Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 15 — The Upanishads, Part II (Muller, page scans)

1 After the various meditations on the Sama-veda sacrifice, the sun is next to be meditated on, as essential t othe performance of all sacrifices.

2 Everybody delights in the sun, as the highest reward of all sacrifices.

$I am not certain whether this passage is rightly translated. Rajendralal Mitra speaks of an arched bamboo, whence the atmo- sphere hangs pendant like a hive, in which the vapours are the eggs. Apfipa means a cake, and may mean a hive. In order to understand the simile, we ought to have a clearer idea of the con- struction of the ancient bee-hive.

* Annadya, explained as food, but more likely meaning power to eat, appetite, health. See III, 13, 1

° The commentator explains: The Azk verses, on becoming part of the ceremonial, perform the sacrifice. The sacrifice (the flower), when surrounded by the Rz& verses (bees), yields its essence, the nectar. That essence consists in all the rewards to be obtained through sacrifice, and as these rewards are to be enjoyed in the

Iii Prapathaka, 4 Khanda, I. 39

1. The southern rays of the sun are the honey-
cells on the right. The Yagus verses are the bees,
the Yagur-veda sacrifice is the flower, the water (of
ithe sacrificial libations) is the nectar (of the flower).

2. Those very Yagus verses (as bees) brooded
over the Yagur-veda sacrifice (the flower) ; and from it,
thus brooded on, sprang as its (nectar) essence, fame,
glory of countenance, vigour, strength, and health.

3. That flowed forth and went towards the sun.
And that forms what we call the white (sukla) light
of the sun.

TuirD KuHawpa.

1. The western rays of the sun are the honey-
cells behind. The Sdman verses are the bees, the
Sama-veda sacrifice is the flower, the water is the
nectar.

2. Those very Saman verses (as _ bees). brooded
over the SAma-veda sacrifice; and from it, thus
brooded on, sprang as its (nectar) essence, fame,
glory of countenance, vigour, strength, and health.

3. That flowed forth and went towards the sun.
And that forms what we call the dark (kvzshza)
light of the sun.

FourTH KHANDA.

1. The northern rays of the sun are the honey-
cells on the left. The (hymns of the) Atharvangiras
are the bees, the Itihdsa-purdza! (the reading of the
old stories) is the flower, the water is the nectar.

next world and in the sun, therefore that essence or nectar is said to ascend to the sun.

1 As there is no Atharva-veda sacrifice, properly so called, we have corresponding to the Atharva-veda hymns the so-called fifth

40 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.

cane a meme Tee PY, PE ne ee

2. Those very hymns of the Atharvangiras (as
bees) brooded over the Itihdsa-purava; and from it,
thus brooded on, sprang as its (nectar) essence, fame,
glory of countenance, vigour, strength, and health.

3. That flowed forth, and went towards the sun.
And that forms what we call the extreme dark
(parak kvishvam) light of the sun.

FirtH KHANDA.

1. The upward rays of the sun are the honey-
cells above. The secret doctrines are the bees,
Brahman (the Om) is the flower, the water is the
nectar.

2. Those secret doctrines (as bees) brooded over
Brahman (the Om); and from it, thus brooded on,
sprang as its (nectar) essence, fame, glory of coun-
tenance, brightness, vigour, strength, and health.

3. That flowed forth, and went towards the sun.
And that forms what seems to stir in the centre of
the sun.

4. These (the different colours in the sun) are
the essences of the essences. For the Vedas are
essences (the best things in the world); and of them
(after they have assumed the form of sacrifice)
these (the colours rising to the sun) are again the
essences. They are the nectar of the nectar. For
the Vedas are nectar (immortal), and of them these
are the nectar.

Veda, the Itihdsa-puraza. This may mean the collection of legends and traditions, or the old book of traditions. At all events it is taken as one Purawza, not as many. These ancient stories were repeated at the Asvamedha sacrifice during the so-called Pariplava nights. Many of them have been preserved in the Brahmamas; others, in a more modern form, in the Mahabharata. See Weber, Indische Studien, I, p. 258, note.

