Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 1.djvu/167

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III PRAPÂTHAKA, 18 KHANDA, 2.
53

take refuge with this Triad[1]:'Thou art the imperishable;' 'Thou art the unchangeable,' 'Thou art the edge of Prâna.' On this subject there are two Rik verses (Rig-veda VIII, 6, 30):—

7. 'Then they see (within themselves) the everpresent light of the old seed (of the world, the Sat), the highest, which is lighted in the brilliant (Brahman)." Rig-veda I, 50, 10:—

'Perceiving above the darkness (of ignorance) the higher light (in the sun), as the higher light within the heart, the bright source (of light and life) among the gods, we have reached the highest light, yea, the highest light[2].'


Eighteenth Khanda[3].

1. Let a man meditate on mind as Brahman (n.), this is said with reference to the body. Let a man meditate on the ether as Brahman (n.), this is said with reference to the Devas. Thus both the meditation which has reference to the body, and the meditation which has reference to the Devas, has been taught.

2. That Brahman (mind) has four feet (quarters).


  1. Let him recite these three verses.
  2. Both these verses had to be translated here according to their scholastic interpretation, but they had originally a totally different meaning. Even the text was altered, divâ being changed to divi, svah to sve. The first is taken from a hymn addressed to Indra, who after conquering the dark clouds brings back the light of the sun. When he does that, then the people see again, as the poet says, the daily light of the old seed (from which the sun rises) which is lighted in heaven. The other verse belongs to a hymn addressed to the sun. Its simple meaning is: 'Seeing above the darkness (of the night) the rising light, the Sun, bright among the bright, we came towards the highest light.'
  3. This is a further elucidation of Kh. Up. III, 14, 2.