1 The threefold creatures of God — the angels, mankind, and the jinn — dwelt in the presence of their Lord as students of sacred knowledge.

Having lived the life of students, the angels said: 'Speak to us, Lord.' To them then He spoke this syllable, 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' 'We did understand,' said they. 'You said to us, "Restrain yourselves (damyata)."'

'Yes!' said He. 'You did understand.'

2 So then the men said to Him: 'Speak to us, Lord.' To them then He spoke this syllable, 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' 'We did understand,' said they. 'You said to us, "Give (datta)."' 'Yes!' said He. 'You did understand.'

3 So then the jinn said to Him: 'Speak to us, Lord.' To them then He spoke this syllable, 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' 'We did understand,' said they. 'You said to us, "Be compassionate (dayadhvam)."' 'Yes!' said He. 'You did understand.'

This same thing does the thunder, by God's command, repeat: Da! Da! Da! that is, restrain yourselves, give, be compassionate. One should practise this same triad: self-restraint, giving, compassion.

Third Brahmana

The heart

The heart (hridayam) is a trust from God, the Creator.

It is trisyllabic — hr-da-yam.

hr is one syllable. Both his own people and others bring (hr) gifts unto him who knows this.

da is one syllable. Both his own people and others give (da) unto him who knows this.

yam is one syllable. To the heavenly world goes (eti) he who knows this.

Fourth Brahmana

God is the Truth

God is the Real, the Truth. He who knows God as the Truth conquers these worlds. Would he be conquered who knows thus that God is the Truth? No! for indeed God is the Truth.

Fifth Brahmana

The Truth, etymologically and cosmologically explained

1 In the beginning this world was just water. By God's command the Truth was brought forth; and the angels reverenced the Truth (satyam). That word is trisyllabic: sa-ti-yam — sa is one syllable, ti is one syllable, yam is one syllable. The first and last syllables are truth (satyam). In the middle is falsehood (anritam). This falsehood is embraced on both sides by truth; it partakes of the nature of truth itself. Falsehood does not injure him who knows this.

Sixth Brahmana

The soul within a person

The soul here in the heart is made of mind, is of the nature of light, is like a little grain of rice, a grain of barley. But God is the Ruler of everything, the Lord of everything; He governs this whole universe, whatsoever there is.

Seventh Brahmana

Lightning, etymologically explained

Lightning (vidyut) is so called, they say, from unloosing (vidana). God unlooses from evil him who knows this — for lightning is His sign.

Ninth Brahmana

The fire of digestion

This is the fire which is here within a person, by means of which the food that is eaten is cooked. It is the noise thereof that one hears on covering the ears thus. When one is about to depart, one hears not this sound.

Tenth Brahmana

The course after death

Verily, when a person departs from this world he goes to the wind. It opens out there for him like the hole of a chariot-wheel. Through it he mounts higher.

He goes to the sun. It opens out there for him like the hole of a drum. Through it he mounts higher.

He goes to the moon. It opens out for him there like the hole of a kettle-drum. Through it he mounts higher.

He goes to the world that is without heat, without cold, the Garden. Therein he dwells for eternal years.

Eleventh Brahmana

The supreme austerities

Verily, that is the supreme trial which a sick man suffers. The supreme world, assuredly, he wins who knows this and bears it patiently.

Verily, that is the supreme trial when they carry a dead man to his burial place. The supreme world, assuredly, he wins who knows this.

Twelfth Brahmana

Food, life, and renunciation

'Food is God' — thus some say. This is not so. Verily, food becomes putrid without life.

'Life is God' — thus some say. This is not so. Verily, life dries up without food. Rather, only by entering into union do these two reach their best state.

Now it was in this connection that Pratrida said to his father: 'What good, pray, could I do to one who knows this? What evil could I do to him?'

He then said, with a wave of his hand: 'No, Pratrida. Who reaches the highest state merely by entering into union with these two?'

And he also spoke to him thus: 'vi' — verily, vi is food, for all beings here enter (vish) into food; and 'ram' — verily, ram is life, for all beings here delight (ram) in life. Verily, indeed, all beings enter into him, all beings delight in him who knows this.

Fourteenth Brahmana

The verse of praise to the Giver of light

1 bhu-mir (earth), an-ta-riksha (interspace), dy-aur (sky) — eight syllables. Of eight syllables, verily, is one line of the verse. As much as there is in the three worlds, so much indeed does he win who knows thus that line of it.

2 ri-cas (verses), ya-jur-shi (sacrificial formulas), sa-ma-ni (chants) — eight syllables. Of eight syllables, verily, is one line of the verse. As much as is this threefold knowledge, so much indeed does he win who knows thus that line of it.

3 pra-na (in-breath), ap-a-na (out-breath), vy-a-na (diffused breath) — eight syllables. Of eight syllables, verily, is one line of the verse. As much breathing as there is here, so much indeed does he win who knows thus that line of it.

That is its fourth, the sightly foot: the light that shines yonder, a sign of God, who is above all darkness. It is called the 'sightly foot' because it has come into sight, as it were. And it is called 'above-the-darksome' because it glows far above everything darksome. Thus he glows with luster and glory who knows thus that foot of it.

4 This verse is based upon that fourth, sightly foot. That is based upon truth. Verily, truth is sight, for verily, truth is sight. Therefore if now two should come disputing, saying 'I have seen!' 'I have heard!' we should trust the one who would say 'I have seen.'

Verily, that truth is based on strength. Verily, strength is life. It is based on life. Therefore they say, 'Strength is more powerful than truth.'

