Aitareya Āraṇyaka 2.1.8

2.1.8

āpā3 ity.
āpa iti.
tad idam āpa eva-.
-idaṃ vai mūlam, adas tūlam.
ayaṃ pitaite putrā.
yatra ha kva ca putrasya, tat pitur.
yatra vā pitus, tad vā putrasya-.
-ity etat tad uktaṃ bhavati \
etad dha sma vai tad vidvān āha mahidāsa aitareya.
āhaṃ māṃ devebhyo veda.
o mad devān veda-.
-itaḥpradānā hy eta, itaḥ saṃbhṛtā iti \
sa eṣa giriś cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ mano vāk prāṇas.
taṃ brahma/girir ity ācakṣate \
girati ha vai dviṣantaṃ pāpmānaṃ bhrātṛvyaṃ.
parāsya dviṣan pāpmā bhrātṛvyo bhavati, ya evaṃ veda \
sa eṣo 'suḥ.
sa eṣa prāṇaḥ.
sa eṣa bhūtiś cābhūtiś ca \
taṃ bhūtir iti devā upāsāñ cakrire.
te babhūvus.
tasmād dhāpy etarhi supto bhūr bhūr ity eva praśva/siti \
abhūtir ity asurās.
te ha parābabhūvuḥ \
bhavanty ātmanā, parāsya dviṣan pāpmā bhrātṛvyo bhavati, ya evam veda \
sa eṣa mṛtyuś caivāmṛtaṃ ca \
tad uktam ṛṣiṇā \
apāṅ prāṅ eti svadhayā gṛbhīta (RV I 164,38a) ity.
apānena hy ayaṃ yataḥ prāṇo na parāṅ bhavati \
amartyo martyenā sayoni/r (RV I 164,38b) ity.
etena hīdaṃ sarvaṃ sayoni.
martyāni hīmāni śarīrāṇī3ṁ, amṛtaiṣā devatā \
tā śaśvantā viṣūcīnā viyantā (RV I 164,38c), ny anyaṃ ci/kyur na ni cikyur anyam (RV I 164,38d) iti.
nicinvanti haivemāni śarīrāṇī3ṁ, amṛtaivaiṣā devatā \
amṛto ha vā amuṣmiṁl loke saṃbhavaty.
amṛtaḥ sarvebhyo bhūtebhyo dadṛśe, ya evaṃ veda, ya evaṃ veda \\ 8 \\
\\ ity aitareyadvitīyāraṇyake prathamo 'dhyāyaḥ \\

Was it water really? Was it water? Yes, all this was water indeed. This (water) was the root (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.

Mahidâsa Aitareya, who knew this, said: 'I know myself (reaching) as far as the gods, and I know the gods (reaching) as far as me. For these gods receive their gifts from hence, and are supported from hence.'

This is the mountain, viz. eye, ear, mind, speech, and breath. They call it the mountain of Brahman.

He who knows this, throws down the evil enemy who hates him; the evil enemy who hates him is defeated.

He (the Prâna, identified with Brahman) is the life, the breath; he is being (while the gîvâtman remains), and not-being (when the gîvâtman departs).

The Devas (speech, &c.) worshipped him (prâna) as Bhûti or being, and thus they became great beings. And therefore even now a man who sleeps, breathes like bhûrbhuh.

The Asuras worshipped him as Abhûti or not being, and thus they were defeated.

He who knows this, becomes great by himself, while the evil enemy who hates him, is defeated.

He (the breath) is death (when he departs), and immortality (while he abides).

And this has been said by a Rishi (Rv. I, 164, 38):--

'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).

'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.

'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.

He who knows this becomes immortal in that world (having become united with Hiranyagarbha), and is seen as immortal (in the sun) by all beings, yea, by all beings.