Knowledge Of The Living Spirit

Books: Sacred Books Of The East

"Prana, or breath,[16] is Brahman," thus says Kaushitaki. "Of this

prana, which is Brahman, the mind is the messenger, speech the

housekeeper, the eye the guard, the ear the informant. He who knows mind

as the messenger of prana, which is Brahman, becomes possessed of the

messenger. He who knows speech as the housekeeper, becomes possessed of

the housekeeper. He who knows the eye as the guard, becomes possessed of

the uard. He who knows the ear as the informant, becomes possessed of

the informant.



"Now to that prana, which is Brahman, all these deities, mind, speech,

eye, ear, bring an offering, though he asks not for it, and thus to him

who knows this all creatures bring an offering, though he asks not for

it. For him who knows this, there is this Upanishad, or secret vow, 'Beg

not!' As a man who has begged through a village and got nothing sits

down and says, 'I shall never eat anything given by those people,' and

as then those who formerly refused him press him to accept their alms,

thus is the rule for him who begs not, but the charitable will press him

and say, 'Let us give to thee.'"



"Prana, or breath, is Brahman," thus says Paingya. "And in that prana,

which is Brahman, the eye stands firm behind speech, the ear stands firm

behind the eye, the mind stands firm behind the ear, and the spirit

stands firm behind the mind.[17] To that prana, which is Brahman, all

these deities bring an offering, though he asks not for it, and thus to

him who knows this, all creatures bring an offering, though he asks not

for it. For him who knows this, there is this Upanishad, or secret vow,

'Beg not!' As a man who has begged through a village and got nothing

sits down and says, 'I shall never eat anything given by those people,'

and as then those who formerly refused him press him to accept their

alms, thus is the rule for him who begs not, but the charitable will

press him and say, 'Let us give to thee.'



"Now follows the attainment of the highest treasure, i.e., spirit.[18]

If a man meditates on that highest treasure, let him on a full moon or a

new moon, or in the bright fortnight, under an auspicious Nakshatra, at

one of these proper times, bending his right knee, offer oblations of

ghee with a ladle, after having placed the fire, swept the ground,

strewn the sacred grass, and sprinkled water. Let him say: 'The deity

called Speech is the attainer, may it attain this for me from him who

possesses and can bestow what I wish for. Svaha to it!' 'The deity

called prana, or breath, is the attainer, may it attain this for me from

him. Svaha to it!' 'The deity called the eye is the attainer, may it

attain this for me from him. Svaha to it!' 'The deity called the ear is

the attainer, may it attain this for me from him. Svaha to it!' 'The

deity called mind is the attainer of it, may it attain this for me from

him. Svaha to it!' 'The deity called knowledge is the attainer of it,

may it attain this for me from him. Svaha to it!'



"Then having inhaled the smell of the smoke, and having rubbed his limbs

with the ointment of ghee, walking on in silence, let him declare his

wish, or let him send a messenger. He will surely obtain his wish.



"Now follows the Daiva Smara, the desire to be accomplished by the gods.

If a man desires to become dear to any man or woman, or to any men or

women, then at one of the fore-mentioned proper times he offers, in

exactly the same manner as before, oblations of ghee, saying: 'I offer

thy speech in myself, I this one here, Svaha.' 'I offer thy ear in

myself, I this one here, Svaha.' 'I offer thy mind in myself, I this one

here, Svaha.' 'I offer thy knowledge in myself, I this one here, Svaha.'

Then having inhaled the smell of the smoke, and having rubbed his limbs

with the ointment of ghee, walking on in silence, let him try to come in

contact or let him stand speaking in the wind, so that the wind may

carry his words to the person by whom he desires to be loved. Surely he

becomes dear, and they think of him.



"Now follows the restraint instituted by Pratardana, the son of

Divodasa: they call it the inner Agni-hotri. So long as a man speaks, he

cannot breathe, he offers all the while his breath in his speech. And so

long as a man breathes, he cannot speak, he offers all the while his

speech in his breath. These two endless and immortal oblations he offers

always, whether waking or sleeping. Whatever other oblations there are

(those, e.g., of the ordinary Agni-hotri, consisting of milk and other

things), they have an end, for they consist of works which, like all

works, have an end. The ancients, knowing this the best Agni-hotri, did

not offer the ordinary Agni-hotri.



