Principal Upanishads

Minor Upanishads

Maha Upanishad Part 2

III-1-15. A lad, Nidagha, prince of seers and enlightened, permitted by his father to go on a pilgrimage, had ablution in three and a half Crores of sacred places, then told Ribhu about himself. ‘After bathing in so many places an enquiry (question) has arisen there in my mind:

   The world is born only to die and dies only to be reborn – all the actions of the moving and unmoving things are ephemeral; Things such are sources of splendour are sinful and give place to all calamities; unconnected with each other, like iron-stakes, they come together, only by mental fancy. I have lost taste in various things, like a traveller in deserts my mind is tormented as to how this suffering will die down; riches please me not but give only cycles of worries just as houses with children and women cause danger.

   This (material) glory in the world is delicate, cause only delusion, does not give happiness. Life is unsteady like a drop of water hanging on to the top of a tender leaf; like an insane person it goes away, leaving the body suddenly. Life causes strain to those whose mind is shattered by contact with the poison from the snake of worldly objects and who lack mature discrimination of the self.

   It is (possible) reasonable to envelop wind and to cut into (empty) space, to string together watery waves but not give up attachment to (worldly) life.

   (In contrast) by attaining Brahman, what is to be got is got, which causes no grief; it is the place of highest joy.

   Even trees live, so do animals and birds – only he (really) lives, whose mind is sustained by contemplation; the others who have no (spiritual) rebirth are only old donkeys.

   Shastra is a burden to one who lacks (spiritual) discrimination, knowledge is a burden to one attached (to life); mind is a burden to one without security, body is a burden to one ignorant of the self.

   II-16-26. From ego does danger arise, so do bad mental ailments and desire – there is no enemy more dangerous than Ego; whatever in the moving and unmoving world was enjoyed by Ego – all that is unreal; only freedom from Ego is real. The mind runs hither and tither, in vain and with zeal, like a dog in the village. O Brahman, I have been made inert by the pursuit of thirst and eaten by my mind as by a dog.

   Containment of the mind is impossible even by drinking up the ocean uprooting Meru and eating fire. Mind is the cause of objects; when it exists, the three worlds exist; when it does not, so do they, so it should be cured with effort.

   Whatever wealth of merit I acquire, that Thirst cuts down, like a mouse cutting a string. Thirst is a fickle monkey – it sets foot in impassable places, hankers after fruits even when filled with them; never rests long in a place.

   Throat is a bee in the lotus-heart. One moment, it goes to Patala; another, the sky; and another, it hovers in the bush of space; of all the griefs of worldly life, only thirst gives the longest grief; a person (well-guarded) in the harem it involves in great trouble.

   Abandonment of brooding is the (preventive) chant for the cholera of Thirst.
   II-27-38. There is nothing as pitiable as the body, low and meritless; it exults over a little and suffers over a little. The body is the great abode of the house-holder i.e. the Ego. Let it roll about or be steady – what is it to me, O Preceptor !

   This body pleases me not – the senses (animals) are bound by six ropes (vices) – in its yard, Ego leaps about, it is crowded with the servants – the mind. It is frightening with the entrance held by the monkey (tongue) – in it are seen the (bared) teeth and bones. Tell me, what is attractive in the body which is made of blood and flesh, in and out, and which is only to perish – let him trust the body, who sees steadiness in lightnings, autumn clouds, and cities in the sky (illusions). Childhood is the abode of fear from the teacher, mother, father, other people and older children.

   One is overwhelmed by the goblin of lust which exists in the cave of one’s mind and causes many delusions. Slaves, sons, women, relatives and friends laugh at a man shaken by old age as at a mad man. Desire is full of the defect of helplessness, grows long in old age, the sole friend of all danger and confuse foment is the heart.

   The attribution of happiness to worldly life – even this is cut by time like grass by a rat. Time tries to possess selfishly (every thing from) grass and dust (to) Indra and gold, which is the dust of Meru – destroys all and all the three worlds are occupied by it.
   III-39-48. What is auspicious about woman – a puppet of flesh – moved by a machine in the cage of the body – having nerves, bones and knots ?
   Why are you deluded; separate the skin, flesh, blood and tears and then look at the body. Is it attractive ?

   The pearl necklace on the breast is like the current of Ganga on Meru (fleeting and ephemeral) – the same breast is eaten by dogs at the due time like a lump of food, in the cemetery and corners of the directions.

   Women are the flame of sin, have the soot of hair, pleasing to the eye but not to be touched; they burn man like grass.

   Women are the fuel lovely, yet harmful, of the fires of all blazing at a distance whether they have taste (attachment) or not.

   Women are the traps to catch the birds – men, spread by the hunter, Manmatha, the lump of bait, the string of wickedness to men who are the fish in the pond of birth (life) and moving in the mud of mind.

   I will have none of this woman who is the basket of all defects – gems – the chain of misery. Only he with a woman has desire for enjoyment; where is enjoyment for one who has no woman ? Giving up women means giving up the world; by this one shall be happy.

   III-49-54. Even the Quarters (like North) are not seen, regions give other (wrong) instruction; even the oceans and the stars dry up, even the permanent becomes impermanent, even Yogins (Siddhas) perish, demons and others decay; Brahma is reduced (to nothing), the unborn Vishnu too; Shiva becomes non-existent, the lords of the quarters decay. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and all classes of creatures run towards destruction, like water-streams towards the marine fire. Dangers come for a moment, so does wealth; birth and death are only for a moment – everything dies. The brave ones are killed by those not brave – a hundred are killed by one. Poison changes its scope (effect) – poison is not poison !

   III-55-57. Objects (of the world) destroy (only) one more birth, poison destroys life only once; it is time my mind is burnt in the forest fire of defects. Desires for enjoyment do not flash even in the illusory fatamorgana; so, oh preceptor, waken me quickly with the knowledge of truth. If you do not, I shall take to silence, without pride and jealousy, contemplating Vishnu with the mind like one turned into a painting.

Maha Upanishad - Part1, Part3, Part4, Part5, Part6