BRAHMĀNANDAVALLĪ

Om̃ saha nāvavatu । saha nau bhunaktu । saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai ।

tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai ।
Om̃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

Om̃ brahmavidāpnoti param । tadeṣā'bhuktā ।

satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ brahma ।
yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ parame vyoman ।
so'śnute sarvān kāmānsaha । brahmaṇā vipaściteti ॥ 1.1॥

The knower of Brahman attains the limitless. With reference to this, the following Ṛg-
mantra is being quoted thus, ‘Brahman is existence, consciousness and limitlessness.
The one who knows (that Brahman which) resides in the intellect, within the space (of
the heart), fulfils all (his) desires at one, in the form of Brahman which all-knowledge.

tasmādvā etasmādātmana ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ । ākāśādvāyuḥ ।

vāyoragniḥ । agnerāpaḥ । adbhyaḥ pṛthivī ।
pṛthivyā oṣadhayaḥ । oṣadhībhyonnam । annātpuruṣaḥ ॥ 1.2॥

From that which is indeed this ātmā, space is born. From space , air (is born). From
air, fire (is born). From fire, water (is born). From water, the earth (is born). From the
earth, plants (are born). From plants, food (is born). From food, the human body (is
born). That human body is this body which is a modification of the essence of food.

sa vā eṣa puruṣo'nnarasamayaḥ । tasyedameva śiraḥ ।

ayaṃ dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ । ayamuttaraḥ pakṣaḥ ।
ayamātmā । idaṃ pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā ।
tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 2.1॥

This is its head. This is the right side. This is the left side. This is the ātmā (middle
part). This is the tail (lower part), which is the support. In this regard, there is the
following Ṛg-mantra.

annādvai prajāḥ prajāyante । yāḥ kāśca pṛthivīṁśritāḥ ।

atho annenaiva jīvanti । athainadapi yantyantataḥ ।
annaꣳhi bhūtānāṃ jyeṣṭham । tasmāt sarvauṣadhamucyate ।
sarvaṃ vai te'nnamāpnuvanti । ye'nnaṃ brahmopāsate ।
annaꣳhi bhūtānāṃ jyeṣṭham । tasmāt sarvauṣadhamucyate ।
annād bhūtāni jāyante । jātānyannena vardhante ।
adyate'tti ca bhūtāni । tasmādannaṃ taducyata iti ॥ 2.2॥
Indeed, all beings based on earth, are born of food. Moreover, by food alone they all
live and finally into this (food) alone they all resolve. Food alone is indeed the first
among the beings. Therefore, it is called the medicine for all. Certainly those people
who meditate on Brahman as attain all types of food. Food alone is indeed the first
among the beings. Therefore, it is called the medicine for all. Out of food all beings
are born. Those that are born grow by food. Food is eaten by beings and food eats
the beings. Therefore it is called annam. Thus ends the quotation.

tasmādvā etasmādannarasamayāt । anyo'ntara ātmā prāṇamayaḥ ।

tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ । sa vā eṣa puruṣavidha eva ।
tasya puruṣavidhatām । anvayaṃ puruṣavidhaḥ ।
tasya prāṇa eva śiraḥ । vyāno dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ ।
apāna uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ । ākāśa ātmā ।
pṛthivī pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā । tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 2.3॥

In fact, prāṇamaya is the ātmā which is other than and interior to that annamaya. By
that prāṇamaya this annamaya is filled. That prāṇamaya indeed is of human form only.
This prāṇamaya is of human form in keeping with the human form of that annamaya.
Of that prāṇamaya, prāṇa alone is head, vyāna the right wing, apāna the left wing,
samāna the trunk, udāna the tail (as it were), which is the support. In this regard also
the following Ṛg-mantra is there.

prāṇaṃ devā anu prāṇanti । manuṣyāḥ paśavaśca ye ।

prāṇo hi bhūtānāmāyuḥ । tasmāt sarvāyuṣamucyate ।
sarvameva ta āyuryanti । ye prāṇaṃ brahmopāsate ।
prāṇo hi bhūtānāmāyuḥ । tasmāt sarvāyuṣamucyata iti ॥ 2.4॥
tasyaiṣa eva śārīra ātmā । yaḥ pūrvasya ।
tasmādvā etasmāt prāṇamayāt । anyo'ntara ātmā manomayaḥ ।
tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ । sa vā eṣa puruṣavidha eva ।
tasya puruṣavidhatām । anvayaṃ puruṣavidhaḥ ।
tasya yajureva śiraḥ । ṛgdakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ । sāmottaraḥ pakṣaḥ ।
ādeśa ātmā । atharvāṅgirasaḥ pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā ।
tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 3 ॥

