Chandogya Upanishad Book 6 Part 2
VI.9
1. ‘Good lad, just as bees secrete honey by collecting the
nectars from different kinds of trees, and combine the nectar
into oneness,
2. ‘And just as there they do not keep any distinction, so
as to be able to say, “I am the nectar of that tree”, “I am
the nectar of that tree”, so, good lad, all creatures, once they
have entered into being, do not know that they have entered
into being.
3. ‘Whatever they are here?a tiger, a lion, a wolf, a boar,
a worm, a flying thing, a gnat or a mosquito?they become
that.
4. ‘This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is truth:
it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
‘I will, good lad’ he said.
VI.10
1. ‘Good lad, the eastern rivers flow east and the western
rivers flow west, and from the sea merge into the sea. That
is just sea. Just as there they do not know “I am that river”,
“I am that river”,
2. ‘So, good lad, all creatures, once they have come forth
from being, do not know that they have come forth from
being. Whatever they are here-a tiger, a lion, a wolf, a
boar, a worm, a flying thing, a gnat or a mosquito-they
become that.
3. ‘This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is truth:
it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
I will, good lad,’ he said.
VI.ll
1. ‘Good lad, if someone were to strike at the root of this
great tree, it would ooze sap but live. If someone were to
strike at the middle, it would ooze sap but live. If someone
were to strike at the top, it would ooze sap but live. Pervaded
by the life, by the self, it stands, happy, ever drinking.
2. ‘If the life leaves one branch of it, that branch dries up.
If it leaves a second, that dries up. If it leaves a third, that
dries up. If it leaves the whole tree, the whole dries up.
Good lad, know that this is the same,’ he said.
3. ‘When separated from the life, it dies, but the life does
not die. This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is
truth: it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
‘I will, good lad,’ he said.
VI. 12
1. ‘Bring a banyan fruit from this tree.’
‘Here it is, blessed one.’
‘Break it.’
‘I have broken it, blessed one.’
‘What do you see there?’
‘Tiny seeds, blessed one.’
‘Now break one of them.’
‘I have broken it, blessed one.’
‘What do you see there?’
‘Nothing, blessed one.’
2. He said to him, ‘Good lad, on this subtle part-the
subtle part which you do not see-rests the great banyan I
tree. Good lad, have faith.
3. ‘This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is truth:
it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
‘I will, good lad,’ he said.
VI.13
1. ‘Put this salt in water, and come to me in the morning.’
He did so. His father said to him, ‘Now, bring me the
salt that you put in water last night.’
He felt for it, but did not find it.
2. ‘Quite,’ said his father, ‘for it has dissolved. But sip
from the side of it. What is it like?’
‘Salt.’
‘Sip from the middle of it. What is it like?’
‘Salt.’
‘Sip from the other side of it. What is it like?’
‘Salt.’
‘Throw it away, then come to me.’
He did so, and said, ‘It is there all the time.’
His father said to him, ‘You do not see being here, but
it is here.
3. ‘This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is truth:
it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
‘I will, good lad,’ he said.
VI.14
1. ‘Suppose, good lad, that someone were to lead a man
blindfold from Gandhara and then release him in a deserted
place; and suppose that he were to be blown to east, north,
south, or west, crying, “I have been led blindfold and released
blindfold!”
2. ‘And suppose that someone were to undo the blindfold
and tell him, “Gandhara is in this direction. Walk in this
direction.” And he, being wise and intelligent, by asking
from village to village would reach Gandhara. In the same
way a person who has a teacher knows, “It is only so long
until I am released. Then I will reach my goal.”
3. ‘This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is truth:
it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
‘I will, good lad,’ he said.
VI.15
1. ‘Good lad, if a man is ill, his relatives wait around him
saying, “Do you know me? Do you know me?” So long as
his speech has not entered into mind, his mind into breath,
his breath into heat, his heat into the highest deity, he
knows them.
2. ‘But when his speech has entered into mind, his mind
into breath, his breath into heat, his heat into the highest
deity, he does not know them.
3. ‘This subtle part is what all this has as self. It is truth:
it is the self. You are that, Svetaketu.’
‘Blessed one, explain it to me further.’
‘I will, good lad,’ he said.
VI.16
1. ‘Good lad, suppose they bring a man with his hands
bound, saying, “He has stolen! He has committed a theft!
Heat up an axe for him.” If he is the culprit he makes
himself false. Joined with falsehood, hiding himself behind
falsehood, when he seizes the heated axe he is burnt, and
then he is executed.
2. *But if he is not the culprit, he makes himself true.
Joined with truth, hiding himself behind truth, when he
seizes the heated axe he is not burnt, and then he is set
free.
3. ‘As he would not then be burnt . . . It is what all
this has as self. It is truth: it is the self. You are ‘that,
Svetaketu.’
Then he understood his teaching: he understood.