Майтряяния Упанишад: Ежелгі индуістік мәтін

One of the ancient Sanskrit scriptures of Hinduism

The Maitrayaniya Upanishad (, Maitrāyaṇīya Upaniṣad) is an ancient Sanskrit text that is embedded inside the Yajurveda. It is also known as the Maitri Upanishad (, Maitrī Upaniṣad), and is listed as number 24 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. The Maitrayaniya Upanishad is associated with the Maitrayanas school of the Yajurveda. The chronology of Maitrayaniya Upanishad is contested, but generally accepted to be a late period Upanishadic composition. The Maitrayaniya Upanishad consists of seven Prapathakas (lessons). The first Prapathaka is introductory, the next three are structured in a question answer style and discuss metaphysical questions relating to Atman (Self), while the fifth to seventh Prapathaka are supplements. The Maitri Upanishad is an important ancient text notable, in its expanded version, for its references to theories also found in Buddhism, elements of the Samkhya and Yoga schools of Hinduism, as well as the Ashrama system. The text is also notable for its practice of Anyatrapyuktam (or Ityevam Hyaha), that is being one of the earliest known Sanskrit texts that embedded quotes with credits and frequent citations to more ancient Sanskrit texts. The likely root for the Upanishad is probably the name of an ancient Indian scholar, Maitra, sometimes spelled Maitri or Maitreya, giving the text the alternate name of Maitri or Maitra Upanishad. van Buitenen identified at least five compositional layers in the work, composed at different times by different groups or individuals. When discussing the chronology of the Upaniṣads, Olivelle did not specifically mention the Maitri Upanishad but noted that the last group of principal Upanishads "cannot be much older than the beginning of the common era." Mahony suggests an earlier date, placing Prashna along with Maitri and Mandukya Upanishads, as texts that probably emerged about early fourth century BCE. Jayatilleke states, "Buddhism is not far removed in time from, though it is prior to, the Maitri Upanishad". Nakamura states that "although Buddhistic influence can be seen in the Maitri Upanishad (from words used), the particular terms and modes of expression of Mahayana Buddhism do not yet appear (in it)". Phillips, in contrast, lists Maitri Upanishad before and about the time the first Buddhist Pali canonical texts were composed. posits a view similar to Phillips, placing Maitri's chronological composition in the fifth group of ancient Upanishads and last of the Principal Upanishads. Cowell too considers Maitri Upanishad as late era Upanishad, with its later sections comparatively modern, because of the structural and style differences within texts, inconsistencies in Poona manuscript, Calcutta (Kolkata) manuscript, Eckstein manuscript, Burnell manuscript and other manuscripts, and because some version of the manuscripts insert quotes from Vaishnavism. Hume includes it among his list of "Thirteen Principal Upanishads".

Maitri Upanishad deals with the concept and nature of Atman (Self), the question of "how is joy possible?" and "how one can achieve moksha (liberation)? "; in later sections it offers a debate on possible answers.

Sakayanya answers the king's question, in verse 2.2 of Maitri Upanishad, by asserting that Atman (Self) exists in every individual, and it is that inmost being which "moves about without moving" (exists everywhere), which dispels darkness of ignorance and error, which is serene, immortal, fearless and soaring for the highest light. The Maitri Upanishad states that this is the message of all Upanishads,

