Sanskrit Corpus

teṣāmasau virajo brahmaloko na yeṣu jihmamanr̥tṃ na māyā ceti ||

“Theirs is the stainless Brahma-world — in whom there is no crookedness, falsehood or deceit.”

atha hainṃ bhārgavo vaidarbhiḥ papraccha | bhagavan katyeva devāḥ prajāṃ vidhārayante katara etat prakāśayante kḥ punareṣāṃ variṣṭha iti ||

“Then Bhārgava Vaidarbhi asked him: 'Sir, how many gods sustain a creature, which display it, and which is chief among them?'”

tasmai sa hovācākāśo ha vā eṣa devo vāyuragnirāpḥ pr̥thivī vāṅmanaścakṣuḥ śrotrṃ ca | te prakāśyābhivadanti vayametadbāṇamavaṣṭabhya vidhārayāmḥ ||

“To him he said: sky, wind, fire, water, earth, speech, mind, sight and hearing. Displaying themselves they said, 'We support this frame and sustain it.'”

tān variṣṭhḥ prāṇa uvāca | mā mohamāpadyatha ahamevaitat pañcadhā''tmānṃ pravibhajyaitadbāṇamavaṣṭabhya vidhārayāmīti te'śraddadhānā babhūvuḥ ||

“Chief breath said to them: 'Fall not into delusion; dividing myself fivefold, I support and sustain this frame.' They disbelieved.”

so'bhimānādūrdhvamutkrāmata iva tasminnutkrāmatyathetare sarva evotkrāmante tasmiṃśca pratiṣṭhamāne sarva eva pratiṣṭhante | tadyathā makṣikā madhukararājānamutkrāmantṃ sarva evotkramante tasmiṃṣca pratiṣṭhamāne sarva eva prātiṣṭanta evṃ vāṅmanaṣcakṣuḥ śrotrṃ ca te prītāḥ prāṇṃ stunvanti ||

“As if rising upward in pride, it rose — and as it rose all rose with it, as it settled all settled, as bees follow their departing king. So speech, mind, sight and hearing, pleased, praised breath.”

eṣo'gnistapatyeṣa sūrya eṣa parjanyo maghavāneṣa vāyuḥ eṣa pr̥thivī rayirdevḥ sadasaccāmr̥tṃ ca yat ||

“'Thou burnest as fire, shinest as sun, rainest as cloud, rulest as Indra and wind; thou art earth and matter, being and non-being, and what is immortal.'”

arā iva rathanābhau prāṇe sarvṃ pratiṣṭhitam | r̥co yajūm̐ṣi sāmāni yajñḥ kṣatrṃ brahma ca ||

“'In breath all rests, as spokes in a hub — hymns, rites, chants, sacrifice, rule and prayer.'”

prajāpatiścarasi garbhe tvameva pratijāyase | tubhyṃ prāṇa prajāstvimā baliṃ haranti yḥ prāṇaiḥ pratitiṣṭhasi ||

“'As Prajāpati thou movest in the womb and art reborn; to thee, O breath, these creatures bring offerings, who restest on breaths.'”

devānāmasi vahnitamḥ pitr̥̄ṇāṃ prathamā svadhā | r̥ṣīṇāṃ caritṃ satyamatharvāṅgirasāmasi ||

“'Thou art the gods' best carrier, the fathers' first portion, the seers' true conduct, the Atharvans' and Aṅgirasas'.'”

indrastvṃ prāṇa tejasā rudro'si parirakṣitā | tvamantarikṣe carasi sūryastvṃ jyotiṣāṃ patiḥ ||

“'Thou, O breath, art Indra in might and Rudra the protector; thou movest in the sky, thou art the sun, lord of lights.'”

yadā tvamabhivarṣasyathemāḥ prāṇa te prajāḥ | ānandarūpāstiṣṭhanti kāmāyānnṃ bhaviṣyatīti ||

“'When thou rainest, these creatures of thine stand joyous, hoping food will come.'”

vrātyastvṃ prāṇaikarṣarattā viśvasya satpatiḥ | vayamādyasya dātārḥ pitā tvṃ mātariśva nḥ ||

