1 All these are plays on words, pratar being derived from pratayi, siyam from samagat. The real object, however, is to show that breath, which is the uktha, which is the worshipper, is endowed with certain qualities, viz. time, speech, &c.
* The meaning is, that the four deities, Agni, Aditya, Moon, and the Dis proceed from their own places to dwell together in the body of man, and that this is called the prahitém samyogah. Prahit is explained as prahita, placed, sent. It is probably formed from hi, not from dha. Prahitok samyoganam is the name of a Saman, Ind. Stud. III, 225. As Devas or gods they appear each in its own place. ‘The whole passage is very obscure.
* All this is extremely obscure, possibly incorrect. For yam, unless it refers to some other word, we expect yan. For dadyuZ one expects dadydt. What is intended is that Hiramyadat had
Il ARANYAKA, I ADHYAYA, 6 KHANDA, 4. 209
4. To him who knows this all creatures, without being constrained, offer gifts.
5. That breath is (to be called) sattya (the true),
for sat is breath, ti is food, yam is the sun’. This is
threefold, and threefold the eye also may be called,
it being white, dark, and the pupil. He who knows
why true is true (why sattya is sattya), even if he
should speak falsely, yet what he says is true.
SixtH KuANDA.
1. Speech is his (the breath’s) rope, the nam2s the
knots *. Thus by his speech as by a rope, and by his
names as by knots, all this is bound. For all this are
names indeed, and with speech he calls everything.
2. People carry him who knows this, as if they were bound by a rope.
3. Of the body of the breath thus meditated on,
the Ushzih verse forms the hairs, the Gayatri the
skin, the Trish¢ubh the flesh, the Anush/Zubh the
muscles, the Gagati the bone, the Pankti the mar-
row, the Brzhati the breath * (praza). He is covered
with the verses (£Zandas, metres). Because he is
thus covered with verses, therefore they call them
khandas (coverings, metres).
4. If a man knows the reason why &/andas are
called &4andas, the verses cover him in whatever
place he likes against any evil deed.
through meditation acquired identity with the universal spirit, and that therefore he might say that whatever was not surrendered to him did not really belong to anybody. On Hiramyadat, see Ait. Brahm. III, 6.
= Cr AA. Up. VILL 9,6.
* The rope is supposed to be the chief rope to which various smaller ropes are attached for fastening animals.
.* Here conceived as the air breathed, not as the deity. Comm.
210 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
5. This is said by a Azshi (Rv. I, 164, 13) :—
6. ‘I saw (the breath) as a guardian, never tiring,
coming and going on his ways (the arteries). That
breath (in the body, being identified with the sun
among the Devas), illuminating the principal and
intermediate quarters of the sky, is returning con-
stantly in the midst of the worlds.’
He says: ‘I saw a guardian, because he, the breath, is a guardian, for he guards everything.
7. He says: ‘ Never tiring,’ because the breath never rests.
8. He says: ‘Coming and going on his ways,’ because the breath comes and goes on his ways.
9. He says: ‘I]luminating the principal and in-
termediate,’ because he illuminates these only, the
principal and intermediate quarters of the sky.
10. He says: ‘He is returning constantly in the
midst of the worlds, because he returns indeed
constantly in the midst of the worlds.
11. And then, there is another verse (Rv. I, 55,
81): ‘They are covered like caves by those who
make them,’
12. For all this is covered indeed by breath.
13. This ether is supported by breath as Brzhati,
and as this ether is supported by breath as Brzhati,
so one should know that all things, not excepting
ants, are supported by breath as Brehati.
SEVENTH KHawpa. 1. Next follow the powers of that Person}. 2. By his speech earth and fire were created.
1 The purusha, as described before in the second chapter, is the PragApati or universal spirit with whom the worshipper is to identify himself by meditation. The manifestations of his power consist in creating the earth, fire, the sky, the air, heaven, the sun.
11 Aranyaka, I Adhyaya, 7 Khanda, 6. 211
Herbs are produced on the earth, and Agni (fire)
makes them ripe and sweet. ‘Take this, take this,’
thus saying do earth and fire serve their parent,
speech.
3. As far as the earth reaches, as far as fire
reaches, so far does his world extend, and as long as
the world of the earth and fire does not decay, so
long does his world not decay who thus knows
this power of speech.
4. By breath (in the nose) the sky and the air
were created. People follow the sky, and hear
along the sky, while the air carries along pure scent.
Thus do sky and air serve their parent, the breath.
As far as the sky reaches, as far as the air
reaches, so far does his world extend, and as long as
the world of the sky and the air does not decay, so
long does his world not decay who thus knows this
power of breath.
5. By his eye heaven and the sun were created.
Heaven gives him rain and food, while the sun
causes his light to shine. Thus do the heaven and
the sun serve their parent, the eye.
As far as heaven reaches and as far as the sun
reaches, so far does his world extend, and as long
as the world of heaven and the sun does not decay,
so long does his world not decay who thus knows
the power of the eye.
6. By his ear the quarters and the moon were
created. From all the quarters they come to him,
and from all the quarters he hears, while the moon
produces for him the bright and the dark halves for
the sake of sacrificial work. Thus do the quarters
and the moon serve their parent, the ear.
As far as the quarters reach and as far as the
Ka
212 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
moon reaches, so far does his world extend, and as
long as the world of the quarters and the moon does
not decay, so long does his world not decay who
thus knows the power of the ear.
7. By his mind the water and Varuza were
created. Water yields to him faith (being used for
sacred acts), Varuwa keeps his offspring within the
law. Thus do water and Varuza serve their parent,
the mind.
