Principal Upanishads

Minor Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad part 8

III-ix-1: Then Vidagdha, the son of Sakala, asked him. ‘How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ Yajnavalkya decided it through this (group of Mantras known as) Nivid (saying), ‘As many as are indicated in the Nivid of the Visvadevas – three hundred and three, and three thousand and three’. ‘Very well’, said Sakalya, ‘how many gods exactly are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ ‘Thirty-three’. ‘Very well’, said the other, ‘how many gods exactly are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ ‘six’. ‘Very well’, said Sakalya, ‘how many gods exactly are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ ‘Three’. ‘Very well’, said the other, ‘how many gods exactly are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ ‘Two’. ‘Very well’, said Sakalya, ‘how many gods exactly are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ ‘One and a half’. ‘Very well’, said Sakalya, ‘how many gods exactly are there, Yajnavalkya ?’ ‘One’. ‘Very well’, said Sakalya, ‘which are those three hundred and three and three thousand and three ?’
   III-ix-2: Yajnavalkya said, ‘these are but the manifestation of them, but there are only thirty-three gods.’ ‘Which are those thirty-three ?’ ‘The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras and the twelve Adityas – these are thirty-one and Indra and Prajapati make up the thirty-three’.
   III-ix-3: ‘Which are the Vasus /’ ‘Fire, the earth, air, the sky, the sun, heaven, the moon and the stars – these are the Vasus, for in these all this is placed; therefore they are called Vasus.’
   III-ix-4: ‘Which are the Rudras ?’ ‘The ten organs in the human body, with the mind as the eleventh. When they depart from this mortal body, they make (one’s relatives) weep. Because they then make them weep, therefore they are called Rudras.’
   III-ix-5: ‘Which are the Adityas ?’ ‘The twelve months (are parts) of a year; these are the Adityas, for they go taking all this with them. Because they go taking all this with them, therefore they are called Adityas.’
   III-ix-6: ‘Which is Indra, and which is Prajapati ?’ ‘The cloud itself is Indra, and the sacrifice is Prajapati’. ‘Which is the cloud ?’ ‘Thunder (strength).’ ‘Which is the sacrifice ?’ ‘Animals’.
   III-ix-7: ‘Which are the six (gods) ?’ ‘Fire, the earth, air, the sky, the sun, and heaven – these are the six. Because all those (gods) are (comprised in) these six.’
   III-ix-8: ‘Which are the three gods ?’ ‘These three worlds alone, because in these all those gods are comprised.’ ‘Which are the two gods ?’ ‘Matter and the vital force.’ ‘Which are the one and a half ?’ ‘This (air) that blows.’
   III-ix-9: ‘Regarding this some say, ‘Since the air blows as one substance, how can it be one and a half ?’ ‘ It is one and a half because through its presence all this attains surpassing glory’. ‘Which is the one god ?’ ‘The vital force (Hiranyagarbha); it is Brahman, which is called Tyat (that).’
   III-ix-10: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is the earth, whose instrument of vision is fire, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is identified with the body. Go on, Sakalya.’ ‘Who is his deity (cause) ?’ ‘Nectar (chyle)’, said he.
   III-ix-11: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is lust, whose instrument of vision is the intellect, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is identified with lust. Go on, Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity ?’ ‘Women’, said he.
   III-ix-12: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is colours, whose instrument of vision is the eye, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is in the sun. Go on Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity ?’ 'Truth (the eye),’ said he.
   III-ix-13: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is the ether, whose instrument of vision is the ear, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is identified with the ear and with the time of hearing. Go on, Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity ?’ ‘The quarters’, said he.
   III-ix-14: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is darkness, whose instrument of vision is the intellect, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is identified with shadow (ignorance). Go on, Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity?’ ‘Death’, said he.
   III-ix-15: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is (particular) colours, whose instrument of vision is the eye, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is in a looking-glass. Go on, Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity ?’ ‘The vital force’, said he.
   III-ix-16: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is water, whose instrument of vision is the intellect, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is in water. Go on, Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity ?’ ‘Varuna (rain)’, said he.
   III-ix-17: ‘He who knows that being whose abode is the seed, whose instrument of vision is the intellect, whose light is the Manas, and who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs, knows truly, O Yajnavalkya’. ‘I do know that being of whom you speak – who is the ultimate resort of the entire body and organs. It is the very being who is identified with the son. Go on, Sakalya’. ‘Who is his deity ?’ ‘Prajapati (the father)’, said he.
