The Philosophy of the Upanishads c11.s3.t4.7

c11.s3.t4.7

"When a man has fallen so sound asleep, and has so completely and perfectly been lulled to rest, that he knows no dream-image, then he has glided into these veins (Bṛih. 2. 1. 19, 'into these he glides'); therefore no evil troubles him (Bṛih. 4. 3. 22, 'then is he untouched by good and untouched by evil'), for he has then become one with the heat" (Chând. 6. 2. 3, 6. 8. 6).² "When a man has fallen so sound asleep, and has so completely and perfectly been lulled to rest that he knows no dream-image, that is the Self, so he spake, that is the immortal, the fearless, that is Brahman."³ The rejoinder is given:—"He has entered then into nothingness; herein I can discern nothing consolatory,"⁴ and this is met by a reference to wind and cloud, lightning and thunder, which emerge from the latent condition, and thereby reveal their true nature :—" so also this perfect tranquillity (*samprasâda*, in Bṛih. 4. 3. 15 ‘deep sleep,’ here and Chând. 8. 3. 4 ‘the soul in deep sleep,’ cp. Bṛih. 4. 3. 7 *sa hi svapno bhûtvâ*) emerges from this body (Bṛih. 4. 3. 11 :—‘casting away in sleep what pertains to the body’), enters into the purest light, and issues forth through it in its own form (Bṛih. 4. 3. 9 :—‘when he thus sleeps, then this spirit serves for its own light’); that is the supreme spirit, who wanders about there (Bṛih. 4. 3. 12 :—‘Immortal he roves whither he pleases’), while he sports and plays and amuses himself, whether it be with women (Bṛih. 4. 3. 13 :—‘at one time as it were gaily sporting with women’), or with chariots (Bṛih. 4. 3. 10), or with friends, and gives no thought to this appendage of a body, to which the *prâṇa* is yoked, like a team to the waggon (Bṛih. 4. 3. 35 :—‘Just as a cart, when it is heavily laden, goes creaking’).” It seems to be due to a misunderstanding of the verse Bṛih. 4. 3. 11–14 that here, as already in Bṛih. 4. 3. 15, that which belongs solely to dream-sleep is ascribed to deep sleep. In Pras’na 4. 6 also, as in Chând. 8. 6. 3, deep sleep is conceived as a union with the heat (*tejas*):—“When however that god is overcome by the heat, then he sees no dreams, and then that joy rules in this body.”