UpanishadsHinduismAccepted ScriptureSanskritShareAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Third AdhyayaF. Max Muller / Sacred Books of the East - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableF. Max Muller / Sacred Books of the EastLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Chandogya Upanishad First PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Second PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Third PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Fourth PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Fifth PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Sixth PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Seventh PrapathakaChandogya Upanishad Eighth PrapathakaTalavakara / Kena Upanishad First KhandaTalavakara / Kena Upanishad Second KhandaTalavakara / Kena Upanishad Third KhandaTalavakara / Kena Upanishad Fourth KhandaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad First AdhyayaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Second AdhyayaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Third AdhyayaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Fourth AdhyayaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Fifth AdhyayaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Sixth AdhyayaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Seventh AdhyayaKaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad First AdhyayaKaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad Second AdhyayaKaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad Third AdhyayaKaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad Fourth AdhyayaVagasaneyi Samhita / Isha UpanishadKatha Upanishad First AdhyayaKatha Upanishad Second AdhyayaMundaka Upanishad First KhandaMundaka Upanishad Second KhandaTaittiriya Upanishad First ValliTaittiriya Upanishad Second ValliTaittiriya Upanishad Third ValliBrihadaranyaka Upanishad First AdhyayaBrihadaranyaka Upanishad Second AdhyayaBrihadaranyaka Upanishad Third AdhyayaBrihadaranyaka Upanishad Fourth AdhyayaBrihadaranyaka Upanishad Fifth AdhyayaBrihadaranyaka Upanishad Sixth AdhyayaSvetasvatara Upanishad First AdhyayaSvetasvatara Upanishad Second AdhyayaSvetasvatara Upanishad Third AdhyayaSvetasvatara Upanishad Fourth AdhyayaSvetasvatara Upanishad Fifth AdhyayaSvetasvatara Upanishad Sixth AdhyayaPrasna Upanishad First QuestionPrasna Upanishad Second QuestionPrasna Upanishad Third QuestionPrasna Upanishad Fourth QuestionPrasna Upanishad Fifth QuestionPrasna Upanishad Sixth QuestionMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad First PrapathakaMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad Second PrapathakaMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad Third PrapathakaMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad Fourth PrapathakaMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad Fifth PrapathakaMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad Sixth PrapathakaMaitrayana Brahmana Upanishad Seventh Prapathaka›Aitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad: Third Adhyaya - First KhandaAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Third AdhyayaListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Let him begin this day 2 with singing ‘Him, thus they say. 2Verily, the sound Him is Brahman, that day also is Brahman. He who knows this, obtains Brahman even by Brahman. 3As he begins with the, sound Him, surely that masculine sound of Him and the feminine Rik (the verse) make a couple. Thus he makes a couple at the beginning of the hymn in order to get offspring 3. He who knows this, gets cattle and offspring. 4Or, as he begins with the sound Him, surely like a wooden spade, so the sound Him serves to. dig up Brahman (the sap of the Veda). And as a man wishes to dig up any, even the hardest soil, with a spade, thus he digs up Brahman. 5He who knows this digs up, by means of the sound Him, everything he may desire. 6If he begins with the sound Him, that sound is the holding apart of divine and human speech. 2. The Nishkevalya-^astra, of the noon-libation; cf. I, 2, 2, 1. 1 77 Therefore, he who begins, after having uttered the sound Him, holds apart divine and human speech l. 1And here they ask: ‘ What is the beginning of this day?’ Let him say: ‘ Mind and speech V 2All desires dwell in the one (mind), the other yields all desires. 3All desires dwell in the mind, for with the mind he conceives all desires. 