Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 1.djvu/194

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80
KHÂNDOGYA-UPANISHAD.


Tenth Khanda.

1. 'Those who know this[1] (even though they still be grihasthas, householders) and those who in the forest follow faith and austerities (the vânaprasthas, and of the parivrâgakas those who do not yet know the Highest Brahman) go[2] to light (arkis), from light to day, from day to the light half of the moon, from the light half of the moon to the six months when the sun goes to the north, from the six months when the sun goes to the north to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from the moon to the lightning. There is a person not human[3],—

2. 'He leads them to Brahman (the conditioned Brahman). This is the path of the Devas.

3. 'But they who living in a village practise (a life of) sacrifices, works of public utility, and alms, they go to the smoke, from smoke to night, from night to the dark half of the moon, from the dark half of the moon to the six months when the sun goes to the south. But they do not reach the year.

4. 'From the months they go to the world of the fathers, from the world of the fathers to the ether, from the ether to the moon. That is Soma, the king. Here they are loved (eaten) by the Devas, yes, the Devas love (eat) them[4].


  1. The doctrine of the five fires, and our being born in them, i.e. in heaven, rain, earth, man, and woman.
  2. Cf. Kh. Up. IV, 15, 5.
  3. Instead of mânava, human, or amânava, not human, the Brih. Âr. reads mânasa, mental, or created by manas, mind.
  4. This passage has been translated, "They are the food of the gods. The gods do eat it." And this is indeed the literal meaning of the words. But bhag (to enjoy) and bhaksh (to eat) are often