Taittirīyopaniṣat 02.15
तदप्येष श्लोको भवति। असद्वा इदमग्र आसीत्। ततो वै सदजायत। तदात्मानग्ग् स्वयमकुरुत। तस्मात् तत् सुकृतमुच्यत इति। यद्वै तत् सुकृतम्। रसो वै सः। रसग्ग् ह्येवायं लब्ध्वाऽऽनन्दीभवति। कोह्येवान्यात् कः प्राण्यात्। यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्। एष ह्येवानन्दयाति ॥१५॥
tad apy eṣa śloko bhavati। asad vā idam agra āsīt। tato vai sad ajāyata। tad ātmānam svayam akuruta। tasmāt tat sukṛtam ucyata iti। yad vai tat sukṛtam। rasaḥ vai saḥ। rasaṃ hi eva ayaṃ labdhvā ānandī bhavati। ko hi eva anyāt kaḥ prāṇyāt। yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt। eṣa hi eva ānandāyāti॥15॥
[तद् (tad) - then; अपि (api) - also; एषः (eṣaḥ) - this; श्लोकः (ślokaḥ) - verse; भवति (bhavati) - arises; असत् (asat) - non-being; वा (vā) - or; इदम् (idam) - this; अग्रे (agre) - in the beginning; आसीत् (āsīt) - was; ततः (tataḥ) - then; वै (vai) - indeed; सत् (sat) - being; अजायत (ajāyata) - was born; तत् (tat) - that; आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - Ātmān; स्वयम् (svayam) - by itself; अकुरुत (akuruta) - created; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; तत् (tat) - that; सुकृतम् (sukṛtam) - well-made; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; इति (iti) - thus; यत् (yat) - what; वै (vai) - indeed; तत् (tat) - that; सुकृतम् (sukṛtam) - well-made; रसः (rasaḥ) - delightful taste; वै (vai) - indeed; सः (saḥ) - he; रसम् (rasam) - delightful taste; हि (hi) - indeed; एव (eva) - only; अयम् (ayam) - this; लभ्ध्वा (labdhvā) - having obtained; आनन्दी (ānandī) - blissful; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; कः (kaḥ) - who; हि (hi) - indeed; एव (eva) - only; अन्यात् (anyāt) - from another; कः (kaḥ) - who; प्राण्यात् (prāṇyāt) - would breathe; यत् (yat) - if; एषः (eṣaḥ) - this; आकाशः (ākāśaḥ) - space; आनन्दः (ānandaḥ) - bliss; न (na) - not; स्यात् (syāt) - were; एषः (eṣaḥ) - this; हि (hi) - indeed; एव (eva) - only; आनन्दायाति (ānandayāti) - causes to rejoice;]
Thus, this verse is also stated: "In the beginning, this was non-being (asat). From that, being (sat) was born. That Ātmān created itself by its own power. Therefore, it is called 'sukṛtam', i.e. well-made. What indeed is that well-made? It is 'rasa', i.e. delightful taste. Truly, he who attains that 'rasa', the delightful taste, becomes blissful. For who could breathe, who could live, if this space were not bliss? It is this that truly causes to rejoice."
Taittirīya Bhāshya 02.15
In the testimonial, the supreme teaching of the Chāndogas is: 'The one acts only after attaining happiness.' Nārāyaṇa is the unmanifest, i.e non-being (asat) form the Lord. In the being form (sat), Lord manifests into Vāsudeva form. This world is well-made, hence it is called 'sukṛtam'. The radiant Lord is indeed bliss; only with bliss Janardana engages in worldly activities that are dharmic. He is bliss, the 'rasa', i.e. delightful taste, arising from that. Upon attaining this delightful taste, the rasa, the liberated person should rejoice and not otherwise.
