The great difficulty or danger in the round of transmigration arises when the rain has fructified the earth, and passes into herbs and trees, rice, corn, and beans. For, first of all, some of the rair. does not fructify at once, but falls into rivers and into the sea, to be swallowed up by fishes and sea monsters. Then, only after these have been dissolved in the sea, and after the sea water has been attracted by the clouds, the rain falls down again, it may be on desert or stony land. Here it may be swallowed by snakes or deer, and these may be swallowed by other animals, so that the round of existence seems endless. Nor is this all. Some rain may dry up, or be absorbed by bodies that cannot be eaten. Then, if the rain is absorbed dy rice, corn, &c., and this be eaten, it may be eaten by children or by men who have renounced marriage, and thus again lose the chance of a new birth. Lasily, there is the danger arising from the nature of the being in whom the food, such as rice and corn, becomes a new seed, and likewise from the nature of the mother. All these chances have to be met before a new birth as a Brahmama, Kshatriya, or Vaisya can be secured.
Another curious distinction is here made by Sankara in his commentary. ‘There are some, he says, who assume the form of rice, corn, &c., not in their descent from a higher world, as described in the Upanishad, but as a definite punishment for certain evil deeds they have committed. These remain in that state till the results of their evil deeds are over, and assume then a new body, according to their work, like caterpillars. With them there is also a consciousness of these states, and the acts which caused them to
1 Let him despise it. Comm.
* Evidently an old Trish/ubh verse, but irregular in the third
line. See Manu XI, 54.
84 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.
who dishonours his Guru’s bed, who kills a Brah-
man, these four fall, and as a fifth he who associates
with them.
10. ‘But he who thus knows the five fires is not
defiled by sin even though he associates with them.
He who knows this, is pure, clean, and obtains the
world of the blessed, yea, he obtains the world
of the blessed.’
ELEVENTH KHaAwpA}!.
1. Praéinasdla Aupamanyava, Satyayagfia Paulu-
shi, Indradyumna Bhallaveya, Gana Sarkarakshya,
and Budila Asvatarasvi, these five great house-
holders and great theologians came once together
and held a discussion as to What is our Self, and
what is Brahman ?,
2. They reflected and said: ‘Sirs, there is that Uddalaka Aruzi, who knows at present that Self,
assume this or that body, leave impressions behind, like dreams. This is not the case with those who in their descent from the moon, pass, as we saw, through an existence as rice, corn, &c. They have no consciousness of such existences, at least not in their descent. In their ascent to the moon, they have consciousness, as a man who climbs up a tree knows what he is about. But in their descent, that consciousness is gone, as it is when a man falls down from a tree. Otherwise a man, who by his good works had de- served rewards in the moon, would, while corn is being ground, suffer tortures, as if he were in hell, and the very object of good works, as taught by the Veda, would be defeated. As we see that a man struck by a hammer can be carried away unconscious, so it is in the descent of souls,- till they are born again as men, and gain a new start for the attainment of the Highest Brahman.
SF apitmpeetocraemee rern RT A TEAS ENE SS EE So MENS SOAS el A
* The same story is found in the Satapatha-brahmaaa X, 6, 1, 1. ? Atman and Brahman are to be taken as predicate and subject.
V Prapathaka, Ii Khanda, 7. 85
called Vaisvanara. Well, let us go to him.’ They went to him.
3. But he reflected: ‘Those great householders
and great theologians will examine me, and I shall
not be able to tell them all; therefore I shall
recommend another teacher to them,’
4. He said to them: ‘Sirs, Asvapati Kaikeya
knows at present that Self, called Vaisvanara. Well,
let us go to him.’ They went to him.
5. When they arrived (the king) ordered proper
presents to be made separately to each of them.
And rising the next morning? he said: ‘In my
kingdom there is no thief, no miser, no drunkard,
no man without an altar in his house, no ignorant
person, no adulterer, much less an adulteress. I?
am going to perform a sacrifice, Sirs, and as much
wealth as I give to each Aztvig priest, I shall give
to you, Sirs. Please to stay here.’