“'Thou art the first-born, the one seer, eater, true lord of all; we are givers of thy food; thou, Mātariśvan, art our father.'”

yā te tanūrvāci pratiṣṭhitā yā śrotre yā ca cakṣuṣi | yā ca manasi santatā śivāṃ tāṃ kuru motkramīḥ ||

“'Make kindly the form that rests in speech, ear, eye and abides in mind; depart not.'”

prāṇasyedṃ vaśe sarvṃ tridive yat pratiṣṭhitam | māteva putrān rakṣasva śrīśca prajñāṃ ca vidhehi na iti ||

“'All this in the third heaven rests in breath's power. Guard us as a mother her sons; grant us fortune and wisdom.'”

atha hainṃ kauśalyaścāśvalāyanḥ papraccha | bhagavan kuta eṣa prāṇo jāyate kathamāyātyasmiñśarīra ātmānṃ vā pravibhajya kathṃ pratiṣṭhate kenotkramate kathṃ bāhyamabhidhatte kathamadhyātmamiti ||

“Then Kausalyā Āśvalāyana asked: 'Sir, whence is this breath born, how does it enter this body, how divide and settle itself, how depart, how grasp the outer and the inner?'”

tasmai sa hovācātipraśnān pr̥cchasi brahmiṣṭho'sīti tasmātte'hṃ bravīmi ||

“To him he said: 'Thou askest surpassing questions, for thou art exceeding Brahman-like; so I tell thee.'”

ātmana eṣa prāṇo jāyate | yathaiṣā puruṣe chāyaitasminnetadātatṃ manokr̥tenāyātyasmiñśarīre ||

“From the Self this breath is born; as a man's shadow stretches over him, so mind-stretched it enters this body.”

yathā samrādevādhikr̥tān viniyuṅkte | etan grāmānotān grāmānadhitiṣṭhasvetyevamevaiṣa prāṇa itarān prāṇān pr̥thak pr̥thageva sannidhatte ||

“As a king sets officers over villages, saying 'rule these villages,' so breath assigns each lesser breath its separate post.”

pāyūpasthe'pānṃ cakṣuḥśrotre mukhanāsikābhyāṃ prāṇḥ svayṃ prātiṣṭhate madhye tu samānḥ | eṣa hyetaddhutamannṃ samṃ nayati tasmādetāḥ saptārciṣo bhavanti ||

“The down-breath rests in the organs of release, breath itself in eye, ear, mouth and nose, and the equal-breath in the middle — it carries evenly the offered food, whence come the seven flames.”

hr̥di hyeṣa ātmā | atraitadekaśatṃ nāḍīnāṃ tāsāṃ śatṃ śatamekaikasyā dvāsaptatirdvāsaptatiḥ pratiśākhānāḍīsahasrāṇi bhavantyāsu vyānaścarati ||

“In the heart indeed is this Self; there are a hundred and one channels, each branching a hundredfold into seventy-two thousand twigs — among them moves the diffused breath.”

athaikayordhva udānḥ puṇyena puṇyṃ lokṃ nayati pāpena pāpamubhābhyāmeva manuṣyalokam ||

“Upward by one channel goes the up-breath: by merit to the meritorious world, by sin to the sinful, by both to the human world.”

ādityo ha vai bāhyḥ prāṇa udayatyeṣa hyenṃ cākṣuṣṃ prāṇamanugr̥hṇānḥ | pr̥thivyāṃ yā devatā saiṣā puruṣasya apānamavaṣṭabhyāntarā yadākāśḥ sa samāno vāyurvyānḥ ||

“The outer breath is the rising sun, aiding the eye's breath; the deity in earth supports man's down-breath; the space between is the equal-breath, and wind the diffused.”

tejo ha vā udānastasmādupaśāntatejāḥ | punarbhavamindriyairmanasi sampadyamānaiḥ ||

“The up-breath is fire; hence whose fire is quenched is reborn, the senses merging into mind.”

yaccittastenaiṣa prāṇamāyāti | prāṇastejasā yuktḥ sahātmanā tathāsaṅkalpitṃ lokṃ nayati ||

