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The Upanishads, Part 1

By Max Müller

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III, 1, 6

SIXTH KHANDA.
1. Târukshya 2 said: 'The Samhitâ (union) is formed by means of the Brihat and Rathantara 3 Sâmans.'

2. Verily, the Rathantara Sâman is speech, the Brihat Sâman is breath. By both, by speech and breath, the Samhitâ is formed 4.

3. For this Upanishad (for acquiring from his teacher the knowledge of this Samhitâ of speech and breath) Târukshya guards (his teacher's) cows a whole year.

4. For it alone Târukshya guards the cows a whole year.

5. This has also been declared by a Rishi (Rv. X, 181, 1; and Rv. X, 181, 2):--

6. 'Vasishtha carried hither the Rathantara; 'Bharadvâga brought hither the Brihat of Agni.'

7. He who thus knows this Samhitâ (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

8. Kauntharavya said: 'Speech is united with breath, breath with the blowing air, the blowing air with the Visvedevas, the Visvedevas with the heavenly world, the heavenly world with Brahman. That Samhitâ is called the gradual Samhitâ.'

9. He who knows this gradual Samhitâ (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga, in exactly the same manner as this Samhitâ, i.e. gradually.

10. If that worshipper, whether for his own sake or for that of another, recites (the Samhitâ), let him know when he is going to recite, that this Samhitâ went up to heaven, and that it will be even so with those who by knowing it become Devas. May it always be so!

11. He who thus knows this Samhitâ (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

12. Pañkâlakanda said: 'The Samhitâ (union, composition) is speech.'

13. Verily, by speech the Vedas, by speech the metres are composed. Friends unite through speech, all beings unite through speech; therefore speech is everything here 1.

14. With regard to this (view of speech being more than breath), it should be borne in mind that when we thus repeat (the Veda) or speak, breath is (absorbed) in speech; speech swallows breath. And when we are silent or sleep, speech is (absorbed) in breath; breath swallows speech. The two swallow each other. Verily, speech is the mother, breath the son.

15. This has been declared also by a Rishi (Rv. X, 114, 4):--

16. 'There is one bird; (as wind) he has entered the sky; (as breath or living soul) he saw this whole world. With my ripe mind I saw him close to me (in the heart); the mother (licks or) absorbs him (breath), and he absorbs the mother (speech).'

17. He who thus knows this Samhitâ (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

18. Next follows the Pragâpati-Samhitâ.

19. The former half is the wife, the latter half the man; the result of their union the son; the act of their union the begetting; that Samhitâ is Aditi (indestructible).

20. For Aditi (indestructible) is all this whatever there is, father, mother, son, and begetting.

21. This has also been declared by a Rishi (Rv. I, 189, 10)--

22. 'Aditi is mother, is father, is son.'

23. He who thus knows this Samhitâ (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

Footnotes
254:2 The Kashmir MS. reads Târkshya, a name used before as the title of a hymn (Ait. Âr. I, 5, 2, 8). Here Târakshya seems preferable, see Pân. IV, 1, 105.

254:3 See Ait. Âr. I, 4, 2, 1-4.

254:4 These two, the Brihat and Rathantara, are required for the Prishthastotra in the Agnishtoma, and they are to remind the worshipper that speech and breath are required for all actions.

255:1 Everything can be obtained by speech in this life and in the next. Comm.