Upanishad 10: In English rhyme

By Munindra Misra

Upanishads are prime portions of the Vedas, They are the foundational theological discourses of Hindu traditions called Vedanta or the conclusion of the Vedas.

Upanishad 10 in English rhyme comprises of the Maha Upanishad, Mandal Brahman Upanishad, Nada Bindu Upanishad, Saubhagya Lakshmi Upanishad, Taittiriya Upanishad, Maitreya Upanishad, Mudagala Upanishad, and the Maha Vakya Upanishad written in English rhyme with the original Sanskrit text.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Munindra Misra
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024

Book preview

UPANISHAD 10

:-

Upanishad      Dedicated to

Maha Upanishad - Smt. Vidyavati Pandey

Mandal Brahman Upanishad - Dr. Gajanand Pandey

Nada Bindu Upanishad - Smt. Pushpa & Dr. Ajay Pandey

Saubhagya Lakshmi Upanishad - Dr. Manjula Pandey

Taittiriya Upanishad - Pt. Rajiv Tripathi

Maitreya Upanishad - Dr. Mridula Tripathi

Mudagala Upanishad - Pt. Umesh Pandey

Maha Vakya Upanishad - Dr. Namita Pandey

The Three Atma

*Bahya-atma*: The vessel of existence,

A mortal, transient dance or persistence,

Flesh and bone, the senses ablaze,

In this earthly theater, our part we play.

*Antar-atma*: The silent witness within,

Beyond the veil of flesh and sin,

Thoughts like ripples on a still pond,

The seeker, the seeker's quest, and the dawn.

*Param-atma*: Cosmic flame, ineffable be,

Brahman, the ocean where all rivers swell fully,

Purusha, the unchanging essence of all,

Infinite, eternal, beyond life's rise and fall.

Three facets of existence, intertwined,

The dance of Atma, the cosmic mind,

From body to soul, to the boundless whole,

Sanatan whispers secrets, the seeker's soul.

Bahya, Antar, Param—a trinity divine,

In their dance, the universe aligns.

For in understanding these sacred layers,

We find the essence of life's eternal prayers.

Maha Upanishad

Source: Sama Veda

Dedicated to

Invocation

Om

May my limbs, speech, breath truly,

My eyes, ears and strength actually;

All my senses fully developed but be,

All Upanishad reveal - Brahman be;

May I never deny Brahman in reality,

May Brahman never ever disown me;

Let no renunciation from Brahman be,

From my side let there be no infidelity;

May the Dharma extolled shine in me,

Who intent to know Self - shine in me

Om PEACE PEACE PEACE

Let peace be in environment and me!

Let peace be in forces acting on me!

x – x – x

English Rhyme

-1

In the realm where silence be, Narayan alone,

No Brahma, Shiv, nor the elements known.

From the desire of the Paramatman, so divine,

Arose the Yajnastoma, the hymn's sacred line.

Fourteen Purushas in the cosmic play,

Brahman, Vishnu, Rudra leading the way.

Mind, intellect, ego, Prana, and Atma's might,

In creation's dance, they ignite the light.

From Narayan, the supreme, detached and free,

All things come into being, as far as the eye sees.

Again, he thought, desiring something more,

From his forehead, a figure with three eyes, trident bore.

Glory, fame, truth, and austerity he wore,

Seven Vyahritis, Vedas, all metres he bore.

Then again, he thought, desiring something vast,

From his sweat, the wide waters were cast.

A golden egg in the waters, bright and clear,

Four-headed Brahma was born, facing east in cheer.

Narayan, the Vyahriti, Bhur, the deity, Agni,

In every direction, he became the symphony.

A thousand heads and eyes, beyond all, eternal,

Narayan, the universe in him, in a cycle perennial.

Like a lotus calyx, the human heart in sway,

Dripping life's essence, in the cosmic ballet.

In its midst, a great flame, facing everywhere,

Brahma, Shiv, Indra, undying, self-shining, rare.

This is the tale of creation, of life's grand design,

A cosmic dance of elements, in the divine's shrine.

-2

In the realm of the self, where wisdom's seed is sown,

Suka, prince of sages, a truth at birth was known.

Beyond description, beyond the mind's reach,

Pure Bliss, atomic, subtler than ether's breach.

The supreme being, Ether, yet not quite,

Pure consciousness, in eternal light.

Awakening the world in himself, the pure ether,

The cosmos, his manifestation, nothing other.

Present everywhere, yet nowhere to move,

Does not exist, yet his existence he does prove.

Brahman is knowledge, Bliss, the giver of Jivanmukti,

Absence of worldly conceptions, the key to the mystery.

Suka, with subtle intellect, knew this all,

His mind rapt in it, heedless of the world's call.

As satisfied Chataka bird, from temptations, he broke,

In the torrent of wisdom, his thirst he did soak.

