Adhyaya 2

1 “Breath is Brahman,” Kaushitaki used to say. Of this breath, this Brahman, mind is the messenger, speech the attendant, sight the body, and hearing the herald. All these deities bring tribute to breath, to Brahman, though it asks for nothing. In the same way, all beings bring tribute, unasked, to one who knows this. Its secret teaching is: do not beg. If someone has begged in a village and received nothing, let him sit down, thinking, “I will not eat anything given from here.” The very people who first turned him away then invite him: “Let us give to you.” This is the rule for one who begs. Yet from elsewhere, too, people invite him: “Let us give to you.”

2 “Breath is Brahman,” Paingya used to say. Speech encloses sight beyond itself; sight encloses hearing beyond itself; hearing encloses mind beyond itself; mind encloses breath beyond itself. All these deities bring tribute to this breath, this Brahman, though it asks for nothing. In the same way, all beings bring tribute, unasked, to one who knows this. Its secret teaching is: do not beg. If someone has begged in a village and received nothing, let him sit down, thinking, “I will not eat anything given from here.” The very people who first turned him away then invite him: “Let us give to you.” This is the rule for one who is asked. Yet from elsewhere, too, people invite him: “Let us give to you.”

3 Now, the securing of a particular possession. If someone desires a particular possession, on the full moon or the new moon, or during the bright fortnight under an auspicious star, let him kindle a fire, sweep around it, spread sacred grass, sprinkle water around it, and bend his right knee forward. With a sacrificial ladle, a cup, or a metal bowl, let him offer these oblations of clarified butter: “Speech is the deity that secures. May it secure this for me from that person. To it, svaha! Breath is the deity that secures. May it secure this for me from that person. To it, svaha! Sight is the deity that secures. May it secure this for me from that person. To it, svaha! Hearing is the deity that secures. May it secure this for me from that person. To it, svaha! Mind is the deity that secures. May it secure this for me from that person. To it, svaha! Awareness is the deity that secures. May it secure this for me from that person. To it, svaha!” Then, after smelling the smoke and rubbing his limbs with the butter that remains, let him go in silence and state his purpose, or send a messenger. He obtains it.

4 Now, the divine rite of remembrance. If someone wishes to be dear to a man or a woman, let him kindle a fire at one of those same turning points of the moon and, following the same procedure, offer these oblations of clarified butter: “I offer speech into myself, O named one. Svaha! I offer your sight into myself, O named one. Svaha! I offer your hearing into myself, O named one. Svaha! I offer your mind into myself, O named one. Svaha! I offer your awareness into myself, O named one. Svaha!” Then, after smelling the smoke and rubbing his limbs with the butter that remains, let him go in silence and seek bodily contact, or stand speaking where the wind blows toward that person. He becomes dear to them; they remember him.

5 Now, the evening food-offering, also called Pratardana’s inner fire-offering. While a person speaks, he cannot breathe: then he offers breath into speech. While a person breathes, he cannot speak: then he offers speech into breath. These are two endless, immortal offerings. Waking and sleeping, he offers them continually, without a break. Other offerings have an end, for they consist of acts. Knowing this, the ancient sages did not perform the fire-offering.

6 “The recitation is Brahman,” Shushkabhringara used to say. Let one meditate on it as a Rigvedic verse: all beings honor him as foremost. Let one meditate on it as a sacrificial formula: all beings join themselves to him as foremost. Let one meditate on it as a chant: all beings bow before him as foremost. Let one meditate on it as splendor; let one meditate on it as renown; let one meditate on it as radiance. Just as this is the most splendid, renowned, and radiant of recitations, so one who knows this becomes the most splendid, renowned, and radiant of all beings. The Adhvaryu priest prepares this self, made of bricks and ritual acts. Into it he weaves what is made of sacrificial formulas; into that fabric of formulas, the Hotri priest weaves what is made of verses; into that fabric of verses, the Udgatri priest weaves what is made of chants. This is the self of the whole threefold Vedic knowledge, and this is his own self. One who knows this comes to have this as his self.

7 Now, the three devotions of Sarvajit Kaushitaki. Having put on his sacred thread and sipped water, let one pour water three times from a vessel and worship the rising sun: “You are the remover; remove my evil.” By the same procedure, let him worship it at midday: “You are the remover on high; remove my evil.” By the same procedure, let him worship it as it sets: “You are the gatherer; gather away my evil.” Whatever evil he commits by day and night, he wipes away.

