UpanishadsHinduismAccepted ScriptureSanskritShareChandogya Upanishad Fourth PrapathakaF. 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›Chandogya Upanishad: Fourth Prapathaka - First KhandaChandogya Upanishad Fourth PrapathakaListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1There lived once upon a time Uanamiti Pautraya/za (the great-grandson of (^ana^ruta), who was a pious giver, bestowing much wealth upon the people, and always keeping open house. He built places of refuge everywhere, wishing that people should everywhere eat of his food. 2Once in the night some Hawsas (flamingoes) flew over his house, and one flamingo said to an¬ other: ‘ Hey, Bhallaksha, Bhallaksha (short-sighted friend). The light (glory) of (^anasruti Pautrayazza has spread like the sky. Do not go near, that it may not burn thee.’ 3The other answered him: ‘ How can you speak of him, being what he is (a ra^anya, noble), as if he were like Raikva with the car 1?’ 4The first replied: ‘ How is it with this Raikva with the car of whom thou speakest?’ The other answered: ‘ As (in a game of dice) all the lower casts 2 belong to him who has conquered with the Krzta cast, so whatever good deeds other people perform, belong to that Raikva. He who knows what he knows, he is thus spoken of by me.’ 5(Sanamiti Pautraya/za overheard this conversa¬ tion, and as soon as he had risen in the morning, he said to his door-keeper (kshattrz): ‘Friend, dost thou speak of (me, as if I were) Raikva with the car?’ He replied: ‘ How is it with this Raikva with the car?’ 6The king said: ‘As (in a game of dice), all the lower casts belong to him who has conquered with the Krzta cast, so whatever good deeds other people perform, belong to that Raikva. He who knows what he knows, he is thus spoken of by me.’ 7The door-keeper went to look for Raikva, but returned saying, ‘ I found him not/ Then the king said: ‘ Alas! where a Brahma^a should be searched for (in the solitude of the forest), there go for him/ 8The door-keeper came to a man who was lying beneath a car and scratching his sores 1. He addressed him, and said: ‘ Sir, are you Raikva with the car?’ He answered: ‘ Here I am/ Then the door-keeper returned, and said: T have found him/ 1Then ^anamiti Pautraya^a took six hundred cows, a necklace, and a carriage with mules, went to Raikva and said: 2‘ Raikva, here are six hundred cows, a neck¬ lace, and a carriage with mules; teach me the deity which you worship/ 3The other replied: ‘ Fie, necklace and carriage be thine, O /mdra, together with the cows/ Then (Ganasruti Pautraya^a took again a thou¬ sand cows, a necklace, a carriage with mules, and his own daughter, and went to him. 4He said to him: ‘ Raikva, there are a thou¬ sand cows, a necklace, a carriage with mules, this wife, and this village in which thou dwellest. Sir, teach me V 5He, opening her mouth 2, said: ‘You have brought these (cows and other presents), O ^fidra, but only by that mouth did you make me speak.’ These are the Raikva-parzza villages in the country of the Mahavrzshas (mahapuzzyas) where Raikva dwelt under him \ And he said to him: 1‘Air (vayu) is indeed the end of all * 1 2 3. For when fire goes out, it goes into air. When the sun goes down, it goes into air. When the moon goes down, it goes into air. 2‘When water dries up, it goes into air. Air indeed consumes them all. So much with reference to the Devas. 3‘ Now with reference to the body. Breath (prazza) is indeed the end of all. When a man sleeps, speech goes into breath, so do sight, hearing, and mind. Breath indeed consumes them all. 4‘ These are the two ends, air among the Devas, breath among the senses (prazza/z).’ 5Once while Saunaka Kapeya and Abhipratarin Kakshaseni were being waited on at their meal, a religious student begged of them. They gave him nothing. 6He said: ‘One god—who is he?—swallowed the four great ones:>>, he, the guardian of the world. (zana^ruti by bringing such rich gifts had become a proper receiver of knowledge, consented to do what he had before refused.’ O Kapeya, mortals see him not, O Abhipratarin, though he dwells in many places. He to whom this food belongs, to him it has not been given V 76aunaka Kapeya, pondering on that speech, went to the student and said: ‘ He is the self of the Devas, the creator of all beings, with golden tusks, the eater, not without intelligence. His greatness is said to be great indeed, because, without being eaten, he eats even what is not food * 1 2. Thus do we, O Brahma/£arin, meditate on that Being.’ Then he said: ‘ Give him food.’ 8They gave him food. Now these five (the eater Vayu (air), and his food, Agni (fire), Aditya (sun), Aandramas (moon), Ap (water)) and the other five (the eater Prana (breath), and his food, speech, sight, hearing, mind) make ten, and that is the Krz’ta (the highest 3 ) cast (representing the ten, the eaters and the food). Therefore in all quarters those ten are food (and) K/Vta (the highest cast). These are again the Vira^* 4 (of ten syllables) it by Pranapati, who is sometimes called Ka. In one sense it would be Brahman, as represented by Vayu and Prana. 