LESSON THREE
1. In The beginning there was nothing here – These creatures are born sans root and support.
2-3. Narayana is the eye as well as the visible, ear as well as the audible, nose and the scentable, tongue and the tastable, skin and the tactile, mind and the thinkable, intellect and its contents, ego and its field, speech and its contents, hands, feet, their fields, anus and genital – all are Narayana. Supporter, ordainer, transformer – all is He.
4. Adityas, Rudras, Maruts, Vasus, Asvins, Rik, Yajus, Sama, Mantras, Agni, oblation – all are Narayana, so also mothers, fathers etc.
5. Viraja, Sudarsana, Jita, Saumya, Amogha, Kumara, Amrita, Satya, Madhyama, Nasira, Sisura, Asura, Surya, Bhasvati are the names.
6. Roars, sings, blows, rains – Varuna, Aryama, Chandra, kala, kavi, Dhata, Brahma, Indra, Days and Half-days, moments as well as ages – all are He.
7. All this is Purusha only – the past and the future – that high place of Vishnu – the Suris (sages) look upon this always like the eye spread in the sky. The sages without mental conflict enhance its glory.
This is the doctrine of liberation according to the Vedas.
Thus the Sixth Section
LESSON FOUR: THE NATURE OF THE INNER CONTROLLER
1. The unborn, sole, immortal being inside the body, whose body is the Earth and who moves inside the body unknown to the Earth, who moves inside water, as the body unknown to it, who moves inside fire unknown to it, who moves inside air unknown to it, so also inside Mind, Intellect, Ego, Chitta (mind-stuff), Avyakta (unmanifest), Akshara (imperishable), Death – He is the inner, sinless, self, divine Narayana.
2. This he (Adibrahma) imported to Apantaratamas (Vishnu), Vishnu to Brahma, he to Ghorangiras who gave it to Raikva who gave it to Rama. He gave it to all living beings. Such is the doctrine of Nirvana according to Vedas.
Thus the Seventh Section
LESSON FIVE: THE SELF IN THE BODY
In this body of fat, flesh, moisture is placed this pure self of all, within the cave. The wise behold the immortal, luminous bliss, bodiless and imponderable, enshrined in this cave, the master of all, formless, massed splendour, pure, detached, divinely shining, the self that exceeds and whose form is imponderable. They behold it by sublation in this body that is as fickle as bubbles in water, empty like the plantain pith, a city in the sky, a painted wall, very much conditioned.
Thus the Eighth Section
1-14. Then Raikva asked, ‘Sir, into what do all things set ?’ He answered ‘The visible disappears in the eye, it is resolved (in the self) in the eye. The visible disappears in the sun, it is resolved in the sun. What disappears in the Virat (cosmic Man) is resolved in the self in the Virat. What disappears in the Prana is resolved in the Prana. What disappears in Vijnana (cognition) is resolved (in the self) in the Vijnana. What disappears in Ananda is resolved in Ananda (Bliss). What disappears in the Turiya is resolved in Turiya. That self is immortal, fearless, painless, infinite seedless. (All things are) resolved in that self’ – so said he.
15. He who knows this seedless (Brahman) himself becomes seedless. He does not get birth and death, is not deluded, nor pierced or burned; does not tremble or get angry – they say he is the self – the burner of all.
16. This self is not got by hundreds of expositions, not by great learning, nor by reliance on intellectual knowledge, nor through power of memory, Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, Sankhya or Yoga, Ashramas, elucidation, laudation and exercises. The Vedic scholars achieve it, having become calm, restrained, withdrawn, tolerant and concentrating.
Thus the Nineth Section
Then Raikva asked, ‘Sir, in what are all these established, He replied ‘In the Rasatalas’. He asked ‘In what are the Rasatalas woven, warp and woof ?’ ‘In the Bhu regions’.
‘In what are Bhu woven ?’ ‘In Suvar’.
‘In what are Suvar woven ?’ ‘In Mahar’.
‘In what are Mahar woven ?’ ‘In Janas’.
‘In what are Janas woven ?’ ‘In Tapas’.
