Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad

by Swami Sivananda

Om! O gods! may we, with our ears, hear what is auspicious! O ye, fit to be worshipped! May we, with our eyes, see what is auspicious! May we enjoy the life allotted to us by the gods, offering our praise with our bodies strong of limbs!

Om Peace Peace Peace!

Mantra 1

1. This world of names and forms is a mere appearance. It has no independent existence apart from Brahman. Just as a snake is superimposed on the rope, this world and body are superimposed on Brahman.
2. Just as knowledge of a rope removes the illusion of a snake in the rope and the consequent fear, so also the knowledge of the Self (Brahman) removes Avidya or ignorance and the fear of birth and death.
3. Brahman is Sat-Chit-Ananda Svarupa. It is self-luminous (Svayam-Jyoti). It is eternal (Nityam), beginningless (Anadi), endless (Ananta), changeless (Nirvikara), deathless (Amritam), fearless (Abhayam) and spotless (Niranjana).
4. Brahman is attributeless (Nirguna), formless, (Nirakara), without special characteristics (Nirvisesha), without parts (Akhanda), without any limiting adjunct (Nirupadhika), one without a second (Ekam eva Advitiyam), independent (Svatantra), ever free (Nitya-mukta) and all-full (Paripurna).
5. Brahman is distinct from the three bodies and five sheaths (Koshas). He is the silent witness of the three states. He transcends the three Gunas and the pairs of opposites. He is an embodiment of Sat-Chit-Ananda. He is the essence or Swarupa. He is the source or womb for the mind, Prana, Indriyas, body and this world.
6. Om or the Pranava is the symbol (Pratika) of Brahman. It is the word of power. From Om this world is projected; in Om it exists and in Om it is involved during cosmic Pralaya. Om is the essence of the four Vedas.
7. That aspirant who is endowed with the four means, who has removed impurities and tossing of the mind, who is equipped with Sattvic virtues is only fit for the path of Jnana Yoga.
8. By careful, diligent, protracted and unceasing practice of meditation gradually ascend the steps (Bhumikas). Do not relax the efforts till you attain the Bhuma (Highest). Do not stop the Sadhana when you get some false contentment from the Savikalpa Samadhi.
9. Repetition of Om with meaning and Bhava will remove all obstacles in the spiritual path. The Hrasva (short) Pranava destroys all sins. The Dirgha (long) Pranava gives Mukti, the Pluta gives all Siddhis.
10. Meditation on Lakshyartha (indicative meaning) of Tat Tvam Asi (That Thou Art) Mahavakya (great sentence) is the direct means for attaining Self-realisation.
11. That aspirant who is endowed with the four means, should hear the Srutis from a Brahma-srotri Brahmanishtha and enquire into the nature of Brahman through the help of Shad Lingas and then reflect and meditate.
12. The Brahmakara Vritti that arises from the Sattvic mind of the aspirant who is equipped with the four means destroys the veil of ignorance and dies by itself.
13. Mind also is Jada. It is an effect (Karya) of Sattva Guna. It borrows its light from its source, Brahman. It has a beginning and an end.
14. The three Bhavanas, sleep, tossing of mind, mind running towards objects, depression, building castles in the air, diseases, etc., are the chief obstacles in the attainment of Self-realisation.
15. The Jnani who has full Self-realisation sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings. There is nothing other than Brahman for him. He moves about fearlessly in the world.
16. A Jnani gets anything he likes through the power of his Sat-Sankalpa (perfect will). A Jnani wills and everything comes into being. A Jnani has tremendous powers.
17. When one gets Jnana, all Karmas are destroyed. There is no Prarabdha (fructifying) Karma for a Jnani.
18. Videha Mukti comes when a Jnani is living. A Jnani gets disembodied salvation (Videha Mukti) when he enters the state of Turiyatita, the Absolute.
19. The chief marks (Lingas) of a Jivanmukta are knowledge of the past, present and future, absolute fearlessness, absolute desireless, absolute painlessness, equal vision, balanced mind, freedom from exhilaration and depression, etc.
20. There is neither birth nor death, neither bondage nor freedom, neither Sadhana nor Samadhi, neither meditator nor meditated, neither seeker after liberation nor liberated – this is the ultimate truth
21. Om Shanti Om!

