Kausitaki Upanishad: Book II


1. OM. 'Breath is brahman': so said Kausitaki. Mind is the messenger of the breath, of brahman: the eye is its watchman, the ear its herald, speech its maid.  A has the servants in a different order

The one who knows the mind as the messenger of the breath, of brahman, comes to have a messenger. Or messengersThe one who knows the eye as the watchman comes to have a watchman. The one who knows the ear as the herald comes to have a herald. The one who knows speech as the maid comes to have a maid.

All these deities bring tribute to the breath, to brahman, without its asking: likewise all beings bring tribute to it, without its asking. The secret teaching (upanisad} for the one who knows this is that one should not ask. just as one who had begged in a village without getting anything might sit down, saying, 'I would not eat anything from here if it were given.' Those who refused him before, now invite him. This is the dharma of the one who does not ask;  Dharma presumably in the sense of what naturally happens to such a person, as well as of the right way for him to behave. A has 'of the one who asks'.
givers of food invite him, saying, 'Let us give to you,'

2. 'Breath is brahman': so said Paingya. The eye .of the breath, of brahman, is shut behind speech; the ear is shut behind the eye; the mind is shut behind the ear; the breath is shut behind the mind. All these deities bring tribute to the breath, to brahman, without its asking: likewise all beings bring tribute to it, without its asking. The secret teaching for the one who knows this is that one should not ask, just as one who had begged in a village without getting anything might sit down, saying, 'I would not eat anything from here if it were given.' Those who refused him before, now invite him. This is the dharma of the one who does not ask: givers of food invite him, saying, 'Let us give to you.'

3. Now the claiming of a special treasure:

If someone longs for a special treasure, then at one of these junctures � the full moon day, the new moon day, or an auspicious constellation in the bright fortnight�he builds a fire, sweeps around, strews, and sprinkles;Grass and water respectively. A adds: 'and purifies' bending the right knee, he makes offerings of melted butter with the spoon,A add? 'or with a bowl or with a metal cup' saying: 'The deity named "Speech" is the Claimer. May it claim this for me from . To it, SVAHA!

'The deity named "Breath" is the Claimer. May it claim this for me from . To it, SVAHA!

'The deity named "Eye" is the Claimer. May it daim this for me from . To it, SVAHA!

'The deity named "Ear" is the Claimer. May it claim this for me from . To it, SVAHA!

'The deity named "Mind" is the Claimer. May it claim this for me from . To it, SVAHA!

'The deity named "Awareness" is the Claimer. May it claim this for me from . To it, SVAHA!'

Then he should smell the scent of the smoke, anoint his limbs with an ointment of melted butter, and go forth restraining his speech. He should state his purpose, or send a messenger: and he gets his wish.

4. Now the longing that belongs to the gods: Daioa smara, desire (smara=kSma) as connected with the devas of the bodily functions.

If someone wishes to become beloved of any man, or woman, or persons, then at one of these same junctures, by the same method, he makes offerings of melted butter, A has 'builds a fire and makes offerings.' saying: 'I offer up your speech in me, . SVAHA!

'I offer up your breath in me, . SVAHA!
'I offer up your eye in me, . SVAHA!
'I offer up your ear in me, . SVAHA!
'I offer up your mind in me, . SVAHA!
'I offer up your awareness in me, . SVAHA!'

Then he should smelt the scent of the smoke, anoint his limbs with an ointment of melted butter, and go forth restraining his speech. He should seek to touch the person or stand to windward, conversing with them. He becomes beloved, and they long for him.

5. Now Pratardana's method of self-restraint�folk call it the 'inner Agnihotra':

So long as a person is speaking, he cannot breathe: at that time he offers up the breath in speech. So long as a person is breathing, he cannot speak: at that time he offers up speech in the breath. Waking or sleeping, one constantly A adds 'unceasingly'. makes these two unending, immortal offerings. Other offerings have an end, for they are made of actions. The ancients, knowing this, used not to offer the Agnihotra.

