Aitareya Upanishad
Invocation
Sanskrit
वाङ् मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठितमाविरावीर्म एधि ॥ वेदस्य म आणीस्थः श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीरनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान् सन्दधाम्यृतं वदिष्यामि सत्यं वदिष्यामि ॥ तन्मामवतु तद्वक्तारमवत्ववतु मामवतु वक्तारमवतु वक्तारम् ॥॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
English
Let what I say be grounded in my mind, and let my mind be grounded in what I say. Make yourself visible to me, clearly visible. Let the two of you support my knowledge of the Veda. Don't let me lose what I have learned by listening. With this learning I bring day and night together. I will say what is right. I will tell the truth. Let that protect me and the person teaching me. Let it protect me. Let it protect the teacher. Let it protect the teacher.Om. Peace, peace, peace.
Chapter 1, Section 1
आत्मा वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीन्नान्यत्किञ्चचन । स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति ॥ १ ॥
स इमाँल्लोकानसृजत । अम्भो मरीचीर्मापोऽदोऽम्भः परेण दिवं द्यौः प्रतिष्ठाऽन्तरिक्षं मरीचयः । पृथिवी मरो या अधस्तात्त आपः ॥ २ ॥
स ईक्षतेमे नु लोका लोकपालान्नु सृजा इति ॥ सोऽद्भ्य एव पुरुषं समुद्धृत्यामूर्छयत् ॥ ३ ॥
तमभ्यतपत्तस्याभितप्तस्य मुखं निरभिद्यत यथाऽण्डं मुखाद्वाग्वाचोऽग्निर्नासिके निरभिद्येतं नासिकाभ्यां प्राणः । प्राणाद्वायुरक्षिणी निरभिद्येतमक्षिभ्यां चक्षुश्चक्षुष आदित्यः कर्णौ निरभिद्येतां कर्णाभ्यां श्रोत्रं श्रोत्रद्दिशस्त्वङ्निरभिद्यत त्वचो लोमानि लोमभ्य ओषधिवनस्पतयो हृदयं निरभिद्यत हृदयान्मनो मनसश्चन्द्रमा नाभिर्निरभिद्यत नाभ्या अपानोऽपानान्मृत्युः शिश्नं निरभिद्यत शिश्नाद्रेतो रेतस आपः ॥ ४ ॥
1 At first, everything here was just the Self. There was absolutely nothing else. The Self thought, “I will make worlds.”
2 It made these worlds: Ambhas, the Rays, Mara, and the Waters. The world called Ambhas lies above heaven, with heaven as its base. The space between heaven and earth is the Rays. Earth is Mara. The Waters are below it.
3 The Self thought, “The worlds are here now. I will make their protectors.” It took a human figure out of the waters and shaped it.
4 It heated this figure. Under that heat, the figure's mouth opened like an egg breaking open. Speech came out of the mouth, and fire came from speech. The nostrils opened. Breath came from them, and wind came from breath. The eyes opened. Seeing came from them, and the sun came from seeing. The ears opened. Hearing came from them, and the directions came from hearing. The skin opened. Hair came from the skin, and plants and trees came from hair. The heart opened. The mind came from it, and the moon came from the mind. The navel opened. The downward-moving breath came from it, and death came from that breath. The penis opened. Semen came from it, and water came from semen.
Chapter 1, Section 2
ता एता देवता सृष्टा अस्मिन्महत्यर्णवे प्रापतन् । तमशनापिपासाभ्यामन्ववार्जत् । ता एनमब्रुवन्नायतनं नः प्रजानीहि यस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठिता अन्नमदामेति ॥ १ ॥
ताभ्यो गामानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति । ताभ्योऽश्वमानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति ॥ २ ॥
ताभ्यः पुरुषमानयत्ता अब्रुवन् सुकृतं बतेति पुरुषो वाव सुकृतम् । ता अब्रवीद्यथायतनं प्रविशतेति ॥ ३ ॥
अग्निर्वाग्भूत्वा मुखं प्राविशद्वायुः प्राणो भूत्वा नासिके प्राविशदादित्यश्चक्षुर्भूत्वाऽक्षिणी प्राविशद्दिशः श्रोत्रं भूत्वा कर्णौ प्राविशन्नोषधिवनस्पतयो लोमानि भूत्वा त्वचं प्राविशंश्चन्द्रमा मनो भूत्वा हृदयं प्राविशन्मृत्युरपानो भूत्वा नाभिं प्राविशदापो रेतो भूत्वा शिश्नं प्राविशन् ॥ ४ ॥
तमशनायापिपासे अब्रूतामावाभ्यामभिप्रजानीहीति ते अब्रवीदेतास्वेव वां देवतास्वाभजाम्येतासु भागिन्यौ करोमीति । तस्माद्यस्यै कस्यै च देवतायै हविर्गृह्यते भागिन्यावेवास्यामशनायापिपासे भवतः ॥ ५ ॥
1 These gods had been created, and they fell into this vast ocean. The Self made the person subject to hunger and thirst. The gods said to the Self, “Find us somewhere to live, where we can settle and eat.”