8 Then, month by month at the new moon, let him worship the moon when it appears in the west, following the same procedure and addressing it with two green blades of grass: “Your heart, so fair of outline, rests within the moon. Through it, O lord of immortality, may I never weep over a grandson’s misfortune.” His offspring do not depart before him. This is for one who has a son. One who has no son recites these three verses: “Grow full; let it unite with you”; “Let your milk unite, let nourishment come together”; “The stalk that the Adityas cause to swell.” Then: “Do not grow full through our breath, our offspring, or our cattle. Grow full through the breath, offspring, and cattle of one who hates us and whom we hate.” Saying, “I turn with the divine turning; I follow the turning of the sun,” he turns his right arm with it.

9 Then, at the full moon, let him worship the moon when it appears in the east, following the same procedure: “You are King Soma, the far-seeing. You are Prajapati, with five mouths. The brahmin is one of your mouths; with that mouth you eat kings. With that mouth make me an eater of food. The king is one of your mouths; with that mouth you eat the common people. With that mouth make me an eater of food. The falcon is one of your mouths; with that mouth you eat birds. With that mouth make me an eater of food. Fire is one of your mouths; with that mouth you eat this world. With that mouth make me an eater of food. In you is the fifth mouth; with that mouth you eat all beings. With that mouth make me an eater of food. Do not wane through our breath, our offspring, or our cattle. Wane through the breath, offspring, and cattle of one who hates us and whom we hate.” Saying, “I turn with the divine turning; they follow the turning of the sun,” he turns his right arm with it.

10 Then, as he lies down, let him touch his wife’s heart: “What is placed within your fair-bordered heart, within Prajapati—I believe I know it. Through it, may I never weep over a grandson’s misfortune.” His offspring do not depart before him.

11 Then, when setting out on a journey, let him touch his son’s head: “From limb to limb you come into being; from the heart you are born. You are my Self, my son; you have protected me. Live a hundred autumns, O named one.” Here he speaks the boy’s name. “Be a stone; be an axe; be gold unconquered. Radiance is what you are called, my son. Live a hundred autumns, O named one.” Here he speaks his name. “With that which Prajapati used to embrace his creatures for their safety, I embrace you, O named one.” Here he speaks his name. Then he whispers into the boy’s right ear, “Grant to him, generous lord, drinker of the pressed juice,” and into the left, “Indra, bestow the finest treasures.” “Do not be cut off; do not come to harm. Live a hundred autumns of life, my son. With your name I smell your head, O named one.” Let him smell his head three times. Saying, “With the lowing of cows I low over you,” let him low over the boy’s head three times.

12 Now, the dying of the deities around one. This Brahman shines when fire blazes; it dies when fire no longer blazes. Its radiance goes into the sun, its breath into the wind. This Brahman shines when the sun is seen; it dies when the sun is no longer seen. Its radiance goes into the moon, its breath into the wind. This Brahman shines when the moon is seen; it dies when the moon is no longer seen. Its radiance goes into lightning, its breath into the wind. This Brahman shines when lightning flashes; it dies when lightning no longer flashes. Its radiance goes into the wind, its breath into the wind. All these deities enter the wind. Though dead within the wind, they do not perish: from it they rise again. So much for the deities; now for the self.

13 This Brahman shines when one speaks with speech; it dies when one no longer speaks. Its radiance goes into sight, its breath into breath. This Brahman shines when one sees with sight; it dies when one no longer sees. Its radiance goes into hearing, its breath into breath. This Brahman shines when one hears with hearing; it dies when one no longer hears. Its radiance goes into mind, its breath into breath. This Brahman shines when one thinks with mind; it dies when one no longer thinks. Its radiance goes into breath, its breath into breath. All these deities enter breath. Though dead within breath, they do not perish: from it they rise again. If the two mountains, the southern and the northern, should roll toward one who knows this, seeking to crush him, they would not lay him low. But those who hate him, and those whom he himself hates, all die around him.

14 Now, the attainment of what is highest. All the deities, disputing among themselves, “I am the best,” left this body. It lay like a piece of wood. Speech entered it; speaking with speech, it still lay there. Sight entered it; speaking with speech and seeing with sight, it still lay there. Hearing entered it; speaking with speech, seeing with sight, and hearing with hearing, it still lay there. Mind entered it; speaking with speech, seeing with sight, hearing with hearing, and thinking with mind, it still lay there. Then breath entered it, and at once it rose. Recognizing that the highest good lay in breath, the deities joined themselves to breath, the self of awareness, and together with all these left this world. With wind as their foundation and space as their self, they went to heaven. In the same way, one who knows this joins himself to breath, the self of awareness of all beings, and together with all these leaves this body. With wind as his foundation and space as his self, he does not go to heaven: he becomes that in which those deities are. Attaining it, he becomes immortal, as the deities are immortal.

