Taittiriya Upanishad Puns

Taittiriya Upanishad verse 2.1.1 contains what is probably the most famous definition of Brahman in Upanashidic texts. Here is the full verse:

OM ! brahmavidapnoti param | tadesa'bhyukta | satyam jnanamanantam brahma | yo veda nihitam guhayam parame vyoman | so'snute sarvan kaman saha | brahmana vipasciteti || tasmadva etasmadatmana akasah sambhutah | akasadvayuh | vayoragnih | agnerapah | adbhyah prthivi | prthivya osadhayah | osadhibhyo'nnam | annatpurusah | sa va esa puruso'nnnarasamayah | tasyedameva sirah | ayam daksinah paksah | ayamuttarah paksah | ayamatma | idam puccham pratistha | tadapyesa sloko bhavati || 2.1.1 ||

2.1.1 OM ! The knower of Brahman attains the highest. Here is a verse uttering that very fact : " Brahman is truth, knowledge, and infinite. One who knows that Brahman as existing in the intellect which is lodged in the supreme space in the heart, enjoys, in identification with the all-knowing Brahman, all desirable things simultaneously. " From that Brahman indeed, which is the Self, was produced space. From space emerged air. From air was born fire. From fire was created water. From water sprang up earth. From earth were born the herbs. From the herbs was produced food. From food was born the human. That human, such as one is, is a product of the essence of food. Of one this indeed, is the head, this is the southern ( right ) side * ; this is the northern ( left ) side ; this is the Self ; this is the stabilizing tail.

Discussion: satyam jnanamanantam brahma

There has been a *lot* of analysis of these words in literature. What is included below is by no means comprehensive, but only a brief summary. These three words "Satyam", "Jnanam", "Anantam" are inferred to be adjectives that describe Brahman.

Let's start with the word anantam:

anantam == na antam (no limit): Limits of Space, Time, Objects

Space limitation: Every object has a space limitation. i.e. if something is here, it is NOT there. Brahman is all pervading, or omnipresent.

Time limitation: Every object has a beginning in time, and end in time. Brahman is eternal, or outside of time.

Object limitation: If some gold is a ring, it is not a chain or a bangle. Brahman does not have this limitation. There is no object separate from it. Another way to say this: there is no second object apart from Brahman. Brahman is non-dual.

satyam: Real - That which is real (exists) in all three modes of time: past, present, future

A table exists, but it do

Swami Sarvapriyananda at IITK: Defining God, based on Taittiriya Upanishad https://youtu.be/Ftn4zCnheBk?t=451

This is a summarised version of my present conclusions of my research on varna:-

Varna is determined by the innate predispositions (swabhava) of a person owing to the composition of the gunas present in his/her psyche which arise due to vasanas (impressions) from a previous birth.

The subjective experience of these swabhavas translate into inclinations or aptitudes towards different occupations in secular and religious activity .

People tend to organise into groups which they feel identify with their personal leanings in terms of occupational activity .Defined groups known as guilds arise as a natural consequence.

Some occupations, such as those of the Shudras necessitate work which is intensive and contrary to the purificatory requirements of certain Naimitika karmas (occasional rites) to be acted out by the dwijas (brahmanas,kshatriyas and vaishyas). This conflict is resolved by introducing certain restrictions such as barring Shudras from sacrifice (Taittiriya Samhita 7.1.16).

(According to some interpretations this would also prevent them from learning the Vedas as education itself is seen as a modification of a sacrificial rite).

In the absence of these rites, or by the abandonment of them by the follower of jnana or Bhakti yoga, physical restrictions brought about by ritual purity do not hold:-(Chandogya Upanishad 5.24.4). Free mixing, interdining and intermarriage is often implied throughout the Veda.

As a general rule men and women tend to be born in families which have the same varna ,but this is not necessarily the case for there will always be uncertainty in the adrishtya phala of any karmic action. As a result, people who manifest aptitude in a different varna ,social mobility is allowed. Individuals like Kavasa Illyusha (Aiteraya Brahmana 2.3.19), Vatsya (Pancavimsa Brahmana 14.6.6) and Satyakama Jabala (Chandogya Upanishad 4.4.5) exemplify this ideal by being both practitioners of ritual sacrifice as well as philosophical inquiry .

The Hierarchy of varna is derived from the proximity of each varna to the yajna. Following this logic Brahmanas are the most privileged varna

Discrimination (Aiteraya Brahmana 2.3.19) ,prejudice and caste vanity (brahmavarcasam, from Gopatha Brahmana 1.2.2) are all condemned by the Veda

This is from wikipedia~

Women are mentioned and are participants in the philosophical debates of the Upanishads, as well as scholars, teachers and priestesses during the Vedic and early Buddhist age.[23] Among women acknowledged in the Upanishads are Gargi and Maitreyi.[23] In Sanskrit, the word acharyā means a "female teacher" (versus acharya meaning "teacher") and an acharyini is a teacher's wife, indicating that some women were known as gurus.

