Principal Upanishads

Minor Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad part 14

VI-iii-1: He who wishes to attain greatness (should perform) on an auspicious day in a fortnight in which the moon waxes, and under a male constellation, during the northward march of the sun, (a sacrifice in the following manner): He should undertake for twelve days a vow connected with the Upasads (i.e. live on milk), collect in a cup of bowl made of fig wood all herbs and their grains, sweep and plaster (the ground), purify the offerings in the prescribed manner, interpose the Mantha (paste made of those things), and offer oblations with the following Mantras: ‘O Fire, to all those gods under you, who spitefully frustrate men’s desires, I offer their share. May they, being satisfied, satisfy me with all objects of desire ! Svaha. To that all-procuring deity who turns out spiteful under your protection, thinking she is the support of all, I offer this stream of clarified butter. Svaha’.
   VI-iii-2: Offering oblations in the fire saying, ‘Svaha to the oldest, Svaha to the greatest’, he dips the remnant adhering to the ladle into the paste. Offering oblations in the fire saying, ‘Svaha to the vital force, Svaha to the Vasistha’, he drips the remnant, etc. Offering oblations saying, ‘Svaha to the organ of speech, Svaha to that which has steadiness’, he drips, etc. Offering oblations saying, Svaha to the eye, Svaha to prosperity’, he drips etc. Offering oblations saying, ‘Svaha to the ear, Svaha to the abode’, he drips, etc. Offering oblations saying, ‘Svaha to the Manas, Svaha to Prajati’, he drips, etc. Offering oblations saying, ‘Svaha to the organ of generation’, he drips, etc.
   VI-iii-3: Offering an oblation in the fire saying, ‘Svaha to fire’, he drips the remnant adhering to the ladle into the paste. Offering and oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the moon,’ he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the earth’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the sky’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to heaven’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the earth, sky and heaven’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the Brahmana’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the Kshatriya’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the past’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the future’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to the whole’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to all’, he drips, etc. Offering an oblation saying, ‘Svaha to Prajapati’, he drips, etc.
   VI-iii-4: Then he touches the paste saying, ‘You move (as the vital force), you burn (as fire), you are infinite (as Brahman), you are still (as the sky). You combine everything in yourself. You are the sound ‘Him’, and are uttered as ‘Him’ (in the sacrifice by the Prastotr). You are the Udgitha and are chanted (by the Udgatr). You are recited (by the Adhvaryu) and recited back (by the Agnidhra). You are fully ablaze in a humid (cloud). You are omnipresent, and master. You are food (as the moon), and light (as fire). You are death, and you are that in which all things merge’.
   VI-iii-5: Then he takes it up saying, ‘You know all (as the vital force); we too are aware of your greatness. The vital force is the king, the lord, the ruler. May it make me king, lord and ruler !’
   VI-iii-6: Then he drinks it saying, ‘The radiant sun is adorable --; The winds are blowing sweetly, the rivers are shedding honey, may the herbs be sweet unto us ! Svaha to the earth. Glory we meditate upon; May the nights and days be charming, and the dust of the earth be sweet, may heaven, our father, be gracious ! Svaha to the sky. May he direct our intellect; May the Soma creeper be sweet unto us, may the sun be kind, may the quarters be helpful to us ! Svaha to heaven’. Then he repeats the whole Gayatri and the whole Madhumati, and says at the end, ‘May I be all this ! Svaha to the earth, sky and heaven.’ Then he drinks the whole remnant, washes his hands, and lies behind the fire with his head to the east. In the morning he salutes the sun saying, ‘Thou art the one lotus of the quarters; may I be the one lotus of men !’ Then he returns the way he went, sits behind the fire, and repeats the line of teachers.
   VI-iii-7: Uddalaka, the son of Aruni, taught this to his pupil Yajnavalkya, the Vajasaneya, and said, ‘Should one sprinkle it even on a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves sprout’.
   VI-iii-8: The Yajnavalkya, the Vajasaneya, taught this to his pupil Madhuka, the son of Paingi and said, ‘Should one sprinkle it even on a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves sprout’.
   VI-iii-9: Madhuka, the son of Paingi, again taught this to his pupil Cula, the son of Bhagavitta, and said, ‘Should one sprinkle it even on a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves sprout’.
   VI-iii-10: Then Cula, the son of Bhagavitta, taught this to his pupil Janaki, the son of Ayasthuna, and said, ‘Should one sprinkle it even on a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves sprout’.
   VI-iii-11: Janaki, the son of Ayasthuna, again taught this to Satyakama, the son of Jabala, and said, ‘Should one sprinkle it even on a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves sprout’.
   VI-iii-12: And Satyakama, the son of Jabala, in his turn, taught this to his pupils and said, ‘Should one sprinkle it even on a dry stump, branches would grow and leaves sprout’. One must not teach this to anyone but a son or a pupil.
   VI-iii-13: Four things are made of fig wood: the ladle, the bowl, the fuel and the two mixing rods. The cultivated grains are ten in number: Rice, barley, sesame, beans, Anu, Priyangu, wheat, lentils, pulse and vetches. They should be crushed and soaked in curds, honey and clarified butter, and offered as an oblation.

