Aitareya Upanishad
33 verses on creation and consciousness
The Aitareya Upanishad: Consciousness is Brahman
The Aitareya Upanishad, from the Rig Veda, describes the creation of the universe and the human body, how the Self enters and animates the body, and culminates in one of the four Mahavakyas (Great Sayings) of Vedanta: "Prajnanam Brahma", Consciousness is Brahman.
This Upanishad beautifully illustrates how the cosmic Self becomes the individual self, showing that your own consciousness is identical with the ultimate reality.
Key Verses
Verse 1.1.1, In the Beginning, the Self Alone
आत्मा वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीत्।
नान्यत्किञ्चन मिषत्।
स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति।।
ātmā vā idam eka evāgra āsīt nānyat kiñcana miṣat sa īkṣata lokān nu sṛjā iti
"In the beginning, the Self alone existed. Nothing else was there. He thought: 'Let me create the worlds.'"
Before creation, only pure Consciousness (Atman) existed, nothing else. This Self, through mere intention, decided to create the universe. Creation begins with thought, with will.
Verse 1.1.4, The Body's Cosmic Origins
तमभ्यतपत् तस्याभितप्तस्य मुखं निरभिद्यत यथाऽण्डम्।
मुखाद्वाग्वाचोऽग्निः।
tam abhyatapat tasyābhitaptasya mukhaṁ nirabhidyata yathā'ṇḍam mukhād vāg vāco 'gniḥ
"He brooded over him. From the brooded-upon Person, the mouth opened like an egg. From the mouth came speech; from speech came Fire."
Through divine contemplation (tapas), the cosmic Person's body develops. Each organ is connected to a cosmic element: mouth to speech to Fire, nostrils to breath to Air. Your body is a microcosm of the universe.
Verse 1.1.5, Eyes to Sun, Mind to Moon
अक्षिणी निरभिद्येतामक्षिभ्यां चक्षुश्चक्षुष आदित्यः।
हृदयं निरभिद्यत हृदयान्मनो मनसश्चन्द्रमाः।।
akṣiṇī nirabhidyetām akṣibhyāṁ cakṣuś cakṣuṣa ādityaḥ hṛdayaṁ nirabhidyata hṛdayān mano manasaś candramāḥ
"The eyes opened; from them came sight; from sight came the Sun. The heart opened; from it came mind; from mind came the Moon."
The Sun that lights the world outside is the same power that enables your seeing. Your mind's fluctuating nature mirrors the Moon's phases. Microcosm mirrors macrocosm, you are the cosmos in miniature.
Verse 3.1.3, Consciousness is Brahman (Mahavakya)
प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म।।
prajñānaṁ brahma
"Consciousness is Brahman."
One of the four Mahavakyas. Prajna (consciousness, awareness, knowing) is not just a product of the brain, it IS Brahman, the ultimate reality. The consciousness reading these words right now is the Divine.
Verse 3.1.1, What is this Self?
को अयमात्मेति वयमुपास्महे। कतरः स आत्मा।
येन वा पश्यति येन वा शृणोति...
सर्वं तत्प्रज्ञानेत्रं प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितं प्रज्ञानेत्रो लोकः प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म।।
ko 'yam ātmeti vayam upāsmahe kataraḥ sa ātmā yena vā paśyati yena vā śṛṇoti... sarvaṁ tat prajñānetraṁ prajñāne pratiṣṭhitaṁ prajñānetro lokaḥ prajñā pratiṣṭhā prajñānaṁ brahma
"Who is this Self we worship? Which one is the Self? Is it that by which we see, by which we hear... All this is guided by consciousness, founded on consciousness. The world is guided by consciousness. Consciousness is the foundation. Consciousness is Brahman."
The Upanishad asks: which faculty is the true Self? It concludes that consciousness (prajna) is the foundation of everything, sight, hearing, thinking, everything is rooted in awareness.
Main Themes
- Creation from Consciousness, The universe arises from the Self's intention, not from unconscious matter.
- Microcosm-Macrocosm, Each organ corresponds to a cosmic element; you are the universe in miniature.
- The Self Enters the Body, Consciousness animates the body; without it, the body is mere matter.
- Consciousness is Ultimate, The Mahavakya "Prajnanam Brahma" declares that awareness itself is the Absolute.
Reflection Questions
- If your consciousness is identical with Brahman, what does this mean for how you view yourself?
- How does the teaching that you are a microcosm of the universe change your relationship with nature?
- What is the relationship between your individual awareness and universal Consciousness?
Continue Your Study
Read the complete Aitareya Upanishad with all 33 verses covering creation, embodiment, and the nature of consciousness.