1. Aitareya Upanishad
full text Sanskrit/ English / Transliterated
2. Aitareya Upanishad | by Shankara
Aitareya Upanishad
Aitareya Upanishad
.. ऐतरेय उपनिषत् ..
.. aitareya upaniṣat ..
Aitareya Upanishad is contained in the Ṛig Veda and forms a part of the Aitareya Āraṇyaka. The Aitareya Upanishad is a short prose text, divided into three chapters, containing 33 verses. It comprises the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the second book of the older Vedic text, Aitareya Āraṇyaka. It is one of the oldest and so called Classical 11 Upanishads.
Part I
Chapter II , verse ... 1 2 3 4 5
Chapter III , verse ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Part II
Chapter I , verse ... 1 2 3 4 5 6
Part III
ॐ वाङ् मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता ।
मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
आविराविर्म एधि ।
वेदस्य म आणीस्थः ।
श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीः
अनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान्सन्दधामि ।
auṁ vāṅ me manasi pratiṣṭhitā |
mano me vāci pratiṣṭhitam |
āvirāvirma edhi |
vedasya ma āṇīsthaḥ |
śrutaṁ me mā prahāsīḥ
anenādhītenāhorātrānsandadhāmi |
Om, Let My Speech be Established in My Mind,
Let My Mind be Established in My Speech,
Let the Knowledge of the Self-Manifest Atman Grow in Me,
Let My Mind and Speech be the Support
to Experience the Knowledge of the Vedas,
Let what is Heard by Me (from the Vedas) be Not a mere Appearance ...
... but what is Gained by Studying Day and Night be Retained.
ऋतं वदिष्यामि ।
सत्यं वदिष्यामि ।
तन्मामवतु ।
तद्वक्तारमवतु ।
अवतु माम् ।
अवतु वक्तारामवतु वक्तारम् ॥
ṛtaṁ vadiṣyāmi |
satyaṁ vadiṣyāmi |
tanmāmavatu |
tadvaktāramavatu |
avatu mām |
avatu vaktārāmavatu vaktāram ||
I Speak about the Divine Truth,
I Speak about the Absolute Truth,
May That Protect Me,
May That Protect the Preceptor,
May that Protect Me,
May that Protect the Preceptor,
May that Protect the Preceptor,
.. ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः..
.. auṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ..
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!
Part One
Chapter I: The Creation of Virāt
.. अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये प्रथमः खण्डः ..
.. atha aitareyopaniṣadi prathamādhyāye prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ..
ॐ आत्मा वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीन्नान्यत्किंचन मिषत् . स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति .. १..
auṁ ātmā vā idameka evāgra āsīnnānyatkiṁcana miṣat . sa īkṣata lokānnu sṛjā iti .. 1..
In the beginning [all] this verily was Ātman only,
one and without a second.
There was nothing else that winked.
He bethought Himself: “Let Me now create the worlds.”
स इमाँ ल्लोकानसृजत . अम्भो मरीचीर्मापोऽदोऽम्भः परेण दिवं द्यौः प्रतिष्ठाऽन्तरिक्षं मरीचयः ..
पृथिवी मरो या अधस्तात्त आपः .. २..
sa imāɱ llokānasṛjata . ambho marīcīrmāpo'do'mbhaḥ pareṇa divaṁ dyauḥ pratiṣṭhā'ntarikṣaṁ marīcayaḥ ..
pṛthivī maro yā adhastātta āpaḥ .. 2..
He created these worlds:
Ambhah (the world of water-bearing clouds),
Marīchi (the world of the solar rays),
Mara (the world of mortals),
and Āp (the world of waters).
Yon is ambhah, above heaven;
heaven is its support.
The Marichis are the interspace.
Mara is the earth.
What is underneath is Āp.
स ईक्षतेमे नु लोका लोकपालान्नु सृजा इति .. सोऽद्भ्य एव पुरुषं समुद्धृत्यामूर्छयत् .. ३..
sa īkṣateme nu lokā lokapālānnu sṛjā iti .. so'dbhya eva puruṣaṁ samuddhṛtyāmūrchayat .. 3..