"अनासाद्यस्त्वसन्नामा पूर्वं नारायणाभिधः। स आसाद्यश्च सन्नामा वासुदेवोऽभवत् प्रभुः॥
"anāsādyas tvasannāmā pūrvaṃ nārāyaṇābhidhaḥ। sa āsādyas ca sannāmā vāsudevo 'bhavat prabhuḥ॥
[अनासाद्यः (anāsādyaḥ) - not-attained; not-approached; त्व (tva) - but; indeed; असन्नामा (asannāmā) - having the name 'non-existent'; पूर्वं (pūrvaṃ) - formerly; before; नारायणाभिधः (nārāyaṇābhidhaḥ) - called Nārāyaṇa; named Nārāyaṇa; सः (saḥ) - he; आसाद्यः (āsādyaḥ) - having attained; having approached; च (ca) - and; सन्नामा (sannāmā) - having the name 'existent'; वासुदेवः (vāsudevaḥ) - Vāsudeva; अभवत् (abhavat) - became; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the Lord;]
"Previously, he who was not attained and was called 'non-existent', known as Nārāyaṇa, upon being attained and called 'existent', became Vāsudeva, the Lord.
स वासुदेवः स्वात्मानं चक्रे सङ्कर्षणादिकम्। तस्मात् तत् सुकृतं नाम स आनन्दो रसस्ततः॥
sa vāsudevaḥ svātmānaṃ cakre saṅkarṣaṇādikam। tasmāt tat sukṛtaṃ nāma sa ānando rasastataḥ॥
[स (sa) - he; वासुदेवः (vāsudevaḥ) - Vāsudeva; स्वात्मानं (svātmānam) - his own self; चक्रे (cakre) - made; सङ्कर्षणादिकम् (saṅkarṣaṇādikam) - beginning with Saṅkarṣaṇa; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; तत् (tat) - that; सुकृतं (sukṛtam) - well-done; नाम (nāma) - name; स (sa) - he; आनन्दः (ānandaḥ) - bliss; रसः (rasaḥ) - essence / delightful taste; ततः (tataḥ) - from that;]
Vāsudeva manifested himself as Saṅkarṣaṇa and others. Therefore, that is called 'sukṛtam', the well-done; he is bliss, the 'rasa', i.e. delightful taste, arising from that.
आनन्दमेनं सम्प्राप्य मुक्तो मोदेन्न चान्यथा। आदीप्तस्त्वेष भगवान् यद्यानन्दो भवेन्न च॥
ānandam enaṃ samprāpya mukto modenna cānyathā। ādīptas tveṣa bhagavān yady ānando bhaven na ca॥
[आनन्दम् (ānandam) - bliss; एनम् (enaṃ) - this (person); सम्प्राप्य (samprāpya) - having attained; मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - liberated; मोदेत् (modet) - should rejoice; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; आदीप्तः (ādīptaḥ) - inflamed; त्वेषः (tveṣaḥ) - radiant; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the Lord; यदि (yadi) - if; आनन्दः (ānandaḥ) - bliss; भवेत् (bhavet) - would be; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and;]
Upon attaining this bliss, the liberated person should rejoice and not otherwise. The radiant Lord is indeed bliss; he would not be otherwise.
सामान्यचेष्टा धर्म्याश्च कस्य स्युस्तमृते प्रभुम्। सुखं लब्ध्वा हि कुरुते लोकचेष्टां जनार्दनः॥
sāmānyaceṣṭā dharmyāś ca kasya syus tam ṛte prabhum। sukhaṃ labdhvā hi kurute lokaceṣṭāṃ janārdanaḥ॥
[सामान्य (sāmānya) - common; general; चेष्टा (ceṣṭā) - activity; effort; धर्म्याः (dharmyāḥ) - righteous; in accordance with dharma; च (ca) - and; कस्य (kasya) - of whom; स्युः (syuḥ) - would be; may be; तम् (tam) - him; ऋते (ṛte) - except; without; प्रभुम् (prabhum) - the Lord; master; सुखम् (sukham) - happiness; pleasure; लब्ध्वा (labdhvā) - having obtained; हि (hi) - indeed; कुरुते (kurute) - does; performs; लोक (loka) - world; people; चेष्टाम् (ceṣṭām) - activity; conduct; जनार्दनः (janārdanaḥ) - Janardana; Krishna;]
Except for the Lord, who else can have common and dharmic actions? It is only after attaining happiness that Janardana engages in worldly activities.