"Uktha is Brahman, thus said Sushkabhringara. Let him meditate on the

uktha as the same with the Rik, and all beings will praise him as the

best. Let him meditate on it as the same with the Yagus, and all beings

will join before him as the best. Let him meditate on it as the same

with the Saman, and all beings will bow before him as the best. Let him

meditate on it as the same with might, let him meditate on it as the

same with glory, let him meditate on it as the same with splendor. For

as the bow is among weapons the mightiest, the most glorious, the most

splendid, thus is he who knows this among all beings the mightiest, the

most glorious, the most splendid. The Adhvaryu conceives the fire of the

altar, which is used for the sacrifice, to be himself. In it he the

Adhvaryu weaves the Yagus portion of the sacrifice. And in the Yagus

portion the Hotri weaves the Rik portion of the sacrifice. And in the

Rik portion the Udgatri weaves the Saman portion of the sacrifice. He,

the Adhvaryu, or prana, is the self of the threefold knowledge; he

indeed is the self of prana. He who knows this is the self of it, i.e.,

becomes prana.



"Next follow the three kinds of meditation of the all-conquering

Kaushitaki. The all-conquering Kaushitaki adores the sun when rising,

having put on the sacrificial cord,[19] having brought water, and having

thrice sprinkled the water-cup, saying: 'Thou art the deliverer, deliver

me from sin.' In the same manner he adores the sun when in the zenith,

saying: 'Thou art the highest deliverer, deliver me highly from sin.' In

the same manner he adores the sun when setting, saying: 'Thou art the

full deliverer, deliver me fully from sin.' Thus he fully removes

whatever sin he committed by day and by night. And in the same manner he

who knows this, likewise adores the sun, and fully removes whatever sin

he committed by day and by night.



"Then, secondly, let him worship every month in the year at the time of

the new moon, the moon as it is seen in the west in the same manner as

before described with regard to the sun, or let him send forth his

speech towards the moon with two green blades of grass, saying: 'O thou

who art mistress of immortal joy, through that gentle heart of mine

which abides in the moon, may I never weep for misfortune concerning my

children.'



"The children of him who thus adores the moon do not indeed die before

him. Thus it is with a man to whom a son is already born.



"Now for one to whom no son is born as yet. He mutters the three Rik

verses. 'Increase, O Soma! may vigor come to thee.' 'May milk, may food

go to thee.' 'That ray which the Adityas gladden.'



"Having muttered these three Rik verses, he says: 'Do not increase by

our breath, by our offspring, by our cattle; he who hates us and whom we

hate, increase by his breath, by his offspring, by his cattle. Thus I

turn the turn of the god, I return the turn of Aditya.' After these

words, having raised the right arm towards Soma, he lets it go again.



"Then, thirdly, let him worship on the day of the full moon the moon as

it is seen in the east in the same manner, saying: 'Thou art Soma, the

king, the wise, the five-mouthed, the lord of creatures. The Brahmana is

one of thy mouths; with that mouth thou eatest the kings; make me an

eater of food by that mouth! The king is one of thy mouths; with that

mouth thou eatest the people; make me an eater of food by that mouth!

The hawk is one of thy mouths; with that mouth thou eatest the birds;

make me an eater of food by that mouth! Fire is one of thy mouths; with

that mouth thou eatest this world; make me an eater of food by that

mouth! In thee there is the fifth mouth; with that mouth thou eatest all

beings; make me an eater of food by that mouth! Do not decrease by our

life, by our offspring, by our cattle; he who hates us and whom we hate,

decrease by his life, by his offspring, by his cattle. Thus I turn the

turn of the god, I return the turn of Aditya.' After these words, having

raised the right arm, he lets it go again.



"Next, having addressed these prayers to Soma, when being with his wife,

let him stroke her heart, saying: 'O fair one, who hast obtained

immortal joy by that which has entered thy heart through Pragapati,

mayest thou never fall into sorrow about thy children.' Her children

then do not die before her.



"Next, if a man has been absent and returns home, let him kiss his son's

head, saying: 'Thou springest from every limb, thou art born from the

heart, thou, my son, art my self indeed: live thou a hundred harvests.'

He gives him his name, saying: 'Be thou a stone, be thou an axe, be thou

solid gold; thou, my son, art light indeed: live thou a hundred

harvests.' He pronounces his name. Then he embraces him, saying: 'As

Pragapati the lord of creatures embraced his creatures for their

welfare, thus I embrace thee,' (pronouncing his name). Then he mutters

into his right ear, saying: 'O thou, quick Maghavan, give to him.' 'O

Indra, bestow thy best wishes'--thus he whispers into his left ear. Let

him then thrice kiss his head, saying: 'Do not cut off the line of our

race, do not suffer. Live a hundred harvests of life; I kiss thy head, O

son, with thy name.' He then thrice makes a lowing sound over his head,

saying: 'I low over thee with the lowing sound of cows.'



