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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
12. ‘He who meditates on reflection as Brahman, is lord and master, as it were, as far as reflection reaches—he who meditates on reflection as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than reflection ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than reflection.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ SEVENTH KHANDA. 1. ‘ Understanding (vigfiana) is better than reflection. Through understanding we understand the ig-veda, the Yagur-veda, the Sdma-veda, and as the fourth the Atharvama, as the fifth the Itihdsapuraza!, the Veda of the Vedas, the Pitrya, the RAsi, the Daiva, the Nidhi, the VAkovdkya, the Ekayana, the Deva-vidyd, the Brahma-vidy4, the Bhita-vidy4, the Kshatra-vidya, the Nakshatra-vidy4, the Sarpa and Devagana-vidy4, heaven, earth, air, ether, water, fire, gods, men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants; what is right and what is wrong; what is true and what is false ; what is good and what is bad; what is pleasing and what is not pleasing; food and savour, this world and that, all this we understand through understanding. Meditate on understanding. 2. ‘He who meditates on understanding as Brahman, reaches the worlds where there is understanding 1 See before, p. rog. I 2 116 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD. and knowledge'; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as understanding reaches—he who meditates on understanding as Brahman.’ ‘Sir,is there something better than understanding ?” ‘Yes, there is something better than understanding.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ EricutuH Kuanpa. 1. ‘Power (bala) is better than understanding. One powerful man shakes a hundred men of understanding. Ifa mari is powerful, he becomes a rising man. If he rises, he becomes a man who visits wise people. If he visits, he becomes a follower of wise people. If he follows them, he becomes a seeing, a hearing, a perceiving, a knowing, a doing, an understanding man. By power the earth stands firm, and the sky, and the heaven, and the mountains, gods and men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants; by power the world stands firm. Meditate on power. 2. ‘He who meditates on power as Brahman, is, as it were, lord and master as far as power reaches—he who meditates on power as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than power ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than power.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ Nintu Kuawpa. 1. ‘Food (anna) is better than power. Therefore if a man abstain from food for ten days, though he live, he would be unable to see, hear, perceive, think, act, and understand. But when he obtains 1 The commentator takes vigf4na here as understanding of sacred books, gfifna as cleverness with regard to other subjects. VII PRAPATHAKA, II KHANDA, 9. 117 food, he is able to see, hear, perceive, think, act, ’ and understand. Meditate on food. 2. ‘He who meditates on food as Brahman, obtains the worlds rich in food and drink; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as food reaches— he who meditates on food as Brahman.’
2117 food, he is able to see, hear, perceive, think, act, ’ and understand. Meditate on food. 2. ‘He who meditates on food as Brahman, obtains the worlds rich in food and drink; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as food reaches— he who meditates on food as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than food ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than food.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ TentH KuHawpa. 1. ‘Water (ap) is better than food. Therefore if there is not sufficient rain, the vital spirits fail from fear that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, the vital spirits rejoice, because there will be much food. This water, on assuming different forms, becomes this earth, this sky, this heaven, the mountains, gods and men, cattle, birds, herbs and trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants. Water indeed assumes all these forms. Meditate on water. 2. ‘He who meditates on water as Brahman, obtains all wishes, he becomes satisfied; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as water reaches— he who meditates on water as Brahman.’ ‘ Sir, is there something better than water ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than water.’ ‘ Sir, tell it me.’ ELEVENTH KHanpaA. 1. ‘Fire (tegas) is better than water. For fire united with air, warms the ether. Then people say, It is hot, it burns, it will rain. Thus does fire, after showing this sign (itself) first, create water. And 118 KHANDOGYA-UPANISH AD, thus again thunderclaps come with lightnings, flashing upwards and across the sky. Then people say, There is lightning and thunder, it will rain. Then also does fire, after showing this sign first, create water. Meditate on fire. 2. ‘He who meditates on fire as Brahman, obtains, resplendent himself, resplendent worlds, full of light and free of darkness; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as fire reaches—he who meditates on fire as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than fire ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than fire.’ ‘ Sir, tell it me.’ TweLrTtH KHawpa, 1. ‘Ether (or space) is better than fire. For in the ether exist both sun and moon, the lightning, stars, and fire (agni). Through the ether we call, through the ether we hear, through the ether we answer', In the ether or space we rejoice (when we are together), and rejoice not (when we are separated). In the ether everything is born, and towards the ether everything tends when it is born’. Meditate on ether. 2. ‘He who meditates on ether as Brahman, obtains the worlds of ether and of light, which are free from pressure and pain, wide and spacious®; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as ether reaches—he who meditates on ether as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than ether ?’ 1 Cf. Kh. Up. IV, 5,1. * The seed grows upwards towards the ether; not downwards. 5 Cf. Kash. Up. II, rr. VIL PRAPATHAKA, 14 KHANDA, 2. 119 ‘Yes, there is something better than ether.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ . THIRTEENTH KHAWDA.