2 It brought them a cow. “This isn't suitable for us,” they said. It brought them a horse. “This isn't suitable for us,” they said.
3 It brought them a human. “This is really well made!” they said. A human is indeed well made. The Self said to them, “Each of you must go into the place that belongs to you.”
4 Fire took the form of speech and went into the mouth. Wind took the form of breath and went into the nostrils. The sun took the form of seeing and went into the eyes. The directions took the form of hearing and went into the ears. Plants and trees took the form of hair and went into the skin. The moon took the form of the mind and went into the heart. Death took the form of the downward-moving breath and went into the navel. Water took the form of semen and went into the penis.
5 Hunger and thirst said to the Self, “Find somewhere for us too.” It answered, “I will give you a share in these same gods. You will share in what they receive.” That is why hunger and thirst both have a share whenever an offering is presented to any god.
Chapter 1, Section 3
स ईक्षतेमे नु लोकाश्च लोकपालाश्चान्नमेभ्यः सृजा इति ॥ १ ॥
सोऽपोऽभ्यतपत्ताभ्योऽभितप्ताभ्यो मूर्तिरजायत । या वै सा मूर्तिरजायतान्नं वै तत् ॥ २ ॥
तदेनत्सृष्टं पराङ्त्यजिघांसत्तद्वाचाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोद्वाचा ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनद्वाचाऽग्रहैष्यदभिव्याहृत्य हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ३ ॥
तत्प्राणेनाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोत्प्राणेन ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनत्प्राणेनाग्रहैष्यदभिप्राण्य हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ४ ॥
तच्चक्षुषाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्चक्षुषा ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनच्चक्षुषाऽग्रहैष्यद्दृष्ट्वा हैवानमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ५ ॥
तच्छ्रोत्रेणाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्छ्रोत्रेण ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनच्छ्रोत्रेणाग्रहैष्यच्छ्रुत्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ६ ॥
तत्त्वचाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोत्त्वचा ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनत्त्वचाऽग्रहैष्यत् स्पृष्ट्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ७ ॥
तन्मनसाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोन्मनसा ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनन्मनसाऽग्रहैष्यद्ध्यात्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ८ ॥
तच्छिश्नेनाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्छिश्नेन ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनच्छिश्नेनाग्रहैष्यद्वित्सृज्य हैवानमत्रप्स्यत् ॥ ९ ॥
तदपानेनाजिघृक्षत् तदावयत् सैषोऽन्नस्य ग्रहो यद्वायुरनायुर्वा एष यद्वायुः ॥ १० ॥
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 ॥
स एतमेव सीमानं विदर्यैतया द्वारा प्रापद्यत । सैषा विदृतिर्नाम द्वास्तदेतन्नाऽन्दनम् । तस्य त्रय आवसथास्त्रयः स्वप्ना अयमावसथोऽयमावसथोऽयमावसथ इति ॥१२॥
स जातो भूतान्यभिव्यैख्यत् किमिहान्यं वावदिषदिति । स एतमेव पुरुषं ब्रह्म ततममपश्यत् । इदमदर्शनमिती ३ ॥ १३ ॥
तस्मादिदन्द्रो नामेदन्द्रो ह वै नाम तमिदन्द्रं सन्तमिन्द्र इत्याचक्षते परोक्षेण । परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः ॥ १४ ॥
1 The Self thought, “Now there are worlds and their protectors. I will make food for them.”
2 It heated the waters. As they grew hot, something took shape in them. What took shape was food.
3 As soon as the food was made, it tried to get away. The person tried to catch it by speaking, but speaking couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply talking about food would have filled him up.
4 He tried to catch it by breathing, but breathing couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply breathing toward food would have filled him up.
5 He tried to catch it by looking, but looking couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply looking at food would have filled him up.
6 He tried to catch it by listening, but listening couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply hearing food would have filled him up.
7 He tried to catch it with his skin, but his skin couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply touching food would have filled him up.
8 He tried to catch it with his mind, but his mind couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply thinking about food would have filled him up.
9 He tried to catch it with his penis, but his penis couldn't catch it. If that had worked, simply releasing semen would have filled him up with food.
10 He tried to catch it with the downward-moving breath. With that, he swallowed it. This air is what takes hold of food. This air has food for its life.
11 The Self thought, “How could all this go on without me?” It thought, “Which way should I go in?” It thought, “If speaking is done by speech, breathing by breath, seeing by sight, hearing by hearing, touching by the skin, thinking by the mind, drawing in by the downward-moving breath, and releasing semen by the penis, then who am I?”
12 The Self split open this seam and went in through the opening. This doorway is called the Split. It is the place of happiness. The Self has three places to live and three dreams: “This is a place to live. This is a place to live. This is a place to live.”
13 After being born, he looked over the beings. “What else could anyone speak about here?” He saw this very person as Brahman, present everywhere. “I have seen this!”
