तँ ह चिरं वसेत्याज्ञापयाञ्चकार तँ होवाच यथा मा त्वं गौतमावदो यथेयं न प्राक्त्वत्तः पुरा विद्या ब्राह्मणान्गच्छति तस्मादु सर्वेषु लोकेषु क्षत्रस्यैव प्रशासनमभूदिति तस्मै होवाच
He ordered, 'Let him stay for a long time.' He said, 'Just as you did not answer, Gautama, so I will not answer. Before you, this knowledge did not go to the Brahmins; therefore, in all worlds, the rule belonged to the Kṣatriyas.' He then spoke to him.
असौ वाव लोको गौतमाग्निस्तस्यादित्य एव समिद्रश्मयो धूमोऽहरर्चिश्चन्द्रमा अङ्गारा नक्षत्राणि विस्फुलिङ्गाः
That world, Gautama, is indeed fire; its fuel is the sun, its rays are smoke, the day is its flame, the moon its coals, and the stars its sparks.
तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः श्रद्धां जुह्वति तस्या अहुतेः सोमो राजा सम्भवति
In this fire, the gods offer faith; from that offering, King Soma is produced.
पर्जन्यो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वायुरेव समिदभ्रं धूमो विद्युदर्चिरशनिरङ्गाराह्रादनयो विस्फुलिङ्गाः
The rain-cloud, Gautama, is indeed fire; its fuel is the wind, the cloud is smoke, lightning is its flame, thunder is its coals, and the showers are its sparks.
तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवाः सोमँ राजानं जुह्वति तस्या आहुतेर्वर्षँ सम्भवति
In this fire, the gods offer King Soma; from that offering, rain is produced.
पृथिवी वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्याः संवत्सर एव समिदाकाशो धूमो रात्रिरर्चिर्दिशोऽङ्गारा अवान्तरदिशो विस्फुलिङ्गाः
The earth, Gautama, is indeed fire; its fuel is the year, space is smoke, night is its flame, the directions are its coals, and the intermediate directions are its sparks.
तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा वर्षं जुह्वति तस्या आहुतेरन्नँ सम्भवति
Into this very fire, the gods offer rain; from that oblation, food arises.
पुरुषो वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्य वागेव समित्प्राणो धूमो जिह्वार्चिश्चक्षुरङ्गाराः श्रोत्रं विस्फुलिङ्गाः
Indeed, Gautama, man is a fire; his speech is the fuel, breath is the smoke, tongue is the flame, eyes are the coals, ears are the sparks.
तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा अन्नं जुह्वति तस्या आहुते रेतः सम्भवति
Into this very fire, the gods offer food; from that oblation, semen arises.
योषा वाव गौतमाग्निस्तस्या उपस्थ एव समिद्यदुपमन्त्रयते स धूमो योनिरर्चिर्यदन्तः करोति तेऽङ्गारा अभिनन्दा विस्फुलिङ्गाः
Indeed, Gautama, woman is a fire; her womb is the fuel, what is spoken to her is the smoke, the vulva is the flame, what she does within is the coals, pleasure is the sparks.
तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा रेतो जुह्वति तस्या आहुतेर्गर्भः सम्भवति
Into this very fire, the gods offer semen; from that oblation, the embryo arises.
इति तु पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति स उल्बावृतो गर्भो दश वा नव वा मासानन्तः शयित्वा यावद्वाथ जायते
Thus, at the fifth oblation, speech becomes a man; that embryo, wrapped in the membrane, having lain for ten or nine months, or as long as it may, is then born.
स जातो यावदायुषं जीवति तं प्रेतं दिष्टमितोऽग्नय एव हरन्ति यत एवेतो यतः सम्भूतो भवति
Having been born, he lives as long as his lifespan; when dead, destined, the fires carry him away from here, to where he originated.
तद्य इत्थं विदुः । ये चेमेऽरण्ये श्रद्धा तप इत्युपासते तेऽर्चिषमभिसम्भवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाँस्तान्
Those who know thus, and those who, in the forest, practice faith and austerity, they attain the flame; from the flame, the day; from the day, the bright fortnight; from the bright fortnight, the months traversed northward.
संवत्सरँ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत्पुरुषोऽमानवः स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवयानः पन्था इति
The year; from the year, the sun; from the sun, the moon; from the moon, lightning; there, a person, not human, leads them to Brahman. This is the path of the gods.
अथ य इमे ग्राम इष्टापूर्ते दत्तमित्युपासते ते धूममभिसम्भवन्ति धूमाद्रात्रिँ रात्रेरपरपक्षमपरपक्षाद्यान्षड्दक्षिणैति मासाँस्तान्नैते संवत्सरमभिप्राप्नुवन्ति
But those who, in the village, practice sacrifice, charity, and so on, they attain the smoke; from the smoke, the night; from the night, the dark fortnight; from the dark fortnight, the months traversed southward; they do not reach the year.
पितृलोकं पितृलोकादाकाशमाकाशाच्चन्द्रमसमेष सोमो राजा तद्देवानामन्नं तं देवा भक्षयन्ति
The world of the ancestors; from the world of the ancestors, space; from space, the moon; this is King Soma, the food of the gods; the gods eat him.
तस्मिन्यवात्संपातमुषित्वाथैतमेवाध्वानं पुनर्निवर्तन्ते यथेतमाकाशमाकाशाद्वायुं वायुर्भूत्वा धूमो भवति धूमो भूत्वाभ्रं भवति
Having dwelt there until the residue is exhausted, they return again by this same path; just as from space to air, becoming air, they become smoke; becoming smoke, they become cloud.
