Bliss

This is the state of Brahman, Partha. Having attained it, one is no longer deluded. Established in it even at the hour of death, one reaches union with Brahman.

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति | स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ||२-७२||

The happiness that is like poison at first but like nectar in the end, born of the serenity of one's own mind — that is declared to be sattvic.

यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् | तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ||१८-३७||

he understood that bliss (ananda) is Brahman; for from bliss indeed are these beings born; by bliss, being born, they live; into bliss, when departing, they enter. This is the knowledge of Bhrigu and Varuna, established in the highest heaven. Whoever knows thus becomes established; he becomes possessed of food and an eater of food; he becomes great in offspring, cattle, and spiritual radiance, great in fame.

आनन्दो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् । आनन्दाध्येव खल्विमानि भूतानि जायन्ते । आनन्देन जातानि जीवन्ति । आनन्दं प्रयन्त्यभिसंविशन्तीति । सैषा भार्गवी वारुणी विद्या । परमे व्योमन्प्रतिष्ठिता । स य एवं वेद प्रतितिष्ठति । अन्नवानन्नादो भवति । महान्भवति प्रजया पशुभिर्ब्रह्मवर्चसेन । महान् कीर्त्या ॥ १॥

Whence words turn back, together with the mind, unable to reach it—one who knows that bliss of Brahman fears nothing at all. This is the embodied self of the former one. Different from and within this self made of mind is another self made of understanding (vijnana). By that this is filled. This too has the shape of a person; according to that one's human shape, this has human shape. Its head is faith; the right its right side; the true its left side; yoga the trunk; the great (mahah) the tail, the foundation. On this too there is this verse:

यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते । अप्राप्य मनसा सह । आनन्दं ब्रह्मणो विद्वान् । न बिभेति कदाचनेति । तस्यैष एव शारीर आत्मा । यः पूर्वस्य । तस्माद्वा एतस्मान्मनोमयात् । अन्योऽन्तर आत्मा विज्ञानमयः । तेनैष पूर्णः । स वा एष पुरुषविध एव । तस्य पुरुषविधताम् । अन्वयं पुरुषविधः । तस्य श्रद्धैव शिरः । ऋतं दक्षिणः पक्षः । सत्यमुत्तरः पक्षः । योग आत्मा । महः पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा । तदप्येष श्लोको भवति ॥ १॥

The one controller, the inner Self of all beings, who makes his one form manifold—the wise who perceive him as seated within themselves, to them belongs eternal happiness, and to no others.

एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति । तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम् ॥ १२॥

Where one asleep desires no desire and sees no dream, that is deep sleep. The third quarter is Prajna, whose sphere is deep sleep, who has become one, a mass of consciousness, made of bliss, an enjoyer of bliss, whose face is thought.

यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत् सुषुप्तम् । सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः ॥ ५॥

For I am the foundation of Brahman, of the immortal and imperishable, of the eternal dharma, and of absolute bliss.

ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च | शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ||१४-२७||

'I am food! I am food! I am food! I am the eater of food! I am the eater of food! I am the eater of food! I am the maker of verse! I am the maker of verse! I am the maker of verse! I am the firstborn of the cosmic order (rita), prior to the gods, the navel of immortality! Whoever gives me, he indeed preserves me. I, who am food, eat the eater of food! I have overcome the whole world! I am radiant like the golden light of the sun!' Whoever knows thus attains this. Such is the secret teaching.

अहमन्नमहमन्नमहमन्नम् । अहमन्नादोऽ३हमन्नादोऽ३अहमन्नादः । अहꣳश्लोककृदहꣳश्लोककृदहꣳश्लोककृत् । अहमस्मि प्रथमजा ऋता३स्य । पूर्वं देवेभ्योऽमृतस्य ना३भाइ । यो मा ददाति स इदेव मा३अऽवाः । अहमन्नमन्नमदन्तमा३द्मि । अहं विश्वं भुवनमभ्यभवा३म् । सुवर्न ज्योतीः । य एवं वेद । इत्युपनिषत् ॥ ६॥

In the beginning this was non-existent. From it the existent was born. That made itself its own self; therefore it is called well-made. That which is well-made—that indeed is the essence (rasa). For having obtained the essence, one becomes blissful. For who could breathe out, who could breathe in, if this bliss were not in the space of the heart? For it is this that makes for bliss. When one finds fearless support in that unseen, bodiless, undefined, unfounded (Brahman), then one has reached fearlessness. But when one makes even a small separation in it, then one has fear. Yet it is fear only for one who thinks himself wise while not truly knowing. On this too there is this verse:

असद्वा इदमग्र आसीत् । ततो वै सदजायत । तदात्मान स्वयमकुरुत । तस्मात्तत्सुकृतमुच्यत इति । यद्वै तत् सुकृतम् । रसो वै सः । रसꣳह्येवायं लब्ध्वाऽऽनन्दी भवति । को ह्येवान्यात्कः प्राण्यात् । यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात् । एष ह्येवाऽऽनन्दयाति । यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नदृश्येऽनात्म्येऽनिरुक्तेऽनिलयनेऽभयं प्रतिष्ठां विन्दते । अथ सोऽभयं गतो भवति । यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नुदरमन्तरं कुरुते । अथ तस्य भयं भवति । तत्त्वेव भयं विदुषोऽमन्वानस्य । तदप्येष श्लोको भवति ॥ १॥

Ever disciplining the self this way, the yogi freed of impurity easily attains the boundless happiness of contact with Brahman.

युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः | सुखेन ब्रह्मसंस्पर्शमत्यन्तं सुखमश्नुते ||६-२८||

Supreme happiness comes to this yogi whose mind is at peace, whose passion is calmed, who is free of impurity and has become one with Brahman.

प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम् | उपैति शान्तरजसं ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम् ||६-२७||

One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, whose light too is within — that yogi, having become one with Brahman, attains the peace of Brahman.

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः | स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ||५-२४||

With the self unattached to external contacts, one finds the happiness that is within the Self; united with Brahman through yoga, such a person enjoys imperishable happiness.

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् | स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ||५-२१||

'Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, understands nothing else — that is the infinite. Where one sees something else, hears something else, understands something else — that is the small. The infinite is the immortal; the small is mortal.' 'Sir, on what is the infinite established?' 'On its own greatness — or rather, not even on greatness.'

यत्र नान्यत्पश्यति नान्यच्छृणोति नान्यद्विजानाति स भूमाथ यत्रान्यत्पश्यत्यन्यच्छृणोत्यन्यद्विजानाति तदल्पं यो वै भूमा तदमृतमथ यदल्पं तन्मर्त्य्ꣳ स भगवः कस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठित इति स्वे महिम्नि यदि वा न महिम्नीति