Rigveda 10.125.3 - 10.125.8, The Vedas have several hymns accredited to women scholars who were known as "Brahmavadinis". There were many learnt women who could defeat men with their skills and intellect. These include Gargi, Ahalya, Maitreyi, Lopamudra, Ghosha, Swaha, Haimavati Uma , Gautami, Hemalekha, Sita etc.

Female characters appear in plays and epic poems. The 8th century poet, Bhavabhuti describes in his play, Uttararamacharita (verse 2 - 3), how the character, Atreyi, travelled to southern India where she studied the Vedas and Indian philosophy. In Madhava's Shankaradigvijaya, Shankara debates with the female philosopher, Ubhaya Bharati and in verses 9 - 63 it is mentioned that she was well versed in the Vedas. Tirukkoneri Dasyai, a 15th-century scholar, wrote a commentary on Nammalvar's Tiruvaayamoli, with reference to Vedic texts such as the Taittiriya Yajurveda.

Hindus show this to claim women were brahmacharin and yogis. So how do women got discriminated?

Women even debated with vedic sages. So how do women didnt allowed to study vedas?

This is a summary of a fantastic publication by Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari from srimatham.com that explains the principles of Mimamsa. All the credit goes to the author. Note: you may get a insecure connection warning when you try to download it; I did it anyway, because the text is excellent. I recommend you read the full text if you have the time.

Introduction

Exegesis is defined as "critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text." Mimamsa is the the science behind how the Vedic statements are analyzed to bring out the central teachings. Many Hindu sampradayas, especially the Vedantic schools, are based on Shruti (Vedas). While the Vedas are considered flawless, the teachings derived from them are subject to rigorous analysis and reasoned debate. Thus all Hindu philosophers are required to study logic (nyaya) and exegesis (mimamsa), prior to Vedic study. The Brahma Sutra, for example, is grounded in Nyaya and Mimamsa.

Jaimini defines Dharma as:

>codaṇā-lakṣaṇaḥ arthaḥ dharmaḥ
>
>Dharma is that which leads to the highest common good (śreyas).

According to Manu there are four sources of Dharma:

>vedaḥ smṛtiḥ sadācāraḥ svasya ca priyamātmanaḥ |
>
>etaccaturvidhaṃ prāhuḥ sākṣād dharmasya lakṣaṇam ||
>
>The Veda (śruti), tradition (smṛti), the conduct of virtuous people and one's own conscience, these are declared to be the distinct four-fold sources of Dharma. (Manu 2:12)

The primary source of Dharma is the Veda and when we seek spiritual guidance from the Veda we are totally confused by the immensity, obscurity and complexity of the teachings!! How do we deal this vast resource of material? What is significant and what is not? What do I accept and what do I reject? It is in this context that one has to study Mīmāṃsa.

These rules were first formulated in a systematic manner by the sage Jaimini in what is known as the Jaimini Sūtras (Mimāṃsa Sūtras). Jaimini did not invent the teachings, but for the first time reduced them to writing.

To the Vedantin:

• The Upanishad portion of the Veda is the unique source of knowledge regarding Brahman.
• The Veda is claimed to be ‘eternal’ in that the truths propounded in it have a perennial validity for all time.
• The Veda can thus, by definition neither deal with temporal evanescent events, nor can they provide empirical facts or scientific generalizations based on those events.
• The ethics tau

