अथातः सम्प्रत्तिः ।यदा प्रैष्यन्मन्यतेऽथ पुत्रमाह त्वं ब्रह्म त्वं यज्ञस्त्वं लोक इति ।स पुत्रः प्रत्याहाहं ब्रह्माहं यज्ञोऽहं लोक इति ।यद्वै किञ्चानूक्तं तस्य सर्वस्य ब्रह्मेत्येकता ।ये वै के च यज्ञास्तेषां सर्वेषां यज्ञ इत्येकता ।ये वै के च लोकास्तेषां सर्वेषां लोक इत्येकता ।एतावद्वा इदं सर्वम् ।एतन्मा सर्वं सन्नयमितो भुनजदिति ।तस्मात्पुत्रमनुशिष्टं लोक्यमाहुः ।तस्मादेनमनुशासति ।स यदैवंविदस्माल्लोकात्प्रैत्यथैभिरेव प्राणैः सह पुत्रमाविशति ।स यद्यनेन किञ्चिदक्ष्णया कृतं भवति तस्मादेनं सर्वस्मात्पुत्रो मुञ्चति तस्मात्पुत्रो नाम ।स पुत्रेणैवास्मिल्लोके प्रतितिष्ठति ।अथैनमेते देवाः प्राणा अमृता आविशन्ति ॥बृह. १,५.१७ ॥
In plain words
Now the handing over. When a man thinks he is about to depart, he says to his son, "Thou art Brahman, thou art the sacrifice, thou art the world." The son answers, "I am Brahman, I am the sacrifice, I am the world." Whatever has been learned is all one in Brahman; whatever sacrifices there are, they are all one in the sacrifice; whatever worlds there are, they are all one in the world. All this is only so much. "Being all this, let him support me from here." Therefore they say that a son who has been instructed wins the world; and therefore they instruct him. When one who knows thus departs from this world, he enters into his son together with these breaths. And if anything has been done amiss by him, his son frees him from it all; therefore he is called a son, putra. By his son he stands firm in this world; and then these divine, immortal breaths enter into him.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.213· bhāṣya
स्वात्मव्यापारसंप्रदानं करोति अनेन प्रकारेण पिता, तेन संप्रत्तिसंज्ञकमिदं कर्म । तत् कस्मिन्काले कर्तव्यमित्याह —स पिता यदा यस्मिन्काले प्रैष्यन् मरिष्यन् मरिष्यामी-त्यरिष्टादिदर्शनेन मन्यते, अथ तदा पुत्रमाहूयाह— त्वं ॰ ब्रह्म त्वं यज्ञस्त्वं लोक इति । स एवमुक्तः पुत्रः प्रत्याह ; स तु पूर्वमेवानुशिष्टो जानाति मयैतत्कर्त-व्यमिति ; तेनाह— अहं ब्रह्म अहं यज्ञः अहं लोक इति एतद्वाक्यद्वयम् । एतस्यार्थस्तिरोहित इति मन्वाना श्रुतिर्व्या-ख्यानाय प्रवर्तते— यद्वै किंच यत्किंच अवशिष्टम् अनू-क्तम् अधीतमनधीतं च, तस्य सर्वस्यैव ब्रह्मेत्येतस्मिन्पदे एक-ता एकत्वम् ; योऽध्ययनव्यापारो मम कर्तव्य आसीदेता-वन्तं कालं वेदविषयः, सः इत ऊर्ध्वं त्वं ब्रह्म त्वत्कर्तृको-ऽस्त्वित्यर्थः । तथा ये वै के च यज्ञा अनुष्ठेयाः सन्तो मया अनुष्ठिताश्चाननुष्ठिताश्च, तेषां सर्वेषां यज्ञ इत्येतस्मि-न्पदे एकता एकत्वम् ; मत्कर्तृका यज्ञा य आसन्, ते इत ऊर्ध्वं त्वं यज्ञः त्वत्कर्तृका भवन्त्वित्यर्थः । ये वै के च लोका मया जेतव्याः सन्तो जिता अजिताश्च, तेषां सर्वेषां लोक इत्येतस्मिन्पदे एकता ; इत ऊर्ध्वं त्वं लोकः त्वया जेतव्यास्ते । इत ऊर्ध्वं मया अध्ययनयज्ञलोकजयकर्तव्यक-
In plain words
In this manner the father transfers his own activities to the son, which is why this rite is called sampratti. When should this be performed? The text explains: when the father, observing signs of his approaching death, thinks 'I am going to die,' he summons his son and tells him, 'You are Brahman, you are sacrifice, you are the world.' The son, having already been instructed, knows that this is his duty and replies, 'I am Brahman, I am sacrifice, I am the world.' Since the deeper meaning of these two statements is somewhat hidden, the scripture sets out to explain them. Whatever study of the Veda—whether recited, learned, or unlearned—was incumbent upon the father for all this time, finds its complete unity in the single word 'Brahman'; the intention is: 'The Vedic study that was mine until now shall henceforth be yours, and carried out by you.' Likewise, all sacrifices—whether already performed by the father or left undone—find their unity in the single word 'sacrifice'; the meaning is: 'The sacrificial acts of which I was the agent shall henceforth be performed by you.' And all the worlds to be won—whether already conquered or not—find their unity in the single word 'world'; henceforth you are the world, and those worlds are to be conquered by you. From now on, the duty belonging to me regarding study, sacrifice, and the conquest of worlds...
