Prashna Upanishad — Chapter 6

PrUp 6.1

atha hainaṃ sukeśā bhāradvājaḥ papraccha | bhagavan hiraṇyanābhaḥ kausalyo rājaputro māmupetyaitaṃ praśnamapṛcchata | ṣoḍaśakalaṃ bhāradvāja puruṣaṃ vettha | tam ahaṃ kumāram abruvaṃ nāham imaṃ veda | yady aham imam avediṣaṃ kathaṃ te nāvakṣyam iti | samūlo vā eṣa pariśuṣyati yo 'nṛtam abhivadati | tasmān nārhāmy anṛtaṃ vaktuṃ | sa tūṣṇīṃ ratham āruhya pravavrāja | taṃ tvā pṛcchāmi kāsau puruṣa iti

Then Sukesas Bhâradvâga asked him, saying: "Sir, Hiranyanâbha, the prince of Kosalâ, came to me and asked this question: Do you know the person of sixteen parts, O Bhâradvâga? I said to the prince: I do not know him; if I knew him, how should I not tell you? Surely, he who speaks what is untrue withers away to the very root; therefore I will not say what is untrue. Then he mounted his chariot and went away silently. Now I ask you, where is that person?"

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.2

tasmai sa hovāca | ihaivāntaḥ śarīre somya sa puruṣo yasminn etāḥ ṣoḍaśa kalāḥ prabhavantīti

He replied: "Friend, that person is here within the body, he in whom these sixteen parts arise.

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.3

sa īkṣāṃ cakre | kasminn aham utkrānta utkrānto bhaviṣyāmi kasmin vā pratiṣṭhite pratiṣṭhāsyāmīti

He reflected: What is it by whose departure I shall depart, and by whose staying I shall stay?

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.4

sa prāṇamasṛjata | prāṇāc chadvāṃ khaṃ vāyur jyotir āpaḥ pṛthivīndriyaṃ mano 'nnam annād vīryaṃ tapo mantrāḥ karma lokā lokeṣu nāma ca

He sent forth (created) Prâna (spirit); from Prâna Sraddhâ (faith), ether, air, light, water, earth, sense, mind, food; from food came vigour, penance, hymns, sacrifice, the worlds, and in the worlds the name also.

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.5

sa yathemā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudrāyaṇāḥ samudraṃ prāpyāstaṃ gacchanti | bhidyete tāsāṃ nāmarūpe | samudra ity evaṃ procyate | evam evāsya paridraṣṭur imāḥ ṣoḍaśa kalāḥ puruṣāyaṇāḥ puruṣaṃ prāpyāstaṃ gacchanti | bhidyete cāsāṃ nāmarūpe | puruṣa ity evaṃ procyate | sa eṣo 'kalo 'mṛto bhavati tadeṣa ślokaḥ

As these flowing rivers that go towards the ocean, when they have reached the ocean, sink into it, their name and form are broken, and people speak of the ocean only, exactly thus these sixteen parts of the spectator that go towards the person (purusha), when they have reached the person, sink into him, their name and form are broken, and people speak of the person only, and he becomes without parts and immortal. On this there is this verse:

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.6

arā iva rathanābhau kalā yasmin pratiṣṭhitāḥ / taṃ vedyaṃ puruṣaṃ veda yathā mā vo mṛtyuḥ parivyathā iti

That person who is to be known, he in whom these parts rest, like spokes in the nave of a wheel, you know him, lest death should hurt you."

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.7

tān hovāca | etāvad evāham etat paraṃ brahma veda | nātaḥ param astīti

Then he (Pippalâda) said to them: "So far do I know this Highest Brahman, there is nothing higher than it."

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)

PrUp 6.8

te tam arcayantas tvaṃ hi naḥ pitā yo 'smākam avidyāyāḥ paraṃ pāraṃ tārayasīti namaḥ | paramaṛṣibhyo namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ

And they praising him, said: "You, indeed, are our father, you who carry us from our ignorance to the other shore." Adoration to the highest Rishis! Adoration to the highest Rishis! Tat sat. Harih, Om!

— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)