A STORY IN TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD

IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING & TEACHING

TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD IS KNOWN FOR ITS PHILOSOPHICAL AND SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE. THIS UPANISHAD HAS BEEN TRANSLATED BY GREAT SCHOLARS.

THERE IS A NARRATION FOUND IN THE UPANISHAD UNDERSCORING THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING.

THERE WERE THREE RISHIS NAMELY RATHITARA, PAURISHISHTI AND MAUDGALYA. THEY ENTERED INTO AN ARGUMENT WHICH IS THE SUPREME THING IN THE WORLD. THE FIRST RISHI - RATHITARA SAID THAT SATYA (TRUTH) IS THE SUPREME IN THIS WORLD. THE SECOND RISHI - PAURISHISHTI EXPLAINED THAT TAPASYA (PENANCE) IS THE SUPREME IN THIS WORLD. THE THIRD RISHI - MAUDGALYA ARGUED THAT SVADHYAYA & PRAVACHANA (SELF-STUDY & TEACHING) IS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD.

THE ARGUMENT DID NOT CONCLUDE AS THE THREE RISHIS STOOD BY THEIR ARGUMENT. THEN THEY WENT TO VEDA PURUSHA AND SUBMITTED THEIR TOPIC OF DEBATE AND THEIR VIEWS ALSO. THEY REQUESTED VEDA PURUSHA TO PRONOUNCE JUDGEMENT ON THEIR DEBATE. THEN, VEDA PURUSHA AFTER PATIENTLY HEARING THEIR ARGUMENT, PRONOUNCED HIS JUDGEMENT "THAT IS TAPAS, THAT IS TAPAS." BY THE WORD "THAT" VEDA PURUSHA MEANT SVADYAYA & PRAVACHANA (SELF-STUDY & TEACHING).

THEN THE THREE RISHIS HAD ACCEPTED HIS JUDGEMENT AND UNDERSTOOD THAT IF ONE STUDIES TRULY WELL AND TEACHES, HE WILL FOLLOW THE PATH OF TRUTH AND DO SINCERELY OBSERVE PENANCE.

THUS, IN TAITTIRIYA UPANISHAD, THE IMPORTANCE OF SVADHYAYA & TEACHING IS NARRATED. 

THE PASSAGE IS AS FOLLOWS - 

                     सत्यमिति सत्यवचा राथीतरः । तप इति तपो नित्यः पौरिशिष्टिः । 

                     स्वाध्याय​-प्रवचने एवेति नाको मौद्गल्यः । तद्धि तपःस्तद्धि तपः ।

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