The Nirvana Upanishad ( A Personal Translation ) Introduction This is a personal translation of the Nirvana Upanishad, a very laymans approach

to the subject. I am putting this on the net for the benefit of those who do not know about it . My sincere apologies to the pundits, scholars, and writers who have studied this work in great detail and find faults with the translation. This is a personal translationmore what I think it means rather than a scholarly work. My apologies to the unknown writer who wrote this work hundreds of years ago and with whose work I have taken so many liberties. The Nirvana Upanishad is still very much alive and relevant for all those who believe in quietly being heroic, in their personal lives , by setting a high standard of principles for themselves - as advocated in this Upanishad -for the purpose of spiritual growth and well being - for the sake of developing good karmas ending with Nirvana. May all human beings attain Nirvana (be free from suffering) at the earliest. This is my prayer-MAY ALL ATTAIN NIRVANA .

Invocation May I speak what I think. May I think what I speak. May what is hidden be revealed. May the Scriptures be understood. May the Truth be ever present in me. May I seek and dedicate, To put into practice what I learn . May I speak in the right manner. May I speak the truth. May I be protected. May the Speaker within be protected. May the Teacher be protected. May there be Peace More Peace and yet More Peace. OM SHANTI. SHANTI. SHANTI

The Introductory Sutras Sutra 1. ATHA NIRVANOPANISHAD VYAKHYASYAAM Now, the exposition of the Nirvana Upanishad.

Sutra 2. PARAMHANSA: SOHAM The Enlightened State is when one reaches a totally egoless state of I AM THAT. (which merges in the Divine.) Sutra 3. PARIVRAAJAKAH: PASCHIMAALINGAAH All seekers are just one stage short of this state of enlightenment. Sutra 4. MANMATH KSETRAPAALA The battlefield (to reach the state of enlightenment) is the mind.

Sutra 5. GAGAN SIDDHANTH Let your principles be like the sky (high)(spotless). Sutra 6. AMRITA KALLOL NADI Let nectar (goodness) flow from you like a river. Sutra 7. AKSHAYAN NIRANJANAM Let this (goodness) be imperishable and free from falsehood. Sutra 8. NISHANSHAYA RISHI Be without doubt, like a sage. (Doubt can weaken your goodness).

The Enlightenment Sutras Sutra 9. NIRVAANO DEVTAA Seeking enlightenment is like seeking God. Sutra 10. NISHKUL PRAVRATTI Progress can be made if focus is not lost in worldly matters. ( The following Sutras contain only my version without the original Sanskrit Text) Sutra 11. Do not stop practice until you reach enlightenment. Sutra 12. Allow the gathered energy to rise upwards (to the highest chakra). Sutra 13. Do not take the help of other support (of visualisations, chants, trances, etc).

Sutra 14. Becoming one with the Divine is the initiation. Sutra 15. The way to do this is to become detached. Sutra 16. The sages of old have all been initiated in this manner. The Solitary Sutra Sutra 17. Meditate deeply and be like the sun in your own universe . Develop the Divine Sutra 18 If you have the ability to discriminate between right and wrong,(right actions and wrong actions)(right thoughts and wrong thoughts) (right knowledge and wrong knowledge)(right perspective of reality/illusion and wrong perspective of reality/illusion) then you will always be protected.

Sutra 19. Make compassion a joy. Sutra 20. Make joy your garland.(Always be joyful) Sutra 21. Alone, in a solitary spot, sit comfortably, and peacefully meditate . Sutra 22. Unimagined are the blessings you will recieve. Sutra 23. In your conduct, try and be Divine . Sutra 24. All beings have the Divine within themselves. They have to learn to develop this Divineness so that it manifests itself. Learn to develop certain qualities. Sutra 25. Cover yourself with patience (Self Control). Learn to be neutral (indifferent) amidst the extremeties you face in life.

Learn to reason with intelligence. Meditate on the Divine constantly. Learn to look at your wellbeing as your protective shield. Look at other peoples needs with graciousness. Keep your Kundalini energy under control. Be free of the habit of speaking ill of others and be liberated. Be in tune with the Divine even in your sleep. Be constantly aware of mind, breath and posture. If you follow the above, then you will always be joyful. Sutra 26. Try and be free from the forces of the three energy fields. Sutra 27 . The ability to always make the right decisions and to always speak the right things should be developed. Sutra 28. Transitory is the world, just like clouds. One who is born here, lives in a dreamworld filled with change, confusion, delusions and other such emotions. The body, along with its desires, and its submission to the three energy fields,traps you into its web and you start living in your own imaginary world of illusions.

