Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.1

5.1.1

yo ha vai jyeṣṭhaṃ ca śreṣṭhaṃ ca veda jyeṣṭhaś ca ha vai śreṣṭhaś ca bhavati \
prāṇo vāva jyeṣṭhaś ca śreṣṭhaś ca \\501.1\

1. *Om!* Verily, he who knows the chiefest and best, becomes the chiefest and best. Breath, verily, is the chiefest and best.

5.1.2

yo ha vai vasiṣṭhaṃ veda vasiṣṭho ha svānāṃ bhavati \
vāg vāva (S ) \\501.2\

2. Verily, he who knows the most excellent, becomes the most excellent of his own [people]. Speech, verily, is the most excellent.

5.1.3

yo ha vai pratiṣṭhāṃ veda prati ha tiṣṭhaty asmiṃś ca loke amuṣmiṃś ca \
cakṣur vāva pratiṣṭhā \\501.3\

3. Verily, he who knows the firm basis, has a firm basis both in this world and in the yonder. The eye, verily, is a firm basis.

5.1.4

yo ha vai saṃpadaṃ veda (S ) hāsmai kāmāḥ padyante daivāś ca mānuṣāś ca \
śrotraṃ vāva saṃpat \\501.4\

4. Verily, he who knows attainment—for him wishes are attained, both human and divine. The ear, verily, is attainment.

5.1.5

yo ha vā āyatanaṃ veda āyatanaṃ ha svānāṃ bhavati \
mano ha (S ) āyatanam \\501.5\

5. Verily, he who knows the abode, becomes an abode of his own [people]. The mind, verily, is the abode.

5.1.6

atha ha prāṇā ahaṃśreyasi vyūdire \
ahaṃ śreyān asmy ahaṃ śreyān asmīti \\501.6\

6. Now, the Vital Breaths (*prāṇa*) disputed among themselves on self-superiority, saying [in turn]: ‘I am superior!’ ‘I am superior!’

5.1.7

te ha prāṇāḥ prajāpatiṃ pitaram etyocuḥ bhagavan ko naḥ śreṣṭha iti \
tān hovāca \
yasmin va utkrānte śarīraṃ pāpiṣṭhataram iva dṛśyeta sa vaḥ śreṣṭha iti \\501.7\

7. Those Vital Breaths went to Father Prajāpati, and said: ‘Sir! Which of us is the most superior?’ He said to them: ‘That one of you after whose going off the body appears as if it were the very worst off—he is the most superior of you.’

5.1.8

sā ha vāg uccakrāma \
sā saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca \
katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti \
yathā kalā avadantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena paśyantaś cakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivam iti \
praviveśa ha vāk \\501.8\

8. Speech went off. Having remained away a year, it came around again, and said: ‘How have you been able to live without me?’ ‘As the dumb, not speaking, but breathing with the breath, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind. Thus.’ Speech entered in.

5.1.9

cakṣur hoccakrāma \
tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca \
katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti \
yathāndhā apaśyantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivam iti \
praviveśa ha cakṣuḥ \\501.9\

9. The Eye went off. Having remained away a year, it came around again, and said: ‘How have you been able to live without me?’ ‘As the blind, not seeing, but breathing with the breath, speaking with speech, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind. Thus.’ The Eye entered in.

5.1.10

śrotraṃ hoccakrāma \
tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti \
yathā badhirā aśṛṇvantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā paśyantaś cakṣuṣā dhyāyanto manasaivam iti \
praviveśa ha śrotram \\501.10\

10. The Ear went off. Having remained away a year, it came around again, and said: ‘How have you been able to live without me?’

‘As the deaf, not hearing, but breathing with the breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, thinking with the mind. Thus.’

The Ear entered in.

5.1.11

mano hoccakrāma \
tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti \
yathā bālā (S ) prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā paśyantaś cakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇaivam iti \
praviveśa ha manaḥ \\501.11\

11. The Mind went off. Having remained away a year, it came around again, and said: ‘How have you been able to live without me?’

‘As simpletons, mindless, but breathing with the breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear. Thus.’

The Mind entered in.

5.1.12

atha ha prāṇa uccikramiṣan sa yathā suhayaḥ paḍvīśaśaṅkūn saṃkhided evam itarān prāṇān samakhidat \
taṃ hābhisametyocuḥ \
bhagavann (S ) \
tvaṃ naḥ śreṣṭho 'si \
motkramīr iti \\501.12\

12. Now when the Breath was about to go off—as a fine horse might tear out the pegs of his foot-tethers all together, thus did it tear out the other Breaths all together. They all came to it, and said: ‘Sir! Remain. You are the most superior of us. Do not go off.’

5.1.13

atha hainaṃ vāg uvāca \
yad ahaṃ vasiṣṭho 'smi tvaṃ tadvasiṣṭho 'sīti \
atha hainaṃ cakṣur uvāca \
yad ahaṃ pratiṣṭhāsmi tvaṃ tatpratiṣṭhāsīti \\501.13\

13. Then Speech said unto that one: ‘If I am the most excellent, so are you the most excellent.’

Then the Eye said unto that one: ‘If I am a firm basis, so are you a firm basis.’

5.1.14

atha hainaṃ śrotram uvāca \
yad ahaṃ saṃpad asmi tvaṃ tatsaṃpad asīti \
atha hainaṃ mana uvāca \
yad aham āyatanam asmi tvaṃ tadāyatanam asīti \\501.14\

14. Then the Ear said unto that one: ‘If I am attainment, so are you attainment.’

Then the Mind said unto that one: ‘If I am an abode, so are you an abode.’

5.1.15

na vai vāco na cakṣūṃṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṃsīty ācakṣate \
prāṇā ity evācakṣate \
prāṇo hy evaitāni sarvāṇi bhavati \\501.15\

15. Verily, they do not call them ‘Speeches,’ nor ‘Eyes,’ nor ‘Ears,’ nor ‘Minds.’ They call them ‘Breaths’ (prāṇa), for the vital breath is all these.