Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

एषउ एवबृहस्पतिः वाग्वैबृहती, तस्या एषपतिः तस्मादु बृहस्पतिः

He is indeed Bṛhaspati; speech is truly Bṛhatī, and he is her lord; therefore, he is called Bṛhaspati.

एषउ एवब्रह्मणस्पतिः वाग्वैब्रह्म, तस्या एषपतिः तस्मादु ब्रह्मणस्पतिः

He is indeed Brahmaṇaspati; speech is truly Brahman, and he is her lord; therefore, he is called Brahmaṇaspati.

एषउ एवसाम; वाग्वैसामैषसाचामश्चेति, तत्साम्नः सामत्वं॥ यद्वेवसमः प्लुषिणा, समोमशकेन, समोनागेन, समएभिस् त्रिभिर्लोकैः, समोऽनेन सर्वेण, तस्माद्वेवसामाश्नुतेसाम्नः सायुज्यँ सलोकतां, यएवमेतत्साम वेद

He is indeed Sāman; speech is truly Sāman, and he is its singer. This is the essence of Sāman. Whoever is equal with a horse, equal with a mosquito, equal with an elephant, equal with these three worlds, equal with all this—therefore, he attains union and world-hood with Sāman, for whoever knows this Sāman.

एषउ वाउद्गीथः॥ प्राणोवाउत् प्राणेन हीदँ सर्वमुत्तब्धं॥ वागेवगीथोच्च गीथा चेति, सउद्गीथः

He is indeed the Udgītha. Breath is truly Udgītha, for by breath all this is upheld. Speech is the song and the singer; therefore, he is called Udgītha.

तद्धापि ब्रह्मदत्तश्चैकितानेयोराजानं भक्षयन्नुवाचायं त्यस्य राजा मूर्धानं विपातयताद् यदितोऽयास्य आङ्गिरसोऽन्येनोदगायदिति॥ वाचाच ह्य् एवसप्राणेन चोदगायदिति

Once, while eating, King Brahmadatta of the Cikitānas said: This is the king who split his head; for when his essence departed by another way, it was by speech and indeed by breath that it departed.

तस्य हैतस्य साम्नो यः स्वं वेद, भवति हास्य स्वं॥ तस्य वैस्वर एवस्वं॥ तस्मादार्त्विज्यं करिष्यन्वाचिस्वरमिच्छेत, तया वाचास्वरसम्पन्नयार्त्विज्यं कुर्यात्॥ तस्माद्यज्ञेस्वरवन्तं दिदृक्षन्त एवाथो यस्य स्वं भवति॥ भवति हास्य स्वं, यएवमेतत्साम्नः स्वं वेद

Whoever knows the true possession of this Sāman, truly obtains possession; for him, indeed, possession is the svara. Therefore, one who wishes to perform the office of a priest should desire the svara in speech; with speech endowed with svara, he should carry out the priestly function. Thus, those who wish to see possession in a sacrifice look for one who has svara; truly, he obtains possession, whoever knows the true possession of this Sāman.

तस्य हैतस्य साम्नो यः सुवर्णं वेद, भवति हास्य सुवर्णं॥ तस्य वैस्वर एवसुवर्णं॥ भवति हास्य सुवर्णं, यएवमेतत्साम्नः सुवर्णं वेद

Whoever knows the gold of this Sāman, truly obtains gold; for him, indeed, gold is the svara. Truly, he obtains gold, whoever knows the gold of this Sāman.

तस्य हैतस्य साम्नो यः प्रतिष्ठां वेद, प्रति ह तिष्ठति॥ तस्य वैवागेवप्रतिष्ठा, वाचिहिखल्वेषएतत्प्राणः प्रतिष्ठितो गीयते, अन्न इत्य् उ हैक आहुः

Whoever knows the foundation of this Sāman, truly stands firm; for him, indeed, the foundation is speech. In truth, this prāṇa is established in speech and is sung; some say it is food.

अथातः पवमानानामेवाभ्यारोहः॥ सवैखलु प्रस्तोतासाम प्रस्तौति॥ सयत्र प्रस्तुयात् तदेतानि जपेद् असतो मा सद्गमय तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय, मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयेति

Now, as for the ascent of the Pavamānas: the prastotṛ alone sings the sāman of the prastāva. When he sings, let him recite these: 'From the unreal lead me to the real; from darkness lead me to light; from death lead me to immortality.'

