Principal Upanishads

Minor Upanishads

Skanda Upanishad

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together; May we work conjointly with great energy, May our study be vigorous and effective; May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).

Om ! Let there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

   1-5. (Skanda says): Great god ! Owing to an iota of your compassion I am the lapseless being (not lapsing from the identity). I am a mass of knowledge ! I am also the Good – what more (can I need) ?
Owing to the waxing of the Internal organ, what is not spiritual appears as such; by its warning, this is nothing but pure knowledge or Hari. I am knowledge alone, unborn – what more ? All that is other (than) It is inert and perishes like a dream.
He who discerns the consciousness as distinct from the inert is the unswerving mass of knowledge. Only he is Shiva, Hari, luminary of luminaries, the supreme god, the Brahman – I am that Brahman surely.

   6-7. Jiva is Shiva and Shiva is Jiva; when bound by husk it is paddy, unbound of is rice. Thus the bound one is Jiva, released from karma he is eternal Shiva. Bound by ropes, he is Jiva, unbound, Shiva.

   8-9. (I bow) to Shiva of the form of Vishnu and Vishnu who is Shiva; Vishnu is Shiva’s heart and Shiva, Vishnu’s. Just as Vishnu is full of Shiva, so is Shiva full of Vishnu. As I see no difference, I am well all my life.

   10-15. The body is said to be the temple, the deity Shiva is Jiva; one should throw away the flowers after worship and worship with the sense of identity. Perception of non-difference is knowledge, meditation the objectless mind. The bath is removal of mental impurity; cleanliness is control of the senses. One should drink the nectar of Brahma, take alms for sustenance, live by oneself devoid of duality. Such a person of wisdom will get liberation.

I bow to the supreme, sacred seat of power, to secure well-being and long life. They know themselves to be Brahman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, beyond thought, unmanifest, endless, undecaying, by your grace, Nrisimha.

That high place of Vishnu the wise ones always behold like an eye extended in heaven. The sages, praising and awake exalt that supreme status of Vishnu.
This is the doctrine of liberation according to the Vedas.

Here ends the Skandopanishad belonging to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda.

Translated by Dr. A. G. Krishna Warrier
Published by The Theosophical Publishing House, Chennai