To his father Vyasa, he posed a question,

About the worldly life, its creation and dissolution.

Vyasa spoke, yet Suka found no new revelation,

For the truth was already part of his foundation.

To Janak, the king, Suka was led,

Waited seven days, by worldly luxuries unfed.

Unmoved like a mountain, pure like the moon,

Janak saw his nature, acknowledged it soon.

Suka asked of the world, its rise and fall,

Janak spoke the truth, echoed Vyasa's call.

Yet Suka knew, the truth was already known,

In the Shastras, in his heart, it had grown.

Janak stated of knowledge, wisdom's essence,

The path to Liberation, the ultimate presence.

This is the tale of Suka, of wisdom's quest,

A journey to the self, life's ultimate test.

In the realm where mind's eye turns blind,

Wiping away the visible, leaving nothing behind,

Arises the joy of Nirvana, liberation defined,

A journey from bondage, to freedom of mind.

'Liberated while living', a state so rare,

Lost in penance, beyond worldly care.

Untouched by exaltation, anger, fear, or lust,

In the spirit's delight, in purity we trust.

Free from desire, introvert in sleep's guise,

In the heart's region, where true knowledge lies.

Performing without expectation, free from likes and dislikes,

Silent, egoless, prideless, away from worldly spikes.

Giving up Dharma and Adharma, thought and desire,

Eating with detachment, no taste to acquire.

Free from tension and joy, with a pure intellect,

Equal towards birth, existence, death, with respect.

Active towards all objects, yet desireless in spirit,

In the infinite existence, where we all fit.

Neither real nor unreal, neither 'I' nor 'another',

Beyond lustrous and darkness, like no other.

Bound by one's own fancy, yet released by being rid,

Detachment towards enjoyment, where liberation is hid.

You see that you are Brahman, beyond external and internal,

The sole and perfect onlooker, in the journey eternal.

In the realm of the Supreme Being, Suka found his rest,

Devoid of grief, fear, and strain, in silent repose, he's blessed.

To the peak of Meru mountain, unimpeded, he went,

In 'unqualified trance', thousands of years he spent.

Like a flame without oil, he attained rest in himself,

Away from the world's noise, like a book left on the shelf.

Purified of the blemish of manifold thought, pristine and pure,

He became one with the Supreme, his enlightenment sure.

All worldly tendencies, like a water-drop in the ocean, did melt,

In the vast expanse of the Supreme, his true self he felt.

In the silence of the mountain, in the depth of the trance,

Suka found liberation, in the Supreme's vast expanse.

-3

In the realm of the enlightened, Nidagha, prince of seers,

Bathed in sacred places, shedding all his fears.

The world is born to die, and dies to be reborn,

All actions ephemeral, like a new day's dawn.

Splendour gives way to calamity, unconnected, yet bound,

Like a traveler in deserts, no solace found.

Riches bring worries, houses bring danger,

Life unsteady, like a leaf in the anger of nature.

Brahman attained, brings no grief, only joy,

A place of highest bliss, beyond the worldly ploy.

Even trees live, so do animals and birds,

Only he truly lives, whose mind is sustained by words.

From ego arises danger, and desire,

The mind runs hither and thither, never to tire.

Thirst cuts down the wealth of merit,

Like a fickle monkey, never to inherit.

The body, pitiable, low and meritless,

The great abode of the ego, in ceaseless distress.

What is attractive in the body, made of blood and flesh?

Only to perish, in the cycle of life afresh.

Childhood, an abode of fear, from teacher, mother, father,

Yet in the enlightened mind, these fears do not bother.

This is the tale of Nidagha, of wisdom's quest,

A journey to the self, life's ultimate test.

In the cave of one's mind, a goblin of lust resides,

Causing delusions, where confusion abides.

Laughed at by slaves, sons, women, and friends,

A man shaken by old age, on desire he depends.

Happiness in worldly life, cut by time like grass,

Time possesses all, from dust to gold, none can surpass.

What's auspicious about a woman, a puppet of flesh?

Moved by a machine, in the body's cage, enmeshed.

Separate the skin, flesh, blood, and tears,

Look at the body, what's attractive appears?

Women, the flame of sin, pleasing to the eye,

Yet they burn man, like grass under the sky.

Women, the traps to catch men, the birds,

Spread by Manmatha, the hunter, without words.

Giving up women means giving up the world,

By this one shall find happiness, unfurled.

Even Quarters unseen, regions give wrong instruction,

Oceans and stars dry up, in destruction's induction.

Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, all run towards destruction,

As water-streams towards marine fire, without obstruction.

Objects of the world destroy only one more birth,

Poison destroys life only once, such is its worth.

Desires for enjoyment do not flash, even in illusion,

Wake me with the knowledge of truth, end my confusion.

If not, I shall