सयदाहासतो मा सद्गमयेति, मृत्युर्वाअसत् सदमृतम् मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयामृतं मा कुर्वित्य् एवैतदाह

When he says, 'From the unreal lead me to the real,' the unreal is death, the real is immortality; 'from death lead me to immortality'—thus he says, 'Do not make me mortal.'

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमयेति, मृत्युर्वैतमो, ज्योतिरमृतम् मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयामृतं मा कुर्वित्य् एवैतदाह॥ मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयेति, नात्र तिरोहितमिवास्ति

'From darkness lead me to light'—death is indeed darkness, light is immortality; 'from death lead me to immortality'—thus he says, 'Do not make me mortal.' 'From death lead me to immortality'—there is nothing concealed here.

अथ यानीतराणि स्तोत्राणि, तेष्वात्मनेऽन्नाद्यमागायेत्; तस्मादु तेषु वरं वृणीत, यं कामं कामयेत, तँ॥ सएषएवंविदुद्गातात्मने वा यजमानाय वा यं कामं कामयते, तमागायति॥ तद्धैतल् लोकजिदेव, नहैवालोक्यताया आशास्ति, यएवमेतत्साम वेद॥ 4 = 14.4.2.1-31 =

As for the other hymns, in them one should sing for oneself what is to be eaten and drunk; therefore, among them, one should choose whatever desire one wishes. Thus, the singer who knows thus, for himself or for the sacrificer, sings whatever desire he wishes. This, indeed, is the conqueror of worlds; he does not hope for what is seen, whoever knows this Sāman.

आत्मैवेदमग्र आसीत्पुरुषविधः॥ सोऽनुवीक्ष्य नान्यदात्मनोऽपश्यत्॥ सोऽहमस्मीत्यग्रे व्याहरत्॥ ततोऽहंनामाभवत्॥ तस्मादप्य् एतर्ह्य् आमन्त्रितोः अहमयमित्य् एवाग्र उक्त्वाथान्यन्नाम प्रब्रूते यदस्य भवति

In the beginning, this was the Self alone, in the form of a person. Looking around, he saw nothing else but himself. He first said, 'I am.' Therefore, he became 'I' by name. Hence, even now, when one is addressed, one first says 'I am,' and then speaks whatever other name one has.

सयत्पूर्वोऽस्मात्सर्वस्मात्सर्वान्पाप्मन औषत् तस्मात्पुरुष॥ ओषति ह वैसतं, योऽस्मात्पूर्वो बुभूषति, यएवं वेद

Because he burned up all evil before this, he is called person (puruṣa). He who wishes to burn up what is before him, whoever knows thus, indeed burns it up.

सोऽबिभेत्; तस्मादेकाकीबिभेति॥ सहायमीक्षां चक्रेः यन्मदन्यन्नास्ति, कस्मान्नुबिभेमीति॥ तत एवास्य भयं वीयाय॥ कस्माद्ध्यभेष्यद् द्वितीयाद्वैभयं भवति

He was afraid; therefore, one who is alone is afraid. Then he thought, 'Since there is nothing else but myself, of what should I be afraid?' From that, his fear departed; for, truly, fear arises from a second.

सवैनैवरेमे; तस्मादेकाकीनरमते॥ सद्वितीयमैच्छत्॥ सहैतावानास यथा स्त्रीपुमाँसौ सम्परिष्वक्तौ

He was indeed alone; therefore, one who is alone does not delight. He desired a second. He became as large as a man and woman in close embrace.

सइममेवात्मानं द्वेधापातयत्; ततः पतिश्च पत्नी चाभवतां॥ तस्मादिदमर्धबृगलमिव स्व इति ह स्माह याज्ञवल्क्यः॥ तस्मादयमाकाशः स्त्रियापूर्यत एव॥ ताँ समभवत् ततो मनुष्याअजायन्त

He divided himself in two; from that, husband and wife arose. Therefore, Yājñavalkya used to say, 'This is like one side of a split pea.' Therefore, this space is filled by a woman. He united with her, and from that, human beings were born.

सोहेयमीक्षां चक्रेः कथं नुमात्मन एवजनयित्वासम्भवति॥ हन्त तिरोऽसानीति

She thought, 'How can he unite with me after producing me from himself?' She concealed herself.

