Sanskrit Corpus

tān hovācaitāvadevāhametat parṃ brahma veda | nātḥ paramastīti ||

“To them he said: 'Thus far only do I know this supreme Brahman; beyond there is naught.'”

te tamarcayantastvṃ hi nḥ pitā yo'smākamavidyāyāḥ parṃ pārṃ tārayasīti | namḥ paramar̥ṣibhyo namḥ paramar̥ṣibhyḥ ||

“Honouring him they said: 'Thou art our father, who ferriest us to the far shore beyond ignorance.' Homage to the highest seers, homage to the highest seers.”

ॐ brahmā devānāṃ prathamḥ sṃbabhūva viśvasya kartā bhuvanasya goptā | sa brahmavidyāṃ sarvavidyāpratiṣṭhāmatharvāya jyeṣṭhaputrāya prāha ||

“Om. Brahmā, first among gods, maker of the universe and guardian of the world, taught the knowledge of Brahman, the basis of all knowledge, to Atharvan, his eldest son.”

atharvaṇe yāṃ pravadeta brahmā'tharvā tṃ purovācāṅgire brahmavidyām | sa bhāradvājāya satyavāhāya prāha bhāradvājo'ṅgirase parāvarām ||

“What Brahmā taught Atharvan, Atharvan taught Aṅgir in olden days; he taught it to Satyavāha Bhāradvāja, and Bhāradvāja to Aṅgiras, the higher and the lower.”

śaunako ha vai mahāśālo'ṅgirasṃ vidhivadupasannḥ papraccha | kasminnu bhagavo vijñāte sarvamidṃ vijñātṃ bhavatīti ||

“Śaunaka, a great householder, duly approached Aṅgiras and asked: 'Through knowing what, sir, does all this become known?'”

tasmai sa hovāca | dve vidye veditavye iti ha sma yadbrahmavido vadanti parā caivāparā ca ||

“To him he said: 'Two knowledges are to be known, as the knowers of Brahman declare — the higher and the lower.'”

tatrāparā r̥gvedo yajurvedḥ sāmavedo'tharvavedḥ śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇṃ niruktṃ chando jyotiṣamiti | atha parā yayā tadakṣaramadhigamyate ||

“The lower comprises Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, Atharva Vedas, phonetics, ritual, grammar, etymology, metre and astronomy; the higher is that by which the Imperishable is grasped.”

yattadadreśyamagrāhyamagotramavarṇamacakṣuḥśrotrṃ tadapāṇipādam | nityṃ vibhuṃ sarvagatṃ susūkṣmṃ tadavyayṃ yadbhūtayoniṃ paripaśyanti dhīrāḥ ||

“What is invisible, ungraspable, without lineage or colour, eyeless and earless, handless and footless — eternal, all-pervading, subtlest, undecaying — the wise behold as the source of beings.”

yathorṇanābhiḥ sr̥jate gr̥hṇate ca yathā pr̥thivyāmoṣadhayḥ sṃbhavanti | yathā satḥ puruṣāt keśalomāni tathā'kṣarāt sṃbhavatīha viśvam ||

“As the spider emits and gathers its thread, as plants grow on earth, as hair grows on a living man — so from the Imperishable arises this universe.”

tapasā cīyate brahma tato'nnamabhijāyate | annāt prāṇo manḥ satyṃ lokāḥ karmasu cāmr̥tam ||

“Through fervour Brahman grows; thence food is born; from food come breath, mind, truth, worlds, rites and immortality in rites.”

yḥ sarvajñḥ sarvavidyasya jñānamayṃ tapḥ | tasmādetadbrahma nāma rūpamannṃ ca jāyate ||

“Who is all-knowing, all-wise, whose fervour is knowledge — from him are born this Brahman, name, form and food.”

tadetat satyṃ mantreṣu karmāṇi kavayo yānyapaśyṃstāni tretāyāṃ bahudhā sṃtatāni | tānyācaratha niyatṃ satyakāmā eṣa vḥ panthāḥ sukr̥tasya loke ||

“This is truth: the rites the seers beheld in the hymns were spread manifold in the threefold lore. Practise them duly, ye desirers of truth — this is your path to the world of good deeds.”

yadā lelāyate hyarciḥ samiddhe havyavāhane | tadā''jyabhāgāvantareṇā''hutīḥ pratipādayet ||

“When the flame flickers as the fire is kindled, one should place the two butter-offerings between them.”

