Aitareya Upanishad

The Aitareya Upanishad (Sanskrit: ऐतरेय उपनिषद्, Aitareya Upaniṣad) is a Mukhya Upanishad associated with the Rig Veda. It is particularly famous for the Mahavakya “Prajñānam Brahma” (Consciousness is Brahman).

Mantra 1: The Inquiry into the Self

Sanskrit

ॐ कोऽयमात्मेति वयमुपास्महे कतरः स आत्मा । येन वा पश्यति येन वा श‍ृणोति येन वा गन्धानाजिघ्रति येन वा वाचं व्याकरोति येन वा स्वादु चास्वादु च विजानाति ॥ १॥

Word-by-Word

• कः अयम् आत्मा (kaḥ ayam ātmā): Who is this Self?
• इति वयम् उपास्महे (iti vayam upāsmahe): Whom we worship?
• कतरः सः आत्मा (kataraḥ saḥ ātmā): Which of the two is that Self? (The perceiver or the perceived?)
• येन वा पश्यति (yena vā paśyati): By which one sees.
• येन वा श‍ृणोति (yena vā śṛṇoti): By which one hears.
• येन वा गन्धान् आजिघ्रति (yena vā gandhān ājighrati): By which one smells odors.
• येन वा वाचं व्याकरोति (yena vā vācaṃ vyākaroti): By which one articulates speech.
• येन वा स्वादु च अस्वादु च विजानाति (yena vā svādu ca asvādu ca vijānāti): By which one distinguishes between the tasty and the tasteless.

Translation

“Who is this Self whom we worship? Which of the two is that Self? Is it that by which one sees, by which one hears, by which one smells odors, by which one articulates speech, and by which one distinguishes the sweet from the bitter?”

---

Mantra 2: The Names of Consciousness

This mantra lists several meditative qualities—such as determination, mindfulness, and awareness—as functions of the one Consciousness.

Sanskrit

यदेतद्धृदयं मनश्चैतत् । सञ्ज्ञानमाज्ञानं विज्ञानं प्रज्ञानं मेधा दृष्टिर्धृतिमतिर्मनीषा जूतिः स्मृतिः सङ्कल्पः क्रतुरसुः कामो वश इति । सर्वाण्येवैतानि प्रज्ञानस्य नामधेयानि भवन्ति ॥ २॥

Word-by-word

• यत् एतत् हृदयम् (yat etat hṛdayam): That which is the heart.
• मनः च एतत् (manaḥ ca etat): And that which is the mind.
• सञ्ज्ञानम् (sañjñānam): Perception / Awareness.
• आज्ञानम् (ājñānam): Authority / Command.
• विज्ञानम् (vijñānam): Worldly knowledge / Science.
• प्रज्ञानम् (prajñānam): Wisdom / Constant Consciousness.
• मेधा (medhā): Intelligence / Retentive power.
• दृष्टिः (dṛṣṭiḥ): Insight / Vision.
• धृतीः (dhṛtiḥ): Determination / Fortitude.
• मतिः (matiḥ): Reflection / Thought.
• मनीषा (manīṣā): Independence of thought.
• जूतिः (jūtiḥ): Impulse / Mental speed.
• स्मृतिः (smṛtiḥ): Mindfulness / Memory.
• सङ्कल्पः (saṅkalpaḥ): Intention / Will.
• क्रतुः (kratuḥ): Purpose / Resolve.
• असुः (asuḥ): Life-force / Breath.
• कामः (kāmaḥ): Desire.
• वशः (vaśaḥ): Longing / Control.
• सर्वाणि एव एतानि (sarvāṇi eva etāni): All these indeed.
• प्रज्ञानस्य नामधेयानि भवन्ति (prajñānasya nāmadheyāni bhavanti): Are but names of Consciousness.

Translation

“That which is the heart and the mind; perception, command, understanding, wisdom, retentive intellect, vision, determination, reflection, thoughtful independence, mental impulse, mindfulness, intention, purpose, life-force, desire, and longing—all these are but names of Consciousness (Prajñānam).”

---

Mantra 3: The Great Utterance (Prajñānam Brahma)

Sanskrit

एष ब्रह्मैष इन्द्र एष प्रजापतिरेते सर्वे देवा इमानि च पञ्चमहाभूतानि पृथिवी वायुराकाश आपो ज्योतींषीत्येतानीमानि च क्षुद्रमिश्राणीव । बीजानीतराणि चेतराणि चाण्डजानि च जारुजानि च स्वेदजानि चोद्भिज्जानि चाश्वा गावः पुरुषा हस्तिनो यत्किञ्चेदं प्राणि जङ्गमं च पतत्रि च यच्च स्थावरं सर्वं तत्प्रज्ञानेत्रं प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितं प्रज्ञानेत्रो लोकः प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म ॥ ३॥

Word-by-word

• एष ब्रह्म (eṣa brahma): This is Brahman (the Creator).
• एष इन्द्रः (eṣa indraḥ): This is Indra.
• एष प्रजापतिः (eṣa prajāpatiḥ): This is Prajapati (the Lord of creatures).
• एते सर्वे देवाः (ete sarve devāḥ): All these gods.
• पञ्चमहाभूतानि (pañcamahābhūtāni): The five great elements (Earth, Air, Space, Water, Light).
• सर्वं तत् प्रज्ञानेत्रम् (sarvaṃ tat prajñānetram): All that is guided by Consciousness.
• प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितम् (prajñāne pratiṣṭhitam): Is grounded in Consciousness.
• प्रज्ञानेत्रो लोकः (prajñānetro lokaḥ): The world has Consciousness as its eye/guide.
• प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा (prajñā pratiṣṭhā): Consciousness is the foundation.
• प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म (prajñānam brahma): Consciousness is Brahman.

Translation

“He is Brahman, He is Indra, He is Prajapati; He is all these gods; these five great elements… all that is born of an egg, of a womb, of sweat, or of a seed; horses, cows, men, elephants, and every breathing thing that walks or flies, and all that is motionless. All this is guided by Consciousness and grounded in Consciousness. The world has Consciousness as its eye, and Consciousness is its foundation. Consciousness is Brahman.”

---

Mantra 4: The Result of Realization

Sanskrit

स एतेन प्राज्ञेनाऽऽत्मनाऽस्माल्लोकादुत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन्स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान् कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत् समभवत् ॥ ४॥

Word-by-word

• सः एतेन प्राज्ञेन आत्मना (saḥ etena prājñena ātmanā): He, by means of this Conscious Self.
• अस्मात् लोकात् उत्क्रम्य (asmāt lokāt utkramya): Ascending from this world.
• अमुष्मिन् स्वर्गे लोके (amuṣmin svarge loke): In that supreme heavenly world.
• सर्वान् कामान् आप्त्वा (sarvān kāmān āptvā): Having obtained all desires.
• अमृतः समभवत् (amṛtaḥ samabhavat): Became immortal.

Translation

“He, by means of this Conscious Self, ascended from this world and, having obtained all desires in that supreme heavenly state, became immortal—yes, became immortal.”

---

Reference: Upanishads