>In our tradition we are supposed to get up early and offer prayers to the Lord. One very important prayer is the prayer:
>
>KaraAgre Vasate Lakshmi, Kara-Madhye Saraswati
Kara-Moole Sthitaa Gowri, Mangalam Kara-Darshanam
>
>Look at your hands for Lakshmi resides in the tip of the hand, in the middle there is Saraswati and at the end is “Durga” or “Gauri”. When you look at the hands, pray to Durga/Lakshmi/ Saraswati
>
>During Navaratri, we exclusively worship Durga for three days, Lakshmi for three days, and Saraswati for three days. We invoke the grace of these three shaktis, then what follows? The tenth day is called “Vijayadasami” or victory. Durga Devi represents health. Lakshmi Devi represents wealth. Saraswati Devi represents knowledge. These three basic resources are required by every one of us: health, wealth, and knowledge.
>
>Scriptures say that we must ask for two types of favors from each deity.
>
>What are the two types of health we must pray from Durga Devi? One is physical health and second is mental health. Our modern lifestyle is such that we neglect Durga Devi. The cause of diseases is due to improper lifestyle and wrong habits. They reveal that we are disrespecting Durga Devi. In Brahma Muhuratham, one must not sleep. Sleeping in this time will deplete one’s punyam and produce pappam.
>
>What are the two types of wealth we must pray from Lakshmi Devi? One is outer wealth in the form of money, gold and the other is contentment. Vedas state that we should not stop with the desire for external wealth; inner wealth is in the form of contentment or tripti. If Tripti or contentment is not there we will face several problems. In the Taittiriya Upanishad, an important message is given graphically. They divide external wealth into ten levels. Let us imagine a man acquiring more wealth and goes from level 1 to level 2. Let us take another man who progresses in contentment levels from level 1 to level 2. Taittiriya Upanishad states the second person who progresses on the contentment scale is hundred times happier than the one from material acquisition.
>
>What are the two types of knowledge we must pray from Saraswati Devi? One is material knowledge given by material sciences and technology. This is called Apara Vidya. The Para Vidya is spiritual sciences represented by our scriptures which are designed to change our internal mindset. Material sciences are used to adjust t

Hi, I just wanted to share a quote from one of my favorite books that I am re-reading, "The Wisdom of the Hindu Mystics: The Upanishads - Breath of the Eternal - The Principal Texts Selected and Translated from the Original Sanskrit by Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick Manchester"

It is the some of the earliest Hindu literature, and could be considered by a Baha'i as being at least partially the revelation of Krishna, or at least his teachings expounded by others. I also want to leave the door open to conversation on the parallels between Hinduism and Buddhism, which in the past and today are often seen as at odds with one another, despite great similarities. The largest "dispute" seems to be about the Vedic/Hindu insistence on the existence of a separate and eternal Soul/Self (Atman) and the Buddhist perspective of No-Self. As Baha'is, we should also be concerned with resolving this, as the original teachings of both Hinduism and Buddhism came from Manifestations.

It seems to me after a lot of reading about both, that this apparent disagreement, and alleged incompatibility is mere confusion, misunderstanding, and wordplay. I'm sure others could weigh in with some insight on this too. But I feel that the Hindu (and Baha'i) teachings of an eternal soul and a singular God is actually quite compatible with the Buddhist teachings of interdependent co-arising/origination (Pratītyasamutpāda) and the emptiness of all independent selves.

"Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory." - The Hidden Words, Baha'u'llah - 68

But back to the Upanishads, I hope someone else will find this quote as beautiful and helpful as I did:

"Thou art Brahman, one with the syllable OM, which is in all scriptures - the supreme syllable, the mother of all sound. Do thou strengthen me with true wisdom. May I, O Lord, realize the Immortal. May my body be strong and whole; may my tongue be sweet; may my ears hear only praise

Recently a friend of mine, who is a leading Neuro-physician. with whom I was conversing, the topic of Consciousness came up.

Medically speaking Coma is a State where one loses the Cognitive ability, as observed by the others.

Essential bodily functions take place.

A coma is a prolonged state of unconsciousness. During a coma, a person is unresponsive to his or her environment. The person is alive and looks like he or she is sleeping. However, unlike in a deep sleep, the person cannot be awakened by any stimulation, including pain.'(webmd)

Herein lies the issue.

One notices consciousness, like air  only when it is absent.

Some questions.

Is Life Consciousness?

If so, medically speaking when one is in Coma,when one’s consciousness is absent, he is said be alive;then what is Life?

One is not aware of consciousness while in deep sleep, or even during the Dreaming State.

Where does it go then?

We recollect, some times, what we have dreamed.

It is said be, because of Consciousness.

How does this happen?

In Psychology, there is a term which normally does not make sense.

The term is ‘Unconscious’

How does one say he has unconscious state in his make up, when the very term indicates you are not Conscious of it.

It is said so because it is inferred and accounts for psychological activities of the Human being.

Then what is Mind?

What is Brain?

The activity of the Brain is Mind,(Science)

Activity of the Mind is Intellect, activity of the Intellect is Chitta(Indian Philosophy).

Yoga soeaks of this in the first Sutra,

Yoga;chitta Vruthi Nirodhithaha’

The Cessation of the modification of the Chitta is Yoga.

Mind is like a CPU , it receives sensations /Data.

No factual or judgemental pronunciations are made.

The Judgemental portion or the factual certification is made by Buddhi(Intellect).

How does Buddhi pass judgements or values to an even or sensations.

It is by the directions of the Chitta, Consciousness.

Consciousness in an attribute of Reality.

It is the Subject in the process of Cognition.

It is not an object of Cognition.

