Principal Upanishads

Minor Upanishads

Narada-Parivrajaka Upanishad - Part 4

   IV-1. He who abandons the (three) worlds, the Vedas, objects of senses, the (influence of the) sense and remains (established) in the Atman alone, attains the highest goal.

   IV-2. A good ascetic shall never answer the inquiry on his name, lineage, etc., his native place, duration (of his stay there), study of the scripture, family, age, conduct, and the vows observed by him.

   IV-3. He shall neither converse with any woman nor remember one seen before; he shall avoid all talks on them and never look at one even in a picture.

   IV-4. The mind of an ascetic will necessarily get disturbed on his doing the four things regarding women (mentioned above); due to this agitation of the mind he is lost.

   IV-5-6. An ascetic comes down (from his high position) if he has greed, anger, untruth, bamboozling, covetousness, delusion, likes and dislikes, (love of) fine art, explaining tendency, desire, passion, accepting (gifts), egotism, ‘mine-ness’, practising medicine, enforcing right conduct (in others), expiatory acts, journeying abroad (into unholy places), and (the practice of) mantras, herbs, poisons and blessing (others) which are prohibited.

   IV-7. A sage intent on liberation shall not speak (words such as) ‘come, go, stop, welcome, friends and honouring’.

   IV-8. A mendicant monk shall neither accept gifts nor induce others to offer donation nor prompt (others to give or take gifts) at any time even in a dream.

   IV-9. Hearing or seeing good or bad of his (former) wife, brother, children, etc., and kinsmen, he shall not get agitated; he shall give up sorrow and delusion.

   IV-10-12. Abstaining from injury, (having) truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, non-acquiring, humility, absence of depression, serenity, stability, straight-forwardness, freedom from affection, serving respectable elders, faith, forgiveness, calmness, non-alignment, fortitude, amiability, endurance, compassion, modesty, knowledge and wisdom, contemplation of the supreme Spirit (Yoga), very moderate diet and contentment – these are well known as the essential requisites of self-controlled ascetics.

   IV-13. Free from (the influence of) the pairs (of opposites), ever established in goodness, equanimous in everything, the sage in the fourth stage (of asceticism), the Paramahamsa, is the visible god Narayana.

   IV-14. Except in the rainy season, he may stay one night in a village and five nights in a city; during the rains he may stay four months (in a village or town).

   IV-15. The mendicant monk shall not stay two nights in a village; if he stays, affection, etc., may find scope (to deflect him); thereby he will go to hell.

   IV-16. In the outskirts of a village, in a secluded spot he may pitch his camp and go about (for alms) like a worm (crawling) on the ground; during the rains he shall stay in one place.

   IV-17. Clad in a single garment or unclad, with his vision fixed in the one (Brahman), free from desires, undeflected from the path of the good and deeply meditating he shall walk the earth.

   IV-18. Practising his essential duties in a pure place always a mendicant monk shall ever be on the move, his eye fixed on the ground.

   IV-19. He shall never journey at night, midday or during the two twilights; neither in a deserted place nor an impassable region nor a place causing harm to creatures.

   IV-20. A mendicant monk may stay one night in a village, two nights in a small town, three nights in a big town and five nights in a city. During the rains he may camp in one place which has plenty of pure water.

   IV-21. Seeing all beings as like unto himself a mendicant monk shall walk the earth, like a person blind, dull-witted, deaf, mad and dumb.

   IV-22. A Bahudaka mendicant monk and a forest-dweller, it is declared, are to have a bath at the three periods (junctures) of the day, the Hamsa ascetic but once a day and a Paramahamsa ascetic has none (prescribed).

   IV-23. The ascetic carrying a single emblematic staff shall observe these seven things - silence, Yoga posture, deep meditation, endurance, solitude, desirelessness and equanimity.

   IV-24. One at the stage of a Paramahamsa, due to the absence of prescribed rules in regard to bath, etc., shall merely give up all the activities of the mind.

   IV-25. What difference is there between worms (revelling in putrid waters) and men who take delight in (the body consisting of) skin, flesh, blood, tendons, marrow, fat, bones, faeces, urine and pus ?

   IV-26. Where (on the one hand) is the body, a great conglomerate of all (foul things) such as phlegm and others and where (on the other hand) are merits such as bodily splendour, auspiciousness and personal charm ?

   IV-27. If a fool takes delight in his body which is a conglomerate of flesh, blood, pus, faeces, urine, tendons, marrow and bones, he will be (delighted) in hell as well.

   IV-28. Though there is no difference between the unmentionable region of women and a purified ulcer, people are generally deceived by the difference in outlook.

   IV-29. A piece of skin split in twain and perfumed by the Apana-wind – a bow to those who take delight in it ! What is greater rashness than this ?

   IV-30-31. The wise ascetic has no (worldly) work to do nor has he any emblem. The sage free from ‘mine-ness’ and fear, calm, uninfluenced by the pairs (of opposites), taking food without caste-distinction, clad in loin cloth or unclad, shall remain deeply engaged in meditation. Thus the Yogin, solely devoted to wisdom is fit for identity with Brahman.