He bethought Himself:
“Here now are the worlds.
Let Me now create world-guardians.”
right from the waters He drew forth the Person
[in the form of a lump] and gave Him a shape.
तमभ्यतपत्तस्याभितप्तस्य मुखं निरभिद्यत यथाऽण्डं मुखाद्वाग्वाचोऽग्निर्नासिके निरभिद्येतं नासिकाभ्यां प्राणः .. प्राणाद्वायुरक्षिणी निरभिद्येतमक्षीभ्यां चक्षुश्चक्षुष आदित्यः कर्णौ निरभिद्येतां कर्णाभ्यां श्रोत्रं श्रोत्रद्दिशस्त्वङ्निरभिद्यत त्वचो लोमानि लोमभ्य ओषधिवनस्पतयो
हृदयं निरभिद्यत हृदयान्मनो मनसश्चन्द्रमा नाभिर्निरभिद्यत नाभ्या अपानोऽपानान्मृत्युः
शिश्नं निरभिद्यत शिश्नाद्रेतो रेतस आपः .. ४..
tamabhyatapattasyābhitaptasya mukhaṁ nirabhidyata yathā'ṇḍaṁ mukhādvāgvāco'gnirnāsike nirabhidyetaṁ nāsikābhyāṁ prāṇaḥ .. prāṇādvāyurakṣiṇī nirabhidyetamakṣībhyāṁ cakṣuścakṣuṣa ādityaḥ karṇau nirabhidyetāṁ karṇābhyāṁ śrotraṁ śrotraddiśastvaṅnirabhidyata tvaco lomāni lomabhya oṣadhivanaspatayo
hṛdayaṁ nirabhidyata hṛdayānmano manasaścandramā nābhirnirabhidyata nābhyā apāno'pānānmṛtyuḥ
śiśnaṁ nirabhidyata śiśnādreto retasa āpaḥ .. 4..
He Brooded over Him (the lump). From Him, so brooded over,
the mouth was separated out, as with an egg;
from the mouth, [the organ of] speech;
from speech, fire (the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the nostrils were separated out;
from the nostrils, [the organ of] breath (prāṇa);
from breath, air (the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the eyes were separated out;
from the eyes, [the organ of] sight (cakṣuḥ);
from sight, the sun (the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the ears were separated out;
from the ears, [the organ of] hearing (śrotra);
from hearing, the quarters of space (the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the skin was separated out;
from the skin, hairs (i.e. the organ of touch);
from the hairs, plants and trees
(i.e. air, the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the heart was separated out;
from the heart, [the organ of] the mind (manas);
from the mind, the moon (the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the navel was separated out;
from the navel, the [organ of] the apāna;
from the apāna, Death (i.e. Varuṇa, the controlling deity of the organ).
Then the virile member was separated out;
from the virile member, semen (the organ of generation);
from semen, the waters (the controlling deity of the organ).
.. इत्यैतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये प्रथमः खण्डः ..
.. ityaitareyopaniṣadi prathamādhyāye prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ..
Chapter II: Cosmic Powers in the Human Body
.. अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये द्वितीयः खण्डः ..
.. atha aitareyopaniṣadi prathamādhyāye dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ..
ता एता देवताः सृष्टा अस्मिन्महत्यर्णवे प्रापतन् . तमशनापिपासाभ्यामन्ववार्जत् . ता
एनमब्रुवन्नायतनं नः प्रजानीहि यस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठिता अन्नमदामेति .. १..
tā etā devatāḥ sṛṣṭā asminmahatyarṇave prāpatan . tamaśanāpipāsābhyāmanvavārjat . tā
enamabruvannāyatanaṁ naḥ prajānīhi yasminpratiṣṭhitā annamadāmeti .. 1..
These Deities, thus created, fell into this great ocean.
He (the Creator) subjected that Person
(i.e. Virāt in the form of a lump) to hunger and thirst.
They (the deities) said to Him (the Creator):
“Find out for us an abode wherein being established we may eat food.”
