आत्मैवेदम् अग्र आसीत् पुरुषविधः । सो ऽनुवीक्ष्य नान्यद् आत्मनो ऽपश्यत् । सो ऽहम् अस्मीत्य् अग्रे व्याहरत् । ततो ऽहंनामाभवत् । तस्माद् अप्य् एतर्ह्य् आमन्त्रितो ऽहम् अयम् इत्य् एवाग्र उक्त्वाथान्यन् नाम प्रब्रूते यद् अस्य भवति । स यत् पूर्वो ऽस्मात् सर्वस्मात् सर्वान् पाप्मन औषत् तस्मात् पुरुषः । ओषति ह वै स तं यो ऽस्मात् पूर्वो बुभूषति य एवं वेद
ātmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣavidhaḥ | so 'nuvīkṣya nānyad ātmano 'paśyat | so 'ham asmīty agre vyāharat | tato 'haṃnāmābhavat | tasmād apy etarhy āmantrito 'ham ayam ity evāgra uktvāthānyan nāma prabrūte yad asya bhavati | sa yat pūrvo 'smāt sarvasmāt sarvān pāpmana auṣat tasmāt puruṣaḥ | oṣati ha vai sa taṃ yo 'smāt pūrvo bubhūṣati ya evaṃ veda
In the beginning this was Self alone, in the shape of a person (purusha). He looking round saw nothing but his Self. He first said, ‘This is I;’ therefore he became I by name. Therefore even now, if a man is asked, he first says, ‘ This is / and then pronounces the other name which he may have. And because before (pftrva) all this, he (the Self) burnt down (ush) all evils, therefore he was a person (pur-usha). Verily he who knows this, burns down every one who tries to be before him.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
so 'bibhet tasmād ekākī bibheti | sa hāyam īkṣāṃ cakre, yan mad anyan nāsti kasmān nu bibhemīti | tata evāsya bhayaṃ vīyāya | kasmād dhy abheṣyat | dvitīyād vai bhayaṃ bhavati
He feared, and therefore any one who is lonely fears. He thought, ‘As there is nothing but myself, why should I fear?’ Thence his fear passed away. For what should he have feared? Verily fear arises from a second only.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
स वै नैव रेमे । तस्माद् एकाकी न रमते । स द्वितीयम् ऐच्छत् । स हैतावान् आस यथा स्त्रीपुमांसौ सम्परिष्वक्तौ । स इमम् एवात्मानं द्वेधापातयत् । ततः पतिश् च पत्नी चाभवताम् । तस्माद् इदम् अर्धबृगलम् इव स्व इति ह स्माह याज्ञवल्क्यः । तस्माद् अयम् आकाशः स्त्रिया पूर्यत एव । तां समभवत् । ततो मनुष्या अजायन्त
sa vai naiva reme | tasmād ekākī na ramate | sa dvitīyam aicchat | sa haitāvān āsa yathā strīpumāṃsau sampariṣvaktau | sa imam evātmānaṃ dvedhāpātayat | tataḥ patiś ca patnī cābhavatām | tasmād idam ardhabṛgalam iva sva iti ha smāha yājñavalkyaḥ | tasmād ayam ākāśaḥ striyā pūryata eva | tāṃ samabhavat | tato manuṣyā ajāyanta
But he felt no delight. Therefore a man who is lonely feels no delight. He wished for a second. He was so large as man and wife together. He then made this his Self to fall in two (pat), and thence arose husband (pati) and wife (patni). Therefore Y af^wavalkya said: ‘We two are thus (each of us) like half a shell Therefore the void which was there, is filled by the wife. He embraced her, and men were born.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
तद् धेदं तर्ह्य् अव्याकृतम् आसीत् । तन् नामरूपाभ्याम् एव व्याक्रियतासौ नामायम् इदंरूप इति । तद् इदम् अप्य् एतर्हि नामरूपाभ्याम् एव व्याक्रियत असौ नामायम् इदंरूप इति । स एष इह प्रविष्ट आ नखाग्रेभ्यो यथा क्षुरः क्षुरधाने ऽवहितः स्याद् विश्वम्भरो वा विश्वम्भरकुलाये । तं न पश्यन्ति । अकृत्स्नो हि सः प्राणन्न् एव प्राणो नाम भवति । वदन् वाक् पश्यंश् चक्षुः शृण्वञ् छ्रोत्रं मन्वानो मनः । तान्य् अस्यैतानि कर्मनामान्य् एव । स यो ऽत एकैकम् उपास्ते न स वेद । अकृत्स्नो ह्य् एषो ऽत एकैकेन भवति । आत्मेत्य् एवोपासीत । अत्र ह्य् एते सर्व एकं भवन्ति । तद् एतत् पदनीयम् अस्य सर्वस्य यद् अयम् आत्मा । अनेन ह्य् एतत् सर्वं वेद । यथा ह वै पदेनानुविन्देद् एवं कीर्तिं श्लोकं विन्दते य एवं वेद
