विज्ञानात्मा सह देवैश्च सर्वैः प्राणा भुतानि संप्रतिष्ठन्ति यत्र तदक्षरं वेदयते यस्तु सोम्य स सर्वज्ञः सर्वमेवाविवेशेति
The self of knowledge, together with all the deities, and the life-breaths and beings, are established where one knows that imperishable, O gentle one. He becomes all-knowing and enters into all.
इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि चतुर्थः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं शैब्यः सत्यकामः पप्रच्छ । स यो ह वै तद्भगवन्मनुष्येषु प्रायणान्तमोङ्कारमभिध्यायीत । कतमं वाव स तेन लोकं जयतीति । तस्मै स होवाच
Thus ends the fourth question in the Praśna Upaniṣad. Then Śaibya Satyakāma asked him: 'Venerable sir, if someone among men meditates on Om at the time of death, which world does he conquer by that?' To him he replied:
एतद्वै सत्यकाम परं चापरं च ब्रह्म यदोङ्कारः । तस्माद्विद्वानेतेनैवायतनेनैकतरमन्वेति
O Satyakāma, Om is both the higher and the lower Brahman. Therefore, the knower, by this means, attains one or the other.
स यध्येकमात्रमभिध्यायीत स तेनैव संवेदितस्तूर्णमेव जगत्याभिसंपध्यते । तमृचो मनुष्यलोकमुपनयन्ते स तत्र तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया संपन्नो महिमानमनुभवति
If he meditates on only one measure (of Om), by that alone he is quickly born again on earth. The hymns lead him to the world of men, and there, endowed with austerity, celibacy, and faith, he experiences greatness.
अथ यदि द्विमात्रेण मनसि संपद्यते सोऽन्तरिक्षं यजुर्भिरुन्नीयते सोमलोकम् । स सोमलोके विभुतिमनुभूय पुनरावर्तते
Now, if by means of two measures it is merged in the mind, then he is led to the world of the moon through the Yajur-veda; having experienced greatness in the world of the moon, he returns again.
यः पुनरेतं त्रिमात्रेणोमित्येतेनैवाक्षरेण परं पुरुषमभिध्यायीत स तेजसि सूर्ये संपन्नः । यथा पादोदरस्त्वचा विनिर्मुच्यत एवं ह वै स पाप्मना विनिर्मुक्तः स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकं स एतस्माज्जीवघनात् परात्परं पुरुशयं पुरुषमीक्षते । तदेतौ श्लोकौ भवतः
But whoever meditates upon that Supreme Person with this very syllable, 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 sin; he is led by the Sāma-veda to the world of Brahman, and from that mass of embodied souls, he beholds the Supreme Person, higher than the highest. Concerning this, these verses are recited:
तिस्रो मात्रा मृत्युमत्यः प्रयुक्ता अन्योन्यसक्ताः अनविप्रयुक्ताः । क्रियासु बाह्याभ्यन्तरमध्यमासु सम्यक् प्रयुक्तासु न कम्पते ज्ञः
The three measures, when applied to the mortal, are mutually connected, never separated; in actions—outer, inner, and intermediate—when rightly applied, the knower does not waver.
ऋग्भिरेतं यजुर्भिरन्तरिक्षं सामभिर्यत् तत् कवयो वेदयन्ते । तमोङ्कारेणैवायतनेनान्वेति विद्वान् यत्तच्छान्तमजरममृतमभयं परं चेति
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.
इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि पञ्चमः प्रश्नः ॥ अथ हैनं सुकेशा भारद्वाजः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् हिरण्यनाभः कौसल्यो राजपुत्रो मामुपेत्यैतं प्रश्नमपृच्छत । षोडशकलं भारद्वाज पुरुषं वेत्थ । तमहं कुमारम्ब्रुवं नाहमिमं वेद । यध्यहमिममवेदिषं कथं ते नावक्ष्यमिति । समूलो वा एष परिशुष्यति योऽनृतमभिवदति तस्मान्नार्हम्यनृतं वक्तुम् । स तूष्णीं रथमारुह्य प्रवव्राज । तं त्वा पृच्छामि क्वासौ पुरुष इति
Thus ends the fifth question in the Praśna Upaniṣad. Then Sukeśa Bhāradvāja asked him: 'Revered sir, Hiraṇyanābha, the prince of Kosala, approached me and asked this question: "O Bhāradvāja, do you know the person with sixteen parts?" I said to the youth, "I do not know this." For if I had known, how could I not have told you? Whoever speaks falsehood with its root dries up; therefore, I must not speak untruth. He mounted his chariot in silence and departed. Now I ask you: Where is that person?'
तस्मै स होवाच । इहैइवान्तःशरीरे सोभ्य स पुरुषो यस्मिन्नताः षोडशकलाः प्रभवन्तीति
To him he replied: 'Here itself, within the body, O good man, is that person in whom these sixteen parts arise.'
स ईक्षाचक्रे । कस्मिन्नहमुत्क्रान्त उत्क्रान्तो भविष्यामि कस्मिन्वा प्रतिष्टिते प्रतिष्टस्यामीति
He considered: 'On departing from which shall I depart? On remaining in which shall I remain?'
स प्राणमसृजत प्राणाच्छ्रद्धां खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवीन्द्रियं मनः । अन्नमन्नाद्वीर्यं तपो मन्त्राः कर्म लोका लोकेषु च नाम च
He created the vital force; from the vital force, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, the senses, and the mind; food, from food virility, austerity, Vedic hymns, actions, worlds, and in the worlds, names.
स यथेमा नध्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रायणाः समुद्रं प्राप्यास्तं गच्छन्ति भिध्येते तासां नामरुपे समुद्र इत्येवं प्रोच्यते । एवमेवास्य परिद्रष्टुरिमाः षोडशकलाः पुरुषायणाः पुरुषं प्राप्यास्तं गच्छन्ति भिध्येते चासां नामरुपे पुरुष इत्येवं प्रोच्यते स एषोऽकलोऽमृतो भवति तदेष श्लोकः
Just as these flowing rivers, destined for the ocean, upon reaching the ocean are dissolved, their names and forms are lost and only the ocean is spoken of, so too these sixteen parts, destined for the person, upon reaching the person are dissolved, their names and forms are lost and only the person is spoken of. He becomes partless and immortal. Concerning this, there is this verse:
अरा इव रथनाभौ कला यस्मिन्प्रतिष्टिताः । तं वेध्यं पुरुषं वेद यथ मा वो मृत्युः परिव्यथा इति
Like the spokes in the hub of a wheel, the parts are established in him; know that person, so that death may not trouble you.
तान् होवाचैतावदेवाहमेतत् परं ब्रह्म वेद । नातः परमस्तीति
He said to them: 'Thus far alone do I know this Supreme Brahman; there is nothing higher than this.'
ते तमर्चयन्तस्त्वं हि नः पिता योऽस्माकमविध्यायाः परं परं तारयसीति । नमः परमऋषिभ्यो नमः परमऋषिभ्यः
They worshipped him, saying: 'You indeed are our father, who lead us beyond ignorance to the supreme beyond. Salutation to the great seers, salutation to the great seers.'