ताभ्यो गामानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति .
ताभ्योऽश्वमानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति .. २..
ताभ्यः पुरुषमानयत्ता अब्रुवन् सुकृतं बतेति पुरुषो वाव सुकृतम् .
ता अब्रवीद्यथायतनं प्रविशतेति .. ३..
tābhyo gāmānayattā abruvanna vai no'yamalamiti .
tābhyo'śvamānayattā abruvanna vai no'yamalamiti .. 2..
tābhyaḥ puruṣamānayattā abruvan sukṛtaṁ bateti puruṣo vāva sukṛtam .
tā abravīdyathāyatanaṁ praviśateti .. 3..
He (the Creator) brought them a cow.
They said: “But this is not enough for us.”
He brought them a horse.
They said: “This, too, is not enough for us.”
He brought them a person.
The deities said: “Ah, this is well done, indeed.”
Therefore a person is verily something well done.
He said to the deities: “Now enter your respective abodes.”
अग्निर्वाग्भूत्वा मुखं प्राविशद्वायुः प्राणो भूत्वा नासिके प्राविशदादित्यश्चक्षुर्भूत्वाऽक्षिणी प्राविशाद्दिशः श्रोत्रं भूत्वा कर्णौ प्राविशन्नोषधिवनस्पतयो लोमानि भूत्वा त्वचंप्राविशंश्चन्द्रमा मनो भूत्वा हृदयं प्राविशन्मृत्युरपानो भूत्वा नाभिं प्राविशदापो रेतो भूत्वा शिश्नं प्राविशन् .. ४..
agnirvāgbhūtvā mukhaṁ prāviśadvāyuḥ prāṇo bhūtvā nāsike prāviśadādityaścakṣurbhūtvā'kṣiṇī prāviśāddiśaḥ śrotraṁ bhūtvā karṇau prāviśannoṣadhivanaspatayo lomāni bhūtvā tvacaṁprāviśaṁścandramā mano bhūtvā hṛdayaṁ prāviśanmṛtyurapāno bhūtvā nābhiṁ prāviśadāpo reto bhūtvā śiśnaṁ prāviśan .. 4..
[The deity] fire became [the organ of] speech and entered the mouth.
Air became breath and entered the nostrils.
The sun became sight and entered the eyes.
The quarters of space became hearing and entered the ears.
Plants and trees (i.e. the deity air) became hairs and entered the skin.
The moon became the mind and entered the heart.
Death became the apāna and entered the navel.
The waters became semen and entered the virile member.
तमशनायापिपासे अब्रूतामावाभ्यामभिप्रजानीहीति ते अब्रवीदेतास्वेव वां देवतास्वाभजाम्येतासु भागिन्न्यौ करोमीति . तस्माद्यस्यै कस्यै च देवतायै हविगृर्ह्यते भागिन्यावेवास्यामशनायापिपासे
भवतः .. ५..
tamaśanāyāpipāse abrūtāmāvābhyāmabhiprajānīhīti te abravīdetāsveva vāṁ devatāsvābhajāmyetāsu bhāginnyau karomīti . tasmādyasyai kasyai ca devatāyai havigṛrhyate bhāginyāvevāsyāmaśanāyāpipāse
bhavataḥ .. 5..
Hunger and thirst said to the Creator:
“For the two of us find an abode also.”
He said to them:
“I assign the two of you to these deities;
I make you co-sharers with them.”
Therefore to whatsoever deity an oblation is made,
hunger and thirst become sharers in it.
.. इत्यैतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये द्वितीयः खण्डः ..
.. ityaitareyopaniṣadi prathamādhyāye dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ..
Chapter III: The Embodiment of the Supreme Self
.. अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये तृतीयः खण्डः ..
.. atha aitareyopaniṣadi prathamādhyāye tṛtīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ..
स ईक्षतेमे नु लोकाश्च लोकपालाश्चान्नमेभ्यः सृजा इति .. १..
sa īkṣateme nu lokāśca lokapālāścānnamebhyaḥ sṛjā iti .. 1..