सागौरभवद् वृषभइतरस्; ताँ समेवाभवत् ततो गावोऽजायन्त

He became a bull, and she a cow; he united with her, and from that, cattle were born.

वडवेतराभवद् अश्ववृषइतरो; गर्दभीतरा, गर्दभइतरस्; ताँ समेवाभवत् तत एकशफमजायत

He became a stallion, she a mare; he became a donkey, she a she-donkey; he united with her, and from that, single-hoofed animals were born.

अजेतराभवद् बस्तइतरो; अविरितरा, मेषइतरस्; ताँ समेवाभवत् ततोऽजावयोऽजायन्तैवमेवयदिदं किङ्च मिथुनमापिपीलिकाभ्यः तत्सर्वमसृजत

He became a he-goat, she a she-goat; he became a ram, she a ewe; he united with her, and from that, goats and sheep were born. In the same way, whatever pairs there are, down to ants, he created them all.

सोऽवेद् अहं वावसृष्टिरस्मि अहँ हीदँ सर्वमसृक्षीति॥ ततः सृष्टिरभवत्॥ सृष्ट्याँ हास्यैतस्यां भवति, यएवं वेद

He knew, 'I am indeed the creation, for I created all this.' Therefore, creation arose. Whoever knows thus, for him, in this creation, there is indeed creation.

अथेत्यभ्यमन्थत्॥ समुखाच्च योनेर्हस्ताभ्यां चाग्निमसृजत॥ तस्मादेतदुभयमलोमकमन्तरतो, अलोमका हियोनिरन्तरतः

Then he rubbed himself; from his mouth and from his hands, he produced fire. Therefore, both the inside of the mouth and the inside of the yoni are hairless; the yoni is hairless inside.

तद्यदिदमाहुः अमुं यजामुं यजेत्य् एकैकं देवम् एतस्यैवसाविसृष्टिः एषउ ह्य् एवसर्वे देवा

Therefore, when people say, 'Let us worship this god, let us worship that god,' each one is but a partial manifestation of this very one; for indeed, all the gods are only this.

अथ यत्किङ्चेदमार्द्रं, तद्रेतसोऽसृजत; तदु सोम॥ एतावद्वाइदँ सर्वमन्नं चैवान्नादश्च; सोम एवान्नम् अग्निरन्नादः

And whatever here is moist, that he created as semen; that is Soma. Thus, all food and the eater of food are encompassed: Soma is indeed food, Agni is the eater of food.

सैषाब्रह्मणोऽतिसृष्टिः यच्छ्रेयसो देवानसृजताथ यन्मर्त्यः सन्नमृतानसृजत, तस्मादतिसृष्टिः अतिसृष्ट्याँ हास्यैतस्यां भवति, यएवं वेद

This is the supreme creation of Brahman: that, being superior, he created the gods; then, being mortal, he created mortals. Therefore, this is the supreme creation. By knowing this supreme creation, one attains joy in it.

तद्धेदं तर्ह्यव्याकृतमासीत्॥ तन्नामरूपाभ्यामेवव्याक्रियतासौनामायमिदँरूप इति॥ तदिदमप्य् एतर्हि नामरूपाभ्यामेवव्याक्रियत असौनामायमिदँरूप इति

Then, indeed, this was undifferentiated. It was distinguished only by name and form: 'He is such by name, such by form.' Even now, it is distinguished only by name and form: 'He is such by name, such by form.'

सएषइहप्रविष्ट आनखाग्रेभ्यो॥ यथा क्षुरः क्षुरधानेऽवहितः स्याद् विश्वम्भरोवा विश्वम्भरकुलाये, तं नपश्यन्ति अकृत्स्नो हिसः;

He has entered here, down to the tips of the nails. Just as a razor is placed in its case, or the earth is in its nest, him they do not see, for he is not fully manifest.

प्राणन्नेवप्राणोनाम भवति, वदन्वाक् पश्यंश्चक्षुः, शृण्वङ्छ्रोत्रं, मन्वानोमनः॥ तान्यस्यैतानि कर्मनामान्य् एव॥ सयोऽत एकैकमुपास्ते, नसवेदाकृत्स्नो ह्य् एषोऽत एकैकेन भवति

When breathing, he is called 'breath'; speaking, 'speech'; seeing, 'eye'; hearing, 'ear'; thinking, 'mind.' These are his names according to their functions. Whoever worships each one separately does not know the whole; he becomes only as each one.