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• Preface
• Remarks Concerning the Translation Its Method and Arrangement
• List of Abbreviations
• Errata
• An Outline of the Philosophy of the Upanishads
• Chapter I: The Place of the Upanishads In the History of Philosophy
• Chapter II: The Upanishads and Their Place In Indian Philosophy
• Chapter III: First Attempts At the Conception of a Unitary World-ground
• Chapter IV: The Development of the Conception of Brahma
• Chapter V: The Development of the Conception of the Atman and Its Union With Brahma
• Chapter VI: The Realistic Conception of the Ultimate Unity, and the Doctrine of Illusion
• Chapter VII: Idealism and the Conception of Pure Unity
• Chapter VIII: The Outcome On Religion and On the Doctrine of Karma
• Chapter IX: The Outcome On Practical Life and On Morals
• Chapter X: The Artificial Method of Unity In Renunciation and In Yoga
• Chapter XI: Concluding Estimate
• BṚihad-ĀraṆyaka Upanishad
• First AdhyĀya
• Second AdhyĀya
• Third AdhyĀya
• Fourth AdhyĀya
• Fifth AdhyĀya
• Sixth AdhyĀya
• ChĀndogya Upanishad
• First PrapĀṬhaka a Glorification of the Chanting of the Sāma-veda 1
• Second PrapĀṬhaka the Significance of the Chant In Various Forms
• Third PrapĀṬhaka Brahma As the Sun of the World-all
• Fourth PrapĀṬhaka Conversational Instructions
• Fifth PrapĀṬhaka Concerning Breath, the Soul, and the Universal Soul
• Sixth PrapĀṬhaka the Instruction of Śvetaketu By Uddālaka Concerning the Key to All Knowledge
• Seventh PrapĀṬhaka the Instruction of Nārada By Sanatkumāra
• Eighth PrapĀṬhaka Concerning the Nature of the Soul
• TaittirĪya Upanishad
• First VallĪ (Śikshā Vallī, ‘chapter Concerning Instruction’)
• Second VallĪ (brahmānanda Vallī, ‘bliss-of-brahma Chapter’)
• Third VallĪ (bhṛigu Vallī, ‘chapter Concerning Bhṛigu’)
• Aitareya Upanishad
• First AdhyĀya
• Second AdhyĀya
• Third AdhyĀya
• KaushĪtaki Upanishad 1
• First AdhyĀya the Course of Reincarnation, and Its Termination Through Metaphysical Knowledge 2
• Second AdhyĀya the Doctrine of Prāṇa, Together With Certain Ceremonies
• Third AdhyĀya Doctrine of Prāṇa (the Breathing Spirit)
• Fourth AdhyĀya a Progressive Definition of Brahma 2
• Kena Upanishad 1
• (first KhaṆḌa)
• (second KhaṆḌa)
• (third KhaṆḌa) 3
• (fourth KhaṆḌa)
• KaṬha Upanishad
• First VallĪ 1
• Second VallĪ
• Third VallĪ
• Fourth VallĪ
• Fifth VallĪ
• Sixth VallĪ
• ĪŚĀ Upanishad 1
• MuṆḌaka Upanishad
• First MuṆḌaka Preparation For the Knowledge of Brahma
• Second MuṆḌaka the Doctrine of Brahma-Ātman
• Third MuṆḌaka the Way to Brahma
• PraŚna Upanishad 1
• First PraŚna
• Second PraŚna
• Third PraŚna
• Fourth PraŚna
• Fifth PraŚna
• Sixth PraŚna
• MĀṆḌŪkya Upanishad
• ŚvetĀŚvatara Upanishad
• First AdhyĀya
• Second AdhyĀya
• Third AdhyĀya
• Fourth AdhyĀya
• Fifth AdhyĀya
• Sixth AdhyĀya
• Maitri Upanishad
• First PrapĀṬhaka
• Second PrapĀṬhaka
• Third PrapĀṬhaka
• Fourth PrapĀṬhaka
• Fifth PrapĀṬhaka
• Sixth PrapĀṬhaka
• Seventh PrapĀṬhaka
• A Bibliography of the Upanishads Selected, Classified, and Annotated

THIRD ADHYĀYA

Doctrine of Prāṇa (the Breathing Spirit)

Knowledge of Indra, the greatest possible boon to men

1. Pratardana Daivodāsi by fighting and virility arrived at the beloved abode of Indra.

To him then Indra said: ‘Pratardana, choose a boon (vara)!’3

Then said Pratardana: ‘Do you yourself choose for me the one which you deem most beneficent to mankind.’

