| Published on October 26, 2007 |
|
AITAREYA-ARANYAKA
SECOND ARANYAKA
SECOND ADHYAYA.
FIRST KHANDA.
1. He (the sun), who shines, honoured this world (the body of the worshipper, by entering into it), in the form of man (the worshipper who meditates on breath). For he who shines (the sun) is (the same as) the breath. He honoured this (body of the worshipper) during a hundred years, therefore there are a hundred years in the life of a man. Because lie honoured him during a hundred years, therefore there are (the poets of the first Mandala of the Rigveda, called) the Satarkin, (having honour for a hundred years.) Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), the Satarkin poets.
2. He (breath) placed himself in the midst of all whatsoever exists. Because he placed himself in the midst of all whatsoever exists, therefore there are (the poets of the second to the ninth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Madhyamas. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), the Madhyama poets.
3. He as up-breathing is the swallower (gritsa), as down-breathing he is delight (mada). Because as up-breathing he is swallower (gritsa) and as downbreathing delight (mada), therefore there is (the poet of the second Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Gritsamada. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Gritsamada.
4. Of him (breath) all this whatsoever was a friend. Because of him all (visvam) this whatsoever was a friend (mitram), therefore there is (the poet of the third Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Visvamitra. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Visvamitra.
5. The Devas (speech, &c.) said to him (the breath) : 'He is to be loved by all of us.' Because the Devas said of him, that he was to be loved (vama) by all of them, therefore there is (the poet of the fourth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Vamadeva. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Vamadeva
6. He (breath) guarded all this whatsoever from evil. Because he guarded (atrayata) all this whatsoever from evil, therefore there are (the poets of the fifth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Atrayah. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Atrayah.
SECOND KHANDA.
1. He (breath) is likewise a Bibhradvaga (bringer of offspring). Offspring is vaga, and he (breath) supports offspring. Because he supports it, therefore there is (the poet of the sixth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Bharadvaga. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Bharadvaga.
2. The Devas (speech, &c.) said to him: 'He it is who chiefly causes us to dwell on earth.' Because the Devas said of him, that he chiefly caused them to dwell on earth, therefore there is (the poet of the seventh Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) Vasishtha. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Vasishtha.
3. He (breath) went forth towards all this whatsoever. Because he went forth toward all this whatsoever, therefore there are (the poets of the eighth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Pragathas. Therefore people call him who is really PraAna (breath), the Pragathas.
4. He (breath) purified all this whatsoever. Because he purified all this whatsoever, theref6re there are (the hymns and also the poets I of the ninth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Pavamanis. Therefore people called him who is really Prana (breath), the Pavamanis.
5. He (breath) said: 'Let me be everything whatsoever, small (kshudra) and great (mahat), and this became the Kshudrasuktas and Mahastiktas.' Therefore there were (the hymns and also the poets of the tenth Mandala of the Rig-veda, called) the Kshudrasuktas (and Mahasuktas). Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), the Kshudrastiktas (and Mahasuktas).
6. He (breath) said once : 'You have said what is well said (su-ukta) indeed. This became a Sukta (hymn).' Therefore there was the Sukta. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Sukta.
7. He (breath) is a Rik (verse), for he did honour to all beings (by entering into them). Because he did honour to all beings, therefore there was the Rik verse. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Rik.
8. He (breath) is an Ardharka (half-verse), for he did honour to all places (ardha). Because he did honour to all places, therefore there was the Ardharka. Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Ardharka.
9. He (breath) is a Pada (word), for he got into all these beings. Because he got (padi) into all these beings, therefore there was the Pada (word). Therefore people call him who is really Prdna (breath), Pada.
10. He (breath) is an Akshara (syllable), for he pours out (ksharati) gifts to all these beings, and without him no one can pour out (atiksharati) gifts. Therefore there was the Akshara (syllable). Therefore people call him who is really Prana (breath), Akshara.
11. Thus all these Rik verses, all Vedas, all sounds are one word, viz. Prana (breath). Let him know that Prana is all Rik verses.
THIRD KHANDA.
1. While Visvamitra was going to repeat the hymns of this day (the mahavrata), Indra sat down near him. Visvamitra (guessing that Indra wanted food) said to him, 'This (the verses of the hymn) is food,' and repeated the thousand Brihati verses.
By means of this he went to the delightful home of Indra (Svarga).
2. Indra said to him : 'Rishi, thou hast come to my delightful home. Rishi, repeat a second hymn.' Visvamitra (guessing that Indra wanted food) said to him, 'This (the verses of the hymn) is food,' and repeated the thousand Brihati verses. By means of this he went to the delightful home of Indra (Svarga).
3. Indra said to him: 'Rishi, thou hast come to my delightful home. Rishi, repeat a third hymn.' Visvamitra (guessing that Indra wanted food) said to him, 'This (the verses of the hymn) is food,' and repeated the thousand Brihati verses. By means of this he went to the delightful home of Indra (Svarga).
4. Indra said to him: 'Rishi, thou hast come to my delightful home. I grant thee a boon.' Visvamitra said: 'May I know thee.' Indra said: ' I am Prana (breath), O Rishi, thou art Prana, all things are Prana. For it is Pra'na who shines as the sun, and I here pervade all regions under that form. This food of mine (the hymn) is my friend and my support (dakshina). This is the food prepared by VisvAmitra. I am verily he who shines (the sun).'
FOURTH KHANDA.
1. This then becomes perfect as a thousand of Brihati verses. Its consonants form its body, its voice (vowels) the Soul, its sibilants the air of the breath.
2. He who knew this became Vasishtha, he took this name from thence.
3. Indra verily declared this to Visvamitra, and Indra verily declared this to Bharadvaga. Therefore Indra is invoked by him as a friend.
4. This becomes perfect as a thousand of Brihati verses, and of that hymn perfect with a thousand Brihati verses, there are 36,000 syllables. So many are also the thousands of days of a hundred years (36,000). With the consonants they fill the nights, with the vowels the days.
5. This becomes perfect as a thousand of Brihati verses. He who knows this, after this thousand of Brihatis thus accomplished, becomes full of knowledge, full of the gods, full of Brahman, full of the immortal, and then goes also to the gods.
6. What I am (the worshipper), that is he (sun); what he is, that am I.
7. This has been said by a Rishi (Rv. I, 115, I): 'The sun is the self of all that moves and rests.'
8. Let him look to that, let him look to that!
|
