Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.1

3.1.1

— janako ha vaideho bahudakṣiṇena yajñeneje tatra ha kurupañcālānāṃ brāhmaṇā abhisametā babhūvustasya ha janakasya vaidehasya vijijñāsā babhūva kaḥsvideṣāṃ brāhmaṇānāmanūcānatama iti sa ha gavām̐ sahasramavarurodha daśa daśapādā ekaikasyāḥ śṛṅgayorābadghābabhūvuḥ

Ganaka Vaideha (the king of the Videhas) sacrificed with a sacrifice at which many presents were offered to the priests of (the Asvamedha). Brâhmanas of the Kurus and the Pâñkâlas had come thither, and Ganaka Vaideha wished to know, which of those Brâhmanas was the best read. So he enclosed a thousand cows, and ten pâdas (of gold) were fastened to each pair of horns.

3.1.2

tānhovāca brāhmaṇā bhagavanto yo vo brahmiṣṭhaḥ sa etā gā udajatāmiti | te ha brāhmaṇā na dadhṛṣuratha ha yājñavalkyaḥ svameva brahmacāriṇamuvācaitāḥ somyodaja sāmaśravā3 iti tā hodācakāra te ha brāhmaṇāścukrudhuḥ kathaṃ no brahmiṣṭho bruvītetyatha ha janakasya vaidehasya hotāśvalo babhūva sa hainaṃ papraccha tvaṃ nu khalu no yājñavalkya brahmiṣṭhosī3 iti sa hovāca namo vayaṃ brahmiṣṭhāya kurmo gokāmā eva vayam̐ sma iti tam̐ ha tata eva praṣṭuṃ dadhre hotāśvalaḥ

And Ganaka spoke to them: 'Ye venerable Brâhmanas, he who among you is the wisest, let him drive away these cows.'
Then those Brâhmanas durst not, but Yâgñavalkya said to his pupil: 'Drive them away, my dear.'
He replied: 'O glory of the Sâman ' and drove them away.
The Brâhmanas became angry and said: 'How could he call himself the wisest among us?'
Now there was Asvala, the Hotri priest of Ganaka Vaideha. He asked him: 'Are you indeed the wisest among us, O Yâgñavalkya?' He replied: 'I bow before the wisest (the best knower of Brahman), but I wish indeed to have these cows.'
Then Asvala, the Hotri priest, undertook to question him.

3.1.3

yājñavalkyeti hovāca yadidam̐ sarvaṃ mṛtyunāptam̐ sarvaṃ mṛtyunābhipannaṃ kena yajamāno mṛtyorāptimatimucyata iti hotrartvijāgninā vācā vāgvai yajñasya hotā tadyeyaṃ vākso'yamagniḥ sa hotā sa muktiḥ sātimuktiḥ

'Yâgñavalkya, he said, 'everything here (connected with the sacrifice) is reached by death, everything is overcome by death. By what means then is the sacrificer freed beyond the reach of death?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Hotri priest, who is Agni (fire), who is speech. For speech is the Hotri of the sacrifice (or the sacrificer), and speech is Agni, and he is the Hotri. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom (from death).'

3.1.4

yājñavalkyeti hovāca yadidam̐sarvamahorātrābhyāmāptam̐ sarvamahorātrābhyāmabhipannaṃ kena yajamāno'horātrayorāptimatimucyata ityadhvaryuṇartvijā cakṣuṣādityena cakṣurvai yajñasyādhvaryustadyadidaṃ cakṣuḥ so'sāvādityaḥ so'dhvaryuḥ sa muktiḥ sātimuktiḥ

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'everything here is reached by day and night, everything is overcome by day and night. By what means then is the sacrificer freed beyond the reach of day and night?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Adhvaryu priest, who is the eye, who is Âditya (the sun). For the eye is the Adhvaryu of the sacrifice, and the eye is the sun, and he is the Adhvaryu. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom.'

3.1.5

yājñavalkyeti hovāca yadidam̐ sarvaṃ pūrvapakṣāparapakṣābhyāmāptam̐ sarvaṃ pūrvapakṣāparapakṣābhyāmabhipannaṃ kena yajamānaḥ pūrvapakṣāparapakṣayorāptimatimucyata ityudgātrartvijā vāyunā prāṇena prāṇo vai yajñasyodgātā tadyo'yaṃ prāṇaḥ sa vāyuḥ sa udgātā sa muktiḥ sātimuktiḥ

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'everything here is reached by the waxing and waning of the moon, everything is overcome by the waxing and waning of the moon. By what means then is the sacrificer freed beyond the reach of the waxing and waning of the moon?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Udgâtri priest, who is Vâyu (the wind), who is the breath. For the breath is the Udgâtri of the sacrifice, and the breath is the wind, and he is the Udgâtri. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom.'