yasyāgnihotramadarśamapaurṇamāsamacāturmāsyamanāgrayaṇamatithivarjitṃ ca | ahutamavaiśvadevamavidhinā hutamāsaptamāṃstasya lokān hinasti ||

“Whose fire-offering ignores the new-moon, full-moon, four-month and harvest rites, shuns guests, is unoffered or misoffered, destroys his seven worlds.”

kālī karālī ca manojavā ca sulohitā yā ca sudhūmravarṇā | sphuliṅginī viśvarucī ca devī lelāyamānā iti sapta jihvāḥ ||

“Black, dread, swift-minded, blood-red, smoke-hued, sparkling and all-radiant — the flickering seven tongues of flame.”

eteṣu yaścarate bhrājamāneṣu yathākālṃ cāhutayo hyādadāyan | tṃ nayantyetāḥ sūryasya raśmayo yatra devānāṃ patireko'dhivāsḥ ||

“Who moves amid these shining flames, offering oblations in due season — him these rays of the sun lead where the one lord of gods dwells.”

ehyehīti tamāhutayḥ suvarcasḥ sūryasya raśmibhiryajamānṃ vahanti | priyāṃ vācamabhivadantyo'rcayantya eṣa vḥ puṇyḥ sukr̥to brahmalokḥ ||

“'Come, come,' the radiant offerings say, bearing the sacrificer on the sun's rays, praising him with sweet voice: 'This is thy holy world of good deeds.'”

plavā hyete adr̥ḍhā yajñarūpā aṣṭādaśoktamavarṃ yeṣu karma | etacchreyo ye'bhinandanti mūḍhā jarāmr̥tyuṃ te punarevāpi yanti ||

“Frail boats indeed are these rites, the eighteenfold lower rite; fools who hail this as best return again to age and death.”

avidyāyāmantare vartamānāḥ svayṃ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitṃ manyamānāḥ | jaṅghanyamānāḥ pariyanti mūḍhā andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ ||

“Dwelling amid ignorance, deeming themselves wise and learned, fools stagger about stricken, like the blind led by the blind.”

avidyāyāṃ bahudhā vartamānā vayṃ kr̥tārthā ityabhimanyanti bālāḥ | yat karmiṇo na pravedayanti rāgāt tenāturāḥ kṣīṇalokāścyavante ||

“Living manifoldly in ignorance, children who fancy 'we have done our work' — attached by passion, the rite-bound learn nothing, suffer, and fall from heaven when their merit ends.”

iṣṭāpūrtṃ manyamānā variṣṭhṃ nānyacchreyo vedayante pramūḍhāḥ | nākasya pr̥ṣṭhe te sukr̥te'nubhūtvemṃ lokṃ hīnatarṃ vā viśanti ||

“Deeming sacrifice and charity the highest, the deluded know no better good; enjoying the heaven they earned, they enter this or a lower world.”

tapḥśraddhe ye hyupavasantyaraṇye śāntā vidvāṃso bhaikṣyacaryāṃ carantḥ | sūryadvāreṇa te virajāḥ prayānti yatrāmr̥tḥ sa puruṣo hyavyayātmā ||

“But those who dwell in the forest on austerity and faith, calm, knowing, living on alms — stainless, they pass through the sun's gate to where the immortal, undecaying Person dwells.”

parīkṣya lokān karmacitān brāhmaṇo nirvedamāyānnāstyakr̥tḥ kr̥tena | tadvijñānārthṃ sa gurumevābhigacchet samitpāṇiḥ śrotriyṃ brahmaniṣṭham ||

“A Brahmin, examining rite-built worlds, should grow dispassionate: the unmade is not won by deeds. To know it, let him approach a teacher with fuel in hand — one learned in scripture and grounded in Brahman.”

tasmai sa vidvānupasannāya samyak praśāntacittāya śamānvitāya | yenākṣarṃ puruṣṃ veda satyṃ provāca tāṃ tattvato brahmavidyām ||

“To the duly arrived pupil of tranquil, controlled mind, the wise teacher should truly teach that knowledge of Brahman by which one knows the true, imperishable Person.”

tadetat satyṃ yathā sudīptāt pāvakādvisphuliṅgāḥ sahasraśḥ prabhavante sarūpāḥ | tathā'kṣarādvividhāḥ somya bhāvāḥ prajāyante tatra caivāpi yanti ||

“This is truth: as from a blazing fire sparks fly by thousands alike, so from the Imperishable, dear one, manifold beings are born and return thither.”

