest Sayings — Brahman — Universal Prayer KATHA UPANISHAD — Importance of a Guru — Brahman is Aum — Nature of Atman — Realizing Atman KENA UPANISHAD — True Goal of Life ISHA UPANISHAD — Ignorance PRASNA UPANISHAD — Power of Aum AITAREYA UPANISHAD — Brahman is Consciousness

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD — Importance of Aum Gaudapada Karika — Understanding Maya — Non-duality of Atman — The Nature of Brahman — Dreaming and Waking — Reincarnation — Soul is Immortal MUNDAKA UPANISHAD — The Higher Knowledge — 'Aum is the Bow' — How to Know Brahman? SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD — Practice of Yoga — Manifestations of Brahman

TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD — Invocation — The Knower of Brahman — Brahman is Bliss (Ananda) CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD — Gayatri Mantra — Everything is a Name — Brahman is Being (Sat) BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD — Prana — That Thou Art — Aspects of the Universe — Self-Realization — States of Consciousness — Liberation

 

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Reference to Kriya Yoga Raja Yoga

Book I: Introduction Samadhi ('Oneness') Book II: Introduction Sadhana ('Practice')

Book III: Introduction Vibhuti ('Powers') Book IV: Introduction Kaivalya ('Liberation')