4All desires come to him who knows this. 5Speech yields all desires, for with speech he declares all his desires. 6Speech yields all desires to him who knows this. 7Here they say: ‘Let him not begin this day with a Rtk } a Ya^us, or a Sdman verse (divine speech), for it is said, he should not start with a Rik, a Ya^us, or a Saman V 8Therefore, let him say these Vyahrztis (sacred interjections) first. 9These interjections Bhus, Bhuvas, Svar are the three Vedas, Bhus the A^-veda, Bhuvas the Ya^ur-veda, Svar the Sama-veda. Therefore (by N aitareya-araayaka. intercalating these) he does not begin simply with a Rik, Yafus, or Saman verse, he does not start with a Rik, Yafus, or Saman verse. 123i He begins with tad, this, (the first word of the first hymn, tad id asa)- Verily ‘ this, this’ is food, and thus he obtains food. 2Prayapati indeed uttered this as the first word, consisting of one or two syllables, viz. tata and tata (or tat)'. And thus does a child, as soon as he begins to speak, utter the word, consisting °f one or two syllables, viz. tata and tata (or tat). Wit i this very word, consisting of tat or tatta, he begins. 3This has been said by a Afshi (Rv. X, 71, i) 1 2:— 4‘O Brfhaspati, the first point of speech;’—for this is the first and highest point of speech. 5‘That which you have uttered, making it a name -/—for names are made by speech. I79 6That (name) which was the best and without a flaw—for this is the best and without a flaw. 7‘ That which was hidden by their love, is made manifest, for this was hidden in the body, viz. those deities (which enter the body, Agni as voice, entering the mouth, &c.); and that was manifest among the gods in heaven. This is what was intended by the verse. 1He begins with: ‘That indeed was the oldest in the worlds 2 *; for that (the Brahman) is verily the oldest in the worlds. 2Whence was born the fierce one, endowed with brilliant force —for from it was born the fierce one, who is endowed with brilliant force. 3* ‘ When born he at once destroys the enemies;’— for he at once when born struck down the evil one. 4‘ He after whom all friends rejoice;’—verily all friends are the creatures, and they rejoice after him, saying, ‘ He has risen, he has risen V 5‘ Growing by strength, the almighty 4;’—for he (the sun) does grow by strength, the almighty. 6‘He, as enemy, causes fear to the slave;’—for everything is afraid of him. 7‘Taking the breathing and the not-breathing;’— this means the living and the lifeless. 8‘ Whatever has been offered at feasts came to thee;’—this means everything is in thy power. 9‘All turn their thought also on thee 5;’—this N 2 AlTAREYA-ARAiVYAKA. means all these beings, all minds, all thoughts also turn to thee., 10‘When these two become three protectors; i.e. when these two united beget offspring. 11He who knows this, gets offspring and cattle. 12‘Join what is sweeter than sweet (offspring) with the sweet (the parents);’—for the couple (father and mother) is sweet, the offspring is sweet, and he thus joins the offspring with the couple. 13‘ And this (the son, when married) being very sweet, conquered through the sweet; i. e. the couple is sweet, the offspring is sweet, and thus through the couple he conquers offspring. 14This is declared by a RisYd 2: ‘ Because he (Prarapati) raised his body (the hymn tad id asa or the Veda in general) in the body (of the sacri¬ ficed ’ (therefore that Nishkevalya hymn is praised); —i.e. this body, consisting of the Veda, in that cor¬ poreal form (of the sacrificer). 15‘Then let this body indeed be the medicine of that body;’—i.e. this body, consisting of the Veda, of that corporeal form (of the sacrificer). 16Of this (the first foot of Rv. X, 120, 1) the ei°bt syllables are Gayatri, the eleven syllables are Trish/ubh, the twelve syllables are 6'agati, the ten syllables are Virag. The Viraf, consisting of ten syllables, rests in these three metres 3. 