15 Now, what they call the handing on from father to son. A father about to depart summons his son. Having spread fresh grass through the room, kindled a fire, and set out a pot of water with a bowl, he lies down, wrapped in an unworn cloth. The son comes and lies upon him, touching his father’s sense organs with his own; or he may sit facing him. Then the father hands on what is his.

“I place my speech in you,” says the father. “I place your speech in myself,” says the son.

“I place my breath in you,” says the father. “I place your breath in myself,” says the son.

“I place my sight in you,” says the father. “I place your sight in myself,” says the son.

“I place my hearing in you,” says the father. “I place your hearing in myself,” says the son.

“I place my mind in you,” says the father. “I place your mind in myself,” says the son.

“I place my tastes of food in you,” says the father. “I place your tastes of food in myself,” says the son.

“I place my deeds in you,” says the father. “I place your deeds in myself,” says the son.

“I place my pleasure and pain in you,” says the father. “I place your pleasure and pain in myself,” says the son.

“I place my joy, delight, and power of generation in you,” says the father. “I place your joy, delight, and power of generation in myself,” says the son.

“I place my movements in you,” says the father. “I place your movements in myself,” says the son.

“I place my thoughts, what is to be known, and my desires in you,” says the father. “I place your thoughts, what is to be known, and your desires in myself,” says the son.

Then the son turns to the right and goes out toward the northeast. His father calls after him: “May renown, the radiance of sacred knowledge, the eating of food, and fame favor you.” The son looks back over his left shoulder, shielding himself with his hand or covering himself with the edge of his garment: “May you attain the heavenly worlds and your desires.” If the father recovers, he should live under his son’s authority or go forth as a wanderer. If he dies, the rites that bring him to his end must be completed for him in that very manner; they must be completed in that very manner.

1 Kaushitaki used to say, "Breath is Brahman." Mind is the messenger of this breath that is Brahman. Speech serves it, sight is its body, and hearing brings it reports. All these deities bring offerings to this breath that is Brahman without being asked. In the same way, all beings bring offerings, without being asked, to someone who knows this. Its secret teaching is: "Do not ask." For example, after begging in a village and receiving nothing, he should sit down, thinking, "I will not eat anything given from here." The very people who turned him away before then invite him, saying, "We will give to you." This is what happens to someone who asks. But people from elsewhere also invite him, saying, "We will give to you."

2 Paingya used to say, "Breath is Brahman." Speech secures sight beyond itself; sight secures hearing beyond itself; hearing secures mind beyond itself; mind secures breath beyond itself. All these deities bring offerings to this breath that is Brahman without being asked. In the same way, all beings bring offerings, without being asked, to someone who knows this. Its secret teaching is: "Do not ask." For example, after begging in a village and receiving nothing, he should sit down, thinking, "I will not eat anything given from here." The very people who turned him away before then invite him, saying, "We will give to you." This is what happens to someone who has been asked. But people from elsewhere also invite him, saying, "We will give to you."

3 Now, the way to obtain a particular possession. When someone has a particular possession in mind, he should prepare a fire at the full moon, at the new moon, or during the bright half of the month under a favorable lunar constellation. He should sweep around it, spread grass around it, sprinkle water around it, and bend his right knee forward. With a small offering ladle, a cup, or a metal bowl, he offers these offerings of clarified butter: "The deity named Speech obtains things. May it obtain this for me from that person. Hail to it! The deity named Breath obtains things. May it obtain this for me from that person. Hail to it! The deity named Sight obtains things. May it obtain this for me from that person. Hail to it! The deity named Hearing obtains things. May it obtain this for me from that person. Hail to it! The deity named Mind obtains things. May it obtain this for me from that person. Hail to it! The deity named Awareness obtains things. May it obtain this for me from that person. Hail to it!" Then he should inhale the smell of the smoke, rub his limbs with the remaining clarified butter, and go forward without speaking. He should state what he wants or send a messenger. He will obtain it.