Sutra 29. So its important to possess knowledge about the outer as well as the inner world. Sutra 30. Restrained Discipline( in your meditation) is the way to knowledge. Sutra 31. The path of Shoonya (the Great Void) has no sign posts along the way. Sutra 32. Inspite of no sign posts, you must find your way as God truly Exists.(Never doubt This) Sutra 33. Truth can be tasted by following the principles of Yoga Philosophy religiously. Sutra 34. Then you will be on the path of That which is also your self nature.

Sutra 35. That is the Divine. It can become a part of your consciousness if you recognize it as such. Sutras of the Joyful Mind Sutra 36. Use prayers constantly to calm the mind. Transform yourself with this discipline. Sutra 37. Let mind control be your protective shield in life. Sutra 38. With this discipline, your eternal joyful self nature will be revealed to you. Sutra 39. Accept this joy as His Blessing. Sutra 40. In this vast cemetry of life, live as if in a garden of bliss.

Sutra 41. In solitude, make joy your monastery. Sutra 42. Be always in the right state of mind which can be attained with right effort. Sutra 43. This effort for being in the right state of mind has to be done with great urgency. Sutra 44. Maintain the purity of the body and you will not need other support. Sutra 45. Let positive energy flow in waves so that all activity is joyful. The Divine taste of Oneness. Sutra 46. Fill your inner sky with the Divine.

Sutra 47. Calmness, self restraint, and other divine qualities are to be practiced. Sincerity, and being worthy of being a human being are the other qualities. Be aware of the power of the Opposites (right and wrong) (good and evil)(knowledge and ignorance)(virtue and vice). Protect yourself with this awareness. Sutra 48. The non dual way of thinking will lead you to the divine (eternal bliss) Sutra 49. Impose a strict code of conduct on yourself (if you wish to reach the Divine.) Sutra 50 All craving, anger, grief and fear have to be renounced. Renunciation itself has to be renounced as all has to happen naturally from within.

Sutra 51. All opposites (mentioned earlier) have to be resolved into the divine taste of Oneness. Sutra 52. A sense of non-doership (becoming just a witness) will give you strength. May the forces within be united. Sutra 53. By self illumination and knowledge of the Divine, the forces of Shiva(yin)(male) and Shakti (yang)(female) which are split within you , must be united . Scattered elements of awareness must be grouped together. Both feelings and non feelings must be burnt. Sutra 54. Be without external support, like the sky( a reservoir of space.)

Sutra 55. Make the fourth state of awareness your ultimate goal of sacredness, by activating the highest chakra. Sutra 56 Use the Supreme Spirit (of pure intelligence) as a guide in life and use constant awareness as its most essential component. Sutra 57 Karmas which are constantly getting entwined around you , have to be uprooted. Attachments, illusions and your ego, all have to be burnt to uproot karmas. Sutra 58. Once all these are burnt, then death cannot harm you . (Because you have become the Integrated One.) Sutra 59. Free yourself from the three forces of nature and your self nature will be revealed to you. Before that all delusions/confusions must be destroyed. All desires and other mental disturbances must be burnt. The task is difficult but be firm and determined.

Learn to live with the minimum. In cosmic harmony, recite your prayers/ mantras. Meditation must be practiced always and with sincerity. Purity must be inculcated in conduct as well as your nature to liberate you in this universe. Sutra 60. Always bring out the best in you. Abstinence and peace of mind are interconnected. When you reach the final stage of your inner journey, you will automatically drop everything else. Sutra 61. This then, is just a glimpse of the divine Nirvana. This must be passed on only to disciples and to those seriously interested in Nirvana. Sutra 62. Here the Nirvana Upanishad ends. Om Shanti.ShantiShanti.

May there be peace .more peaceand yet more peace.

In Gratitude To my Parentsmy Family.my Guru Osho, And other Teachers, and friends and seekers on the way, who have helped to make the journey more interesting.