17The word purusha, consisting of three sylla¬ bles, that indeed goes into the Vira^. » These metres are obtained by a purely arbitrary counting of syllables in the hymn tadidasa, which really consists of 11sh/ubh verses. -,., 18Verily, these are all metres, these (Gayatri, Trish/ubh, 6agati) having the Vira^* as the fourth. In this manner this day is complete in all metres to him who knows this. 1He extends these (verses) by (interpolating) the sound 1. Verily, the sound is purusha, man. Therefore every man when he speaks, sounds loud, as it were. 2At the end of each foot of the first verse of the hymn tad id asa, he inserts one foot of the second verse of hymn Rv. VIII, 69, nadazz^ va odatinam, &c. Thus the verse is to be recited as follows: Tad id asa bhuvaneshu ^yesh/Zzam pu nadazzz va odatinam, Yato gagna ugras tveshanrzmzzo ru nadazzz yoyuvatinam, Sadyo ^a^nano ni rizzati ^atrun patizzz vo aghnyanam, Anu yazzz vbve madanti uma h sho dhenunam ishudhyasi. first verse consist of ten syllables only, the fourth of nine or ten. In order to bring them to the right number, the word purusha is to be added to what is a Virag, i.e. to the first, the second, and fourth feet. We thus get: tad id asa bhuvaneshu gyesh/^am pu yato ^a^-ha ugras tveshanrfm;zo ru sadyo ^a^nano ni rbzati jatrun anu ya m vlrve madanti fima^ sha^. Ar. V, 1, 6. AITAREYA-ARAAYAKA. In nadaw va odatinam (Rv. VIII, 69, 2), odati are the waters in heaven, for they water all this, and they are the waters in the mouth, for they water all good food. 3In nada^ yoyuvatinam (Rv. VIII, 69, 2), yoyuvati are the waters in the sky, for they seem to inundate; and they are the waters of perspiration, for they seem to run continually. 4In pati;/z vo aghnyanam (Rv. VIII, 69, 2), aghnya are the waters which spring from the smoke of fire, and they are the waters which spring from the organ. 5In dhenunam ishudhyasi (Rv. VIII, 69, 2), the dhenu (cows) are the waters, for they de¬ light all this; and ishudhyasi means, thou art food. 6He extends a Trish/ubh and an AnushAibh 1 2. Trish/ubh is the man, Anush/ubh the wife, and they make a couple. Therefore does a man, after having found a wife, consider himself a more perfect man. 7These verses, by repeating the first three times, become twenty-five. The trunk is the twenty-fifth, and Pranapati is the twenty-fifth 3. There are ten fingers on his hands, ten toes on his feet, two legs, two arms, and the trunk the twenty-fifth. He adorns that trunk as the twenty-fifth. Now this day con¬ sists of twenty-five, and the Stoma hymn of that day consists of twenty-five: it becomes the same ** through the same. Therefore the two, the day and the hymn, are twenty-five \ 154This is an exact repetition of the third khaWa. According to the commentator, the third kha/fc/a was intended for the glory of the first word tad, while the sixth is intended for the glory of the whole hymn. 1He begins with the hymn, Tad id asa bhuvaneshu ^yesh/^am (Rv. X, 120). Verily, ^yesh/z^a, the oldest, is mahat, great. Endowed with mahat the form of this day is perfect. 2Then follows the hymn, Ta m su te kirtim maghavan mahitva (Rv. X, 54), with the auspicious word mahitvi. 3Then follows the hymn, Bhuya id vavrfdhe viryaya (Rv. VI, 30), with the auspicious word virya. 4Then follows the hymn, N rinam u tva n rit 3.ma.rn gobhir ukthai/^ (Rv. I, 51, 4), with the aus¬ picious word uktha. 5He extends the first two padas, which are too small, by one syllable (Rv. X, 120, 1 a, and Rv. VIII, 69, 2 a) 2. Into the small heart the vital spirits are placed, into the small stomach food is placed. It 2Ta m su te kirtim (Rv. X, 54 )—* 3Bhuya id vavrzdhe (Rv.VI, 30) = 4Nrz'nam u tva (Rv. I, 51, 4) = 9 verses 23 + 2 = 25 A 1 TAREYA-ARA 2 VYAKA. serves for the attainment of these desires. He who knows this, obtains these desires. 6The two feet, each consisting of ten syllables (Rv. X, 120, 1 a, b), serve for the gaining of both kinds of food \ of what has feet (animal food), and what has no feet (vegetable food). 7They come to be of eighteen syllables each 1 2. Of those which are ten, nine are the pranas (openings of the body) 3, the tenth is the (vital) self. This is the perfection of the (vital) self. Eight syllables remain in each. He who knows them, obtains what¬ ever he desires. 1He extends (these verses) by (interpolating) the sound 4. Verily, breath (pri^a) is sound. There¬ fore every breath when it sounds, sounds loud, as it were. 2The verse (VIII, 69, 2) nadaw va odatinam, &c., is by its syllables an Ushmh 5, by its feet an AnushAibh 6. Ushmh is life, AnuslVubh, speech. He thus places life and speech in him (the sacrificer). 3By repeating the first verse three times, they Rv. VIII, 69, 2 a=.. 7 Syllable pu=.. 