Word

Aitareya Upanishad

Sanskrit

ऐतरेय उपनिषद्

IAST

aitareya upaniṣha

In General

Aitareya Upanishad has got 33 mantras; the verses are borrowed from Aithareya Aranyaka of Rig Veda recession. Mahidasa Aitareya, son of Itara is the author of this Upanishad. The famous mahavakya, Prajnanam Brahma is from Aitareya Upanishad. Prajnanam or pure consciousness is the Brahman. By this statement Aithereya Upanishad mean to say that self knowledge as prajnanam is the Brahman. In the interpretation to the Aitareya U. Adi Sankara comments that it is only by self knowledge and not by rituals that one can achieve Brahman.

Veda

In the beginning there was only Atman, one without a second. Atman thought,“let me now create the world”, the world is thus created out of Atman. All the different creations were thus came to exist with Atman residing in each.

A person is born by his father germ is nourished by his mother. Birth and death cycle is generated, the rishi Vamadeva was knowing this even in his mother’s womb. To become one with the supreme self(Idantra), the desires in this body is to be abandoned.

Who is He whom we worship? He is Brahman, Indra, Prajapati, the panchabhuta, and all the animate and inanimate beings. All these are guided by consciousness (prajnanam) and supported by consciousness. The basis of the world is consciousness. Consciousness is Brahman. He who realizes this consciousness soars above and become immortal.