Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ("Great Forest Teaching") 1.2

1.2.1

naiveha kiṃcanāgra āsīnmṛtyunaivedamāvṛtamāsīt | aśanāyayāśanāyā hi mṛtyustanmano'kurutātmanvī syāmiti | so'rcannacarattasyārcata āpo'jāyantārcate vai me kamabhūditi tadevārkasyārkatvaṃ kam̐ ha vā asmai bhavati ya evametadarkasyārkatvaṃ veda

In the beginning there was nothing (to be perceived) here whatsoever. By Death indeed all this was concealed,--by hunger; for death is hunger. Death (the first being) thought, 'Let me have a body.' Then he moved about, worshipping. From him thus worshipping water was produced. And he said: 'Verily, there appeared to me, while I worshipped (arkate), water (ka).' This is why water is called ar-ka. Surely there is water (or pleasure) for him who thus knows the reason why water is called arka.

1.2.2

āpo vā arkastadyadapām̐ śara āsīttatsamahanyata sā pṛthivyabhavattasyāmaśrāmyattasya śrāntasya taptasya tejo raso niravartatāgniḥ

Verily water is arka. And what was there as the froth of the water, that was hardened, and became the earth. On that earth he (Death) rested, and from him, thus resting and heated, Agni (Virâg) proceeded, full of light.

1.2.3

sa tredhātmānaṃ vyakurutādityaṃ tṛtīyaṃ vāyuṃ tṛtīyam̐ sa eṣa prāṇastredhā vihitaḥ tasya prācī dikśiro'sau cāsau cermau | athāsya pratīcī dikpucchamasau cāsau ca sakthyau dakṣiṇā codīcī ca pārśve dyauḥ pṛṣṭhamantarikṣamudaramiyamuraḥ sa eṣo'psu pratiṣṭhito yatra kva caiti tadeva pratitiṣṭhatyevaṃ vidvān

That being divided itself threefold, Âditya (the sun) as the third, and Vâyu (the air) as the third. That spirit (prâna) became threefold. The head was the Eastern quarter, and the arms this and that quarter (i. e. the N. E. and S. E., on the left and right sides). Then the tail was the Western quarter, and the two legs this and that quarter (i. e. the N. W. and S. W.) The sides were the Southern and Northern quarters, the back heaven, the belly the sky, the dust the earth. Thus he (Mrityu, as arka) stands firm in the water, and he who knows this stands firm wherever he goes.

1.2.4

so'kāmayata dvitīyo ma ātmā jāyeteti sa manasā vācaṃ mithunam̐ samabhavadaśanāyā mṛtyustadyadreta āsītsa saṃvatsaro'bhavat | na ha purā tataḥ saṃvatsara āsa tametāvantaṃ kālamabibhaḥ | yāvānsaṃvatsarastametāvataḥ kālasya parastādasṛjata taṃ jātamabhivyādadātsa bhāṇakarotsaiva vāgabhavat

He desired, 'Let a second body be born of me,' and he (Death or Hunger) embraced Speech in his mind. Then the seed became the year. Before that time there was no year. Speech bore him so long as a year, and after that time sent him forth. Then when he was born, he (Death) opened his mouth, as if to swallow him. He cried Bhân! and that became speech.

1.2.5

sa aikṣata yadi vā imamabhimam̐sye kanīyo'nnaṃ kariṣya iti sa tayā vācā tenātmanedam̐ sarvamasṛjata yadidaṃ kiṃcarco yajūm̐ṣi sāmāni cchandām̐si yajñānprajāḥ paśūn | sa yadyadevāsṛjata tattadattumadhriyata sarvaṃ vā attīti tadaditeradititvam̐ sarvasyaitasyāttā bhavati sarvamasyānnaṃ bhavati ya evametadaditeradititvaṃ veda

He thought, 'If I kill him, I shall have but little food.' He therefore brought forth by that speech and by that body (the year) all whatsoever exists, the Rik, the Yagus, the Sâman, the metres, the sacrifices, men, and animals.
And whatever he (Death) brought forth, that he resolved to eat (ad). Verily because he eats everything, therefore is Aditi (Death) called Aditi. He who thus knows why Aditi is called Aditi, becomes an eater of everything, and everything becomes his food.

1.2.6

so'kāmayata bhūyasā yajñena bhūyo yajeyeti | so'śrāmyatsa tapo'tapyata tasya śrāntasya taptasya yaśo vīryamudakrāmat | prāṇā vai yaśo vīryaṃ tatprāṇeṣūtkrānteṣu śarīram̐ śvayitumadhriyata tasya śarīra eva mana āsīt

He desired to sacrifice again with a greater sacrifice. He toiled and performed penance. And while he toiled and performed penance, glorious power went out of him. Verily glorious power means the senses (prâna). Then when the senses had gone out, the body took to swelling (sva-yitum), and mind was in the body.

1.2.7

so'kāmayata medhyaṃ ma idam̐ syādātmanvyanena syāmiti | tato'śvaḥ samabhavadyadaśvattanmedhyamabhūditi tadevāśvamedhasyāśvamedhatvam | eṣa ha vā aśvamedhaṃ veda ya enamevaṃ veda | tamanavarudhyaivāmanyata tam̐ saṃvatsarasya parastādātmana ālabhata | paśūndevatābhyaḥ pratyauhat | tasmātsarvadevatyaṃ prokṣitaṃ prājāpatyamālabhante | eṣa ha vā aśvamedho ya eṣa tapati tasya saṃvatsara ātmāyamagnirarkastasyeme lokā ātmānastāvetāvarkāśvamedhau so punarekaiva devatā bhavati mṛtyurevāpa punarmṛtyuṃ jayati nainaṃ mṛtyurāpnoti mṛtyurasyātmā bhavatyetāsāṃ devatānāmeko bhavati

He desired that this body should be fit for sacrifice (medhya), and that he should be embodied by it. Then he became a horse (asva), because it swelled (asvat), and was fit for sacrifice (medhya); and this is why the horse-sacrifice is called Asva-medha.
Verily he who knows him thus, knows the Asvamedha. Then, letting the horse free, he thought, and at the end of a year he offered it up for himself, while he gave up the (other) animals to the deities. Therefore the sacrificers offered up the purified horse belonging to Pragâpati, (as dedicated) to all the deities.
Verily the shining sun is the Asvamedha-sacrifice, and his body is the year; Agni is the sacrificial fire (arka), and these worlds are his bodies. These two are the sacrificial fire and the Asvamedha-sacrifice, and they are again one deity, viz. Death. He (who knows this) overcomes another death, death does not reach him, death is his Self, he becomes one of those deities.

1.2.7.p1

iti prathamādhyāye dvitīyaṃ brāhmaṇam