Kauṣītaki

Ṛgveda

50 Passages

Mantra 1Citra Gārgyāyaṇi, about to perform a sacrifice, chose Āruṇi; and he sent his son Śvetaketu, saying, "Officiate for him." When he had sat down, Citra a…
Mantra 2He said: All those who depart from this world go to the moon. In the bright fortnight the moon swells with their breaths; in the dark fortnight it sen…
Mantra 3He gains that path of the gods and comes to the world of Agni, then to the world of Vāyu, then to the world of Varuṇa, then to the world of Āditya, th…
Mantra 4Five hundred nymphs go out to meet him — a hundred with fragrant powders in their hands, a hundred with fruits, a hundred with ointments, a hundred wi…
Mantra 5He comes to the tree Ilya, and the fragrance of Brahman enters into him. He comes to the city Sālajya, and the savour of Brahman enters into him. He c…
Mantra 6"I am a season, I am born of the seasons, sprung from the womb of space as the seed. I am the light of the year, the being of what has been, the being…
Mantra 1"Breath is Brahman" — thus indeed said Kauṣītaki. Of this breath which is Brahman the mind is the messenger, speech the housekeeper, the eye the guard…
Mantra 2"Breath is Brahman" — thus indeed said Paiṅgya. Of this breath which is Brahman, speech is enclosed from beyond by the eye, the eye is enclosed from b…
Mantra 3Now the winning of a single treasure. If a man longs for a single treasure, then on a full-moon night or a new-moon night, or in the bright fortnight…
Mantra 4Now the winning of a god's love. If a man wishes to be dear to someone, or someone to be dear to him, then at a change of the moon let him lay the fir…
Mantra 5Now the restraint that Pratardana practised, which they also call the inner fire offering. So long as a man speaks he cannot breathe; then he offers t…
Mantra 6"The Uktha is Brahman" — thus indeed said Śuṣkabhṛṅgāra. Let a man worship it as the Ṛc, and all beings sing his praise for his pre-eminence. Let him…
Mantra 7Now there are three meditations of the all-conquering Kauṣītaki. Having put on the sacred thread and sipped water, having thrice poured out a vessel o…
Mantra 8Then month by month, at the new moon, let him worship the moon when it is seen in the west, in the same manner, and throw two green blades of grass to…
Mantra 9Then at the full moon, let him worship the moon when it is seen in the east, in the same manner, with these words: "Thou art Soma the king, the far-se…
Mantra 10Then, when he is about to lie down, let him touch his wife's heart with the words: "That which is set within thy heart, O well-parted one, within Praj…
Mantra 11Then, when he is going away from home, let him touch his son's head, saying: "From every limb of mine thou comest to be; from my heart thou art born.…
Mantra 12Now the dying-round of the gods. This Brahman shines when the fire blazes; and it dies when the fire does not blaze. Then its splendour goes to the su…
Mantra 13This Brahman shines when a man speaks with speech; and it dies when he does not speak. Then its splendour goes to the eye and its breath to the breath…
Mantra 14Now the taking of the highest place. All the deities, disputing among themselves which was the better, went up out of this body; and it lay like a log…
Mantra 15Now the handing over from father to son, which they also call the transmission. When a father is about to depart, he calls his son. Having strewn the…
Mantra 1Pratardana, son of Divodāsa, came to the beloved abode of Indra by battle and by manly strength. Indra said to him, "Pratardana, let me grant thee a b…
Mantra 2He said: "I am the breath, the self of wisdom. Worship me as life, as the immortal. Life is breath and breath is life; for so long as breath dwells in…
Mantra 3A man lives without speech, for we see the dumb. A man lives without the eye, for we see the blind. A man lives without the ear, for we see the deaf.…
Mantra 4And when he goes out from this body, he goes out together with all these. Speech gives up to him all names, and by speech he obtains all names. Breath…
Mantra 5Speech is one limb drawn out of it, and name is the element of being set over against it from beyond. Smell is one limb drawn out of it, and odour is…
Mantra 6Having mounted speech with wisdom, by speech he obtains all names. Having mounted the breath with wisdom, by the breath he obtains all odours. Having…
Mantra 7For speech bereft of wisdom would not make any name known; a man says, "My mind was elsewhere; I did not know that name." Breath bereft of wisdom woul…
Mantra 8Let a man not seek to know speech; let him know the speaker. Let him not seek to know odour; let him know the smeller. Let him not seek to know form;…
Mantra 9For no form would be accomplished from either of the two alone; nor is this a manifold thing. As in a chariot the felly is set upon the spokes and the…
Mantra 1Now Gārgya Bālāki was learned and renowned. He had dwelt among the Uśīnaras, the Matsyas, the Kuru-Pañcālas, the Kāśis and the Videhas. He came to Ajā…
Mantra 2Bālāki said, "The person who is in the sun — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as the…
Mantra 3Bālāki said, "The person who is in the moon — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as Som…
Mantra 4Bālāki said, "The person who is in the lightning — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him a…
Mantra 5Bālāki said, "The person who is in the thunder — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as…
Mantra 6Bālāki said, "The person who is in space — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as the fu…
Mantra 7Bālāki said, "The person who is in the wind — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as Ind…
Mantra 8Bālāki said, "The person who is in the fire — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as the…
Mantra 9Bālāki said, "The person who is in the waters — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as t…
Mantra 10Bālāki said, "The person who is in a mirror — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as the…
Mantra 11Bālāki said, "The person who is in the echo — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as the…
Mantra 12Bālāki said, "The sound that follows a person — that indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as…
Mantra 13Bālāki said, "The person who is in the shadow — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as d…
Mantra 14Bālāki said, "The person who is in the body — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as Pra…
Mantra 15Bālāki said, "That self of wisdom by which a person asleep moves about in dream — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into…
Mantra 16Bālāki said, "The person who is in the right eye — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him a…
Mantra 17Bālāki said, "The person who is in the left eye — him indeed I worship." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as…
Mantra 18Then Bālāki fell silent. Ajātaśatru said to him, "Is that all, Bālāki?" "That is all," said Bālāki. Ajātaśatru said to him, "In vain didst thou draw m…
Mantra 19Ajātaśatru said to him: "Where this person has lain, Bālāki, where he has been, and whence he has come back — the channels of the heart called Hitā st…
Mantra 20These selves depend upon that Self as retainers depend upon a chief. As a chief enjoys with his retainers, and as the retainers wait upon their chief,…