3Kh. Up. IV, 5,1. * The seed grows upwards towards the ether; not downwards. 5 Cf. Kash. Up. II, rr. VIL PRAPATHAKA, 14 KHANDA, 2. 119 ‘Yes, there is something better than ether.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ . THIRTEENTH KHAWDA. 1. ‘Memory! (smara) is better than ether. Therefore where many are assembled together, if they have no memory, they would hear no one, they would not perceive, they would not understand. Through memory we know our sons, through memory our cattle. Meditate on memory. 2. ‘He who meditates on memory as Brahman, is, as it were, lord and master as far as memory reaches—he who ‘meditates on memory as Brahman.’ ’ ‘Sir, is there something better than memory ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than memory.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ FourTEENTH KHawpaA. 1. ‘Hope (4s4) is better than memory. Fired by hope does memory read the sacred hymns, perform sacrifices, desire sons and cattle, desire this world and the other. Meditate on hope. 2. ‘He who meditates on hope as Brahman, all his desires are fulfilled by hope, his prayers are not in vain; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as hope reaches—he who meditates on hope as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than hope ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than hope.’ ‘ Sir, tell it me.’ 1 The apparent distance between ether and memory is bridged over by the commentator pointing out that without memory everything would be as if it were not, so far as we are concerned. 120 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD. FirTeentH Kuawpa. 1. ‘Spirit! (praza) is better than hope. As the spokes of a wheel hold to the nave*, so does all this (beginning with names and ending in hope) hold to spirit. That spirit moves by the spirit, it gives spirit to the spirit. Father means spirit, mother is spirit, brother is spirit, sister is spirit, tutor is spirit, Brahmaza is spirit. 2. ‘For if one says anything unbecoming to a father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or Brahmaza, then people say, Shame on thee! thou hast offended thy father, mother, brother, sister, tutor, or a Brahmaaza. 3. ‘But, if after the spirit has departed from them, one shoves them together with a poker, and burns them to pieces, no one would say, Thou offendest thy father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or a Brahmama. 4. ‘Spirit then is all this. He who sees this, perceives this, and understands this, becomes an ativadin®. If people say to such a man, Thou 1 Prana is used here in a technical sense. It does not mean simply breath, but the spirit, the conscious self (pragfiatman) which, as we saw, enters the body in order to reveal the whole variety of forms and names. It is in one sense the mukhya prAaa. * The commentary carries the simile still further. The felloe, he says, holds to the spokes, the spokes to the nave. So do the bhfitam4tr4s hold to the pragfiamatras, and these to the praza.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
12. ‘He who meditates on reflection as Brahman, is lord and master, as it were, as far as reflection reaches—he who meditates on reflection as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than reflection ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than reflection.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ SEVENTH KHANDA. 1. ‘ Understanding (vigfiana) is better than reflection. Through understanding we understand the ig-veda, the Yagur-veda, the Sdma-veda, and as the fourth the Atharvama, as the fifth the Itihdsapuraza!, the Veda of the Vedas, the Pitrya, the RAsi, the Daiva, the Nidhi, the VAkovdkya, the Ekayana, the Deva-vidyd, the Brahma-vidy4, the Bhita-vidy4, the Kshatra-vidya, the Nakshatra-vidy4, the Sarpa and Devagana-vidy4, heaven, earth, air, ether, water, fire, gods, men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants; what is right and what is wrong; what is true and what is false ; what is good and what is bad; what is pleasing and what is not pleasing; food and savour, this world and that, all this we understand through understanding. Meditate on understanding. 2. ‘He who meditates on understanding as Brahman, reaches the worlds where there is understanding 1 See before, p. rog. I 2 116 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD. and knowledge'; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as understanding reaches—he who meditates on understanding as Brahman.’ ‘Sir,is there something better than understanding ?” ‘Yes, there is something better than understanding.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ EricutuH Kuanpa. 1. ‘Power (bala) is better than understanding. One powerful man shakes a hundred men of understanding. Ifa mari is powerful, he becomes a rising man. If he rises, he becomes a man who visits wise people. If he visits, he becomes a follower of wise people. If he follows them, he becomes a seeing, a hearing, a perceiving, a knowing, a doing, an understanding man. By power the earth stands firm, and the sky, and the heaven, and the mountains, gods and men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants; by power the world stands firm. Meditate on power. 2. ‘He who meditates on power as Brahman, is, as it were, lord and master as far as power reaches—he who meditates on power as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than power ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than power.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ Nintu Kuawpa. 1. ‘Food (anna) is better than power. Therefore if a man abstain from food for ten days, though he live, he would be unable to see, hear, perceive, think, act, and understand. But when he obtains 1 The commentator takes vigf4na here as understanding of sacred books, gfifna as cleverness with regard to other subjects. VII PRAPATHAKA, II KHANDA, 9. 117 food, he is able to see, hear, perceive, think, act, ’ and understand. Meditate on food. 2. ‘He who meditates on food as Brahman, obtains the worlds rich in food and drink; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as food reaches— he who meditates on food as Brahman.’
