Section 8.8
Original Sanskrit
8.8.1 उदशराव आत्मानमवेक्ष्य यदात्मनो न विजानीथस्तन्मे प्रब्रूतमिति तौ होदशरावेऽवेक्षाञ्चक्राते तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच किं पश्यथ इति तौ होचतुः सर्वमेवेदमावां भगव आत्मानं पश्याव आ लोमभ्यः आनखेभ्यः प्रतिरूपमिति ॥ १ ॥
8.8.2 तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच साध्वलङ्कृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतौ भूत्वोदशरावेऽवेक्षेथामिति तौ ह साध्वलङ्कृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतौ भूत्वोदशरावेऽवेक्षाञ्चक्राते तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच किं पश्यथ इति ॥ २ ॥
8.8.3 तौ होचतुर्यथैवेदमावां भगवः साध्वलङ्कृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतौ स्व एवमेवेमौ भगवः साध्वलङ्कृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतावित्येष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति तौ ह शान्तहृदयौ प्रवव्रजतुः ॥ ३ ॥
8.8.4 तौ हान्वीक्ष्य प्रजापतिरुवाचानुपलभ्यात्मानमननुविद्य व्रजतो यतर एतदुपनिषदो भविष्यन्ति देवा वासुरा वा ते पराभविष्यन्तीति स ह शान्तहृदय एव विरोचनोऽसुराञ्जगाम तेभ्यो हैतामुपनिषदं प्रोवाचात्मैवेह महय्य आत्मा परिचर्य आत्मानमेवेह महयन्नात्मानं परिचरन्नुभौ लोकाववाप्नोतीमं चामुं चेति ॥ ४ ॥
8.8.5 तस्मादप्यद्येहाददानमश्रद्दधानमयजमानमाहुरासुरो बतेत्यसुराणाꣳ ह्येषोपनिषत्प्रेतस्य शरीरं भिक्षया वसनेनालङ्कारेणेति सꣳस्कुर्वन्त्येतेन ह्यमुं लोकं जेष्यन्तो मन्यन्ते ॥ ५ ॥
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from the Sanskrit, independently of the Plain English edition. All eight books and the closing invocation are retained.
8.8.1 "Look at yourselves in a bowl of water, and tell me what you do not understand about yourselves." They looked in the bowl of water. Prajapati asked them, "What do you see?" They answered, "Revered sir, we see the whole of ourselves, an image down to our hairs and nails."
8.8.2 Prajapati told them, "Adorn yourselves well, dress well, make yourselves presentable, and look in the bowl of water." They adorned themselves well, dressed well, made themselves presentable, and looked in the bowl of water. Prajapati asked, "What do you see?"
8.8.3 They answered, "Revered sir, just as we ourselves are well adorned, well dressed, and presentable, so these two are well adorned, well dressed, and presentable." "This is the Self," he said. "This is the immortal, the fearless; this is Brahman." They departed with peaceful hearts.
8.8.4 Watching them go, Prajapati said, "They depart without grasping the Self, without knowing it. Whoever takes this as their secret teaching, whether gods or demons, will come to ruin." Virochana, his heart still peaceful, went to the demons and taught them this secret teaching: "The self alone is to be honored here; the self is to be served. By honoring the self and serving the self, one gains both worlds, this one and the world beyond."
8.8.5 Thus even today, of someone who does not give, has no faith, and offers no sacrifice, people say, "That one is demonic." For this is the secret teaching of the demons. They prepare the body of the dead with provisions, clothing, and ornaments, thinking to conquer the world beyond by this means.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the Sanskrit, not from the Musean edition. All eight books and the closing invocation are retained.
8.8.1 "Look at yourselves in a bowl of water. Tell me anything about yourselves that you do not recognize." They looked into a bowl of water. Prajapati asked, "What do you see?" They answered, "Sir, we see our whole selves, an exact image, right down to the hair and nails."
8.8.2 Prajapati told them, "Put on fine ornaments and good clothes, groom yourselves, and then look into the bowl of water." They put on fine ornaments and good clothes, groomed themselves, and looked into the bowl. Prajapati asked, "What do you see?"
8.8.3 They answered, "Sir, just as we are wearing fine ornaments and good clothes and are well groomed, so are these two." "That is the Self," he said. "It is immortal and free from fear. It is Brahman." The two left feeling satisfied.
8.8.4 Watching them go, Prajapati said, "They are leaving without grasping or knowing the Self. Whichever side takes this as its secret teaching, gods or asuras, will fail." Virochana, still satisfied, went to the asuras and taught them this secret teaching: "Here one should honor and serve the bodily self. By honoring and serving the bodily self, one obtains both worlds, this one and the next."
8.8.5 That is why, even today, people say of someone who does not give, has no faith, and offers no sacrifice, "What an asura!" This is the asuras' teaching. They dress a dead person's body with food offerings, clothing, and ornaments, thinking that this will win the next world.
About this section
Section 8.8 is part of Chandogya 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 147 of 154 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.
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