2 iSaunaka wishes the student to understand that though ‘ mortals see him not/ he sees and knows him, viz. the god who, as Vayu, swallows all the gods, but produces them again, and who, as pra/za, swallows during sleep all senses, but produces them again at the time of waking. 6o which eats the food. Through this all this becomes seen. He who knows this sees all this and becomes an eater of food, yea, he becomes an eater of food. 1Satyakama, the son of (Gabala, addressed his mother and said: ‘ I wish to become a Brahma/6arin (religious student), mother. Of what family am I? ’ 2She said to him: ‘ I do not know, my child, of what family thou art. In my youth when I had to move about much as a servant (waiting on the guests in my father’s house), I conceived thee. I do not know of what family thou art. I am Gabala by name, thou art Satyakama (Philalethes). Say that thou art Satyakama Gabala.’ 3He going to Gautama Haridrumata said to him, ‘I wish to become a Brahma/£arin with you, Sir. May I come to you, Sir? ’ 4He said to him: ‘ Of what family are you, my friend? ’ He replied: ‘ I do not know, Sir, of what family I am. I asked my mother, and she answered: “ In my youth when I had to move about much as a servant, I conceived thee. I do not know of what family thou art. I am Gabala by name, thou art Satyakama,” I am therefore Satyakama Gabala, Sir.’ 5He said to him: ‘ No one but a true Brahma//a would thus speak out. Go and fetch fuel, friend, I shall initiate you. You have not swerved from the truth.’ Having initiated him, he chose four hundred lean and weak cows, and said: ‘ Tend these, friend.’ He drove them out and said to himself, ' I shall not return unless I bring back a thousand.’ He dwelt a number of years (in the forest), and when the cows had become a thousand, 1The bull of the herd (meant for Vayu) said to him: ‘ Satyakama! ’ He replied: 'Sir!’ The bull said: 'We have become a thousand, lead us to the house of the teacher; 2' And I will declare to you one foot of Brahman.’ ‘ Declare it, Sir/ he replied. He said to him: ‘ The eastern region is one quar¬ ter, the western region is one quarter, the southern region is one quarter, the northern region is one quarter. This is a foot of Brahman, consisting of the four quarters, and called Praka^avat (endowed with splendour). 3‘He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the name of Praka^avat, becomes endowed with splendour in this world. He conquers the resplendent worlds, whoever knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of the four quarters, by the name of Prakasavat. 1' Agni will declare to you another foot of Brahman.’ (After these words of the bull), Satyakama, on the morrow, drove the cows (towards the house of the teacher). And when they came towards the evening, he lighted a fire, penned the cows, laid wood on the fire, and sat down behind the fire, looking to the east. o 2Then Agni (the fire) said to him: ‘ Satyakama! ’ He replied: ‘Sir.’ 3Agni said: ‘ Friend, I will declare unto you one foot of Brahman.’ ‘ Declare it, Sir,’ he replied. He said to him: ‘ The earth is one quarter, the sky is one quarter, the heaven is one quarter, the ocean is one quarter. This is a foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, and called Anantavat (endless). 4‘He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the name of Anantavat, becomes endless in this world. He conquers the endless worlds, whoever knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the name of Anantavat. 1‘A Ha;?zsa (flamingo, meant for the sun) will declare to you another foot of Brahman.’ (After these words of Agni), Satyakama, on the morrow, drove the cows onward. And when they came towards the evening, he lighted a fire, penned the cows, laid wood on the fire, and sat down behind the fire, looking toward the east. 2Then a Ha^sa flew near and said to him: ‘ Satyakama.’ He replied: ‘ Sir.’ 3The Ha;;zsa said: ‘ Friend, I will declare unto you one foot of Brahman.’ ‘ Declare it, Sir,’ he replied. He said to him: ‘Fire is one quarter, the sun is one quarter, the moon is one quarter, lightning is one quarter. This is a foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, and called (^yotishmat (full of light). IV PR A PA TH AKA, 8 Iv BAA'DA, 3. 4 ‘He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the name of £yotishmat, becomes full of light in this world. He conquers the worlds which are full of light, whoever knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the name of ^yotishmat. 1‘A diver-bird (Maagu, meant for Prana) will declare to you another foot of Brahman.’ (After these words of the Ha;/zsa), Satyakama, on the morrow, drove the cows onward. And when they came towards the evening, he lighted a fire, penned the cows, laid wood on the fire, and sat down be¬ hind the fire, looking toward the east. 2Then a diver flew near and said to him: ‘Satyakama.’ He replied: ‘Sir/ ‘ Declare it, Sir,’ he replied. He said to him: ‘ Breath is one quarter, the eye is one quarter, the ear is one quarter, the mind is one quarter. This is a foot of Brahman, consisting A of four quarters, and called Ayatanavat (having a home). ‘ He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the A name of Ayatanavat, becomes possessed of a home in this world. He conquers the worlds which offer a home, whoever knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters, by the A name of Ayatanavat.’ 314t. Thus he reached the house of his teacher. The teacher said to him: ‘ Satyakama/ He re¬ plied: ‘ Sir.’ 2The teacher said: * Friend, you shine like one who knows Brahman. Who then has taught you 1?’ He replied: 'Not men. But you only, Sir, I wish, should teach me 2; 3‘ For I have heard from men like you, Sir, that only knowledge which is learnt from a teacher (A/t’arya), leads to real good.’ Then he taught him the same knowledge. Nothing was left out, yea, nothing was left out. Tenth Rha-yda 3. 1Upakosala Kamalayana dwelt as a Brahma- /£arin (religious student) in the house of Satyakama Gabala. He tended his fires for twelve years. But the teacher, though he allowed other pupils (after they had learnt the sacred books) to depart to their own homes, did not allow Upakosala to depart. 2Then his wife said to him: ‘ This student, who is quite exhausted (with austerities), has carefully tended your fires. Let not the fires themselves blame you, but teach him.’ The teacher, however, went away on a journey without having taught him. 3The student from sorrow was not able to eat. Then the wife of the teacher said to him: ‘ Student, eat! Why do you not eat?’ He said: ‘There are many desires in this man here, which lose themselves in different directions. I am full of sorrows, and shall take no food.’ 4Thereupon the fires said among themselves: ‘ This student, who is quite exhausted, has carefully tended us. Well, let us teach him.’ They said to him: 5‘ Breath is Brahman, Ka (pleasure) is Brahman, Kha (ether) is Brahman.’ He said: ‘ I understand that breath is Brahman, but I do not understand Ka or Kha V They said:.‘What is Ka is Kha, what is Kha is Ka 2.’ They. therefore taught him Brahman as breath, and as the ether (in the heart) 3. 1After that the Garhapatya fire 4 taught him: ‘ Earth, fire, food, and the sun (these are my forms, or F forms of Brahman). The person that is seen in the sun, I am he, I am he indeedh 2‘ He who knowing this meditates on him, destroys sin, obtains the world (of Agni Garhapatya), reaches his full age, and lives long; his descendants do not perish. We guard him in this world and in the other, whosoever knowing this meditates on him.’ 1Then the Anvaharya fire 1 2 taught him: ‘ Water, the quarters, the stars, the moon (these are my forms). The person that is seen in the moon, I am he, I am he indeed. 2‘ He who knowing this meditates on him, destroys sin, obtains the world (of Agni Anva¬ harya), reaches his full age, and lives long; his descendants do not perish. We guard him in this world and in the other, whosoever knowing this meditates on him.’ 326Ai. Then the Ahavaniya 3 fire taught him: ‘ Breath, ether, heaven, and lightning (these are my forms). The person that is seen in the lightning, I am he, I am he indeed. A 24 He who knowing this meditates on him, destroys sin, obtains the world (of Agni Ahavaniya), reaches his full age, and lives long; his descendants do not perish. We guard him in this world and in the other, whosoever knowing this meditates on him.’ 1Then they all said: 4 Upakosala, this is our knowledge, our friend, and the knowledge of the Self, but the teacher will tell you the way (to another life)/ 2In time his teacher came back, and said to him: 4 Upakosala/ He answered: 4 Sir/ The teacher said: 4 Friend, your face shines like that of one who knows Brahman. Who has taught you? ’ The teacher said: 4 What, my friend, have these fires told you?* 3He answered: 4 This’ (repeating some of what they had told him). The teacher said: 4 My friend, they have taught you about the worlds, but I shall tell you this; and as water does not cling to a lotus leaf, so no evil deed clings to one who knows it/ He said: 4 Sir, tell it me/ 1He said: 4 The person that is seen in the eye, that is the Self. This is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman \ Even though they drop melted butter or water on him, it runs away on both sides V 2‘ They call him Sawyadvama, for all blessings (vama) go towards him. (sawyanti). All blessings go towards him who knows this. 3‘He is also Vamani, for he leads (nayati) all blessings (vama). He leads all blessings who knows this. 4‘He is also Bhamani, for he shines (bhati) in all worlds. He who knows this, shines in all worlds. c 5‘ Now (if one who knows this, dies), whether people perform obsequies for him or no, he goes to light (ar/£is) 1 2, from light to day, from day to the light half of the moon, from the light half of the moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the north, from the months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from the moon to the lightning. There is a person not human, v> 6‘He leads them to Brahman. This is the path of the Devas, the path that leads to Brahman. Those who proceed on that path, do not return to the life of man, yea, they do not return.’ 