6. 'The Uktha is brahman': so said 6uskabhmgara. One should worship it as re: then all beings praise (re-) one, to one's betterment. One should worship it as yajus: then all beings are yoked (yuj-) to one, to one's betterment. One should worship it as sdman: all beings then bow (sam-nam-) to one, to one's betterment. One should worship it as splendour: one should worship it as fame: one should worship it as brightness. As it is the most splendid, the most famous, the brightest among the recitations, the one the brightest among all beings.

The Adhvaryu makes ready the self of the sacrifice, which is made of actions. On it he weaves that which is made of the yajus. On that which is made of the yajus, the Hotr weaves that which is made of the re. On that which is made of the re, the Udgatr weaves that which is made of the saman. This is the self of the threefold knowledge. The one who knows this becomes the self of Indra.

7. Now there are three contemplations (upasana) of the all-conquering Kausitaki.

The all-conquering Kausitaki used to worship (upas-} the sun at rising, having put on the sacred thread, fetched water and three times sprinkled with the water pot, saying, 'You are the drawer: draw evil from me.' By the same method he worshipped it in the middle of its course, saying, 'You are the drawer-up: draw up evil from me.' By the same method he worshipped it at setting, saying, 'You are the drawer-together: draw together evil from me.' So it draws together whatever evil he has done by day or by night. In the same way, the one who knows this worships the sun by this method: it draws together whatever evil he does, by day or by night.

8. Now each month, when the new moon night comes round, when the moon appears in the west, one should worship it by this method, or cast two green grass blades at it, saying,

'Since my well-formed heart Rests in the moon in the sky, I think myself a knower of it.

May I not mourn for harm to a son.'

Then his offspring do not pass away before him. That is for one to whom a son has been born. Now for one to whom a son has not yet been born: after muttering the three re verses,

'Wax! May well-being come to you!'
'May juices, may strength come to you, 'Stem that the Adityas cause to wax!

he says, 'Do not wax by our breath, offspring, animals. Wax by the breath, offspring, animals of the one who hates us, of the one that we hate. I turn the turn of Indra: I turn with the sun's turn.' And he turns towards the right hand.

9. Now on the full moon night, when the moon appears , in the east, one should worship it by this method, saying, 'You are King Soma, the shining. You are the five-mouthed Prajapati.

'The Brahmana is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat the kings. With that mouth make me an eater of food.

'The king is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat the people. With that mouth make me an eater of food.

'The hawk is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat the birds. With that mouth make me an eater of food.

'Fire is one mouth of you. With that mouth you eat this world. With that mouth make me an eater of food.

'There is a fifth mouth in you. With that mouth you eat all beings. With that mouth make me an eater of food.

'Do not wane with our breath, offspring, animals. Wane with the breath, offspring, animals of the one who hates us, of the one we hate. I turn the turn of the gods: I turn with the sun's turn.' And he turns towards the right hand.

10. Now when one is about to lie with one's wife, one should stroke her heart, saying,

'0 well-formed one, by that which rests In your heart, in Prajapati, Mistress of immortality, May you not endure suffering from a son.'

Then her offspring do not pass away before her.

11. On coming back when one has been away, one should sniff one's son's head, saying,

'You arise from every limb:

You spring from the heart. Indeed, son, you are my self.

Live a hundred autumns, . He utters his name, saying,

Be a rock, be an axe,
Be invincible gold.
Indeed, son, you are brightness.
Live a hundred autumns, .'

He speaks his name, then embraces him, saying, 'As Prajapati has embraced his creatures for their safety, I embrace you, .' Then he mutters in his right ear:

'Give to him, Maghavan, who receive the remnant.

and in his left:

'Bestow on him, Indra, the finest goods. 'Do not be cut off. Do not suffer. Live a hundred autumns of life. Son, with your name I sniff your head.' So saying, he sniffs his head three times. 'I low over you with the lowing of cows.' So saying, he lows over his head three times.

