Chandogya Upanishad:

The Chanters' Teaching:

Book V Part II


V.13

1. Then he said to Satyayajna Paulusi, 'Pracinayogya, what do you worship as the self?'

'The sun, blessed king' he said.

'Indeed, this is the self of all men as "Having All Shapes". Since you worship the self as such, in your family is plenty, of all shapes.

2. 'You have at hand a chariot drawn by she-mules, slave-women, a gold chain. You eat food and see what is pleasant. The one who worships the self of all men as such eats food and sees what is pleasant, and in his family is the radiance of Brahman. This is the eye of the self' he, said. 'You would have gone blind it you had not come to me.'

V.14

1. Then he said to Indradyumna Bhallaveya, 'Vaiyaghrapadya, what do you worship as the self?'

'Air, blessed king,' he said.

'Indeed, this is the self of all men as "Travelling Far and Wide". Since you worship the self as such, tribute comes to you from far and wide, and ranks of chariots follow you far and wide.

2. 'You eat food and see what is pleasant. The one who worships the self of all men as such eats food and sees what is pleasant, and in his family is the radiance of brahman. This is the breath of the self,' he said. 'Your breath would have gone up out of you if you had not come to me.'

V.15

1. Then he said to Jana, 'Sarkaraksya, what do you worship as the self?'

'Space, blessed king,' he said.

'Indeed, this is the self of all men as "Abundant". Since you worship the self as such, you abound in offspring and in wealth.

2. 'You eat food and see what is pleasant. The one who worships the self of all men as such eats food and sees what is pleasant, and in his family is the radiance of brahman.

This is the body of the self' he said. 'Your body would have wasted away if you had not come to me.'

V.16

1. Then he said to Budila Asvatarasvi, 'Vaiyaghrapadya, what do you worship as the self?'

'The waters, blessed king,' he said.

'Indeed, this is the self of all men as "Wealth". Since you worship the self as such, you are wealthy and prosperous.

2. 'You eat food and see what is pleasant. The one who worships the self of all men as such eats food and sees what is pleasant, and in his family is the radiance of brahman. This is the bladder of the self,' he said. 'Your bladder would have burst if you had not come to me.'

V.17

1. Then he said to Uddalaka Aruni, 'Gautama, what do you worship as the self?'

'Earth, blessed king,' he said.

'Indeed, this is the self of all men as "Support" (pratistha). Since you worship the self as such, you are supported with offspring and with animals.

2. 'You eat food and see what is pleasant. The one who worships the self of all men as such eats food and sees what is pleasant, and in his family is the radiance of brahman. This is the feet of the self,' he said. 'Your feet would have withered away if you had not come to me.'

V.18

1. He said to them, 'You seem to know the self of all men in different ways, and you eat food. But the one who worships the self of all men limb by limb, as identified with Himself PradeSamatra abhivimSna, with the individual parts (pradesa) as the measure, referring them individually back to himself (ahhi-vi-man). Olivelle takes abhivimSna as equivalent to ativimana, 'When someone venerates the self as measuring the size of a span and beyond all measure'. eats food in all worlds, in all beings, in all selves.

2. 'The head of the self of all men is "Radiant"; his eye is "Having All Shapes"; his breath is the self as "Travelling Far and Wide"; his body is "Abundant"; his bladder is "Wealth"; the earth is his feet; Oddly, the pattern in which the identification is reiterated is changed here: we would have expected, 'His feet are Support' his chest is the altar; his body hair is the grass-strewing; his heart is the Garhapatya fire; his mind is the Anvaharyapacana fire; his mouth is the Ahavaniya fire.

V.19

1. 'The food which comes first should be given in offering. The first offering one makes one should offer with the words, 'To the breath, SVAHA!' Then the breath is content.

2. 'When the breath is content, the eye is content; when the eye is content, the sun is content; when the sun is content, the sky is content; when the sky is content, whatever the sun and the sky rule over is content; with the contentment of that, one is content, with offspring, animals, good food, brightness, and the radiance of brahman.

V.20

1. 'And the second offering one makes one should offer with the words, 'To the diffused breath, SVAHA!' Then the diffused breath is content.

2. 'When the diffused breath is content, the ear is content; when the ear is content, the moon is content; when the moon is content, the directions are content; when the directions are content, whatever the directions and the moon rule over is content; with the contentment of that, one is content, with offspring, animals, good food, brightness, and the radiance of brahman.

V.21

1. 'And the third offering one makes one should offer with the words. To the lower breath, SVAHA!' Then the lower breath is content.

2. 'When the lower breath is content, speech is content; when speech is content, fire is content; when fire is content, earth is content; when earth is content, whatever earth and fire rule over is content; with the contentment of that, one is content, with offspring, animals, good food, brightness, and the radiance of brahman.

V.22

1. 'And the fourth offering one makes one should offer with the words, 'To the central breath, SVAHA!' Then the central breath is content.

2. 'When the central breath is content, the mind is content/- when the mind is content, Parjanya is content; when Parjanya is content, the lightning is content; when the lightning is content, whatever the lightning and Parjanya rule over is content; with the contentment of that, one is content, with offspring, animals, good food, brightness, and the radiance of brahman.

V.23

1. 'And the fifth offering one makes one should offer with the words, 'To the up-breath, SVAHA!' Then the up-breath is content.

2. 'When the up-breath is content, the skin is content- when the skin is content, air is content; when air is content, space is content; when space is content, whatever air and space rule over is content; with the contentment of that, one is content, with offspring, animals, good food, brightness, and the radiance of brahman.

V.24

1. 'If one performs the Agnihotra without knowing this, it will be just the same as if one performed it by casting embers on to ashes.

2. 'But if one performs the Agnihotra knowing this, it will have been offered in all worlds, in all beings, in all selves.

3. 'Just as the tip of a reed, when poked in a fire, is burnt up, all one's evils are burnt up if one performs the Agnihotra knowing this.

4. 'So, knowing this, even if one offers leftovers to a Candala, it will have been offered to the self of all men in him. There is a verse about it:

5. 'Just as here hungry children

Wait around their mother, Pari-upas-: similarly all beings attend upon (upas-) the Agnihotra.
So all beings attend
Upon the Agnihotra:
Upon the Agnihotra.'




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