Hume states that the construct of the question above is notable, as it thus incorporates the three triads of thought found in ancient Indian philosophies the Vedic trinity, the philosophical trinity in different schools of Hinduism, as well as the Brahmanic trinity. A hymn, inserted into paragraph 5.1 and called the Kutsayana Hymn, states that the Self is the hidden unchanging reality, the tranquil, the unlimited, the one without beginning or end. The Self, states this pantheistic hymn, is Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Prajapati, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Indra, Moon, Anna (Food), Yama, Earth. The paragraph 5.2 of the Upanishad asserts the Guna theory of Samkhya school of Hinduism. The text states that in the beginning the universe was darkness (Tamas) alone. The Brahman impelled Tamas to differentiate, thus arose passion (action qua action, Rajas). The Brahman impelled Rajas to continue differentiating, and thus arose purity (right action, truth, Sattva). These three Gunas reside in everything. The aspect of Brahman that characterizes Tamas is Rudra. The aspect of Brahman that characterizes Rajas is Brahma. The aspect of Brahman that characterizes Sattva is Vishnu. The existence of inner Self can only be inferred, while the outer Self can be perceived. The outer Self is the evidence of the inner Self, and the inner Self is the evidence of the outer Self. Just like in time (kala), the solar fire ultimately consumes all beings and the outer world as food, asserts the Upanishad, it is the man's Self that consumes inner food. The outer Self and inner Self are, assuredly, states the Upanishad, one and same thing. The sound is the body of Self, and it manifests in three: as gender endowed body feminine, masculine, neuter; as light endowed body Agni, Vayu and Aditya; as deity endowed body Brahma, Rudra and Vishnu; as mouth endowed body Garhapatya, Dakshinagni and Ahavaniya; as knowledge endowed body Rig, Saman and Yajur; as world endowed body Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ; as time endowed body Past, Present and Future; as heat endowed body Breath, Fire and Sun; as growth endowed body Food, Water and Moon; as thought endowed body intellect, mind and psyche. Brahman exists in two forms the material form, and the immaterial formless. The material form is changing, unreal. The immaterial formless isn't changing, real. The immortal formless is truth, the truth is the Brahman, the Brahman is the light, the light is the Sun which is the syllable Om as the Self. The world is Om, its light is Sun and the Sun is also the light of the syllable Om. Meditating on Om, is acknowledging and meditating on the Brahman Atman (Self). The Sun is Savitri, and thus one who loves his Self, loves the splendor of the Sun. The text thereafter explains the meaning of Savitri verse from Rig Veda 3.62.10, its emphasis on "may the Sun inspire our thoughts, stimulate our thoughts". To think is to meditate, states paragraph 6.7 of Maitri Upanishad. To worship Sun, is to worship Self. The Self underlies the senses yet is more than the sensory capabilities of man, it is pristine unity beyond cause, effect and action.

Knowledge is of two types, asserts the Maitri Upanishad: subjective and objective. The subjective knowledge is about the external world dependent on the person, the objective knowledge is about the Self and inner, hidden principles of the world. It is the Self of man that comes to know subjective and objective knowledge. The Self of man is identical with various gods and powers, it is the deities Isana, Sambhu, Bhava, Rudra, Prajapati, Visvarij, Hiranyagarbha, Satyam, Prana, Hamsa, Sastri, Vishnu, Narayana, Arka, Savitri, Dhatri, Vidhatri, Samraj, Indra, Indu and Sun.

Sections 6.9 through 6.17 of the Maitri Upanishad is motley collection of three parts, all relating to the metaphysical interpretation of food. This is connected with the much older metaphorical discussion of "food" in chapter 5 of the Chandogya Upanishad. Everything is food to everything else, and taking of food is described by the Upanishad as a form of worship, a sacrifice offered by the Self to the Self. In the first part of discussing food, the section discusses the feeding of one's own body as a form of religious ritual, and includes a hymn that is "food prayer" and that urges Atman to gratify the reciter as well as gratify all creatures in the universe. In the second part, the Upanishad calls apparent form of Brahman as food, then differentiates between food and the eater of food, and metaphorically maps food all to the nature of existence, of Prakrti (nature) and Purusha (consciousness). It symbolically maps the Time and Timeless as changing reality and the unchanging Brahman, respectively. There is a motley collection of ideas in the discussion of Kala (Time), within the sixth Prapathaka of the Upanishad. The section includes the concept of Time and non Time, calling these as two forms of Brahman, mirroring the Upanishad's earlier discussion of Material and non Material universe. It defines non Time as "what was there before the appearance of Sun", and Time as "what began with the appearance of Sun". Non Time is indivisible, Time is divisible. Year is the Murti (idol) of time. Time ripens everything, asserts the Upanishad. Sun is the foundation for Time, Sun is the Self (the Atman) of Brahman. The Brahman is the eternal, the boundless, the unborn, the immeasurable, the infinite, that which existed before Time, the light in the Sun, the colors in the smokeless fire, and all are only that one, one alone. Along with Katha Upanishad and Shvetashvatara Upanishad, the Maitri Upanishad offers one of the oldest known descriptions of Yoga theory. After enumerating the sixfold yoga, the Upanishad states that the path to Self knowledge is yogic meditating on Self and Brahman. This meditation leads to the state that "unites everything in the eternal, highest Atman". The one who thus knows Atman, asserts the text, becomes innately one of goodness, liberated, limitless, blissful. The mind of man, states the Upanishad, is the cause of his bondage and his freedom. The one whose mind is controlled by objects of sense is unfree, the one whose mind is guided by his Self is free (mukti).