tad dhedaṃ tarhy avyākṛtam āsīt | tan nāmarūpābhyām eva vyākriyatāsau nāmāyam idaṃrūpa iti | tad idam apy etarhi nāmarūpābhyām eva vyākriyata asau nāmāyam idaṃrūpa iti | sa eṣa iha praviṣṭa ā nakhāgrebhyo yathā kṣuraḥ kṣuradhāne 'vahitaḥ syād viśvambharo vā viśvambharakulāye | taṃ na paśyanti | akṛtsno hi saḥ prāṇann eva prāṇo nāma bhavati | vadan vāk paśyaṃś cakṣuḥ śṛṇvañ chrotraṃ manvāno manaḥ | tāny asyaitāni karmanāmāny eva | sa yo 'ta ekaikam upāste na sa veda | akṛtsno hy eṣo 'ta ekaikena bhavati | ātmety evopāsīta | atra hy ete sarva ekaṃ bhavanti | tad etat padanīyam asya sarvasya yad ayam ātmā | anena hy etat sarvaṃ veda | yathā ha vai padenānuvinded evaṃ kīrtiṃ ślokaṃ vindate ya evaṃ veda
Sanskrit only: no published translation is held for this verse.
tad etat preyaḥ putrāt preyo vittāt preyo 'nyasmāt sarvasmād antarataraṃ yad ayam ātmā | sa yo 'nyam ātmanaḥ priyaṃ bruvāṇaṃ brūyāt priyaṃ rotsyatītīśvaro ha tathaiva syāt | ātmānam eva priyam upāsīta | sa ya ātmānam eva priyam upāste na hāsya priyaṃ pramāyukaṃ bhavati
Sanskrit only: no published translation is held for this verse.
ब्रह्म वा इदम् अग्र आसीत् । तद् आत्मानम् एवावेत् । अहं ब्रह्मास्मीति । तस्मात् तत् सर्वम् अभवत् । तद् यो यो देवानां प्रत्यबुध्यत स एव तद् अभवत् । तथर्षीनाम् । तथा मनुष्याणाम् । तद् धैतत् पश्यन्न् ऋषिर् वामदेवः प्रतिपेदे ऽहं मनुर् अभवं सूर्यश् चेति । तद् इदम् अप्य् एतर्हि य एवं वेदाहं ब्रह्मास्मीति स इदं सर्वं भवति । तस्य ह न देवाश् चनाभूत्या ईशते । आत्मा ह्य् एषां स भवति । अथ यो ऽन्यां देवताम् उपास्ते ऽन्यो ऽसाव् अन्यो ऽहम् अस्मीति न स वेद । यथा पशुर् एवं स देवानाम् । यथा ह वै बहवः पशवो मनुष्यं भुञ्ज्युर् एवम् एकैकः पुरुषो देवान् भुनक्ति । एकस्मिन्न् एव पशाव् आदीयमाने ऽप्रियं भवति किम् उ बहुषु । तस्माद् एषां तन् न प्रियं यद् एतन् मनुष्या विद्युः
brahma vā idam agra āsīt | tad ātmānam evāvet | ahaṃ brahmāsmīti | tasmāt tat sarvam abhavat | tad yo yo devānāṃ pratyabudhyata sa eva tad abhavat | tatharṣīnām | tathā manuṣyāṇām | tad dhaitat paśyann ṛṣir vāmadevaḥ pratipede 'haṃ manur abhavaṃ sūryaś ceti | tad idam apy etarhi ya evaṃ vedāhaṃ brahmāsmīti sa idaṃ sarvaṃ bhavati | tasya ha na devāś canābhūtyā īśate | ātmā hy eṣāṃ sa bhavati | atha yo 'nyāṃ devatām upāste 'nyo 'sāv anyo 'ham asmīti na sa veda | yathā paśur evaṃ sa devānām | yathā ha vai bahavaḥ paśavo manuṣyaṃ bhuñjyur evam ekaikaḥ puruṣo devān bhunakti | ekasminn eva paśāv ādīyamāne 'priyaṃ bhavati kim u bahuṣu | tasmād eṣāṃ tan na priyaṃ yad etan manuṣyā vidyuḥ
Verily in the beginning this was Brahman, that Brahman knew (its) Self only, saying, ‘ I am Brahman.’ From it all this sprang. Thus, whatever Deva was awakened (so as to know Brahman), he indeed became that (Brahman); and the same with Akshis and men. The Ri shi Vamadeva saw and understood it, singing, ‘ I was Manu (moon), I was the sun.’ Therefore now also he who thus knows that he is Brahman, becomes all this, and even the Devas cannot prevent it, for he himself is their Self. Now if a man worships another deity, thinking the deity is one and he another, he does not know. He is like a beast for the Devas. For verily, as many beasts nourish a man, thus does every man nourish the Devas. If only one beast is taken away, it is not pleasant; how much more when many are taken! Therefore it is not pleasant to the Devas that men should know this.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