He (the Creator) bethought Himself:
“Here now are the worlds and the world-guardians.
Let Me create food for them.”
सोऽपोऽभ्यतपत्ताभ्योऽभितप्ताभ्यो मूर्तिरजायत .
या वै सा मूर्तिरजायतान्नं वै तत् .. २..
so'po'bhyatapattābhyo'bhitaptābhyo mūrtirajāyata .
yā vai sā mūrtirajāyatānnaṁ vai tat .. 2..
He brooded over the waters.
From the waters, thus brooded over,
there emerged a [condensed] form.
The form that so emerged is indeed food.
तदेनत्सृष्टं पराङ्त्यजिघांसत्तद्वाचाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोद्वाचा ग्रहीतुम् .
स यद्धैनद्वाचाऽग्रहैष्यदभिव्याहृत्य हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् .. ३..
tadenatsṛṣṭaṁ parāṅtyajighāṁsattadvācā'jighṛkṣat tannāśaknodvācā grahītum .
sa yaddhainadvācā'grahaiṣyadabhivyāhṛtya haivānnamatrapsyat .. 3..
The food so created wished to flee away.
He sought to grasp it with speech.
But He was not able to grasp it with speech.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with speech,
one would then have been satisfied by merely uttering [the word] food.
तत्प्राणेनाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोत्प्राणेन ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनत्प्राणेनाग्रहैष्यदभिप्राण्य
हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् .. ४..
tatprāṇenājighṛkṣat tannāśaknotprāṇena grahītuṁ sa yaddhainatprāṇenāgrahaiṣyadabhiprāṇya
haivānnamatrapsyat .. 4..
[The Creator] sought to grasp it with the breath.
But He was not able to gasp it with the breath.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with the breath,
one would then have been satisfied by merely smelling food.
तच्चक्षुषाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्चक्षुषा ग्रहीतु/न् स यद्धैनच्चक्षुषाऽग्रहैष्यद्दृष्ट्वा हैवानमत्रप्स्यत् .. ५..
taccakṣuṣā'jighṛkṣat tannāśaknoccakṣuṣā grahītu/n sa yaddhainaccakṣuṣā'grahaiṣyaddṛṣṭvā haivānamatrapsyat .. 5..
He sought to grasp it with the eye.
But He was not able to grasp it with the eye.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with the eye,
one would then have been satisfied by merely seeing food.
तच्छ्रोत्रेणाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्छ्रोत्रेण ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनच्छ्रोतेणाग्रहैष्यच्छ्रुत्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् .. ६..
tacchrotreṇājighṛkṣat tannāśaknocchrotreṇa grahītuṁ sa yaddhainacchroteṇāgrahaiṣyacchrutvā haivānnamatrapsyat .. 6..
He sought to grasp it with the ear.
But He was not able to grasp it with the ear.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with the ear,
one would then have been satisfied by merely hearing of food.
तत्त्वचाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोत्त्वचा ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनत्त्वचाऽग्रहैष्यत् स्पृष्ट्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् .. ७..
tattvacā'jighṛkṣat tannāśaknottvacā grahītuṁ sa yaddhainattvacā'grahaiṣyat spṛṣṭvā haivānnamatrapsyat .. 7..
He sought to grasp it with the skin.
But He was not able to grasp it with the skin.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with the skin,
one would then have been satisfied by merely touching food.
तन्मनसाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोन्मनसा ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनन्मनसाऽग्रहैष्यद्ध्यात्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् .. ८..
tanmanasā'jighṛkṣat tannāśaknonmanasā grahītuṁ sa yaddhainanmanasā'grahaiṣyaddhyātvā haivānnamatrapsyat .. 8..
He sought to grasp it with the mind.
But He was not able to grasp it with the mind.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with the mind,
one would then have been satisfied by merely thinking of food.
तच्छिश्नेनाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्छिश्नेन ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनच्छिश्नेनाग्रहैष्यद्वित्सृज्य हैवानमत्रप्स्यत् .. ९..
tacchiśnenājighṛkṣat tannāśaknocchiśnena grahītuṁ sa yaddhainacchiśnenāgrahaiṣyadvitsṛjya haivānamatrapsyat .. 9..
