Essence of Aitareya Upanishad: Part-A

Essence of Aitareya Upanishad: A Note to Readers

Welcome to this exploration of the Essence of Aitareya Upanishad, a profound Vedic scripture that unveils the mysteries of creation, consciousness, and the ultimate reality—Atman. The Aitareya Upanishad belongs to the Rig Veda and offers deep philosophical insights into the origin of the universe and the nature of the Self. This sacred text guides us beyond mere ritualistic practices, leading the mind toward oneness and higher wisdom.

In this discussion, we will uncover the cosmic vision presented in the Aitareya Upanishad, bridging it with spiritual philosophy and even modern scientific thought. As you journey through these teachings, you will gain a deeper understanding of the Self, creation, and liberation—fundamental aspects of both Vedic wisdom and human existence. Let’s embark on this enlightening path together!

Introduction

The Aitareya Upanishad, a part of the Aitareya Aranyaka (forest teachings) of the Rig Veda, consists of three sections. The first section contains three chapters, while the remaining two have one chapter each. Scholars attribute its composition to Rishi Maheedasa Aitareya. This Upanishad primarily guides the mind toward oneness, urging seekers to turn away from ritualistic actions and focus on the ultimate reality.

According to the Aitareya Upanishad, Atman was the All in the beginning, from which the entire universe emerged. This manifestation is understood as the total effect arising from the total cause—the whole objective universe being the effect. Furthermore, it is crucial to recognize that the effect remains inseparable from its cause.

Moreover, the Aitareya Upanishad highlights significant beliefs and practices, including procreation, the sustenance of generations, birth, and rebirth. It delves into the creation of the universe, the emergence of beings, the concept of the embodied self, the significance of food, and the role of desire in the continuation of existence. Additionally, it offers profound insights into the transmigration of souls, the nature of the self, the manifestation of Brahman, and the path to liberation.

In this discussion, I focus on the first section of the Aitareya Upanishad. To help readers visualize and relate its teachings to modern science, I have incorporated illustrations of the universe’s creation. These comparisons aim to bridge the philosophical concepts of the Upanishad with contemporary scientific perspectives.

Atman: The Universal Self

In the Aitareya Upanishad, Atman encompasses everything and everyone. It represents the Totality of all created beings, which is why it is also referred to as Brahman. The ultimate reality within us is Atman, while the ultimate reality of the cosmos is Brahman. In essence, Atman is Brahman, and there exists nothing beyond this Universal Truth.

The first chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad presents a profound cosmic creation narrative, emphasizing that the universe emerged from Consciousness. According to this ancient wisdom, in the beginning, nothing existed except Consciousness—Atman, the One and Absolute Reality. Then, Consciousness willed the manifestation of a diverse and multifaceted universe.

Furthermore, the Aitareya Upanishad describes creation as the outcome of Tapah (Fire)—a transformative force that brings forth existence from the formless Absolute. This concept underscores the belief that creation is not accidental but an intentional act of Consciousness shaping the cosmos.

ऐतरेयोपनिषत्

Peace Invocation: Shanti Path: 

वाङ् मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठितमाविरावीर्म एधि ॥

वेदस्य म आणीस्थः श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीरनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान्
संदधाम्यृतं वदिष्यामि सत्यं वदिष्यामि ॥ तन्मामवतु
तद्वक्तारमवत्ववतु मामवतु वक्तारमवतु वक्तारम् ॥

॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

May the Self-luminous Brahman be revealed. Let Speech merge into Mind and Mind into Speech, bringing me the Vedas. I shall ponder over Knowledge day and night, never forgetting it. Truth shall dwell on my lips and in my thoughts. May it protect me, my teacher, and both of us

May peace and peace and peace be everywhere.

॥ अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

Aitareya Upanishad: Shloka: 1.1 Before Creation began.

ॐ आत्मा वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीन्नान्यत्किंचन मिषत्।स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति ॥ १॥
" Atma va idam eka evagra as it, nanyat kin cana misat" is the beginning sentence of the Aitareya Upanishad.