2117 food, he is able to see, hear, perceive, think, act, ’ and understand. Meditate on food. 2. ‘He who meditates on food as Brahman, obtains the worlds rich in food and drink; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as food reaches— he who meditates on food as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than food ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than food.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ TentH KuHawpa. 1. ‘Water (ap) is better than food. Therefore if there is not sufficient rain, the vital spirits fail from fear that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, the vital spirits rejoice, because there will be much food. This water, on assuming different forms, becomes this earth, this sky, this heaven, the mountains, gods and men, cattle, birds, herbs and trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants. Water indeed assumes all these forms. Meditate on water. 2. ‘He who meditates on water as Brahman, obtains all wishes, he becomes satisfied; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as water reaches— he who meditates on water as Brahman.’ ‘ Sir, is there something better than water ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than water.’ ‘ Sir, tell it me.’ ELEVENTH KHanpaA. 1. ‘Fire (tegas) is better than water. For fire united with air, warms the ether. Then people say, It is hot, it burns, it will rain. Thus does fire, after showing this sign (itself) first, create water. And 118 KHANDOGYA-UPANISH AD, thus again thunderclaps come with lightnings, flashing upwards and across the sky. Then people say, There is lightning and thunder, it will rain. Then also does fire, after showing this sign first, create water. Meditate on fire. 2. ‘He who meditates on fire as Brahman, obtains, resplendent himself, resplendent worlds, full of light and free of darkness; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as fire reaches—he who meditates on fire as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than fire ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than fire.’ ‘ Sir, tell it me.’ TweLrTtH KHawpa, 1. ‘Ether (or space) is better than fire. For in the ether exist both sun and moon, the lightning, stars, and fire (agni). Through the ether we call, through the ether we hear, through the ether we answer', In the ether or space we rejoice (when we are together), and rejoice not (when we are separated). In the ether everything is born, and towards the ether everything tends when it is born’. Meditate on ether. 2. ‘He who meditates on ether as Brahman, obtains the worlds of ether and of light, which are free from pressure and pain, wide and spacious®; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as ether reaches—he who meditates on ether as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than ether ?’ 1 Cf. Kh. Up. IV, 5,1. * The seed grows upwards towards the ether; not downwards. 5 Cf. Kash. Up. II, rr. VIL PRAPATHAKA, 14 KHANDA, 2. 119 ‘Yes, there is something better than ether.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ . THIRTEENTH KHAWDA.
3Kh. Up. IV, 5,1. * The seed grows upwards towards the ether; not downwards. 5 Cf. Kash. Up. II, rr. VIL PRAPATHAKA, 14 KHANDA, 2. 119 ‘Yes, there is something better than ether.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ . THIRTEENTH KHAWDA. 1. ‘Memory! (smara) is better than ether. Therefore where many are assembled together, if they have no memory, they would hear no one, they would not perceive, they would not understand. Through memory we know our sons, through memory our cattle. Meditate on memory. 2. ‘He who meditates on memory as Brahman, is, as it were, lord and master as far as memory reaches—he who ‘meditates on memory as Brahman.’ ’ ‘Sir, is there something better than memory ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than memory.’ ‘Sir, tell it me.’ FourTEENTH KHawpaA. 1. ‘Hope (4s4) is better than memory. Fired by hope does memory read the sacred hymns, perform sacrifices, desire sons and cattle, desire this world and the other. Meditate on hope. 2. ‘He who meditates on hope as Brahman, all his desires are fulfilled by hope, his prayers are not in vain; he is, as it were, lord and master as far as hope reaches—he who meditates on hope as Brahman.’ ‘Sir, is there something better than hope ?’ ‘Yes, there is something better than hope.’ ‘ Sir, tell it me.’ 1 The apparent distance between ether and memory is bridged over by the commentator pointing out that without memory everything would be as if it were not, so far as we are concerned. 120 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD. FirTeentH Kuawpa. 1. ‘Spirit! (praza) is better than hope. As the spokes of a wheel hold to the nave*, so does all this (beginning with names and ending in hope) hold to spirit. That spirit moves by the spirit, it gives spirit to the spirit. Father means spirit, mother is spirit, brother is spirit, sister is spirit, tutor is spirit, Brahmaza is spirit. 2. ‘For if one says anything unbecoming to a father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or Brahmaza, then people say, Shame on thee! thou hast offended thy father, mother, brother, sister, tutor, or a Brahmaaza. 3. ‘But, if after the spirit has departed from them, one shoves them together with a poker, and burns them to pieces, no one would say, Thou offendest thy father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or a Brahmama. 4. ‘Spirit then is all this. He who sees this, perceives this, and understands this, becomes an ativadin®. If people say to such a man, Thou 1 Prana is used here in a technical sense. It does not mean simply breath, but the spirit, the conscious self (pragfiatman) which, as we saw, enters the body in order to reveal the whole variety of forms and names. It is in one sense the mukhya prAaa. * The commentary carries the simile still further. The felloe, he says, holds to the spokes, the spokes to the nave. So do the bhfitam4tr4s hold to the pragfiamatras, and these to the praza.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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