“With whatever thought, breath joins it; breath joined with fire leads the self with it to the world resolved upon.”

ya evṃ vidvān prāṇṃ veda na hāsya prajā hīyate'mr̥to bhavati tadeṣḥ ślokḥ ||

“The knower who thus knows breath — his offspring fails not, he becomes immortal. So runs a verse.”

utpattimāyatiṃ sthānṃ vibhutvṃ caiva pañcadhā | adhyātmṃ caiva prāṇasya vijñāyāmr̥tamaśnute vijñāyāmr̥tamaśnuta iti ||

“'Knowing breath's origin, entry, station, rule fivefold, and its inner side, one enjoys immortality.'”

atha hainṃ sauryāyaṇi gārgyḥ papraccha | bhagavannetasmin puruṣe kāni svapanti kānyasmiñjāgrati katara eṣa devḥ svapnān paśyati kasyaitat sukhṃ bhavati kasminnu sarve sampratiṣṭitā bhavantīti ||

“Then Sauryāyaṇī Gārgya asked: 'Sir, in this person what sleeps, what wakes, which god sees dreams, whose is this joy, and in whom are all founded?'”

tasmai sa hovāca yathā gārgya marīcayo'rkasyāstṃ gacchatḥ sarvā etasmiṃstejomaṇḍala ekībhavanti tāḥ punḥ punarudayatḥ pracarantyevṃ ha vai tat sarvṃ pare deve manasyekībhavati tena tarhyeṣa puruṣo na śr̥ṇoti na paśyati na jighrati na rasayate na spr̥śate nābhivadate nādatte nānandayate na visr̥jate neyāyate svapitītyācakṣate ||

“To him he said: as the sun's rays all merge in its orb at setting and stream out again at rising, so all merges in mind, the highest god. Then the person hears not, sees not, smells, tastes, touches, speaks, takes, enjoys, emits and moves not — they say he sleeps.”

prāṇāgnaya evaitasmin pure jāgrati | gārhapatyo ha vā eṣo'pāno vyāno'nvāhāryapacano yadgārhapatyāt praṇīyate praṇayanādāhavanīyḥ prāṇḥ ||

“The breath-fires alone wake in this city: the down-breath is the householder's fire, the diffused the southern fire, and breath the oblation fire drawn from the householder's.”

yaducchvāsaniḥśvāsāvetāvāhutī samṃ nayatīti sa samānḥ | mano ha vāva yajamānḥ | iṣṭaphalamevodānḥ | sa enṃ yajamānamaharaharbrahma gamayati ||

“The equal-breath evenly leads the two oblations of in- and out-breathing; mind is the sacrificer, and the up-breath is the rite's fruit, leading the sacrificer daily to Brahman.”

atraiṣa devḥ svapne mahimānamanubhavati | yaddr̥ṣṭṃ dr̥ṣṭamanupaśyati śrutṃ śrutamevārthamanuśr̥ṇoti deśadigantaraiśca pratyanubhūtṃ punḥ punḥ pratyanubhavati dr̥ṣṭṃ cādr̥ṣṭṃ ca śrutṃ cāśrutṃ cānubhūtṃ cānanubhūtṃ ca saccāsacca sarvṃ paśyati sarvḥ paśyati ||

“Here in dream this god enjoys greatness: what was seen he sees again, hears again what was heard, relives places experienced — seen and unseen, heard and unheard, felt and unfelt, real and unreal — he sees all, being all.”

sa yadā tejasā'bhibhūto bhavati | atraiṣa devḥ svapnānna paśyatyatha yadaitasmiñśarīra etatsukhṃ bhavati ||

“When overpowered by light, this god sees no dreams; then in this body arises that joy.”

sa yathā sobhya vayāṃsi vasovr̥kṣṃ sṃpratiṣṭhante | evṃ ha vai tat sarvṃ para ātmani sṃpratiṣṭhate ||

“As birds, dear one, settle on their tree, so all this settles in the supreme Self.”