6. They replied: ‘Every man ought to say for
what purpose he comes. You know at present that
Vaisvanara Self, tell us that.’
7. He said: ‘To-morrow I shall give you an
answer. Therefore on the next morning they ap-
proached him, carrying fuel in their hands (like
students), and he, without first demanding any pre-
paratory rites *, said to them:
1 The commentator explains that the king, seeing that they would not accept his presents, and thinking that they did not consider him worthy of bestowing presents on them, made these remarks.
2 When they still refused his presents, he thought the presents he had offered were too small, and therefore invited them to a sacrifice.
® He was satisfied with the humility of the Brahmans, who, being Brahmans, came to him, who was not a Brahman, as pupils. Gene-
86 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.
1. ‘Aupamanyava, whom do you meditate on as
the Self?’ He replied: ‘Heaven only, venerable
king.” He said: ‘The Self which you meditate on
is the Vaisvanara Self, called Sutegas (having good
light). Therefore every kind of Soma libation is
seen in your house}.
2. ‘You eat food, and see your desire (a son, &c.),
and whoever thus meditates on that Vaisvanara Self,
eats food, sees his desire, and has Vedic glory (arising
from study and sacrifice) in his house. That, how-
ever, is but the head of the Self, and thus your
head would have fallen (in a discussion), if you had
not come to me.’
1. Then he said to Satyayagiia Paulushi: ‘O Pra-
kinayogya, whom do you meditate on as the Self ?’
He replied: ‘The sun only, venerable king.’ He
said: ‘The Self which you meditate on is the Vaisva-
nara Self, called Visvarfipa (multiform). Therefore
much and manifold wealth is seen in your house.
2. ‘There is.a car with mules, full of slaves and
jewels. You eat food and see your desire, and who-
ever thus meditates on that Vaisvanara Self, eats
food and sees his desire, and has Vedic glory in
his house.
‘That, however, is but the eye of the Self, and
you would have become blind, if you had’ not come
to me.’
rally a pupil has first to pass through several initiatory rites before he is admitted to the benefit of his master’s teaching.
* Soma is said to be suta in the Ekdéha, prasuta in the Ahina, asuta in the Sattra-sacrifices.
V Prapathaka, 16 Khanda, I. 87
FOURTEENTH KHAWDA.
1. Then he said to Indradyumna Bhillaveya : ‘O
Vatyaghrapadya, whom do you meditate on as the
Self?" He replied: ‘Air only, venerable king.’ He
said: ‘The Self which you meditate on is the Vai-.
svanara Self, called Pxzthagvartman (having various
courses). Therefore offerings come to you in various
ways, and rows of cars follow you in various ways.
ever thus meditates on that Vaisvanara Self,. eats
food and sees his desire, and has Vedic glory in
his house.
‘That, however, is but the breath of the Self, and
your breath would have left you, if you had not
come to me.’
1. Then he said to Gana Sarkarakshya: ‘Whom
do you meditate on as the Self?’ He replied: ‘Ether
only, venerable king. He said: ‘The Self which
you meditate on is the Vaisvanara Self, called Bahula
(full). Therefore you are full of offspring and wealth.
ever thus meditates on that Vaisvanara Self, eats
food and sees his desire, and has Vedic glory in
his house.
‘That, however, is but the trunk of the Self, and
your trunk would have perished, if you had not
come to me.’
SIXTEENTH KHANDA.
1. Then he said to Budila Asvatardsvi, ‘O Vaiya-
ghrapadya, whom do you meditate on as the Self?’
He replied: ‘ Water only, venerable king.’ He said:
88 KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.
‘The Self which you meditate on is the Vaisvanara
Self, called Rayi (wealth). Therefore are you
wealthy and flourishing.
ever thus meditates on that Vaisvdnara Self, eats
food and sees his desire, and has Vedic glory in
his house.
‘ That, however, is but the bladder of the Self, and
your bladder would have burst, if you had not come
to me.’
