Chandogya Upanishad 4.14

4.14.1

te hocuḥ \
upakosalaiṣā somya te asmadvidyā cātmavidyā ca \
ācāryas tu te gatiṃ vakteti \
ājagāma hāsyācāryaḥ \
tam ācāryo 'bhyuvādopakosala3 iti \\414.1\

1. Then the fires said: ‘Upakosala dear, you have this knowledge of ourselves and the knowledge of the Soul (Ātman). But the teacher will tell you the way.’

Then the teacher returned. The teacher spoke to him, saying: ‘Upakosala!’

4.14.2

bhagava iti ha pratiśuśrāva \
brahmavida iva somya mukhaṃ bhāti \
ko nu tvānuśaśāseti \
ko nu mānuśiśyād bho itīhāpeva (S ) \
ime nūnam īdṛśā anyādṛśā itīha agnīn abhyūde \
kiṃ nu somya kila te avocann iti \\414.2\

2. ‘Sir!’ he then replied.

‘Your face, my dear, shines like a Brahma-knower’s. Who, pray, has instructed you?’

‘Who, pray, would instruct me, Sir?’—Here he denied it, as it were.—‘These! They are of this appearance now, but they were of a different appearance!’—Here he alluded to the fires.—

‘What, pray, my dear, did they indeed tell you?’

4.14.3

idam iti ha pratijajñe \
lokān vāva kila somya te avocan \
ahaṃ tu te tad vakṣyāmi yathā puṣkarapalāśa āpo na śliṣyanta evam evaṃvidi pāpaṃ karma na śliṣyata iti \
bravītu me bhagavān iti \
tasmai ha uvāca \\414.3\

3. ‘This—’ he acknowledged.

‘Verily, my dear, they did indeed tell you the worlds. But I will tell you something. As water adheres not to the leaf of a lotus-flower, so evil action adheres not to him who knows this.’

‘Tell me, Sir.’

To him he then said:—