Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.7

6.7.1

ṣoḍaśakalaḥ somya puruṣaḥ \
pañcadaśāhāni māśīḥ \
kāmam apaḥ piba \
āpomayaḥ prāṇo na pibato vicchetsyata iti \\607.1\

1. ‘A person, my dear, consists of sixteen parts. For fifteen days do not eat; drink water at will. Breath, which consists of water, will not be cut off from one who drinks water.’

6.7.2

sa ha pañcadaśāhāni nāśa \
atha hainam upasasāda kiṃ bravīmi bho iti \
ṛcaḥ somya yajūṃṣi sāmānīti \
sa hovāca na vai mā pratibhānti bho iti \\607.2\

2. Then for fifteen days he did not eat. So then he approached him, saying, ‘What shall I say, Sir?’ ‘The Rig verses, my dear, the Yajus formulas, the Sāman chants.’ Then he said: ‘Verily, they do not come to me, Sir.’

6.7.3

taṃ hovāca yathā somya mahato 'bhyāhitasyaiko 'ṅgāraḥ khadyotamātraḥ pariśiṣṭaḥ syāt \
tena tato 'pi na bahu dahet \
evaṃ somya te ṣoḍaśānāṃ kalānām ekā kalā atiśiṣṭā syāt \
tayaitarhi vedān nānubhavasi \
aśāna \
atha me vijñāsyasīti \\607.3\

3. To him he then said: ‘Just as, my dear, a single coal of the size of a fire-fly may be left over from a great kindled fire, but with it the fire would not thereafter burn much—so, my dear, of your sixteen parts a single sixteenth part may be left over, but with it you do not now apprehend the Vedas. (4) Eat; then you will understand from me.’

6.7.4

sa hāśa \
atha hainam upasasāda \
taṃ ha yat kiṃ ca papraccha sarvaṃ ha pratipede \\607.4\

(4) Then he ate. So then he approached him. Then whatsoever he asked him, he answered everything. (5) To him he then said:

6.7.5

taṃ hovāca \
yathā somya mahato 'bhyāhitasyaikam aṅgāraṃ khadyotamātraṃ pariśiṣṭaṃ taṃ tṛnair upasamādhāya prājvalayet tena tato 'pi bahu dahet \\607.5\

5. ‘Just as, my dear, one may, by covering it with straw, make a single coal of the size of a fire-fly that has been left over from a great kindled fire blaze up, and with it the fire would thereafter burn much— so, my dear, of your sixteen parts a single sixteenth part has been left over. After having been covered with food, it has blazed up. With it you now apprehend the Vedas; for, my dear, the mind consists of food, the breath consists of water, the voice consists of heat.’ Then he understood from him—yea, he understood.

6.7.6

evaṃ somya te ṣoḍaśānāṃ kalānām ekā kalā atiśiṣṭābhūt \
sānnenopasamāhitā prājvālī \
tayaitarhi vedān anubhavasi \
annamayaṃ hi somya manaḥ \
āpomayaḥ prāṇaḥ \
tejomayī vāg iti \
tad dhāsya vijajñāv iti vijajñāv iti \\607.6\