Varaha Upanishad

Translated by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;

May we work conjointly with great energy,

May our study be vigorous and effective;

May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).

Om ! Let there be Peace in me !

Let there be Peace in my environment !

Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

CHAPTER – I

The great sage Ribhu performed penance for twelve Deva (divine) years. At the end of the time, the Lord appeared before him in the form of a boar. He said: “Rise, rise and choose your boon”. The sage got up and having prostrated himself before him said: “O Lord, I will not, in my dream, wish of thee those things that are desired by the worldly. All the Vedas, Shastras, Itihasas and all the hosts of other sciences, as well as Brahma and all the other Devas, speak of emancipation as resulting from a knowledge of thy nature. So impart to me that science of Brahman which treats of thy nature.”

Then the boar-shaped Bhagavan (Lord) said:

1. Some disputants hold that there are twenty-four Tattvas (principles) and some thirty-six, whilst others maintain that there are ninety-six.

2. I shall relate them in their order. Listen with an attentive mind. The organs of sense are five, viz., ear, skin, eye and others.

3. The organs of action are five, viz., mouth, hand, leg and others. Pranas (vital airs) are five; sound and other (viz., rudimentary principles) are five.

4. Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara are four; thus those that know Brahman know these to be the twenty-four Tattvas.

5. Besides these, the wise hold the quintuplicated elements to be five, viz., earth, water, fire, Vayu and Akasa;

6. The bodies to be three, viz., the gross, the subtle and the Karana or causal; the states of consciousness to be three, viz., the waking, the dreaming and the dreamless sleeping.

7-8. The Munis know the total collection of Tattvas to be thirty-six (coupled with Jiva). With these Tattvas, there are six changes, viz., existence, birth, growth, transformation, decay and destruction.

9. Hunger, thirst, grief, delusion, old age and death are said to be the six infirmities.

10. Skin, blood, flesh, fat, marrow and bones are said to be the six sheaths. Passion, anger, avarice, delusion, pride and malice are the six kinds of foes.

11. Vishva, Taijasa and Prajna are the three aspects of the Jiva. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the three Gunas (qualities).

12. Prarabdha, Sanchita and Agamin are the three Karmas. Talking, lifting, walking, excreting and enjoying are the five actions (of the organs of action);

13. And there are also thought, certainty, egoism, compassion, memory (functions of Manas, etc.,), complacency, sympathy and indifference;

14. Dik (the quarters), Vayu, Sun, Varuna, Ashvini Devas, Agni, Indra, Upendra and Mrityu (death); and then the moon, the four-faced Brahma, Rudra, Kshetrajna and Ishvara.

15-16. Thus these are the ninety-six Tattvas. Those that worship, with devotion, me of the form of boar, who am other than the aggregate of these Tattvas and am without decay are released from Ajnana and its effects and become Jivanmuktas.

17. Those that know these ninety-six Tattvas will attain salvation in whatever order of life they may be, whether they have matted hair or are of shaven head or have (only) their tuft of hair on. There is no doubt of this.”

Thus ends the first Chapter of Varaha Upanishad.