सोम्य ते पादं ब्रवाणीति ब्रवीतु मे भगवानिति तस्मै होवाच प्राणः कला चक्षुः कला श्रोत्रं कला मनः कलैष वै सोम्य चतुष्कलः पादो ब्रह्मण आयतनवान्नाम
'Dear, I will tell you a foot.' 'Let the revered one speak to me,' he said. The diver-bird said to him: 'Breath is a quarter, sight is a quarter, hearing is a quarter, mind is a quarter. These, dear, are the four quarters, a foot of Brahman, called “the abode.”'
स यै एतमेवं विद्वाꣳश्चतुष्कलं पादं ब्रह्मण आयतनवानित्युपास्त आयतनवानस्मिꣳल्लोके भवत्यायतनवतो ह लोकाञ्जयति य एतमेवं विद्वाꣳश्चतुष्कलं पादं ब्रह्मण आयतनवानित्युपास्ते
Whoever, knowing thus, worships this fourfold foot of Brahman as 'the abode,' becomes the abode in this world; he conquers worlds that are abodes. Whoever, knowing thus, worships this fourfold foot of Brahman as 'the abode.'
प्राप हाचार्यकुलं तमाचार्योऽभ्युवाद सत्यकाम3 इति भगव इति ह प्रतिशुश्राव
He reached the teacher’s house. The teacher approached him and said: 'Satyakama.' 'Yes, revered one,' he replied.
ब्रह्मविदिव वै सोम्य भासि को नु त्वानुशशासेत्यन्ये मनुष्येभ्य इति ह प्रतिजज्ञे भगवाꣳस्त्वेव मे कामे ब्रूयात्
'Dear, you shine as a knower of Brahman. Who has instructed you among men?' He replied: 'May the revered one himself tell me what I desire to know.'
श्रुतꣳ ह्येव मे भगवद्दृशेभ्य आचार्याद्धैव विद्या विदिता साधिष्ठं प्रापतीति तस्मै हैतदेवोवाचात्र ह न किञ्चन वीयायेति वीयायेति
For indeed, I have heard from the revered seers that knowledge is truly gained from a teacher, and thus the knowledge is well established and attained. To him, the deity replied: 'Here, nothing is greater than this, nothing is greater than this.'
उपकोसलो ह वै कामलायनः सत्यकामे जाबाले ब्रह्मचार्यमुवास तस्य ह द्वादशवार्षाण्यग्नीन्परिचचार स ह स्मान्यानन्तेवासिनः समावर्तयꣳस्तं ह स्मैव न समावर्तयति
Upakosala, the son of Kamalayana, lived as a student of Satyakama Jabala. For twelve years, he tended the sacred fires for him. The teacher sent the other students home, but did not send him home.
तं जायोवाच तप्तो ब्रह्मचारी कुशलमग्नीन्परिचचारीन्मा त्वाग्नयः परिप्रवोचन्प्रब्रूह्यस्मा इति तस्मै हाप्रोच्यैव प्रवासाञ्चक्रे
His wife said to him: 'The student has practiced austerity, has tended the fires well. Do not let the fires speak to him before you do; instruct him.' But having heard this, he went on a journey.
स ह व्याधिनानशितुं दध्रे तमाचार्यजायोवाच ब्रह्मचारिन्नशान किं नु नाश्नासीति स होवाच बहव इमेऽस्मिन्पुरुषे कामा नानात्यया व्याधिभिः प्रतिपूर्णोऽस्मि नाशिष्यामीति
He then resolved to fast. The teacher's wife said to him: 'Student, why do you not eat?' He replied: 'Within this person, there are many desires, each entering by different paths, filled with afflictions. I am full of these and will not eat.'
अथ हाग्नयः समूदिरे तप्तो ब्रह्मचारी कुशलं नः पर्यचारीद्धन्तास्मै प्रब्रवामेति तस्मै होचुः
Then the fires spoke: 'The student has practiced austerity, has tended us well. Come, let us teach him.' And they said to him:
प्राणो ब्रह्म कं ब्रह्म खं ब्रह्मेति स होवाच विजानाम्यहं यत्प्राणो ब्रह्म कं च तु खं च न विजानामीति ते होचुर्यद्वाव कं तदेव खं यदेव खं तदेव कमिति प्राणं च हास्मै तदाकाशं चोचुः
'Breath is Brahman, space is Brahman, sky is Brahman.' He replied: 'I know that breath is Brahman, but I do not know about space and sky.' They said: 'Indeed, what is space, that is sky; what is sky, that is space.' Thus they taught him about breath and space.