To him then Indra said: ‘A superior (vara), verily, chooses not for an inferior (avara). Do you yourself choose.’

‘No boon (a-vara), verily, then, is it to me!’ said Pratardana.

But Indra departed not from the truth, for Indra is truth.

To him then Indra said: ‘Understand me, myself. This indeed I deem most beneficent to man—namely, that one should understand me. I slew the three-headed son of Tvashtṛi.4 I delivered the Arunmukhas, ascetics, to the wild dogs.1 Transgressing many compacts, I transfixed the people of Prahlāda2 in the sky, the Paulomas3 in the atmosphere, the Kālakāñjas4 on earth.5 Of me, such a one as I was then (tasya me tatra), not a single hair was injured!

So he who understands me—by no deed whatsoever 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 any6 evil (pāpa), the dark color departs not7 from his face.8 ’

His identity with life and immortality

2. Then he said: ‘I am the breathing spirit (prāṇa), the intelligential self (prajñātman). As such (tam9 ), reverence me as life (āyus), as immortality. Life is the breathing spirit. The breathing spirit, verily, is life. The breathing spirit, indeed, is immortality.10 For, as long as the breathing spirit remains in this body, so long is there life. For indeed, with the breathing spirit in this11 world one obtains immortality; with intelligence, true conception (samkalpa).

So he who reverences me as life, as immortality, reaches the full term of life in this world; he obtains immortality, indestructibility (akṣiti) in the heavenly world (svarga-loka).’

The unity of an individual’s functions or special prāṇas

Now on this point some say: ‘The vital breaths (prāṇa), verily, go into a unity, for’—so they say (iti)—‘[otherwise] no one would be able at once to cause to know a name with speech, a form with the eye, a sound with the ear, a thought with the mind. As a unity, verily, the vital breaths, every single one, cause to know all things here.

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 breath (prāṇa) when it breathes.’

‘That is indeed so,’ said Indra. ‘There is, however,’ he continued (iti), ‘a superior excellence among the vital breaths.

The really vitalizing and unifying ‘vital breath,’ the breathing spirit or conscious self

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 breathing spirit (prāṇa), even the intelligential self (prajñātman), that seizes hold of and animates (ut-thā) this body. This, therefore, one should reverence as the Uktha.1

This is the All-obtaining (sarvāpti)2 in the breathing spirit (prāṇa).3

As for the breathing spirit—verily, that is the intelligential self! As for the intelligential self—verily, that is the breathing spirit. For truly, these two dwell in this body; together the two depart.’

This is the view (dṛṣṭi) thereof, this the understanding (vijñāna):—

When a person is so asleep that he sees no dream whatever, then he becomes unitary in this breathing spirit. 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 awakens—as from a blazing fire sparks would disperse in all directions, even so from this self (ātman) the vital breaths (prāṇa) disperse to their respective stations; from the vital breaths, the sense-powers (deva); from the sense-powers, the worlds.

This selfsame breathing spirit as the intelligential self seizes hold of and animates (ut-thā) this body. This therefore one should reverence as the Uktha.

This is the All-obtaining in the breathing spirit.

As for the breathing spirit—verily, that is the intelligential self. As for the intelligential self—verily, that is the breathing spirit.1

This is the proof (siddhi) thereof, this the understanding:—

When a sick person about to die comes to such weakness that he comes to a stupor (sammoha), then they say of him: ‘His thought (citta) has departed. He hears not. He sees not. He speaks not with speech. He thinks not.’ Then he becomes unitary in this breathing spirit (prāṇa). 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.2

(4) When he departs from this body, he departs together with all these.

The ‘All-obtaining’ in Prāṇa through the vital breaths

4. Speech pours1 all names in it2 ; with speech it obtains all names.

Breath (prāṇa) pours all odors in it; with breath it obtains all odors.

The eye pours all forms in it; with the eye it obtains all forms.

