The Mother Divine
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ESSENCE OF MAITRI UPANISHAD
Edited, compiled, and translated by VDN Rao

Chapter I
AWARENESS OF THE SUPREME VIZ. THE CONSCIENCE OF ONE’S OWN SELF

  1. Brahma yagjno vaa esha yat purveshaam chayanam, tasmaad yajamaanas chidvaitaan Agneen aatmaanam abhidhaaye; sa purnah khaluvaa addhaah vilalah sampadyate yagjnaah, kah sobhidyeyo- yam yah praanaakhyah; tasyopaakhyaanam

    The ancient Sages explained that laying the SacrificialAgni to realise Paramatma is the realised one’s own Antaratma and the very existence or one’s ownlife! This is illustrated by the following example.

  2. Brihadratho vai naama raajaa vraajye putram nidhaapyattvedam ashaashvatam manyamaanah shareeram vairaagyam upetoranyam nirjagaama; sa tatra paramam tapa asthaayaadityam udiksha - maana urthvabaahustishthata varam vrineestishthati raajaanam abraveet, sa tasmai namaskrutvovaacha Bhagavan, naaham aatmavit twam tatwavit shushrumovayam, sa twam no bruheeti; etad vrittam purastaad duhshakyam etat prashnam aikshvaaklaanyaan kaamaan vrinishveti shaakaayanyah shirasaasya charanaav abhimrishamaano raajemaam gathaam jagaada

    There was a King named Brihadratha who anointed his son as the Successor and felt that his life and body were ephemeral; having taken to a life of total detachment he reached a forest to practise severe austerity. He performed a sacrifice by standing erect with uplifted arms gazing at Pratyakhsa Bhaskara for thousand days. Then there was a Fire Ball Glow without smoke standing before him named ‘Shaakaayanya’ and asked Brihadratha to name a boon and the latter replied that he desired to know about the Self or the Antaratma! Shaakaayanya replied that the query was rather complicated and as such another material wish be asked for fulfilment.

  3. Bhagavan! Asti-charma- snaayu- majjaa-maamsa- shukra-shonita- shleshma-shru- dushikaa-vin-mutra- vaata-pitta- kapha-samghate durgandhe nihshareesmin shareere kim kaamopa bhogaih? Kaama-krodha- lobha-moha- bhaya- vishaadershyata viyogaanishta-samprayoga- kshut-pipaasaa- jaraamrityu roga shokaadyaar abhihate asmin shareere kim kaamopabhogaih

    Bhagavan! What is the use of this body which smells foul with bones, skin, muscle, flesh, marrow, blood, semen, mucus, urine, stool, bad wind, bile, phlegm, and such basic and ill born impurities! Further, this body is subject to the in-born enemies of kaama-krodha- lobha-moha- mada-bhaya- vishaada- irshya-viyoga- anishta-amprayoga-kshut- pipaasha- jara-mrityu- roga-shokaadi or lust-anger- greed- infatuation-arrogance- fear-sorrow- jealousy- aversion-hunger- thirst-old age-death- disease- sorrow and so on. Is such life worthwhile and what avail of that type of existence!

  4. Sarvam chedam kshayishnu pashyaamo yatheme damshama shakaadayas trina vanaspatayodbhuta pradvamsnah, atha kim etair vaa parenye mahaa dhanur daraash chakravartinah kechit sudyumna bhur- dyumnendradyumna kuvalashva vadhriya ashvapatih shashabindur harischandrombarisha naanaktu saryaati yayaayanaranoyokshasyenaadayah, atha marutta bharata prabhritayo raajaanah, mishato bandhu vargasya mahathateem shriyam thyatvaasmaal lokaad amum lokam prayaataa iti, atha kim etauor vaa parenye gandharvaasuraa yaksha bhutagana pishaachoraga grahaadeenaam nirodham pashyaamah iti, atha kim etair vaanyaanaam shshanam mahaarna vaanaam shikarinaam prapatanaam dhruvasya prachalanam vrashchanam vaatarajjuunaam nimajjanam prithivyaah sthaanaad apasharanam suraanaam ityetad vidhosmin samsaare kim kaamopabhogaih, yair evaashitasyaa sakrud ihaavartanam drishyataa iti uddhartum arhasi, andhodapaanasto bheka ivaaham asmin samsaare bhagavan twam no gatistwam na gatih

    It is common knowledge that anything or any being or person is destined to perish like mosquitoes or gnats, grass or trees! Renowned warriors or Emperors of historic reputation like Sudyumna, Bhuridyumna, Indradyumna, Kuvalaashva, Youvanaashva, Vadhraashva, Ashva -pati, Sashabindu, Harischandra, Ambarisha, Anankta, Saryaati, Yayaati, Anaranya, Ukshasena, and the like had to perish finally. Quite a few Kings like Marutta, Bharata, and others took to renouncement by discarding wealth and fame from the mortal world to the other worlds of lasting glory. Besides human beings, destruction of extra-terrestrial and superior Beings is equally inevitable as for instance Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakshas, Rakshasaas, Bhutas, Ganas, Pishachasas, Maha Sarpas, and Vampires and so on. With the passage of ‘Kaala maana’ or the eternal Time Cycle, oceans had dried up, mountain peaks got smashed, the positioning of Pole Stars got dislocated, terrestrial positioning  got disturbed, and even Devas experienced ‘sthaana bhramsha’ or dislodgment from their locations! Bhagavan! In this kind of ever-changing existence, what is the utility of the materialistic value and worth in such a boon that is bereft of Reality or anything short of ‘Paramaartha’ the Realisation of the Absolute Truth!