Śāṅkhāyana (Kauṣītaki) Āraṇyaka 4
English (machine translation) 4
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4.1
ŚĀ 4.1 = KU 2.1
‘Breath is Brahman,’ Kauṣītaki used to say. Of this breath, which is Brahman, the mind is the messenger, the eye the guard, the ear the proclaimer, and speech the chambermaid. He who knows the mind as the messenger of this breath, which is Brahman, comes to have a messenger. He who [knows] the eye as the guard comes to have a guard. He who [knows] the ear as the proclaimer comes to have a proclaimer. He who [knows] speech as the chambermaid comes to have a chambermaid. To this Brahman, these deities bring tribute without his asking for it. Just so do all beings bring tribute without his asking for it to him who knows thus. Its secret teaching is: ‘He should not beg.’ Just as if someone, having begged in a village and received nothing, were to sit down [saying]: ‘I would not eat what is given from here!’—then those very people who previously refused him invite him. Such is the way of one who does not beg. But the givers of food do indeed invite him, [saying]: ‘Let us give to you!’
4.2
ŚĀ 4.2 = KU 2.2
‘Breath is Brahman,’ Paiṅgya used to say. Of this breath, which is Brahman, speech encloses the eye from beyond; the eye encloses the ear from beyond; the ear encloses the mind from beyond; the mind encloses the breath from beyond. To this breath, which is Brahman, these deities bring tribute without its asking for it. Just so do all beings bring tribute without his asking for it to him who knows thus. Its secret teaching is: ‘He should not beg.’ Just as if someone, having begged in a village and received nothing, were to sit down [saying]: ‘I would not eat what is given from here!’—then those very people who previously refused him invite him. Such is the way of one who does not beg. But the givers of food do indeed invite him, [saying]: ‘Let us give to you!’
4.3
ŚĀ 4.3 = KU 2.3
Now follows the procurement of a single treasure. If one should desire a single treasure, on the day of the full moon or on the day of the new moon, or during the bright fortnight, under an auspicious constellation, on one of these lunar conjunctions, having built up the sacred fire, swept around it, spread grass around it, sprinkled it with water, and bent the right knee, he offers oblations with a dipping-spoon: ‘The deity named Speech is a securer; may she secure this for me from so-and-so. To her, svāhā! The deity named Breath is a securer; may he secure this for me from so-and-so. To him, svāhā! The deity named Ear is a securer; may it secure this for me from so-and-so. To it, svāhā! The deity named Mind is a securer; may it secure this for me from so-and-so. To it, svāhā! The deity named Insight is a securer; may she secure this for me from so-and-so. To her, svāhā!’ Then, having inhaled the smell of the smoke and smeared his limbs with the smearings of clarified butter, keeping silence, he should go forth and state his purpose, or send a messenger. He indeed obtains [it].
4.4
Now next, the divine longing. If one should wish to become dear to a man, or to a woman, or to men, or to women, on one of these same nodes [of time], by this very same procedure, he offers these oblations of clarified butter: 'I offer your speech into myself, N.N., svāhā! I offer your breath into myself, N.N., svāhā! I offer your sight into myself, N.N., svāhā! I offer your hearing into myself, N.N., svāhā! I offer your mind into myself, N.N., svāhā! I offer your intelligence into myself, N.N., svāhā!' Then, having smelled the smell of the smoke, having rubbed his limbs with the smearings of clarified butter, restraining his speech, going forth, he should seek to come into contact [with that person], or he should stand facing upwind while conversing [with them]. He certainly becomes dear [to them]; they certainly long for him.
4.5
Now next, the restraint taught by Pratardana; they call it the 'inner Agnihotra'. As long, indeed, as a person speaks, so long is he unable to breathe; he then offers breath into speech. As long, indeed, as a person breathes, so long is he unable to speak; he then offers speech into breath. These two endless, immortal oblations he offers continuously, whether waking or sleeping. Now, whatever other oblations there are, they have an end, for they consist of ritual action. Knowing this, indeed, the ancients did not offer the [external] Agnihotra.