“In the beginning, all this really was Atman (the absolute self) only, one and without a second. There was nothing else that winked. He (Atman) willed Himself, “Let Me now create the worlds.”.

The space time, the universe(s), the creatures, the people—everything is a product of pure consciousness for a cause. Pure consciousness is Atman. 

Atman is identical to Brahman and exists alone as the sole reality prior to the creation of all names and forms of this universe (the Virat Form) and also exists after the dissolution as well. { Holographic Universe: The universe is really a hologram}.

The cosmic egg of Vedanta may be imagined as a point and called a singularity in astrophysics from where this universe has taken birth.

Astrophysics and Advaita Vedanta agree on certain points. Advaita Vedanta upholds the notion of the pulsating or oscillating universe. Creation is followed by dissolution, and this process will continue infinitely. Science has given the terms “Big Bang” for the creation and “Big Crunch” for the dissolution of the universe.

Aitareya Upanishad: Shloka: 1.2 : Creation of World:

He created all these worlds: Ambhah, Mareecheeh, Marah, and Aapah. Far beyond is Ambhah, just above the Heaven (Svah), with Heaven acting as it’s support. That of the first is the water-bearing cloud, that of light, that of earth, that of water. Heaven and beyond Heaven is that of the first water; sky [Mareecheeh] is that of light; this mortal territory is that of Earth (Marah~ plane of death). Under Earth is that of water [Aapah] (representing the other worlds).

Aitareya Upanishad:Shloka: 1.3: Hiranyagarbha, The Chief Deity:

Brahman thought again: “Here are the worlds just created. Let me create protectors for these worlds.” Then He took a lump of water and gave it form of Purusha( Hiranyagarbha ~Chief Deity of the whole subtle manifestation).

Note: Hiranyagarbha:

Hiranyagarbha Sukta of the Rig Veda(10.121) states that God manifested Himself in the beginning as the Creator of the Universe, encompassing all things, including everything within Himself, the collective totality, as it were, of the whole of creation, animating it as the Supreme Intelligence. Deities fall under Hiranyagarbha. The Deities are in subtle form. The gross creation has not begun yet.

Aitareya Upanishad:Shloka: 1.4: Eight Chief Deities are created.

तमभ्यतपत्तस्याभितप्तस्य मुखं निरभिद्यत यथाऽण्डं
मुखाद्वाग्वाचोऽग्निर्नासिके निरभिद्येतं नासिकाभ्यां प्राणः ॥

प्राणाद्वायुरक्षिणी निरभिद्येतमक्षीभ्यां चक्षुश्चक्षुष
आदित्यः कर्णौ निरभिद्येतां कर्णाभ्यां श्रोत्रं
श्रोत्रद्दिशस्त्वङ्निरभिद्यत त्वचो लोमानि लोमभ्य ओषधिवनस्पतयो
हृदयं निरभिद्यत हृदयान्मनो मनसश्चन्द्रमा नाभिर्निरभिद्यत
नाभ्या अपानोऽपानान्मृत्युः
शिश्नं निरभिद्यत शिश्नाद्रेतो रेतस आपः ॥ ४॥

Eight Chief Deities are: 

1) The Agni Devata: ” A Mouth burst forth from it as cleft, just as an egg cracks; from the mouth proceeded speech; from Speech emerged Agni, the Fire Deity.

2) The Vayu Devata: Then Hiranyagarbha’s nostrils burst forth; from the nostrils emerged the sense of smell; and from the smell emerged Vayu, the Air Deity.

3) The Aditya Devata: Then the Eye burst open on the lump; from the Eyes, sight merged; and from sight, Aditya, the Sun Deity.

 4) The Disha Devata: Then the Ears burst forth; from the Ears proceeded hearing; from hearing Dishah, the Deity of Directions/Space.

5) The Vanaspataya Devata: Then the Skin suddenly appeared; from the Skin came out hair; and from hair, Vanaspatayah, the Deity of “Herbs and trees.”

6) The Chandramaa Devata: Then the Heart sprung up; from the Heart proceeded the mind; from the mind, Chandramaah, the Moon Deity.