Close to the Sanskrit
The father performs the transfer of his own activities in this manner; therefore this rite is named sampratti. At what time should this be performed? The scripture says: when that father, by seeing portents of death and the like, thinks 'I am going to die, I will die,' then he calls his son and says: 'You are Brahman, you are sacrifice, you are the world.' The son, thus addressed, replies. But he, having been previously instructed, knows that this is to be done by him; therefore he says: 'I am Brahman, I am sacrifice, I am the world.' This pair of sentences constitutes the dialogue. Considering the meaning of this to be obscure, the scripture proceeds to explain it: whatever study remains—recited, learned, or unlearned—all of that finds unity in the single word 'Brahman.' Whatever study of the Veda was to be done by me for this long duration, from now on let that study be yours, and let its agency be yours—this is the meaning. Similarly, whatsoever sacrifices ought to be performed and were performed or not performed by me, unity of all those is in the single word 'sacrifice.' Whatever sacrifices had me as their agent, from now on let those sacrifices be yours, let them have you as their agent—this is the meaning. Whatsoever worlds were to be won by me—won or unwon—unity of all those is in the word 'world'; from now on you are the world, they are to be won by you. From now on by me the duty of studying, sacrificing, and conquering worlds...
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.214· bhāṣya
तुस्त्वयि समर्पितः, अहं तु मुक्तोऽस्मि कर्तव्यताबन्धनवि- षयात्क्रतोः । स च सर्वं तथैव प्रतिपन्नवान्पुत्रः अनुशिष्टत्वात् । तत्र इमं पितुरभिप्रायं मन्वाना आचष्टे श्रुतिः— एतावत् एतत्परिमाणं वै इदं सर्वम्—यद्गृहिणा कर्तव्यम्, यदुत वेदा अध्येतव्याः, यज्ञा यष्टव्याः, लोकाश्च जेतव्याः ; एतन्मा सर्वं सन्नयम्--सर्वं हि इमं भारं मदधीनं मत्तोऽपच्छिद्य आत्मनि निधाय इतः अस्माल्लोकात् मा माम् अभुनजत् पालयिष्यतीति— लडर्थे लङ्, छन्दसि कालनियमाभा- वात् । यस्मादेवं संपन्नः पुत्रः पितरम् अस्माल्लोकात्कर्तव्य- ताबन्धतो मोचयिष्यति, तस्मात्पुत्रमनुशिष्टं लोक्यं लोक- हितं पितुः आहुर्ब्राह्मणाः । अत एव ह्येनं पुत्रमनुशासति- लोक्योऽयं नः स्यादिति-पितरः । स पिता यदा यस्मि- न्काले एवंवित् पुत्रसमर्पितकर्तव्यताक्रतुः अस्माल्लोकात् प्रैति म्रियते, अथ तदा एभिरेव प्रकृतैर्वाङ्मनःप्राणैः पुत्रमाविश- ति पुत्रं व्याप्नोति । अध्यात्मपरिच्छेदहेत्वपगमात् पितुर्वा- ङ्मनःप्राणाः स्वेन आधिदैविकेन रूपेण पृथिव्यग्न्याद्या- त्मना भिन्नघटप्रदीपप्रकाशवत् सर्वम् आविशन्ति ; तैः प्रा- णैः सह पितापि आविशति वाङ्मनःप्राणात्मभावित्वा- त्पितुः ; अहमस्म्यनन्ता वाङ्मनःप्राणा अध्यात्मादिभेदवि- स्ताराः- इत्येवंभावितो हि पिता ; तस्मात् प्राणानुवृत्तित्वं पितुर्भवतीति युक्तमुक्तम्- एभिरेव प्राणैः सह पुत्रमावि- शतीति ; सर्वेषां ह्यसावात्मा भवति पुत्रश्च च । एतदुक्तं भ- वति- यस्य पितुरेवमनुशिष्टः पुत्रो भवति सोऽस्मिन्नेव लोके वर्तते पुत्ररूपेण नैव मृतो मन्तव्य इत्यर्थः ; तथा च श्रुत्य- न्तरे- 'सोऽस्यायमितर आत्मा पुण्येभ्यः कर्मभ्यः प्रति- धीयते' इति । अथेदानीं पुत्रनिर्वचनमाह- स पुत्रः यदि कदाचित् अनेन पित्रा अक्ष्णया कोणच्छिद्रतोऽन्तरा अकृतं भवति कर्तव्यम्, तस्मात् कर्तव्यतारूपात्पित्रा अकृतान् स- र्वस्माल्लोकप्राप्तिप्रतिबन्धरूपान् पुत्रो मुञ्चति मोचयति तत्सर्वं स्वयमनुतिष्ठन्पूरयित्वा ; तस्मात् पूरणेन त्रायते स पितरं यस्मात्, तस्मात्, पुत्रो नाम ; इदं तत्पुत्रस्य पुत्रत्वम्- यत्पितुश्छिद्रं पूरयित्वा त्रायते । स पिता एवंविधेन पुत्रेण मृतोऽपि सन् अमृतः अस्मिन्नेव लोके प्रतितिष्ठति एवमसौ पिता पुत्रेणेमं मनुष्यलोकं जयति ; न तथा विद्या- कर्मभ्यां देवलोकपितृलोकौ, स्वरूपलाभसत्तामात्रेण ; न हि विद्याकर्मणी स्वरूपलाभव्यतिरेकेण पुत्रवत् व्यापारान्तरा- पेक्षया लोकजयहेतुत्वं प्रतिपद्येते । अथ कृतसंप्रत्तिकं पित- रम् एनम् एते वागादयः प्राणाः दैवाः हैरण्यगर्भाः अ- विद्: फलप्रदर्शनाय प्रवृत्ता । न च इदमेव फलं मोक्षफलमि- ति शक्यं वक्तुम्, ऽत्र्यन्नसंबन्धात् मेधातपःकार्यत्वाच्चान्नानाम् पुनः पुनर्जनयत इति दर्शनात्, 'यद्वैतन्न कुर्यात्क्षीयेत ह' इति च क्षयश्रवणात्, शरीरम् ज्योतीरूपमिति च कार्य- करणत्वोपपत्तेः, 'त्रयं वा इदम्' इति च नामरूपकर्मा- त्मकत्वेनोपसंहारात् । न च इदमेव साधनत्रयं संहतं सत् कस्यचिन्मोक्षार्थं कस्यचित् त्र्यन्नात्मकफलमित्यस्मादेव वाक्या- दवगन्तुं शक्यम्, पुत्रादिसाधनानां त्र्यन्नात्मकफलदर्शनेनैव उपक्षीणत्वाद्वाक्यस्य ॥