The ear pours all sounds in it; with the ear it obtains all sounds.

The mind pours all thoughts in it; with the mind it obtains all thoughts.

This is the All-obtaining (sarvāpti)3 in the breathing spirit.

As for the breathing spirit (prāṇa)—verily, that is the intelligence (prajñā); as for the intelligence—verily, that is the breathing spirit,4 for together these two dwell in this body, together the two depart.

The correlation of the individual’s functions with the facts of existence

Now then, we will explain how all beings (bhūta) become one with this intelligence.—

5. Speech is one portion thereof taken out. Name is its externally correlated (parastāt prati-vi-hita) existential element (bhūta-mātrā).

Breath (prāṇa) is one portion thereof taken out. Odor is its externally correlated existential element.

The eye is one portion thereof taken out. Form (rūpa) is its externally correlated existential element.

The ear is one portion thereof taken out. Sound is its externally correlated existential element.

The tongue is one portion thereof taken out. Taste is its externally correlated existential element.

The two hands are one portion thereof taken out. Work (karman) is their externally correlated existential element.

The body is one portion thereof taken out. Pleasure and pain are its externally correlated existential element.

The generative organ is one portion thereof taken out. Bliss, delight, and procreation are its externally correlated existential element.

The two feet are one portion thereof taken out. Goings are their externally correlated existential element.

The mind (manas1 ) is one portion thereof taken out. Thoughts2 and desires are its externally correlated existential element.

The supremacy of consciousness in all the functions and facts of existence

6. With intelligence (prajñā) having mounted on speech, with speech one obtains all names.

With intelligence having mounted on breath (prāṇa), with breath one obtains all odors.

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

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

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

With intelligence having mounted on the two hands, with the two hands one obtains all works.

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

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

With intelligence having mounted on the two feet, with the two feet one obtains all goings.

With intelligence having mounted on the mind (manas),3 with the mind one obtains all thoughts.4

The indispensableness of consciousness for all facts and experience

7. For truly, apart from intelligence (prajñā) speech would not make cognizant (pra + √jñā) of any name whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that name.’

For truly, apart from intelligence breath would not make cognizant of any odor whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that odor.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the eye would not make cognizant of any form whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that form.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the ear would not make cognizant of any sound whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that sound.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the tongue would not make cognizant of any taste whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that taste.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the two hands would not make cognizant of any action whatsoever. ‘My (me) mind was elsewhere,’ one says (āha); ‘I (aham) did not cognize (prājñāsiṣam)1 that action.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the body would not make cognizant of any pleasure or pain whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that pleasure or pain.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the generative organ would not make cognizant of any bliss, delight, and procreation whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that bliss, delight, and procreation.’

For truly, apart from intelligence the two feet would not make cognizant of any going whatsoever. ‘My mind was elsewhere,’ one says; ‘I did not cognize that going.’

For truly, apart from intelligence no thought (dhī) whatsoever would be effected; nothing cognizable would be cognized.

The subject of all knowledge, the paramount object of knowledge

8. Speech is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the speaker.

Smell is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the smeller.

Form is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the seer.1

Sound is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the hearer.

Taste is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the discerner of taste.

The deed is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the doer.

Pleasure and pain are not what one should desire to understand. One should know the discerner of pleasure and pain.

Bliss, delight, and procreation are not what one should desire to understand. One should know the discerner of bliss, delight, and procreation.

Going is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the goer.

Mind (manas) is not what one should desire to understand. One should know the thinker (mantṛ).

The absolute correlativity of knowing and being

These ten existential elements (bhūta-mātrā), verily, are with reference to intelligence (adhi-prajña). The ten intelligential elements (prajñā-mātrā) are with reference to existence (adhi-bhūta.) For truly, if there were no elements of being there would be no elements of intelligence. Verily, if there were no elements of intelligence, there would be no elements of being. For truly, from either alone no appearance (rūpa) whatsoever would be effected.

Their unity in the conscious self

And this is not a diversity. But as of a chariot the felly is fixed on the spokes and the spokes are fixed on the hub, even so these elements of being (bhūta-mātrā) are fixed on the elements of intelligence (prajñā-mātrā), and the elements of intelligence are fixed on the breathing spirit (prāṇa).