1 become twenty-five. The trunk is the twenty-fifth, and Pranapati is the twenty-fifth. There are ten fingers on his hands, ten toes on his feet, two legs, two arms, and the trunk the twenty-fifth. He adorns that trunk as the twenty-fifth. Now this day consists of twenty-five, and the Stoma hymn of that day consists of twenty-five: it becomes the same through the same. Therefore the two, the day and the hymn, are twenty-five. This is the twenty-fifth with regard to the body. 4Next, with regard to the deities: The eye, the ear, the mind, speech, and breath, these five deities (powers) have entered into that person (purusha), and that person entered into the five deities. He is wholly pervaded there with his limbs to the very hairs and nails. Therefore all beings to the very insects are born as pervaded (by the deities or senses) b 5This has been declared by a AYshi (Rv. X, 114, 8):— 6‘A thousandfold are these fifteen hymns;—for five arise from ten 1 2 3. 7‘ As large as heaven and earth, so large is it;’—verily, the self (^ivatman) is as large as heaven and earth. 8‘A thousandfold are the thousand powersV— i 86 aitarey aa rajvy aka. by saying this the poet pleases the hymns (the senses), and magnifies them. o. ‘As far as Brahman reaches, so far reaches speech—wherever there is Brahman, there is a word; and wherever there is a word, there is Brav man, this was intended. 10The first of the hymns among all those hymns has nine verses. Verily, there are nine prawas (openings), and it serves for t eir ene. 11Then follows a hymn of six verses. Ven y, the seasons are six, and it serves to obtain them. 12Then follows a hymn of five verses. Vert y, the Pankti consists of five feet. Verily, Pankti is food, and it serves for the gaining of proper food. 13Then follows a tristich. Three are these threefold worlds, and it serves to conquer them yea, to the immortal Self 2. are added from the Nada hymn. This gives each pada. Two padas therefore give thirty-six sylla, is a Bnhatt. In this manner the twenty-three verses of the y yield forty-six Bnhatis. Comm. Mahavrata ceremonial, if performed with meditation and anD standing of its hidden meaning. 1He who knows himself as the fivefold hymn (uktha), the emblem of Prana, (breath), from whence all this springs 2, he is clever. These five are the earth, air, ether, water, and fire (^yotis). This is the self, the fivefold uktha. For from him all this springs, and into him it enters again (at the dissolu¬ tion of the world). He who knows this, becomes the refuge of his friends. 2And to him wdio knows the food (object) and the feeder (subject) in that uktha, a strong son is born, and food is never wanting. Water and earth are food, for all food consists of these two. Fire and air are the feeder, for by means of them * man eats all food. Ether is the bowl, for all this is poured into the ether. He who knows this, be¬ comes the bowl or support of his friends. 3To him who knows the food and the feeder in that uktha, a strong son is born, and food is never wanting. Herbs and trees are food, animals the feeder, for animals eat herbs and trees. 4 - Of them again those who have teeth above The digestive fire is lighted by the air of the breath. Comm. and below, shaped after the likeness of man, are feeders, the other animals are food. Therefore these overcome the other animals, for the eater is over the food. 5He who knows this is over his friends. 1He who knows the gradual development of the self in him (the man conceived as the uktha), obtains himself more development. 2There are herbs and trees and all that is ani¬ mated, and he knows the self gradually developing in them. For in herbs and trees sap only is seen 2, but thought (/f’itta) in animated beings. 3Among animated beings again the self de¬ velops gradually, for in some sap (blood) is seen (as well as thought), but in others thought is not Se 4!* And in man again the self develops gradually, for he is most endowed with knowledge. He says what he has known, he sees what he has known 3. He knows what is to happen to-morrow, he knows heaven and hell. By means of the mortal he desires the immortal—thus is he endowed. 5With regard to the other animals hunger and thirst only are a kind of understanding. But they do not say what they have known, nor do they see Comm. what they have known. They do not know what is to happen to-morrow, nor heaven and hell. They go so far and no further, for they are born according owled^ e (in a former life). 342. *• ^ * lat man (conceived as uktha) is the sea. rising beyond the whole world 1. Whatever he reaches, he wishes to go beyond 2. If he reaches the sky, he wishes to go beyond. 2If he should reach that (heavenly) world he would wish to go beyond. 