Template:Italic title Template:Infobox Upanishad The Akshi Upanishad (Template:Lang-sa), also spelled Akshy Upanishad), is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is attached to the Krishna Yajurveda, and one of the 21 Samanya (general) Upanishads.Template:Sfn The text is structured in two sections, and as a discourse from the Sun god (Surya).[1]
The Upanishad is notable for its Advaita Vedanta themes.Template:Sfn The first section of the text presents the Caksusmati-Vidya.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The second section discusses nonduality of Atman and Brahman, Yoga, seven steps to reach a dispassionate view of life and freedom, and the Om mantra.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
History
Neither the author nor the date of composition of Akshi Upanishad are known. Manuscripts of this text are also found titled as Aksyupanisad.Template:Sfn[1] In the Telugu language anthology of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, it is listed at number 72.Template:Sfn
Contents
The Akshi Upanishad is structured into two khanda (parts, sections).Template:Sfn The first part is prose, the second part has 48 verses.Template:Sfn
Chakshushmati Vidya
The first section of the Upanishad opens with an expression of reverence, by sage Samkriti to Surya (Sun). He expresses respect to all three Guṇas in the Samkhya philosophy, with salutations to Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.Template:Sfn Then a fragment of hymn from the ancient Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is incorporated by the text, stating, Template:Verse translation
Sun is the one who shows the truth, who scorches ignorance, who cleanses, he is the embodiment of Hamsa (Atman, soul), asserts the Upanishad. Thousand beamed Sun is, a hundred directions does Sun radiate unto, states the text, he is the life-giving energy to all living beings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Embracing the entire universe, in full compassion for all, is this Sun.Template:Sfn He empowers the eyes, he brings peace to mind, he moves me, states the Upanishad.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Salutations, O Sun!Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This is the Chakṣuṣmati Vidya, asserts the text, recited by sage Samkriti, to Surya.Template:Sfn
Brahma Vidya
The second section of the Upanishad opens with sage Samkriti asking Sun for Brahma-Vidya (literally, the knowledge of Brahman).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The rest of the text contains the answer, structured as a discourse from Surya, wherein the Sun god states that this knowledge leads to liberation and freedom while one is alive (Jivanmukta state).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The ultimate Reality and Truth called Brahman is all, it is one, without origin, the infinite, the quiescent and the constant.Template:Sfn To comprehend its true nature, its relation to self, is to reach an inner calm, this is the Brahma-Vidya, and this is the goal of Yoga say those who know, asserts the Upanishad.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Template:Quote box The first stage of Yoga, for the one who seeks self knowledge, is detachment day by day, from impressions, from being controlled by one's senses, from being controlled by external things or others.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In this stage, the yogi thinks before acting, abstains from engaging in vulgar vices, avoids arguing with others and devotes self to virtues, state verses 2.4 to 2.7 of the text.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He is gentle, he never seeks distress for anyone, he uses kind words, he is affectionate to everyone, he helps the virtuous with his deeds, with his words and with his thoughts, states the Upanishad.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He studies the Shastras, he reflects on them, he investigates the world of knowledge and himself, in the first stage of Yoga.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The second stage of Yoga, states the Upanishad, is inquiry with the help of teachers (gurus), those who know, and those he admires. He seeks out those who righteous in their life and their past conduct proves so, those who are lucid in explaining ideas, who know the Sruti and Smriti, who understand the rules of reason, proper inferences, correct and incorrect knowledge.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He serves such teachers, learns from them, while he continues to cast off his tendencies to vices and cast in his tendencies to virtues, asserts the text.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The third stage of Yoga is the stage of non-concern, states the text.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He reads and listens to ideas about Atman (soul, self), in the quiescent environment of hermitages, by walking alone in the woods and peaceful places of nature, bringing his mind where he is not concerned by anything other than his frame of mind.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The state of non-concern is of two kinds, asserts the Upanishad. One is about non-clinging to things, or to one's past karma, or to one's anxiety about the future.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The other is about non-clinging to one's assumption about one's soul, self. The first is called ordinary non-concern, states the text, while the latter is called extraordinary non-concern.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The fourth stage of Yoga, according to Akshi Upanishad, is eliminating ignorance and incorrect knowledge from within.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This includes realizing the flaws in dualism, understanding what is constantly changing and what is unchanging constant, states the Upanishad.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The fifth stage of Yoga, states the text, is awakening state. This is the state of learning about the self, the non-dual state (Advaita), arousing the inward consciousness, of correct knowledge in within, where one functions in the empirical world and also fully aware of oneself.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The text presents the sixth stage of Yoga as the Turiya state. Therein, asserts the text, he learns and realizes a consciousness where there is neither absence of individuality nor is there the arrogance of ego. He is without fear, without incorrect knowledge about the world around him and the world within him, he has no fancies or delusions about either.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He is now a Jivanmukta, has the Brahma-vidya, states the Upanishad.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The seventh and last stage of Yoga is the Videha-mukti state, one the Jivanmukta arrives naturally with time. Here, he accepts and is content with the prospect of his death someday, because he already has the Brahma-vidya.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The Omkara and Brahman
The Omkara (A-U-M) is the sign for the Viswa (world) and Prajna (wisdom) of nondual Brahman and Atman, states the Upanishad in verses 2.43- 2.48.Template:Sfn The "A" in A-U-M signifies the world, the "U" signifies Taijasa (brilliance, the light), while the "M" signifies the wisdom.Template:Sfn This is the realization where the yogi fully comprehends, "I am the Vasudeva", that the Atman is transcendent bliss and eternal, the pure, the nondual and the Om.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn It is the Om, asserts the text, which reminds one of the real existent, the glory of that which is beyond the darkness of ignorance, blissful, the flawless, the wisdom, "the ultimate reality Brahman is me".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Thus ends the Upanishad.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vedic Literature, Volume 1, Template:Google books, Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras, India, pages 270-271
Bibliography
- The Samanya Vedanta Upanisads{{#if:Ayyangar|, Ayyangar}. Jain Publishing (Reprint 2007)(1941). ISBN 978-0895819833
- Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide{{#if:Dalal|, Dalal}. Penguin Books Limited(18 April 2014). ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9
- Sixty Upanishads of the Veda{{#if:Deussen|, Deussen}. Motilal Banarsidass(1997). ISBN 978-81-208-1467-7
- अक्ष्युपनिषत् (Aksi Upanishad), Hattangadi, Sunder. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- The Samanya Vedanta Upanishads with the commentary of Sri Upanishad-Brahma-Yogin{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Adyar Library (Reprinted 1970)(1921)
- Upanishads{{#if:Tinoco|, Tinoco}. IBRASA(1996). ISBN 978-85-348-0040-2
- Sāmanya Vedānta Upaniṣads{{#if:Warrier|, Warrier}. Adyar Library and Research Center(1967). ISBN 978-8185141077