अभ्रं भूत्वा मेघो भवति मेघो भूत्वा प्रवर्षति त इह व्रीहियवा ओषधिवनस्पतयस्तिलमाषा इति जायन्तेऽतो वै खलु दुर्निष्प्रपतरं यो यो ह्यन्नमत्ति यो रेतः सिञ्चति तद्भूय एव भवति
Becoming cloud, they become rain; becoming rain, they descend here as rice, barley, herbs, trees, sesame, and beans. Therefore, it is difficult to escape; whoever eats food, whoever pours semen, becomes that again.
तद्य इह रमणीयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते रमणीयां योनिमापद्येरन्ब्राह्मणयोनिं वा क्षत्रिययोनिं वा वैश्ययोनिं वाथ य इह कपूयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते कपूयां योनिमापद्येरन् श्वयोनिं वा सूकरयोनिं वा चण्डालयोनिं वा
Those here who act beautifully, it is likely that they attain a beautiful womb—be it Brahmin, Kshatriya, or Vaishya; but those here who act basely, it is likely that they attain a base womb—be it dog, pig, or outcaste.
पथोर्न कतरेण च न तानीमानि क्षुद्राण्यसकृदावर्तीनि भूतानि भवन्ति जायस्व म्रियस्वेत्येतत्तृतीयँस्थानं तेनासौ लोको न सम्पूर्यते तस्माज्जुगुप्सेत तदेष श्लोकः
There is no path for either; these small creatures, repeatedly returning, are born and die—this is the third place. Therefore, that world is not filled; thus, one should avoid it. This is the verse.
स्तेनो हिरण्यस्य सुरां पिबँश्च गुरोस्तल्पमावसन्ब्रह्महा चैते पतन्ति चत्वारः पञ्चमश्चाचरँस्तैरिति
A thief of gold, a drinker of liquor, one who sleeps with the teacher's wife, a murderer of a Brahmin—these four fall; the fifth is one who associates with them.
अथ ह य एतानेवं पञ्चाग्नीन्वेद न सह तैरप्याचरन्पाप्मना लिप्यते शुद्धः पूतः पुण्यलोको भवति य एवं वेद य एवं वेद
But whoever knows these five fires thus, even if he associates with them, is not stained by sin; pure, purified, he attains the world of merit—whoever knows thus, whoever knows thus.
प्राचीनशाल औपमन्यवः सत्ययज्ञः पौलुषिरिन्द्रद्युम्नो भाल्लवेयो जनः शार्कराक्ष्यो बुडिल आश्वतराश्विस्ते हैते महाशाला महाश्रोत्रियाः समेत्य मीमाँसां चक्रुः को नु आत्मा किं ब्रह्मेति
Prācīnaśāla Aupamanyava, Satyayajña Pauluṣa, Indradyumna Bhāllaveya, Jana Śārkarākṣya, Buḍila Āśvatarāśvi—these great householders, great hearers, gathered together and discussed: 'Who indeed is the self? What is Brahman?'
ते ह सम्पादयाञ्चक्रुरुद्दालको वै भगवन्तोऽयमारुणिः सम्प्रतीममात्मानं वैश्वानरमध्येति तँ हन्ताभ्यागच्छामेति तँ हाभ्याजग्मुः
They made arrangements, saying: 'Revered Uddalaka, son of Aruna, is here; he has approached the Vaiśvānara Self. Let us go to him.' So they went to him.
स ह सम्पादयाञ्चकार प्रक्ष्यन्ति मामिमे महाशाला महाश्रोत्रियास्तेभ्यो न सर्वमिव प्रतिपत्स्ये हन्ताहमन्यमभ्यनुशासानीति
He made arrangements, thinking: 'These great householders and learned men will question me, and I may not be able to answer everything for them. Therefore, I will have someone else instruct them.'
तान्होवाचाश्वपतिर्वै भगवन्तोऽयं कैकेयः सम्प्रतीममात्मानं वैश्वानरमध्येति तँहन्ताभ्यागच्छामेति तँहाभ्याजग्मुः
He said to them: 'Revered ones, this Aśvapati, the king of the Kekayas, has approached the Vaiśvānara Self. Let us go to him.' So they went to him.
तेभ्यो ह प्राप्तेभ्यः पृथगर्हाणि कारयाञ्चकार स ह प्रातः सञ्जिहान उवाच न मे स्तेनो जनपदे न कर्दर्यो न मद्यपो नानाहिताग्निर्नाविद्वान्न स्वैरी स्वैरिणी कुतो यक्ष्यमाणो वै भगवन्तोऽहमस्मि यावदेकैकस्मा ऋत्विजे धनं दास्यामि तावद्भगवद्भ्यो दास्यामि वसन्तु भगवन्त इति
When they arrived, he had separate dwellings prepared for them. In the morning, as he was about to depart, he said: 'In my realm, there is no thief, no miser, no drunkard, no one who neglects the sacred fire, no ignorant person, no adulterer, nor adulteress—how then could there be one who sacrifices improperly? Revered ones, as long as I give wealth to each officiating priest, so long will I give to you. Please stay, revered ones.'
ते होचुर्येन हैवार्थेन पुरुषश्चरेत्तँहैव वदेदात्मानमेवेमं वैश्वानरँ सम्प्रत्यध्येषि तमेव नो ब्रूहीति
They said: 'For the very purpose for which a man lives, let him speak in the same way. You have approached this Vaiśvānara Self; tell us about him alone.'
तान्होवाच प्रातर्वः प्रतिवक्तास्मीति ते ह समित्पाणयः पूर्वाह्णे प्रतिचक्रमिरे तान्हानुपनीयै वैतदुवाच
He said to them: 'At dawn, I will answer you.' So, with sacrificial fuel in hand, they approached him in the forenoon. Without introducing them, he said this to them.