Chandogya Upanishad (with commentary) · Chapter 5.1

ChUpBh_4,17.10 mānavo bhrahmā maunācaraṇānmananādvā jñāvanattvāttato brahmaivaikartvikkurūnkartṝn /
yoddhṝnārūḍhānaśvā vaḍavā yathābhirakṣatyevaṃviddha vai brahmā yajñaṃ yajamānaṃ sarvāṃścartvijo 'bhirakṣati tatkṛtadoṣāpanayanāt /
yata evaṃviśiṣṭo brahmā vidvāṃstasmādevaṃvidameva yathoktavyāhṛtyādividaṃ brahmāṇaṃ kurvīta nānevaṃvidaṃ kadācaneti /
dvirabhyāso 'dhyāyaparisamāptyarthaḥ //10 //
iti cchāndogyopaniṣadi caturthādhyāyasya saptadaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ
iti śrīmadgovindabhagavatpūjyapādaśiṣyaparamahaṃsapar ivrājakācāryaśrīmacchaṅkarabhagavatpādakṛtau cchāndogyopaniṣadvivaraṇe caturtho 'dhyāyaḥ
atha pañcamo 'dhyāyaḥ
START ChUp 5,1.1
yo ha vai jyeṣṭhaṃ ca śreṣṭhaṃ ca veda jyeṣṭhaś ca ha vai śreṣṭhaś ca bhavati |
prāṇo vāva jyeṣṭhaś ca śreṣṭhaś ca

ChUpBh_5,1.1
saguṇa brahmavidyāyā uttarā gatiruktā /
athedānīṃ pañcame 'dhyāye pañcāgnivido gṛhasthasyordhvaretasāṃ ca śraddhālūnāṃ vidyāntaraśīlināṃ tāmeva gatimanūdyānyā dakṣiṇadiksambandhinī kevalakarmiṇāṃ dhūmādilakṣaṇā punarāvṛttirūpā tṛtīyā ca tataḥ kaṣṭatarā saṃsāragatirvairāgyahetorvaktavyetyārabhyate /
prāṇaḥ śreṣṭho vāgādibhyaḥ prāṇo vāva saṃvarga ityādi ca bahuśo 'tīte granthe prāṇagrahaṇaṃ kṛtam /
sa kathaṃ śreṣṭho vāgādiṣu sarvaiḥ saṃhatyakāritvāviśeṣe?kathaṃ ca tasyopāsanamiti tasya śreṣṭhatvādiguṇavidhitsayedamanantaramārabhyate-yo ha vai kaścijjyeṣṭhaṃ ca prathamaṃ vayasā vāva jyeṣṭhaśca vayasā vāgādibhyaḥ /
garbhasthe hi puruṣe prāṇasya vṛttirvāgādibhyaḥ pūrvaṃ labdhātmikā bhavati yayā garbho vivardhate cakṣurādisthānāvayavaniṣpattau satyāṃ paścādvāgādīnāṃ vṛttilābha iti prāṇo jyeṣṭho vayasā bhavati /
śreṣṭhatvaṃ tu pratipādayiṣyati suhaya ityādinidarśanena /
ataḥ prāṇa eva jyeṣṭhaśca śreṣṭhaścāsminkāryakaraṇasaṅghāte //1 //
START ChUp 5,1.2
yo ha vai vasiṣṭhaṃ veda vasiṣṭho ha svānāṃ bhavati |
vāg vāva vasiṣṭhaḥ

ChUpBh_5,1.2 yo ha vai vasiṣṭhaṃ vasitṛtamamācchādayitṛtamaṃ vasumattamaṃ vā yo veda sa tathaiva vasiṣṭho ha bhavati svānāṃ jñātīnām /
kastarhi vasiṣṭha ityāha /
vāgvāva vasiṣṭho vāgmino hi puruṣā vasantyabhibhavantyanyānvasumattamāścāto vāgvasiṣṭhaḥ //2 //
START ChUp 5,1.3
yo ha vai pratiṣṭhāṃ veda prati ha tiṣṭhaty asmiṃś ca loke 'muṣmiṃś ca |
cakṣur vāva pratiṣṭhā