   VI-iv-1: The earth is the essence of all these beings, water the essence of the earth, herbs of water, flowers of herbs, fruits of flowers, man of fruits, and the seed of man.
   VI-iv-2: Prajapati thought, ‘Well, let me make an abode for it’, and he created woman.
   VI-iv-3: …………………
   VI-iv-4: Knowing verily this, Uddalaka, the son of Aruna, Naka, the son of Mudgala, and Kumaraharita said, ‘Many men -Brahmanas only in name – who have union without knowing as above, depart from this world impotent and bereft of merits’.
   VI-iv-5: …………………..
   VI-iv-6: If man sees his reflection in water, he should recite the following Mantra: ‘(May the gods grant) me lustre, manhood, reputation, wealth and merits’. She (his wife) is indeed the goddess of beauty among women. Therefore he should approach this handsome woman and speak to her.
   VI-iv-7: If she is not willing, he should buy her over; and if she is still unyielding, he should strike her with a stick or with the hand and proceed, uttering the following Mantra, 'I take away your reputation’, etc. She is then actually discarded.
   VI-iv-8: If she is willing, he should proceed, uttering the following Mantra: ‘I transmit reputation into you’, and they both become reputed.
   VI-iv-9: …………………..
   VI-iv-10: …………………..
      VI-iv-11: …………………..
VI-iv-12: If a man’s wife has a lover whom he wishes to injure, he should put the fire in an unbaked earthen vessel, spread stalks of reed and Kusa grass in an inverse way, and offer the reed tips, soaked in clarified butter, in the fire in an inverse way, saying, ‘Thou hast sacrificed in my kindled fire, I take away thy Prana and Apana – such and such. Thou hast sacrificed in my kindled fire, I take away thy sons and animals – such and such. Thou hast sacrificed in my kindled fire, I take away thy Vedic rites and those done according to the Smriti – such and such. Thou hast sacrificed in my kindled fire, I take away thy hopes and expectations – such and such’. The man whom a Brahmana with knowledge of this ceremony curses, departs from this world emasculated and shorn of his merits. Therefore one should not wish even to cut jokes with the wife of a Vedic scholar who knows this ceremony, for he who has such knowledge becomes an enemy.
   VI-iv-13: If anybody’s wife has the monthly sickness, she should drink of three days out of a cup (Kamsa). No Sudra man or woman should touch her. After three nights she should bathe, put on a new cloth, and be put to thresh rice.
   VI-iv-14: He who wishes that his son should be born fair, study one Veda and attain a full term of life, should have rice cooked in milk, and he and his wife should eat it with clarified butter. Then they would be able to produce such a son.
   VI-iv-15: He who wishes that his son should be born tawny or brown, study two Vedas and attain a full term of life, should have rice cooked in curd, and he and his wife should eat it with clarified butter. Then they would be able to produce such a son.
   VI-iv-16: He who wishes that his son should be born dark with red eyes, study three Vedas and attain a full term of life, should have rice cooked in water and he and his wife should eat with clarified butter. Then they would be able to produce such a son.
   VI-iv-17: He who wishes that a daughter should be born to him who would be a scholar and attain a full term of life, should have rice cooked with sesame, and he and his wife should eat it with clarified butter. Then they would be able to produce such a daughter.
   VI-iv-18: He who wishes that a son should be born to him who would be a reputed scholar, frequenting the assemblies and speaking delightful words, would study all the Vedas and attain a full term of life, should have rice cooked with the meat of a vigorous bull or one more advanced in years, and he and his wife should eat it with clarified butter. Then they would be able to produce such a son.
   VI-iv-19: In the very morning he purifies the clarified butter according to the mode of Sthalipaka, and offers Sthalipaka oblations again and again, saying, ‘Svaha to fire, Svaha to Anumati, Svaha to the radiant sun who produces infallible results’. After offering, he takes up (the remnant of the cooked food), eats part of it and gives the rest to his wife. Then he washes his hands, fills the water-vessel and sprinkles her thrice with that water, saying. ‘Get up from here, Visvavasu, and find out another young woman (who is) with her husband.’
   VI-iv-20: He embraces her saying, ‘I am the vital force, and you are speech; you are speech, and I am the vital force; I am Saman, and you are Rik; I am heaven, and you are the earth; come, let us strive together so that we may have a male child.’
   VI-iv-21: …………….
   VI-iv-22: ……………..
   VI-iv-23: …………..
   VI-iv-24: When (the son) is born, he should bring in the fire, take him in his lap, put a mixture of curd and clarified butter in a cup, and offer oblations again and again with that, saying, ‘Growing in this home of mine (as the son), may I maintain a thousand people ! May (the goddess of fortune) never depart with children and animals from his line ! Svaha. The vital force that is in me, I mentally transfer to you. Svaha. If I have done anything too much or to little in this ceremony, may the all-knowing beneficent fire make it just right for me – neither too much nor too little ! Svaha.’
   VI-iv-25: Then putting (his mouth) to the child’s right ear, he should thrice repeat, ‘Speech, speech’. Next mixing curd, honey and clarified butter, he feeds him with (a strip of) gold not obstructed (by anything), saying, ‘I put the earth into you, I put the sky into you, I put heaven into you, I put the whole of the earth, sky and heaven into you’.
   VI-iv-26: The he gives him a name, ‘You are Veda (knowledge)’. That is his secret name.
   VI-iv-27: Then he hands him to his mother to be suckled, saying, ‘Offering Sarasvati, that breast of thine which is stored with results, is the sustainer of all, full of milk, the obtainer of wealth (one’s deserts) and generous, and through which thou nourishest all who are worthy of it (the gods etc.) – transfer that here (to my wife, for my babe) to suck’.
   VI-iv-28: Then he addressed the mother: ‘You are the adorable Arundhati, the wife of Vasistha; you have brought forth a male child with the help of me, who am a man. Be the mother of many sons, for you have given us a son’. Of him who is born as the child of a Brahmana with this particular knowledge, they say, ‘You have exceeded your father, and you have exceeded your grandfather. You have reached the extreme limit of attainment through your splendour, fame and Brahmanical power.’

