Upanishads

Pranagnihotra Upanishad

Krishnaya Jurveda
a group of Upanishads - pure Vedanta

Om! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work together with great energy,
May we study vigorously and effectively;
May we not quarrel with each other (or hate anyone).
Om! Let there be Peace in me!
Let there be Peace in my surroundings!
Let there be Peace in the forces that act upon me!

1. Now, therefore, we shall expound the 'hymn of food' which is beyond all empirical knowledge, the essence of all the Upanishads, concerning the sacrifice in the body by which the embodied man is liberated from the transmigratory life without Agnihotra and the knowledge of Sankhya.

2. According to due procedure, having placed the (cooked) rice on the ground, one recites three verses beginning with 'Ya osadhaya ....' and two beginning with 'annapate ...'.

3. O many plants of hundreds of forms and species, governed by Soma, praying, prompted by Brihaspati, you deliver us from calamities.

4. Fruitful plants and barren, which have flowers and colourless, prompted by Brihaspati, you deliver us from calamities.

5. Let me not bind for you the plants that live and impart (to others) life, which are free from maleficence; let them make the evil spirits fight from him who offers them (the oblation).

6. Lord of food! Give us food that is pure and rich in energy; help the giver of food to overcome (the dangers of life). Endow us, two-legged and four-legged, with strength.

7. Let the food (that we eat) be fire; (though) she is inimical to the Rudras and evil spirits and may she be conducive to generations of descendants. May the mighty (Lord) cleanse her of all seeds of fear and make her auspicious. Glory to the mighty Lord.

8. Seeing all that you move in hidden (places). You are the victim; you are Brahma, Rudra, Vishnu. You are the sacred syllable Vasat, light, taste, the immortal Brahman, the earth, the middle region and the firmament. OM Salutation.

9. May the waters purify the earth; may the purified earth purify me. May (the waters) purify the master of the Veda; may the sacred Vedic essence purify me. Whatever remains as unfit for use or any act of mine is sinful, all that may the waters purify; also the gifts (accepted from) the unrighteous. Salutations!

10. You are ambrosia; ambrosia (base). You are ambrosia in relation to the life-breath; worthy of the sacred offering, the final blessing. OM, salutations to Prana. OM, salutations to Apana. OM, salutations to Vyana. OM, salutations to Udana. OM, salutations to Samana. OM, salutations to Brahman. OM, may I be in Brahman for attaining immortality.

11. The offering to Prana is made with the little finger and the thumb. With the ring finger and thumb the offering is made to Apana. With the middle finger and thumb the offering is made to Vyana, with all the fingers the offering is made to Udana, and with the index finger and thumb the offering is made to Samana.

12. Silently one offering is made to one Rik; two in Ahavaniya; one in the Dakshina fire; one in Garhapatya and one in fire for all the atoning rites.

13. Then, "You are the lid for immortality" - for gaining immortality. After drinking, one should take another sip and touch again.

14. Taking water in the right palm and holding it at the heart, one should chant: Prana is fire; it is the Supreme Self surrounded by the five vital breaths. Fearlessness to all living beings! Fear never dwells in me

15. You (Prana) are Vishwa and Vaishvanara; by you the manifold world is supported, manifesting. Where you are, immortal Brahma, there all offerings (are made).

16. This great and new Spirit (is established) on the tips of the big toes. I pour water around it at the end (of the ceremonial meal) for gaining immortality.

17. Let this external Self meditate on certain actions - thus are the offerings made in the fire. Let (the performer) be a son to all. The ritual offerings are sanctified in the fire.

18. I will perform the sacrifice in my body. There are four fires, not the lower ones, corresponding to the four parts of OM with a half-syllable.

19. There is no solar fire, having the form of the solar disk, enveloped in a thousand rays, residing in the crown as the solar seer. The (above) mentioned fire of vision with its four forms, becoming Ahanya, is in the mouth. The bodily fire consumes the oblations that destroy old age. Having become Dakshinagni, having the form of a crescent, it is in the heart. Then there is the gastric fire, which, having become Garhapatya, is in the navel, consuming what is eaten, drunk, licked and sucked.

20. Below are the three horizontal states of mind – the moon, the Lord and the source of generation.

21. In this bodily sacrifice, not adorned with a girdle round the sacrificial post, who is the sacrificer? Who is his wife? Who are the officiating priests? Who are the attendants? What are the sacrificial vessels? What are the oblations? Where is the altar? Where is the inner part of the altar? Where is the wooden vessel (for the Soma juice)? Where is the chariot? Where is the sacrificial animal? Who is the officiating priest? Who is the incantatory priest? Who is the assistant of the high priest? Who is the assistant of the Adhvaryu? Who is the first singer? Who is the assistant of Hotir? Who sings the Sama songs aloud? What is the libation (Agni)? Who is the assistant of the priest of Brahma? What is the Darbha grass? Where is the ladle? Where is the ghee vessel? What are the two ghee offerings? What are the two portions of ghee? What are the preliminary oblations? What are the final oblations? What is the Ida (between two) libation? What is recitation? What is the Samyorvaka formula? What are the four Ajya offerings? What is the sacrificial pillar? What is the thread? What are the Ishti (offerings of butter, fruits, etc.)? What is the sacrificial fee? What is the ritual bath after the sacrifice?

22. In a bodily sacrifice, not adorned with a cord around the sacrificial pillar, the sacrificer is the self; (his) wife is the intellect. The great priests are the Vedas. The ego is the Adhvaryu. The mental substance is the invoking priest. Prana is the assistant of the chief priest; Apana is the assistant of the Adhvaryu. Vyana is the first singer. Udana is the loud singer of Sama. Samana is the assistant of Hotir. The body is the altar. The nose is the inside of the altar. The comb is a wooden container. The leg is the chariot. The right hand is a ladle. The left hand is a ghee container. The ears are two ghee offerings. The eyes are two portions of ghee. The neck is a libation. The Tanmatras are the assistants of the priest of Brahma. The great elements are the attendants. The gunas are the additional offerings. The tongue is the last sacrifices. The teeth and lips are the middle libation. The palate is the recitation of the hymn. Memory is the Samyorvaka formula. Compassion, patience, non-violence are the four Ajya offerings (Soma, etc.). Om is the sacrificial pillar. Desire is the thread. The mind is the chariot. Lust is the sacrificial animal. The hair is the Darbha grass. The sense organs are the sacrificial vessels. The organs of action are the offerings. Non-violence is Ishti. Renunciation is the sacrificial fee. After death, (follows) the bath after the sacrifice. In this body are all the deities.

23. (Or) a man dies in Benares (or) a Brahmin who reads this (Upanishad) attains liberation in one life: This is the secret teaching.

Om! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work together with great energy,
May we study vigorously and efficiently;
May we not quarrel with each other (or hate anyone).
Om! May there be Peace in me!
May there be Peace in my surroundings!
May there be Peace in the forces that act upon me!

Thus ends the Pranagnihotropanishad, which is part of the Krishnayajurveda.