Iii Prapathaka, 77 Khanda, 3. 41

SixtH KHAwpa.

1. On the first of these nectars (the red light,
which represents fame, glory of countenance, vigour,
strength, health) the Vasus live, with Agni at their
head. True, the Devas do not eat or drink, but
they enjoy by seeing the nectar.

2. They enter into that (red) colour, and they rise from that colour}.

of the Vasus, with Agni at their head, he sees the
nectar and rejoices. And he, too, having entered
that colour, rises again from that colour.

4. So long as the sun rises in the east and sets
in the west?, so long does he follow the sovereign
supremacy of the Vasus.

1. On the second of these nectars the Rudras live,
with Indra at their head. True, the Devas do not
eat or drink, but they enjoy by seeing the nectar.

2. They enter into that white colour, and they rise from that colour.

of the Rudras, with Indra at their head, he sees the

1 This is differently explained by the commentator. He takes it to mean that, when the Vasus have gone to the sun, and see that there is no opportunity for enjoying that colour, they rest; but when they see that there is an opportunity for enjoying it, ' they exert themselves for it. I think the colour is here taken for the colour of the morning, which the Vasus enter, and from which ‘they go forth again.

* x. East: Vasus: red: Agni. 2. South: Rudras: white:
Indra. 3. West: Aditya: dark: Varuma. 4. North: Marut: very
dark: Soma. 5. Upward: Sadhya: centre: Brahman,

42 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.

nectar and rejoices. And he, having entered that colour, rises again from that colour.

4. So long as the sun rises in the east and sets
in the west, twice as long does it rise in the south
and set in the north; and so long does he follow
the sovereign supremacy of the Rudras.

1. On the third of these nectars the Adityas
live, with Varuza at their head. True, the Devas
do not eat or drink, but they enjoy by seeing the
nectar.

2. They enter into that (dark) colour, and they rise from that colour.

of the Adityas, with Varuza at their head, he sees
the nectar and rejoices. And he, having entered
that colour, rises again from that colour.

4. So long as the sun rises in the south and sets
in the north, twice as long does it rise in the west
and set in the east; and so long does he follow the
sovereign supremacy of the Adityas.

NintH KHAwDA.

1. On the fourth of these nectars the Maruts live,
with Soma at their head. True, the Devas do not
eat or drink, but they enjoy by seeing the nectar.

2. They enter in that (very dark) colour, and they rise from that colour.

of the Maruts, with Soma at their head, he sees the
nectar and rejoices, And he, having entered that
colour, rises again from that colour.

4. So long as the sun rises in the west and sets

Iii Prapathaka, Io Khanda, 4. 43

in the east, twice as long does it rise in the north
and set in the south; and so long does he follow the
sovereign supremacy of the Maruts.

1. On the fifth of these nectars the Sadhyas live,
with Brahman at their head. True, the Devas do
not eat or drink, but they enjoy by seeing the
nectar.

2. They enter into that colour, and they rise from that colour.

of the Sadhyas, with Brahman at their head; he sees
the nectar and rejoices. And he, having entered
that colour, rises again from that colour.

4. So long as the sun rises in the north and sets
in the south, twice as long does it rise above, and
set below; and so long does he follow the sovereign
power of the Sadhyas’.

1 The meaning of the five Khazdas from 6 to to is clear, in so far as they are intended to show that he who knows or meditates on the sacrifices as described before, enjoys his reward in different worlds with the Vasus, Rudras, &c. for certain periods of time, till at last he reaches the true Brahman. Of these periods each succeed- ing one is supposed to be double the length of the preceding one. This is expressed by imagining a migration of the sun from east to south, west, north, and zenith. Each change of the sun marks a new world, and the duration of each successive world is com- puted as double the duration of the preceding world. Similar ideas have been more fully developed in the Purazas, and the commen- tator is at great pains to remove apparent contradictions between the Paur4zik and Vaidik accounts, following, as Anandagfanagiri remarks, the Dravidasarya (p. 173, |. 13).