‘In what are Tapas woven ?’ ‘In Prajapati’s region’.
‘In what are these woven ?’ ‘In Brahma’s region’.
All the worlds are extended, warp and woof, in the Brahman, like gems in a string – Thus he spoke.
Whoever knows these worlds as extended in the self, indeed, becomes the self. This is the doctrine of Nirvana of the Vedas.
Thus the Tenth Section
LESSON SIX: THE UPWARD PATH
Then Raikva asked him, ‘Sir, this mass of knowledge moving upwards, what place does he leave when departing upwards ?’ He replied ‘In the centre of the heart is a red mass of flesh – in it a small white lotus, blooming like a lily in many ways. In its centre is a sea with a shining space in the middle. Four arteries are these – Rama, Arama, Iccha, Apunarbhava (pleasing, not pleasing, desire and not born again). Of these Rama leads to the world of merit through merit, Arama to the world of demerit through demerit. By Iccha, one reaches what one thinks of. By Apunarbhava he breaks through the sheath (Kosa) then the cranium, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, elements, Mahat, Avyakta, akshara, Mrityu. This Mrityu becomes one with the supreme deity. Beyond that there is neither being nor non-being, nor their combination. This is the doctrine of Nirvana of the Vedas.
Thus the Eleventh Section
LESSON SEVEN: SAMADHI
From Narayana, arose raw food (Ignorance of Atman) (at the beginning of Brahma’s day); at the end of the day (the deluges) is cooked in Aditya. Flesh etc., are again cooked in the gastric fire. Eat only what is fresh, not meant for another – do not beg for it.
Thus the Twelfth Section
1. The sage should desire to be with child-like nature, which is unattached, faultless. Through silence, learning, free from obligation is got aloneness. Prajapati said, ‘Knowing the great place, one should live at the base of a tree, ill-clad, friendless, alone in Samadhi desiring the self alone, having won all desired objects, desireless, desires eroded. He is not afraid of elephants, lions, flies, mongoose, snakes etc., knowing as forms of death. One should remain like a tree; he shall not become angry even when cut down, or tremble, like stone, like sky, he shall remain with truth.
2. The heart of all smells is Earth, of tastes water, of forms fire, of touchless air, of sounds ether. Avyakta is the heart of all movements, Mrityu of all Sattvas (living beings). Death indeed becomes one with the supreme Deity. Beyond it there is neither being nor non-being nor their combination – this is the doctrine of Nirvana of the Vedas.
Thus the Thirteenth Section
LESSON EIGHT
The earth is indeed the food, water is the eater; water is the food, fire the eater; fire is the food, air is the eater; air is the food, ether the eater; mind the food, intellect the eater; intellect the food, Avyakta the eater; Avyakta the food, Akshara (imperishable) is the eater, Akshara the food, Death is the eater – it becomes one in the supreme deity beyond which there is neither existence nor non-existence – this is the Vedic doctrines of liberation.
Thus the Fourteenth Section
LESSON NINE: BURNING THE PRINCIPLES (BASES)
The Raikva asked, ‘Sir, this mass of knowledge, the spirit – when he departs, which does he burn ?’ The reply, ‘He burns Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana, Vairambha, Mukhya, Antaryama, Prabhanja, Kumara, Syena, Sveta, Krishna, Naga, also Prithvi etc., from Jagarita upto Turiya; Lokaloka, dharma and adharma; regions without the sun, without limits and light – Mrityu becomes one with the supreme deity – this is the Vedic lecture of liberation’.
Thus the Fifteenth Section
LESSON TEN: IMPARTING BRAHMAVIDYA
The secret doctrine of Subala, should not be taught to one who is not tranquil, one who is not son or disciple, one who stays for less than a year, whose family and character are unknown.
To one supremely devoted to god and so to the preceptor, these ideas reveal themselves, to the great soul !
This is the doctrine of liberation according to Vedas.
Thus the Sixteenth Section
Om ! That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite.
The infinite proceeds from the infinite.
(Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe),
It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
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 !
Here ends the Subalopanishad belonging to the Sukla-Yajur-Veda.