   IV-32. Even though he may carry an emblem (such as the staff), the (real) cause of his liberation is his spiritual knowledge alone. To the people here (in the matter of attaining final beatitude) an assemblage of emblems is meaningless.

   IV-33. He is a Brahmana (knower of Brahman) who knows not (the difference between) one who is good or bad, unlearned or highly learned (in scripture), of good or bad character.

   IV-34. Therefore a wise (ascetic) shall move about unobtrusively without any emblem, knowing right conduct, devoted to the vow of (realizing) Brahman, and resorting to the secret doctrine (i.e. the Upanishads)).

   IV-35. He shall journey over the earth, a mystery to all people, devoid of class or stage of life, as (though he were) blind, dull-witted and dumb.

   IV-36. Seeing him calm in mind the gods desire to be like him. As he observes no distinction he attains the (distinctionless) final beatitude. Thus the teaching of the god Brahma. Thus (it ends).

   IV-37. Then Narada asked of Brahma (the grandfather): ‘Pray expound to us the method of renunciation’. The god Brahma agreeing to it saying ‘Be it so’ declared: For embracing the fourth stage of life (i.e. renunciation) whether one is in a state of emergency or in the regular sequence, one shall perform the eight commemorative religious ceremonies (astasraddha) after having first undergone the penance to expiate all sins (kricchraprayaschitta), the eight ceremonies being (the propitiation of) the gods, sages (of yore), (other) divine beings, men, (the five) primary elements, manes, father, mother and (one’s) Self.

First (he shall propitiate) the group of deities named Satya, Vasu, etc.; in the commemorative ceremony for the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara (Siva); in the Sraddha ceremony for the sages, divine sages (like Narada), royal sages (like Janaka) and men-sages (like Yajnavalkya); in the Sraddha for divine beings, the (eight) Vasus, the (eleven) Rudras and the (twelve) Adityas (suns); in the Sraddha for men, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata (son of the god Brahma); in the Sraddha for the Elements, the five primary elements Earth, etc., the sensory organs such as the eye, and the four groups of living beings; in the Sraddha for the manes, father, paternal grandfather and paternal great grandfather; in the Sraddha for the female ancestors, mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great grandmother; in the Sraddha for one’s Self, one self, father and paternal grandfather; if his father is alive, leaving off the father, himself, paternal grandfather and paternal great grandfather.

   In all cases he shall honour the Brahmanas, arranging that two of them are present each time. Having honoured the Brahmanas in the manner prescribed for the ceremony of the daily offerings to deceased ancestors (pitryajna) during the eight Sraddhas performed in eight days or in a day with the mantras pertaining to his own branch of the Veda, following the option of a single ceremony a day or eight ceremonies on the same day; having completed (the rituals) according to rules till they are fed; having performed the offering of rice-balls to the manes and bidding farewell to the Brahmanas, pleased with the presents and betel rolls; having saved seven hairs for the success of the remaining ritual acts; the twice born, having had seven or eight hairs shaved together along with the (remaining) hairs and beard, and the nails cut for the success of the remaining ritual acts; bathing after the shave in which hairs in the arm pits and the public hairs are exempted and preserving the (above said) seven hairs; completing the evening twilight worship; muttering the Gayatri mantra a thousand times; performing the (daily) teaching and study of the Vedas; getting ready his own ritual fire; completing (the recital of) his branch of the Veda; offering the oblation of ghee in the fire as stated in it (his Vedic branch) till Agni and Soma have been propitiated; completing the act of offering oblations; (ceremoniously) eating the barley meal three times (invoking) himself, etc., keeping alive the fire after having ceremoniously sipped water (achamana); seating himself in a skin of the black antelope at the north of the fire, keeping awake listening to the recital of Puranas; bathing at the end of the fourth watch (of the night), boiling the oblation in that fire, offering the rice-oblation sixteen times reciting the Purusha-sukta; performing the Viraja ritual (so as to be free from all sins); sipping water ceremoniously and gifting clothes, gold, vessel and cow along with a cash present, completing (the preceding rituals), bidding farewell to the god Brahma who had been invoked, invoking the fire to be (symbolically) present on his person (reciting the mantras) –

   ‘May the Maruts bring together (the scattered vital energy), may Indra (do so), may Brihaspati (do so), may this fire (do so granting) along with (long) life, wealth and strength; may he make me long lived’. Thus.
   ‘Oh Agni, come with your body which is fit for sacrifice. (You) being my Self, may you climb into my body, bringing before me great wealth suitable for men. Assuming the form of sacrifice, may you rest in my body, your source. Oh, Fire, being born of the earth, may you come with your abode; meditating on Fire, bidding farewell to him after having circumambulated and prostrated in reverence before him; worshipping the morning twilight; paying obeisance to the Sun reciting the Gayatri mantra a thousand times, seated in the waters which reach up to his navel; bidding farewell to Gayatri having made respectful offerings to the eight guardian-deities of the quarters; mingling the Gayatri with the Vyahritis (bhur, bhuvas, suvas) and reciting in a low, middling or high tone or mentally (the mantras), ‘I am the stimulator of the tree (of the phenomenal world). Fame (of my knowledge) is lofty like the peak of a mountain. High and holy, I am the immortal being as (the immortal Self) in the sun. (I am) the wealth (of the Self) endowed with effulgence. Possessing true knowledge I am immersed in my immortal nature. Thus the words of self-realization (based on the Veda) of Trisanku (a realized soul)’.

