Six seekers devoted to Brahman, Sukesha, Satyakama, Gargya, Kausalya, Bhargava and Kabandhi, come to the rishi Pippalada with fuel in hand. He tells them to live with him a year in tapas, brahmacharya and faith, then ask. Kabandhi Katyayana asks first: from where are creatures born? Pippalada answers that Prajapati, wishing for offspring, did tapas and brought forth a pair, rayi and prana, matter and life. The sun is prana, the moon rayi. The year, the month and day and night each have two halves, the northern path of the sun leading to the deathless and the southern path of rites leading to the moon's world. Food comes from these, and creatures from food. The pure world of Brahma belongs to those without crookedness, falsehood or deceit.
ॐ सुकेशा च भारद्वाजः शैब्यश्च सत्यकामः सौर्यायणी च गार्ग्यः कौसल्यश्चाश्वलायनो भार्गवो वैदर्भिः कबन्धी कात्यायनस्ते हैते ब्रह्मपरा ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः परं ब्रह्मान्वेषमाणा एष ह वै तत्सर्वं वक्ष्यतीति ते ह समित्पाणयो भगवन्तं पिप्पलादमुपसन्नाः
oṃ sukeśā ca bhāradvājaḥ śaibyaśca satyakāmaḥ sauryāyaṇī ca gārgyaḥ kausalyaścāśvalāyano bhārgavo vaidarbhiḥ kabandhī kātyāyanaste haite brahmaparā brahmaniṣṭhāḥ paraṃ brahmānveṣamāṇā eṣa ha vai tatsarvaṃ vakṣyatīti te ha samitpāṇayo bhagavantaṃ pippalādamupasannāḥ
Sukesha son of Bharadvaja, Satyakama son of Shibi, Gargya of the Surya line, Kausalya son of Ashvala, Bhargava of Vidarbha and Kabandhi son of Katya were devoted to Brahman and established in it, seeking the highest Brahman. Thinking, "He will tell us all of it," they came, fuel in hand, to the revered rishi Pippalada.
tan ha sa ṛṣiruvāca bhūya eva tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śraddhayā saṃvatsaraṃ saṃvatsyatha yathākāmaṃ praśnān pṛcchata yadi vijñāsyāmaḥ sarvaṃ ha vo vakṣyāma iti
The rishi said to them: "Live here once more for a year, with tapas, brahmacharya and faith. Then ask whatever questions you wish. If we know, we shall tell you all."
तस्मै स होवाच प्रजाकामो वै प्रजापतिः स तपोऽतप्यत स तपस्तप्त्वा स मिथुनमुत्पादयते । रयिं च प्राणं चेत्येतौ मे बहुधा प्रजाः करिष्यत इति
tasmai sa hovāca prajākāmo vai prajāpatiḥ sa tapo'tapyata sa tapastaptvā sa mithunamutpādayate | rayiṃ ca prāṇaṃ cetyetau me bahudhā prajāḥ kariṣyata iti
He answered: Prajapati, the lord of creatures, desired offspring. He performed tapas, and having done so he brought forth a pair, rayi (matter, the nourishing substance) and prana (life), thinking, "These two will make creatures for me in many forms."
When the rising sun enters the eastern quarter, he gathers the lives of the east into his rays. When he lights up the south, the west, the north, below, above and the quarters between, when he lights up everything, he gathers all lives into his rays.
Of every form, golden, knower of all that is born, the final refuge, the one light, giving heat: thousand-rayed, existing in a hundred ways, the life of all creatures, there rises the sun.
संवत्सरो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्यायने दक्षिणं चोत्तरं च । तद्ये ह वै तदिष्टापूर्ते कृतमित्युपासते ते चान्द्रमसमेव लोकमभिजयन्ते । त एव पुनरावर्तन्ते तस्मादेत ऋषयः प्रजाकामा दक्षिणं प्रतिपद्यन्ते । एष ह वै रयिर्यः पितृयाणः
saṃvatsaro vai prajāpatistasyāyane dakṣiṇaṃ cottaraṃ ca | tadye ha vai tadiṣṭāpūrte kṛtamityupāsate te cāndramasameva lokamabhijayante | ta eva punarāvartante tasmādeta ṛṣayaḥ prajākāmā dakṣiṇaṃ pratipadyante | eṣa ha vai rayiryaḥ pitṛyāṇaḥ
The year is Prajapati, and it has two paths, the southern and the northern. Those who worship by thinking that sacrifice and works of public merit are the goal win only the world of the moon, and they return again. So the rishis who desire offspring take the southern path. This rayi is the path of the ancestors (pitriyana).