12. Now the dying-around (parimara) of the gods:

Brahman shines when fire burns, and it dies when it does not burn. Its brightness {tejas} goes to the sun, its breath to the air. Brahman shines when the sun is seen, and it dies when it is not seen. Its brightness goes to the moon, its breath to the air. Brahman shines when the moon is seen, and it dies when it is not seen. Its brightness goes to lightning, its breath to the air. Brahman shines when lightning lightens, and it dies when it does not lighten. Its brightness goes to the air, its breath to the air. Though all these deities enter the air and die in the air, they do not perish, and so they arise again.

So much regarding deities. Now regarding oneself:

13. Brahman shines when one speaks with speech, and it dies when one does not speak. Its brightness goes to the eye, its breath to the breath. Brahman shines when one sees with the eye, and it dies when one does not see. Its brightness goes to the ear, its breath to the breath. Brahman shines when one hears with the ear, and it dies when one does not hear. Its brightness goes to the mind, its breath to the breath. Brahman shines when one thinks with the mind, and it dies when one does not think. Its brightness goes to the breath, its breath to the breath. Though all these deities enter the breath and die in the breath, they do not perish, and so they arise again. So when someone knows this, even if both mountains, the southern and the northern, were to roll towards him. intending to crush him, they would not crush him. But those who hate him, and those whom he himself hates, die around (pari-mr-) him.

14.Now the attaining of supremacy: The deities, disputing over who was the best, left the body. It lay there, not breathing, dry, become a log. Speech entered it, and it still lay there, speaking with speech. The eye entered it, and it still lay there, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye. The ear entered it, and it still lay there, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear. The mind entered it, and it still lay there, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind. The breath entered it, and it at once stood up.

All the deities, having acknowledged supremacy in the breath, and understood the breath as the self of awareness, left the body, all of them together. Entering the air, with space as self, they went to heaven.

In the same way, the one who knows this, having acknowledged supremacy in the breath, and understood the breath as the self of awareness, leaves the body with all of them together. Entering the air, with space as self, he goes to heaven. He goes where the gods are. Reaching that, he becomes immortal as the gods are immortal: the one who knows this.

15. Now the Father-and-Son Ceremony�folk call it the handing-on.

When the father is about to depart, he calls his son.

Having strewn the house with fresh grass, built a fire and placed nearby a water-pot with a dish, and covered himself with a new garment, the father lies there. The son comes and lies down over him.

The father should hand on to him, either by touching faculties with faculties, or with the son sitting facing him. Then he hands on to him;

The father says, I must place my speech in you.'
The son says, I place your speech in me.'
The father says, I must place my breath in you.'
The son says, I place your breath in me.'
The father says, I must place my eye in you.'
The son says, I place your eye in me,
The father says, I must place my ear in you.'
The son says, I place your ear in me.'
The father says, I must place my tastes of food in you.'
The son says, 'I place your tastes of food in me.'
The father says, I must place my actions in you.'
The son says, I place your actions in me.'
The father says, 'I must place my joy and sorrow in you.'
The son says, 'I place your joy and sorrow in me.'

The father says, 'I must place my delight, pleasure and procreation in you.'

The son says, "I place your delight, pleasure and procreation in me,'

The father says, 'I must place my movement in you,

The son says, 'I place your movement in me.'

The father says, 'I must place my mind in you.'

The son says, 'I place your mind in me.'

The father says, 'I must place my awareness in you.'

The son says, 'I place your awareness in me.'

But if he is not able to say much, the father should say in brief, 'I must place my breaths in you.'

The son should say, 'I place your breaths in me.'

Then the son gets up and goes out, turning to the right. The father calls after him: 'May glory, may the radiance of brahman may fame favour you!'

The other looks back over his left shoulder, hiding his face with his hand or covering it with the end of his garment, and says: 'Win heavenly worlds and desires!'

If he gets well, the father should either live under his son's authority or go forth. If he passes away, they should provide him with those funeral rites with which he ought to be provided�with which he ought to be provided.




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