3.1.6

yājñavalkyeti hovāca yadidamantarikṣamanārambaṇamiva kenākrameṇa yajamānaḥ svargaṃ lokamākramata iti brahmaṇartvijā manasā candreṇa mano vai yajñasya brahmā tadyadidaṃ manaḥ so'sau candraḥ sabrahmā sa muktiḥ sātimuktirityatimokṣā atha saṃpadaḥ

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'this sky is, as it were, without an ascent (staircase.) By what approach does the sacrificer approach the Svarga world?'
Yâgñavalkya said: 'By the Brahman priest, who is the mind (manas), who is the moon. For the mind is the Brahman of the sacrifice, and the mind is the moon, and he is the Brahman. This constitutes freedom, and perfect freedom. These are the complete deliverances (from death).'
Next follow the achievements.

3.1.7

yājñavalkyeti hovāca katibhirayamadyargbhirhotāsminyajñe kariṣyatīti tisṛbhiriti katamāstāstisra hati puro'nuvākyā ca yājyā ca śasyaiva tṛtīyākiṃ tābhirjayatīti yatkiṃ cedaṃ prāṇabhṛditi

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'how many Rik verses will the Hotri priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'
'Three,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And what are these three?'
'Those which are called Puronuvâkyâ, Yâgyâ, and, thirdly, Sasyâ.'
'What does he gain by them?'
'All whatsoever has breath.'

3.1.8

yājñavalkyeti hovāca katyayamadyādhvaryurasminyajña āhutīrhoṣyatīti tisra iti katamāstāstisra iti yā hutā ujjvalanti yā hutā atinedante yā hutā adhiśerate kiṃ tābhirjayatīti yā hutā ujjvalanti devalokameva tābhirjayati dīpyata iti hi devaloko yā hutā atinedante pitṛlokameva tābhirjayatyatīva hi pitṛloko yā hutā adhiśerate manuṣyalokameva tābhirjayatyadha iva hi manuṣyalokaḥ

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'how many oblations (âhuti) will the Adhvaryu priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'
'Three,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And what are these three?'
'Those which, when offered, flame up; those which, when offered, make an excessive noise; and those which, when offered, sink down.'
'What does he gain by them?'
'By those which, when offered, flame up, he gains the Deva (god) world, for the Deva world flames up, as it were. By those which, when offered, make an excessive noise, he gains the Pitri (father) world, for the Pitri world is excessively (noisy). By those which, when offered, sink down, he gains the Manushya (man) world, for the Manushya world is, as it were, down below.'

3.1.9

yājñavalkyeti hovāca katibhirayamadya brahmā yajñaṃ dakṣiṇato devatābhirgopāyatītyekayeti katamā saiketi mana evetyanantaṃ vai mano'nantā viśve devā anantameva sa tena lokaṃ jayati

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'with how many deities does the Brahman priest on the right protect to-day this sacrifice?'
'By one,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And which is it?'
'The mind alone; for the mind is endless, and the Visvedevas are endless, and he thereby gains the endless world.'

3.1.10

yājñavalkyeti hovāca katyayamadyodgātāsminyajñe stotriyāḥ stoṣyatīti tisra iti katamāstāstisra iti puronuvākyāca yājyā ca śasyaiva tṛtīyā katamāstā yā adhyātmamiti prāṇa eva puronuvākyāpāno yājyā vyānaḥ śasyā kiṃ tābhirjayatīti pṛthivīlokameva puronuvākyayā jayatyantarikṣalokaṃ yājyayā dyulokam̐ śasyayā tato ha hotāśvala upararāma

'Yâgñavalkya,' he said, 'how many Stotriyâ hymns will the Udgâtri priest employ to-day at this sacrifice?'
'Three,' replied Yâgñavalkya.
'And what are these three?'
'Those which are called Puronuvâkyâ, Yâgyâ, and, thirdly, Sasyâ.'
'And what are these with regard to the body (adhyâtmam)?'
'The Puronuvâkyâ is Prâna (up-breathing), the Yâgyâ the Apâna (down-breathing), the Sasyâ the Vyâna (back-breathing).'
'What does he gain by them?'
'He gains the earth by the Puronuvâkyâ, the sky by the Yâgyâ, heaven by the Sasyâ.'
After that Asvala held his peace.

3.1.10.p1

iti tṛtīyādhyāye prathamaṃ brāhmaṇam