Śāṅkhāyana (Kauṣītaki) Āraṇyaka 5.3

5.3

ŚĀ 5.3 = KU 3.3
'One lives deprived of speech, for we see the mute; one lives deprived of the eye, for we see the blind; one lives deprived of the ear, for we see the deaf; one lives deprived of the mind, for we see children; one lives with his arms cut off; one lives with his thighs cut off—for thus we see,' [he said]. 'Now indeed, it is breath alone, the conscious self, that takes hold of this body and raises it up. Therefore one should meditate on this very recitation (uktha). This is the obtaining of all in breath. What is breath, that is consciousness; what is consciousness, that is breath. For of it this is the perception, this is the knowledge: when a man here has fallen asleep and sees no dream whatsoever, then he becomes one in this breath alone. Then speech enters into it along with all names; the eye enters into it along with all forms; the ear enters into it along with all sounds; the mind enters into it along with all thoughts. When he awakens, just as sparks might disperse in all directions from a blazing fire, even so from this self the vital breaths disperse to their respective abodes, from the vital breaths the gods, from the gods the worlds. This very breath, the conscious self, takes hold of this body and raises it up. Therefore one should meditate on this very recitation (uktha). This is the obtaining of all in breath. What is breath, that is consciousness; what is consciousness, that is breath. For of it this is the proof, this is the knowledge: when a man here, afflicted and about to die, falls into weakness and attains confusion, they say of him: "His thought has departed; he does not hear, he does not see, he does not speak with speech, he does not think." Then he becomes one in this breath alone. Then speech enters into it along with all names; the eye enters into it along with all forms; the ear enters into it along with all sounds; the mind enters into it along with all thoughts. When he departs from this body, he departs together with all these.'