ChUpBh_5,1.3 yo ha vai pratiṣṭhāṃ veda sa cāsmiṃlloke 'muṣmiṃśca pare pratitiṣṭhati ha /
kā tarhi pratiṣṭhetyāha-cakṣurvāva pratiṣṭhā /
cakṣuṣā hi paśyansame ca durge ca pratitiṣṭhati yasmādataḥ pratiṣṭhā cakṣuḥ //3 //
START ChUp 5,1.4
yo ha vai saṃpadaṃ veda saṃ hāsmai kāmāḥ padyante daivāś ca mānuṣāś ca |
śrotraṃ vāva saṃpat

ChUpBh_5,1.4 yo ha vai sampadaṃ veda tasmā asmai daivāśca mānuṣāśca kāmāḥ sampadyante ha /
kā tarhi sampadityāha-śrotraṃ vāva sampat /
yasmācchrotreṇa vedā gṛhyante tadarthavijñānaṃ ca tataḥ karmāṇi kriyante tataḥ kāmasampadityevaṃ kāmasampaddhetutvācchrotraṃ vāva saṃpat //4 //
START ChUp 5,1.5
yo ha vā āyatanaṃ vedāyatanaṃ ha svānāṃ bhavati |
mano ha vā āyatanam

ChUpBh_5,1.5 yo ha vā āyatanaṃ vedā'yatanaṃ ha svānāṃ bhavatyāśrayo bhavatītyarthaḥ /
kiṃ tadāyatanamityāha-mano ha vā āyatanam /
indriyopahṛtānāṃ viṣayāṇāṃ bhoktrarthānāṃ pratyayarūpāmāṃ mana āyatanamāśrayaḥ /
ato mano ha vā āyatanamityuktam //5 //
START ChUp 5,1.6
atha ha prāṇā ahaṃśreyasi vyūdire |
ahaṃ śreyān asmy ahaṃ śreyān asmīti

ChUpBh_5,1.6 atha ha prāṇā evaṃ yathoktaguṇāḥ santo 'haṃśreyasyahaṃ śreyānasmyahaṃ śreyānasmītyetasminprayojane vyūdire nānā viruddhaṃ codira uktavantaḥ //6 //
START ChUp 5,1.7
te ha prāṇāḥ prajāpatiṃ pitaram etyocuḥ bhagavan ko naḥ śreṣṭha iti |
tān hovāca |
yasmin va utkrānte śarīraṃ pāpiṣṭhataram iva dṛśyeta sa vaḥ śreṣṭha iti

ChUpBh_5,1.7 te ha - tai haivaṃ vivadamānā ātmanaḥ śreṣṭhatvavijñānāya prajāpatiṃ pitaraṃ janayitāraṃ kañcidetyocuruktavanto he bhagavanko no 'smākaṃ madhye śreṣṭho 'bhyadhiko guṇairityevaṃ pṛṣṭavantaḥ /
tānpitovāca ha yasminvo yuṣmākaṃ madhye utkrānte śarīramidaṃ pāpiṣṭhamivātiśayena jīvato 'pi, samutkrāntaprāṇaṃ tato 'pi pāpiṣṭhataramivātiśayena dṛṣyate kuṇapamaspṛśyamaśuci dṛśyeta sa vo yuṣmākaṃ śreṣṭha ityavocatkākvā tadduḥkhaṃ parijihīrṣuḥ //7 //
START ChUp 5,1.8-11
sā ha vāg uccakrāma |
sā saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca |
katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |
yathā kalā avadantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena paśyantaś cakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivam iti |
praviveśa ha vāk

cakṣur hoccakrāma |
tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca |
katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |
yathāndhā apaśyantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivam iti |
praviveśa ha cakṣuḥ

śrotraṃ hoccakrāma |
tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |
yathā badhirā aśṛṇvantaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā paśyantaś cakṣuṣā dhyāyanto manasaivam iti |
praviveśa ha śrotram

mano hoccakrāma |
tat saṃvatsaraṃ proṣya paryetyovāca |
katham aśakatarte maj jīvitum iti |
yathā bālā amanasaḥ prāṇantaḥ prāṇena vadanto vācā paśyantaś cakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇaivam iti |
praviveśa ha manaḥ