divyo hyamūrtḥ puruṣḥ sa bāhyābhyantaro hyajḥ | aprāṇo hyamanāḥ śubhro hyakṣarāt paratḥ parḥ ||

“The divine, formless Person is without and within, unborn; breathless and mindless, pure — higher than the high Imperishable.”

etasmājjāyate prāṇo manḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca | khṃ vāyurjyotirāpḥ pr̥thivī viśvasya dhāriṇī ||

“From him are born breath, mind, all senses, sky, wind, light, waters, and earth, the upholder of all.”

agnirmūrdhā cakṣuṣī candrasūryau diśḥ śrotre vāg vivr̥tāśca vedāḥ | vāyuḥ prāṇo hr̥dayṃ viśvamasya padbhyāṃ pr̥thivī hyeṣa sarvabhūtāntarātmā ||

“Fire is his head, sun and moon his eyes, the quarters his ears, the Vedas his voice, wind his breath, the universe his heart; from his feet comes earth — he is the inner Self of all beings.”

tasmādagniḥ samidho yasya sūryḥ somāt parjanya oṣadhayḥ pr̥thivyām | pumān retḥ siñcati yoṣitāyāṃ bahvīḥ prajāḥ puruṣāt sṃprasūtāḥ ||

“From him comes fire whose fuel is the sun; from the moon come rain, plants on earth; man sows seed in woman — many creatures spring from the Person.”

tasmādr̥cḥ sāma yajūṃṣi dīkṣā yajñāśca sarve kratavo dakṣiṇāśca | sṃvatsaraśca yajamānaśca lokāḥ somo yatra pavate yatra sūryḥ ||

“From him come hymns, chants, rites, consecration, all sacrifices, gifts, the year, the sacrificer, and the worlds where moon and sun move.”

tasmācca devā bahudhā sṃprasūtāḥ sādhyā manuṣyāḥ paśavo vayāṃsi | prāṇāpānau vrīhiyavau tapaśca śraddhā satyṃ brahmacaryṃ vidhiśca ||

“From him too are born gods, celestials, men, beasts and birds; in-breath and out-breath, rice and barley, austerity, faith, truth, chastity and law.”

sapta prāṇāḥ prabhavanti tasmāt saptārciṣḥ samidhḥ sapta homāḥ | sapta ime lokā yeṣu caranti prāṇā guhāśayā nihitāḥ sapta sapta ||

“From him come the seven breaths, seven flames, seven offerings, and these seven worlds wherein the breaths move, sevenfold, dwelling in the cave.”

atḥ samudrā girayaśca sarve'smāt syandante sindhavḥ sarvarūpāḥ | ataśca sarvā oṣadhayo rasaśca yenaiṣa bhūtaistiṣṭhate hyantarātmā ||

“From him come all oceans and mountains; from him flow rivers of every kind; from him come all plants and their essence, whereby the inner Self stands among beings.”

puruṣa evedṃ viśvṃ karma tapo brahma parāmr̥tam | etadyo veda nihitṃ guhāyāṃ so'vidyāgranthiṃ vikiratīha somya ||

“The Person is all this — rite, fervour, Brahman, the supreme immortal. Who knows him hidden in the cave shatters the knot of ignorance here, dear one.”

āviḥ sṃnihitṃ guhācarṃ nāma mahatpadamatraitat samarpitam | ejatprāṇannimiṣacca yadetajjānatha sadasadvareṇyṃ parṃ vijñānādyadvariṣṭhṃ prajānām ||

“Manifest, near, dwelling in the cave is the great station wherein all is set — the moving, breathing, winking. Know it as being and non-being, adorable, supreme, beyond creatures' knowing.”

yadarcimadyadaṇubhyo'ṇu ca yasmim̐llokā nihitā lokinaśca | tadetadakṣarṃ brahma sa prāṇastadu vāṅmanḥ tadetatsatyṃ tadamr̥tṃ tadveddhavyṃ somya viddhi ||

“What is radiant, subtler than atoms, wherein worlds and their dwellers rest — that is the imperishable Brahman, breath, speech and mind; that is truth and immortality. Strike it, dear one — know it.”

dhanurgr̥hītvaupaniṣadṃ mahāstrṃ śarṃ hyupāsā niśitṃ sandhayīta | āyamya tadbhāvagatena cetasā lakṣyṃ tadevākṣarṃ somya viddhi ||

“Taking the great bow of the Upaniṣad, fix the arrow sharpened by devotion; drawing with mind intent on it, strike that very target, the Imperishable, dear one.”

