Turiyatitavadhuta Upanishad
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The ''Turiyatitavadhuta Upanishad'' ( sa, तुरीयातीत अवधूत उपनिषद्,
IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: Turīyatītāvadhūta Upaniṣad) is a medieval era Sanskrit text and is one of the minor Upanishads of
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
. The text is attached to the
Shukla Yajurveda The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
, and is one of the 20
Sannyasa ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' As ...
(renunciation) Upanishads. The Upanishad is notable for its description of the nature and life of a self-realized monk called ''Turiyatita-Avadhuta'', literally a totally liberated man, also called a ''Avadhuta'' or Jivanmukta. Such a person, asserts the text, is rare. The self-realized individual does not perform any rituals or rites, nor chant mantras, discriminate against or for others, and is beyond the
Turiya In Hindu philosophy, ''turiya'' (Sanskrit: तुरीय, meaning "the fourth") or chaturiya, chaturtha, is pure consciousness. Turiya is the background that underlies and pervades the three common states of consciousness. The three common sta ...
state of consciousness. In the Paramahamsa state, he is devoted to non-dualism, is always soul-driven, is Brahman and syllable Om. The exact distinction between Paramahamsa, Avadhuta and Turiyatita-Avadhuta states is obscure, states
Patrick Olivelle Patrick Olivelle is an Indologist. A philologist and scholar of Sanskrit Literature whose work has focused on asceticism, renunciation and the dharma, Olivelle has been Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Religions in the Department of Asian Studi ...
, but these concepts represent an attempt in the Hindu traditions to comprehend, refine and describe the inner and outer state of self-realization and the highest monastic life. This text is a part of the collection of ancient and medieval Sannyasa Upanishads, most of which are premised entirely on the
Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hinduism, Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the Āstika and nāstika, orthodox Hindu school Ved ...
philosophy.Stephen H Phillips (1995), Classical Indian Metaphysics, Columbia University Press, , page 332 with note 68 However, unlike other Sannyasa Upanishads, the Turiyatita text uses some
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
terminology, but not to the same extent as the Sannyasa-related ''
Shatyayaniya Upanishad The ''Shatyayaniya Upanishad'' ( sa, शाट्यायनीय उपनिषत्, IAST: Śāṭyāyanīya Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text, composed about the start of 13th-century, and is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. The text ...
''. This text also emphasizes
nondualism Nondualism, also called nonduality and nondual awareness, is a fuzzy concept originating in Indian philosophy and religion for which many definitions can be found, including: nondual awareness, the nonduality of seer and seen or nondiffer ...
.


History

The date or author of ''Turiyatitavadhuta Upanishad'' is unclear, but given its literary style and the texts it references, it is likely a medieval era text. Olivelle and Sprockhoff date it around 14th- to 15th-century. Manuscripts of this text are also found alternatively titled as ''Turiyatita Upanishad'', and ''Turiyatitavadhutopanisad''.Vedic Literature, Volume 1, , Government of Tamil Nadu, Madras, India, page 386-387 The text is listed at number 64 in the Telugu language
anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
to
Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
.


Contents

The text is structured as a discourse from
Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
(Vishnu) to
Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
, about the monastic life and state of Avadhutas (highest liberated Hindu monks). Such liberated persons are rare, states the text. They, asserts the Upanishad, are an incarnation of knowledge, of detachment, of inner purity. He alone is the man of the Vedas, translates Olivelle. The monastic life of the ''Avadhuta'' starts as ''Kutichaka'' monk, who then becomes ''Bahudaka'' monk, thereafter reaching the ''Hamsa'' state of monastic life. Beyond that, he becomes ''Paramahamsa'' monk, wherein he has deeply contemplated on his own nature and thus has discovered the entire universe, states the text. Thereafter, he becomes ''Avadhuta'' where he abandons everything, he gives up shaving,
vertical line The vertical bar, , is a glyph with various uses in mathematics, computing, and typography. It has many names, often related to particular meanings: Sheffer stroke (in logic), pipe, bar, or (literally the word "or"), vbar, and others. Usage ...
symbols on his forehead and outer symbolism of any sort. He never blames anyone, states the Upanishad, neither praises nor criticizes anyone, he is free of deceit and arrogance, he has no hate or love for anyone, he neither gets angry nor excited by anything, he just eats if he finds something and goes hungry if he does not, asserts the Upanishad. There is no superior or inferior for such a liberated man, states the text, he sees everything as nondual, he understands and lives by the divine secret and ancient value that "there is no one else different from me". He fears no one, he fears no pain, he fears no pleasure, he has no longing for love, he is at rest in his innermost core, states the Upanishad. The Avadhuta wanders, alone. He appears like a fool to others, asserts the text, but he doesn't care. He meditates on his own nature to find the ultimate truth
Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
, states the text; he is lost in the Brahman, his own self is all he is, he is one with Om. Such is the ''Avadhuta'', states the Upanishad, he has done all there is to do. Thus ends the Upanishad.


See also

*''
Jabala Upanishad The ''Jabala Upanishad'' ( sa, जाबाल उपनिषत्, IAST: Jābāla Upaniṣad), also called ''Jabalopanisad'', is a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. The Sanskrit text is one of the 20 Sannyasa Upanishads, and is attached to the S ...
'' *''
Nirvana Upanishad The ''Nirvana Upanishad'' ( sa, निर्वाण उपनिषत्, IAST: Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad) is an ancient sutra-style Sanskrit text and a minor Upanishad of Hinduism. The text is attached to the Rig Veda, and is one of the 20 Sannya ...
'' *''
Paramahamsa Upanishad The ''Paramahaṃsa Upanishad'' ( sa, परमहंस उपनिषद), is one of the 108 Upanishadic Hindu scriptures, written in Sanskrit and is one of the 31 Upanishads attached to the Atharvaveda. It is classified as one of the Sannyasa ...
'' *''
Yogatattva Upanishad The '' Yogatattva Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: योगतत्त्व उपनिषत्, IAST: Yogatattva Upaniṣhad), also called as ''Yogatattvopanishad'' (योगतत्त्वोपनिषत्), is an important Upanishad with ...
''


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * {{Mukhya Upanishads Upanishads