3 - That man is fivefold. The heat in him is fire; the apertures (of the senses) are ether; blood, mucus,' and seed are water; the body is earth; breath is air. 4 - That air is fivefold, viz. up-breathing, down-. rea tliing-, back-breathing, out-breathing, on-breathmg. The other powers (devatSs), viz. sight, hearing, mind, and speech, are comprised under up-breathing and down-breathing. For when breath departs, they also depart with it. 5 • That man (conceived as uktha) is the sacrifice, which is a succession now of speech and now of thought. That sacrifice is fivefold, viz. the Agnihotra, the new and full moon sacrifices, the fourmonthly sacrifices, the animal sacrifice, the Soma sacrifice. The Soma sacrifice is the most perfect of sacrifices, for in it these five kinds of ceremonies are seen: the first which precedes the libations (the Diksha, &c.), then three libations, and what follows (the Avabhmha, &c.) is the fifth. AITAREYA-AR AA'YAKA. 1He who knows one sacrifice above another, one day above another, one deity above the others, he is clever. Now this great uktha (the nishkevalya-^rastra) is the sacrifice above another, the day above another, the deity above others b 2This uktha is fivefold. With regard to 1 s being performed as a Stoma (chorus), it is Trivrzt, Panz&adasa, Saptada^a, Ekavi»«a, and Pan/favi^a. With regard to its being performed as a Saman (song), it is Gayatra, Rathantara, Eb zhat, Phadra, and Rafana. With regard to metre, it is Gayatri, Ush^ih, Brzhati, Trish/ubh, and Dvipada. And the explanation (given before in the Ara^yaka) is that it is the head, the right wing, the left wing, the tail, and the body of the bird 2. I} i-Rv.IX, n. The Udgatrf first sings the first three verses a in each hymn. ’ This is the first round. He then sings the three middle verses in each hymn. This is the second round. He lastly sings the last three verses in each hymn. This is the third round. This song is called Udyati. The Paft/fcadasa stoma is formed out of one Sukta only, con¬ sisting of three verses. In the first round he sings the fiist verse a Hinkrf with dative is explained as gai with accusative. nO’ He performs the Prastava in five wavs he Infor ms the Udgitha in five ways, he performs’the fg* the middleTeTsf ZZZmesln the”third^^ ** The S?n! eet,meS '. This *ong is called Vish/uti. 2.21 ne ^ptada^a stoma is formed in th* * in the first round he sino-s ihe fi,, 6 manner ' onl y that the middle verse three / h ^ T' 6 ^ dmes ’ in the Second verses three times Thi 7’ ^ r0Und the middle and last i"” S "ZdT s “ "r 1; ““,i«,L“«, tZ;?“ "* “»• “ *' other verses are each rm ' ddle Verse once - wh 'le ‘he Saptasaptint ^ three times ' This *ong * called that in the firsTroun!^ 1 f ° rm ® dm dle same manner, only second four dL “he las' Z** ^ *? ^ ^ l TM es ’ th " once, the second ihree times the third IZT* r ° Und ** firSt round the first five tin,. 77’ 7 df ° Ur times 1 ln the third or he sines in the 77 ® T ° nCe ’ the last three *»>«; second twice, the last Leges' 116 ^ ^ ^ ^ the o \ the Ait - Ar -,akes the verses, while he says that, ^ mns ’ each consisting of three one hymn only! B and Rs ° the;. St ° maS are fo TM ed out of consists of verses i' 4! f!' o TM?’ ^ ‘ hat this stoma hymn TV tt kf ' t' ’ 5 ’ 8; and 3 ’ 6 > 9 of the R iR-veda the first verses of the^tSe^SaHa^u^’ ^ St ° ma C ° nSI ' StS <*> of and pavamanasya at the bemW ( 2 ) of the second h) of th 1 ^ Sama-veda-Uttar^r^ika, Mahidhara (Yv Xo) takes the VerSCS ^ Z S3me three h} ’ mns ' to have left out’the 7! he same Vlew - though the MSS. 2.3seem Sfivatta in 7 the des cription of the second paryaya, while oaj a;/a in his commentary to the TiWvs hrlh Fy } support the opinion of B and R Th * ahma;za seem s to in the printed tex! of the ' S “ ° miSSi ° n - however > pnmea text of the commentary, which makes if Him n to see the exact meaning of Sayatta. * “ d ‘ ftcuIt II? efa “ adMa s ‘° ma is we H described by Sayatta, T««*a Br, 4- Taking the Sukta agna & yahi (Uttarfir^ika Ir 4 -Rv Vi’ 6, 10 - 12 ), he shows the stoma to consist of (i) verse tZ, 2!’■ Thffive 2 S 7 3 ’ 3 5 <3 ^ VerSe h 2)3 x 3amans are explained by the commentator. The I3J Q Pratihara in five ways, he performs the Upadrava in five ways, he performs the N ldhana in five ways 1. All this together forms one thousand Stobhas, or musical syllables 2. 