The Kaushitaki-Brahmana Upanishad

II-12. Now, next, the dying around of the gods.

This Brahman verily shines when the fire blazes; likewise it dies when it blazes not. Its brilliance goes to the sun; its vital breath to the wind. This Brahman verily shines when the sun is seen; likewise it dies when it is not seen. Its brilliance goes to the moon; its vital breath to the wind. This Brahman verily shines forth when the lightning flashes; likewise it dies when it flashes not. Its brilliance goes to the regions of space; its vital breath to the wind. All these divinities, verily, having entered into the wind, perish not when they die in the wind. There from, indeed, they come forth again. Thus with reference to the divinities.

This Brahman, verily, shines forth when one speaks with speech; likewise this dies when one speaks not. Its brilliance goes to the eye; its vital breath to the vital breath. This Brahman verily shines when one sees with the eye; likewise this dies when one sees not. Its brilliance goes to the ear; its vital breath to the vital breath. This Brahman verily shines when one hears with the ear; likewise this dies when one hears not. Its brilliance goes to the mind; is vital breath to the vital breath. This Brahman, verily, shines when one thinks with the mind; likewise it dies wen one thinks not. Its brilliance goes to the vital breath; its vital breath to the vital breath. All these divinities, verily, have entered into the vital breath perish not when they did in the vital breath. Therefrom, indeed, they come forth again. So, verily, indeed, if upon one who knows this, both the mountains, the southern and the northern, should roll themselves forth seeking to crush him, they would not crush him. But those who hate him and those whom he himself hates – all these die around him.
II-14. Now, next, the assumption of superior excellence.

All these divinities, verily, disputing among themselves in regard to self-superiority went forth from this body. Not breathing, it lay dry like a piece of wood. Then speech entered into it. It just lay speaking with speech. Then the eye entered into it; it just lay speaking with speech, seeing with the eye. Then the ear entered into it; it just lay speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear. Then the mind entered into it; it just lay speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind. Then the vital breath entered into it and then, indeed, it at once arose. All these divinities, having verily recognised to superior excellence of the vital breath, having comprehended the vital breath alone as the self of intelligence, went forth from this body, all together. They having entered into the wind, having the nature of space went to the heavenly world. Likewise also indeed he who knows this, having recognised the superior excellence of the vital breath, having comprehended the vital breath alone as the self of intelligence, goes out of the body with all these. Having entered into the wind, having the nature of space, he goes to heaven. He goes there where these gods are. Having reached that, he who knows this becomes immortal as the gods are immortal.

A father, about to depart, calls his son. Having strewn the house with new grass, having built up the fire, having placed near it a vessel of water with a jug, himself covered with a fresh garment the father remains lying. Having come, the son lies down on top touching organs with organs. Or (the father) may transmit to him seated face to face. Then he delivers over to him (thus):

Father: My speech in you I would place.

Son: I take your speech in me.

Father: My breath in you I would place.

Son: I take your breath in me.

Father: My eye in you I would place.

Son: I take your eye in me.

Father: My ear in you I would place.

Son: I take your ear in me.

Father: My tastes of food in you I would place.

Son: I take your tastes of food in me.

Father: My deeds in you I would place.

Son: I take your deeds in me.

Father: My pleasure and pain in you I would place.

Son: I take your pleasure and pain in me.

Father: My bliss, delight, procreation in you I would place.

Son: I take your bliss, delight and procreation in me.

Father: My movement in you I would place.

Son: I take your movement in me.

Father: My mind in you I would place.

Son: I take your mind in me.

Father: My intelligence in you I would place.

Son: I take your intelligence in me.

If, however, he should be unable to speak much, let the father say summarily, ‘My vital breaths in you I would place’ and the son (reply) ‘You vital breaths I take in me’.

Then turning to the right he goes towards the east. The father calls out after him: ‘My glory, sacred lusture and fame delight in you’. Then the other looks over his left shoulder. Having hid (his face) with his hand or having covered (it) with the edge of his garment, he says: ‘May you obtain heavenly worlds and all desires’. If the father should become well he should dwell under the lordship of his son; or, he should wander (as a mendicant). If, however, he should die let them perform obsequies as they should be performed.
III-1. Pratardana, the son of Divodasa, by means of fighting and virility, verily reached the beloved abode of Indra. To him then Indra Said: Pratardana, choose a boon.

Then said Pratardana: Do you yourself choose that boon for me which you deem most beneficent for man. To him then Indra said: A superior verily chooses not for an inferior. Do you yourself choose. ‘No boon verily then is it to me’ said Pratardana. But Indra did not depart from the truth, for Indra is truth. To him then Indra said: ‘Understand me only. This indeed I deem most beneficent to man, namely that one should understand me. I slew the three-headed Tvastir; I delivered the Arunmukhas, the ascetics, to the wolves. Transgressing many compacts I killed the people of Prahlada in the sky, the Paulomas in the atmosphere, the Kalakanjas on the earth. Of me, such as I was then, not a single hair was injured.

