More about Bhikshuka Upanishad

Bhikshuka Upanishad: This is a small and simple Upanishad which discusses  the bhikshaatana rules for the sanyaasies  who  accept sanyaasa  directly ( as Sankaracharya did) or  after passing through brahmacharya, gruhastha, sanyaasa /  vaanaprastha. ( Do not translate the bhiskhaatana word as begging. accepting bhiskhsa and giving bhiksha are two holiest dharma).

 1. There are  four levels for the bhikshus known as kuteechika bhikshus, Bahoodaka bhikshus, Hamsa bhikshus, Paramahamsa bhikshus. Gouthama, Bharadwaaja, Yajnavalkhya  and Vasishta  Maharshies are respectively  included in the  four  classes, in that order.

3. Kuteeechika bhikshus satisfy with eight hand full of annam / food

4. Bhahoodaka bhikshus take little food  but they  should have a three feet long bamboo piece+ kamandalu+ yajnopaveetha + saafron cloth  . 

5. Hamsa bhikshus live with little  milk products and stay not more than a day in a village, five days in a town and seven days in holy places.

6. For parama Hamsa bhikshus nothing is  a criteria they live in a state where nothing is important and no  rules .

7. For  the parama Hamsa bhikshus the gold and stone are alike. 8. They  don’t have any attachment or feelings like happiness, unhappiness, fear, sorrow and so on.

9. Parama Hamsa bhikshus may live naked or half naked  in forests or a places similar to that.

10. They eat food just to maintain life/ jeevaathma in the body.

 

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