तेषां खल्वेषां भूतानां त्रीण्येव बीजानि भवन्त्याण्डजं जीवजमुद्भिज्जमिति
Among these beings, there are only three kinds of birth: from eggs, from living beings, and from sprouts.
सेयं देवतैक्षत हन्ताहमिमास्तिस्रो देवता अनेन जीवेनात्मनानुप्रविश्य नामरूपे व्याकरवाणीति
That deity thought: 'Let me enter these three deities with this living self and differentiate names and forms.'
तासां त्रिवृतं त्रिवृतमेकैकां करवाणीति सेयं देवतेमास्तिस्रो देवता अनेनैव जीवेनात्मनानुप्रविश्य नामरूपे व्याकरोत्
Of these, let me make each one threefold. So that deity, entering these three deities with this living self, differentiated names and forms.
तासां त्रिवृतं त्रिवृतमेकैकामकरोद्यथा तु खलु सोम्येमास्तिस्रो देवतास्त्रिवृत्त्रिवृदेकैका भवति तन्मे विजानीहीति
Of these, it made each one threefold. Now, dear one, how these three deities become threefold in each, learn that from me.
यदग्ने रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागादग्नेरग्नित्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
The red form in fire is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The fire-ness of fire is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real.
यदादित्यस्य रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागादादित्यादादित्यत्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
The red form in the sun is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The sun-ness of the sun is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real.
यच्छन्द्रमसो रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागाच्चन्द्राच्चन्द्रत्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
The red form in the moon is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The moon-ness of the moon is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real.
यद्विद्युतो रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागाद्विद्युतो विद्युत्त्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
The red form in lightning is the form of fire; the white is of water; the black is of food. The lightning-ness of lightning is only a name, arising from speech, while the three forms alone are real.
एतद्ध स्म वै तद्विद्वाँस आहुः पूर्वे महाशाला महाश्रोत्रिया न नोऽद्य कश्चनाश्रुतममतमविज्ञातमुदाहरिष्यतीति ह्येभ्यो विदाञ्चक्रुः
Indeed, those who were learned, the great householders and great scholars of old, used to say: 'Today, no one will speak of anything unheard, unthought, or unknown to us,' for they had attained knowledge from those before them.
यदु रोहितमिवाभूदिति तेजसस्तद्रूपमिति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुर्यदु शुक्लमिवाभूदित्यपाँरूपमिति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुर्यदु कृष्णमिवाभूदित्यन्नस्य रूपमिति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुः
When something appeared red, they said, 'That is the form of fire'; when something appeared white, they said, 'That is the form of water'; when something appeared black, they said, 'That is the form of food.' Thus, they discerned.
यद्वविज्ञातमिवाभूदित्येतासामेव देवतानाँसमास इति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुर्यथा नु खलु सोम्येमास्तिस्रो देवताः पुरुषं प्राप्य त्रिवृत्त्रिवृदेकैका भवति तन्मे विजानीहीति
When something seemed unknown, they said, 'That is the union of these deities.' Just as, dear one, these three deities, upon entering a person, each become threefold, so understand this from me.
अन्नमशितं त्रेधा विधीयते तस्य यः स्थविष्ठो धातुस्तत्पुरीषं भवति यो मध्यमस्तन्माँसं योऽणिष्ठस्तन्मनः
Food that is eaten is divided into three parts: the heaviest portion becomes excrement, the middle portion becomes flesh, and the subtlest portion becomes mind.
पीतास्त्रेधा विधीयन्ते तासां यः स्थविष्ठो धातुस्तन्मूत्रं भवति यो मध्यमस्तल्लोहितं योऽणिष्ठः स प्राणः
Water that is drunk is divided into three parts: the heaviest portion becomes urine, the middle portion becomes blood, and the subtlest portion becomes breath.
तेजोऽशितं त्रेधा विधीयते तस्य यः स्थविष्ठो धातुस्तदस्थि भवति यो मध्यमः स मज्जा योऽणिष्ठः सा वाक्
Fire that is consumed is divided into three parts: the heaviest portion becomes bone, the middle portion becomes marrow, and the subtlest portion becomes speech.
अन्नमयँहि सोम्य मनः आपोमयः प्राणस्तेजोमयी वागिति भूय एव मा भगवान्विज्ञापयत्विति तथा सोम्येति होवाच
Indeed, dear one, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire. Let the revered one explain further.' 'So be it, dear one,' he replied.
सोम्य मथ्यमानस्य योऽणिमा स उर्ध्वः समुदीषति तत्सर्पिर्भवति
Dear one, the subtlest part of the middle portion of curds rises upward and becomes clarified butter.
एवमेव खलु सोम्यान्नस्याश्यमानस्य योऽणिमा स उर्ध्वः समुदीषति तन्मनो भवति
In the same way, dear one, the subtlest part of the food that is eaten rises upward and becomes mind.
अपाँसोम्य पीयमानानां योऽणिमा स उर्ध्वः समुदीषति सा प्राणो भवति
Dear one, the subtlest part of the water that is drunk rises upward and becomes breath.
सोम्याश्यमानस्य योऽणिमा स उर्ध्वः समुदीषति सा वाग्भवति
Dear one, the subtlest part of the food that is eaten rises upward and becomes speech.
