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Section 2.2

8 of 47 sections in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Unknown

Original Sanskrit

2.2.1 यो ह वै शिशुं साधानं सप्रत्याधानं सस्थूणं सदामं वेद सप्त ह द्विषतो भ्रातृव्यानवरुणद्धि ।अयं वाव शिशुर्योऽयं मध्यमः प्राणः ।तस्येदमेवाधानमिदं प्रत्याधानं प्राणः स्थूणान्नं दाम

2.2.2 तमेताः सप्ताक्षितय उपतिष्ठन्ते ।तद्या इमा अक्षंल्लोहिन्यो राजयस्ताभिरेनं रुद्रोऽन्वायत्तः ।अथ या अक्षन्नापस्ताभिः पर्जन्यः ।या कनीनका तयादित्यः ।यत्कृष्णं तेनाग्निर् ।यच्छुक्लं तेनेन्द्रः ।अधरयैनं वर्तन्या पृथिव्यन्वायत्ता ।द्यौरुत्तरया ।नास्यान्नं क्षीयते य एवं वेद

2.2.3 तदेष श्लोको भवतिअर्वाग्बिलश्चमस ऊर्ध्वबुध्नस्तस्मिन् यशो निहितं विश्वरूपम् ।तस्यासत ऋषयः सप्त तीरे वागष्टमी ब्रह्मणा संविदानेति ।अर्वाग्बिलश्चमस ऊर्ध्वबुध्न इति ।इदं तच्छिरः । एष ह्यर्वाग्बिलश्चमस ऊर्ध्वबुध्नः ।तस्मिन् यशो निहितं विश्वरूपमिति ।प्राणा वै यशो विश्वरूपम् ।प्राणानेतदाह ।तस्यासत ऋषयः सप्त तीर इति ।प्राणा वा ऋषयः ।प्राणाणेतदाह ।वागष्टमी ब्रह्मणा संविदानेति ।वाग्घ्यष्टमी ब्रह्मणा संवित्ते

2.2.4 इमावेव गोतमभरद्वाजौ ।अयमेव गोतमोऽयं भरद्वाजः ।इमावेव विश्वामित्रजमदग्नी ।अयमेव विश्वामित्रोऽयं जमदग्निः ।इमावेव वसिष्ठकश्यपौ ।अयमेव वसिष्ठोऽयं कश्यपः ।वागेवात्रिः ।वाचा ह्यन्नमद्यते ।अत्तिर्ह वै नामैतद्यदौत्रिरिति ।सर्वस्यात्ता भवति ।सर्वमस्यान्नं भवति य एवं वेद

Musean translation

Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from Sanskrit and checked passage by passage against the Kāṇva text.

2.2.1 Whoever knows the infant, together with his dwelling, his resting place, his post, and his tether, holds in check seven hostile rivals. This infant is the breath here at the center. This body is his dwelling; this head is his resting place; breath is his post, and food his tether.

2.2.2 These seven imperishable powers attend him. Through the red streaks in the eye, Rudra is joined to him. Through the water in the eye, Parjanya is joined to him; through the pupil, the sun; through the black part, fire; through the white part, Indra. Through the lower eyelid, earth is joined to him, and through the upper, heaven. The food of one who knows this does not run out.

2.2.3 On this there is a verse:“A bowl with its mouth below and its base above: in it is laid glory of every form.Seven seers sit at its rim, and speech, the eighth, communes with Brahman.”

“A bowl with its mouth below and its base above”—this is the head, for it is a bowl with its mouth below and its base above.“In it is laid glory of every form”—the vital powers are glory of every form. This speaks of the vital powers.“Seven seers sit at its rim”—the vital powers are the seers. This speaks of the vital powers.“And speech, the eighth, communes with Brahman”—for speech is the eighth and communes with Brahman.

2.2.4 These two ears are Gotama and Bharadvaja: this one is Gotama, this one Bharadvaja. These two eyes are Vishvamitra and Jamadagni: this one is Vishvamitra, this one Jamadagni. These two nostrils are Vasishtha and Kashyapa: this one is Vasishtha, this one Kashyapa. Speech is Atri, for through speech food is eaten. The name Atri is indeed ‘eater.’ Whoever knows this becomes the eater of everything; everything becomes his food.

Plain English translation

Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English edition, translated independently from Sanskrit and checked passage by passage against the Kāṇva text.

2.2.1 Whoever knows the calf together with its home, its special resting place, its post, and its tether holds back seven enemies who hate him. This calf is the breath here in the middle. This body is its home, this head is its special resting place, breath is its post, and food is its tether.

2.2.2 These seven imperishable powers attend it. Through the red lines in the eye, Rudra is connected with it. Through the water in the eye, Parjanya is connected with it. Through the pupil, the sun is connected with it. Through the black part, fire is connected with it. Through the white part, Indra is connected with it. Through the lower eyelid, the earth is connected with it; through the upper eyelid, the sky. The food of anyone who knows this does not run out.

2.2.3 There is this verse about it:“A bowl has its opening below and its base above.Glory in every form is placed within it.Seven seers sit at its rim,And speech, the eighth, communicates with Brahman.”“A bowl has its opening below and its base above”: this is the head. It is a bowl with its opening below and its base above.“Glory in every form is placed within it”: the faculties are glory in every form. This refers to the faculties.“Seven seers sit at its rim”: the faculties are the seers. This refers to the faculties.“And speech, the eighth, communicates with Brahman”: speech is indeed the eighth, and it communicates with Brahman.

2.2.4 These two ears are Gotama and Bharadvaja. This one is Gotama, and this one is Bharadvaja. These two eyes are Vishvamitra and Jamadagni. This one is Vishvamitra, and this one is Jamadagni. These two nostrils are Vasishtha and Kashyapa. This one is Vasishtha, and this one is Kashyapa. Speech is Atri, because food is eaten through speech. The name Atri really means “eater.” Whoever knows this becomes the eater of everything. Everything becomes food for him.

About this section

Section 2.2 is part of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Unknown. This page sets the Sanskrit original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 8 of 47 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.

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