234 The Principal Upanisads III. 9. 1.

of you will defeat him in arguments about Brahman.’ Thereupon

(GargI) Vacaknavi kept silent.
§ says that the same Brahman on account of the differences in
limiting adjuncts, upadhibhedena is called differently: tasman
nirupadhikasyatmano nirupakhyatvan nirvisesatvad ekatvac ca neti
netlti vyapadeso bhavati, avidya-kama-karma-visista-karya-karano-
padhir atma samsarl jlva ucyate; nitya-niratisaya-jhana-sakty-upadhir
atmantaryamisvara ucyate; sa eva nirupadhih kevalah suddhah svena-
svabhavenaksaram param ucyate:
Therefore the unconditioned Self, being beyond speech and mind,
undifferentiated and one, is defined as ‘not this,’ ‘not this’; when it
has the limiting adjuncts of the body and the organs, the products
of ignorance, desire and work, it is called the individual ego; when the
self has the limiting adjunct of eternal knowledge and power, it
is called the inner controller, the Supreme Lord. The same self,
absolute, alone, pure is called the Imperishable Supreme Self. The
self is everywhere assuming different forms. For S the differences
are all traceable to limiting adjuncts and to nothing else, upadhi-
bhedenaivaisam bhedah, nanyatha.

Ninth Brdhmana

MANY GODS AND ONE BRAHMAN

1. atha hainarh vidagdhah sakalyah papraccha: kati devah,

yajhavalkya, iti. sa haitayaiva nivida pratipede, yavanto vaisva-
dcvasya nividy ucyante; trayas ca tri ca sata, trayas ca tri ca
sahasreti. awn iti. hovdca, katy eva devdh, yajhavalkya iti. trayai
trimsad iti. A um iti. hovdca, katy eva devah, yajhavalkya, iti. sad
iti. aum iti. hovdca, katy eva devah, yajhavalkya, iti. traya iti. awn
iti. hovdca, katy eva devah, yajhavalkya, iti. dvav iti. aum iti.
hovdca, katy eva devah, yajhavalkya, iti. adhyardha iti. aum iti.
hovdca, katy eva devah, yajhavalkya, iti. eka iti. aum iti. hovdca
katame te trayas ca tri ca sahasreti.
1. Then Vidagdha £akalya asked him: ‘How many gods are
there, Yajhavalkya?’ He answered, in accord with the following
nivid (invocation of the gods). ‘As many as are mentioned in
the nivid of the hymn of praise to the Visve-devas, namely, three
hundred and three, and three thousand and three.’ ‘Yes,’ he
said, ‘but how many gods are there, Yajhavalkya?’ ‘Thirty
three.’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘but how many gods are there, Yajna-
III. 9. 4. Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 235

valkya?’ ‘Six.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, ‘but how many gods are there,
Yajnavalkya?’ ‘Three.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, ‘but how many gods are
there, Yajnavalkya?’ ‘Two.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, ‘but how many
gods are there, Yajnavalkya?’ ‘One and a half.’ ‘Yes,’ said he,
‘but how many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?’ ‘One.’ ‘Yes,’
said he, ‘but which are those three hundred and three and
three thousand and three?’

nivid: group of verses giving the number of the gods which are
recited in the hymns of praise to the Visve-devas. devatd-samkhya-vd-
cakani mantra-padani kanicid vaisva-deve sastre sasyamte. $.

2. sa hovaca, mahimana evaisam ete, tray as trimsat tv eva

deva iti. katame te trayas trimsad iti. astau vasavah ekddasa
rudrah, dvadasadityah, te ekatrimsat indras caiva prajapatis ca
trayastrimsav iti.
2. He (Yajnavalkya) said, ‘They are but the manifestations
of them, but there are only thirty-three gods.’ ‘Which are these
thirty-three?’ ‘The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, and the
twelve Adityas, these are thirty-one, Indra and Praja-pati
(make up) thirty-three.’

mahimanah: manifestations: vibhutayah. $.

3. katame vasava iti. agnis ca prthivi ca vayus cantariksam

cddityas ca dyaus ca candramat ca naksatrani ca, ete vasavah,
etesa hidam sarvam hitam iti, tasmad vasava iti.
3. ‘Which are the Vasus?’ ‘Fire, the earth, the air, the sky,
the sun, the heaven, the moon, the stars, these are the Vasus
for in them all this is placed: therefore they are called Vasus.’

The Vasus transform themselves into bodies and organs of all

beings which serve as the support for their work and its fruition as
also into their dwelling-places. They help other beings to live and
they themselves live; pranindm karma-phalasrayatvena karya-
karana-samghdta-rupena tan nivasatvena viparinam anto jagad idath
sarvam vasayanti vasanti ca. A
Because they help others to live they are called Vasus: teyasmad
vasayanti, tasmad vasava iti. §.

4. katame rudra iti. daseme puruse pranah atmaikadasah; te

yadasmat sariran martyad utkramanti, atha rodayanti, tad yad
rodayanti, tasmad rudra iti.
4. ‘Which are the Rudras?’ ‘These ten breaths in a person
with the mind as the eleventh. When they depart from this
236 The Principal Upanisads III. 9. 8.

mortal body, they make us (his relatives) weep. So because

they make us weep, therefore they are called Rudras.’

ten breaths: the ten sensory and motor organs, jhana-karmendriyani

dasa purusasthani. R.

