Chapter 1
33 verses
Section 14 verses
1अथ ऐतरेयोपनिषदि प्रथमाध्याये प्रथमः खण्डःIn the beginning (all) this was verily the Atman alone. There was nothing else active. (Nothing else whatsoever living existed. There was no other thing that winked at all.) He thought: ` (now) verily I shall create the worlds. '
2स इमाँल्लोकानसृजत । अम्भो मरीचीर्मरमापोऽदोऽम्भः परेण दिवं द्यौःHe created these worlds, viz., Ambhas, Marichi, Maram and Apah. The Ambhas is above the heavens, its support. The Marichayah (rays) from the sky. The Maram (region of the world) is the earth, and what are below the earth are the Apah (waters).
3स ईक्षतेमे नु लोका लोकपालान्नु सृजा इति।He reflected: ` These indeed are the worlds (I have created). I shall create the protectors or rulers of the worlds. ' Then He raised the Purusha from water and gave him form.
4तमभ्यतपत्तस्याभितप्तस्य मुखं निरभिद्यत यथाऽण्डम्।Then the Atman brooded over that i.e., the lump He wished to give it the shape of a man. A hole in the shape of a mouth manifested itself in that mass which was brooded over by Him, just as a bird's egg bursts when hatched. From the mouth came out speech and from speech fire. Then his nostrils came forth, from the nostrils the smell (Prana), from the smell (Prana) the air.
His eyes came forth, from his eyes sight, from sight the sun. His ears came forth, from his ears hearing and from hearing the arters. His skin came forth, from the skin the hair, from the hairs the herbs and big trees. His heart came forth, from the heart the mind, and from the mind, the moon. The naval came forth, from the navel the Apana and from Apana, death. His generative organ came forth, from the generative organ semen, and from semen, water.
Section 25 verses
1ता एता देवताः सृष्टा अस्मिन्महत्यर्णव प्रापतन्।He (the Lord) thought again: ` The worlds and the protectors of the worlds have been created. Now let Me create food for them. '
2ताभ्यो गामानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति ।Then He (the Lord) brooded over the water and from the waters so brooded over issued a form. The form thus created is verily food.
3ताभ्यः पुरूषमानयत्ता अब्रुवन्Then this food so created wished to run away. He tried to catch it by speech, but He could not catch it by speech. If He had caught it by speech, then one would be satisfied by merely talking of food.
4अग्निर्वाग्भूत्वा मुखं प्राविशद्वायुः प्राणो भूत्वा नासिकेHe wished to catch it by breath or Prana. He could not catch it by Prana. If He had caught if by Prana, then one would be satisfied by merely smelling food.
5तमशनायापिपासे अब्रूतामावाभ्यामभिप्रजानीहीतिHe wished to catch it by the eye. He could not catch it by the eye. If He had caught it by the eye, then one would be satisfied by merely seeing food.
Section 314 verses
1स ईक्षतेमे नु लोकश्च लोकपालाश्चन्न्नमेभ्यः सृजा इतिHe thought, This, then, are the senses and the deities of the senses. Let Me create food for them.'
2सोऽपोऽभ्यतपत्ताभ्योऽभितप्ताभ्यो मूर्तिरजायत ।He deliberated with regard to the water. From the water, thus brooded over, evolved a form. The form that emerged was verily food.
3तदेनत्सृष्टं पराङत्यजिघांसत्तद्वाचाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोद्वाचा ग्रहीतुम्।This food, that was created, turned back and attempted to run away. He tried to take it up with speech. He did not succeed in taking it up through speech. If He had succeeded in taking it up with the speech, then one would have become contented merely by talking of food.
4तत्प्राणेनाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोत्प्राणेन ग्रहीतुं सHe tried to grasp that food with the sense of smell. He did not succeed in grasping it by smelling. If He had succeeded in grasping it by smelling, then everyone would have become contented merely by smelling food.
5तच्चक्षुषाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्चक्षुषा ग्रहीतुम्। स यद्धैनच्चक्षुषाऽग्रहैष्यद्दृष्ट्वा.हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत्He wanted to take up the food with the eye. He did not succeed in taking it up with the eye. If He had taken it up with the eye, then everyone would have become satisfied by merely seeing food.
6तच्छ्रोत्रेणाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्छ्रोत्रेण ग्रहीतुं सHe wanted to take up the food with the ear. He did not succeed in taking it up with the ear. If He had taken it up with the ear, then everyone would have become satisfied merely be hearing of food.