He sought to grasp it with the virile member.
But He was not able to grasp it with the virile member.
If, indeed, He had grasped it with the virile member,
one would then have been satisfied by merely emitting food.
तदपानेनाजिघृक्षत् तदावयत् सैषोऽन्नस्य ग्रहो यद्वायुरनायुवार् एष यद्वायुः .. १०..
tadapānenājighṛkṣat tadāvayat saiṣo'nnasya graho yadvāyuranāyuvār eṣa yadvāyuḥ ..
He sought to grasp it with the apāna and He grasped it.
This grasper of food is what vāyu (air, or prāṇa) is.
This vāyu is what lives on food.
स ईक्षत कथं न्विदं मदृते स्यादिति स ईक्षत कतरेण प्रपद्या इति .
स ईक्षत यदि वाचाऽभिव्याहृतं यदि प्राणेनाभिप्राणितं यदि चक्षुषा दृष्टं यदि श्रोत्रेण श्रुतं
यदि त्वचा स्पृष्टं यदि मनसा ध्यातं यद्यपानेनाभ्यपानितं यदि शिश्नेन विसृष्टमथ
कोऽहमिति .. ११..
sa īkṣata kathaṁ nvidaṁ madṛte syāditi sa īkṣata katareṇa prapadyā iti .
sa īkṣata yadi vācā'bhivyāhṛtaṁ yadi prāṇenābhiprāṇitaṁ yadi cakṣuṣā dṛṣṭaṁ yadi śrotreṇa śrutaṁ
yadi tvacā spṛṣṭaṁ yadi manasā dhyātaṁ yadyapānenābhyapānitaṁ yadi śiśnena visṛṣṭamatha
ko'hamiti .. 11..
He (the Creator) bethought Himself:
“How could this [aggregate of body and organs] exist without Me?”
Then He said to Himself: “Which way shall I enter it?”
He said to Himself further:
“If speech is uttered by the organ of speech,
if smelling is done by the breath (prāṇa),
seeing by the eyes, hearing by the ears,
touching by the skin, thinking by the mind, eating by the apāna,
and the emission [of semen] by the virile member,
then who am I?”
स एतमेव सीमानं विदर्यैतया द्वारा प्रापद्यत . सैषा विदृतिर्नाम द्वास्तदेतन्नाऽन्दनम् .
तस्य त्रय आवसथास्त्रयः स्वप्ना अयमावसथोऽयमावसथोऽयमावसथ इति .. १२..
sa etameva sīmānaṁ vidaryaitayā dvārā prāpadyata . saiṣā vidṛtirnāma dvāstadetannā'ndanam .
tasya traya āvasathāstrayaḥ svapnā ayamāvasatho'yamāvasatho'yamāvasatha iti .. 12..
So, piercing the end
(i.e. the place where the parting of the hair ends),
the Lord entered through that door.
That door is known as the vidṛti, the cleft.
This is the place of bliss.
Ātman [thus embodied] has three abodes, three conditions of sleep.
This is one abode, this is another, this is the third.
स जातो भूतान्यभिव्यैख्यत् किमिहान्यं वावदिषदिति .स एतमेव पुरुषं ब्रह्म ततममपश्यत् .
इदमदर्शनमिती ३ .. १३..
sa jāto bhūtānyabhivyaikhyat kimihānyaṁ vāvadiṣaditi .sa etameva puruṣaṁ brahma tatamamapaśyat .
idamadarśanamitī .. 13..
Having been born as the jīva,
He realized the elements (bhūtas) as one with Himself
[and expressed this in words].
What else here would one desire to speak about?
He perceived this very person as the all-pervading Brahman.
He said: “Ah, I have seen It.”
तस्मादिदन्द्रो नामेदन्द्रो ह वै नाम . तमिदन्द्रं सन्तमिंद्र इत्याचक्षते परोक्षेण .
परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः .. १४..
tasmādidandro nāmedandro ha vai nāma . tamidandraṁ santamiṁdra ityācakṣate parokṣeṇa .
parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ .. 14..
Therefore He (the Supreme Self) is called Idandra.
Idandra, indeed, is His name.
Him who is Idandra they call indirectly Indra.
For the gods appear to be fond of cryptic epithets;
yea, the gods appear to be fond of cryptic epithets.
.. इत्यैतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये तृतीयः खण्डः ..
.. ityaitareyopaniṣadi prathamādhyāye tṛtīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ..
Part Two
Chapter I: The Three Births of the Self
.. अथ ऐतरोपनिषदि द्वितीयोध्यायः ..
.. atha aitaropaniṣadi dvitīyodhyāyaḥ ..
ॐ पुरुषे ह वा अयमादितो गर्भो भवति यदेतद्रेतः .तदेतत्सर्वेभ्योऽङ्गेभ्यस्तेजः संभूतमात्मन्येवऽऽत्मानं बिभर्ति तद्यदा स्त्रियां सिञ्चत्यथैनज्जनयति तदस्य प्रथमं जन्म .. १..
auṁ puruṣe ha vā ayamādito garbho bhavati yadetadretaḥ .tadetatsarvebhyo'ṅgebhyastejaḥ saṁbhūtamātmanyeva''tmānaṁ bibharti tadyadā striyāṁ siñcatyathainajjanayati tadasya prathamaṁ janma .. 1..
This [person] is, at first, the germ in a man.
That which is the semen is here called the germ.
This semen is the vigour (tejas) drawn from all limbs.
The man bears the self (i.e. the semen) in the self (i.e. the body).
When he pours the semen into a woman, he gives it a birth.
This, indeed, is the first birth of the embodied soul.
तत्स्त्रिया आत्मभूयं गच्छति यथा स्वमङ्गं तथा . तस्मादेनां न हिनस्ति .
साऽस्यैतमात्मानमत्र गतं भावयति .. २..
tatstriyā ātmabhūyaṁ gacchati yathā svamaṅgaṁ tathā . tasmādenāṁ na hinasti .
sā'syaitamātmānamatra gataṁ bhāvayati .. 2..
That semen becomes one with the woman—
just like a limb of her own.
That is why it does not hurt her.
She nourishes this self of his that has come into her.
सा भावयित्री भावयितव्या भवति . तं स्त्री गर्भ बिभर्ति . सोऽग्र एव कुमारं जन्मनोऽग्रेऽधिभावयति .
स यत्कुमारं जन्मनोऽग्रेऽधिभावयत्यात्मानमेव तद्भावयत्येषं लोकानां सन्तत्या .
एवं सन्तता हीमे लोकास्तदस्य द्वितीयं जन्म .. ३..
sā bhāvayitrī bhāvayitavyā bhavati . taṁ strī garbha bibharti . so'gra eva kumāraṁ janmano'gre'dhibhāvayati .
sa yatkumāraṁ janmano'gre'dhibhāvayatyātmānameva tadbhāvayatyeṣaṁ lokānāṁ santatyā .
evaṁ santatā hīme lokāstadasya dvitīyaṁ janma .. 3..
She, being the nourisher, should be nourished [by her husband].
The woman nourishes the embryo.
Immediately after its birth he (the father)
nourishes [with natal ceremonies] the child,
which in the beginning was already born [as the embryo].
Nourishing the child from birth onward,
he thus nourishes himself for the continuation of these worlds.
For thus alone are these worlds perpetuated.
This is one’s second birth.
सोऽस्यायमात्मा पुण्येभ्यः कर्मभ्यः प्रतिधीयते . अथास्यायामितर आत्मा कृतकृत्यो वयोगतः प्रैति .
स इतः प्रयन्नेव पुनर्जायते तदस्य तृतीयं जन्म .. ४..
so'syāyamātmā puṇyebhyaḥ karmabhyaḥ pratidhīyate . athāsyāyāmitara ātmā kṛtakṛtyo vayogataḥ praiti .
sa itaḥ prayanneva punarjāyate tadasya tṛtīyaṁ janma .. 4..