pr̥thivī ca pr̥thivīmātrā cāpaścāpomātrā ca tejaśca tejomātrā ca vāyuśca vāyumātrā cākāśaścākāśamātrā ca cakṣuśca draṣṭavyṃ ca śrotrṃ ca śrotavyṃ ca ghrāṇṃ ca ghrātavyṃ ca rasaśca rasayitavyṃ ca tvakca sparśayitavyṃ ca vākca vaktavyṃ ca hastau cādātavyṃ copasthaścānandayitavyṃ ca pāyuśca visarjayitavyṃ ca yādau ca gantavyṃ ca manaśca mantavyṃ ca buddhiśca boddhavyṃ cāhaṅkāraścāhaṅkartavyṃ ca cittṃ ca cetayitavyṃ ca tejaśca vidyotayitavyṃ ca prāṇaśca vidhārayitavyṃ ca ||

“Earth and its subtle rudiment, waters, fire, wind, sky, eye and visible, ear and audible, smell and odorous, taste and tastable, touch and tangible, speech and speakable, hands and graspable, organ and enjoyable, release and excretable, feet and walkable, mind and thinkable, intellect and knowable, ego and its object, thought and its object, light and its object, breath and its object.”

eṣa hi draṣṭā spraṣṭā śrotā ghrātā rasayitā mantā boddhā kartā vijñānātmā puruṣḥ | sa pare'kṣara ātmani sampratiṣṭhate ||

“He is the seer, toucher, hearer, smeller, taster, thinker, knower, doer — the conscious Person; he rests in the supreme imperishable Self.”

paramevākṣarṃ pratipadyate sa yo ha vai tadacchāyamaśarīramalohitṃ śubhramakṣarṃ vedayate yastu somya | sa sarvajñḥ sarvo bhavati | tadeṣa ślokḥ ||

“Who attains the supreme Imperishable — the shadowless, bodiless, bloodless, pure — knowing it, dear one, becomes all-knowing, becomes all. So runs a verse.”

vijñānātmā saha devaiśca sarvaiḥ prāṇā bhūtāni sṃpratiṣṭhanti yatra tadakṣarṃ vedayate yastu somya sa sarvajñḥ sarvamevāviveśeti ||

“'The conscious self with all gods, where breaths and beings rest — who knows that Imperishable, dear one, all-knowing, has entered all.'”

atha hainṃ śaibyḥ satyakāmḥ papraccha | sa yo ha vai tadbhagavanmanuṣyeṣu prāyaṇāntamoṅkāramabhidhyāyīta | katamṃ vāva sa tena lokṃ jayatīti | tasmai sa hovāca ||

“Then Śaibya Satyakāma asked: 'Sir, if one meditates on Om till death among men, which world does he win thereby?' To him he said:”

etadvai satyakāma parṃ cāparṃ ca brahma yadoṅkārḥ | tasmādvidvānetenaivāyatanenaikataramanveti ||

“'This Om, Satyakāma, is both the higher and the lower Brahman; so by this support alone the knower reaches either.'”

sa yadyekamātramabhidhyāyīta sa tenaiva sṃveditastūrṇameva jagatyāmabhisampadyate | tamr̥co manuṣyalokamupanayante sa tatra tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śraddhayā sampanno mahimānamanubhavati ||

“Meditating on one measure, enlightened thereby, he swiftly joins the earth; the hymns lead him to the human world, where, rich in austerity, chastity and faith, he enjoys greatness.”

atha yadi dvimātreṇa manasi sṃpadyate so'ntarikṣṃ yajurbhirunnīyate somalokam | sa somaloke vibhūtimanubhūya punarāvartate ||

“If joined in mind with two measures, he is led by the rites to the sky, the moon-world; enjoying the moon-world's glory, he returns.”

yḥ punaretṃ trimātreṇomityetenaivākṣareṇa parṃ puruṣamabhidhyāyīta sa tejasi sūrye sṃpannḥ | yathā pādodarastvacā vinirmucyata evṃ ha vai sa pāpmanā vinirmuktḥ sa sāmabhirunnīyate brahmalokṃ sa etasmājjīvaghanāt parātparṃ puriśayṃ puruṣamīkṣate | tadetau ślokau bhavatḥ ||

