The sage, having answered the previous question, spoke gently to his attentive disciples: “Where one realizes that imperishable, O gentle one, there are established the self of knowledge, all the deities, the life-breaths, and all beings. Such a knower becomes all-knowing and enters into all.” Thus, the fourth question of the Praśna Upaniṣad came to its close. Then Śaibya Satyakāma approached the sage with reverence and asked: “Venerable sir, if a person meditates upon Om at the time of death, what world does he attain by that?” The sage replied: “O Satyakāma, Om is both the higher and the lower Brahman. By meditating on Om, the knower attains one or the other.” He continued, “If a person meditates upon only a single measure of Om, by that alone he is quickly reborn on earth. The hymns guide him to the world of men, and there, endowed with austerity, self-restraint, and faith, he experiences greatness. If, however, he meditates with two measures of Om, and this is merged in the mind, he is led through the Yajur-veda to the world of the moon. Having experienced greatness there, he returns again to this world. But whoever meditates upon the Supreme Person with Om in its three measures, he is united with the brilliance of the sun. Just as a snake sheds its skin through the opening of its body, so too is he freed from all sin. Led by the Sāma-veda to the world of Brahman, he, from that assembly of embodied souls, beholds the Supreme Person, who is higher than the highest. Concerning this, verses are recited: ‘The three measures, when applied to the mortal, are interconnected and never separated; in all actions—outer, inner, and intermediate—when rightly applied, the knower does not waver. With the Ṛg-veda, this is attained; with the Yajur-veda, the intermediate space; with the Sāma-veda, that which the wise discern. By Om alone as the means, the knower attains that which is peaceful, ageless, immortal, fearless, and supreme.’” With these words, the sage concluded the fifth question. Then Sukeśa Bhāradvāja approached and asked: “Revered sir, Hiraṇyanābha, prince of Kosala, once came to me and asked, ‘O Bhāradvāja, do you know the person with sixteen parts?’ I told him, ‘I do not know.’ For if I had known, how could I have withheld it? Whoever speaks falsehood withers at the root; therefore, I must not speak untruth. The prince mounted his chariot in silence and departed. Now I ask you: Where is that person?” The sage answered: “Here itself, within the body, O good man, is the person in whom these sixteen parts arise. He considered, ‘On departing from which shall I depart? On remaining in which shall I remain?’ He created the vital force; from the vital force, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, the senses, and the mind; from the mind, food; from food, virility; from virility, austerity; from austerity, Vedic hymns; from hymns, actions; from actions, worlds; and in the worlds, names. Just as rivers, flowing towards the ocean, on reaching it are dissolved and lose their names and forms, so too, these sixteen parts, destined for the person, are dissolved upon reaching him. Their names and forms are lost, and only the person remains—partless and immortal. Regarding this, a verse is recited: ‘As the spokes are fixed in the hub of a wheel, so are all these parts established in him. Know that person, so that death may not trouble you.’ The sage then said to the gathered students, ‘Thus far alone do I know of this Supreme Brahman; there is nothing higher than this.’ The disciples, filled with gratitude, worshipped him, saying: ‘You indeed are our father, who has led us beyond ignorance to the supreme beyond. Salutations to the great seers, salutations to the great seers.