D. Sannyasa-Upanishads

Bhikshuka-Upanishad Selections

Among bhikshus (religious mendicants) who long for moksha (salvation), there are four kinds. (132)

One kind take eight mouthfuls (of food daily). (132)

Another kind carry three staves (tied together) and wear red-coloured cloth. They take eight mouthfuls. (132)

The Hamsas should [be] partaking daily of cow's urine and cow's dung. (132)

Paramahamsas take eight mouthfuls. They live clothed or naked at the foot of trees, in ruined houses, or in burning grounds. They look upon gold and stone and clod of earth with the same eye (of indifference), and (naked) as nature made them. (132-33)

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Naradaparivrajaka-Upanishad Selections

Instruction 1

Once the roaming ascetic Narada observed the forest of Naimisha (the modern Nimsar) was filled with Rishis. They were engaged in the contemplation of Reality and had attained the greatness of bliss. Then the great rishis noticed Narada. They invited him to sit down, and also seated themselves and addressed him in this way: "Tell us what is the means of salvation for us -" (134-35)

Narada answered: "Fulfil rules ordained. They are brahmacharya (the student phase); grihastha (householder life, twice as long), vanaprastha (forester life, three times as long). Having done all the duties involved, take to the fourfold means of salvation - viveka (discernment); vairagya (detachment); the six virtues (shadshampat - of shama, dama, uprati, titiksha, sradda and samadhana), and a strong yearning, mukshutva) for liberation. This marks the sannyasin stage. (135)

Instruction 2

Narda took the rishis along with him to satyaloka. Brahma then said: "Free from deceitfulness, one is to render useful service. (136)

Instruction 3

The bald-headed reciter of Vedas for hire is among those unfit to be initiated into the mahavakyas (sacred vedic sentences). (137)

The wise should according to rules, initiate themselves into sannyasa. (137)

Mantras should not be given up. (138) One who does not rejoice in the present, is fit to become a sannyasin. (139)

The body is unaffected by pleasures and pains after death. (139)

The one who is always afraid of respect as poison and always longs after disrespect as nectar, sleeps soundly and rises happily. (140)

The one who treats with disrespect the one who always longs for disrespect, perishes [accordingly]. None should be treated with disrespect. (140)

Soft words should be uttered. (140)

He who has understood the effect of being alone never strays from it. (141)

The ascetic should be alone and desireless. He should neither rejoice at dying or living. (141)

An ascetic who plays the part of the dumb, the deaf, and the idiot who is ever in a state of sleep, as it were [may get] emancipated. There is no doubt of this. (see 142)

The ascetic need not be one that had studied Vedas. (142)

Instruction 4

He who performs these prohibited things, goes into a debased state: Thirst, the pleasant and the unpleasant, the obstinacy of curing diseases, penance. (146)

To the ascetics controlling their mind, the following are their svadharmas (own duties): Harmlessness, truth, honesty, service to the guru, faith, endurance, vijnana (etc.). (see 146)

A knower of the secret mysteries should roam about, incognito. (148)

Instruction 5

Narada said: "Lord [Brahma], what are the differences of different orders of sannyasa? Please tell us." (151)

Brahma: "Sannyasa is of one kind only, yet due to lack of knowledge (ajnana) divided into three and then into four [and more]." (151-53)

"There is nothing for the ascetic to do . . . the only thing he is qualified to do is reflection, etc. (154)

"To the ascetic, there should be no desire of this world or the higher. . . . To him, there is no entry into yoga books . . . Should there be any entry into other books (than the one treating of Reality), then it will be like an ornament . . . (155).

"A man who practises meditation on Self in the dreaming state as in the waking is said to be the foremost and first." (156)

"A muni who goes about with no cause for instilling fear into all beings need never have any fear from them. He should not take any disciples. The muni should go about like an idiot. (from 157)

A yogin whether praised or afflicted by others, never thinks of it in order to reach a superior state in yoga. (158)

The ascetic after giving up the faults should be without fear and see Janardana in and out everywhere, preserving silence, being without stain like vayu [the wind]. (158)

Instruction 6

A Jivanmukta who lives thus is a doer of that which should be done. He should ever be discoursing: 'I am Brahman'. From the waking, dreaming and dreamless sleeping states, he should reach the turya state and then turyatita (the state beyond turya). (see 159)

He from whom all castes and orders of life slip away through Atmic vision, transcends them all and remains in Atma alone. (162)

Instruction 7

Having discarded all things other than the Self, [the ascetic] should be ever thinking of the bliss of his Self. (164)

An ascetic should dwell alone in mountain caves without uttering falsehood. . . . Therefore [an ascetic] should live alone in a village. (166)

For the kutichaka [type of ascetic], there are two cloths; for the bahudaka [ascetic], there is one cloth; for the hamsa [ascetic] there is a piece of cloth; and the paramahamsa [type] should be naked or have only a loin-cloth; in the case of the turyatita and avadhuta [ascetics], they should be as nature made them. (166)

Instruction 8

"Your Atma, associated with the three bodies, is Parabrahman . . . the realisation of Parabrahman should be attained. . . . It cannot be proved. It cannot be reached by thought. It cannot be proved by analogy. It can be realised by Self-realisation alone. (168-69)

Instruction 9

"An emancipated person knows Reality, and roams about without wealth, being happy, able to get wealth (if wanted), having crossed jnana and ajnana as well . . . able to confer siddhis and remaining himself as Brahman, the Lord. Such a Parivrat attains the supreme abode where the sun and the moon do not shine," said Brahma. (172)

Two Minor Upanishads