This same breathing spirit, in truth, is the intelligential self (prajñātman); [it is] bliss, ageless, immortal.

A person’s ethical irresponsibility, his very self being identical with the world-all

He does not become greater (bhūyas) with good action, nor indeed lesser (kanīyas) with bad action.

This one, truly, indeed, causes him whom he wishes to lead up from these worlds, to perform good action. This one, also indeed, causes him whom he wishes to lead downward, to perform bad action.

He is the world-protector (loka-pāla). He is the worldsovereign (lokādhipati). He is the lord of all.1

‘He is my self (ātman)’—this one should know. ‘He is my self’—this one should know.

[3 ]A has, instead, ‘a boon I would give you!’

[4 ]This exploit of Indra’s is referred to at RV. 10. 8. 8, 9; 10. 99. 6; Śat. Br. 1. 2. 3. 2; 12. 7. 1. 1. Further accounts of this conflict between Indra and Viśvarūpa, as the son of Tvashtṛi is called, occur at Tait. Saṁhitā 2. 5. 1. 1 ff.; Śat. Br. 1. 6. 3. 1, 2; 5. 5. 4. 2, 3; and Kāthaka 12, 10 (cited in Weber’s Indische Studien, 3. 464).

[1 ]The foregoing exploits of Indra are mentioned at Ait. Br. 7. 28.

[2 ]Or, Prahrāda, a chief of the Asuras.

[3 ]A troop of demons.

[4 ]A tribe of Asuras.

[5 ]Weber has an extensive discussion concerning the meaning of the foregoing names and the identity of the personages, together with numerous relevant literary references, in his Indische Studien, 1. 410-418.

[6 ]This word, cana, is lacking in B.

[7 ]That is, ‘he does not become pale.’

[8 ]Professor Deussen’s note on this sentence (Sechzig Upanishads, p. 44, note 1) is an acute and concise interpretation of the general Upanishadic theory: ‘Whoever has attained the knowledge of the Ātman and his unity with it, and thereby has been delivered from the illusion of individual existence, his good and evil deeds come to nought; they are no longer his deeds, simply because he is no longer an individual.’

[9 ]So A. But B has, instead, prajñātmānam; accordingly the sentences must be reconstructed thus: ‘I am the breathing spirit (prāṇa). Reverence me as the intelligential self, as life, . . .’

[10 ]This sentence is lacking in B.

[11 ]So B; but A has, instead, ‘yonder.’

[1 ]‘The Recitation of Praise’ in the ritual. The same identification occurs also at Bṛih. 5. 13. 1.

[2 ]That is, ‘it is in (the individual) conscious spirit that all facts are obtained.’ This compact expression might possibly be understood to summarize the earlier practical teaching that ‘in Prāṇa a knower thereof obtains all things’; and also, pregnantly, the teaching (both earlier and later in this Upanishad) that ‘in the conscious Self all things do obtain [both ontologically and ethically—‘obtain’ being used in its intransitive meaning].’

[3 ]This sentence is lacking in B.

[1 ]The preceding three paragraphs (which have already occurred in this section) are lacking in A.

[2 ]A has here in addition: ‘When he awakens—as from a blazing fire sparks would disperse in all directions, even so from this self the vital breaths disperse to their respective stations; from the vital breaths, the sense-powers; from the sense-powers, the worlds.’ But in the present context this sentence seems to be an inapt refrain from the previous paragraph.

[1 ]So A: abhivisrjate.

[2 ]So B: asmin.

[3 ]On this word see p. 322, n. 2, above.

[4 ]The previous sentence is lacking in B.

[1 ]A has here, instead, ‘intelligence (prajñā).’

[2 ]A has here, in addition, ‘what is to be understood (vijñātavyam).’

[3 ]A has here, instead, dhī, ‘thought.’

[4 ]A has here, in addition, ‘what is to be understood and desired.’

[1 ]These singular forms of A seem preferable to the dual forms of the readings in B; similarly in the third sentence following, about ‘feet.’ Accordingly, the speaker in all these direct quotations is to be understood as indefinite rather than as the particular organ mentioned.

[1 ]So B; but A has, instead, ‘the knower of form.’

[1 ]So A: sarveśa; but B has, instead, lokeśa, ‘world-lord.’