He (the son) who is the one self (body) of his [father’s]
is made his [father’s] substitute for [performing] virtuous deeds.
Then the other self (body) of his [father’s],
having accomplished his duties and reached his age departs [from this world].
So departing hence, he is born again.
This is his third birth.
तदुक्तमृषिणा गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषामवेदमहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा शतं मा पुर आयसीररक्षन्नधः श्येनो जवसा निरदीयमिति . गर्भ एवैतच्छयानो वामदेव एवमुवाच .. ५..
taduktamṛṣiṇā garbhe nu sannanveṣāmavedamahaṁ devānāṁ janimāni viśvā śataṁ mā pura āyasīrarakṣannadhaḥ śyeno javasā niradīyamiti . garbha evaitacchayāno vāmadeva evamuvāca .. 5..
About this a rishi has said:
“While still lying in the womb,
I came to know all the births of the gods.
A hundred strongholds, as if made of iron, confined me,
yet I burst through them all swiftly, like a hawk.”
Vāmadeva spoke, in this wise, even while lying in the womb.
स एवं विद्वानस्माच्छरीरभेदादूर्ध्व उत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन् स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान् कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत् समभवत् .. ६..
sa evaṁ vidvānasmāccharīrabhedādūrdhva utkramyāmuṣmin svarge loke sarvān kāmānāptvā'mṛtaḥ samabhavat samabhavat .. 6..
Thus endowed with Knowledge,
he, becoming one with the Supreme Self
and soaring aloft on the dissolution of the body,
obtained all desires in the heavenly world
and became immortal—yea, became immortal.
.. इत्यैतरोपनिषदि द्वितीयोध्यायः ..
.. ityaitaropaniṣadi dvitīyodhyāyaḥ ..
Part Three
Chapter I: Concerning the Self
.. अथ ऐतरोपनिषदि तृतीयोध्यायः ..
.. atha aitaropaniṣadi tṛtīyodhyāyaḥ ..
ॐ कोऽयमात्मेति वयमुपास्महे कतरः स आत्मा . येन वा पश्यति येन वा शृणोति येन वा गंधानाजिघ्रति येन वा वाचं व्याकरोति येन वा स्वादु चास्वादु च विजानाति .. १..
auṁ ko'yamātmeti vayamupāsmahe kataraḥ sa ātmā . yena vā paśyati yena vā śṛṇoti yena vā gaṁdhānājighrati yena vā vācaṁ vyākaroti yena vā svādu cāsvādu ca vijānāti .. 1..
Who is he whom we worship, thinking: “This is the Self (Ātman)”?
[Of the two mentioned in the scriptures,] which one is the Self?
Is it He by whom one sees forms, by whom one hears sound,
and by whom one tastes the sweet and the unsweet?
यदेतद्धृदयं मनश्चैतत् . संज्ञानमाज्ञानं विज्ञानं प्रज्ञानं मेधा
दृष्टिधृर्तिमतिर्मनीषा जूतिः स्मृतिः संकल्पः क्रतुरसुः कामो वश इति .
सर्वाण्येवैतानि प्रज्ञानस्य नामधेयानि भवंति .. २..
yadetaddhṛdayaṁ manaścaitat . saṁjñānamājñānaṁ vijñānaṁ prajñānaṁ medhā
dṛṣṭidhṛrtimatirmanīṣā jūtiḥ smṛtiḥ saṁkalpaḥ kraturasuḥ kāmo vaśa iti .
sarvāṇyevaitāni prajñānasya nāmadheyāni bhavaṁti .. 2..
It is the heart and the mind.
It is [known, in accordance with its different functions, as]
consciousness, lordship, knowledge [of arts],
wisdom, retentive power of mind, sense knowledge,
steadfastness, thought, thoughtfulness, sorrow, memory,
concepts, purpose, life, desire, longing [for sense-objects]:
all these are but various names of Consciousness (Prajñānam).