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad – Wisdom of Siva, Self-Knowledge, and Liberation

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad is a spiritual teaching that presents the nectar of knowledge through the vision of Siva as the supreme reality. Here, Siva is not understood merely as a form or deity limited by name and image. Siva represents Brahman, the eternal, self-luminous, all-pervading consciousness that is the source, support, and final resting place of the universe. This teaching guides the seeker from ignorance to knowledge and from bondage to inner freedom.

The word “Jnanamrita” means the nectar of knowledge. Ordinary knowledge helps a person understand the world, but spiritual knowledge removes sorrow at its root. It reveals the real nature of the self. Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad teaches that true wisdom is not dry information. It is the living realization that the self is not the body, mind, ego, or changing personality, but pure consciousness.

The Upanishadic vision begins with the understanding that Brahman or Siva is the source of all. From the supreme reality arise the elements, the world, the body, the mind, and all experiences. Everything appears in that reality, lives in that reality, and finally dissolves back into that reality. Just as waves arise from the ocean and return to the ocean, the universe appears in Brahman and has no independent existence apart from it.

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad gives importance to self-enquiry. The seeker must ask, “Who am I?” Am I the body made of food? Am I the breath that moves in and out? Am I the mind that thinks and feels? Am I the intellect that decides? Am I the ego that claims doership? Through sincere enquiry, the seeker sees that all these are observed and changing. The true self is the witness of them all.

The teaching of the five sheaths is very useful here. The body is the food sheath, sustained by food and subject to change. The vital energy is the pranic sheath, responsible for life-functions. The mind is the mental sheath, filled with thoughts, emotions, likes, and dislikes. The intellect is the wisdom sheath, connected with judgment and ego. The bliss sheath is subtle peace experienced in deep sleep. Yet the self is beyond all these sheaths.

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad reminds the seeker that ignorance is the root of bondage. Because of ignorance, a person identifies with the limited body and mind and says, “I am weak,” “I am bound,” “I am the doer,” and “I am the enjoyer.” From this arise desire, fear, anger, pride, attachment, and sorrow. When true knowledge arises, these false ideas begin to disappear.

Knowledge of the self is compared to light. Darkness cannot be removed by fighting it. It disappears when light appears. In the same way, ignorance cannot be fully removed by mere argument, ritual, or external activity. It is removed by direct knowledge of the self. When the seeker realizes the truth, the false identification with the non-self loses its force.

The Mahavakyas, or great declarations of the Upanishads, play an important role in this path. Statements like “Prajnanam Brahma,” “Aham Brahmasmi,” “Tat Tvam Asi,” and “Ayam Atma Brahma” reveal the identity of the individual self with the supreme reality. These declarations should not be repeated with egoistic pride. They should be reflected upon deeply with humility, purity, and meditation.

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad also teaches the greatness of the Jnani, the person of self-realization. A Jnani sees the self in all beings and all beings in the self. For such a one, separation loses its binding power. Fear becomes weak because fear comes from duality. When everything is known as one consciousness, the heart becomes peaceful, free, and compassionate.

The state of a Jnani is not ordinary intellectual understanding. A person may read many scriptures and still remain bound by anger, desire, jealousy, and ego. Real knowledge transforms life. It brings humility, steadiness, purity, fearlessness, and inner contentment. The Jnani may move in the world, but inwardly remains established in the self.

This teaching is also practical for daily life. When the body suffers, remember that you are the witness of the body. When thoughts disturb the mind, observe them calmly. When ego demands praise, examine it. When fear arises, enquire who is afraid. When attachment becomes strong, reflect on the changing nature of all things. Such practice slowly brings Vedantic wisdom into living experience.

Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad does not reject devotion. In fact, devotion to Siva can purify the heart and prepare the mind for knowledge. When Siva is worshipped as the supreme consciousness, devotion and knowledge become one. Prayer softens the heart, meditation steadies the mind, and enquiry reveals the truth.

The seeker must also cultivate discipline. Purity of conduct, control of senses, moderation in food, truthfulness, compassion, humility, and selfless service make the mind fit for knowledge. Without purity, Vedantic teaching remains only intellectual. With purity, the same teaching becomes a direct path to realization.

In the end, Siva-Jnanamrita Upanishad is a stream of wisdom that leads the seeker toward the nectar of self-knowledge. It teaches that Siva is the supreme Brahman, the self is pure consciousness, ignorance causes bondage, and knowledge brings liberation. Through enquiry, discrimination, meditation, devotion, and purity, the seeker rises beyond body, mind, ego, and fear. When the truth is realized, life becomes filled with peace, strength, wisdom, and the bliss of the eternal self.

Vidyas from the Upanishads