brahma vā idam agra āsīd ekam eva | tad ekaṃ san na vyabhavat | tac chreyo rūpam atyasṛjata kṣatraṃ, yāny etāni devatrā kṣatrāṇīndro varuṇaḥ somo rudraḥ parjanyo yamo mṛtyur īśāna iti | tasmāt kṣatrāt paraṃ nāsti | tasmād brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyaṃ adhastād upāste rājasūye | kṣatra eva tad yaśo dadhāti | saiṣā kṣatrasya yonir yad brahma | tasmād yady api rājā paramatāṃ gacchati brahmaivāntata upaniśrayati svāṃ yonim | ya u enaṃ hinasti svāṃ sa yonim ṛcchati | sa pāpīyān bhavati yathā śreyāṃsaṃ hiṃsitvā
Verily in the beginning this was Brahman, one only. That being one, was not strong enough. It created still further the most excellent Kshatra (power), viz. those Kshatras (powers) among the Devas,—Indra, Varu/za, Soma, Rudra, Par^anya, Yama, Mrztyu, Lana. Therefore there is nothing beyond the Kshatra, and therefore at the Rd^ashya sacrifice the Brahmazza sits down below the Kshatriya. He confers that glory on the Kshatra alone. But Brahman is (nevertheless) the birth-place of the Kshatra. Therefore though a king is exalted, he sits down at the end (of the sacrifice) below the Brahman, as his birth-place. He who injures him, injures his own birth-place. He becomes worse, because he has injured one better than himself.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
स नैव व्यभवत् । स विशम् असृजत । यान्य् एतानि देवजातानि गणश आख्यायन्ते वसवो रुद्रा आदित्या विश्वे देवा मरुत इति
sa naiva vyabhavat | sa viśam asṛjata | yāny etāni devajātāni gaṇaśa ākhyāyante vasavo rudrā ādityā viśve devā maruta iti
He was not strong enough. He created the ViT (people), the classes of Devas which in their different orders are called Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Visve Devas, Maruts.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
sa naiva vyabhavat | sa śaudraṃ varṇam asṛjata pūṣaṇam | iyaṃ vai pūṣā | iyaṃ hīdaṃ sarvaṃ puṣyati yad idaṃ kiñca
He was not strong enough. He created the Yftdra colour (caste), as Pftshan (as nourisher). This earth verily is Pushan (the nourisher); for the earth nourishes all this whatsoever.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
sa naiva vyabhavat | tac chreyo rūpam atyasṛjata dharmam | tad etat kṣatrasya kṣatraṃ yad dharmaḥ | tasmād dharmāt paraṃ nāsti | atho abalīyān balīyāṃsam āśaṃsate dharmeṇa | yathā rājñaivam | yo vai sa dharmaḥ satyaṃ vai tat | tasmāt satyaṃ vadantam āhur dharmaṃ vadatīti | dharmaṃ vā vadantaṃ satyaṃ vadatīti | etad dhy evaitad ubhayaṃ bhavati
He was not strong enough. He created still further the most excellent Law (dharma). Law is the Kshatra (power) of the Kshatra, therefore there is nothing higher than the Law. Thenceforth even a weak man rules a stronger with the help of the Law, as with the help of a king. Thus the Law is what is called the true. And if a man declares what is true, they say he declares the Law; and if he declares the Law, they say he declares what is true. Thus both are the same.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.
