Taittriya Upanishad – 2

 Parting advice to students

The eleventh anuvaka contains the final instruction which the students in those days received when they completed their Vedic studies under the Guru, before leaving the gurukulam which is called sishya-anusasanam (rules for a student).  This is similar to the present day convocation address and gives the students leaving gurukulam at the end of Vedic studies general guidelines for post-gurukulam life.  This can be seen also as Guru’s parting advice to students for leading good life in keeping with their studies, a manifesto for “Hindu way of way of living”, as Swami Chinmayananda puts it.   These instructions can also be seen as a passport to a post-student life of peace, happiness and prosperity for students even today as in life one’s needs are cultural and spiritual as well and not just physical alone.  We shall see all the Mantras together

vedam anoochya aachaaryah antevaasinam anushaasti;

satyam vada; dharmam chara; swaadhyaayaat maa pramadah;

aachaaryaaya priyam dhanam aahritya;

prajaatantum maa vyavacchhetseeh;

satyanna na pramaditavyam; dharmanna na pramaditavyam;

kushalanna na pramaditavyam; bhootyai na pramaditavyam;

swaadhyaaya pravachanaabhyaam na pramaditavyam;

deva-pitru-kaaryaabhyaam na pramaditavyam….1

Having taught the Vedas, the teacher thus instructs the pupils: Speak the truth. Practise Dharma. Do not neglect the study of the Vedas. Having brought to the teacher the gift desired by him, enter the householder's life and see that the line of progeny is not cut off. Do not swerve from the truth. Do not swerve from Dharma. Do not neglect personal welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not neglect the study and teaching of the Vedas. Do not neglect your duties to the Gods and the departed souls.

maatru devoh bhava; pitru devoh bhava;

acharyadevoh bhava; atithih devoh bhava;

yaani anavadyaani karmaani; taani sevitavyaani; no itaraani;

yaani asmaakam sucharitaani; taani tvayaa upaasyaani; no itaraani… 2

Treat your mother as God. Treat your father as God. Treat your teacher as God. Treat your guest as God.  Let the actions that are free from blemishes only be done; and not any others; Let those virtuous actions which are irreproachable only be followed by you; and not any others.

ye ke cha asmat shreyaam sah braahmanaah;

teshaam tvayaa aasanena prashvasitavyam;.

shraddhayaa deyam, ashraddhayaa adeyam;

shriyaa deyam, hriyaa deyam;

bhiyaa deyam, samvidaa deyam…3

When the Brahmanas who are more distinguished than us are in discussion, you must offer them a seat and provide them with honourable services.  Gifts (charity) should be given with faith. Never give without faith; give in plenty, give with modesty; give with sympathy; give with friendly feelings

atha yadi te karma-vichikitsaa vaa vritta-vicikitsaa vaa syaat;

ye tatra braahmanaah sammarshinah; yuktaah aayuktaah;

alookshaa dharmakaamaah syuh;

yathaa te tatra varteran; tathaa tatra vartethaah;

atha abhyaakhyaateshu; ye tatra braahmanaah sammarshinah; yuktaah aayuktaah;

alookshaa dharmakaamaah syuh;

yathaa te teshu varteran; tathaa teshu vartethaah

eshah aadeshah; eshah upadeshah; eshaa vedopanishat; etat anushaasanam;

evam upaasitavyam; evamu cha etat upaasitavyam…4

Now, if there arises in your mind any doubt concerning any act, or any doubt concerning conduct, you should conduct yourself in such matters as Brahmanas would conduct themselves-Brahmanas who are competent to judge, who of their own accord are devoted to good deed and are not urged to their performance by others and who are not too severe, but are devoted to Dharma.  Now when you are falsely accused of some crime; You should act as Brahmanas do - Brahmanas who are competent to judge, who of their own accord are devoted to good deed and are not urged to their performance by others and who are not too severe, and are devoted to Dharma.This is the Command; This is the teaching; This is the secret of the Vedas; This commandment is to be observed; In this way you should live; In this way, verily, you should act.