अन्नमयँ हि सोम्य मन आपोमयः प्राणस्तेजोमयी वागिति भूय एव मा भगवान्विज्ञापयत्विति तथा सोम्येति होवाच
Indeed, dear one, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire. Let the revered one explain further.' 'So be it, dear one,' he replied.
सोम्य पुरुषः पञ्चदशाहानि माशीः काममपः पिबापोमयः प्राणो नपिबतो विच्छेत्स्यत इति
Dear one, if a person abstains from food for fifteen days, let him drink water as he wishes, for breath is made of water; if he does not drink, it will be interrupted.
स ह पञ्चदशाहानि नशाथ हैनमुपससाद किं ब्रवीमि भो इत्यृचः सोम्य यजूँषि सामानीति स होवाच न वै मा प्रतिभान्ति भो इति
He abstained for fifteen days. Then he approached and was asked, 'What shall I recite, sir?' 'The Rig, dear one, the Yajus, the Sama.' He replied, 'Sir, nothing comes to mind.'
तँ होवाच यथा सोम्य महतोऽभ्याहितस्यैकोऽङ्गारः खद्योतमात्रः परिशिष्टः स्यात्तेन ततोऽपि न बहु दहेदेवँसोम्य ते षोडशानां कलानामेका कलातिशिष्टा स्यात्तयैतर्हि वेदान्नानुभवस्यशानाथ मे विज्ञास्यसीति
He said, 'Just as, dear one, when a large fire is burning and only one ember the size of a firefly remains, it does not burn much; so, dear one, of your sixteen parts, only one remains, and with that you do not perceive the Vedas. When you eat, you will understand.'
स हशाथ हैनमुपससाद तँ ह यत्किञ्च पप्रच्छ सर्वँह प्रतिपेदे
After eating, he approached and whatever was asked, he answered everything.
तँ होवाच यथा सोम्य महतोऽभ्याहितस्यैकमङ्गारं खद्योतमात्रं परिशिष्टं तं तृणैरुपसमाधाय प्राज्वलयेत्तेन ततोऽपि बहु दहेत्
He said, 'Just as, dear one, when a large fire is burning and only one ember the size of a firefly remains, if it is kindled with grass, it will blaze greatly.'
एवँ सोम्य ते षोडशानां कलानामेका कलातिशिष्टाभूत्सान्नेनोपसमाहिता प्राज्वालीतयैतर्हि वेदाननुभवस्यन्नमयँहि सोम्य मन आपोमयः प्राणस्तेजोमयी वागिति तद्धास्य विजज्ञाविति विजज्ञाविति
In the same way, dear one, when only one of your sixteen parts remained, it was kindled by food and blazed forth. Now you perceive the Vedas. Indeed, dear one, mind is made of food, breath is made of water, and speech is made of fire. He understood this, he understood this.
उद्दालको हारुणिः श्वेतकेतुं पुत्रमुवाच स्वप्नान्तं मे सोम्य विजानीहीति यत्रैतत्पुरुषः स्वपिति नाम सता सोम्य तदा सम्पन्नो भवति स्वमपीतो भवति तस्मादेनँ स्वपितीत्याचक्षते स्वँह्यपीतो भवति
Uddalaka Aruni said to his son Svetaketu: 'My dear, understand the state of sleep. When this person sleeps, he becomes united with Being, he attains his own nature. Therefore, they say, “he sleeps,” for he has gone to his own self.'
स यथा शकुनिः सूत्रेण प्रबद्धो दिशं दिशं पतित्वान्यत्रायतनमलब्ध्वा बन्धनमेवोपश्रयत एवमेव खलु सोम्य तन्मनो दिशं दिशं पतित्वान्यत्रायतनमलब्ध्वा प्राणमेवोपश्रयते प्राणबन्धनँ हि सोम्य मन इति
Just as a bird, tied by a string, flies in every direction and, not finding a place to rest, returns to where it is bound, so too, dear one, the mind, after roaming in every direction, not finding a place to rest, returns to the vital breath; for the mind, dear one, is bound to the vital breath.
अशनापिपासे मे सोम्य विजानीहीति यत्रैतत्पुरुषोऽशिशिषति नामाप एव तदशितं नयन्ते तद्यथा गोनायोऽश्वनायः पुरुषनाय इत्येवं तदप आचक्षतेऽशनायेति तत्रितच्छुङ्गमुत्पतितँ सोम्य विजानीहि नेदममूलं भविष्यतीति
Understand, my dear, the states of hunger and thirst. When this person eats, the waters carry what is eaten to the appropriate place. Just as cows, horses, and humans are called by their respective names, so too, the waters are called 'food.' From this, the shoot arises. Understand, my dear, that this does not arise without a root.
तस्य क्व मूलँ स्यादन्यत्रान्नादेवमेव खलु सोम्यान्नेन शुङ्गेनापो मूलमन्विच्छाद्भिः सोम्य शुङ्गेन तेजोमूलमन्विच्छ तेजसा सोम्य शुङ्गेन सन्मूलमन्विच्छ सन्मूलाः सोम्येमाः सर्वाः प्रजाः सदायतनाः सत्प्रतिष्ठाः
Where could its root be, except in food? Thus, my dear, by means of the shoot, seek the root in food; by means of the shoot, seek the root in fire; by means of the shoot, seek the root in Being. All these creatures, my dear, have Being as their root, Being as their abode, Being as their foundation.