तद् एतद् ब्रह्म क्षत्रं विट् शूद्रः । तद् अग्निनैव देवेषु ब्रह्माभवद् ब्राह्मणो मनुष्येषु, क्षत्रियेण क्षत्रियः, वैश्येन वैश्यः, शूद्रेण शूद्रः । तस्माद् अग्नाव् एव देवेषु लोकम् इच्छन्ते ब्राह्मणे मनुष्येषु । एताभ्यां हि रूपाभ्यां ब्रह्माभवत् । अथ यो ह वा अस्माल् लोकात् स्वं लोकम् अदृष्ट्वा प्रैति स एनम् अविदितो न भुनक्ति यथा वेदो वाननूक्तो ऽन्यद् वा कर्माकृतम् । यदि ह वा अप्य् अनेवंविन् महत्पुण्यं कर्म करोति तद् धास्यान्ततः क्षीयत एव । आत्मानम् एव लोकम् उपासीत । स य आत्मानम् एव लोकम् उपास्ते न हास्य कर्म क्षीयते । अस्माद् ध्य् एवात्मनो यद्यत् कामयते तत्तत् सृजते
tad etad brahma kṣatraṃ viṭ śūdraḥ | tad agninaiva deveṣu brahmābhavad brāhmaṇo manuṣyeṣu, kṣatriyeṇa kṣatriyaḥ, vaiśyena vaiśyaḥ, śūdreṇa śūdraḥ | tasmād agnāv eva deveṣu lokam icchante brāhmaṇe manuṣyeṣu | etābhyāṃ hi rūpābhyāṃ brahmābhavat | atha yo ha vā asmāl lokāt svaṃ lokam adṛṣṭvā praiti sa enam avidito na bhunakti yathā vedo vānanūkto 'nyad vā karmākṛtam | yadi ha vā apy anevaṃvin mahatpuṇyaṃ karma karoti tad dhāsyāntataḥ kṣīyata eva | ātmānam eva lokam upāsīta | sa ya ātmānam eva lokam upāste na hāsya karma kṣīyate | asmād dhy evātmano yadyat kāmayate tattat sṛjate
There are then this Brahman, Kshatra, Vis, and Ahdra. Among the Devas that Brahman existed as Agni (fire) only, among men as Brahmazza, as Kshatriya through the (divine) Kshatriya, as Vaisya through the (divine) Vaisya, as Ahdra through the (divine) 6udra. Therefore people wish for their future state among the Devas through Agni (the sacrificial fire) only; and among men through the Brahmazza, for in these two forms did Brahman exist. Now if a man departs this life without having seen his true future life (in the Self), then that Self, not being known, does not receive and bless him, as if the Veda had not been read, or as if a good work had not been done. Nay, even if one who does not know that (Self), should perform here on earth some great holy work, it will perish for him in the end. Let a man worship the Self only as his true state. If a man worships the Self only as his true state, his work does not perish, for whatever he desires that he gets from that Self.
Translated by F. Max MüllerFrom an unproofread scan of the printed edition; spelling and line breaks may carry OCR errors.