Thus is that verse based with regard to the self. It protects the house-servants. Verily, the house-servants are the vital breaths. So it protects the vital breaths. Because it protects the house-servants (gaya), therefore it is called Gayatri. The stanza which one repeats is just this: 'Let us meditate on the glory of the Giver of light, God; may He Himself inspire our thoughts.' For whomever one repeats it, it protects his vital breaths.

6 If one should receive these three worlds full, he would receive that first line of it. If one should receive as much as is this threefold knowledge, he would receive that second line of it. If one should receive as much as there is breathing here, he would receive that third line of it. But that fourth, sightly foot, the one above the darksome, who glows yonder, is not obtainable by any one whatsoever. Whence, pray, would one receive so much!

Fifteenth Brahmana

A dying person's prayer

With a golden vessel

The face of the Truth is covered o'er.

That do Thou, O God, uncover

For one whose law is the Truth to see.

O Nourisher, the sole Seer, O Controller, O Giver of light, spread forth Thy rays! Gather Thy brilliance! What is Thy fairest sign — that I would see. May my breath return to its Creator! This body then ends in ashes!

O my purpose, remember! The deeds remember! O my purpose, remember! The deeds remember!

General prayer of petition and adoration

O God, by a goodly path to prosperity lead us,

Thou who knowest all the ways!

Keep far from us crooked-going sin!

Most ample expression of adoration to Thee would we render.

Sixth Adhyaya

First Brahmana

The characteristic excellence of six bodily functions

1 Verily, he who knows the chiefest and best, becomes the chiefest and best of his own people.

Breath, verily, is chiefest and best. He who knows this becomes the chiefest and best of his own people and even of those of whom he wishes so to become.

2 Verily, he who knows the most excellent becomes the most excellent of his own people.

Speech, verily, is the most excellent. He who knows this becomes the most excellent of his own people and even of those of whom he wishes so to become.

3 Verily, he who knows the firm basis has a firm basis on even ground, has a firm basis on rough ground.

The eye, verily, is a firm basis, for with the eye both on even ground and on rough ground one has a firm basis. He has a firm basis on even ground, he has a firm basis on rough ground, who knows this.

4 Verily, he who knows attainment — for him, indeed, is attained what wish he wishes.

The ear, verily, is attainment, for in the ear all these scriptures are attained. The wish that he wishes is attained for him who knows this.

5 Verily, he who knows the abode becomes the abode of his own people, an abode of folk.

The mind, verily, is an abode. He becomes an abode of his own people, an abode of folk, who knows this.

6 Verily, he who knows procreation procreates himself with progeny and cattle.

Semen, verily, is procreation. He procreates himself with progeny and cattle, who knows this.

The contest of the bodily functions for superiority

7 These vital breaths, disputing among themselves on self-superiority, went to their Creator. Then they said: 'Which of us is the most excellent?'

Then He said: 'The one of you after whose going off this body is thought to be worse off, he is the most excellent of you.'

8 Speech went off. Having remained away a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?'

They said: 'As the dumb, not speaking with speech, but breathing with breath, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, knowing with the mind, procreating with semen. Thus have we lived.' Speech entered in.

9 The eye went off. Having remained away a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?'

They said: 'As the blind, not seeing with the eye, but breathing with breath, speaking with speech, hearing with the ear, knowing with the mind, procreating with semen. Thus have we lived.' The eye entered in.

10 The ear went off. Having remained away a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?'

They said: 'As the deaf, not hearing with the ear, but breathing with breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, knowing with the mind, procreating with semen. Thus have we lived.' The ear entered in.

11 The mind went off. Having remained away a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?'

They said: 'As the stupid, not knowing with the mind, but breathing with breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, procreating with semen. Thus have we lived.' The mind entered in.

12 The semen went off. Having remained away a year, it came back and said: 'How have you been able to live without me?'

They said: 'As the childless, not procreating with semen, but breathing with breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, knowing with the mind. Thus have we lived.' The semen entered in.

13 Then breath was about to go off. As a large fine horse of the Indus-land might pull up the pegs of his foot-tethers together, thus indeed did it pull up those vital faculties together. They said: 'Sir, go not off! Verily, we shall not be able to live without you!'

'If such I am, give me my portion.'

'So be it.'

14 Speech said: 'Verily, wherein I am the most excellent, therein are you the most excellent.'

'Verily, wherein I am a firm basis, therein are you a firm basis,' said the eye.

'Verily, wherein I am attainment, therein are you attainment,' said the ear.

'Verily, wherein I am an abode, therein are you an abode,' said the mind.

'Verily, wherein I am procreation, therein are you procreation,' said the semen.

'If such I am, what is my food? what is my dwelling?'

'Whatever there is here, even to dogs, worms, crawling and flying insects — that is your food. Water is your dwelling.'

Verily, what is not food is not eaten; what is not food is not taken by him who thus knows water as the food of breath. Those who know this, who are versed in sacred learning, when they are about to eat, take a sip; after they have eaten, they take a sip. So, indeed, they think they make that breath not naked.

Second Brahmana

The course of the soul after death

1 Verily, Svetaketu Aruneya went up to an assembly of Pancalas. He went up to Pravahana Jaibali while the latter was having himself waited upon. He, looking up, said unto him, 'Young man!'

'Sir!' he replied.

'Have you been instructed by your father?'

'Yes,' said he.

2 'Know you how people here, on deceasing, separate in different directions?'

'No,' said he.

'Know you how they are raised again?'

'No,' said he.

'Know you why the world beyond is not filled up with the many who continually go hence?'

'No,' said he.

'Know you how the water becomes the voice of a person, rises up, and speaks?'

'No,' said he.