With the blessing of the prāṇa gods live. So too, do human beings and animals live.
Prāṇa indeed is the life of all beings. Therefore, prāṇa is said to be the lifespan of all.
Those who meditate upon prāṇa as Brahman live (their) full lifespan. Prāṇa indeed is
the life of all beings. Therefore, prāṇa is said to be the lifespan of all. Thus ends the
Ṛg-mantra. Of that earlier (annamaya), this (prāṇamaya) is the self. Manomaya,
indeed is the ātmā which is other than and interior to that prāṇamaya. By that
manomaya this prāṇamaya is filled. That manomaya is indeed of the human form
only. Manomaya is of human form in keeping with the human form of that prāṇamaya.
Yajur-veda alone is its head. Ṛg-veda is the right wing. Sāma-veda is the left wing.
Vedic injunctions are the trunk. Atharva-veda is the tail (as it were), which is the
support. In this regard also the following Ṛg-mantra is there.

yato vāco nivartante । aprāpya manasā saha ।

ānandaṃ brahmaṇo vidvān । na bibheti kadācaneti ।
tasyaiṣa eva śārīra ātmā । yaḥ pūrvasya ॥ 4 ॥
tasmādvā etasmānmanomayāt । anyo'ntara ātmā vijñānamayaḥ ।
tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ । sa vā eṣa puruṣavidha eva ।
tasya puruṣavidhatām । anvayaṃ puruṣavidhaḥ ।
tasya śraddhaiva śiraḥ । ṛtaṃ dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ ।
satyamuttaraḥ pakṣaḥ । yoga ātmā । mahaḥ pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā ।
tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 5.1॥

Words, along with the mind, return without reaching Hiraṇyangarbha. One who
meditates on his svarūpa as ānanda, does not fear at any time. Thus ends the Ṛg-
mantra. This manomaya is indeed the inner self of the previous one (prāṇamaya). In
fact, vijñānamaya is the ātmā which is other than and interior to that manomaya. By
that vijñānamaya, this annamaya is filled. This vijñānamaya indeed, is of the human
form only. It is of human form in keeping with the human form of that manomaya. Of
that vijñānamaya, faith alone is the dead, right understanding is the right wing, truth is
the left wing, resolution of the mind is the trunk and Hiraṇyangarbha is the tail (as it
were), which is the support. In this regard also the following Ṛg-mantra is there.

vijñānaṃ yajñaṃ tanute । karmāṇi tanute'pi ca ।

vijñānaṃ devāḥ sarve । brahma jyeṣṭhamupāsate ।
vijñānaṃ brahma cedveda । tasmāccenna pramādyati ।
śarīre pāpmano hitvā । sarvānkāmān samaśnuta iti ।
tasyaiṣa eva śārīra ātmā । yaḥ pūrvasya ॥ 5.2॥
tasmādvā etasmādvijñānamayāt । anyo'ntara ātmā''nandamayaḥ ।
tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ । sa vā eṣa puruṣavidha eva ।
tasya puruṣavidhatām । anvayaṃ puruṣavidhaḥ ।
tasya priyameva śiraḥ । modo dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ ।
pramoda uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ । ānanda ātmā ।
brahma pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā । tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 5.3॥

The vijñānamaya performs all the rituals and also all the worldly actions. All deities
worship the first and foremost (total) vijñānamaya as Brahman. If one meditates upon
the total vijñānamaya as Brahman and if he does not stray away from that meditation,
he will destroy all pāpas in this body and will enjoy all pleasures. Thus ends the Ṛg-
mantra. This vijñānamaya is indeed the inner self of the previous one (i.e, manomaya).
In fact, ānandamaya is the self which is other than and interior to that vijñānamaya.
The vijñānamaya is filled up by the ānandamaya. This ānandamaya also is of human
form only. It is of human form in keeping with the human form of that vijñānamaya. A
pleasant disposition indeed is its head. Joy is the right wing. Ecstasy is the left wing.
Ānanda is the trunk. Brahman is the tail (as it were), which is the support. In this
regard, also the following mantra.

