1 I translate vakparastat, fakshuAparastat, manafparastat as compounds, and read srotraparastat. ‘he commentator requires this. He says that speech is uncertain, and has to be checked by the eye. The eye is uncertain, taking mother of pearl for silver, and must be checked by the ear. The ear is uncertain, and must be checked by the mind, for unless the mind is attentive, the ear hears not. The mind, lastly, depends on the spirit, for without spirit there is no mind. The commentator is right in reading rundhe or runddhe instead of rundhate.
* The vital spirits are called the highest treasure, because a man surrenders everything to preserve his vital spirits or his life.
3 Cf. Brzh, Ar. VI, 3, 1.
282 KAUSHITAKI-UPANISHAD.
the attainer, may it attain this for me from him (who
possesses and can bestow what I wish for). Svaha
to it!’
‘The deity called praza (breath) is the attainer, may it attain this for me from him. Svaha to it!’
‘The deity called the eye is the attainer, may it attain this for me from him. Svaha to it!’
‘The deity called the ear is the attainer, may it attain this for me from him. Svaha to it!’
‘The deity called mind (manas) is the attainer of it, may it attain this for me from him. Svaha to it.’
‘The deity called pragiid (knowledge) is the
attainer of it, may it attain this for me from him.
Svaha to it!’
Then having inhaled the smell of the smoke, and
having rubbed his limbs with the ointment of ghee,
walking on in silence, let him declare his wish, or
let him send a messenger. He will surely obtain
his wish.
4. Now follows the Daiva Smara, the desire to
be accomplished by the gods. If a man desires to
become dear' to any man or woman, or to any men
or women, then at one of the (fore-mentioned)
proper times he offers, in exactly the same manner
(as before), oblations of ghee, saying: ‘I offer thy
speech in myself, I (this one here *), Svaha.’ ‘I offer
thy ear in myself, I (this one here), Svaha.’ ‘I offer thy
* As dear as prama or life.
* The commentator explains these mysterious utterances by: ‘I offer, I throw, in the fire, which is lit by the fuel of thy indiffer- ence or dislike, in myself, being the object of thy love, speech, the organ of speech, of thee, who art going to love me. This one, i.e. I myself, or my love, may prosper. Svaha, my speech, may grant approval to the oblation of me, the lover.’
Ii Adhyaya, 6. 282
mind in myself, I (this one here), Svaha.’ ‘I offer thy
prag fia (knowledge) in myself, I (this one here), Svaha.’
Then having inhaled the smell of the smoke, and
having rubbed his limbs with the ointment of ghee,
walking on in silence, let him try to come in contact
or let him stand speaking in the wind, (so that the
wind may carry his words to the person by whom he
desires to be loved). Surely he becomes dear, and
they think of him.
5. Now follows the restraint (samzyamana) insti-
tuted by Pratardana (the son of Divoddsa): they
call it the inner Agni-hotra. So long as a man
speaks, he cannot breathe, he offers all the while
his praza (breath) in his speech. And so long as a
man breathes, he cannot speak, he offers all the
while his speech in his breath. These two endless
and immortal oblations he offers always, whether
waking or sleeping. Whatever other oblations
there are (those, e.g. of the ordinary Agnihotra,
consisting of milk and other things), they have an
end, for they consist of works (which, like all works,
have anend). The ancients, knowing this (the best
Agnihotra), did not offer the (ordinary) Agnihotra.
“©. Uktha! is Brahman, thus said Sushkabhz7n-
gara. Let him meditate on it (the uktha) as the
same with the /7zé, and all beings will praise him
as the best. Let him meditate on it as the same
with the Yagus, and all beings will join before him
* Uktha, a Vedic hymn, has been identified with praza, breath, in the Kava and other Sakhas (Brzh. Ar. V, 13, 1; Ait. Ar. II, 1, zx). Here uktha, i.e. the praza of the uktha, is further identified with Brahman. As uktha (the hymn) is prawa, and as the sacrifice is performed with hymns, the sacrifice, too, is uktha, and therefore praza, and therefore Brahman. Comm.