So he knows me thus – by no deed whatever of his is his world injured, not by stealing, not by killing an embryo, not by the murder of his mother, not by the murder of his father. If he has done any evil, the dark colour departs not from his face.

III-2. Then he (Indra) said: I am the Spirit of the vital breath, the intelligent Self. As such, worship me as life, as immortality. Life is the vital breath: the vital breath is life. For as long as the vital breath remains in the body so long is there life. For indeed with the vital breath one obtains immortality in this world; with intelligence, true conception. So he who worships me as life, as immortality, reaches the full term of life in this world; he obtains immortality and indestructibility in the heavenly world.

Now, on this point some say: The vital breaths, verily, go into a unity: (otherwise) one would not be able at once to make known a name by speech, a form by the eye, a sound by ear, a thought by the mind. The vital breaths, as a unity, verily, cause to know all things here, one by one. All the vital breaths speak along with speech when it speaks. All the vital breaths see along with the eye when it sees. All the vital breaths hear along with the ear when it hears. All the vital breaths think along with the mind when it thinks. All the vital breaths breathe along with the breath when it breathes.

‘That is indeed so’, said Indra. There is however a superior excellence among the vital breaths.
III-3. One lives with speech gone, for we see the dumb.

One lives with eye gone, for we see the blind.

One lives with ear gone, for we see the deaf.

One lives with mind gone, for we see the childish.

One lives with arms cut off; One lives with legs cut off; for thus we see.

But now it is the vital breath, even the self of intelligence, that seizes hold of this body and raises it up. This, therefore, one should worship as the Uktha. This is the all-obtaining in the vital breath. As for the vital breath, verily, that is intelligence; as for the intelligence, verily that is vital breath. This is the view thereof, this is the understanding thereof.

When a person is so asleep that he sees no dream whatever, then he becomes one with that vital breath. Then speech together with all names goes to it; the eye together with all forms goes to it; the ear together with all sounds goes to it; the mind together with all thoughts goes to it. When he awakes, as from a blazing fire sparks would fly in all directions, even so from this self the vital breaths proceed to their respective stations; from the vital breaths, the gods (the senses); from the gods, the worlds. This same vital breath, the self of intelligence, seizes hold of the body and raises it up. This therefore one should worship as the Uktha. This is the all-obtaining in the vital breath.

As for the vital breath, verily that is the Self as the intelligence; as for the intelligence, that is the vital breath. This is the proof of it, the understanding of it.

When a weak person is about to die, comes to such weakness that he falls into a stupor, they say of him, ‘His thoughts have departed; he hears not; he speaks not with speech; he thinks not’. Thus he becomes one with the vital breath alone. Then, speech together with all names goes to it; the eye together with all forms goes to it; the ear together with all sounds goes to it; the mind together with all thoughts goes to it.

When he departs from his body, he departs together with all these. When he awakens, as from a blazing fire sparks would fly in all directions, even so from this Self the vital breaths proceed to their respective stations; from the vital breaths the gods; from the gods the worlds.

III-4. When he departs from the body, speech pours all names into him; by speech he obtains all names. Vital breath pours all odours into him; with breath he obtains all odours. The eye pours all forms into him; with the eye he obtains all forms. The ear pours all sounds into him; with the ear he obtains all sounds. The mind pours all thoughts into him. With the mind he obtains all thoughts. This is the all-obtaining in the vital breath.

As for the vital breath, verily that is the intelligence. As for the intelligence, verily that is the vital breath; for, together, these two dwell in this body; together the two depart. Now, then, we will explain how all beings become one with this intelligence.

III-5. Speech is one portion taken out of it. Name is its externally correlated object element. Breath is one portion taken out of it. Odour is its externally correlated object element. The eye is one portion taken out of it. Form is its externally correlated object element. The ear is one portion taken out of it. Sound is its externally correlated object element. The tongue is one portion taken out of it. Taste of food is its externally correlated object element. The two hands are one portion taken out of it. Work is their externally correlated object element. The body is one portion taken out of it. Pleasure and pain is its externally correlated object element. The generative organ is one portion taken out of it. Bliss, delight and procreation are its externally correlated object element. The two feet are one portion taken out of it. Goings are their externally correlated object element. The mind is one portion taken out of it. Thoughts and desires are its externally correlated object element.
III-6. With speech, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all names.

With the vital breath, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all odours.

With the eye, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all forms.

With the ear, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all sounds.

With the tongue, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all tastes.

With the hands, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all works.

With the body, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains pleasure and pain.

With the generative organ, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains bliss, delight and procreation.

With the feet, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all goings.

With the mind, mounted on by intelligence, one obtains all thoughts, what is to be understood by thought and desire.
III-7. For verily without intelligence speech would not make any name whatsoever known.

‘My mind was elsewhere’ one says, ‘I did not cognise that name’.

For verily without intelligence breath would not make any odour whatsoever known.

‘My mind was elsewhere’ one says, ‘I did not cognise that odour’.

For verily without intelligence the eye would not make any form whatsoever known.

‘My mind was elsewhere’ one says, ‘I did not cognise that form’.