   ‘He (the Om) who is the most exalted of the Vedas and omnipresent and who has sprung from the ambrosial scripture – may that (Om), the (supreme) lord endow me with (true) intelligence. May I, Oh Lord, become the possessor of (wisdom leading to) immortality; my body very active (in the higher life); my tongue (speech) possessed of sweetness to the highest degree. May I with my ears, listen to the wealth (of Vedantic learning). You are the sheath of Brahman, concealed by worldly intelligence (while please rent asunder). Pray protect my wisdom (born) of the study of the scripture’; ‘I am (now) risen above the desire for wife, desire for wealth and desire for worldly glory’. ‘Om Bhuh, I have renounced (the world)’. ‘Om Bhuvah, I have renounced’. ‘Om Suvah, I have renounced’. Sipping water (ceremoniously, reciting the mantra) ‘Freedom from fear to all beings; everything emanates from memory, Svaha’; offering (water) to the East with the palms fully folded and uprooting the sikha (of seven hairs) reciting Om Svaha; snapping the sacred thread (reciting the mantras) – ‘The sacred thread is highly sanctifying; it has been natural to the god Brahma (Prajapati) in the first place; foremost in promoting long life, put on thus.

May the bright (fresh) sacred thread be the strength and effulgence (unto me);
   ‘Let not the sacred thread reside externally; may you, entering inside into the middle (of the heart) ever grant (me) the highly sanctifying fame, strength, wisdom and dispassion, and (true) intelligence’. Offering water with cupped palms, he shall offer (the sacred thread) as oblation to the waters, (reciting the mantra) ‘Om Bhuh, (pray) reach the sea, Svaha’. Repeating thrice, ‘Om Bhuh, I have renounced, Om Bhuvah, I have renounced, Om Suvah, I have renounced’, he shall ceremoniously sip water and discard in the waters his garment and waist band, reciting ‘Om Bhuh Svaha’. Reminding himself that he had ceased from all (worldly) activities and becoming unclad he shall start for the north with his hand raised and thinking of his Self.

   IV-38. If, as stated before, he is an enlightened recluse, he shall receive instruction from his Guru on the Pranava (Om) and the great scriptural texts (such as 'Thou art That'), journeying (as a mendicant monk) in easy stages, (convinced) that no one exists other than his Self and subsisting on fruits, (edible) leaves and water and thus move about on hills, forests and temples. Then unclad, giving up journeying all (over the earth), his heart solely filled with the experience of bliss always, profited by the complete severance of (worldly) activities, sustaining life by means of fruits, juicy barks, leaves, bulbous roots and water only for attaining liberation, he shall discard his body in some mountain cave remembering the emancipating mantra (Om).

   IV-39. If he is a recluse desiring further study (Vividisha Sannyasin) he shall proceed along with learned Brahmanas like his preceptor, etc., and receiving a staff, waistband, loin cloth, garment and water vessel (offered) by his preceptors reciting, ‘Pray wait, wait, blessed one, take the staff, (ochre) garment and water vessel’, he shall go to the spiritual guide’s presence to receive instruction in the Pranava (Om) and the great scriptural texts (Mahavakyas). He shall then receive the (emblematic) bamboo staff, which is free from cuts from the tip of the top, evenly shaped, smooth, free from black colour and is auspicious looking, having first sipped water ceremoniously and (repeating the mantra), ‘You are my friend. Protect my strength. You, my friend, are Indra’s (weapon) Vajra, the destroyer of (the demon) Vritra. May you bring protection to me. Prevent that which is a sin’.

He shall then receive the water-vessel reciting the Pranava first (and then the mantra) ‘You are the life of the world, you are the container of water, you who are always cool’. (Receiving) the waist-band, loin cloth and the (ochre) garment (reciting the mantra in the due order), ‘the waist-band, the supporter of the loin cloth, Om; the cover for the privities, the loincloth, Om; the garment, which is the protection against cold, wind, and heat, Om;’ and invested with the yoga cloth (cloth used for meditation) preceded by the ceremonial sipping of water, he shall zealously follow the rules of his stage of life (i.e. asceticism) considering that he has fulfilled himself (in the quest for liberation). Thus (ends the fourth Upadesha of the Upanishad.

Narada-Parivrajaka Upanishad - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8