In plain words
The father declares: 'My duties are placed in you, and I am freed from the burden of ritual sacrifice.' And the son accepts all of this fully, having been duly instructed. Understanding this intent of the father, the Shruti speaks: 'This entire domain of the householder—the study of the Vedas, the performance of sacrifices, and the conquest of worlds—is the full measure of mortal duty. Taking this entire burden from me, placing it within yourself, and departing from this world, may you protect me.' Here the past tense is used for the present, as is common in Vedic freedom of speech. Because a son thus equipped releases his father from the bonds of ritual debt, wise teachers call such an educated son 'world-conquering' and a blessing to his father. For this very reason, parents instruct their son, praying, 'May this son of ours conquer the worlds for us.' When a father who knows this, having transferred his obligations to his son, passes away from this life, he enters into the son through those very faculties of speech, mind, and breath. With the lifting of bodily limitations, the father's subtle senses merge into their cosmic deities—like the light of a lamp freed when its enclosing pot is broken. Accompanied by those vital breaths, the father enters the son, because the father identified himself with the infinite expanse of speech, mind, and breath. Thus, the father's life-force continues in the son, and it is rightly said that he enters the son, for the son becomes the self of all. This is the inner meaning: a father whose son is thus trained is not truly dead; he continues to live right here in this world in the form of his son. As another scripture declares: 'He is this other self of his, set in his place for holy deeds.' Now follows the definition of the word 'son' (putra): if the father leaves any ritual duty undone through some omission, the son completes it himself and thereby frees the father from every obstacle to reaching higher worlds. Because he protects (trāyate) the father through completion (pūraṇa), he is called a son (putra). Through such a son, a father even in death remains immortal and abides securely in this very world, conquering the human realm through him. Knowledge and ritual action alone do not conquer the celestial worlds in this manner through an intermediary, for they operate merely by revealing one's own true nature, whereas the son acts as a direct, active agent of conquest. When the father has thus transferred his responsibilities, his subtle vital energies—divine and rooted in Hiranyagarbha—reveal their true fruition. Yet this result cannot be mistaken for ultimate liberation, because it is bound to the three-fold food, because it arises from intellect and austerity, because scripture warns of decay for those who neglect it, and because the entire process is embraced within the realm of name, form, and action. Nor can this composite path ever lead to liberation, for its scope is entirely fulfilled by the attainment of mortal and celestial enjoyment.
Close to the Sanskrit