4Thus also are the Rik verses, contained m the Nishkevalya, recited (by the Hot ri) in five orders. What precedes the eighty Xrikas, that is one order, then follow the three sets of eighty trikas each, an what comes after is the fifth order 3. Gayatra is formed out of the Rik (III, 62, to) tat savitur vare»yam. The Rathantara is formed out of the Rik (VII, 32, 22) a 1 v ihra nonuma. The B/'/hat is formed out of the Rik (VI,■ 4 <>,\) tvam id dhi havSmahe. The Bhadra is formed out of the Rik (X, 157, I) ima nu kam. The Ra?ana is formed out of the Rik (VII, 27, 1) indraw naro nemadhita. The metres require no explanation. In identifying certain portions of the Nishkevalya hymn wit a bird, the head of the bird corresponds to the hymns mdram 1 gathina/5, &c.; the right wing to the hymns abhi tva rura &c., the left wing to the hymns tvam id dhi, &c.; the tail to the hymns imd nu kam, &c.; the body to the hymns tad id asa, &c. All this was explained in the first Arazzyaka. ^ The Samagas sing the R^ana at the Mahavrata, and mthat Saman there are, as usual, five parts, the Prastava, U git a, Pratihara, Upadrava, and Nidhana. The Prastotn, when^singing the Prastava portions, sings them five times. The Udgatn and Pratihartn sing their portions, the Udgitha and Pratihara, ve times. The Udgatrz again sings the Upadrava five times. 4.2An all the Udgatrzs together sing the Nidhana five times. 5 - This (the hymns of this.Sastra) as a whole fif properiy counted with the Stobha syllables) comes to °ne thousand (of B^hati verses). That (thousand) is the whole, and ten, ten is called the whole. For number is such (measured by ten). Ten tens are a hundred ten hundreds are a thousand, and that is ew ole. These are the three metres (the tens pervading everything). And this food also (the,/ ee fS, e ] tS of h >' nlns bein g represented as food) is t, n; ( f ld: linking, and chewing. He obtains that food by those (three numbers, ten, hundred, and thousand, or by the three sets of eighty tr/ias) -TIFTH KhAATJA. 1This (ntshkevalya-yastra) becomes perfect as a thousand of Bz'zhati verses. 2Some teachers (belonging to a different Sakha) recognise a thousand of different metres (not of Bri¬ ans only) They say: ‘Is another thousand (a ousand of other verses) good? Let us say it is good. J 3 - Some say, a thousand of Trish/ubh verses 0t c thousand of <Tagati verses, others a thousand of Anush/ubh verses. 4 - bhis has been said by a Ri shi (Rv. X, 124 9) • 5 - ‘ Poets through their understanding’discovered Indra dancing an AnushAibh.’ This is meant to which precede these, form the body, head, and wings of the bird Th, s ls one order. Then follow the three sets of eigh[y tS ’ and Iastl y. tbe fifth order, consisting of the hymns which form the belly and the legs of the bird. ^ Q 2 AITAREY A-ARAAY AKA. shipped the uktha)—the Pr&«a (breath) connected with Indra. 6He (who takes the recited verses as Anush- /ubhs) is able to become celebrated and of good report. 7No! he says; rather is such a mail liable to die before his time. For that self (consisting of Anush/ubhs) is incomplete. For if a man confines himself to speech, not to breath, then driven by his nnnd, he does not succeed with speech. 8Let him work towards the B/vhati, for the Brfhati (breath) is the complete self. 9That self (^ivatman is surrounded on all sides by members. And as that self is on all sides sur¬ rounded by members, the Brfhati also is on all sides surrounded by metres 1 2. 10For the self (in the heart) is the middle of these members, and the Bfzhati is the middle of the metres. 11* He is able to become celebrated and of good breath, not (if driven) by speech.’ that have more, others that have less syllables. report, but (the other) able to die before his time/ thus he said. For the BzVhati is the complete self, therefore let him work towards the Br/hati (let him reckon the ^astra recitation as a thousand Brzhatis). 358This (nishkevalya-i'astra) becomes perfect as a thousand of Br/hati verses. In this thousand of Brzhatis there are one thousand one hundred and twenty-five Anush/ubhs. For the smaller is con¬ tained in the larger. 2This has been said by a 7?/shi (Rv. VIII, 76, o- A speech of eight feet; ’—because there are eight feet of four syllables each in the Anush/ubh. 4 - ‘Of nine corners; —because the Brzhati be¬ comes nine-cornered (having nine feet of four sylla¬ bles each). 5Touching the truth;’—because speech (Anu¬ sh/ubh) is truth, touched by the verse (B/Vhati) k 6‘ He (the Hot ri) makes the body out of Indra; ’— for out of this thousand of Brzhati verses turned into Anush/ubhs, and therefore out of Praz/a as connected with I ndra 2, and out of the Brzhati (which is Prazza), he makes speech, that is Anush/ubh, as a body 3. 7This Mahaduktha is the highest development AITAREYA-ARAAYAKA. of speech, and it is fivefold, viz. measured, not mea¬ sured, music, true, and untrue. 