Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.10

4.10.1

upakosalo ha vai kāmalāyanaḥ satyakāme jābāle brahmacāryam uvāsa \
tasya ha dvādaśa vārṣāny agnīn paricacāra \
sa ha sma anyān antevāsinaḥ samāvartayaṃs taṃ ha sma eva na samāvartayati \\410.1\

1. Now, verily, Upakosala Kāmalāyana dwelt with Satyakāma Jābāla as a student of sacred knowledge. For twelve years he tended his fires. Then, although accustomed to allow other pupils to return home, him he did not allow to return.

4.10.2

taṃ jāya uvāca tapto brahmacārī kuśalam agnīn paricacārīt \
mā tvā agnayaḥ paripravocan \
prabrūhy asmā iti \
tasmai ha aprocya eva pravāsāṃ cakre \\410.2\

2. His wife said to him: ‘The student of sacred knowledge has performed his penance. He has tended the fires well. Let not the fires anticipate you in teaching him. Teach him yourself.’ But he went off on a journey without having told him.

4.10.3

sa ha vyādhinā anaśituṃ dadhre \
tam ācāryajāyā uvāca brahmacārinn aśāna \
kiṃ nu na aśnāsi iti \
sa ha uvāca bahava ime asmin puruṣe kāmā nānātyāyāḥ \
vyādhībhīḥ pratipūrṇo 'smi \
na as/iṣyāmi iti \\410.3\

3. Then, on account of sickness, he [i. e. Upakosala] took to not eating. The teacher’s wife said to him: ‘Student of sacred knowledge, eat. Why, pray, do you not eat?’ Then he said: ‘Many and various are the desires here in this man. I am filled up with sicknesses. I will not eat.’

4.10.4

atha ha agnayaḥ samūdire \
tapto brahmacārī kuśalaṃ naḥ paryacārīt \
hanta asmai prabravāma iti tasmai ha ūcuḥ \
prāṇo brahma kaṃ brahma khaṃ brahma iti \\410.4\

4. So then the fires said among themselves: ‘The student of sacred knowledge has performed his penance. He has tended us well. Come! Let us teach him.'

Then they said to him: 'Brahma is life (_prāṇa_). Brahma is joy. Brahma is the void.'

4.10.5

sa ha uvāca \
vijānāmy ahaṃ yat prāṇo brahma \
kaṃ ca tu khaṃ ca na vijānāmi iti \
te ha ūcuḥ \
yad vāva kaṃ tad eva kham \
yad eva khaṃ tad eva kam iti \
prāṇaṃ ca ha asmai tad ākāśaṃ ca ūcuḥ \\410.5\

Then he said: 'I understand that Brahma is life. But joy and void I do not understand.'

They said: 'Joy (_ka_)—verily, that is the same as the Void (_kha_). The Void—verily, that is the same as Joy.' And then they explained to him life and space.