7) The Mrityu Devata: Then a Navel burst forth; from the Navel, the Apana or power of excretion; from Apana came Mrityuh, the Lord of Death.

8) The Aapah Devata: Then the Generative Organ burst out; from this organ came the semen or seed; from semen came Aapah, the Water Deity.

Note: We know the five-element (five Deities) model of Creation. Here also we see the same five elements, each of which has it’s own Deity. The three additional Deities mentioned are the Sun, the Moon and the Death. All eight Deities play important role in the Operation of the Universe.

॥ इत्यैतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

End of Chapter 1 of Part-1

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॥ अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

Aitareya Upanishad: Chapter-2:

In the previous chapter we have known the Creation of the Organs and their Deities at subtle and macrocosmic (Samasthi) level. In this second chapter, we will discuss the gross and microcosmic level( Vyashti) of the creation. When it was subtle, we called it Hiranyagarbha. Now we will call it Virat with multiple forms. To understand the creation we may refer the Text in “Panchadasi” : Four stages of creation. A conceptual picture is projected below. I have written separate blog on this topic. The link is here: “The Divine Art”

The divine art!!(A concept according to the Text ” “Panchadasi: Sixth Chapter: “Chitra Deepa Prakarana”)

Chapter-2:   Abodes for the Deities.

Shloka: 2.1-3

When these Deities were created, they went back to water. Then He endowed that being with hunger and thirst. Deities then said ” Please find for us some place where we can live and eat.  He then created a Bull out of the waters. They said: indeed, this is not sufficient.” He then created a horse. They said: No; it is not sufficient.” He then created a man. They said : ” Oh! Well done” Deities were happy since Man is the chief of creatures. He said to the Deities: “Take your places.

Shloka: 2.4-5

The Deity of Fire in the character of speech entered in the mouth; The Deity of Air in the character of Scent entered the nose. The Sun-Deity in the character of sight entered the eyes. The Deity of four quarters in the character of hearing entered the ears; vegetation in the character of hair entered the skin; The Moon Deity, in the character of mind, entered the Heart. The Deity of death in the character of Apana entered the navel; the Deity of water in the character of seed entered the loins. Hunger and thirst said:”Where is our place?” He said:”Take your place beside all the Deities, for I have made you the partner of all. To whatever Deities man makes oblation, hunger and thirst shall partake.”

॥ इत्यैतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये द्वितीयः खण्डः

End of Chapter 2 of Part-1

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॥ अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये तृतीयः खण्डः ॥

This part explains 1) “Creation of Organs and Their Divine Abodes”, 2) “The Pursuit of Food and the Role of Apana”, and 3) “The Creator’s Entry into the Body”.

Chapter 3 of Part-1:

Shloka: 3.1-2: Creation of Food

The Creator Said: “Here are the territories and their guardians. I need to create food.

Shloka: 3.3-10: How to grasp the food?

The Emergence of Food and the Search for Grasping It

Lord meditated upon the waters, and from them, food emerged. However, the food fled from man. He first tried to grasp it using speech but failed. If speech alone could hold food, merely saying “food” would have satisfied hunger. Next, he attempted to capture it with breath, but that too failed. If breath could grasp food, simply smelling it would have been enough.

Man then sought to hold food with his eyes but could not. If sight had the power to grasp it, seeing food alone would bring satisfaction. He tried with his ears, yet food remained beyond reach. If hearing were enough, listening to its mention would have ended hunger. Touch also failed him. Had it succeeded, feeling food would have been fulfilling. Even the mind could not grasp it. If thinking of food were enough, mere contemplation would have satisfied hunger.

The Role of Apana in Consuming Food

After repeated failures, he tried to grasp food with the downward breath—Apana. This time, he succeeded. Apana alone receives and sustains itself on food. It is through Apana that nourishment is drawn into the body.

This passage from the Aitareya Upanishad reveals a deeper truth. Speech, sight, sound, touch, and thought can recognize food, but only Apana—the vital breath responsible for digestion—can truly consume it. The Upanishad conveys that nourishment is not just about perception but about the vital force that enables sustenance.