              A selection from these instructions that can be a source of guidance and inspiration even this day as well is listed below with a brief commentary to follow.

1)    satyam vada; satyan na pramaditavyam. (Be truthful.   Do not swerve from truthfulness.) - One should maintain harmony between thought and speech, without hypocrisy or a motive to do injury.  Truthfulness is also required to cultivate love between members of family.  Truthfulness needs no ‘maintenance’, while a lie needs more lies and constant effort to maintain it.

2)    dharmam chara ; dharman na pramaditavyam.( Follow Dharma. May you not neglect the dharmic way of living.) – To be righteous and follow a religious way of living, means being just and compassionate in everything one plans or does.  Swami Vivekananda says “The world can be good and pure only if our lives are good and pure”

3)    svadhyayat ma pramadaḥ ; svadhyaya pravacanabhyam na pramaditavyam. (Never neglect scriptural study.   Never neglect the study and propagation of Vedas) - Scriptural study reminds one of Vedic values and Niyata Karmas and sharing with others helps one to keep in mind what has been learned.

4)    kusalan na pramaditavyam. (Do not neglect personal welfare) - One should not neglect the duty to oneself and one’s family in the name of serving the society.  It is not selfish to take care of one’s well-being and one’s family’s welfare; rather it is one’s duty.  It is only wrong to be selfish at the at the expense of the others.

5)    bhootyaih na pramaditavyam (Do not neglect prosperity) - Earn in plenty but earn legitimately and give in plenty, proportionate to the earning.  Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to advise people to earn well but not to consider earning as an end by itself.

6)    devapitrkaryabhyam na pramaditavyam (Do not neglect the duties to Gods and ancestors) - Worship of God is essential. Swmi Paramarthananda quotes an example from Bhagavatam. To nourish a tree, one pours water only at the root even though one wants to water every cell of the tree.  That water from the root will reach every cell in an invisible manner. Similarly, the universe is huge tree with many needy people. It is impossible to help every individual in the world. Therefore, the Vedas prescribe a method: serve or contribute to the universal tree whose root is Iswara.   Offering at least a spoonful of water, regularly worship Iswara asking for the welfare of the entire world and in that process purify the mind as well.  Similarly, pitrkaryam, the worship of the ancestors in the form of srardha, tarpaṇa etc. is also extremely important.  This helps one to attain chithasuddhi, that aids one’s spiritual growth.

7)    maatru devoh bhava; pitru devoḥ bhava; acharyadevoh bhava. (Treat your mother as God; Treat your father as God; Treat your teacher as God) - Have reverential attitude towards parents and teacher and offer them namaskara as one does to an idol in the temple.  One should not forget the sacrifices made and pains suffered by the elder generation to bring one up from infancy and groom as responsible intelligent youth.

8)    yanyanavadyani karmaṇi ; tani sevitavyani ; no itarani (Let the actions that are free from blemishes only be done; not others) - The Acharya, out of humility, here tells the pupils that they should take only the good from what they have experienced in their gurukulam life, and discard the others.

9)    ye ke cha asmat shreyaam sah braahmanaah; teshaam tvayaa aasanena prashvasitavyam. (When the Brahmanas who are more distinguished than us are in discussion, you must offer them a seat and provide them with honourable services.) -  Here Brahmanas stand for cultured, Vedic scholars. The idea is that one must be all ears and eyes when such scholars hold discussion on philosophical matters with the aim of learning from their discussions, while treating them respectfully as well.

10)  sraddhaya deyam ; asraddhyadeyam ; sriya deyam ; hriya deyam ; bhiya deyam ; saṃvida deyam. (Gifts (charity) should be given with faith. Never give without faith; give in plenty, give with modesty; give with sympathy; give with friendly feelings) – In short, gift must be a Satvic Dhanam as defined by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (17-20) i.e. “That gift which is given with a sense of duty expecting nothing in return, in a proper place and at proper time to a proper person, is pronounced as Satvic”.

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