asanneva sa bhavati । asadbrahmeti veda cet ।

asti brahmeti cedveda । santamenaṃ tato viduriti ।
tasyaiṣa eva śārīra ātmā । yaḥ pūrvasya ॥ 6.1॥
athāto'nupraśnāḥ । utāvidvānamuṃ lokaṃ pretya ।
kaścana gacchatī । āho vidvānamuṃ lokaṃ pretya ।
kaścitsamaśnutā u ॥ 6.2॥
so'kāmayata । bahusyāṃ prajāyeyeti । sa tapo'tapyata ।
sa tapastaptvā । idaꣳsarvamasṛjata । yadidaṃ kiñca ।
tatsṛṣṭvā । tadevānuprāviśat । tadanu praviśya ।
sacca tyaccābhavat । niruktaṃ cāniruktaṃ ca ।
nilayanaṃ cānilayanaṃ ca । vijñānaṃ cāvijñānaṃ ca ।
satyaṃ cānṛtaṃ ca satyamabhavat । yadidaṃ kiñca ।
tatsatyamityācakṣate । tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 6.3 ॥

if one concludes that Brahman is non-existent, he indeed becomes non-existent (as it

were). If one considers that Brahman is existent, then (people) recognise him as
existent. Thus ends the Ṛg-mantra. This ānandamaya is indeed the inner self of the
previous one (the vijñānamaya). Now follows the questions regarding the teaching.
‘After leaving (this world), does an ignorant person reach that Brahman (or not)? Or,
after leaving (this world) does a wise person reach that Brahman (or not)?’ he (the
brahmātmā) desired thus: ‘Let me be born and become many’. He performed tapas.
Having performed taps, he created all this, whatever that is here. Having created this,
he entered the very same creation. After entering, he became the gross and the subtle,
the definable and indefinable, the supporter and the supported, the sentient and the
insentient, as well as the real and the unreal. Brahman became (all this), whatever
that is here. Śastra says that (Brahman) is the truth. In this regard, there is the following
Ṛg-mantra.

asadvā idamagra āsīt । tato vai sadajāyata ।

tadātmāna svayamakuruta । tasmāttatsukṛtamucyata iti ॥ 7.1 ॥
yadvai tat sukṛtam । raso vai saḥ ।
rasaṁhyevāyaṃ labdhvā''nandī bhavati । ko hyevānyātkaḥ
prāṇyāt । yadeṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt ।
eṣa hyevā''nandayāti ॥ 7.2 ॥
yadā hyevaiṣa etasminnadṛśye'nātmye'nirukte'nilayane'bhayaṃ
pratiṣṭhāṃ vindate । atha so'bhayaṃ gato bhavati ।
yadā hyevaiṣa etasminnudaramantaraṃ kurute ।
atha tasya bhayaṃ bhavati । tatveva bhayaṃ viduṣo'manvānasya ।
tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 7.3॥

This jagat was indeed Brahman before (creation). From that (Brahman) alone, the
manifest jagat was born. That (Brahman) created itself (in the form of the jagat), by
itself. Therefore, it is said to be ‘well done’. Thus ends the Ṛg-mantra. Whatever is
(here0 indeed is well done. He is indeed ānanda. Gaining this ānanda alone, one
becomes happy. Indeed, who will inhale and who will exhale if this ānanda-ātmā were
not there? He alone makes everyone happy. When a person gains abidance in the
ātmā which is not an object of knowledge, which is free body, which is indefinable and
which has no support, the, he attains fearlessness. When aa person makes even the
slightest difference in the ātmā, then, there will be fear for him. That Brahman itself is
the source of fear for one who is learned but ignorant of oneself. In this regard there
is the following Ṛg-mantra.

bhīṣā'smādvātaḥ pavate । bhīṣodeti sūryaḥ ।

bhīṣā'smādagniścendraśca । mṛtyurdhāvati pañcama iti ।
saiṣā''nandasya mīmāṁsā bhavati । yuvā syātsādhuyuvā'dhyāyakaḥ ।
āśiṣṭho dṛḍhiṣṭho baliṣṭhaḥ । tasyeyaṃ pṛthivī sarvā vittasya pūrṇā syāt ।
sa eko mānuṣa ānandaḥ । te ye śataṃ mānuṣā ānandāḥ ॥ 8 ॥

Out of fear of this the wind blows. The sun rises out of fear. The fire and Indra (do their
jobs) out of fear of this. The Lord of death, the fifth, runs around (out of fear of this).
(Now,) this is the analysis of ānanda. Suppose there is a young person who is good
natured, learned in sastra, cultured, of firm resolve, and the strongest. He has this
whole earth filled with wealth. His ānanda is one unit of human ānanda. A hundred
such human ānandas is…

sa eko manuṣyagandharvāṇāmānandaḥ । śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.1 ॥

te ye śataṃ manuṣyagandharvāṇāmānandāḥ ।
sa eko devagandharvāṇāmānandaḥ । śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.2 ॥
te ye śataṃ devagandharvāṇāmānandāḥ ।
sa ekaḥ pitṛṇāṃ ciralokalokānāmānandaḥ ।
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.3 ॥
te ye śataṃ pitṛṇāṃ ciralokalokānāmānandāḥ ।
sa eka ājānajānāṃ devānāmānandaḥ ।

