Adhyaya 1

Om. May my speech be grounded in my mind. May my mind be grounded in my speech. Be manifest to me, be manifest. Be the two anchors of the Veda for me. May what I have heard never leave me.Through this study I join day and night. I will speak what is right. I will speak what is true. May that protect me. May that protect the speaker. Protect me; protect the speaker.Om. Peace, peace, peace.

1 Chitra Gargyayani, intending to offer a sacrifice, chose Aruni as his priest. Aruni sent his son Shvetaketu, saying, "Perform the sacrifice for him." When Shvetaketu was seated, Chitra asked him, "Son of Gautama, is there a hidden place in the world where you will establish me, or some other? Will you establish me in its world with knowledge of it?" He answered, "I do not know this. Let me ask my teacher." He went to his father and asked, "This is what he asked me. How should I answer?" His father said, "I do not know this either. We study our sacred recitation in the sacrificial hall and take what others give us. Come, we will both go." With firewood in his hand, he approached Chitra Gargyayani, saying, "Let me come to you as a pupil." Chitra told him, "You are worthy of Brahman, Gautama, for you have come to me. Come, I will give you understanding."

2 He said, "All who depart from this world go to the moon. Through their breaths its waxing half is filled. In its waning half, however, it does not bring them to birth. The moon is the gate of the heavenly world. Whoever answers it, it lets pass; but whoever answers it, it rains him down here as rain. Here he is born again as a worm, a moth, a bird, a tiger, a lion, a fish, a snake, a human being, or in some other of these stations, according to his deeds and according to his knowledge." When he arrives, the moon asks him, "Who are you?" He should answer it: "O seasons, the seed was brought from the discerning one, the fifteenfold, brought forth, endowed with the fathers. Send me, that seed, into a man who will beget me. Through the man who begot me, I was poured into a mother. Being born, coming into birth, I became the twelve- or thirteen-month year, through the father of twelve or thirteen months. I know this. O mortal seasons, take hold of me as that. Through this truth, through this ardor, I am the season; I am born of the seasons." "Who are you?" "I am you." It lets him pass.

3 Having reached this path of the gods, he comes to the world of Agni, then to the world of Vayu, to the world of Varuna, to the world of Aditya, to the world of Indra, to the world of Prajapati, and to the world of Brahman. In this world of Brahman are the lake Ara, the moment Anveshtiha, the river Viraja, the tree Ilya, the assembly place Salajya, the dwelling Aparajita, and Indra and Prajapati as gatekeepers; the hall Vibhupramita, the throne Vichakshana, and the couch Amitaujas; Priya, of the mind, and Pratirupa, of the eye, weaving flowers and the worlds; the apsarases Ambas and Ambayavis, and the rivers Ambaya. One who knows this arrives there. Brahman says, "Run to meet him with my glory! He has reached the river Vijara. He will not grow old."

4 Five hundred apsarases run to meet him: a hundred with powders in their hands, a hundred with fruit in their hands, a hundred with eye ointment in their hands, and a hundred with garlands in their hands. They adorn him with Brahman's adornment. Adorned with Brahman's adornment, knowing Brahman, he goes toward Brahman itself. He comes to the lake Ara and crosses it with his mind; those who know only the present sink when they enter it. He comes to the moments called Yeshtihas, and they flee from him. He comes to the river Viraja and crosses it with his mind alone. There he shakes off his good deeds and his bad. His dear relatives receive his good deeds; those he does not hold dear receive his bad. As one riding swiftly in a chariot looks upon its two wheels, so he looks upon day and night; so he looks upon good deeds and bad, and all pairs of opposites. Free of good deeds, free of bad deeds, knowing Brahman, he goes toward Brahman itself.