अथ हैनं गार्हपत्योऽनुशशास पृथिव्यग्निरन्नमादित्य इति य एष आदित्ये पुरुषो दृश्यते सोऽहमस्मि स एवाहमस्मीति
Then the household fire instructed him: 'The earth, fire, food, and the sun—this person who is seen in the sun, I am he, he indeed am I.'
स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्तेऽपहते पापकृत्यां लोकी भवति सर्वमायुरेति ज्योग्जीवति नास्यावरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्त उप वयं तं भुञ्जामोऽस्मिꣳश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिꣳश्च य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते
Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, becomes free from evil deeds, attains the world, reaches the full span of life, lives long; none among his people perish. We enjoy with him, both in this world and in the other, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this.
अथ हैनम ऽनुशशासापो दिशो नक्षत्राणि चन्द्रमा इति य एष चन्द्रमसि पुरुषो दृश्यते सोऽहमस्मि स एवाहमस्मीति
Then the fire of offerings instructed him: 'The quarters, the stars, and the moon—this person who is seen in the moon, I am he, he indeed am I.'
स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्तेऽपहते पापकृत्यां लोकीभवति सर्वमायुरेति ज्योग्जीवति नास्यावरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्त उप वयं तं भुञ्जामोऽस्मिꣳश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिꣳश्च य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते
Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, becomes free from evil deeds, attains the world, reaches the full span of life, lives long; none among his people perish. We enjoy with him, both in this world and in the other, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this.
अथ हैनम नुशशास प्राण आकाशो द्यौर्विद्युदिति य एष विद्युति पुरुषो दृश्यते सोऽहमस्मि स एवाहमस्मीति
Then the fire of breath instructed him: 'Breath, space, heaven, lightning—this person who is seen in lightning, I am he, he indeed am I.'
स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्तेऽपहते पापकृत्यां लोकीभवति सर्वमयुरेति ज्योग्जीवति नास्यावरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्त उप वयं तं भुञ्जामोऽस्मिꣳश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिꣳश्च य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते
Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, becomes free from evil deeds, attains the world, reaches the full span of life, lives long; none among his people perish. We enjoy with him, both in this world and in the other, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this.
ते होचुरुपकोसलैषा सोम्य तेऽस्मद्विद्यात्मविद्या चाचार्यस्तु ते गतिं वक्तेत्याजगाम हास्याचार्यस्तमाचार्योऽभ्युवादोपकोसल3 इति
They said to Upakosala: 'Dear one, this is our knowledge, the knowledge of the self. But the teacher will tell you the path.' Then his teacher returned, and the teacher addressed him, saying, 'Upakosala!'
भगव इति ह प्रतिशुश्राव ब्रह्मविद इव सोम्य ते मुखं भाति को नु त्वानुशशासेति को नु मानुशिष्याद्भो इतीहापेव निह्नुत इमे नूनमीदृशा अन्यादृशा इतीहाग्नीनभ्यूदे किं नु सोम्य किल तेऽवोचन्निति
He replied, 'Revered sir.' The teacher said, 'Your face shines as one who knows Brahman. Who has instructed you?' He replied, 'Who could instruct me, sir? Who could teach me?' But the fires, indeed, hinted among themselves, 'These must be of this kind, or of another kind.' Then he approached the fires. 'What did they say to you, dear one?'
इदमिति ह प्रतिजज्ञे लोकान्वाव किल सोम्य तेऽवोचन्नहं तु ते तद्वक्ष्यामि यथा पुष्करपलाश आपो न श्लिष्यन्त एवमेवंविदि पापं कर्म न श्लिष्यत इति ब्रवीतु मे भगवानिति तस्मै होवाच
'This,' he replied. 'They spoke to you about the worlds, dear one. But I will tell you that. Just as water does not cling to a lotus leaf, so evil deeds do not cling to one who knows thus.' He said, 'Let the revered one teach me.' To him, the teacher spoke:
य एषोऽक्षिणि पुरुषो दृश्यत एष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति तद्यद्यप्यस्मिन्सर्पिर्वोदकं वा सिञ्चति वर्त्मनी एव गच्छति
'This person who is seen in the eye, this is the self,' he said. 'This is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman. If one pours ghee or water upon it, it goes only along its own path.'