"Next follows the Daiva Parimara, the dying around of the gods, the

absorption of the two classes of gods, mentioned before, into prana or

Brahman. This Brahman shines forth indeed when the fire burns, and it

dies when it burns not. Its splendor goes to the sun alone, the life

prana, the moving principle, to the air.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when the sun is seen, and it dies when

it is not seen. Its splendor goes to the moon alone, the life to the

air.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when the moon is seen, and it dies

when it is not seen. Its splendor goes to the lightning alone, its life

to the air.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when the lightning flashes, and it

dies when it flashes not. Its splendor goes to the air, and the life to

the air.



"Thus all these deities (fire, sun, moon, lightning), having entered the

air, though dead, do not vanish; and out of the very air they rise

again. So much with reference to the deities. Now then, with reference

to the body.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when one speaks with speech, and it

dies when one does not speak. His splendor goes to the eye alone, the

life to breath.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when one sees with the eye, and it

dies when one does not see. Its splendor goes to the ear alone, the life

to breath.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when one hears with the ear, and it

dies when one does not hear. Its splendor goes to the mind alone, the

life to breath.



"This Brahman shines forth indeed when one thinks with the mind, and it

dies when one does not think. Its splendor goes to the breath alone, and

the life to breath.



"Thus all these deities (the senses, etc.), having entered breath or

life alone, though dead, do not vanish; and out of very breath they rise

again. And if two mountains, the southern and northern, were to move

forward trying to crush him who knows this, they would not crush him.

But those who hate him and those whom he hates, they die around him.



"Next follows the Nihsreyasadana, i.e., the accepting of the preeminence

of breath or life by the other gods. The deities, speech, eye, ear,

mind, contending with each for who was the best, went out of this body,

and the body lay without breathing, withered, like a log of wood. Then

speech went into it, but speaking by speech, it lay still. Then the eye

went into it, but speaking by speech, and seeing by the eye, it lay

still. Then the ear went into it, but speaking by speech, seeing by the

eye, hearing by the ear, it lay still. Then mind went into it, but

speaking by speech, seeing by the eye, hearing by the ear, thinking by

the mind, it lay still. Then breath went into it, and thence it rose at

once. All these deities, having recognized the preeminence in life, and

having comprehended life alone as the conscious self, went out of this

body with all these five different kinds of life, and resting in the

air, knowing that life had entered the air and merged in the ether, they

went to heaven. And in the same manner he who knows this, having

recognized the preeminence in prana, and having comprehended life alone

as the conscious self, goes out of this body with all these, does no

longer believe in this body, and resting in the air, and merged in the

ether, he goes to heaven: he goes to where those gods are. And having

reached this heaven, he, who knows this, becomes immortal with that

immortality which those gods enjoy.



"Next follows the father's tradition to the son, and thus they explain

it. The father, when going to depart, calls his son, after having strewn

the house with fresh grass, and having laid the sacrificial fire, and

having placed near it a pot of water with a jug, full of rice, himself

covered with a new cloth, and dressed in white. He places himself above

his son, touching his organs with his own organs, or he may deliver the

tradition to him while he sits before him. Then he delivers it to him.

The father says: 'Let me place my speech in thee.' The son says: 'I take

thy speech in me.' The father says: 'Let me place my scent in thee.' The

son says: 'I take thy scent in me.' The father says: 'Let me place my

eye in thee.' The son says: 'I take thy eye in me.' The father says:

'Let me place my ear in thee.' The son says: 'I take thy ear in me.' The

father says: 'Let me place my tastes of food in thee.' The son says: 'I

take thy tastes of food in me.' The father says: 'Let me place my

actions in thee.' The son says: 'I take thy actions in me.' The father

says: 'Let me place my pleasure and pain in thee.' The son says: 'I take

thy pleasure and pain in me.' The father says: 'Let me place happiness,

joy, and offspring in thee.' The son says: 'I take thy happiness, joy,

and offspring in me.' The father says: 'Let me place my walking in

thee.' The son says: 'I take thy walking in me.' The father says: 'Let

me place my mind in thee.' The son says: 'I take thy mind in me.' The

father says: 'Let me place my knowledge in thee.' The son says: 'I take

thy knowledge in me.' But if the father is very ill, he may say shortly:

Let me place my spirits in thee,' and the son: 'I take thy spirits in

me.'



"Then the son walks round his father, keeping his right side towards

him, and goes away. The father calls after him: 'May fame, glory of

countenance, and honor always follow thee.' Then the other looks back

over his left shoulder, covering himself with his hand or the hem of his

garment, saying: 'Obtain the heavenly worlds and all desires.'



"If the father recovers, let him be under the authority of his son, or

let him wander about as an ascetic. But if he departs, then let them

despatch him, as he ought to be despatched, yea, as he ought to be

despatched."