In the sacred teachings of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the nature of the vital breath and its relationship to the cosmos is revealed in profound detail. The unknown is said to be the very form of the vital breath, for the breath itself is truly the unknown. By embodying this mystery, the breath protects the individual. Speech is intimately connected to the earth, which serves as its body, and its radiant aspect is fire. The extent of speech is mirrored by the earth and by fire, each reflecting the other in measure. Similarly, the mind finds its body in the sky, and its luminous form in the sun; as much as there is of mind, so much is the sky and the sun. These two—speech and mind—are united as a pair, and from their union, the vital breath is born. This breath is Indra, unrivaled and supreme; the second, however, has rivals. Whoever understands this truth remains without rival. For the vital breath itself, water is its body and the moon its radiant form. The measure of the vital breath is matched by the waters and by the moon. All these elements—earth, fire, sky, sun, water, moon—are equal and infinite. Those who worship them as finite conquer only a finite world, but those who worship them as infinite conquer an infinite world. This vital breath is also the year, Prajapati, composed of sixteen parts. Fifteen of these are the nights, and the sixteenth is fixed. The year is filled by the nights and diminished by the waters. On the night of the new moon, Prajapati, with his sixteenth part, enters all breathing beings and is reborn in the morning. For this reason, on that night, one should not harm any living creature, even a lizard, in reverence for this deity. Prajapati, the year with sixteen parts, is also the person who knows these truths. For him, wealth comprises fifteen parts, and the self is the sixteenth. He is filled by wealth and diminished by water. Thus, the self is not wealth; the self is superior. Even if one possesses all riches, living by the self is living by what is highest. Three worlds exist: the world of humans, ancestors, and gods. The world of humans is won by having a son, not by any other action; the world of ancestors by ritual action; the world of gods by knowledge. Among these, the world of the gods is supreme, and so knowledge is praised above all. When a man prepares to depart this world, he addresses his son: “You are Brahman, you are the sacrifice, you are the world.” The son replies, “I am Brahman, I am the sacrifice, I am the world.” Whatever was left unsaid, all is unified as Brahman; all sacrifices are unified as the sacrifice; all worlds as the world. Thus, all is unified, and the prayer is, “Let me not be separated from all this.” Therefore, a son who has been instructed is to be cherished and taught. When one who knows thus departs, he enters his son along with his breaths. If any debts or wrongs remain, the son releases him from them, earning the name “son.” With a son, one stands firm, and the immortal breaths enter him. From the earth and fire, divine speech enters the son; whatever he utters comes to be. From the sky and sun, divine mind enters him, bringing joy and freedom from sorrow. From the waters and moon, divine vital breath enters him, which moves and does not move, is untroubled and imperishable. The one who knows thus becomes the self of all beings, sharing the nature of the deity. As all beings support the deity, so all beings support the knower. If creatures grieve, it does not affect him; he attains the blessed world, untouched by evil. As for the vow, Prajapati created the actions. When they were created, each action claimed its own function: speech to speak, the eye to see, the ear to hear, and so forth. Death, in the form of fatigue, seized them and overcame them, binding them. Thus, speech, the eye, and the ear become tired. But death could not seize the middle breath. The actions resolved to know him, the best among them, who moves and does not move, is untroubled and imperishable. They all became his form, and thus they are called breaths. In a family where this knower is present, it is said, “He is of noble lineage.” If such knowers compete and exhaust themselves, they die at the end. Thus is the nature of the self. Among the gods, each claimed its function: fire to blaze, the sun to heat, the moon to shine. Among them, Vayu, the wind, is chief, just as the middle breath is chief among the breaths. The other gods fade, but not Vayu; Vayu is the unfailing deity. A verse is recited: “From where the sun rises and sets”—from the vital breath it rises, into the vital breath it sets. The gods made him the law; he is today and tomorrow. Whatever was done before is done now as well. Therefore, one should observe the vow: “From the vital breath and from the waters, may neither evil nor death reach me.” By observing it, one attains union and companionship with the deity who knows thus. There are three: name, form, and action. Speech is the source of names; all names arise from it. Speech is their chant and their Brahman, for it bears all names. The eye is the source of forms; all forms arise from it. The eye is their chant and their Brahman, for it bears all forms. The self is the source of actions; all actions arise from it. The self is their chant and their Brahman, for it bears all actions. This triad is united as one, the self being both single and the triad. The immortal is covered by truth: breath is immortal, name and form are truth, and by these, breath is concealed. Dripta Balaki, son of Anu from the Gargya lineage, was present and said to Ajatashatru of Kashi, “I will declare Brahman to you.” Ajatashatru replied, “We will give a thousand for this speech. Janaka, Janaka! Thus people run after him.” Gargya began: “That person who is in the sun, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is the ruler, the head of all beings; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes ruler and head of all beings. Gargya continued: “That person who is in the moon, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. Soma, the king, is great and wears white garments; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus is reborn daily and his food never diminishes. Next, Gargya said, “That person who is in lightning, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is radiant; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes radiant, and his offspring are radiant. Gargya declared, “That person who is in space, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is full and unmoving; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus is filled with offspring and cattle; his offspring do not depart from this world. Gargya said, “That person who is in wind, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is Indra, unconquered, leader of the army; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes victorious and unconquered, surpassing others. Gargya continued, “That person who is in fire, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is powerful; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes powerful, and his offspring are powerful. Gargya said, “That person who is in water, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is beautiful; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus, beauty approaches him; nothing unseemly comes to him, and beauty is born from him. Gargya said, “That person who is in the mirror, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is shining; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes shining, and his offspring are shining; wherever he goes, he outshines all. Gargya said, “That person who is in the directions, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is the second, unremoved; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes possessed of a second, and his group is never broken. Gargya said, “That person from whom the sound arises behind, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is a demon; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus attains long life; breath does not leave him before its time. Gargya said, “That person who is made of shadow, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is death; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus attains long life; death does not come before its time. Finally, Gargya said, “That person who is in the self, I worship him as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is the self; I worship him.” Whoever worships thus becomes self-possessed, and his offspring are self-possessed. Gargya fell silent. Ajatashatru said, “This is as far as it goes. By this alone, it is not known.” Gargya said, “I approach you.” Ajatashatru remarked, “This is contrary; when a Brahmin approaches a Kshatriya for Brahman, he will teach me. I will instruct you.” He took Gargya by the hand and stood up. Together, they went to a man who was sleeping. Ajatashatru addressed him by names: “Great, white-robed, Soma king.” The man rose. Ajatashatru struck him to awaken him, and he rose. Ajatashatru asked, “When this person, made of knowledge, was asleep, where was he? From where did he return?” Gargya could not reply. Ajatashatru explained, “When this person, made of knowledge, sleeps, he gathers the awareness of the senses into himself by his own knowledge. The space within the heart is where he rests. When he takes hold of the senses, he is said to be dreaming. The breath is held, speech is held, the eye is held, the ear is held, and the mind is held. When he moves about in dreams, those are his worlds. There, he becomes like a great king or a great priest, rising and descending as he wishes.” Thus, the Upanishad reveals the mysteries of breath, self, and the unity of all, guiding the seeker ever deeper into the heart of Brahman.