एतꣳ संयद्वाम इत्याचक्षत एतꣳ हि सर्वाणि वामान्यभिसंयन्ति सर्वाण्येनं वामान्यभिसंयन्ति य एवं वेद
'This is called the gathering place of all that is dear, for indeed, all that is dear gathers to it; all that is dear gathers to him who knows thus.'
एष उ एव वामनीरेष हि सर्वाणि वामानि नयति सर्वाणि वामानि नयति य एवं वेद
'He alone is the gatherer of all that is dear, for he leads all that is dear; he leads all that is dear who knows thus.'
एष उ एव भामनीरेष हि सर्वेषु लोकेषु भाति सर्वेषु लोकेषु भाति य एवं वेद
He indeed is the radiant one; for he shines in all the worlds, he shines in all the worlds who knows thus.
अथ यदु चैवास्मिञ्छव्यं कुर्वन्ति यदि च नार्चिषमेवाभिसम्भवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाꣳस्तान्मासेभ्यः संवत्सरꣳ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत् पुरुषोऽमानवः
Now, whatever is offered as an oblation here, whether with or without flame, they reach only the flame; from the flame to the day, from the day to the waxing fortnight, from the waxing fortnight to the months, from the months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from the moon to lightning; there, a person, non-human, leads them.
स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवपथो ब्रह्मपथ एतेन प्रतिपद्यमाना इमं मानवमावर्तं नावर्तन्ते नावर्तन्ते
He leads them to Brahman; this is the path of the gods, the path to Brahman. By proceeding along this path, they do not return to this human cycle, they do not return.
एष ह वै यज्ञो योऽयं पवते एष ह यन्निदꣳ सर्वं पुनाति । यदेष यन्निदꣳ सर्वं पुनाति तस्मादेष एव यज्ञस्तस्य मनश्च वाक्च वर्तनी
This indeed is the sacrifice which is purified; this indeed purifies all this. Because this purifies all this, therefore this alone is the sacrifice. Its two guiding rails are mind and speech.
तयोरन्यतरां मनसा सꣳस्करोति ब्रह्मा वाचा होताध्वर्युरुद्गातान्यतराꣳस यत्रौपाकृते प्रातरनुवाके पुरा परिधानीयाया ब्रह्मा व्यवदति
Of these two, one is prepared with mind: the Brahman priest; the other with speech: the Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, and Udgātṛ. When, at the morning recitation, before the placing of the enclosing sticks, the Brahman priest gives the signal—
अन्यतरामेव वर्तनीꣳ सꣳस्करोति हीयतेऽन्यतरा स यथैकपाद्व्रजन्रथो वैकेन चक्रेण वर्तमानो रिष्यत्येवमस्य यज्ञोरिष्यति यज्ञꣳ रिष्यन्तं यजमानोऽनुरिष्यति स इष्ट्वा पापीयान्भवति
If only one guiding rail is prepared, the other is lacking. Just as a chariot moving with only one wheel wobbles along, so the sacrifice wobbles; and the sacrificer, following a faltering sacrifice, becomes worse off after the offering.
अथ यत्रोपाकृते प्रातरनुवाके न पुरा परिधानीयाया ब्रह्मा व्यवदत्युभे एव वर्तनी सꣳस्कुर्वन्ति न हीयतेऽन्यतरा
But when, at the morning recitation, before the placing of the enclosing sticks, the Brahman priest does not give the signal, both guiding rails are prepared; neither is lacking.
स यथोभयपाद्व्रजन्रथो वोभाभ्यां चक्राभ्यां वर्तमानः प्रतितिष्ठत्येवमस्य यज्ञः प्रतितिष्ठति यज्ञं प्रतितिष्ठन्तं यजमानोऽनुप्रतितिष्ठति स इष्ट्वा श्रेयान्भवति
Just as a chariot moving with both wheels stands firm, so the sacrifice stands firm; and the sacrificer, following a firm sacrifice, becomes better off after the offering.