Kaushitaki Upanishad

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष प्रतिश्रुत्कायां पुरुषस्तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा द्वितीयोऽनपग इति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते विन्दते द्वितीयाद्द्वितीयवान्भवति

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the person in the echo; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is the second, the inseparable. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way attains the second, and becomes possessed of a second.

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष शब्दः पुरुषमन्वेति तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा असुरिति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते नो एव स्वयं नास्य प्रजा पुरा कालात्संमोहमेति

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the sound that follows the person; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is the Asura. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way, he himself does not have progeny before the proper time, but comes to confusion.

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष च्छायापुरुषस्तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा मृत्युरिति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते नो एव स्वयं नास्य प्रजा पुरा कालात्प्रमीयते

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the shadow-person; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is death. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way, he himself does not have progeny before the proper time, but perishes.

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष शारीरः पुरुषस्तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठाः प्रजापतिरिति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते प्रजायते प्रजया पशुभिः

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the person in the body; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is Prajāpati. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way is born with offspring and cattle.

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष प्राज्ञ आत्मा येनैतत्पुरुषः सुप्तः स्वप्नमाचरति तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा यमो राजेति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते सर्वं हास्मा इदं श्रैष्ठ्याय गम्यते

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the intelligent self by which this person, when asleep, experiences dreams; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is Yama, he is the king. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way, all this indeed is attained for his excellence.

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष दक्षिणेऽक्षन्पुरुषस्तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा नाम्न आत्माऽग्नेरात्मा ज्योतिष आत्मेति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्त एतेषां सर्वेषामात्मा भवति

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the person in the right eye; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is the self of name, the self of fire, the self of light. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way becomes the self of all these.

स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष सव्येऽक्षन्पुरुषस्तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठाः सत्यस्यात्मा विद्युत आत्मा तेजस आत्मेति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्त एतेषां सर्वेषामात्मा भवतीति

He said: 'O Bālākī, this indeed is the person in the left eye; him alone I meditate upon.' Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate; he is the self of truth, the self of lightning, the self of brilliance. But I meditate upon him thus.' Whoever meditates upon him in this way becomes the self of all these.

तत उ ह बालाकिस्तूष्णीमास तं होवाचाजातशत्रुरेतावन्नु बालाका३इ इत्येतावद्धीति होवाच बालाकिस्तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मृषा वै किल मा समवादयिष्ठा ब्रह्म ते ब्रवाणीति । स होवाच यो वै बालाक एतेषां पुरुषाणां कर्ता यस्य वैतत्कर्म स वै वेदितव्य इति तत उ ह बालाकिः समित्पाणिः प्रतिचक्रामोपायानीति तं होवाचजातशत्रुः प्रतिलोमरूपमेव स्याद्यत्क्षत्रियो ब्राह्मणमुपनयेत् । एहि व्येव त्वा ज्ञपयिष्यामीति तं ह पाणावभिपद्य प्रवव्राज तौ ह सुप्तं पुरुषमीयतुस्तं हाजातशत्रुरामन्त्रयांचक्रे । बृहत्पाण्डरवासः सोमराजन्निति । स उ ह तूष्णीमेव शिश्ये । तत उ हैनं यष्ट्याविचिक्षेप स तत एव समुत्तस्थौ तं होवाचाजातशत्रुः । क्वैष एतद्वालोके पुरुषोऽशयिष्ट क्वैतदभूत्कुत एतदागा३दिति । तत उ ह बालाकिर्न विजज्ञौ

Then Bālākī fell silent. Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Is this all, O Bālākī?' 'This is all,' he replied. Ajātaśatru said: 'In vain have you meditated; I will tell you about Brahman.' He said: 'Whoever is the maker of these persons, whose work this is, he indeed is to be known.' Then Bālākī, with fuel in hand, approached him for instruction. Ajātaśatru said: 'It would be a reversal if a Kṣatriya were to instruct a Brāhmaṇa. Come, I will teach you.' He took his hand and set out. They approached a man who was asleep. Ajātaśatru called to him: 'O king Soma, clothed in white!' But he remained silent, lying there. Then he struck him with a stick, and he immediately rose. Ajātaśatru asked: 'Where was this person who was in this body? Where did he go, from where did he return?' Bālākī did not know.

तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्यत्रैष एतद्बालाके पुरुषोऽशयिष्ट यत्रैतदभूद्यत एतदागाद्धिता नाम हृदयस्य नाड्यो हृदयात्पुरीततमभिप्रतन्वन्ति तद्यथा सहस्रधा केशो विपाटितस्तावदण्व्यः पिङ्गलस्याणिम्ना तिष्ठन्ति । शुक्लस्य कृष्णस्य पीतस्य लोहितस्येति तासु तदा भवति । यदा सुप्तः स्वप्नं न कञ्चन पश्यत्यस्मिन्प्राण एवैकधा भवति तथैनं वाक्सर्वैर्नामभिः सहाप्येति चक्षुः सर्वै रूपैः सहाप्येति श्रोत्रं सर्वैः शब्दैः सहाप्येति मनः सर्वैर्ध्यातैः सहाप्येति स यदा प्रतिबुध्यते यथाग्नेर्ज्वलतो सर्वा दिशो विस्फुलिङ्गा विप्रतिष्ठेरन्नेवमेवैतस्मादात्मनः प्राणा यथायतनं विप्रतिष्ठन्ते प्राणेभ्यो देवा देवेभ्यो लोकास्तद्यथा क्षुरः क्षुरध्यानेऽवहितः स्याद्विश्वंभरो वा विश्वंभरकुलाय एवमेवैष प्राज्ञ आत्मेदं शरीरमात्मानमनुप्रविष्ट आ लोमभ्य आ नखेभ्यः

Ajātaśatru said to him: 'Where this person was lying, where he was, from where he returned—there are the arteries of the heart, called hitā, which extend from the heart to the periphery. Just as a thousandfold hair is split, so are the arteries, standing as fine as a hair of a tawny ram. They are white, black, yellow, red; in them he dwells. When one is asleep and does not see any dream, then he becomes one with the vital breath alone. Then speech, with all names, enters into him; the eye, with all forms, enters into him; the ear, with all sounds, enters into him; the mind, with all thoughts, enters into him. When he awakens, just as from a blazing fire sparks fly in all directions, so from this self the vital breaths go forth to their respective places. From the vital breaths, the gods; from the gods, the worlds. Just as a razor placed in its case or a spider in its web, so this intelligent self has entered this body, from the hairs to the nails.

तमेतमात्मानमेतमात्मनोऽन्ववस्यति यथा श्रेष्ठिनं स्वास्तद्यथा श्रेष्ठैः स्वैर्भुङ्क्ते यथा वा श्रेष्ठिनं स्वा भुञ्जन्त्येवमेवैष प्राज्ञात्मैतैरात्मभिर्भुङ्क्ते । एवं वै तमात्मानमेत आत्मानो भुञ्जन्ति । स यावद्ध वा इन्द्र एतमात्मानं न विजज्ञे तावदेनमसुरा अभिबभूवुः । स यदा विजज्ञेऽथ हत्वासुरान्विजित्य सर्वेषां देवानां श्रैष्ठ्यं स्वाराज्यमाधिपत्यं परीयाय एवैवं विद्वान्सर्वान्पाप्मनोऽपहत्य सर्वेषां भूतानां श्रैष्ठ्यं स्वाराज्यमाधिपत्यं पर्येति य एवं वेद य एवं वेद

He recognizes this self, this self of his. Just as a master sits at ease, just as a master enjoys with his own people, just as his own people enjoy with the master, so this intelligent self enjoys with these selves. Thus, these selves enjoy this self. As long as Indra did not know this self, the Asuras overpowered him. When he knew it, having slain and conquered the Asuras, he attained supremacy, sovereignty, and lordship over all the gods. In the same way, one who knows thus, having destroyed all evils, attains supremacy, sovereignty, and lordship over all beings—whoever knows thus, whoever knows thus.