5. katama aditya iti. dvadasa vai masah samvatsarasya, eta

ddityah, ete htdarh sarvarn adadana yanti; te yad idarh sarvam
adadana yanti, tasmad aditya iti.
5. ‘Which are_the Adityas?’ ‘Verily, the twelve months of the
year, these are Adityas, for they move carrying along all this.
Since they move carrying along all this, therefore they are
called Adityas.’

6. katama indrah, katamah prajapatir iti, stanayitnur eve-

ndrah, yajhah prajapatir iti. katamah stanayitnur iti. asanir iti.
katamo yajha iti. pasava iti.
6. ‘Which is Indra? Which is Praja-patii ‘Indra is the
thunder, Praja-pati is the sacrifice.’ ‘Which is the thunder?’
‘The thunderbolt.’ ‘Which is the sacrifice?’ ‘The (sacrificial)
animals.’

asanih: thunderbolt, vajram S.

Animals are called sacrifices as the latter depend on animals.
yajhasya hi sadhanani pasavah. S.

7. katame sad iti. agnis ca prthivi ca vayui cantariksam

cadityas ca dyaus ca, ete sat; ete htdam sarvam sad iti.
7. ‘Which are the six?’ ‘Fire, the earth, the air, the sky, the
sun and the heaven, these are the six, for the six are all this.’

8. katame te trayo deva iti. ima eva trayo lokah, esu himc sarve
devd iti. katamau tau dvau devdv iti, annam caiva pranas ceti.
katamo dhyardha iti. yo yam pavata iti.
8. ‘Which are the three gods?’ ‘They are, verily, the three
worlds, for in them all these gods exist.' ‘Which are the two
gods?’ ‘Food and breath.’ ‘Which is the one and a half?’ ‘This
one here who blows (the air).'

The earth and the fire make one god, the sky and the air another,
the sun and the heaven a third: prthivlm agnirh caiklkrtyaiko devah,
antariksam vdyuhi caiklkrtya dvitlyah, divam ddityam caikikrtya
trtlyah, ta eva trayo devd iti. S.
Out of matter and life the rest develops: annam caiva pranascaitau
devau, anayos sarvesam uktdnam antarbhdvah. S.
III. 9. 11. Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 237

9. tad ahuh, yad ayam eka ivaiva pavate, atha katham adhy-
ardha iti. yad asminn idam sarvam adhyardhnot, tenadhyardha
iti, katama eko deva iti. prana iti, sa brahma, tyad ity acaksate.
9. ‘Regarding this, some say, since he who blows is like one,
how then is he one and a half? (The answer is) because in him
(when he blows) all this grew up.’ ‘Which is the one God?’
‘The Breath. He is Brahman. They call him tyat (that).’
adhyardhnot: grew up, attains great growth, adhiruddhim prapnoti. §.
The one God has different names, forms, activities, attributes
and powers owing to differences of function: devasyaikasya
ndma-riipa-karma-guna-sakti-bhedo’ dhikara-bhedat. 5.

EIGHT DIFFERENT PERSONS AND THEIR

CORRESPONDING DIVINITIES
10. prthivy eva yasyayatanam, agnir lokah, mano jyotih, yo
vai tarn purusam vidyat sarvasyatmanah parayanam, sa vai
vedita syat, yajhavalkya. veda vd aharh tarn purusam sarvasya-
tmanah parayanam, yam attha; ya evayam sarlrah purusah,
sa esah. vadaiva sakalya, tasya ka devata iti. amrtam iti hovaca.
10. ‘Verily, he who knows that person whose abode is the
earth, whose world is the fire, whose light is the mind, who is
the ultimate support of every soul, he, verily, would be a
knower, 0 Yajnavalkya. Verily, I know that person, who is
the ultimate support of every soul, of whom you speak.’ This
very person who is in the body is he. Tell me, Sakalya, who is
his god?’ ‘The immortal,’ said he.
ayatanam: abode: asrayah. S. adharah. R.
parayanam: ultimate support: par am ayanam para asrayah. S.
parama-prdpya-bhutah purusa-sabditah paramatma. R.
11. kama eva yasyayatanam, hrdayam lokah, mano jyotih, yo
vai tarn purusam vidyat sarvasyatmanah parayanam, sa vai
vedita syat, yajhavalkya. veda vd aharh tarn purusam sarvasya
atmanah parayanam, yam attha; ya evayam kamamayah purusah
sa esah. vadaiva, sakalya, tasya ka devata iti. striyah, iti hovaca.
11. ‘Verily, he who knows that person whose abode is
desire, whose world is the heart, whose light is the mind,
who is the ultimate support of every soul, he, verily, would be
a knower, O Yajnavalkya.’ ‘Verily, I know that person who is
the ultimate support of every soul, of whom you speak. This
very person who is made of desire is he. Tell me, Sakalya, who
is his god?' ‘Women,’ said he.