Upanishads (Müller) — I, 3

The Upanishads, Part 1 (SBE01): Khândogya Upanishad... | Internet Sacred Text ArchiveSacred Texts Hinduism Index Previous Next Buy this Book at Amazon.com *The Upanishads, Part 1 (SBE01)*, by Max Müller, [1879], at sacred-texts.com ### THIRD KHA*N**D*A. Now follows the meditation on the udgîtha with reference to the gods. Let a man meditate on the udgîtha (Om) as he who sends warmth (the sun in the sky). When the sun rises it sings as Udgât*ri* for the sake of all creatures. When it rises it destroys the fear of darkness. He who knows this, is able to destroy the fear of darkness (ignorance). 2. This (the breath in the mouth) and that (the sun) are the same. This is hot and that is hot. This they call svara (sound), and that they call pratyâsvara 1 (reflected sound). Therefore let a man meditate on the udgîtha (Om) as this and that (as breath and as sun). 3. Then let a man meditate on the udgîtha (Om) as vyâna indeed. If we breathe up, that is prâ*n*a, the up-breathing. If we breathe down, that is apâna, the down-breathing. The combination of prâ*n*a and apâna is vyâna, back-breathing or holding in of the breath. This vyâna is speech. Therefore when we utter speech, we neither breathe up nor down. 4. Speech is *Ri**k*, and therefore when a man utters a *Ri**k* verse he neither breathes up nor down. *Ri**k* is Sâman, and therefore when a man utters a Sâman verse he neither breathes up nor down. Sâman is udgîtha, and therefore when a man sings (the udgîtha, Om) he neither breathes up nor down. 5. And other works also which require strength, such as the production of fire by rubbing, running a race, stringing a strong bow, are performed without breathing up or down. Therefore let a man meditate on the udgîtha (Om) as vyâna. 6. Let a man meditate on the syllables of the udgîtha, i. e. of the word udgîtha. Ut is breath (prâ*n*a), for by means of breath a man rises (uttish*th*ati). Gî is speech, for speeches are called gira*h*. Tha is food, for by means of food all subsists (sthita). 7. Ut is heaven, gî the sky, tha the earth. Ut is the sun, gî the air, tha the fire. Ut is the Sâma-veda,, gî the Ya*g*ur-veda, tha the Rig-veda 1. [paragraph continues] Speech yields the milk, which is the milk of speech itself 1, to him who thus knowing meditates on those syllables of the name of udgîtha, he becomes rich in food and able to eat food. 8. Next follows the fulfilment of prayers. Let a man thus meditate on the Upasara*n*as, i. e. the objects which have to be approached by meditation: Let him (the Udgât*ri*) quickly reflect on the Sâman with which he is going to praise; 9. Let him quickly reflect on the *Ri**k* in which that Sâman occurs; on the *Ri*shi (poet) by whom it was seen or composed; on the Devatâ (object) which he is going to praise; 10. On the metre in which he is going to praise; on the tune with which he is going to sing for himself; 11. On the quarter of the world which he is going to praise. Lastly, having approached himself (his name, family, &c.) by meditation, let him sing the hymn of praise, reflecting on his desire, and avoiding all mistakes in pronunciation, &c. Quickly 1 will the desire be then fulfilled to him, for the sake of which he may have offered his hymn of praise, yea, for which he may have offered his hymn of praise 2. ### Footnotes 7:1 As applied to breath, svara is explained by the commentator in the sense of moving, going out; pratyâsvara, as applied to the sun, is explained as returning every day. More likely, however, svara as applied to breath means sound, Om itself being called svara (*Kh*. Up. I, 4, 3), and prasvâra in the Rig-veda-prâti*s*âkhya, 882. As applied to the sun, svara and pratyâsvara were probably taken in the sense of light and reflected light. 8:1 The commentator supplies explanations to all these fanciful etymologies. The heaven is ut, because it is high; the sky is gî, because it gives out all the worlds (gira*n*ât); earth is tha, because it is the place (sthâna) of living beings. The sun is ut, because it is high. The wind is gî, because it gives out fire, &c. (gira*n*ât); fire is tha, because it is the place (sthâna) of the sacrifice. The Sâma-veda is ut, because it is praised as svarga; the Ya*g*ur-veda is gî, because the gods take the oblation offered with a Ya*g*us; the Rig-veda is tha, because the Sâma verses stand in it. All this is very childish, and worse than childish, but it is interesting as a phase of human folly which is not restricted to the Brahmans of India. I take the following passage from an interesting article, 'On the Ogam Beithluisnin and on Scythian Letters,' by Dr. Charles Graves, Bishop of Limerick. 'An Irish antiquary,' he says, 'writing several hundred years ago, proposes to give an account of the origin of the names of the notes in the musical scale. '"It is asked here, according to Saint Augustine, What is chanting, or why is it so called? Answer. From this word *cantalena*; p. 9 and *cantalena* is the same thing as *lenis cantus*, i. e. a soft, sweet chant to God, and to the Virgin Mary, and to all the Saints. And the reason why the word *puinec* (*puncta*) is so called is because the points (or musical notes) *ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la*, hurt the devil and puncture him. And it is thus that these points are to be understood: viz. When Moses the son of Amram, with his people in their Exodus was crossing the Red Sea, and Pharaoh and his host were following him, this was the chant which Moses had to protect him from Pharaoh and his host--these six points in praise of the Lord:-- '"The first point of these, i. e. *ut*: and *ut* in the Greek is the same as *liberat* in the Latin; and that is the same as *saer* in the Gaelic; i.e. O God, said Moses, deliver us from the harm of the devil. "'The second point of them, i.e. *re*: and *re* is the same as *saer*; i. e. O God, deliver us from everything hurtful and malignant. '"The third point, i.e. *mi*: and *mi* in the Greek is the same as *militum* in the Latin; and that is the same as *ridere* (a knight) in the Gaelic; i. e. O God, said Moses, deliver us from those knights who are pursuing us. '"The fourth point, i.e. *fa*: and *fa* in the Greek is the same as *famulus* in the Latin; and that is the same as *mug* (slave) in the Gaelic; i. e. O God, said Moses, deliver us from those slaves who are pursuing us. '"The fifth point, i.e. *sol*: and *sol* is the same as *grian* (sun); and that is the same as righteousness; because righteousness and Christ are not different; i. e. O Christ, said Moses, deliver us. '"The sixth point, i. e. *la*, is the same as *lav*; and that is the same as *indail* (wash); i.e. O God, said Moses, wash away our sins from us. '"And on the singing of that laud Pharaoh and his host were drowned. '"Understand, O man, that in whatever place this laud, i. e. this chant, is sung, the devil is bound by it, and his power is extirpated thence, and the power of God is called in." 'We have been taught that the names of the first six notes p. 10 in the gamut were suggested by the initial syllables of the first six hemistichs in one of the stanzas of a hymn to St. John: *Ut* queant laxis *Re*sonare fibris *Mi*ra gestorum *Fa*muli tuorum, *So*lve polluti *La*bii reatum, *S*ancte *I*oannes.' 9:1 The milk of speech consists in rewards to be obtained by the Rig-veda, &c. Or we may translate, Speech yields its milk to him who is able to milk speech. 10:1 Abhyâ*s*o ha yat, lit. depend on it that it will be fulfilled, but always explained by quickly. See *Kh*. Up. II, 1, 4; III, 19, 4; V, 10, 7. Frequently, but wrongly, written with a dental s. 10:2 The repetition of the last sentence is always an indication that a chapter is finished. This old division into chapters is of great importance for a proper study of the Upanishads. Next: I, 4