   VI-v-1: Now the line of teachers: The son of Pautimsa (received it) from the son of Katyayani. He from the son of gautami. The son of Gautami from the son of Bharadvaji. He from the son of Parasari. The son of Parasari from the son of Aupasvasti. He from the son of another Parasari. He from the son of Katyayani. The son of katyayani from the son of Kausiki. The son of Kausiki from the son of Alambi and the son of Vaiyaghrapadi. The son of Vaiyaghrapadi from the son of Kanvi and the son of Kapi. The son of Kapi –
   VI-v-2: From the son of Atreyi. The son of Atreyi from the son of gautami. The son of Gautami from the son of Bharadvaji. He from the son of parasari. The son of Parasari from the son of Vatsi. The son of Vatsi from the son of another Parasari. The son of Parasari from the son of Varkaruni. He from the son of another Varkaruni. This one from the son of Artabhagi. He from the son of Saungi. The son of Saungi from the son of Samkrti. He from the son of Alambayani. He again from the son of Alambi. The son of Alambi from the son of jayanti. He from the son of Mandukayani. He in his turn from the son of Manduki. The son of manduki from the son of Sandili. The son of Sandili from the son of Rathitari. He from the son of Bhaluki. The son of Bhaluki from the two sons of Kraunciki. They from the son of Vaidabhrti. He from the son of Karsakeyi. He again from the son of Pracinayogi. He from the son of Samjivi. The son of Samjivi from Asurivasin, the son of Prasni. The son of Prasni from Asurayana. He from Asuri. Asuri –
   VI-v-3: From Yajnavalkya. Yajnavalkya from Uddalaka. Uddalaka from Aruna. Aruna from Upavesi. Upavesi from Kusri. Kusri from Vajasravas. He from Jihvavat, the son of Badhyoga. He from Asita, the son of Varsagana. He from Harita Kasyapa. He from Silpa Kasyapa. This one from Kasyana, the son of Nidhruva. He from Vac. She from Ambhini. She from the sun. These white Yajuses received from the sun are explained by Yajnavalkya Vajasaneya.
   VI-v-4: The same up to the son of Samjivi. The son of Samjivi from Mandukayani. Mandukayani from mandavya. Mandavya from Kautsa. Kautsa from Mahitthi. He from Vamakaksayana. He from Sandilya. Sandilya from Vatsya. Vatsya from Kusri. Kusri from Yajnavacas, the son of rajastamba. He from Tura, the son of Kavasi. He from Prajapati (Hiranyagarbha). Prajapati through his relation to Brahman (the Vedas). Brahman is self-born. Salutation to Brahman.

Om ! That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. (Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe), It remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone. Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace !

Here ends the Brihadaranyopanishad, as contained in the Sukla-Yajur-Veda.

Translated by Swami Madhavananda
Published by Advaita Ashram, Kolkatta

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