But those who seek the Self through tapas, brahmacharya, faith and knowledge win the sun by the northern path. That is the abode of all lives; it is deathless and fearless, the final goal. From there they do not return. It is the end of the round. On this there is a verse:
pañcapādaṃ pitaraṃ dvādaśākṛtiṃ diva āhuḥ pare ardhe purīṣiṇam | atheme anya u pare vicakṣaṇaṃ saptacakre ṣaḍara āhurarpitamiti
Some call him the father with five feet and twelve forms, dwelling in the far half of heaven, rich in waters. Others call him the far-seeing one, on whom all is set as on a chariot of seven wheels and six spokes. (The year is meant: five seasons, twelve months.)
māso vai prajāpatistasya kṛṣṇapakṣa eva rayiḥ śuklaḥ prāṇastasmādeta ṛṣayaḥ śukla iṣṭaṃ kurvantītara itarasmin
The month is Prajapati. Its dark fortnight is rayi, its bright fortnight prana. So these rishis perform sacrifice in the bright half; others perform it in the other half.
अहोरात्रो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः प्राणं वा एते प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ रत्या संयुज्यन्ते
ahorātro vai prajāpatistasyāhareva prāṇo rātrireva rayiḥ prāṇaṃ vā ete praskandanti ye divā ratyā saṃyujyante brahmacaryameva tadyadrātrau ratyā saṃyujyante
Day and night are Prajapati. Day is prana, night is rayi. Those who join in love by day spill away their very life. To join in love by night is itself counted as brahmacharya.
tadye ha vai tat prajāpativrataṃ caranti te mithunamutpādayante | teṣāmevaiṣa brahmaloko yeṣāṃ tapo brahmacaryaṃ yeṣu satyaṃ pratiṣṭitam
Those who keep this vow of Prajapati beget a pair, son and daughter. But the world of Brahma belongs to those in whom tapas and brahmacharya dwell, in whom truth is established.
तेषामसौ विरजो ब्रह्मलोको न येषु जिह्ममनृतं न माया चेति
teṣāmasau virajo brahmaloko na yeṣu jihmamanṛtaṃ na māyā ceti
That stainless world of Brahma belongs to those in whom there is no crookedness, no falsehood and no deceit.
English translation · F. Max Müller
Adoration to the Highest Self! Harih, Om!
1. Sukesas Bhâradvâga, and Saivya Satyakâma, and Sauryâyanin Gârgya, and Kausalya Âsvalâyana, and Bhârgava Vaidarbhi, and Kabandhin Kâtyâyana, these were devoted to Brahman, firm in Brahman, seeking for the Highest Brahman. They thought that the venerable Pippalâda could tell them all that, and they therefore took fuel in their hands
(like pupils), and approached him.
2. That Rishi said to them: "Stay here a year longer, with penance, abstinence, and faith; then you may ask questions according to your pleasure, and if we know them, we shall tell you all."
3. Then Kabandhin Kâtyâyana approached him and asked: "Sir, from whence may these creatures be born?"
4. He replied: "Pragâpati (the lord of creatures) was desirous of creatures (pragâh). He performed penance, and having performed penance, he produces a pair, matter (rayi) and spirit (prâna), thinking that they together should produce creatures for
him in many ways.
5. The sun is spirit, matter is the moon. All this, what has body and what has no body, is matter, and therefore body indeed is matter.
6. Now Âditya, the sun, when he rises, goes toward the East, and thus receives the Eastern spirits into his rays. And when he illuminates the South, the West, the North, the Zenith, the Nadir, the intermediate quarters, and everything, he thus receives all spirits into his rays.
7. Thus he rises, as Vaisvânara, (belonging to all men,) assuming all forms, as spirit, as fire. This has been said in the following verse:
8. (They knew) him who assumes all forms, the golden, who knows all things, who ascends highest, alone in his splendour, and warms us; the thousand-rayed, who abides in a hundred places, the spirit of all creatures, the Sun, rises.
9. The year indeed is Pragâpati, and there are two paths thereof, the Southern and the Northern. Now those who here believe in sacrifices and pious gifts as work done, gain the moon only as their (future) world, and return again. Therefore the Rishis who desire offspring, go to the South, and that path of the Fathers is matter (rayi).
10. But those who have sought the Self by penance, abstinence, faith, and knowledge, gain by the Northern path Âditya, the sun. This is the home of the spirits, the immortal, free from danger, the highest. From thence they do not return, for it is the end. Thus says the Sloka:
11. Some call him the father with five feet (the five seasons), and with twelve shapes (the twelve months), the giver of rain in the highest half of heaven; others again say that the sage is placed in the lower half, in the chariot with seven wheels and six spokes.
12. The month is Pragâpati; its dark half is matter, its bright half spirit. Therefore some Rishis perform sacrifice in the bright half, others in the other half.
13. Day and Night are Pragâpati; its day is spirit, its night matter. Those who unite in love by day waste their spirit, but to unite in love by
night is right.
14. Food is Pragâpati. Hence proceeds seed, and from it these creatures are born.
15. Those therefore who observe this rule of Pragâpati (as laid down in §13), produce a pair, and to them belongs this Brahma-world here. But those in whom dwell penance, abstinence, and truth,
16. To them belongs that pure Brahma-world, to them, namely, in whom there is nothing crooked,
nothing false, and no guile."
Public-domain translation by F. Max Müller (1884).
Text source: Wikisource · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription of a public-domain text)