14 That is why he is called Idandra. His name really is Idandra. Although he is Idandra, people call him Indra, using an indirect name. The gods seem to prefer indirect speech. The gods seem to prefer indirect speech.
Chapter 2
पुरुषे ह वा अयमादितो गर्भो भवति यदेतद्रेतः । तदेतत्सर्वेभ्योऽङ्गेभ्यस्तेजः सम्भूतमात्मन्येवऽऽत्मानं बिभर्ति तद्यदा स्त्रियां सिञ्चत्यथैनज्जनयति तदस्य प्रथमं जन्म ॥ १ ॥
तत्स्त्रिया आत्मभूयं गच्छति यथा स्वमङ्गं तथा । तस्मादेनां न हिनस्ति । साऽस्यैतमात्मानमत्र गतं भावयति ॥ २ ॥
सा भावयित्री भावयितव्या भवति । तं स्त्री गर्भ बिभर्ति । सोऽग्र एव कुमारं जन्मनोऽग्रेऽधिभावयति । स यत्कुमारं जन्मनोऽग्रेऽधिभावयत्यात्मानमेव तद्भावयत्येषां लोकानां सन्तत्या । एवं सन्तता हीमे लोकास्तदस्य द्वितीयं जन्म ॥ ३ ॥
सोऽस्यायमात्मा पुण्येभ्यः कर्मभ्यः प्रतिधीयते । अथास्यायामितर आत्मा कृतकृत्यो वयोगतः प्रैति । स इतः प्रयन्नेव पुनर्जायते तदस्य तृतीयं जन्म ॥ ४ ॥
तदुक्तमृषिणा गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषामवेदमहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा शतं मा पुर आयसीररक्षन्नधः श्येनो जवसा निरदीयमिति । गर्भ एवैतच्छयानो वामदेव एवमुवाच ॥५॥
स एवं विद्वानस्माच्छरीरभेदादूर्ध्व उत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन् स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान् कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत् समभवत् ॥ ६ ॥
1 This being first exists in a man as an embryo, in the form of semen. The semen is the strength collected from every part of his body. He carries his own self inside himself. When he releases it into a woman, he causes it to be born. That is his first birth.
2 It becomes part of the woman herself, just as one of her own limbs is part of her. That is why it does not hurt her. She cares for this self of his that has entered her.
3 The woman who provides this care must also be cared for. She carries him as an embryo. The father cares for the boy right from the start, before he is born. In caring for the boy before birth, he is caring for himself, so that these worlds can continue. This is how the worlds are kept going. That is his second birth.
4 This self of his takes his place to carry out good actions. His other self has finished its work and grown old, and then it leaves. As he leaves here, he is born again. That is his third birth.
5 A seer spoke of this: “Even while I was in the womb, I learned all the ways these gods are born. A hundred iron strongholds guarded me. Then I flew out at speed as a hawk.” Vamadeva said this while he was still lying in the womb.
6 With this knowledge, he rose up when this body broke apart. In that heavenly world he fulfilled every desire and became immortal. He became immortal.
Chapter 3
कोऽयमात्मेति वयमुपास्महे कतरः स आत्मा । येन वा पश्यति येन वा शृणोति येन वा गन्धानाजिघ्रति येन वा वाचं व्याकरोति येन वा स्वादु चास्वादु च विजानाति ॥ १ ॥
यदेतद्धृदयं मनश्चैतत् । सञ्ज्ञानमाज्ञानं विज्ञानं प्रज्ञानं मेधा दृष्टिधृर्तिमतिर्मनीषा जूतिः स्मृतिः सङ्कल्पः क्रतुरसुः कामो वश इति । सर्वाण्येवैतानि प्रज्ञानस्य नामधेयानि भवन्ति ॥ २ ॥
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 ॥
स एतेन प्राज्ञेनाऽऽत्मनाऽस्माल्लोकादुत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन्स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान् कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत् समभवत् ॥ ४ ॥
॥ इति ऎतरेयोपनिषत् समाप्ता ॥
1 Who is this Self that we worship? Which one is the Self? Is it what lets us see, hear, smell things, put speech into words, and tell sweet tastes from tastes that are not sweet?
2 It is this heart and mind: awareness, authority, understanding, consciousness, intelligence, seeing, persistence, thinking, reasoning, drive, memory, deciding, intention, life, wanting, and control. All of these are names for consciousness.
3 This is Brahma. This is Indra. This is Prajapati. It is all these gods. It is the five great elements: earth, air, space, water, and light. It is what seem to be these small, mixed forms of life and the different kinds of seeds: things born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, and things that sprout. It is horses, cows, people, elephants, and anything here that is alive, whether it walks, flies, or stays in one place. Everything is led by consciousness and rests on consciousness. Consciousness leads the world. Consciousness is its support. Consciousness is Brahman.
4 Through this Self that knows, he rose out of this world. In that heavenly world he fulfilled every desire and became immortal. He became immortal.
The Aitareya Upanishad ends here.