Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.1

1.1.1

brahmā devānāṃ prathamaḥ sambabhūva viśvasya kartā bhuvanasya goptā.
sa brahmavidyāṃ sarvavidyāpratiṣṭhām atharvāya jyeṣṭhaputrāya prāha.

1. Brahmā arose as the first of the gods—
The maker of all, the protector of the world.
He told the knowledge of Brahma (brahma-vidyā), the foundation of all knowledge,
To Atharva[n], his eldest son.

1.1.2

atharvaṇe yāṃ pravadeta brahmā atharvā tāṃ purovācāṅgire brahmavidyām.
sa bhāradvājāya satyavahāya prāha bhāradvājo 'ṅgirase parāvarām.

2. What Brahmā taught to Atharvan,
Even that knowledge of Brahma, Atharvan told in ancient time to Aṅgir.
He told it to Bhāradvāja Satyavāha;
Bhāradvāja, to Aṅgiras—both the higher and the lower [knowledge].

1.1.3

śaunako ha vai mahāśālo 'ṅgirasaṃ vidhivad upasannaḥ papraccha.
kasmin nu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṃ vijñātaṃ bhavatīti.

3. Śaunaka, verily, indeed, a great householder, approached Aṅgiras according to rule, and asked: ‘Through understanding of what, pray, does all this world become understood, Sir?’

1.1.4

tasmai sa hovāca.
dve vidye veditavya iti ha sma yad brahmavido vadanti
parā caivāparā ca.

4. To him then he said: ‘There are two knowledges to be known—as indeed the knowers of Brahma are wont to say: a higher (para) and also a lower (apara).

1.1.5

tatrāparā ṛgvedo yajurvedaḥ sāmavedo 'tharvavedaḥ śikṣā kalpo
vyākaraṇaṃ niruktaṃ chando jyotiṣam iti.
atha parā yayā tad akṣaram
adhigamyate.

5. Of these, the lower is the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sāma-Veda, the Atharva-Veda, Pronunciation (śikṣā), Ritual (kalpa), Grammar (vyākaraṇa), Definition (nirukta), Metrics (chandas), and Astrology (jyotiṣa).

Now, the higher is that whereby that Imperishable (akṣara) is apprehended.

1.1.6

yat tad adreśyam agrāhyam agotram avarṇam acakṣuḥśrotraṃ tad apāṇipādam.
nityaṃ vibhuṃ sarvagataṃ susūkṣmaṃ tad avyayaṃ yad bhūtayoniṃ paripaśyanti
dhīrāḥ.

6. That which is invisible, ungraspable, without family, without caste (a-varṇa)— Without sight or hearing is It, without hand or foot, Eternal, all-pervading, omnipresent, exceedingly subtile; That is the Imperishable, which the wise perceive as the source of beings. 7. As a spider emits and draws in [its thread], As herbs arise on the earth, As the hairs of the head and body from a living person, So from the Imperishable arises everything here. 8. By austerity (tapas) Brahma becomes built up. From that, food is produced; From food—life-breath, mind, truth, The worlds, immortality too in works. 9. He who is all-knowing, all-wise, Whose austerity consists of knowledge— From Him are produced the Brahma here, [Namely] name and form, and food.

1.1.7

yathorṇanābhiḥ sṛjate gṛhṇate ca yathā pṛthivyām oṣadhayaḥ sambhavanti.
yathā sataḥ puruṣāt keśalomāni tathākṣarāt sambhavatīha viśvam.

1.1.8

tapasā cīyate brahma tato 'nnam abhijāyate.
annāt prāṇo manaḥ satyaṃ lokāḥ karmasu cāmṛtam.

1.1.9

yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavid yasya jñānamayaṃ tapaḥ.
tasmād etad brahma nāma rūpam annaṃ ca jāyate.