As far as water reaches and as far as Varuva
reaches, so far does his world extend, and as long
as the world of water and Varuza does not decay,
so long does his world not decay who thus knows
the power of the mind.
Eicuta KuawnpA}.
1. Was it water really? Was it water? Yes,
all this was water indeed. This (water) was the soot
(cause), that (the world) was the shoot (effect). He
(the person) is the father, they (earth, fire, &c.) are
the sons. Whatever there is belonging to the son,
belongs to the father; whatever there is belonging to
the father, belongs to the son. This was intended *.
2. Mahiddsa Aitareya, who knew this, said: ‘I
know myself (reaching) as far as the gods, and I
know the gods (reaching) as faras me. For these
* Having described how Praza, the breath, and his companions or servants created the world, he now discusses the question of the material cause of the world out of which it was created. Water, which is said to be the material of the world, is explained by the commentator to mean here the five elements.
* Cause and effect are not entirely separated, therefore water, as the elementary cause, and earth, fire, &c., as its effect, are one; likewise the worshipper, as the father, and the earth, fire, &c. as his sons, as described above. Mala and tfla, root and shoot, are evi- dently chosen for the sake of the rhyme, to signify cause and effect.
11 Aranyaka, I Adhyaya, 8 Khanda, 12. 213
gods receive their gifts from hence, and are sup- ported from hence.’
3. This is the mountain!, viz. eye, ear, mind,
speech, and breath. They call it the mountain of
Brahman.
4. He who knows this, throws down the evil
enemy who hates him; the evil enemy who hates
him is defeated.
5. He (the Pravwa, identified with Brahman) is the
life, the breath; he is being (while the givatman
remains), and not-being (when the givatman departs).
6. The Devas (speech, &c.) worshipped him
(praza) as Bhiti or being, and thus they became
great beings. And therefore even now a man who
sleeps, breathes like bharbhud.
7. The Asuras worshipped him as Abhati or not- being, and thus they were defeated.
8. He who knows this, becomes great by himself, while the evil enemy who hates him, is defeated.
9. He (the breath) is death (when he departs), and immortality (while he abides).
10. And this has been said by a Ashi (Rv. I, 164, 38) :—
11. ‘Downwards and upwards he (the wind of the
breath) goes, held by food ;’—for this up-breathing,
being held back by the down-breathing, does not
move forward (and leave the body altogether).
12. ‘The immortal dwells with the mortal ;’—for
through him (the breath) all this dwells together,
the bodies being clearly mortal, but this being (the
breath), being immortal.
1 Praza is called the giriz, because it is swallowed or hidden by the other senses (giravdt). Again a mere play of words, intended to show that Brahman under the form of Prava, or life, is to be meditated on.
214 AITAREYA-ARANYAKA.
13. ‘These two (body and breath) go for ever in
different directions (the breath moving the senses of
the body, the body supporting the senses of the
breath: the former going upwards to another world,
the body dying and remaining on earth). They
increase the one (the body), but they do not increase
the other,’ i.e. they increase these bodies (by food),
but this being (breath) is immortal.
14. He who knows this becomes immortal in that
world (having become united with Hirazyagarbha),
and is seen as immortal (in the sun) by all beings,
yea, by all beings. 7
Second Adhyaya}
First KHANDA.
1. He (the sun), who shines, honoured this world
(the body of the worshipper, by entering into it), in
the form of man ? (the worshipper who meditates on
breath). For he who shines (the sun) is (the same
as) the breath. He honoured this (body of the
worshipper) during a hundred years, therefore there
are a hundred years in the life of a man. Because
he honoured him during a hundred years, therefore
there are (the poets of the first Mazdala of the Rig-
veda, called) the Sataréin, (having honour for a
1 In the first adhydya various forms of meditating on Uktha, conceived as Prama (life), have been declared. In the second some other forms of meditation, all extremely fanciful, are added. They are of interest, however, as showing the existence of the hymns of the Rig-veda, divided and arranged as we now possess them, at the time when this Aranyaka was composed.
2 The identity of the sun and of breath as living in man has been established before. It is the same power in both, conceived either adhidaivatam (mythological) or adhyatmam (physiological).
1 Aranyaka, 2 Adhyaya, I Khanda, 6. = 215
hundred years.) Therefore people call him who is really Pravza (breath), the SatarZin poets’.
2. He (breath) placed himself in the midst of all
whatsoever exists. Because he placed himself in
the midst of all whatsoever exists, therefore there
are (the poets of the second to the ninth Mandala of
the Rig-veda, called) the Madhyamas. Therefore
people call him who is really Praza (breath), the
Madhyama poets.
3. Heas up-breathing is the swallower (g7ztsa), as
down-breathing he is delight (mada). Because as
up-breathing he is swallower (g7ztsa) and as down-
breathing delight (mada), therefore there is (the
poet of the second Mazdala of the Rig-veda, called)
Gritsamada. Therefore people call him who is
really Praza (breath), Gvztsamada.
4. Of him (breath) all this whatsoever was a
friend. Because of him all (visvam) this whatsoever
was a friend (mitram), therefore there is (the poet of
the third Mazdala of the Rig-veda, called) Visva-
mitra. Therefore people call him who is really
Praza (breath), Visvamitra.
5. The Devas (speech, &c.) said to him (the
breath): ‘ He is to be loved by all of us.’ Because
the Devas said of him, that he was to be loved
(vama) by all of them, therefore there is (the poet
of the fourth Mazdala of the Rig-veda, called) Vama-
deva. Therefore people call him who is really
Praza (breath), Vamadeva.