5 He comes to the tree Ilya, and the fragrance of Brahman enters him. He comes to the assembly place Salajya, and the savor of Brahman enters him. He comes to the dwelling Aparajita, and the radiance of Brahman enters him. He comes to the gatekeepers, Indra and Prajapati, and they flee from him. He comes to the hall Vibhupramita, and the glory of Brahman enters him. He comes to the throne Vichakshana. Its two front legs are the Saman chants Brihat and Rathantara; its two rear legs are Shyaita and Naudhasa. Vairupa and Vairaja are its lengthwise beams; Shakvara and Raivata are its crossbeams. It is awareness, for through awareness one sees clearly. He comes to the couch Amitaujas. It is breath. Its two front legs are the past and the future; its two rear legs are Shri and Ira. Brihat and Rathantara are its lengthwise beams; Bhadra and Yajnayajniya are its headpiece. The Rig verses and Saman chants are its lengthwise threads; the Yajus formulas are its crosswise threads. The Soma stalks are its bedding; the Udgitha is its headrest; Shri is its pillow. Upon it Brahman sits. He who knows this mounts it first with his foot. Brahman asks him, "Who are you?" He should answer:

6 "I am the season; I am born of the seasons. I have come into being from space as a womb, the consort of this year whose being is radiance, whose being is existence, whose being is the Self. You are the Self. What you are, I am." Brahman asks him, "Who am I?" He should say, "Truth." "What is this truth?" "Whatever is other than the gods and the breaths is sat; the gods and the breaths are tyam. Through this utterance it is voiced as satyam, truth. This is the full extent of all that is. You are all this." This is what he tells him. This has been expressed in a Rig verse: "His belly is Yajus, his head is Saman; that unfading one's form is Rig. He is to be known as Brahman, the great seer whose substance is Brahman." Brahman asks him, "By what do you attain my masculine names?" He should say, "By breath." "By what my feminine names?" "By speech." "By what my neuter names?" "By mind." "By what do you perceive scents?" He should say, "By the sense of smell." "By what forms?" "By the eye." "By what sounds?" "By the ear." "By what the tastes of food?" "By the tongue." "By what do you perform deeds?" "By the hands." "By what do you experience pleasure and pain?" "By the body." "By what joy, sexual delight, and Prajapati?" "By the organ of generation." "By what do you make your journeys?" "By the feet." "By what do you apprehend thoughts, what is to be known, and desires?" He should say, "By awareness." Brahman tells him, "The waters, indeed, are that world of mine; this world is yours." Whatever victory belongs to Brahman, whatever attainment, he wins that victory and reaches that attainment—whoever knows this, whoever knows this.

Om. May my speech be based in my mind. May my mind be based in my speech. Make yourself clearly known to me. Be the two supports of my knowledge of the Veda. May what I have heard stay with me.Through this study I join day and night. I will say what is right. I will say what is true. May that protect me. May it protect the teacher. Protect me; protect the teacher.Om. Peace, peace, peace.

1 Chitra Gargyayani was preparing to offer a sacrifice. He chose Aruni as his priest. Aruni sent his son Shvetaketu, telling him, “Perform the sacrifice.” When Shvetaketu was seated, Chitra asked him, “Son of Gautama, is there a hidden place in the world where you will put me? Or is there another place? Will you put me in its world with knowledge of it?”

Shvetaketu said, “I don't know this. Let me ask my teacher.” He went to his father and asked, “He asked me this question. What answer should I give?”

His father said, “I don't know this either. We study our lesson in the assembly and take away what others give us. Come, let's both go.” Carrying firewood, he approached Chitra Gargyayani and said, “Let me become your student.”

Chitra told him, “Gautama, you deserve knowledge of Brahman, since you have come to me. Come, I'll teach you.”

2 He said, “Everyone who leaves this world goes to the moon. Their breaths fill it during the first half of the month. During the second half it does not bring them to birth. The moon is the entrance to the heavenly world. When someone answers it, it lets that person pass. But when someone answers it, it rains that person down here as rain. Here that person is born again as a worm, a flying insect, a bird, a tiger, a lion, a fish, a kind of snake, a human, or someone in another of these states, according to what they have done and what they know.

“When someone arrives, it asks, ‘Who are you?’ The answer should be: ‘From the discerning one, the seasons brought seed, from the fifteenfold one that was born, from the dwelling of the ancestors. Send me as that seed into a man who will father me. Through the man who fathers me I was placed in a mother. I am born and born again as the twelvefold or thirteenfold month, joined to the twelvefold or thirteenfold father. I know that. Mortal seasons, take hold of me as that. Through this truth, through this discipline, I am a season; I belong to the seasons. Who are you? I am you.’ It lets that person pass.”