“Who meditates with all three measures on the supreme Person joins the sun's brilliance; as a snake sheds its skin, freed from evil he is led by the chants to the Brahma-world, and beholds the Person beyond the beyond dwelling in the city. So run two verses.”

tisro mātrā mr̥tyumatyḥ prayuktā anyonyasaktāḥ anaviprayuktāḥ | kriyāsu bāhyābhyantaramadhyamāsu samyak prayuktāsu na kampate jñḥ ||

“'The three death-bound measures, linked each to each, unparted, rightly used in outer, inner and middle rites — the knower trembles not.'”

r̥gbhiretṃ yajurbhirantarikṣṃ sāmabhiryat tat kavayo vedayante | tamoṅkāreṇaivāyatanenānveti vidvān yattacchāntamajaramamr̥tamabhayṃ parṃ ceti ||

“'By hymns this world, by rites the sky, by chants what seers proclaim; the knower reaches by Om alone what is calm, ageless, immortal, fearless and supreme.'”

atha hainṃ sukeśā bhāradvājḥ papraccha | bhagavan hiraṇyanābhḥ kausalyo rājaputro māmupetyaitṃ praśnamapr̥cchata | ṣoḍaśakalṃ bhāradvāja puruṣṃ vettha | tamahṃ kumāramabruvṃ nāhamimṃ veda | yadyahamimamavediṣṃ kathṃ te nāvakṣyamiti | samūlo vā eṣa pariśuṣyati yo'nr̥tamabhivadati tasmānnārhamyanr̥tṃ vaktum | sa tūṣṇīṃ rathamāruhya pravavrāja | tṃ tvā pr̥cchāmi kvāsau puruṣa iti ||

“Then Sukeśan Bhāradvāja asked: 'Sir, prince Hiraṇyanābha of Kosala asked me whether I knew the sixteen-part Person. I told the boy I knew him not — for had I known, how could I not have told? Who speaks falsely withers root and all, so I dared not lie. He silently mounted his chariot and left. I ask thee: where is that Person?'”

tasmai sa hovācehaivāntḥśarīre somya sa puruṣo yasminnatāḥ ṣoḍaśakalāḥ prabhavantīti ||

“To him he said: 'Here within the body itself, dear one, is that Person, wherein the sixteen parts arise.'”

sa īkṣāñcakre | kasminnahamutkrānta utkrānto bhaviṣyāmi kasminvā pratiṣṭhite pratiṣṭhāsyāmīti ||

“He pondered: 'In whose departure shall I depart, in whose settling shall I settle?'”

sa prāṇamasr̥jata prāṇācchraddhāṃ khṃ vāyurjyotirāpḥ pr̥thivīndriyṃ manḥ | annamannādvīryṃ tapo mantrāḥ karma lokā lokeṣu ca nāma ca ||

“He created breath; from breath came faith, then sky, wind, light, waters, earth, senses, mind; food, from food vigour; fervour, hymns, rites, worlds, and name in the worlds.”

sa yathemā nadyḥ syandamānāḥ samudrāyaṇāḥ samudrṃ prāpyāstṃ gacchanti bhidyete tāsāṃ nāmarūpe samudra ityevṃ procyate | evamevāsya paridraṣṭurimāḥ ṣoḍaśakalāḥ puruṣāyaṇāḥ puruṣṃ prāpyāstṃ gacchanti bhidyete cāsāṃ nāmarūpe puruṣa ityevṃ procyate sa eṣo'kalo'mr̥to bhavati tadeṣa ślokḥ ||

“As rivers flowing seaward vanish into the ocean, losing name and form till 'ocean' alone is said — so the sixteen parts of this seer, bound for the Person, reaching the Person, vanish, losing name and form till 'Person' alone is said. He becomes partless, immortal. So runs a verse.”

arā iva rathanābhau kalā yasminpratiṣṭhitāḥ | tṃ vedyṃ puruṣṃ veda yatha mā vo mr̥tyuḥ parivyathā iti ||

“'In whom the parts rest like spokes in a hub — know that knowable Person, lest death afflict you.'”