Ātmaprabodha Upaniṣad
By Swami Harshananda
This is a small Upaniṣad belonging to the Ṛgveda. The first part is in prose and the rest in verses.
The prose version appears like a condensation of the Nārāyana Upaniṣad and deals with the supremacy of Nārāyaṇa and the aṣṭākṣarī (eight-syllabled) mantra. The rest of the text describes the subjective experience of the jīvanmukta or the liberated being.
Nārāyaṇa has transcended māyā and has realized his identity with the inmost Self. Hence he is beyond the three guṇas and the codes of conduct that bind the ignorant ones. He is ever pure with infinite consciousness. His spirit is sought after by the scriptures. All the beings and all the objects of creation exist in him just as the bubbles and the waves exist in the ocean. Being ever blissful in nature, no sorrow or suffering will ever touch him. Unfortunately the ignorant people of the world are not aware of their true nature as the owl is not aware of the brilliant light of the sun.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore