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{{Short description|One of the ancient Sanskrit scriptures of Hinduism}}
{{italic title}}
{{Upanishads}}
The '''''Kaushitaki Upanishad''''' ({{langx|sa|कौषीतकि उपनिषद्}}, {{IAST|Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad}}) is an ancient Sanskrit text contained inside the [[Rigveda]].<ref name=pauldeussen/> It is associated with the ''Kaushitaki'' [[shakha]], but a [[Sāmānya]] Upanishad, meaning that it is "common" to all schools of [[Vedanta]]. It was included in [[Robert Ernest Hume|Robert Hume's]] list of 13 Principal Upanishads,<ref>Hume, Robert Ernest (1921), [https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n7/mode/2up The Thirteen Principal Upanishads], [[Oxford University Press]], page xi</ref> and lists as number 25 in the [[Muktikā]] canon of 108 Upanishads.

The Kaushitaki Upanishad, also known as Kaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad,<ref name=maxmuller/> is part of the ''[[Aranyaka#Shankhayana Aranyaka|Kaushitaki Aranyaka]]'' or the ''Shankhayana Aranyaka''. The ''Kausitaki Aranyaka'' comprises 15 chapters and four of these chapters form the Kaushitaki Upanishad.

==Chronology==
The chronology of Kaushitaki Upanishad, like other Upanishads, is unclear. It is based on an analysis of archaism, style and repetitions across texts, driven by assumptions about likely evolution of ideas, and on presumptions about which philosophy might have influenced which other Indian philosophies.<ref name=stephenphillips>Stephen Phillips (2009), Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy, Columbia University Press, {{ISBN|978-0231144858}}, Chapter 1</ref><ref>[[Patrick Olivelle]] (1996), The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text & Translation, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0195124354}}, Introduction Chapter</ref>

Kaushitaki Upanishad was probably composed before the middle of the 1st millennium BCE. [[Ramchandra Dattatreya Ranade|Ranade]]<ref>RD Ranade, [https://archive.org/stream/A.Constructive.Survey.of.Upanishadic.Philosophy.by.R.D.Ranade.1926.djvu/A.Constructive.Survey.of.Upanishadic.Philosophy.by.R.D.Ranade.1926#page/n47/mode/2up A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy], Chapter 1, page 16, see pages 13-18 for discussion</ref> places Kaushitaki chronological composition in the third group of ancient Upanishads, composed about the time of Aitareya and Taittiriya Upanishads. [[Juan Mascaró]] posits that Kaushitaki Upanishad was probably composed after Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya and Taittiriya Upanishads, but before all other ancient Principal Upanishads of Hinduism.<ref>Juan Mascaro (1965), The Upanishads, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|978-0140441635}}, page 45</ref> [[Paul Deussen|Deussen]] as well as Winternitz consider the Kaushitaki Upanishad as amongst the most ancient prose style Upanishads, and pre-Buddhist, pre-Jaina literature.<ref name=ssharma>S Sharma (1985), Life in the Upanishads, {{ISBN|978-8170172024}}, pages 17-19</ref><ref>M Winternitz (2010), History of Indian Literature, Vol 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120802643}}</ref>

Ian Whicher dates Kaushitaki Upanishad to about 800 BCE.<ref>Ian Whicher (1999), The Integrity of the Yoga Darsana: A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-0791438152}}, page 14</ref> According to a 1998 review by [[Patrick Olivelle]], and other scholars, the Kaushitaki Upanishad was likely composed in a pre-Buddhist period, but after the more ancient Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads, placing the Kaushitaki text between 6th to 5th century BCE.<ref name="Olivelle1998p12">{{cite book|author=Patrick Olivelle|title=The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text and Translation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d4IRDAAAQBAJ |year=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-512435-4 |pages=12–13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Stephen Phillips|title=Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy|url= https://archive.org/details/yogakarmarebirth0000phil |url-access=registration|year=2009|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-14485-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/yogakarmarebirth0000phil/page/28 28]–30}}</ref>