The seventh Prapathaka of Maitrayaniya Upanishad states that the Self is "the inmost being of everything", it is unlimited and it is manifestation of one Brahman. It is Self, it is deep, it is pure, it is brilliant. The Self is tranquil, it is fearless, it is sorrowless, it is indescribable joy. It is intelligent, it is patient, it is truth, it is harmony. It is self dependent, it is steadfast, it is immortal, it is without limits. It is the Self, it is the Lord, it manifests in many, they are all one and the same.

The final supplement of the Maitri Upanishad is a polemic against philosophies that declared antagonism to the Vedic teachings and its doctrine of Self. Jayatilleke, on the other hand, states that Buddhism is the likely target. In this group of false teachers, are others who misrepresent Vedas, have developed the strategy of deceptive circular arguments, false claims, faulty reasoning and irrational examples against the Vedic literature. In sections 7.9 and 7.10, the Upanishad refers to Katha Upanishad, and recommends that man should seek to know both knowledge and non knowledge, the real and the delusion, the truth and untruth. Don't be "like blind men led by one who is himself blind", states the Maitri Upanishad.

The Maitri Upanishad shows signs of influence, or at least awareness of Buddhist teachings. Rhys Davis, about a 100 years ago, stated that Maitri Upanishad is the earliest Sanskrit literary usage of the term 'samadhi', a word also found in early texts of Buddhism. However, the concept of meditation and union is far older than the known literally use of the term Samadhi. The idea of "union", expressed with terms such Samadhi root or related words, occur in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the oldest and longest Upanishad of the Hinduism. There are many other words and ideas that are shared between Maitri Upanishad and earliest known Buddhist texts. This sect reference could potentially be Carvakas, Ajivakas, Buddhism, Jainism or another unknown sect of thought that existed in ancient India. Jayatilleke states that this reference in Maitri Upanishad is likely to be to the Buddhists since,

The term niratman appears in the Maitrayaniya Upanishad such as in verses 6.20, 6.21 and 7.4. Niratman literally means "selfless". The verses 6.22 and 6.23 discuss sound Brahman (Om, sabda brahman, lower Brahman) and soundless Brahman (empty, asabda brahman, higher Brahman), then teaches that both should be known. The niratman concept has been interpreted to be analogous to anatta doctrine (anatman) of Buddhism. The ontological teachings, however, are different. In the Upanishad, states Thomas Wood, numerous positive and negative descriptions of various states – such as niratman and sarvasyatman (the self of all) – are used in Maitrayaniya Upanishad to explain the nondual concept of the "highest Self".

The Maitri Upanishad is oft cited text in comparative studies of Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as the likely influence of one on the other. Monier Williams referred to Maitrayaniya Upanishad, among other Vedic literature, in his review of the relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism. In studies on the earliest discussion of Yoga theory, Maitri Upanishad is among the most referred to.