It can not be known or perceived by any thing other than by itself, Consciousness.

It is a Sate of Being.(Sat)

The state of Being has as its attributes Consciousness, which has Bliss or Ananda as its attribute.

Sat Chit and Ananda.

”

sat सत् (present participle); [Sanskrit root as , “to be“]: “Truth”, “Absolute Being”, “a palpable force of virtue and truth”. Sat describes an essence that is pure and timeless,

I don't want to step on anybody's toes here, but the amount of non-dad jokes here in this subreddit really annoys me. First of all, dad jokes CAN be NSFW, it clearly says so in the sub rules. Secondly, it doesn't automatically make it a dad joke if it's from a conversation between you and your child. Most importantly, the jokes that your CHILDREN tell YOU are not dad jokes. The point of a dad joke is that it's so cheesy only a dad who's trying to be funny would make such a joke. That's it. They are stupid plays on words, lame puns and so on. There has to be a clever pun or wordplay for it to be considered a dad joke.

Again, to all the fellow dads, I apologise if I'm sounding too harsh. But I just needed to get it off my chest.

>The Svetasvatara Upanishad belongs to the Taittiriya School of the Krishna Yajur Veda.
>
>It derives its name from the sage who taught it. This Upanishad is regarded as one of the
>
>authoritative works which form the Vedanta philosophy. Its mantras are quoted profusely
>
>in all Vedantic treatises.
>
>
>
>The peculiarity of this Upanishad is that it contains passages that can be interpreted to
>
>support dualism, qualified non-dualism, non-dualism and even other systems of thought.
>
>Certain verses can also be related to the Sankhya philosophy of Kapila. Hence there are
>
>acute differences of opinion among the protagonists of different schools of philosophy
>
>who quote from it to support their respective views.
>
>
>
>However it is apparent that Svetasvatara Upanishad contains a strong theistic strain
>
>unlike other Upanishads. Names like Hara, Rudra, Bhagavan, Agni, Aditya, Vayu, Deva
>
>etc., which appear in the Svetasvatara Upanishad denote Personal God. It identifies the
>
>Supreme Brahman with Rudra who is conceived as the material and efficient cause of the
>
>world, not only as its author but also as its protector and guide.
>
>
>
>The ingredients associated with theism like Personal God, devotion or bhakti towards
>
>Him, are prominent in this Upanishad. The emphasis is not on the Brahman, the Absolute
>
>whose complete perfection does not admit of any change or evolution but on the personal
>
>Isvara, omniscient and omnipotent who is the manifested Brahman.
>
>
>
>Svetasvatara Upanishad also overcomes the dualism of Purusha and Prakriti of the
>
>Sankhya philosophy. It says that pradhana or nature is not an independent entity but
>
>belongs to the self of the divine, devatma-sakti. God is the mayin, the maker of the
>
>world, which is maya or made by Him.
>
>
>
>These features of the Svetasvatara Upanishad make Ramanuja and other theistic
>
>Acharyas argue to establish the Personal God as the Ultimate Reality. But Sankaracharya
>
>gives the very same words a non-dualistic meaning and emphasizes that that the goal of
>
>this, like the other major Upanishads, is to prove the sole reality of the non-dual Brahman
>
>and the un-substantial

Do your worst!

I'm surprised it hasn't decade.

For context I'm a Refuse Driver (Garbage man) & today I was on food waste. After I'd tipped I was checking the wagon for any defects when I spotted a lone pea balanced on the lifts.

I said "hey look, an escaPEA"

No one near me but it didn't half make me laugh for a good hour or so!

Edit: I can't believe how much this has blown up. Thank you everyone I've had a blast reading through the replies 😂

It really does, I swear!

They’re on standbi

Buenosdillas

Pilot on me!!

Nothing, he was gladiator.

Dad jokes are supposed to be jokes you can tell a kid and they will understand it and find it funny.

This sub is mostly just NSFW puns now.

If it needs a NSFW tag it's not a dad joke. There should just be a NSFW puns subreddit for that.

Edit* I'm not replying any longer and turning off notifications but to all those that say "no one cares", there sure are a lot of you arguing about it. Maybe I'm wrong but you people don't need to be rude about it. If you really don't care, don't comment.

When I got home, they were still there.

What did 0 say to 8 ?

" Nice Belt "

So What did 3 say to 8 ?

" Hey, you two stop making out "

I won't be doing that today!

[Removed]

This morning, my 4 year old daughter.

Daughter: I'm hungry

Me: nerves building, smile widening

Me: Hi hungry, I'm dad.

She had no idea what was going on but I finally did it.

Thank you all for listening.

You take away their little brooms

There hasn't been a post all year!