==Structure==
The Kaushitaki Upanishad is part of the Rigveda, but it occupies different chapter numbers in the Veda manuscripts discovered in different parts of India. Three sequences are most common: the Upanishad is chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Kausitaki Aranyaka, or 6, 7, 8, 9 chapters of that [[Aranyaka]], or chapters 1, 7, 8 and 9 in some manuscripts.<ref name=pauldeussen>[[Paul Deussen]], Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 21–23</ref><ref name=maxmuller/> [[Paul Deussen]] suggests that these different chapter numbers may reflect that Upanishadic layer of Vedic literature were created and incorporated as spiritual knowledge in the pre-existing Aranyaka-layer of Vedic texts, and when this was being done in distant parts of India, the sequencing information was not implemented uniformly.<ref name=pauldeussen/>

The Kausitaki Upanishad is a prose text, divided into four chapters, containing 6,<ref>Some manuscripts number the chapter into 7 verses</ref> 15, 9 and 20 verses respectively.

There is some evidence that the Kaushitaki Upanishad, in some manuscripts, had nine chapters, but these manuscripts are either lost or yet to be found.<ref name=maxmuller>[[Max Müller]], {{Google books|BJI0D_W5a-QC|The Upanishads|page=PR98}}, Oxford University Press, pages xcviii to ci</ref>

==Content==
{{Hindu scriptures |expanded=Upanishads}}

===First chapter===
In the first chapter of the Kausitaki Upanishad, rebirth and transmigration of Atman (Self) is asserted as existent, and that one's life is affected by [[karma]], and then it asks whether there is liberation and freedom from the cycles of birth and rebirth. Verse 2 of the first chapter states it as follows (abridged),<ref name=pauldeussen1/>

{{Blockquote|
Born am I and again reborn, 
As twelvefold year, as thirteenth beyond the moon, 
From the twelvefold, from the thirteenfold father, 
The this one and the other versus this to know, 
Until ye, seasons, me led to death by virtue of this truth, by virtue of this [[Tapas (Sanskrit)|Tapas]], 
I am the seasons, I am the child of the seasons ! 
Who are you?
I am you.
|Kaushitaki Upanishad, Chapter 1, Hymn 2<ref name=pauldeussen1>[[Paul Deussen]], Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 24–31; The complete hymn is: स होवाच ये वै के चास्माल्लोकात्प्रयन्ति चन्द्रमसमेव ते सर्वे गच्च्हन्ति । तेषां प्राणैः पूर्वपक्ष आप्यायते । अथापरपक्षे न प्रजनयति । एतद्वै स्वर्गस्य लोकस्य द्वारं यश्चन्द्रमास्तं यत्प्रत्याह तमतिसृजतेऽथ य एनं प्रत्याहतमिह वृष्टिर्भूत्वा वर्षति स इह कीटो वा पतङ्गो वा शकुनिर्वा शार्दूलो वा सिंहो वा मत्स्यो वा परश्वा वा पुरुषो वान्यो वैतेषु स्थानेषु प्रत्याजायते यथाकर्म यथाविद्यम् । तमागतं पृच्छति कोऽसीति तं प्रतिब्रूयाद्विचक्षणादृतवो रेत आभृतं पञ्चदशात्प्रसूतात्पित्र्यावतस्तन्मा पुंसि कर्तर्येरयध्वं पुंसा कर्त्रा मातरि मा निषिक्तः स जायमान उपजायमानो द्वादश त्रयोदश उपमासो द्वादशत्रयोदशेन पित्रा सन्तद्विदेहं तन्म ऋतवो मर्त्यव आरभध्वम् । तेन सत्येन तपसर्तुरस्म्यार्तवोऽस्मि कोऽसि त्वमस्मीति तमतिसृजते ॥ २ ॥ ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/कौषीतकि_उपनिषद् Wikisource]</ref>}}

In verse 6 of chapter 1, the Kausitaki Upanishad asserts that a man is the season (nature), sprouts from season, rises from a cradle, reborn through his wife, as splendour. It then states, in a dialogue between Man and [[Brahman]] (Universal Self, Eternal Reality),<ref name=pauldeussen2/>

