Light

There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars; these lightnings do not shine—how then this fire? When he shines, everything shines after him; by his light all this shines.

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥ १०॥

In the supreme golden sheath is Brahman, stainless, without parts; it is pure, the light of lights—that which the knowers of the Self know.

हिरण्मये परे कोशे विरजं ब्रह्म निष्कलम् । तच्छुभ्रं ज्योतिषां ज्योतिस्तद्यदात्मविदो विदुः ॥ ९॥

'The wind is bodiless; and clouds, lightning, and thunder are bodiless. Now just as these, rising up out of the space above and reaching the highest light, appear each in its own form,'

अशरीरो वायुरभ्रं विद्युत्स्तनयित्नुरशरीराण्येतानि तद्यथैतान्यमुष्मादाकाशात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरुपसम्पद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यन्ते

Now this serene one (samprasada), rising up out of this body and reaching the highest light, appears in his own true form. This is the Self, he said; this is the immortal, the fearless; this is Brahman. And the name of this Brahman is the Real (satyam).

अथ य एष सम्प्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरुपसम्पद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यत एष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति तस्य ह वा एतस्य ब्रह्मणो नाम सत्यमिति

Therefore, on crossing this dike, one who is blind ceases to be blind, one who is wounded ceases to be wounded, one who is afflicted ceases to be afflicted. Therefore, on crossing this dike, even the night appears as day, for this world of Brahman is lit up once and for all.

तस्माद्वा एतꣳ सेतुं तीर्त्वान्धः सन्ननन्धो भवति विद्धः सन्नविद्धो भवत्युपतापी सन्ननुपतापी भवति तस्माद्वा एतꣳ सेतुं तीर्त्वापि नक्तमहरेवाभिनिष्पद्यते सकृद्विभातो ह्येवैष ब्रह्मलोकः

Whoever knows this and meditates on this four-part foot of Brahman as the Luminous becomes luminous in this world; luminous worlds he wins, whoever knows this and meditates on this four-part foot of Brahman as the Luminous.

स य एतमेवं विद्वाꣳश्चतुष्कलं पादं ब्रह्मणो ज्योतिष्मानित्युपास्ते ज्योतिष्मानस्मिꣳल्लोके भवति ज्योतिष्मतो ह लोकाञ्जयति य एतमेवं विद्वाꣳश्चतुष्कलं पादं ब्रह्मणो ज्योतिष्मानित्युपास्ते

Whoever knows this and meditates on this four-part foot of Brahman as the Radiant becomes radiant in this world; radiant worlds he wins, whoever knows this and meditates on this four-part foot of Brahman as the Radiant.

स य एतमेवं विद्वाꣳश्चतुष्कलं पादं ब्रह्मणः प्रकाशवानित्युपास्ते प्रकाशवानस्मिꣳल्लोके भवति प्रकाशवतो ह लोकाञ्जयति य एतमेवं विद्वाꣳश्चतुष्कलं पादं ब्रह्मणः प्रकाशवानित्युपास्ते

He who dwells in light, yet is within light, whom light does not know, whose body light is, who controls light from within—he is your Self, the inner controller, the immortal. This is with reference to the deities. Now with reference to beings.

यस्तेजसि तिष्ठꣳस्तेजसोऽन्तरो यं तेजो न वेद यस्य तेजः शरीरं यस्तेजोऽन्तरो यमयत्य्स एष त आत्माऽन्तर्याम्यमृत इत्यधिदैवतं अथाधिभूतम् ॥ १४॥

'in the same way this serene one (samprasada), rising up out of this body and reaching the highest light, appears in his own form. He is the supreme person. There he moves about, laughing, playing, and enjoying himself with women, chariots, or relatives, without remembering this appendage of a body. Just as a draft animal is yoked to a cart, so is the breath yoked to this body.'

एवमेवैष सम्प्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरुपसम्पद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते स उत्तमपुरुषः स तत्र पर्येति जक्षत्क्रीडन्रममाणः स्त्रीभिर्वा यानैर्वा ज्ञातिभिर्वा नोपजनꣳ स्मरन्निदꣳ शरीरꣳ स यथा प्रयोग्य आचरणे युक्त एवमेवायमस्मिञ्छरीरे प्राणो युक्तः

So when a person is asleep, wholly at peace, and dreams no dream, then he has entered into these channels; no evil touches him then, for he has become filled with light.