8A Rik verse, a gatha l, a kumbya 2 are mea¬ sured (metrical). A Ya^us line, an invocation, and general remarks 3, these are not measured (they are in prose). A Saman, or any portion (parvan) of it, is music. Om is true, Na is untrue. 9What is true (Om) is the flower and fruit of speech. He is able to become celebrated and of good report, for he speaks the true (Om), the flower and fruit of speech. 10Now the untrue is the root 4 of speech, and as a tree whose root is exposed dries up and perishes, thus a man who says what is untrue exposes his root, dries up and perishes. Therefore one should not say what is untrue, but guard oneself from it. 11That syllable Om (yes) goes forward (to the first cause of the world) and is empty. Therefore if a man says Om (yes) to everything, then that (which he gives away) is wanting to him here 5. If he says Om (yes) to everything, then he would empty him¬ self, and would not be capable of any enjoyments. 12That syllable Na (no) is full for oneself 6. If a man says No to everything, then his reputation would become evil, and that would ruin him even here. 14* He who knows this speech of which this (the mahaduktha) is a development, he is clever. A is the whole of speech, and manifested through different kinos of contact (mutes) and of wind (sibilants), it becomes manifold and different. 15Speech if uttered in a whisper is breath, if spoken aloud, k is body. Therefore (if whispered) it is almost hidden, for what is incorporeal is almost hidden, and breath -is incorporeal. But if spoken aloud, it is body, and therefore it is perceptible, for body is perceptible. Seventh Kiiaada. 1This (nishkevalya-i'astra) becomes perfect as a thousand of Brzhatis. It is glory (the glorious Brahman, not the absolute Brahman), it is Indra. Indra is the lord of all beings. He who thus knows Indra as the lord of all beings, departs from this world by loosening the bonds of life 1 —so said Mahidasa Aitareya. Having departed he becomes Indra (or Hira^yagarbha) and shines in those worlds 2. The fourteen worlds in the egg of Brahman. Comm. Some hold that he who enters on this path, and becomes deity, does not AITAREYA-ARAA'YAKA. 2And with regard to this they say: ‘ If a man obtains the other world in this form (by meditating on the pra?2a, breath, which is the uktha, the hymn of the mahavrata), then in what form does he obtain this world * 1?’ 3Here the blood of the woman is a form of Agni (fire); therefore no one should despise it. And the seed of the man is a form of Aditya (sun); therefore no one should despise it. This self (the woman) gives her self (skin, blood, and flesh) to that self (fat, bone, and marrow), and that self (man) gives his self (fat, bone, and marrow) to this self (skin, blood, and flesh 1 ). Thus 2 these two grow together. In this form (belonging to the woman and to fire) he goes to that world (belonging to the man and the sun), and in that form (belonging to man and the sun) he gees to this world (belonging to the woman and to fire 3 ). 1Here (with regard to obtaining Hirawagarbha) there are these.Tlokas: arrive at final liberation. Others, however, show that this identifica¬ tion with the uktha, and through it with the pra?za (breath) and Hiraz/yagarbha, is provisional only, and intended to prepare the mind of the worshipper for the reception of the highest knowledge of Brahman. 2The fivefold body into which the indestructible (prina, breath) enters, that body which the harnessed orses (the senses) draw about, that body where the true of the true (the highest Brahman) follows after, in that body (of the worshipper) all gods 1 become 3 - That body into which goes the indestructible (the breath) which we have joined (in meditation) proceeding from the indestructible (the highest Brahman), that body which the harnessed horses (the senses) draw about, that body where the true of the true follows after, in that body all gods become one. & 4 - After separating themselves from the Yes and No of language, and of all that is hard and cruel, poets have discovered (what they sought for); de¬ pendent on names they rejoiced in what had been revealed 2. 5- That in which the poets rejoiced (the revealed nature of pr&ua, breath), in it the gods exist all joined together. Having driven away evil by means of that Brahman (which is hidden in prana), the enlightened man goes to the Svarga world (becomes one with Hira»yagarbha 3 *, the universal spirit). 