The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, part of the Shukla Yajurveda, is the largest and one of the most profound Upanishads. It contains the teachings of the sage Yajnavalkya, including the famous 'Neti Neti' (not this, not this) method of negation to describe the indescribable Brahman. The Upanishad is structured as a series of dialogues and philosophical expositions. Key mantras include 'Aham Brahmasmi' (I am Brahman) from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10, which asserts the identity of the individual self with the ultimate reality, and 'Om Asato Ma Sadgamaya' (from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28), a prayer for guidance from ignorance to truth. The 'Neti Neti' teaching appears in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.3.6 and 3.9.26, where Yajnavalkya instructs that the Self cannot be described by positive attributes; it is only approached by negating all that it is not. The text also includes the dialogue between Yajnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4 and 4.5), where he explains that the Self is the dearest of all and that everything is dear only for the sake of the Self. The phonetics of these mantras follow Vedic chanting rules, with proper intonation (svara) essential for efficacy. The purpose of chanting these mantras is to attain self-realization (atma-jnana) and liberation (moksha). Traditional practice recommends chanting during the brahma muhurta (pre-dawn hours) with a clear mind, often after ritual purification. There is no fixed count, but repetition (japa) is done with focused contemplation on the meaning. The setting should be a quiet, clean space. No specific cautions are given, but due to the profound nature of the mantras, they should be chanted with reverence and understanding. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is also cited in the Brahma Sutras (1.1.1) as a foundational text for Vedanta philosophy.
Yajnavalkya teaching his wife Maitreyi about the nature of the Self.