1. Then he said to Auddalaka Aruni: ‘O Gau-
tama, whom do you meditate on as the Self?’ He
replied: ‘The earth only, venerable king.’ He said:
‘The Self which you meditate on is the Vaisv4nara
Self, called Pratish¢#4 (firm rest). Therefore you
stand firm with offspring and cattle.
ever thus meditates on that Vaisvanara Self, eats
food and sees his desire, and has Vedic glory in his
house.
‘That, however, are but the feet of the Self, and
your feet would have given way, if you had not
come to me.’
1. Then he said to them all: ‘You eat your
food, knowing that Vaisvanara Self as if it were
many. But he who worships the Vaisvanara Self
as a span long, and as? identical with himself, he eats
food in all worlds, in all beings, in all Selfs.
* The two words prédesamatra and abhivimana are doubtful. The commentator explains the first in different ways, which are all more or less fanciful. He is measured or known (matra) as Seff,
V Prapathaka, 19 Khanda, 2. 89
2. ‘Of that Vaisvanara Self the head is Sutegas
(having good light), the eye Visvartipa (multiform),
the breath Pzzthagvartman (having various courses),
the trunk Bahula (full), the bladder Rayi (wealth),
the feet the earth, the chest the altar, the hairs the
grass on the altar, the heart the Garhapatya fire,
the mind the Anvaharya fire, the mouth the Ahava-
niya fire.
1. ‘ Therefore! the first food which a man may
take, is in the place of Homa. And he who offers
that first oblation, should offer it to Praza (up-
breathing), saying Svaha. Then Praza (up-breath-
ing) is satisfied,
2. ‘If Prama is satisfied, the eye is satisfied, if the
eye is satisfied, the sun is satisfied, if the sun is
satisfied, heaven is satisfied, if heaven is satisfied,
whatever is under heaven and under the sun is satis-
fied. And through their satisfaction he (the sacri-
ficer or eater) himself is satisfied with offspring,
cattle, health, brightness, and Vedic splendour.
by means of heaven as his head and the earth as his feet, these being the pradesas; or, in the mouth and the rest, which are instruments, he is known as without action himself; oy, he -has the length from heaven to earth, heaven and earth being called pradesa, because they are taught. The interpretation, supported by the Gabala- sruti, that pradesa is the measure from the forehead to the chin, he rejects. Abhivim4na is taken in the same meaning as abhimana in the Vedanta, seeing everything in oneself. Vaisvanara is taken as the real Self of all beings, and, in the end, of all Selfs, and as thus to be known and worshipped.
1 The object now is to show that to him who knows the Vaisva- nara Self, the act of feeding himself is like feeding Vaisvanara, and that feeding Vaisvanara is the true Agnihotra.
rere) KHANDOGYA-UPANISHAD.
TWENTIETH KHAwpa.
1. ‘And he who offers the second oblation, should
offer it to Vydna (back-breathing), saying Svaha.
Then Vydana is satisfied,
2. ‘If Vy4na is satisfied, the ear is satisfied, if the
ear is satisfied, the moon is satisfied, if the moon is
satisfied, the quarters are satisfied, if the quarters
are satisfied, whatever is under the quarters and
under the moon is satisfied. And through their
satisfaction he (the sacrificer or eater) himself is
satisfied with offspring, cattle, health, brightness,
and Vedic splendour.
1. ‘And he who offers the third oblation, should
offer it to Ap&ana (down-breathing), saying Svaha.
Then Apdana is satisfied. If Apdna is satisfied, the
tongue is satisfied, if the tongue is satisfied, Agni
(fire) is satisfied, if Agni is satisfied, the earth is
satisfied, if the earth is satisfied, whatever is under
the earth and under fire is satisfied.
2. ‘And through their satisfaction he (the sacri-
ficer or eater) himself is satisfied with offspring,
cattle, health, brightness, and Vedic splendour.
TWENTY-SECOND KHANDA.
1. ‘And he who offers the fourth oblation, should
offer it to Samana (on-breathing), saying Svaha.
Then Samana is satisfied,
2. ‘If Samana is satisfied, the mind is satisfied,
if the mind is satisfied, Parganya (god of rain) is
satisfied, if Parganya is satisfied, lightning is satisfied,
if lightning is satisfied, whatever is under Parganya
and under lightning is satisfied. And through their