{{Blockquote|
He declares, "Man is the Self is every living being. You are the self of every being. What you are, I am." 
Man asks, "Who am I then?" 
Brahman answers, "The Truth."
|Kaushitaki Upanishad, Chapter 1, Hymn 6, Translated by Paul Deussen<ref name=pauldeussen2>[[Paul Deussen]], Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 24–31; The complete hymn is: ऋतुरस्म्यार्तवोऽस्म्याकाशाद्योनेः सम्भूतो भार्या एतत्संवत्सरस्य तेजोभूतस्य भूतस्यात्मभूतस्य त्वमात्मासि यस्त्वमसि सोहमस्मीति तमाह कोऽहमस्मीति सत्यमिति ब्रूयात्किं तद्यत्सत्यमिति यदन्यद्देवेभ्यश्च प्राणेभ्यश्च तत्सदथ यद्देवाच्च प्राणाश्च तत्त्यं तदेतया वाचाभिव्याह्रियते सत्यमित्येतावदिदं सर्वमिदं सर्वमसि । इत्येवैनं तदाह । तदेतदृक्श्लोकेनाभ्युक्तं यजूदरः सामशिरा असावृङ्मूर्तिरव्ययः । स ब्रह्मेति हि विज्ञेय ऋषिर्ब्रह्ममयो महानिति । तमाह केन मे पौंस्रानि नामान्याप्नोतीति प्राणेनेति ब्रूयात् । केन स्त्रीनामानीति वाचेति केन नपुंसकनामानीति मनसेति केन गन्धानिति घ्राणेनेति ब्रूयात् । केन रूपाणीति चक्षुषेति केन शब्दानिति श्रोत्रेणेति केनान्नरसानिति जिह्वयेति केन कर्माणीति हस्ताभ्यामिति केन सुखदुःखे इति शरीरेणेति केनानन्दं रतिं प्रजापतिमित्युपस्थेनेति । केनेत्या इति पादाभ्यामिति केन धियो विज्ञातव्यं कामानिति प्रज्ञयेति ब्रूयात्तमह । आपो वै खलु मे ह्यसावयं ते लोक इति सा या ब्रह्मणॊ जितिर्या व्यष्टिस्तां जितिं जयति तां व्यष्टिं व्यश्नुते य एवं वेद य एवं वेद ॥ ६ ॥ ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/कौषीतकि_उपनिषद् Wikisource]</ref>)}}

Edward Cowell translates the above verses that declare the "Oneness in Atman and Brahman" principle as follows,
{{Blockquote|
(The Self answers, when asked by Brahma, "Who art thou?") 
I am time, I am what is in time; 
I am born from the womb of space; 
from the self manifesting light of Brahman; 
the seed of the year; 
the splendour of the past and the cause, the Self of all that is sensible and insensible, and of the five elements; 
Thou art Self. What thou art, that am I. 
Brahma says to him, "Who am I?" 
His answer, "Thou art the Truth".
|Kaushitaki Upanishad, Chapter 1, Translated by Edward Cowell<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KP4IAAAAQAAJ Kaushitaki Upanishad] Edward Cowell (Translator), Asiatic Society of Bengal (1861), page 149</ref>}}

===Second chapter===
In the second chapter of the Kausitaki Upanishad, each life and all lives is declared as Brahman (Universal Self, Eternal Being). To the extent a person realizes that his being is identical with Brahman, to that extent he is Brahman. He doesn't need to pray, states Kausitaki Upanishad, the one who realizes and understands his true nature as identical with the universe, the Brahman.<ref name=pauldeussen3>[[Paul Deussen]], Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 30–42;</ref> To those who don't understand their Atman, they blindly serve their senses and cravings, they worship the without; and in contrast, those who do understand their Atman, their senses serve their Atman, they live holistically.<ref name=pauldeussen3/>

In verse 5 of the second chapter, the Kausitaki Upanishad asserts that "external rituals such as [[Agnihotra]]m offered in the morning and in the evening, must be replaced with inner Agnihotram, the ritual of introspection". Paul Deussen states that this chapter reformulates religion, by declaring, "religion is supposed not to consist in the observance of the external cult; but that which places the whole life, with every breathe, in its service." It is knowledge that makes one the most beautiful, the most glorious, and the strongest. Not rituals, but knowledge should be one's pursuit.<ref name=pauldeussen3/>

===Third chapter===
After asserting Atman (Self) as personified God in first two chapters, the Kausitaki Upanishad develops the philosophical doctrine of the Atman in the third chapter.<ref name=pauldeussen4>[[Paul Deussen]], Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 43–47;</ref> It identifies perception of sense-objects as dependent on sense-organs, which in turn depend on integrative psychological powers of the mind. Then it posits that freedom and liberation comes not from sense-objects, not from sense-organs, not from subjective psychological powers of mind, but that it comes from "knowledge and action" alone. The one who knows Self, and acts harmoniously with the Self, solemnly exists as the highest God which is that Self (Atman) itself.<ref name=pauldeussen4/> The chapter invokes deity Indra, personifies him as Atman and reveals him as communicating that he is Life-breath and Atman, and Atman is him and all is One.

