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Section 5.3

76 of 154 sections in Chandogya Upanishad by Unknown

Original Sanskrit

5.3.1 श्वेतकेतुर्हारुणेयः पञ्चालानाँ समितिमेयाय तँ ह प्रवाहणो जैवलिरुवाच कुमारानु त्वाशिषत्पितेत्यनु हि भगव इति ॥ १ ॥

5.3.2 वेत्थ यदितोऽधि प्रजाः प्रयन्तीति न भगव इति वेत्थ यथा पुनरावर्तन्त३ इति न भगव इति वेत्थ पथोर्देवयानस्य पितृयाणस्य च व्यावर्तना३ इति न भगव इति ॥ २ ॥

5.3.3 वेत्थ यथासौ लोको न सम्पूर्यत३ इति न भगव इति वेत्थ यथा पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति नैव भगव इति ॥ ३ ॥

5.3.4 अथानु किमनुशिष्ठोऽवोचथा यो हीमानि न विद्यात्कथँ सोऽनुशिष्टो ब्रुवीतेति स हायस्तः पितुरर्धमेयाय तँ होवाचाननुशिष्य वाव किल मा भगवानब्रवीदनु त्वाशिषमिति ॥ ४ ॥

5.3.5 पञ्च मा राजन्यबन्धुः प्रश्नानप्राक्षीत्तेषां नैकञ्चनाशकं विवक्तुमिति स होवाच यथा मा त्वं तदैतानवदो यथाहमेषां नैकञ्चन वेद यद्यहमिमानवेदिष्यं कथं ते नावक्ष्यमिति ॥ ५ ॥

5.3.6 स ह गौतमो राज्ञोऽर्धमेयाय तस्मै ह प्राप्तायार्हाञ्चकार स ह प्रातः सभाग उदेयाय तँ होवाच मानुषस्य भगवन्गौतम वित्तस्य वरं वृणीथा इति स होवाच तवैव राजन्मानुषं वित्तं यामेव कुमारस्यान्ते वाचमभाषथास्तामेव मे ब्रूहीति स ह कृच्छ्री बभूव ॥ ६ ॥

5.3.7 तँ ह चिरं वसेत्याज्ञापयाञ्चकार तँ होवाच यथा मा त्वं गौतमावदो यथेयं न प्राक्त्वत्तः पुरा विद्या ब्राह्मणान्गच्छति तस्मादु सर्वेषु लोकेषु क्षत्रस्यैव प्रशासनमभूदिति तस्मै होवाच ॥ ७ ॥

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.

5.3.1 Shvetaketu, Aruni's son, came to the assembly of the Panchalas. Pravahana Jaivali said to him, "Young man, has your father instructed you?" "He has, sir."

5.3.2 "Do you know where living beings go when they leave this world?" "No, sir." "Do you know how they return again?" "No, sir." "Do you know where the two paths part—the way of the gods and the way of the ancestors?" "No, sir."

5.3.3 "Do you know why that world never becomes full?" "No, sir." "Do you know how, at the fifth offering, water comes to be called a person?" "No indeed, sir."

5.3.4 "Then why did you say you had been instructed? How could someone who does not know these things call himself instructed?" Distressed, he went back to his father and said, "Without having instructed me, sir, you told me, 'I have instructed you.'"

5.3.5 "That fellow of the warrior class asked me five questions, and I could not answer a single one." His father said, "As you have now told me these questions, I do not know a single one myself. If I had known them, how could I have failed to tell you?"

5.3.6 Gautama went to the king, who gave him the welcome due a guest. In the morning he appeared before the king in the assembly. The king said to him, "Revered Gautama, choose a boon of human wealth." He replied, "Keep human wealth for yourself, king. Tell me instead the very words you spoke in the boy's presence." The king was troubled.

5.3.7 He directed him, "Stay here a long time." Then he said, "Gautama, as you have told me, this knowledge has never before you reached the brahmins. That is why, in all the worlds, the power to command has belonged to the ruling class alone." And he taught him.

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.

5.3.1 Shvetaketu, Aruni's son, went to the assembly of the Panchalas. Pravahana Jaivali asked him, "Young man, has your father taught you?" "Yes, sir, he has."

5.3.2 "Do you know where people go when they leave this world?" "No, sir." "Do you know how they come back?" "No, sir." "Do you know where the path of the gods and the path of the ancestors separate?" "No, sir."

5.3.3 "Do you know why that world never fills up?" "No, sir." "Do you know how, at the fifth offering, water comes to be called a person?" "No, sir, I do not."

5.3.4 "Then why did you say you had been taught? How could someone who does not know these things say they had been taught?" Shvetaketu was upset and went to his father. He said, "You did not teach me, yet you told me, 'I have taught you.'"

5.3.5 "That fellow from the ruling class asked me five questions. I could not answer even one of them." His father said, "From what you told me of those questions, I do not know even one of the answers myself. If I had known them, how could I have kept them from you?"

5.3.6 Gautama went to the king, who received him with honor. In the morning he went to the king in the assembly. The king said to him, "Revered Gautama, choose a gift of human wealth." He answered, "Keep your human wealth, king. Tell me just what you said in the boy's presence." The king became troubled.

5.3.7 He told Gautama to stay a long time. Then he said, "Gautama, from what you have told me, this knowledge has never reached brahmins before you. That is why, in all the worlds, rule has belonged to the ruling class alone." Then he taught him.

About this section

Section 5.3 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 76 of 154 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.

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