ChUpBh_5,1.8,9,10,11 tathokteṣu pitrā prāṇeṣu sā ha vāguccakrāmotkrāntavatī /
sā cotkramya saṃvatsaramātraṃ proṣya svavyāpārānnivṛttā satī punaḥ paryetyetarānprāṇānuvāca kathaṃ kena prakāreṇāśakata śaktavanto yūyaṃ madṛte māṃ vinā jīvituṃ dhārayitumātmānamiti te hocuryathākalā ityādi /
akalā mūkā yathā loke 'vadanto vācā jīvanti /
katham?prāṇantaḥ prāṇena paśyantaścakṣuṣā śṛṇvantaḥ śrotreṇa dhyāyanto manasaivaṃ sarvakaraṇaceṣṭāṃ kurvanta ityarthaḥ /
evaṃ vayamajīviṣmetyarthaḥ /
ātmano 'śreṣṭhatāṃ prāṇeṣu buddhvā praviveśa ha vākpunaḥ svavyāpāre pravṛttā babhūvetyarthaḥ /
samānamanyaccakṣurheccakrāma śrotraṃ hoccakrāma mano hoccakrāmetyādi /
yathā bālā amanaso 'prarūḍhamanasa ityarthaḥ // 8-11 //
START ChUp 5,1.12
atha ha prāṇa uccikramiṣan sa yathā suhayaḥ paḍvīśaśaṅkūn saṃkhided evam itarān prāṇān samakhidat |
taṃ hābhisametyocuḥ |
bhagavann edhi |
tvaṃ naḥ śreṣṭho 'si |
motkramīr iti

ChUpBh_5,1.12 evaṃ parīkṣiteṣu vāgādiṣvathānantaraṃ ha sa mukhyaḥ prāṇa uccikramiṣannutkramitumicchankimakarodityucyate /
yathā loke suhayaḥ śobhano 'śvaḥ paḍvīśaśaṅkūnpādabandhanakīlānparīkṣaṇāyā'rūḍhena kaśyāhataḥ sansaṅkhidetsamutkhanet samutpāṭayet, evamitarānvāgādīnprāṇānsamakhidatsamuddhṛtavān /
te prāṇāḥ sañcālitāḥ santaḥ svasthāne sthātumanutsahamānā abhisametya mukhyaṃ prāṇaṃ tamūcurheṃ bhagavannedhi bhava naḥ svāmī yasmāttvaṃ no 'smākaṃ śreṣṭho 'si mā cāsmāddehādutkramīriti //12 //
START ChUp 5,1.13-14
atha hainaṃ vāg uvāca |
yad ahaṃ vasiṣṭho 'smi tvaṃ tadvasiṣṭho 'sīti |
atha hainaṃ cakṣur uvāca |
yad ahaṃ pratiṣṭhāsmi tvaṃ tatpratiṣṭhāsīti

atha hainaṃ śrotram uvāca |
yad ahaṃ saṃpad asmi tvaṃ tatsaṃpad asīti |
atha hainaṃ mana uvāca |
yad aham āyatanam asmi tvaṃ tadāyatanam asīti

ChUpBh_5,1.13,14 atha hainaṃ vāgādayaḥ prāṇasya śreṣṭhatvaṃ kāryeṇā'pādayanta āhurbalimiva haranto rājñe viśaḥ /
kathaṃ, vāk tāvaduvāca yadahaṃ vasiṣṭho 'smi /
yaditi kriyāviśeṣaṇaṃ yadvasiṣṭhatvaguṇāsmītyarthaḥ /
tvaṃ tadvasiṣṭhastena vasiṣṭhatvaguṇo 'jñānānmameti mayābhimata ityetat /
tathottareṣu yojyaṃ cakṣuḥśrotramanaḥsu // 13-14 //
START ChUp 5,1.15
na vai vāco na cakṣūṃṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṃsīty ācakṣate |
prāṇā ity evācakṣate |
prāṇo hy evaitāni sarvāṇi bhavati