Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8

6.8.1

uddālako hāruṇiḥ śvetaketuṃ putram uvāca svapnāntaṃ me somya vijānīhīti \
yatraitat puruṣaḥ svapiti nāma satā somya tadā saṃpanno bhavati \
svam apīto bhavati \
tasmād enaṃ svapitīty ācakṣate \
svaṃ hy apīto bhavati \\608.1\

1. Then Uddālaka Āruṇi said to Śvetaketu, his son: ‘Understand from me, my dear, the condition of sleep. When a person here sleeps (*svapiti*), as it is called, then, my dear, he has reached Being, he has gone to his own (*svam apīta*). Therefore they say of him “he sleeps”; for he has gone to his own. 2. As a bird fastened with a string, after flying in this direction and in that without finding an abode elsewhere, rests down just upon its fastening—even so, my dear, the mind, after flying in this direction and in that without finding an abode elsewhere, rests down just upon breath; for the mind, my dear, has breath as its fastening.

6.8.2

sa yathā śakuniḥ sūtreṇa prabaddho diśaṃ diśaṃ patitvānyatrāyatanam alabdhvā bandhanam evopaśrayate \
evam eva khalu somya tan mano diśaṃ diśaṃ patitvānyatrāyatanam alabdhvā prāṇam evopaśrayate \
prāṇabandhanaṃ hi somya mana iti \\608.2\

6.8.3

aśanāpipāse me somya vijānīhīti \
yatraitat puruṣo 'śiśiṣati nāmāpa eva tad aśitaṃ nayante \
tad yathā gonāyo 'śvanāyaḥ puruṣanāya ity evaṃ tad apa ācakṣate 'śanāyeti \
tatraitac chuṅgam utpatitaṃ somya vijānīhi \
nedam amūlaṃ bhaviṣyatīti \\608.3\

3. Understand from me, my dear, hunger (aśanā) and thirst. When a person here is hungry (aśiśiṣati), as it is called, just water is leading off (nayati) that which has been eaten (√aś). So, as they speak of "a leader-of-cows" (go-nāya), "a leader-of-horses" (aśva-nāya), "a leader-of-men" (puruṣa-nāya), so they speak of water as "a leader-of-food" (aśa-nāya, hunger).

On this point, my dear, understand that this [body] is a sprout which has sprung up. It will not be without a root.

6.8.4

tasya kva mūlaṃ syād anyatrānnāt \
evam eva khalu somyānnena śuṅgenāpo mūlam anviccha \
adbhiḥ somya śuṅgena tejo mūlam anviccha \
tejasā somya śuṅgena sanmūlam anviccha \
sanmūlāḥ somyemāḥ sarvāḥ prajāḥ sadāyatanāḥ satpratiṣṭhāḥ \\608.4\

4. What else could its root be than food? Even so, my dear, with food for a sprout, look for water as the root. With water, my dear, as a sprout, look for heat as the root. With heat, my dear, as a sprout, look for Being as the root. All creatures here, my dear, have Being as their root, have Being as their home, have Being as their support.

6.8.5

atha yatraitat puruṣaḥ pipāsati nāma teja eva tat pītaṃ nayate \
tad yathā gonāyo 'śvanāyaḥ puruṣanāya ity evaṃ tat teja ācaṣṭa udanyeti \
tatraitad eva śuṅgam utpatitaṃ somya vijānīhi \
nedam amūlaṃ bhaviṣyatīti \\608.5\

5. Now, when a person here is thirsty, as it is called, just heat is leading off that which has been drunk. So, as they speak of "a leader-of-cows" (go-nāya), "a leader-of-horses" (aśva-nāya), "a leader-of-men" (puruṣa-nāya), so one speaks of heat as "a leader-of-water" (uda-nyā, thirst).

On this point, my dear, understand that this [body] is a sprout which has sprung up. It will not be without a root.

6.8.6

tasya kva mūlaṃ syād anyatrādbhyaḥ \
adbhiḥ somya śuṅgena tejo mūlam anviccha \
tejasā somya śuṅgena sanmūlam anviccha \
sanmūlāḥ somyemāḥ sarvāḥ prajāḥ sad āyatanāḥ satpratiṣṭhāḥ \
yathā nu khalu somyemās tisro devatāḥ puruṣaṃ prāpya trivṛt trivṛd ekaikā bhavati tad uktaṃ purastād eva bhavati \
asya somya puruṣasya prayato vāṅ manasi saṃpadyate manaḥ prāṇe prāṇas tejasi tejaḥ parasyāṃ devatāyām \\608.6\

6. Where else could its root be than in water? With water, my dear, as a sprout, look for heat as the root. With heat, my dear, as a sprout, look for Being as the root. All creatures here, my dear, have Being as their root, have Being as their abode, have Being as their support.

But how, verily, my dear, each of these three divinities, upon reaching man, becomes threefold, has previously been said.

When a person here is deceasing, my dear, his voice goes into his mind; his mind, into his breath; his breath, into heat;

the heat, into the highest divinity. (7) That which is the finest essence— this whole world has that as its soul. That is Reality (_satya_). That is Ātman (Soul). That art thou, Śvetaketu.’

6.8.7

sa ya eṣo 'ṇimaitad ātmyam idaṃ sarvam \
tat satyam \
sa ātmā \
tat tvam asi śvetaketo iti \
bhūya eva mā bhagavān vijñāpayatv iti \
tathā somyeti hovāca \\608.7\

‘Do you, Sir, cause me to understand even more.’

‘So be it, my dear,’ said he.