284 KAUSHITAKI-UPANISHAD.
as the best. Let him meditate on it as the same
with the Sdman, and all beings will bow before
him as the best', Let him meditate on it as the
same with might, let him meditate on it as the same
with glory, let him meditate on it as the same with
splendour. For as the bow is among weapons the
mightiest, the most glorious, the most splendid, thus
is he who knows this among all beings the mightiest,
the most glorious, the most splendid. The Adhvaryu
conceives the fire of the altar, which is used for the
sacrifice, to be himself. In it he (the Adhvaryu)
weaves the Vagus portion of the sacrifice. And in
the Yagus portion the Hotvz weaves the Azé portion
of the sacrifice. And in the Az&é portion the Ud-
gatvz weaves the SAman portion of the sacrifice.
He (the Adhvaryu or prada) is the self of the
threefold knowledge; he indeed is the self of it
(of praza). He who knows this is the self of it
(becomes prAva °).
1 The verbs arf, yug, and sannam are not used idiomatically, but with reference to the words rzk, yagus, and saman.
* The commentaior explains this somewhat differently. He takes it to be the object of the last paragraph to show that the Prava-vidya can ultimately produce final liberation, and not only temporal rewards. The Adhvaryu priest, he says, takes what is called uktha, and has been identified with Rzk, Yagus, and Sdman hymns, all contained in the mouth, as being outwardly the sacri- ficial fire of the altar, because that fire cannot be lighted without such hymns. Thus the self of the Adhvaryu priest becomes iden- tified, not only with the uktha, the hymns, but also with the sacrificial fire, and he meditates on himself as fire, as hymn (uktha), arid as breath (praza). I read sa esha sarvasyai trayyai vidyaya atma, esha u evasyatma. Etadatma bhavati ya evam veda. But if we read asydtma, we cannot with the commentator explain it by asya uktayas trayya atma, but must refer asya to prama, breath, life, which is here to be identified with Brahman.
Ii Adhyaya, 8. 285
7. Next follow the three kinds of meditation of
the all-conquering (sarvagit) Kaushitaki. The all-
conquering Kaushitaki adores the sun when rising,
having put on the sacrificial cord!, having brcught
water, and having thrice sprinkled the water-cup,
saying; ‘Thou art the deliverer, deliver me from
sin. Inthe same manner he adores the sun when
in the zenith, saying: ‘Thou art the highest de-
liverer, deliver me highly from sin.’ In the same
manner he adores the sun when setting, saying:
‘Thou art the full deliverer, deliver me fully from
sin. Thus he fully removes whatever sin he com-
mitted by day and by night. And in the same
manner he who knows this, likewise adores the sun,
and fully removes whatever sin he committed by day
and by night.
8. Then (secondly) let him worship every month
(in the year) at the time of the new moon, the moon
as it is seen in the west in the same manner (as
before described with regard to the sun), or let him
send forth his speech toward the moon with two
green blades of grass, saying: ‘O thou who art
mistress of immortal joy, through that gentle heart
of mine which abides in the moon, may I never
weep for misfortune concerning my children.’
The children of him (who thus adores the moon)
do not indeed die before him. Thus it is with a man
to whom a son is already born.
Now for one to whom no son is born as yet. He
mutters the three Azé verses. ‘Increase, O Soma!
may vigour come to thee’ (Rv. I,91,16; IX, 31, 4).
1 This is one of the earliest, if not the earliest mention of the yagfiopavita, the sacred cord as worn over the left shoulder for sacrificial purposes; cf. Taitt. Brahm. III, 10, 19, 12.
286 KAUSHITAKI-UPANISHAD.
‘May milk, may food go to thee’ (Rv. I, 91, 18) ; ‘That ray which the Adityas gladden.’
Having muttered these three (zk verses, he says:
‘Do not increase by our breath (praza), by our off-
spring, by our cattle; he who hates us and whom we
hate, increase by his breath, by his offspring, by his
cattle. Thus I turn the turn of the god, I return
the turn of Aditya!’ After these words, having
raised the right arm (toward Soma), he lets it go
again %,
1 This refers to movements of the arm, following the moon and the sun.
? It is extremely difficult to translate the Vedic verses which are quoted in the Upanishads. They are sometimes slightly changed on purpose (see § 11), frequently turned from their original purport by the authors of the Upanishads themselves, and then again sub- jected to the most fanciful interpretations by the various commen- tators on the Upanishads. In our paragraph (§ 8) the text followed by the commentator differs from the printed text. The commen- tator seems to have read: Yat te susimam hrzdayam adhi sandra- masi srztam, tenamrvtatvasyesine maham pautram agham rudam. I have translated according to the commentator, at least up to a certain point, for, as Professor Cowell remarks, there is an under- current in the commentator’s explanation, implying a comparison between the husband as the sun or fire, and the wife as the moon, which it would be difficult to render in an English translation. The same or a very similar verse occurs in § 10, while other modi- fications of it may be seen in Asval. Gr7hya-sftras I, 13, 7, and else- where. The translation of the verses in full, of three of which the Upanishad gives the beginnings only, would be according to the commentator: ‘(O goddess of the moon) who hast obtained im- mortal joy through that which is a beautiful (portion of the sun) placed in the moon, and filling thy heart (with pleasure), may I never weep for misfortune concerning my children.’
Rv. I, 91, 16; IX, 31, 4. ‘O goddess of the moon, increase! may the vigour from everywhere (from every limb of the fire or the sun) go to thee! Help us in the attainment of food.’ Rv. I, gr, 18. ‘QO goddess of the moon, may the streams of thy milk go well to our sons, those streams of milk which are invigorating, and
Ii Adhyaya, Io. 287
9. Then (thirdly) let him worship on the day of
the full moon the moon as it is seen in the east in
the same manner, saying: ‘Thou art Soma, the
king, the wise, the five-mouthed, the lord of crea-
tures. The Brahmaza is one of thy mouths; with
that mouth thou eatest the kings (Kshatriyas) ;
make me an eater of food by that mouth! The
king is one of thy mouths; with that mouth thou
eatest the people (Vaisyas); make me an eater of
food by that mouth! The hawk is one of thy
mouths; with that mouth thou eatest the birds;
make me an eater of food by that mouth! Fire is
one of thy mouths; with that mouth thou eatest this
world; make me an eater of food by that mouth!
In thee there is the fifth mouth; with that mouth
thou eatest all beings; make me an eater of food by
that mouth! Do not decrease by our life, by our
offspring, by our cattle; he who hates us and whom
we hate, decrease by his life, by his offspring, by his
cattle. Thus I turn the turn of the god, I return
the turn of Aditya.’ After these words, having
raised the right arm, he lets it go again.
10. Next (having addressed these prayers to Soma) when being with his wife, let him stroke her
help to conquer the enemy. O Soma-goddess, increasing for im- mortal hapj.iness (for the birth of a son), do thou place the highest glory (the streams of thy milk) in the sky.’ ‘That ray (sushumza) which (as a woman) the Adityas gladden, that Soma which as im- perishable the imperishable Adityas drink, may the guardian of the world (Pragapati), Brzhaspati, and king Varuza gladden us by it.’
The translations are made by the commentator regardless of erammar and sense: yet they command a certain authority, and must be taken into account as throwing light on the latest develop- ment of Indian mysticism.
288 KAUSHITAKI-UPANISHAD.
heart, saying: ‘O fair one, who hast obtained
immortal joy by that which has entered thy heart
through Pragapati, mayest thou never fall into sor-
row about thy children'.’ Her children then do not
die before her.
11. Next, if a man has been absent and returns
home, let him smell (kiss) his son’s head, saying:
‘Thou springest from every limb, thou art born from
the heart, thou, my son, art my self indeed, live thou
a hundred harvests. He gives him his name,
saying: ‘Be thou a stone, be thou an axe, be thou
solid? gold; thou, my son, art light indeed, live thou
a hundred harvests. He pronounces his name.
Then he embraces him, saying: ‘As Prag apati (the
lord of creatures) embraced his creatures for their
welfare, thus I embrace thee,’ (pronouncing his name.)
Then he mutters into his right ear, saying : ‘O thou,
quick Maghavan, give to him’ (Rv. III, 36, 104),
‘O Indra, bestow the best wishes’ (Rv. II, 21,°6)},
thus he whispers into his left ear. Let him then
thrice smell (kiss) his head, saying: ‘ Do not cut off
(the line of our race), do not suffer. Live a hun-
dred harvests of life; I kiss thy head, O son, with
thy name. He then thrice makes a lowing sound
over his head, saying: ‘I low over thee with the
lowing sound of cows.’