4 Now, the divine way to make someone think of you. If a man wants to be dear to a man or a woman, he should prepare a fire on one of those same festival occasions. Following the same procedure, he offers these offerings of clarified butter: "So-and-so, I offer speech into myself. Hail! So-and-so, I offer your sight into myself. Hail! So-and-so, I offer your hearing into myself. Hail! So-and-so, I offer your mind into myself. Hail! So-and-so, I offer your awareness into myself. Hail!" Then he should inhale the smell of the smoke, rub his limbs with the remaining clarified butter, and go forward without speaking. He should try to make contact with that person, or stand upwind, talking. He becomes dear to that person, and they think of him.

5 Now, Pratardana's evening food-offering, which they also call the internal fire offering. While a person is speaking, he cannot breathe. At that time he offers breath into speech. While a person is breathing, he cannot speak. At that time he offers speech into breath. These are two endless, immortal offerings. Awake or asleep, he offers them continually, without a break. Other offerings have an end, because they consist of ritual actions. Knowing this, the learned people of earlier times did not perform the fire offering.

6 Shushkabhringara used to say, "The recitation is Brahman." One should meditate on it as a Rig verse. All beings honor such a person as the best. One should meditate on it as a Yajur formula. All beings join themselves to such a person so that he may be the best. One should meditate on it as a Saman chant. All beings bow to such a person as the best. One should meditate on it as prosperity. One should meditate on it as fame. One should meditate on it as brilliance. Just as this is the most prosperous, most famous, and most brilliant of the recitations, so someone who knows this becomes the most prosperous, most famous, and most brilliant of all beings. The Adhvaryu priest prepares this body, made of bricks and ritual action. Into it he weaves what is made of Yajur formulas. Into what is made of Yajur formulas, the Hotri priest weaves what is made of Rig verses. Into what is made of Rig verses, the Udgatri priest weaves what is made of Saman chants. This is the Self of the whole threefold sacred knowledge. This is also his own Self. Someone who knows this has this as his Self.

7 Now, there are three acts of worship taught by Sarvajit Kaushitaki. Wearing the sacred thread over his left shoulder, sipping water, and pouring water from a vessel three times, a man should face the rising sun and say, "You are the remover. Remove my wrongdoing." Following the same procedure, he should face the sun at midday and say, "You are the upward remover. Remove my wrongdoing." Following the same procedure, he should face the setting sun and say, "You are the complete remover. Completely remove my wrongdoing." This removes the wrong he does during the day and night.

8 Each month, at the new moon, he should face the moon when it is visible in the west. Following the same procedure, and using two green blades of grass, he directs these words toward it: "Through your well-bounded heart that rests in the moon and rules immortality, may I not weep over harm to my grandchildren." His children do not die before him. This is for someone who already has a son. Someone who has no son should recite these three Rig verses: "Grow full; may it unite with you," "May your milks come together; may your strengths come together," and "The stalk that the Adityas cause to grow full." Then he says, "Do not grow full at the cost of our breath, children, or cattle. Grow full at the cost of the breath, children, and cattle of anyone who hates us and anyone we hate. I turn with the gods' course." He makes his right arm follow the sun's course, turning it around.

9 At the full moon, he should face the moon when it is visible in the east. Following the same procedure, he says, "You are King Soma, who sees clearly. You have five mouths. You are Prajapati. The brahmin is one of your mouths. With that mouth you eat kings. With that mouth make me an eater of food. The king is one of your mouths. With that mouth you eat the common people. With that very mouth make me an eater of food. The falcon is one of your mouths. With that mouth you eat birds. With that mouth make me an eater of food. Fire is one of your mouths. With that mouth you eat this world. With that mouth make me an eater of food. In you is a fifth mouth. With that mouth you eat all beings. With that mouth make me an eater of food. Do not wane at the cost of our breath, children, or cattle. Wane at the cost of the breath, children, and cattle of anyone who hates us and anyone we hate. I turn with the gods' course." He turns his right arm around, following the sun's course.

10 When lying down, he should touch his wife's heart and say, "What is placed in your well-bounded heart, inside Prajapati—I think I know it. Through it, may I not weep over harm to my grandchildren." His children do not die before him.