… one unit of happiness of a human-celestial being. That (ānanda is) also for a learned
person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of ānanda of a human-celestial
being is one unit of happiness of a celestial being. That (ānanda is) also for a learned
person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of ānanda of a celestial being is
one unit of ānanda of manes of long lasting worlds. That (ānanda is) also for a learned
person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of ānanda of a mane of long
lasting worlds is one unit of ānanda of ājānajāna-devas, those who are born as devas
in the svarga.

śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.4 ॥

te ye śataṃ ājānajānāṃ devānāmānandāḥ ।
sa ekaḥ karmadevānāṃ devānāmānandaḥ ।
ye karmaṇā devānapiyanti । śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.5 ॥
te ye śataṃ karmadevānāṃ devānāmānandāḥ ।
sa eko devānāmānandaḥ । śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.6 ॥
te ye śataṃ devānāmānandāḥ । sa eka indrasyā''nandaḥ ।

That (ānanda is) also for a learned person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred
units of ānanda of ājānajāna-devas is one unit of ānanda of karma-devas. That
(ānanda is) also for a learned person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of
ānanda of karma-devas is one unit of ānanda of devas. That (ānanda is) also for a
learned person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of ānanda of devas is
one unit of ānanda of Indra.

śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.7 ॥

te ye śatamindrasyā''nandāḥ ।
sa eko bṛhaspaterānandaḥ । śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.8 ॥
te ye śataṃ bṛhaspaterānandāḥ । sa ekaḥ prajāpaterānandaḥ ।
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.9 ॥
te ye śataṃ prajāpaterānandāḥ ।
sa eko brahmaṇa ānandaḥ । śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya ॥ 9.10 ॥

That (ānanda is) also for a learned person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred
units of ānanda of Indra is one unit of ānanda of Bṛhaspati. That (ānanda is) also for
a learned person who is not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of ānanda of Bṛhaspati
is one unit of ānanda of Pṛajāpati. That (ānanda is) also for a learned person who is
not afflicted by desires. Hundred units of ānanda of Pṛajāpati is one unit of ānanda of
Hiraṇyangarbha. That (ānanda is) also for a learned person who is not afflicted by
desires.

sa yaścāyaṃ puruṣe । yaścāsāvāditye । sa ekaḥ ।

sa ya evaṃvit । asmāllokātpretya ।
etamannamayamātmānamupasaṅkrāmati ।
etaṃ prāṇamayamātmānamupasaṅkrāmati ।
etaṃ manomayamātmānamupasaṅkrāmati ।
etaṃ vijñānamayamātmānamupasaṅkrāmati ।
etamānandamayamātmānamupasaṅkrāmati ।
tadapyeṣa śloko bhavati ॥ 9.11॥

One who is in this human being and the one who is in the sun are one (and the same).
One who knows this, departing from this body, he crosses this annamaya-ātmā. He
crosses this prāṇamaya-ātmā. He crosses this manomaya-ātmā. He crosses this
vijñānamaya-ātmā. And he crosses this ānandamaya-ātmā. In this meaning, there is
a mantra.

yato vāco nivartante । aprāpya manasā saha ।

ānandaṃ brahmaṇo vidvān ।
na bibheti kutaścaneti ।
etaṁha vāva na tapati ।
kimahaṁsādhu nākaravam । kimahaṃ pāpamakaravamiti ।
sa ya evaṃ vidvānete ātmāna spṛṇute ।
ubhe hyevaiṣa ete ātmāna spṛṇute । ya evaṃ veda ।
ityupaniṣat ॥ 9.12 ॥

After knowing that Brahman which is ānanda-svarūpa and from which words return
along with the mind after failing to reach it, a wise person is not afraid of anything. (The
following two types of thinking) indeed do nit afflict him: ‘Why did I not do good actions?
Why did I do wrong actions?’ He who knows thus, strengthens himself by seeing these
thoughts as not separate from the self. It is he indeed who knows in this way, who
sees both puṇya and pāpa as the ātmā and strengthens himself. Thus is the Upaniṣad.

Om̃ saha nāvavatu । saha nau bhunaktu । saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai ।

tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai ।
Om̃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