44 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.

ELEVENTH KHANDA.

1. When from thence he has risen upwards, he
neither rises nor sets. He is alone, standing in the
centre. And on this there is this verse:

2. ‘Yonder he neither rises nor sets at any time. If this is not true, ye gods, may I lose Brahman,’

3. And indeed to him who thus knows this Brah-
ma-upanishad (the secret doctrine of the Veda) the
sun does not rise and does not set. For him there
is day, once and for all?.

4. This doctrine (beginning with III, 1, 1) Brah-
man (m. Hirazyagarbha) told to Pragapati (Virag),
Pragdpati to Manu, Manu to his offspring (Iksh-
vaku, &c.) And the father told that (doctrine of)
Brahman (n.) to Uddalaka Arumi.

5. A father may therefore tell that doctrine of Brahman to his eldest son ?, or to a worthy pupil.

But no one should tell it to anybody else, even if
he gave him the whole sea-girt earth, full of treasure,
for this doctrine is worth more than that, yea,
it is worth more.

1. The GAayatri® (verse) is everything whatsoever here exists. Gayatri indeed is speech, for speech

1 Ch. Ah Ups VU dy ae

* This was the old, not the present custom, says Anandagiri. Not the father, but an 4#4rya, has now to teach his pupils.

* The Gayatri is one of the sacred metres, and is here to be meditated on as Brahman. It is used in the sense of verse, and as the name of a famous hymn. The Gayatrt is often praised as the most powerful metre, and whatever can be obtained by means of the recitation of Gayatrf verses is described as the achievement of the Gayatrt, The etymology of gayatri from gai and tr4 is, of course, fanciful.

Iii Prapathaka, I2 Khanda, 6. 45

sings forth (gdya-ti) and protects (trdya-te) every- thing that here exists.

2. That Gayatri is also the earth, for everything
that here exists rests on the earth, and does not go
beyond.

3. That earth again is the body in man, for in
it the vital airs (prazas', which are everything)
rest, and do not go beyond. -

4. That body again in man is the heart within
man, for in it the prazas (which are everything)
rest, and do not go beyond.

5. That Gayatri has four feet? and is sixfold *.
And this is also declared by a Azé& verse (Rig-veda
X, 90, 3) :—

6. ‘Such is the greatness of it (of Brahman,
under the disguise of Gayatri‘); greater than it is
the Person® (purusha). His feet are all things.
The immortal with three feet is in heaven (i.e. in
himself).

1 The pramas may be meant for the five senses, as explained in Kh. I, 2,1; Il, 7, 1; or for the five breathings, as explained im- mediately afterwards in III, 13, r. The commentator sees in them everything that here exists (K%. Up. III, 15, 4), and thus establishes the likeness between the body and the Gayatri. As GAyatri is the earth, and the earth the body, and the body the heart, Gayatri is in the end to be considered as the heart.

* The four feet are explained as the four quarters of the Gayatri? metre, of six syllables each. The G4yatri? really consists of three feet of eight syllables each.

* The Gayatri has been identified with all beings, with speech, earth, body, heart, and the vital airs, and is therefore called sixfold. This, at least, is the way in which the commentator accounts for the epithet ‘ sixfold.’

* Of Brahman modified as Gayatri, having four feet, and being sixfold.

5 The real Brahman, unmodified. by form and name.

46 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.

7. The Brahman which has been thus described
(as immortal with three feet in heaven, and as Gaya-
tri) is the same as the ether which is around us;

8. And the ether which is around us, is the same
as the ether which is within us. And the ether
which is within us,

9. That is the ether within the heart. That ether
in the heart (as Brahman) is omnipresent and un-
changing. He who knows this obtains omnipresent
and unchangeable happiness.