   III-ix-18: ‘Sakalya’, said Yajnavalkya, ‘have these Vedic scholars made you their instrument for burning charcoals ?’
   III-ix-19: ‘Yajnavalkya’, said Sakalya, ‘is it because you know Brahman that you have thus flouted these Vedic scholars of Kuru and Panchala ?’ ‘I know the quarters with their deities and supports’. ‘If you know the quarters with their deities and supports --
   III-ix-20: ‘What deity are you identified with in the east ?’ ‘With the deity, sun’. ‘On what does the sun rest ?’ ‘On the eye’. ‘On what does the eye rest ?’ ‘On colours, for one sees colours with the eye’. ‘On what do colours rest ?’ ‘On the heart (mind)’, said Yajnavalkya, ‘for one knows colours through the heart; it is on the heart that colours rest’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.
   III-ix-21: ‘What deity are you identified with in the south ?’ ‘With the deity, Yama (the god of justice)’. On what does Yama rest ?’ ‘On the sacrifice’. ‘On what does the sacrifice rest ?’ ‘On the remuneration (of the priests).’ ‘On what does the remuneration rest ?’ ‘On faith, because whenever a man has faith, he gives remuneration to the priests; therefore it is on faith that the remuneration rests’. ‘On what does faith rest ?’ ‘On the heart’, said Yajnavalkya, ‘for one knows faith through the heart; therefore it is on the heart that faith rests’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.
   III-ix-22: ‘What deity are you identified with in the west ?’ ‘With the deity, Varuna (the god of rain)’. ‘On what does Varuna rest ?’ ‘On water’. ‘On what does water rest ?’ ‘On the seed’. ‘On what does the seed rest ?’ ‘On the heart. Therefore do they say of a new-born child closely resembles (his father), that he has sprung from (his father’s) heart, as it were – that he has been made out of (his father’s) heart, as it were. Therefore it is on the heart that the seed rests’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.
   III-ix-23: ‘What deity are you identified with in the north ?’ ‘With the deity, Soma (the moon and the creeper)’ ‘On what does Soma rest ?’ ‘On initiation’. ‘On what does initiation rest ?’ ‘On truth. Therefore do they say to one initiated, "Speak the truth"; for it is on truth that initiation rests’. ‘On what does truth rest ?’ ‘On the heart’, said Yajnavalkya, ‘for one knows truth through the heart; therefore it is on the heart that truth rests’. ‘It is just so, Yajnavalkya’.
   III-ix-24: ‘What deity are you identified with in the fixed direction (above) ?’ ‘With the deity, fire’. ‘On what does fire rest ?’ ‘On speech’. ‘On what does speech rest ?’ ‘On the heart’. ‘On what does the heart rest ?’
   III-ix-25: ‘You ghost’, said Yajnavalkya, ‘when you think the heart is elsewhere than in us, (then the body is dead). Should it be elsewhere than in us, dogs would eat this body, or birds tear it to pieces’.
   III-ix-26: On what do the body and the heart rest ?’ ‘On the Prana’. ‘On what does the Prana rest ?’ ‘On the Apana.’ ‘On what does the Apana rest ?’ ‘On the Vyana.’ ‘On what does the Vyana rest ?’ ‘On the Udana’. ‘On what does the Udana rest ?’ ‘On the Samana’. This self is That which has been described as ‘Not this, not this’. It is imperceptible, for it is never perceived; undecaying, for It never decays; unattached, for It is never attached; unfettered – It never feels pain, and never suffers injury. ‘These are the eight abodes, the eight instruments of vision, the eight deities and the eight beings. I ask you of that Being who is to be known only from the Upanishads, who definitely projects those beings and withdraws them into Himself, and who is at the same time transcendent. If you cannot clearly tell me of Him, your head shall fall off’. Sakalya did not know Him; his head fell off; and robbers snatched away his bones, mistaking them for something else.
   III-ix-27: Then he said, ‘Revered Brahmanas, whichsoever amongst you wishes may interrogate me or all of you may. Or I shall question whichsoever amongst you wishes, or all of you’. The Brahmanas did not dare.
   III-ix-28(1): He asked them through these verses: As a large tree, so indeed is a man. (This is) true. His hair is its leaves, his skin its outer bark.
   III-ix-28(2): It is from his skin that blood flows, and from the bark sap. Therefore when a man is wounded, blood flows, as sap from a tree is injured.
   III-ix-28(3): His flesh is its inner bark, and his tendons its innermost layer of bark; both are tough. His bones lie under, as does its wood; his marrow is comparable to its pith.
   III-ix-28(4): If a tree, after it is felled, springs again from its root in a newer form, from what root indeed does man spring forth after he is cut off by death ?
   III-ix-28(5): Do not say, ‘From the seed’. (for) it is produced in a living man. A tree springs also from the seed; after it is dead it certainly springs again (from the seed as well).
   III-ix-28(6): If someone pulls out a tree with its root, it no more sprouts. From what root does a man spring forth after he is cut off by death ?
   III-ix-28(7): If you think he is ever born, I say, no, he is again born. Now who should again bring him forth ? -- Knowledge, Bliss, Brahman, the supreme goal of the dispenser of wealth as well as of him who has realised Brahman and lives in It.

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