6No one wishing to describe him (prana, breath) by speech, describes him by calling him ‘woman’ ' neither woman nor man,’ or ‘ man ’ (all such names applying only to the material body, and not to pra«a or breath). he worshipper identifies himself by meditation with prawa breath, which comprehends all gods. These gods (Agni and the’ test) appear in the forms of speech, &c. Comm. or worship. Comm. s Sarvahammant hirawyagarbha iti rrute//. Comm. aitareya-Araivyaica. 7Brahman (as hidden beneath prawa) is called the A; and the I (ego) is gone there (the worshipper should know that he is uktha and prawa). 8This becomes perfect as a thousand of Brthati verses, and of that hymn, perfect with a thousand Brfhati verses, there are 36,000 syllables. So many are also the thousands of days of human life h By means of the syllable of life (the a) alone (which is contained in that thousand of hymns) does a man obtain the day of life (the mahavrata day, which com¬ pletes the number of the days in the Gavamayana sacrifice), and by means of the day of life (he obtains) the syllable of life 9Now there is a chariot of the god (pra«a) destroying all desires (for the worlds of Indra, the moon, the earth, all of which lie below the place of Hirawyagarbha). Its front part (the point of the two shafts of the carriage where the yoke is fastened) is speech, its wheels the ears, the horses the eyes, the driver the mind. Pra«a (breath) mounts that chariot (and on it, i.e. by means of meditating on Prawa, he reaches Hirawyagarbha). xo. This has been said by aA’/shi (Rv. X, 39,12):— 11‘Come hither on that which is quicker than mind,’ and (Rv. VIII, 73, 2) ‘ Come hither on that which is quicker than the twinkling of an eye, yea, the twkvkling of an eye 1 2. the uktha as pra«a, as here taught, is different from the pra«avtdya, the knowledge of pra«a, taught in the AT/randogya, the Bir a aia «yaka, &c., where praraa or life is represented as the object oi meditation, without any reference to the uktha or other portions of the Mahavrata ceremony. He enjoins that the meditation on the uktha as prawa should be continued till the desired result, the identification of the worshipper with pra«a, is realised, and 'that it should afterwards be repeated until death, because otherwise the impiession might vanish, and the reward of becoming a god, and going to the gods, be lost. Nor is the worship to be confined to the time of the sacrifice, the Mahavrata, only, but it has to be repeated mentally during life. There are neither certain postures required for it, nor certain times and places. At the time of death, however, he who has become perfect in this meditation on uktha, as the emblem of prawa, will have his reward. Up to a certain point his fate will be the same as that of other people. 11.2The activity of the senses will be absorbed in the mind, the activity of the mind in breath, breath in the activity of life, life with breath in.the five elements, fire, &c., and these five elements will be absorbed up to their seed in the Paramatman or Highest.Self. This ends the old.birth. But then the subtile body, having been absorbed in the Highest Self, rises again in the lotus of,the heart, and passing out by the channel of the head, reaches a ray of the sun, whether by day or by night, and goes at the northern or southern.course of the sun to °the road of AHis or light. That Ar^is, light, and other powers carry him on, and led by these he reaches the Brahma-loka, where he creates to himself every kind of enjoyment, according to his wish. He may create for himself a material body and enjoy all sorts of pleasures, as if in a state of waking, or he may, without such a body, enjoy all pleasures in mind only, as if in a dream. And as he creates these various bodies according to his wish, he creates also living souls in each, endowed with the internal organs of mind, and moves about in them, as he pleases. In fact this world is the same for the devotee (yogin) and for the Highest Self, except that creative power belongs truly to the latter only. 11.3At last the devotee gains the highest knowledge, that of the Highest Self in himself, and then, at the dissolution of the Brahma-toka, he obtains complete freedom with Brahman. AITAREY A-ARA 2 VY AKA. ‹Previous chapterAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Second AdhyayaNext chapterAitareya Aranyaka / Upanishad Fourth Adhyaya›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain 1879/1884/1900 English translation