Since Apana grasps food, retains, consumes, assimilates, and rejects it, it is called Annayu, and therefore Apana is known as Vayu. 

Each system in the human body has its unique function. The digestive system, for example, relies on the stomach to process food, just as other organs perform their specialized roles. This intricate design ensures that every function is carried out efficiently, reflecting the body’s remarkable intelligence.

Shloka: 3.11, Lord’s Regal Entry:

The Creator thought Himself: ” How could all these remain without Me?” Then He said to Himself: “Which way shall I enter into it?” He said to Himself further: ” If speaking is done by speech, smelling is done by nose, seeing is done by eyes, hearing by the ears, touching by the skin, thinking by the mind, eating by the apana, and the emission of semen by the sex organ, then what is there for me to do?

Shloka: 3.12: Creator’s Entry into the Body:

Then He split open the suture of the skull and entered through the gate, which is gate of Joy , called “Vidriti.” This is Naandana. He found three place to dwell and three conditions to move: i) Waking, ii) Dreaming; and iii) Sleeping.

Important Note:-

Sacchidanand Brahman associated with power of Maya is termed as Ishwara.

Two important verses from Panchadasi, Chapter-6 is given below to understand Ishwara and Jiva in brief. For details, interested readers may read Swami Vidyaranya’s Panchadasi. Also readers may read my Blog : “The Divine Art” which is comprehensive presentation of Chapter Six- ” Chitra Deepa” of Panchadasi.

Maya has created Ishwara and Jiva, represented by the sheath of Bliss and the sheath of Intellect respectively. The whole perceptible world is a creation of Ishwara. [ Panchadasi: Chapter6-Verse212]

From the determination of Ishwara to create, down to His entrance into the created objects, is the creation of Ishwara. From the waking state to ultimate release, the cause of all pleasure and pains, is the creation of Jiva.    [ Panchadasi: Chapter6-Verse213]

Shloka: 3.13 : “Oh! I have seen this earlier.”

He entered the Body, named it’s various parts, and wondered if there could be anything there, not Himself. He saw Purusha, the Supreme Brahman; and rejoiced to find there was nothing but Himself.

“This Shloka teaches the unity of self with the ultimate reality, Brahman.”

Shloka: 3.14: From Idandra to Indra—Knowledge to Ignorance!

Hence He is known by Idandra. He-that sees. This Idandra has since been called Indra (short name-nick name). Even deities (devas) are fond of this name, “Indra.”  

The transition from Idandra to Indra (knowledge to ignorance) is a significant metaphysical shift.

“This hints at how, in perceiving the finite, the Divine Self is veiled by Maya, shifting from pure awareness to the cycle of knowledge and ignorance.”

 

॥ इत्यैतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये तृतीयः खण्डः

End of Chapter 3 of Part-1

 

Conclusion:

How did the creation come up? Creator thought I would indeed create the worlds. At the end of each Cycle, the totality of living beings at that point of time remains in the form of Vasana in the form of mental impressions. In the beginning of the next cycle, these Vasanas are projected by Isvara according to the quality of their past actions to seek out their fulfilment in the objective world to appear. Although the creation happens by the will of Brahman, Supreme Consciousness, the resultant product is based on the nature of past actions by the created persons.

References:-

The Purusha Sukta of Rig Veda describes the creation of Universe.

The Purusha Sukta of Rig Veda paints picture of the ideal Primeval Being existing before any phenomenal existence. According to Sukta, that cosmic person is conceived with thousand heads, eyes and feet and filled the Universe and extended beyond it.

The Nasadiya Sukta of Rig Veda:

It is recommended to read the article ” Cosmology in Vedanta” by Swami Tathagatananda.

BIOCENTRISM:-

Interested readers may read the new subject, Biocentrism. The name of the book is BIOCENTRISM : How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe. By Robert Lanza MD with BOB BERMAN. One excerpt from the book is this: “Some of the thrill that came with the announcement that the human genome had been mapped or the idea that we are close to understanding the first second of time after the Big Bang rests in our innate human desire for completeness and totality.   Page-13 BIOCENTRISM

First Principle of Biocentrism: What we perceive as reality is a process that involves our consciousness.