1Verily, he who purifies (Vayu) is the sacrifice, for he (the air) moving along, purifies everything. " The commentator takes light, day, &c. as persons, or devatas. Up. V, 10, 1. Because moving along he purifies everything, there¬ fore he is the sacrifice. Of that sacrifice there are two ways, by mind.and by speech. 2The Brahman priest performs one of them in his mind * 1, the Hot ri, Adhvaryu, and Udgat ri priests perform the other by words. When the Brahman priest, after the Prataranuvaka ceremony has begun, but before the recitation of the Paridhaniya hymn, has (to break his silence and) to speak, 3He performs perfectly the one way only (that by words), but the other is injured. As a man walking on one foot, or a carriage going on one wheel, is injured, his sacrifice is injured, and with the injured sacrifice the sacrificer is injured; yes, having sacrificed, he becomes worse. 4But when after the Prataranuvaka ceremony has begun, and before the recitation of the Paridhaniya hymn, the Brahman priest has not (to break his silence and) to speak, they perform both ways perfectly, and neither of them is injured. 5As a man walking on two legs and a carriage going on two wheels gets on, so his sacrifice gets on, and with the successful sacrifice the sacrificer gets on; yes, having sacrificed, be becomes better. syllables (vyahrzti), the nature of which is next described. All this is supposed to take place in the forest. tfi/ANDOGYA-UPANISHAI). Seventeenth Kiiaa^da. 1Pranapati brooded over the worlds, and from them thus brooded on he squeezed out the essences, Agni (fire) from the earth, Vayu (air) from the sky, Aditya (the sun) from heaven. 2He brooded over these three deities, and from them thus brooded on he squeezed out the essences, the Rik verses from Agni, the Ya^us verses from Vayu, the Saman verses from Aditya. 3He brooded over the threefold knowledge (the three Vedas), and from it thus brooded on he squeezed out the essences, the sacred interjection Bhfis from the Rik verses, the sacred interjection Bhuvas from the Ya^us verses, the sacred inter¬ jection Svar from the Saman verses. 4If the sacrifice is injured from the A^-veda side, let him offer a libation in the Garhapatya fire, saying, BhM, Svaha! Thus does he bind together and heal, by means of the essence and the power of the Rik verses themselves, whatever break the Rik sacrifice may have suffered. 5If the sacrifice is injured from the Ya^ur-veda side, let him offer a libation in the Dakshbza fire, saying, Bhuva/£, Svaha! Thus does he bind together and heal, by means of the essence and the power of the Ya^us verses themselves, whatever break the Ya^us sacrifice may have suffered. 6If the sacrifice is injured by the Sama-veda side, let him offer a libation in the Ahavaniya fire, saying, Sva hy Svaha! Thus does he bind together and heal, by means of the essence and the power of the Saman verses themselves, whatever break the Saman sacrifice may have suffered. 7As one binds (softens) gold by means of lavazza 1 (borax), and silver by means of gold, and tin by means of silver, and lead by means of tin, and iron (loha) by means of lead, and wood by means of iron, or also by means of leather, 8Thus does one bind together and heal any break in the sacrifice by means of (the Vyahrztis or sacrificial interjections which are) the essence and strength of the three worlds, of the deities, and of the threefold knowledge. That sacrifice is healed 2 in which there is a Brahman priest who knows this. 9That sacrifice is inclined towards the north (in the right way) in which there is a Brahman priest who knows this. And with regard to such a Brah¬ man priest there is the following Gatha 3: ‘ Whereever it falls back, thither the man 4 goes/—viz. the Brahman only, as one of the Rztvig priests. ‘ He saves the Kurus as a mare ’ (viz. a Brahman priest who knows this, saves the sacrifice, the sacrifices and all the other priests). Therefore let a man make him who knows this his Brahman priest, not one who does not know it, who does not know it. ‹Previous chapterChandogya Upanishad Third PrapathakaNext chapterChandogya Upanishad Fifth Prapathaka›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