The chapter presents the metaphysical definition of a human being as Consciousness, Atman, Self. In verse 3, it develops the foundation for this definition by explaining that speech cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are born without the power of speech (dumb); that sight cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are born without the ability of sight (blind); that hearing cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are born without the ability to hear (deaf); that mind cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who are without the power of clear thinking (foolishness); that arms or legs cannot define a human being, because we see human beings midst us who lose their arms or legs (cut in an accident).<ref name=pauldeussen4/> A being has life-force, which is consciousness. And that which is conscious, has life-force.<ref name=pauldeussen4/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KP4IAAAAQAAJ Kaushitaki Upanishad] Edward Cowell (Translator), Asiatic Society of Bengal (1861), pages 161–163</ref>

In many verses of chapter 3, the theme, the proof and the premise is re-asserted by Kaushitaki Upanishad, that "[[Prana|Prāṇa]] is [[Prajñā (Hinduism)|prajñā]], Prajñā is prāṇa" (वै प्राणः सा प्रज्ञा या वा प्रज्ञा स प्राणः, Life-force is consciousness, consciousness is life-force).<ref name=pauldeussen4/>

In the last verses of chapter 3, the Kaushitaki Upanishad asserts that to really know someone, one must know his Self. Know the Self of the subject, not just superficial objects. The structure of its argument is as follows (abridged),<ref name=pauldeussen5>Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 50–51; Sanskrit: न वाचं विजिज्ञासीत वक्तारं विद्यान्न गन्धं विजिज्ञासीत घ्रातारं विद्यान्न रूपं विजिज्ञासीत रूपविद्यं विद्यान्न शब्दं विजिज्ञासीत श्रोतारं विद्यान्नान्नरसं विजिज्ञासीतान्नरसविज्ञातारं विद्यान्न कर्म विजिज्ञासीत कर्तारं विद्यान्न सुखदुःखे विजिज्ञासीत सुखदुःखयोर्विज्ञातारं विद्यान्नानन्दं न रतिं न प्रजातिं विजिज्ञासीतानन्दस्य रतेः प्रजातेर्विज्ञातारं विद्यान्नेत्यां विजिज्ञासीतैतारं विद्यात् । न मनो विजिज्ञासीत मन्तारं विद्यात् । ता वा एता दशैव भूतमात्रा अधिप्रज्ञं दश प्रज्ञामात्रा अधिभूतं यद्धि भूतमात्रा न स्युर्न प्रज्ञामात्राः स्युर्यद्वा प्रज्ञामात्रा न स्युर्न भूतमात्राः स्युः ॥ ८ ॥ न ह्यन्यतरतो रूपं किञ्चन सिद्ध्येन्नो एतन्नाना तद्यथा रथस्यारेषु नेमिरर्पिता नाभावरा अर्पिता एवमेवैता भूतमात्राः प्रज्ञामात्रास्वर्पिताः प्रज्ञामात्राः प्राणेऽर्पिताः स एष प्राण एव प्रज्ञात्मानन्दोऽजरोऽमृतः । न साधुना कर्मणा भूयान्नो एवासाधुना कनीयान् । एष ह्येवैनं साधुकर्म कारयति तं यमेभ्यो लोकेभ्यो उन्निनीषत एष उ एवैनमसाधु कर्म कारयति तं यमधॊ निनीषत । एष लोकपाल एष लोकाधिपतिरेष सर्वेश्वरः स '''म आत्मेति विद्यात्स म आत्मेति विद्यात्''' ॥ ९ ॥ ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/कौषीतकि_उपनिषद् Wikisource])</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n347/mode/2up Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad] Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press, pages 327–328</ref>
{{Blockquote|
One should not desire to understand the speech but should desire to know him who speaks, 
One should not desire to understand the smell (described by a person) but should desire to know him who smells, 
One should not desire to understand the form (of the person) but should desire to know him who sees the form, 
One should not desire to understand the sound (described) but should desire to know him who hears, 
One should not desire to understand the food (description) but should desire to know him who tastes, 
One should not desire to understand the deed but should desire to know him who performs the deed, 
One should not desire to understand pleasure and pain from excitation but should desire to know him who feels the pleasure and pain, 
One should not desire to understand the opinion and thinking but should desire to know him who opines and thinks. 
Because if there were no elements of consciousness, there would be no elements of material being 
Because if there were no elements of material being, there would be no elements of consciousness 
Because any one phenomenon does not come about through the one without the other, 
Because ''Prāṇa'' (life-force) is also the ''Prajñātman'' (knowledge-self), is bliss, is not ageing, is immortal 
This is my Ātman (Self) which one should know, O! this is my Ātman which one should know.
|Kausitaki Upanishad, Chapter 3<ref name=pauldeussen5/>}}