तद्यत्रैतत्सुप्तः समस्त्ः सम्प्रसन्नः स्वप्नं न विजानात्यासु तदा नाडीषु सृप्तो भवति तं न कश्चन पाप्मा स्पृशति तेजसा हि तदा सम्पन्नो भवति

Just as a great highway runs to both villages, this one and that one, so the rays of the sun run to both worlds, this one and that one. They stretch out from that sun and enter into these channels; from these channels they stretch out and enter into that sun.

तद्यथा महापथ आतत उभौ ग्रामौ गच्छतीमं चामुं चैवमेवैता आदित्यस्य रश्मय उभौ लोकौ गच्छन्तीमं चामुं चामुष्मादादित्यात्प्रतायन्ते ता आसु नाडीषु सृप्ता आभ्यो नाडीभ्यः प्रतायन्ते तेऽमुष्मिन्नादित्ये सृप्ताः

'One who meditates on space as Brahman attains spacious, luminous, unconfined, and far-extending worlds, and can move about at will as far as space reaches — such is the reward of one who meditates on space as Brahman.' 'Sir, is there anything greater than space?' 'There is indeed something greater than space.' 'Then please tell it to me, sir.'

स य आकाशं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्त आकाशवतो वै स लोकान्प्रकाशवतोऽसंबाधानुरुगायवतोऽभिसिध्यति यावदाकाशस्य गतं तत्रास्य यथाकामचारो भवति य आकाशं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्तेऽस्ति भगव आकाशाद्भूय इति आकाशाद्वाव भूयोऽस्तीति तन्मे भगवान्ब्रवीत्विति

'One who meditates on heat as Brahman becomes radiant himself and attains radiant, shining worlds free from darkness, and can move about at will as far as heat reaches — such is the reward of one who meditates on heat as Brahman.' 'Sir, is there anything greater than heat?' 'There is indeed something greater than heat.' 'Then please tell it to me, sir.'

स यस्तेजो ब्रह्मेत्युपास्ते तेजस्वी वै स तेजस्वतो लोकान्भास्वतोऽपहततमस्कानभिसिध्यति यावत्तेजसो गतं तत्रास्य यथाकामचारो भवति यस्तेजो ब्रह्मेत्युपास्तेऽस्ति भगवस्तेजसो भूय इति तेजसो वाव भूयोऽस्तीति तन्मे भगवान्ब्रवीत्विति

"My dear, let me tell you a foot of Brahman." "Tell me, sir." He said to him: "Fire is a part, the sun a part, the moon a part, lightning a part. This, my dear, is the four-part foot of Brahman, named the Luminous."

ब्रह्मणः सोम्य ते पादं ब्रवाणीति ब्रवीतु मे भगवानिति तस्मै होवाचाग्निः कला सूर्यः कला चन्द्रः कला विद्युत्कलैष वै सोम्य चतुष्कलः पादो ब्रह्मणो ज्योतिष्मान्नाम

And let me tell you one foot of Brahman." "Tell me, sir." He said to him: "The eastern quarter is a part, the western quarter a part, the southern quarter a part, the northern quarter a part. This, my dear, is the four-part foot of Brahman, named the Radiant."

ब्रह्मणश्च ते पादं ब्रवाणीति ब्रवीतु मे भगवानिति तस्मै होवाच प्राची दिक्कला प्रतीची दिक्कला दक्षिणा दिक्कलोदीची दिक्कलैष वै सोम्य चतुष्कलः पादो ब्रह्मणः प्रकाशवान्नाम

'When the sun has set, Yajnavalkya, and the moon has set, and the fire has gone out, and speech has fallen silent, what light does a person have?' — 'The Self becomes his light; by the light of the Self he sits, moves about, does his work, and returns.'

अस्तमित आदित्ये याज्ञवल्क्य चन्द्रमस्यस्तमिते शान्तेऽग्नौ शान्तायां वाचि किञ्ज्योतिरेवायं पुरुष इत्यात्मैवास्य ज्योतिर्भवत्यात्मनैवायं ज्योतिषाऽऽस्ते पल्ययते कर्म कुरुते विपल्येतीति ॥ ६॥