एष ब्रह्मैष इन्द्र एष प्रजापतिरेते सर्वे देवा इमानि च पञ्चमहाभूतानि पृथिवी वायुराकाश आपो
ज्योतींषीत्येतानीमानि च क्षुद्रमिश्राणीव .
बीजानीतराणि चेतराणि चाण्डजानि च जारुजानि च स्वेदजानि चोद्भिज्जानि चाश्वा गावः पुरुषा हस्तिनो यत्किञ्चेदं प्राणि जङ्गमं च पतत्रि च यच्च स्थावरं सर्वं तत्प्रज्ञानेत्रं प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितं प्रज्ञानेत्रो लोकः प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म .. ३..
eṣa brahmaiṣa indra eṣa prajāpatirete sarve devā imāni ca pañcamahābhūtāni pṛthivī vāyurākāśa āpo
jyotīṁṣītyetānīmāni ca kṣudramiśrāṇīva .
bījānītarāṇi cetarāṇi cāṇḍajāni ca jārujāni ca svedajāni codbhijjāni cāśvā gāvaḥ puruṣā hastino yatkiñcedaṁ prāṇi jaṅgamaṁ ca patatri ca yacca sthāvaraṁ sarvaṁ tatprajñānetraṁ prajñāne pratiṣṭhitaṁ prajñānetro lokaḥ prajñā pratiṣṭhā prajñānaṁ brahma .. 3..
He is Brahman, He is Indra, He is Prajāpati; He is all these gods;
He is the five great elements—earth, air, ākāśa, water, light;
He is all these small creatures and the others which are mixed [with them];
He is the origin [of the moving and the unmoving]—
those born of an egg, of a womb, of sweat, and of a sprout;
He is horse, cows, human beings, elephants—whatever breathes here,
whether moving on legs of flying in the air or unmoving.
All this is guided by Consciousness (Prajñānam), is supported by Consciousness.
The basis [of the universe] is Consciousness. Consciousness Is Brahman.
स एतेन प्राज्ञेनाऽऽत्मनाऽस्माल्लोकादुत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन्स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान् कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत् समभवत् .. ४..
sa etena prājñenā''tmanā'smāllokādutkramyāmuṣminsvarge loke sarvān kāmānāptvā'mṛtaḥ samabhavat samabhavat .. 4..
He, [having realized oneness with Pure Consciousness,] soared from this world,
and having obtained all desires in yonder heavenly world,
became immortal—yea, became immortal.
.. इत्यैतरोपनिषदि तृतीयोध्यायः ..
.. ityaitaropaniṣadi tṛtīyodhyāyaḥ ..
ॐ वाङ् मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता ।
मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
आविराविर्म एधि ।
वेदस्य म आणीस्थः ।
श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीः
अनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान्सन्दधामि ।
auṁ vāṅ me manasi pratiṣṭhitā |
mano me vāci pratiṣṭhitam |
āvirāvirma edhi |
vedasya ma āṇīsthaḥ |
śrutaṁ me mā prahāsīḥ
anenādhītenāhorātrānsandadhāmi |
Om, Let My Speech be Established in My Mind,
Let My Mind be Established in My Speech,
Let the Knowledge of the Self-Manifest Atman Grow in Me,
Let My Mind and Speech be the Support
to Experience the Knowledge of the Vedas,
Let what is Heard by Me (from the Vedas) be Not a mere Appearance ...
... but what is Gained by Studying Day and Night be Retained.
ऋतं वदिष्यामि ।
सत्यं वदिष्यामि ।
तन्मामवतु ।
तद्वक्तारमवतु ।
अवतु माम् ।
अवतु वक्तारामवतु वक्तारम् ॥
ṛtaṁ vadiṣyāmi |
satyaṁ vadiṣyāmi |
tanmāmavatu |
tadvaktāramavatu |
avatu mām |
avatu vaktārāmavatu vaktāram ||
I Speak about the Divine Truth,
I Speak about the Absolute Truth,
May That Protect Me,
May That Protect the Preceptor,
May that Protect Me,
May that Protect the Preceptor,
May that Protect the Preceptor,
.. ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः..
.. auṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ..
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!