[Advaita-l] Niralambopanishat - a few select passages

[V Subrahmanian]

Niralambopanishat - a few select passages

The Niralambopanishat is a part of the 108 Upanishads enumerated in the
Muktikopanishad. The Muktika itself is cited by Swami Vidyaranya in the
Jivanmukti Viveka.

The Sanskrit/Devanagari version of the Upanishad is available here:

https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/niralamba.html?lang=sa

An English version is here:

https://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Upanishads/Sri_Niralamba_Upanisad.htm

The Upanishad, in essence, is a dialogue that leads to Brahmavidya. A list
of questions as to know the various tattvas in creation is presented in the
beginning. A few salient points are selected here.

What is Brahman? Brahman is free of all upadhis. It is nirguna,
second-less, beyond speech.

What/who is Ishwara? Brahman alone, resorting to its Power called Prakriti,
creates the universe and enters the jiva-s and is present there as
antaryami, impelling the intellect and sense organs, etc. of all jivas from
Brahma, etc.

Who is jiva? Brahma, Vishnu, Ishana, Indra, etc. are the various names and
forms through which Brahman alone manifests and though One only, through
these various names/bodies, Brahman alone appears as different, countless,
jivas. [Thus, this Upanishad holds Brahma, Vishnu, Ishana as jivas.]

Who is Paramatma?  That which transcends the body, etc. is Brahman,
Paramatma.

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Sun, moon, humans, etc. are verily Brahman,
free of their upadhis.   'Sarvam khalvidam brahma', 'neha nana asti
kinchana' - are statements that occur in this Upanishad too.

What is Jnanam? The knowledge arising out of practicing austerities, tapas,
that it is Chaitanyam, Consciousness, alone that is inherent in all
creation. Apart from Consciousness there is nothing. A direct realization
of this truth is Jnanam.

What is ajnanam? Akin to the rope-snake mutual superimposition is
ignorance. The rajju-sarpa analogy is used in this Upanishad.

What is bondage? This is very nicely explained as the kind of relationship
we have with father, mother, etc. I am a doer - this thinking is bondage.
etc..

What is moksha, liberation? Moksha is freeing oneself of the ignorance-born
relationship with everything that is not-self.

A very unique teaching of the Upanishad is: Who is to be meditated upon?
The Guru who takes us to the Chaitanya that inheres in all bodies is to be
meditated upon.

[When someone asked Swami Brahmananda as to who is to be meditated upon, he
replied: Meditate on the Guru who is the sarva-devataa svarupa.]

What is tapas? Tapas is the burning up of the longing to attain aishwarya
of Brahma, etc. with a firm realization that 'Brahman is Satyam, Jagat is
mithya'.  [The phrase: brahma satyam, jagan mithya' occurs in this
Upanishad.]

One can read the bhashyam of Upanishad Brahma Yogin for more explanations.

Om Tat Sat