Para-Brahma

The Parabrahma Upanishad is one of the medieval era minor Upanishads of Hinduism, composed in Sanskrit. The text is attached to the Atharvaveda, and is one of the 20 Sannyasa (renunciation) Upanishads. The Parabrahma Upanishad mainly describes the tradition of the sacred thread and braided hair worn by householders and why both are discarded by a hermit in the Hindu Ashrama system after he renounces for a monastic lifestyle. The text emphasizes that knowledge is the inner sacrificial cord of renunciants, and knowledge is their true braid. Patrick Olivelle states that these wandering monks consider Brahman (the unchanging, ultimate reality) as their inner "supreme cord, on which the entire universe is strung like beads". This medieval era text has a repeated emphasis on knowledge and discarding external dress and rituals in exchange for the inner equivalent of Atman-Brahman, which is similar to the ancient Upanishads. The text is notable for explaining why sanyasis renounce the braid and sacred thread worn as householders. Their hair bun and thread are no longer external but internal, states the text, as knowledge and their awareness of Atman-Brahman that weaves the universe into a unified unity. The Parabrahma Upanishad connects Brahma to man's consciousness when he is awake, Vishnu to his consciousness in the dream state, Maheshwara (Shiva) to his consciousness in deep sleep, and Brahman as Turiya, the fourth state of consciousness. The Upanishad calls those who have only a bun of hair for a braid and a visible sacred thread on the chest with hollow symbols as "pseudo-Brahmins", who are not attaining spiritual self-knowledge. The true mendicant, the true seeker of liberation, asserts the text, abandons these external symbols, and focuses on meditating upon and understanding the nature of his soul, ultimate reality and consciousness within his heart. He is a knower of the Veda, virtuous, the threads of his cord are true (tattva) principles, and he holds knowledge within himself. He does not pay attention to external rituals, he devotes himself to internal knowledge for liberation with Om and hamsa (Atman-Brahman). The first chapter of the Parabrahma Upanishad is similar to the first chapter of the more ancient Brahma Upanishad. The text shares several sections with Kathashruti Upanishad. The text also references and incorporates portions of Sanskrit text from Chandogya Upanishad section 6.1 and Aruni Upanishad chapter 7. The composition date or author of the Parabrahma Upanishad is not known, but apart from chapter 1 which is borrowed from the Brahma Upanishad, the rest of the text is probably a late medieval era text. Olivelle and Sprockhoff date it to the 14th or 15th century. The manuscripts of this text are sometimes titled as Parabrahmaopanishad. It is listed at number 78 in the Telugu language compilation of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika text narrated by Rama to Hanuman.

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