Khandogya Upanishad. Vii, 1
*
"The Upanishads, Part 1 (sbe01)\", by Max Mller, [1879],
Seventh Prap\"TH"Aka.
First Kha\"N"D"A.
1. Nrada approached Sanatkumra and said, 'Teach me, Sir!' Sanatkumra said to him: 'Please to tell me what you know; afterward I shall tell you what is beyond.'
2. Nrada said: 'I know the Rig-veda, Sir, the Ya"g"ur-veda, the Sma-veda, as the fourth the tharva"n"a, as the fifth the Itihsa-pur"n"a (the Bhrata); the Veda of the Vedas (grammar); the Pitrya (the rules for the sacrifices for the ancestors); the R"s"i (the science of numbers); the Daiva (the science of portents); the Nidhi (the science of time); the Vkovkya (logic); the Ekyana (ethics); the Deva-vidy (etymology); the Brahma-vidy (pronunciation, "s"iksh, ceremonial, kalpa, prosody, "kh"andas); the Bhta-vidy (the science of demons); the Kshatra-vidy
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[paragraph continues] (the science of weapons); the Nakshatra-vidy (astronomy); the Sarpa and Deva"g"ana-vidy (the science of serpents or poisons, and the sciences of the genii, such as the making of perfumes, dancing, singing, playing, and other fine arts) 1. All this I know, Sir.
3. 'But, Sir, with all this I know the Mantras only, the sacred books, I do not know the Self. I have heard from men like you, that he who knows the Self overcomes grief. I am in grief. Do, Sir, help me over this grief of mine.'
Sanatkumra, said to him: 'Whatever you have read, is only a name.
4. 'A name is the Rig-veda, Ya"g"ur-veda, Sma-veda, and as the fourth the tharvana, as the fifth the Itihsa-pur"n"a, the Veda of the Vedas, the Pitrya, the R"s"i, the Daiva, the Nidhi, the Vkovkya, the Ekyana, the Deva-vidy, the Brahma-vidy, the Bhta-vidy, the Kshatra-vidy, the Nakshatra-vidy, the Sarpa and Devagana-vidy. All these are a name only. Meditate on the name.
5. 'He who meditates on the name as Brahman 2,
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is, as it were, lord and master as far as the name reaches-he who meditates on the name as Brahman.'
'Sir, is there something better than a name?'
'Yes, there is something better than a name.'
'Sir, tell it me.'
Footnotes
110:1 This passage, exhibiting the sacred literature as known at the time, should be compared with the B"ri"hadra"n"yaka, Ii, 4, 10. The explanation of the old titles rests on the authority of "S"akara, and he is not always consistent. See Colebrooke, Miscellaneous Essays, 1873, 11, p. 10.
110:2 Why a man who knows the Veda should not know the Self, while in other places it is said that the Veda teaches the Self, is well illustrated by the commentary. If a royal procession approaches, he says, then, though. we do not see the king, because he is hidden by flags, parasols, &c., yet we say, there is the king. And if we ask who is the king, then again, though we cannot see him and point him out, we can say, at least, that he is different from all that is seen. The Self is hidden in the Veda as a king is hidden in a royal procession.
"The Upanishads, Part 1 (sbe01)\", by Max Mller, [1879],
Seventh Prap\"TH"Aka.
First Kha\"N"D"A.
1. Nrada approached Sanatkumra and said, 'Teach me, Sir!' Sanatkumra said to him: 'Please to tell me what you know; afterward I shall tell you what is beyond.'
2. Nrada said: 'I know the Rig-veda, Sir, the Ya"g"ur-veda, the Sma-veda, as the fourth the tharva"n"a, as the fifth the Itihsa-pur"n"a (the Bhrata); the Veda of the Vedas (grammar); the Pitrya (the rules for the sacrifices for the ancestors); the R"s"i (the science of numbers); the Daiva (the science of portents); the Nidhi (the science of time); the Vkovkya (logic); the Ekyana (ethics); the Deva-vidy (etymology); the Brahma-vidy (pronunciation, "s"iksh, ceremonial, kalpa, prosody, "kh"andas); the Bhta-vidy (the science of demons); the Kshatra-vidy
p. 110
[paragraph continues] (the science of weapons); the Nakshatra-vidy (astronomy); the Sarpa and Deva"g"ana-vidy (the science of serpents or poisons, and the sciences of the genii, such as the making of perfumes, dancing, singing, playing, and other fine arts) 1. All this I know, Sir.
3. 'But, Sir, with all this I know the Mantras only, the sacred books, I do not know the Self. I have heard from men like you, that he who knows the Self overcomes grief. I am in grief. Do, Sir, help me over this grief of mine.'
Sanatkumra, said to him: 'Whatever you have read, is only a name.
4. 'A name is the Rig-veda, Ya"g"ur-veda, Sma-veda, and as the fourth the tharvana, as the fifth the Itihsa-pur"n"a, the Veda of the Vedas, the Pitrya, the R"s"i, the Daiva, the Nidhi, the Vkovkya, the Ekyana, the Deva-vidy, the Brahma-vidy, the Bhta-vidy, the Kshatra-vidy, the Nakshatra-vidy, the Sarpa and Devagana-vidy. All these are a name only. Meditate on the name.
5. 'He who meditates on the name as Brahman 2,
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is, as it were, lord and master as far as the name reaches-he who meditates on the name as Brahman.'
'Sir, is there something better than a name?'
'Yes, there is something better than a name.'
'Sir, tell it me.'
Footnotes
110:1 This passage, exhibiting the sacred literature as known at the time, should be compared with the B"ri"hadra"n"yaka, Ii, 4, 10. The explanation of the old titles rests on the authority of "S"akara, and he is not always consistent. See Colebrooke, Miscellaneous Essays, 1873, 11, p. 10.
110:2 Why a man who knows the Veda should not know the Self, while in other places it is said that the Veda teaches the Self, is well illustrated by the commentary. If a royal procession approaches, he says, then, though. we do not see the king, because he is hidden by flags, parasols, &c., yet we say, there is the king. And if we ask who is the king, then again, though we cannot see him and point him out, we can say, at least, that he is different from all that is seen. The Self is hidden in the Veda as a king is hidden in a royal procession.