praṇavo dhanuḥ śaro hyātmā brahma tallakṣyamucyate | apramattena veddhavyṃ śaravat tanmayo bhavet ||

“Om is the bow, the Self the arrow, Brahman its target. Strike unerringly; become one with it as the arrow with its mark.”

yasmin dyauḥ pr̥thivī cāntarikṣamotṃ manḥ saha prāṇaiśca sarvaiḥ | tamevaikṃ jānatha ātmānamanyā vāco vimuñcathāmr̥tasyaiṣa setuḥ ||

“Know that one Self alone, wherein heaven, earth, sky, mind and all breaths are woven; leave other speech — this is the bridge to immortality.”

arā iva rathanābhau sṃhatā yatra nāḍyḥ | sa eṣo'ntaścarate bahudhā jāyamānḥ | omityevṃ dhyāyatha ātmānṃ svasti vḥ pārāya tamasḥ parastāt ||

“Where the channels gather like spokes in a hub, there he moves within, born manifold. Meditate 'Om' thus on the Self; good speed to you beyond this darkness.”

yḥ sarvajñḥ sarvavidyasyaiṣa mahimā bhuvi | divye brahmapure hyeṣa vyomnyātmā pratiṣṭhitḥ || manomayḥ prāṇaśarīranetā pratiṣṭhito'nne hr̥dayṃ sannidhāya | tad vijñānena paripaśyanti dhīrā ānandarūpamamr̥tṃ yad vibhāti ||

“The all-knowing, all-wise, whose glory is on earth — this Self stands in the divine city of Brahman, in the sky. Mind-made, leading breath and body, founded on food, settled in the heart — the wise behold by knowledge its blissful, immortal radiance.”

bhidyate hr̥dayagranthiśchidyante sarvasṃśayāḥ | kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi tasmin dr̥ṣṭe parāvare ||

“The heart's knot is split, all doubts cut, his deeds dissolve — seeing the high and low.”

hiraṇmaye pare kośe virajṃ brahma niṣkalam | tacchubhrṃ jyotiṣāṃ jyotistad yadātmavido viduḥ ||

“In the golden highest sheath dwells stainless, partless Brahman — pure, the light of lights, which knowers of Self know.”

na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto'yamagniḥ | tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvṃ tasya bhāsā sarvamidṃ vibhāti ||

“There sun shines not, nor moon and stars, nor lightning — how then this fire? By his shining all shines after; by his light all this shines.”

brahmaivedamamr̥tṃ purastād brahma paścād brahma dakṣiṇataścottareṇa | adhaścordhvṃ ca prasr̥tṃ brahmaivedṃ viśvamidṃ variṣṭham ||

“Immortal Brahman is before, behind, to south and north; below and above spread — Brahman alone is all this, the supreme.”

dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānṃ vr̥kṣṃ pariṣasvajāte | tayoranyḥ pippalṃ svādvattyanaśnannanyo abhicākaśīti ||

“Two birds, joined companions, cling to the same tree; one eats the sweet fig, the other looks on without eating.”

samāne vr̥kṣe puruṣo nimagno' nīśayā śocati muhyamānḥ | juṣṭṃ yadā paśyatyanyamīśamasya mahimānamiti vītaśokḥ ||

“Sunk in the same tree, the person grieves, deluded by helplessness; seeing the other, the worshipped Lord, and his glory — sorrow ceases.”

yadā paśyḥ paśyate rukmavarṇṃ kartāramīśṃ puruṣṃ brahmayonim | tadā vidvān puṇyapāpe vidhūya nirañjanḥ paramṃ sāmyamupaiti ||

“When the seer beholds the golden-hued maker, lord, Person, source of Brahman — then, shaking off merit and sin, stainless, he reaches supreme likeness.”

prāṇo hyeṣa yḥ sarvabhūtairvibhāti vijānan vidvān bhavate nātivādī | ātmakrīḍa ātmaratiḥ kriyāvāneṣa brahmavidāṃ variṣṭhḥ ||

“This breath shines through all beings; the knower, not a mere talker, sports in the Self, delights in the Self, acts rightly — he is foremost among knowers of Brahman.”

satyena labhyastapasā hyeṣa ātmā samyagjñānena brahmacaryeṇa nityam | antḥśarīre jyotirmayo hi śubhro yṃ paśyanti yatayḥ kṣīṇadoṣāḥ ||

“This Self is won by truth, fervour, right knowledge and chastity ever; within the body, luminous and pure, him the striving, faultless behold.”