Upanishad Series - Ep. 10 (Aitareya Upanishad)
Did you know this ancient book talked about how our consciousness works, thousands of years before the word was even invented.
Today we’re opening up the Aitareya Upanishad, which is the one of the only two principal Upanishads linked to the Rig Vedic branch.
Its attributed to Mahidasa Aitareya Rishi, son of Itara, which is where it gets its name from.
With 33 verses, spread across four adhyayas, its quite a short but underrated read, containing some gorgeous philosophies.
Firstly, it explains how the Atman, our True highest Self, created four worlds - Ambhas, Maricis, Mara (which is our mortal realm) & Apas (the waters below). This is very different from our usual understanding of heaven, earth & hell.
Then, different deities, called the lokapalas, enter the Purusha, a person created by this Higher Self, bringing it to life.
Secondly, the scripture introduces one of the most fascinating ideas in all of Vedic thought: the three births. Your first birth is when your father's essence is discharged into your mother - the seed carrying the spirit forward.
Your second birth is when you emerge into the world, nurtured, raised, continuing the Self through a new body.
And your third birth? It's when you leave this world and are born again - not necessarily another body, but a birth into enlightenment, if you've done the work.
The Rigvedic seer Vamadeva is cited here as proof - someone who realized Brahman while still in the womb.
But thirdly, and most importantly, it reveals the Mahavakya, one of the four great sayings of Sanatan Dharma, which is Prajnanam Brahma. Which means, “The Self is Conciousness.”
This is not the same as "the Self knows Brahman." Not "the Self seeks Brahman." The Self is consciousness, and consciousness is the ultimate reality. Everything - gods, elements, animals, men, things that fly, things that stand still - all of it is led by consciousness and rests on consciousness.
In simple words, think of it like this: you are not the movie playing on the wall. You are the light that makes the movie possible. This world is just your projection & an appearance. The goal for us is to return to this state of complete self-awareness through sacrifice & meditation.
The Aitareya, although not very popular in modern times, inspired commentaries from all our acharyas, include Sankara, Madhva, Sayana, Anandgiri & more…
It even found its way in Swami Vivekananda’s teachings, quietly reminding us that we are not the doers or actors, we are simply the witness behind the mind.