[[Edward Byles Cowell|Edward Cowell]] translates these last verses as, "Prāṇa is prajñā, it is joy, it is eternally young, it is immortal. This is the guardian of the world, this is the king of the world, this is the lord of the world, this is my Self. Thus let a man know, thus let a man know."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KP4IAAAAQAAJ Kaushitaki Upanishad] Edward Cowell (Translator), Asiatic Society of Bengal (1861), pages 166–167</ref> Robert Hume summarizes the last verse of Kaushitaki's Chapter 3 as stating that "a human being's ethical responsibility, his very self being is identical with the world-all".<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n349/mode/2up Kausitaki Upanishad] Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press, page 328</ref>

===Fourth chapter===
The fourth chapter of Kausitaki Upanishad builds on the third chapter, but it peculiarly varies in various manuscripts of Rigveda discovered in Indian subcontinent. This suggests that this chapter may be an addition of a later era. Despite the variations, the central idea is similar in all recensions so far. The chapter offers sixteen themes in explaining what Brahman (Atman) is, which overlaps with the twelve found in Chapter 2 of [[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]].<ref>Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814684}}, pages 51–54</ref> This last chapter of Kausitaki Upanishad states that Brahman and Self are one, there is ultimate unity in the Self, which is the creative, pervasive, supreme and universal in each living being.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n355/mode/2up Kausitaki Upanishad Chapter 4, Verse 20] Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press, page 334</ref>

==Translations==
The Kaushitaki Upanishad has been translated by many scholars, but the translations vary because the manuscripts used vary. It was translated into Persian in medieval times, as Kokhenk;<ref name=maxmuller/> however, the manuscript used for that translation has been lost. The most cited English translations are those by Eduard Cowell,<ref name=maxmuller/> Paul Deussen, Robert Hume and Max Müller.<ref name=pauldeussen/><ref>A Weber, {{Google books|wde8BldxI0kC|Indische Studien: Beiträge für die Kunde des indischen Alterthums|page=392}}, Volume 1, pages 392–393</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{wikisourcelang|sa|कौषीतकि_उपनिषद्|Original Sanskrit text in Devanagari}}
*[https://archive.org/stream/thirteenprincipa028442mbp#page/n315/mode/2up Kaushitaki Upanishad] Robert Hume (Translator), Oxford University Press (1921)
*[https://archive.org/stream/upanishads01ml#page/270/mode/2up Kaushitaki Upanishad] Max Müller (Translator), Oxford University Press
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=KP4IAAAAQAAJ Kaushitaki Upanishad] Edward Cowell (Translator), Sanskrit version is in pages 1–144, Cowell's English translation begins page 145 onwards.
*[[Sri Aurobindo]], ''The Upanishads'' [http://www.sriaurobindoashram.info/Contents.aspx?ParentCategoryName=_StaticContent/SriAurobindoAshram/-09%20E-Library/-01%20Works%20of%20Sri%20Aurobindo/-12_The%20Upanishad_Volume-12 Upanishads]. [[Sri Aurobindo Ashram]], [[Pondicherry (city)|Pondicherry]]. 1972.
* {{librivox book | dtitle=Kaushitaki Upanishad | stitle=Kaushitaki Upanisha}}

{{Hindudharma}}

{{Mukhya Upanishads}}

[[Category:Upanishads]]

Kaushitaki Upanishad - Revision history

FaustinoRicks4 at 17:46, 28 October 2024