7तत्त्वचाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोत्त्वचा ग्रहीतुम् स
8तन्मनसाऽजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोन्मनसा ग्रहीतुम् स
9तच्छिश्नेनाजिघृक्षत् तन्नाशक्नोच्छिश्नेन ग्रहीतुम् स
10तदपानेनाजिघृक्षत् तदावयत्।
11स ईक्षत कथं न्विदं मदृते स्यादिति स ईक्षत कतरेण प्रपद्या इति।
12स एतमेव सीमानं विदार्यैतया द्वारा प्रापद्यत।
13स जातो भूतान्यभिव्यैख्यत् किमिहान्यं वावदिषदिति।
14तस्मादिदन्द्रो नामेदन्द्रो ह वै नाम। तमिदन्द्रं सन्तमिन्द्र इत्याचक्षते परोक्षेण।
Section 46 verses
1पुरुषे ह वा अयमादितो गर्भो भवति।In man indeed is the soul first conceived. That which is this semen is extracted from all the limbs as their vigour. He holds that self of his in his own self. When he sheds it into his wife, then he procreates it. That is its first birth.
2तत्स्त्रिया आत्मभूयं गच्छति। यथा स्वमङ्गं तथा।That becomes non-different from the wife, just as much as her own limb is. Therefore (the foetus) does not hurt her. She nourishes this self of his that has entered here (in her womb).
3सा भावयित्री भावयितव्या भवति।She, the nourisher, becomes fit to be nourished. The wife bears that embryo (before the birth). He (the father) protects the son at the very start, soon after his birth. That he protects the son at the very beginning, just after birth, theory he protects his own self for the sake of the continuance of these worlds. For thus is the continuance of these worlds ensured. That is his second birth.
4सोऽस्यायमात्मा पुण्येभ्यः प्रतिधीयते।This self of his (viz the son) is deputed (by the father) for the performance of virtuous deeds. Then this other self of his (that is the father of the son), having got his duties fulfilled and having advanced in age, departs. As soon as he departs, he takes birth again. That is his third birth.
5तदुक्तमृषिणा--गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषामवेदमहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा।This fact was stated by the seer: `Even while lying in the womb, I came to know of the birth of all the gods. A hundred iron citadels held me down. Then, like a hawk, I forced my way through by dint of the knowledge of the Self,' Vamadeva said this while still lying in the mother's womb.
6स एवं विद्वानस्माच्छरीरभेदादूर्ध्व उत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन् स्वर्गेHe who had known thus (had) become identified with the Supreme, and attained all desirable things (even here); and having (then) ascended higher up after the destruction of the body, he became immortal, in the world of the Self. He became immortal.
Section 54 verses
1कोऽयमात्मेति वयमुपास्महे कतरः स आत्मा,Om! Which is It that we worship as this Self, Which of the two is the Self, Is It that by which one sees, and by which one hears; also, by which one smells odour, and by which one utters speech, and by which one tastes the sweet or the sour ?
2यदेतद्धृदयं मनश्चैतत्।It is this heart (intellect) and this mind that were stated earlier. It is sentience, rulership, secular knowledge, presence of mind, retentiveness, sense-perception, fortitude, thinking, genius, mental suffering, memory, ascertainment, resolution, life-activities, hankering, passion, and such others. All these verily are the names of Consciousness.
3एष ब्रह्मैष इन्द्र एष प्रजापतिरेते सर्वे देवा इमानि च पञ्चThis One is (the inferior) Brahman; this is Indra, this is Prajapati; this is all these gods; and this is these five elements, viz earth, air, space, water, fire; and this is all these (big creatures), together with the tiny ones, that are the procreators of others and referable in pairs — to wit, those that are born of eggs, of wombs, of moisture, and of the earth, viz horses, cattle, men, elephants, and all the creatures that there are which move or fly and those which do not move. All these are impelled by Consciousness; all these have Consciousness as the giver of their reality; the universe has Consciousness as its eye, and Consciousness is its end. Consciousness is Brahman.
4स एतेन प्रज्ञेनात्मनास्माल्लोकादुत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन्स्वर्गे लोकेThrough this Self that is Consciousness, he ascended higher up from this world, and getting all desires fulfilled in that heavenly world, he became immortal, he became immortal.