4.6
'The uktha chant is Brahman,' Śuṣkabhṛṅgāra used to say. One should venerate it as the Ṛgveda: all beings indeed bow down to him for supremacy. One should venerate it as the Yajurveda: all beings indeed are joined to him for supremacy. One should venerate it as the Sāmaveda: all beings indeed submit to him for supremacy. One should venerate it as prosperity; one should venerate it as glory; one should venerate it as splendour. Just as this is the most prosperous, the most glorious, the most splendid among recitations, even so he becomes the most prosperous, the most glorious, the most splendid among all beings who knows this. Now, this sacrificial act is the body (ātman) that the Adhvaryu priest prepares. Into it he weaves what consists of the Yajurveda; into what consists of the Yajurveda, the Hotṛ priest [weaves] what consists of the Ṛgveda; into what consists of the Ṛgveda, the Udgātṛ priest [weaves] what consists of the Sāmaveda. That is this self of the threefold knowledge. And he indeed becomes the self of Indra who knows this.
4.7
Now next, there are the three venerations of Kauṣītaki the All-conquering. Kauṣītaki the All-conquering used to worship the rising sun, having put on the sacred thread, brought water, and sprinkled the water vessel three times: 'You are the remover; remove my evil.' With this very same procedure, when it was in the middle [of the sky]: 'You are the remover-upward; remove up my evil.' With this very same procedure, when it was setting: 'You are the gatherer-in; gather in my evil.' Whatever evil he does by day and night, he removes it all. In the very same way, one who knows thus worships the sun with this very procedure; whatever evil he does by day and night, he removes it all.
4.8
Now, month by month, when the new moon has passed, one should worship the moon visible in the west with this very procedure, or having cast two green blades of grass toward it: / 'That fair-parted heart of mine that rests in heaven, in the moon, / I consider myself as knowing that; may I not weep over misfortune with my children!' / For children do not die before him—this is for one who has children. Now, for one who does not have children: having muttered these three verses, 'Swell up; let [soma] gather unto you…', 'Let streams of milk gather unto you, let strengths unite…', 'The drop which the Ādityas cause to swell…', [he says]: 'Do not swell up at the expense of our breath, of our offspring, of our cattle! Swell up at the expense of the breath, the offspring, the cattle of him who hates us and whom we hate!' Saying: 'I turn with Indra's turn; I turn following the sun's turn,' he turns around following his right arm.
4.9
Now on the full moon, one should worship the moon visible in the east with this very procedure: 'You are king Soma, far-seeing, five-mouthed; you are Prajāpati. The brahmin is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat the rulers: with that mouth make me an eater of food. The ruler is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat the common folk: with that mouth make me an eater of food. The hawk is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat the birds: with that mouth make me an eater of food. Agni is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat this world: with that mouth make me an eater of food. Do not wane at the expense of our breath, of our offspring, of our cattle! Wane at the expense of the breath, the offspring, the cattle of him who hates us and whom we hate!' Saying: 'I turn with the divine turn; I turn following the sun's turn,' he turns around following his right arm.
4.10
Now, when about to lie down together [with his wife], he should touch her heart: / 'That fair-parted heart of yours that rests within Prajāpati, / by that, O ruler of immortality, may you not encounter misfortune with children!' / For her children do not die before her.
4.11
Now, when returning from a journey, he should smell his son's head: / 'From limb by limb you are produced, from the heart you are born; / you are the self named "son"—so live a hundred autumns!' / Thus he gives him his name. / 'Be a stone, be an axe, be imperishable gold! / You are splendour named "son"—so live a hundred autumns!' / Thus he mentions his name. Then he embraces him: 'Wherewith Prajāpati embraced his creatures for their safety, therewith I embrace you, N.N.!' Then he mutters into his right ear: 'Bestow on us, O bounteous, dreg-drinking Indra…'; into the left: 'Indra, bestow the finest treasures…' [Then he says]: 'Do not be broken, do not be shaken; live a hundred autumns of life! O son, I smell your head with your name!'—three times he should smell his head. 'I low over you with the lowing of cattle!'—three times he lows over his head.