अल्पात् सुखादल्पकर्मा पूर्णानन्दादि्ध सर्वकृत्। न ह्यार्ताः कर्म कुर्वन्ति मुग्धाश्चैव विशेषतः॥
alpāt sukhād alpakarmā pūrṇānandāddhi sarvakṛt। na hyārtāḥ karma kurvanti mugdhāś caiva viśeṣataḥ॥
[अल्पात् (alpāt) - from little; सुखात् (sukhāt) - from happiness; अल्पकर्मा (alpakarmā) - one of little action; पूर्णानन्दात् (pūrṇānandāt) - from complete bliss; हि (hi) - indeed; सर्वकृत् (sarvakṛt) - doer of all; न (na) - not; हि (hi) - indeed; आर्ताः (ārtāḥ) - the afflicted; कर्म (karma) - action; कुर्वन्ति (kurvanti) - they do; मुग्धाः (mugdhāḥ) - the deluded; च (ca) - and; एव (eva) - indeed; विशेषतः (viśeṣataḥ) - especially;]
One who acts little for small happiness, but from complete bliss is the doer of all. Not indeed do the afflicted perform action, nor do especially the deluded.
तस्माद् यादृक् सुखं तादृक् कर्म पूर्णसुखत्वतः। सर्वकृत्त्वात् परो विष्णुः आह तस्मात् सनातनी॥
tasmād yādṛk sukhaṃ tādṛk karma pūrṇasukhattvataḥ। sarvakṛttvāt paro viṣṇuḥ āha tasmāt sanātanī॥
[तस्माद् (tasmād) - from that; यादृक् (yādṛk) - of what kind; सुखं (sukham) - happiness; तादृक् (tādṛk) - such; कर्म (karma) - action; पूर्णसुखत्वतः (pūrṇasukhattvataḥ) - from the state of complete happiness; सर्वकृत्त्वात् (sarvakṛttvāt) - from having done everything; परो (paro) - supreme; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; आह (āha) - said; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; सनातनी (sanātanī) - eternal one;]
From that state of complete happiness, of what kind is happiness, such is the action. Because of having accomplished everything, the supreme Lord Viṣṇu said, therefore (she is) the eternal one.
सुखं लब्ध्वा करोतीति च्छन्दोगानां श्रुतिः परा। अलब्ध्वा तु सुखं नैव करोतीत्यपि सादरम्॥
sukhaṃ labdhvā karotīti cchandogānāṃ śrutiḥ parā। alabdhvā tu sukhaṃ naiva karotītyapi sādarām॥
[सुखं (sukhaṃ) - happiness; pleasure; लब्ध्वा (labdhvā) - having obtained; करोति (karoti) - does; acts; इति (iti) - thus; so; च्छन्दोगानां (cchandogānāṃ) - of the Chāndogas (a class of Vedic chanters); श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - revelation; scripture; परा (parā) - supreme; highest; अलब्ध्वा (alabdhvā) - not having obtained; तु (tu) - but; सुखं (sukhaṃ) - happiness; pleasure; नैव (naiva) - not at all; करोति (karoti) - does; acts; इति (iti) - thus; so; अपि (api) - also; even; सादरम् (sādarām) - with respect; with regard;]
The supreme teaching of the Chāndogas is: 'One acts only after attaining happiness.' Conversely, 'if happiness is not attained, one does not act' — this too is taught with respect.
तत्पूर्णानन्ददेवेन कारितः प्राणिति स्फुटम्। सर्वलोकः स एवैक आनन्दयति चाखिलम्॥
tatpūrṇānandadevena kāritaḥ prāṇiti sphuṭam। sarvalokaḥ sa evaika ānandayati cākhilam॥
[तत् (tat) - that; पूर्ण (pūrṇa) - full; आनन्द (ānanda) - bliss; देवेन (devena) - by the god; कारितः (kāritaḥ) - caused; प्राणिति (prāṇiti) - breathes; स्फुटम् (sphuṭam) - clearly; सर्वलोकः (sarvalokaḥ) - all worlds; सः (saḥ) - he; एव (eva) - indeed; एक (eka) - one; आनन्दयति (ānandayati) - causes to rejoice; च (ca) - and; अखिलम् (akhilam) - entirely;]
That which is caused by the God of complete bliss breathes clearly; he alone causes all the worlds and everything to rejoice."