3 He reaches the gods' path and comes to the world of Agni, the world of Vayu, the world of Varuna, the world of Aditya, the world of Indra, the world of Prajapati, and the world of Brahman. In this world of Brahman are Lake Ara; the moment Anveshtiha; the river Viraja; the tree Ilya; the meeting place Salajya; the dwelling Aparajita; Indra and Prajapati, the gatekeepers; the hall Vibhupramita; the throne Vichakshana; and the couch Amitaujas. There are Priya, belonging to the mind, and Pratirupa, belonging to the eye, who weave flowers and the worlds; the apsarases Ambas and Ambayavis; and the rivers called Ambaya. Someone who knows this comes there. Brahman says, “Run to meet him with my glory. He has reached the river Vijara, which has no aging. He will not grow old.”

4 Five hundred apsarases run to meet him: a hundred holding powder, a hundred holding fruit, a hundred holding eye ointment, and a hundred holding garlands. They dress him in Brahman's ornaments. Dressed in Brahman's ornaments, knowing Brahman, he goes toward Brahman itself. He comes to Lake Ara and crosses it by mind. Those who know only what is immediately before them sink when they reach it. He comes to the moments called Yeshtiha, and they run away from him. He comes to the river Viraja and crosses it by mind alone. There he shakes off his good and bad deeds. His dear relatives receive his good deeds; those he does not like receive his bad deeds. Just as someone driving a chariot looks down at its wheels, he looks at day and night, at good and bad deeds, and at all pairs of opposites. Free of good deeds and free of bad deeds, knowing Brahman, he goes toward Brahman itself.

5 He comes to the tree Ilya, and Brahman's fragrance enters him. He comes to the meeting place Salajya, and Brahman's flavor enters him. He comes to the dwelling Aparajita, and Brahman's brightness enters him. He reaches the gatekeepers, Indra and Prajapati, and they run away from him. He comes to Vibhupramita, and Brahman's glory enters him.

He comes to the throne Vichakshana. Its front legs are the Brihat and Rathantara chants; its back legs are Shyaita and Naudhasa. Vairupa and Vairaja run lengthwise; Shakvara and Raivata run across. It is awareness, because through awareness one sees clearly.

He comes to the couch Amitaujas. It is breath. Its front legs are the past and the future; its back legs are Shri and Ira. Brihat and Rathantara run lengthwise; Bhadra and Yajnayajniya form the head end. Rig verses and Saman chants are its lengthwise threads; Yajus formulas are its crosswise threads. Soma shoots form its covering. The Udgitha chant is its bolster; Shri is its pillow. Brahman sits on it. Someone who knows this climbs onto it, foot first. Brahman asks him, “Who are you?” He should answer:

6 “I am a season; I belong to the seasons. I was born from space as my womb. I am the consort of the year, which has become brightness, which has come into being, which has become the Self. You are the Self. What you are, I am.”

Brahman asks him, “Who am I?” He should say, “Truth.” “What is this truth?” “What is other than the gods and the breaths is ‘sat.’ The gods and the breaths are ‘tyam.’ This is expressed by the word ‘satyam,’ truth. That is the whole of this. You are all this.” That is what he tells him.

A Rig verse says this:

“His belly is Yajus; his head is Saman. His form is Rig, and he does not decay. He must be known as Brahman, the great seer made of Brahman.”

Brahman asks him, “How do you grasp my masculine names?” He should answer, “Through breath.” “How do you grasp feminine names?” “Through speech.” “How do you grasp neuter names?” “Through mind.” “How do you grasp smells?” He should answer, “Through the nose.” “How do you grasp shapes?” “Through the eye.” “How do you grasp sounds?” “Through the ear.” “How do you grasp the flavors of food?” “Through the tongue.” “How do you grasp actions?” “Through the hands.” “How do you grasp pleasure and pain?” “Through the body.” “How do you grasp enjoyment, sexual pleasure, and Prajapati?” “Through the sexual organ.” “How do you grasp movements?” “Through the feet.” “How do you grasp thoughts, what is to be known, and desires?” He should answer, “Through awareness.”

Brahman tells him, “The waters are indeed that world of mine; this world is yours.” Whatever victory Brahman has, whatever reach Brahman has, someone who knows this wins that victory and reaches that reach—someone who knows this.