4.12
Now next, the divine dying-around (parimara). This Brahman shines when fire blazes; then it dies when it does not blaze. Its brilliance goes to the sun, its breath to Vāyu. This Brahman shines when the sun is seen; then it dies when it is not seen. Its brilliance goes to the moon, its breath to Vāyu. This Brahman shines when the moon is seen; then it dies when it is not seen. Its brilliance goes to lightning, its breath to Vāyu. This Brahman shines when lightning flashes; then it dies when it does not flash. Its brilliance goes to the directions, its breath to Vāyu. Truly all these deities, having entered Vāyu, dying in Vāyu, do not perish; from there they rise up again. Thus with respect to the deities. Now with respect to the self.
4.13
This Brahman shines when one speaks with speech; then it dies when one does not speak. Its brilliance goes to the eye, its breath to breath. This Brahman shines when one sees with the eye; then it dies when one does not see. Its brilliance goes to the ear, its breath to breath. This Brahman shines when one hears with the ear; then it dies when one does not hear. Its brilliance goes to the mind, its breath to breath. This Brahman shines when one thinks with the mind; then it dies when one does not think. Its brilliance goes to breath, its breath to breath. Truly all these deities, having entered breath, dying in breath, do not perish; from there they rise up again. Therefore, even if both mountains, the southern and the northern, were to roll forward against one who knows thus, seeking to crush him, they would not crush him. Then those who hate him, and those whom he himself hates, die all around him.
4.14
Now next, the taking up of pre-eminence. Truly, these deities, disputing for personal superiority, departed from this body. It fell down; dry, it lay like a piece of wood. Then speech entered it. Speaking with speech, it simply lay there. Then the eye entered it. Speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, it simply lay there. Then the ear entered it. Speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, it simply lay there. Then the mind entered it. Speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind, it simply lay there. Then breath entered it. Thereupon, right then, it stood up. Truly, all these deities, having recognised pre-eminence in breath, having unified with breath as the conscious self, departed from this body together with all these. Established in Vāyu, having the nature of space, they went to heaven. In the very same way, one who knows thus, having recognised pre-eminence in breath, having unified with breath as the conscious self, departs from this body together with all these. Established in Vāyu, having the nature of space, he goes to heaven. He goes to where those gods are. Reaching that, since the gods are immortal, he who knows thus becomes immortal.
4.15
Now next, what is also called the father-and-son transmission. A father, when about to die, summons his son. Having strewn the house with new grass, having set up the fire, having placed a jar of water with a vessel beside it, covered with a fresh garment, the father lies down. Coming, the son lies down upon him from above, touching senses to senses. Or rather, he may transmit to him while he is seated facing him. Then he transmits to him: 'May I place my speech in you,' says the father. 'I place your speech in me,' says the son. 'May I place my breath in you,' says the father. 'I place your breath in me,' says the son. 'May I place my eye in you,' says the father. 'I place your eye in me,' says the son. 'May I place my ear in you,' says the father. 'I place your ear in me,' says the son. 'May I place my food-tastes in you,' says the father. 'I place your food-tastes in me,' says the son. 'May I place my actions in you,' says the father. 'I place your actions in me,' says the son. 'May I place my pleasure and pain in you,' says the father. 'I place your pleasure and pain in me,' says the son. 'May I place my bliss, sexual pleasure, and procreation in you,' says the father. 'I place your bliss, sexual pleasure, and procreation in me,' says the son. 'May I place my movement in you,' says the father. 'I place your movement in me,' says the son. 'May I place my thoughts, what is to be understood, and desires in you,' says the father. 'I place your thoughts, what is to be understood, and desires in me,' says the son. 'May I place my mind in you,' says the father. 'I place your mind in me,' says the son. 'May I place my consciousness in you,' says the father. 'I place your consciousness in me,' says the son. But if he should be unable to speak much, he may say it briefly: 'May I place my vital breaths in you,' says the father. 'I place your vital breaths in me,' says the son. Then, turning to the right, he walks out. The father calls after him: 'May fame, brahminical splendour, and renown take delight in you!' Then the other looks back over his left shoulder, having concealed [his face] with his hand or covered it with the edge of his garment: 'Obtain heavenly worlds and desires!' If he should recover, the father should live under the son's lordship, or he may wander forth. But if he should pass away, they should finish [his funeral rites] just as he ought to be finished, just as he ought to be finished.
4.16
Thus the fourth chapter in the Śāṅkhāyana Āraṇyaka.
Linked texts (1)
- Śāṅkhāyanāraṇyaka — Sanskrit