The greatest discrepancies in eschatology occur perhaps in the [=A]itareya [=A]ranyaka.  After death one either “gets brahma” (i. 3. 1. 2), “comes near to the immortal spirit” (1. 3. 8. 14), or goes to the “heavenly world.”  Knowledge here expressly conditions the hereafter; so much so that it is represented not (as above) that fools go to heaven and return, but that all, save the very highest, are to recognize a personal creator (Praj[=a]pati) in breath (=ego=_brahma_), and then they will “go to the heavenly world” (2. 3. 8. 5), “become the sun” (2. 1. 8. 14), or “go to gods” (2. 2. 4. 6).  Moreover after the highest wisdom has been revealed, and the second class of men has been disposed of, the author still returns to the ‘shining sky,’ svarga, as the best promise (3).  Sinners are born again (2. 1. 1. 5) on earth, although hell is mentioned (2. 3. 2. 5).  The origin of world is water, as usual (2. 1. 8. 1).  The highest teaching is that all was [=a]tm[=a], who sent forth worlds (lok[=a]n as[r.]jata), and formed the Person (as guardian of worlds), taking him from waters.  Hence [=a]tm[=a], Praj[=a]pati (of the second-class thinkers), and brahma are the same.  Knowledge is brahma (2. 4. 1. 1; 6. 1. 5-7).

In the Kena, where the best that can be said in regard to brahma is that he is tadvana, the one that ‘likes this’ (or, perhaps, is ’like this’), there is no absorption into a world-spirit.  The wise ’become immortal’; ‘by knowledge one gets immortality’; ’who knows this stands in heaven’ (1. 2; 2. 4; 4. 9).  The general results are about those formulated by Whitney in regard to the Katha:  knowledge gives continuation of happiness in heaven; the punishment of the unworthy is to continue sams[=a]ra, the round of rebirths.  Hell is not mentioned in the [=A]itareya Upanishad itself but in the [=A]ranyaka[23] (2. 3. 2. 5).  That, however, a union with the universal [=a]tm[=a] (as well as heaven) is desired, would seem to be the case from several of the passages cited above, notably Brihad [=A]ran., i. 5. 20 (sa eva[.m]vit sarve[s.][=a]m bh[=u]t[=a]n[=a]m [=a]tm[=a] bhavati, Yath[=a] i[s.][=a] devat[=a]ivam sa); ’he that knows this becomes the [=a]tm[=a] of all creatures, as is that divinity so is he’; though this is doubtless the [=a]nandamaya [=a]tm[=a], or joy-making Spirit (T[=a]itt. 2. 8).

Again two forms of brahma are explained (M[=a]it.  Up. 6. 15 ff.):  There are two forms of brahma, time and not-time.  That which was before the sun is not-time and has no parts.  Time and parts begin with the sun.  Time is the Father-god, the Spirit.  Time makes and dissolves all in the Spirit.  He knows the Veda who knows into what Time itself is dissolved.  This manifest time is the ocean of creatures.  But brahma exists before and after time.[24]

As an example of the best style of the Upanishads we will cite a favorite passage (given no less than four times in various versions) where the doctrine of absorption is most distinctly taught under the form of a tale.  It is the famous