The father entrusted his duty to you, while I am freed from the bondage of duty connected with the sacrifice. And that son accepted all of this just as stated, being properly instructed. Regarding this intent of the father, the Shruti declares: 'This much indeed is all this extent—what is to be done by the householder, what the Vedas are to be studied, sacrifices to be performed, and worlds to be won; this whole burden you lead together—taking all this weight dependent on me, cutting it off from me, and placing it within yourself, departing from this world you will protect me thus'—the imperfect tense is used in the sense of the present due to the absence of time restrictions in Vedic usage. Because a son accomplished thus will release his father from the bondage of duty, therefore the Brahmanas call an instructed son world-conquering and beneficial to the world's father. Hence indeed fathers instruct their son saying, 'May this son of ours be world-conquering.' When that father, knowing thus and having his duties committed to the son, departs from this world and dies, then he enters the son with these very aforementioned speech, mind, and breath. Due to the removal of the cause of bodily limitation, the father's speech, mind, and breath enter everything in the form of their cosmic deity aspects, like the light of a lamp when the enclosing pot is broken; accompanied by those breaths the father also enters due to the father's being identified with speech, mind, and breath as 'I am the infinite speech, mind, and breaths, the expansions of bodily distinctions'—for the father is thus disposed; therefore the father's continuity of breaths in the son occurs, so it is rightly said that he enters the son with these very breaths; for he becomes the self of all, and the son also. This is the meaning: whose son is thus instructed, he remains in this world in the form of the son and is not to be regarded as dead; and similarly in another shruti: 'He is this other self of his, substituted for him through meritorious actions.' Now, the definition of the son: if at any time any duty is left undone by this father through some flaw or omission, the son releases him from all that duty-form obstacle to obtaining worlds, fulfilling and completing it himself; therefore because he saves the father by filling, he is named son (putra); this is the sonship of the son—that he saves the father by filling his flaw. That father, even though dead, remains immortal in this very world through such a son; thus this father conquers this human world through the son; not so the world of gods and world of fathers through knowledge and ritual action alone, by mere intrinsic nature; for knowledge and ritual action do not become causes of conquering worlds through secondary operations like a son, apart from the direct attainment of their own nature. Now, these divine, golden breaths of Hiranyagarbha, knowing the father whose transmission is accomplished, became active to show the fruit. Nor can it be said that this alone is the fruit of liberation, because it is connected with the three foods, because it is the product of intellect and austerity as seen in the statement 'they produce foods again and again', because of the scriptural hearing 'whoever truly does not do this would perish indeed', because the body has the nature of light and the appropriateness of being effect and instrument, and because the passage concludes with 'This triad indeed' consisting of name, form, and action. Nor can it be understood from this very sentence that this triad of means combined is for anyone's liberation and for anyone's three-fold food fruit, because the sentence's import is already exhausted by the observation of the fruit of means like the son being only three-fold food.