11 When he is about to go away, he should stroke his son's head: "You come from every limb. You are born from the heart. You are the Self, son; you have protected me. Live a hundred autumns, so-and-so." He says his son's name. "Be a stone. Be an axe. Be gold that cannot be harmed. You are brilliance under the name of son. Live a hundred autumns, so-and-so." He says his son's name. "With the embrace with which Prajapati embraced his children to keep them safe, I embrace you, so-and-so." He says his son's name. Then he murmurs into the boy's right ear, "Generous one, rich in Soma juice, give to him," and into his left, "Indra, give him the best riches." Then: "Do not be cut off. Do not be hurt. Live out a life of a hundred autumns, son. With your name I smell your head, so-and-so." He should smell the crown of his head three times. Saying, "I hum toward you with the humming sound of cows," he should hum toward the crown of his head three times.

12 Now, the dying away of the gods. This Brahman shines when fire burns. It dies when fire does not burn. Its light goes to the sun, and its breath to the wind. This Brahman shines when the sun is visible. It dies when the sun is not visible. Its light goes to the moon, and its breath to the wind. This Brahman shines when the moon is visible. It dies when the moon is not visible. Its light goes to lightning, and its breath to the wind. This Brahman shines when lightning flashes. It dies when lightning does not flash. Its light goes to the wind, and its breath to the wind. All these deities enter the wind. Though dead in the wind, they do not perish. From it they rise again. That is how it is with the gods. Now, how it is within a person.

13 This Brahman shines when a person speaks with speech. It dies when he does not speak. Its light goes to sight, and its breath to breath. This Brahman shines when he sees with sight. It dies when he does not see. Its light goes to hearing, and its breath to breath. This Brahman shines when he hears with hearing. It dies when he does not hear. Its light goes to mind, and its breath to breath. This Brahman shines when he thinks with mind. It dies when he does not think. Its light goes to breath, and its breath to breath. All these deities enter breath. Though dead in breath, they do not perish. From it they rise again. If the two mountains, the southern one and the northern one, were to roll toward someone who knows this, trying to crush him, they would not crush him. But everyone who hates him and everyone he himself hates dies around him.

14 Now, gaining the highest good. All the deities were arguing, each saying, "I am better." They left this body, and it lay there like a piece of wood. Speech entered it. It spoke with speech but still lay there. Sight entered it. It spoke with speech and saw with sight but still lay there. Hearing entered it. It spoke with speech, saw with sight, and heard with hearing but still lay there. Mind entered it. It spoke with speech, saw with sight, heard with hearing, and thought with mind but still lay there. Breath entered it. At once it stood up. The gods recognized that the highest good was in breath. They united with breath, the Self that is awareness, and together with all these faculties left this world. With wind as their support and space as their Self, they went to heaven. In the same way, someone who knows this unites with breath, the Self of all beings that is awareness, and together with all these faculties leaves this body. With wind as his support and space as his Self, he does not go to heaven. He becomes that in which these gods are. On reaching it, he becomes immortal, as the gods are immortal.

15 Now, what they call the transfer from father to son. A father who intends to depart calls his son. He spreads fresh grass through the house, prepares a fire, and sets a water jar with a cup nearby. He covers himself with an unworn cloth and lies down. His son comes and lies on top of him, touching his own organs to his father's organs. Or he may simply sit facing him. Then the father hands these things over to him. The father says, "Let me place my speech in you." The son says, "I place your speech in me." The father says, "Let me place my breath in you." The son says, "I place your breath in me." The father says, "Let me place my sight in you." The son says, "I place your sight in me." The father says, "Let me place my hearing in you." The son says, "I place your hearing in me." The father says, "Let me place my mind in you." The son says, "I place your mind in me." The father says, "Let me place the flavors of my food in you." The son says, "I place the flavors of your food in me." The father says, "Let me place my actions in you." The son says, "I place your actions in me." The father says, "Let me place my pleasure and pain in you." The son says, "I place your pleasure and pain in me." The father says, "Let me place my joy, sexual pleasure, and procreation in you." The son says, "I place your joy, sexual pleasure, and procreation in me." The father says, "Let me place my movements in you." The son says, "I place your movements in me." The father says, "Let me place my thoughts, what is to be known, and my desires in you." The son says, "I place your thoughts, what is to be known, and your desires in me." Then the son goes around to the right and goes out toward the northeast. The father calls after him, "May honor, the brilliance of sacred knowledge, food to eat, and a good name come to you." The son looks back over his left shoulder, putting his hand between them or covering himself with the end of his cloth, and says, "May you reach the heavenly worlds and obtain what you desire." If the father is healthy, he should live under his son's authority or leave home to wander. But if he dies, he must be given his final rites in whatever way his son performs them. He must be given his final rites in that way.