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The Upanishads, Part II

By Max Müller

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Brihadâranyaka Upanishad V,5

FIFTH BRÂHMANA.
1. In the beginning this (world) was water. Water produced the true 1, and the true is 'Brahman. Brahman produced Pragâpati 2, Pragâpati the Devas (gods). The Devas adore the true (satyam) alone. This satyam consists of three syllables. One syllable is sa, another t(i), the third 3 yam. The first and last syllables are true, in the middle there is the untrue 4. This untrue is on both sides enclosed by the true, and thus the true preponderates. The untrue does not hurt him who knows this.

2. Now what is the true, that is the Âditya (the sun), the person that dwells in yonder orb, and the person in the right eye. These two rest on each other, the former resting with his rays in the latter, the latter with his prânas (senses) in the former. When the latter is on the point of departing this life, he sees that orb as white only, and those rays (of the sun) do not return to him.

3. Now of the person in that (solar) orb Bhûh is the head, for the head is one, and that syllable is one; Bhuvah the two arms, for the arms are two, and these syllables are two; Svar the foot, for the feet are two, and these syllables are two 1. Its secret name is Ahar (day), and he who knows this destroys (hanti) evil and leaves (gahâti) it.

4. Of the person in the right eye Bhûh is the head, for the head is one, and that syllable is one; Bhuvah the two arms, for the arms are two, and these syllables are two; Svar the foot, for the feet are two, and these syllables are two. Its secret name is Aham (ego), and he who knows this, destroys (hanti) evil and leaves (gahâti) it.

Footnotes
191:1 Here explained by the commentator as Pûtrâtmaka Hiranyagarbha.

191:2 Here explained as Virâg.

191:3 Satyam is often pronounced satiam, as trisyllabic. Sa?kara, however, takes the second syllable as t only, and explains the i after it as an anubandha. The Kânva text gives the three syllables as sa, ti, am, which seems preferable; cf. Khând. Up. VIII, 3, 5; Taitt. Up. II, 6.

191:4 This is explained by a mere play on the letters, sa and ya having nothing in common with mrityu, death, whereas t occurs in mrityu and anrita. Dvivedaga?ga takes sa and am as true, because they occur in satya and amrita, and not in mrityu, while ti is untrue, because the t occurs in mrityu and amrita.

192:1 Svar has to be pronounced suvar.