V-iv-1: The world yonder is indeed the fire, O Gautama. Of that, the sun is the fuel, the rays are the smoke, the day is the flame, the moon is the embers, and the stars are the sparks.
V-iv-2: Into this fire the deities offer the oblation of faith. Out of that oblation King Soma arises.
V-v-1: Parjanya is indeed the fire, O Gautama. Of that, the air is the fuel, the cloud is the smoke, the lightning is the flame, the thunderbolt is the embers, and the rumblings of thunder are the sparks.
V-v-2: Into this fire the deities offer the oblation of King Soma. Out of that oblation rain arises.
V-vi-1: The earth indeed is the fire, O Gautama. Of that, the year, is the fuel, Akasa is the smgke, night is the flame, the directions are the embers, and the intermediate directions are the sparks.
V-vi-2: Into this fire the deities offer the oblation of rain. Out of that oblation food (in the shape of corn) arises.
V-vii-1: Man indeed is the fire, O Gautama. Of that, speech is the fuel, Prana is the smoke, the tongue is the flame, the eye is the embers, and the ear is the sparks.
V-vii-2: Into this fire the deities offer the oblation of food. Out of that oblation the seed arises.
V-viii-1-2: Woman indeed is the fire, O Gautama. Into this fire the deities offer the oblation of the seed. Out of that oblation the foetus arises.
V-ix-1: Thus at the fifth oblation, (the oblation called) water comes to be designated as man. That foetus, covered with membrane, lies for nine or ten months, and is then born.
V-ix-2: Being born, he lives whatever the length of his life may be. When he is dead (to attain the world) as ordained, they carry him from here (for cremation) to fire itself from which alone he came and from which he arose.
V-x-1-2: Among them, those who know thus (this knowledge of the five fires) and those who are devoted to faith and austerity in the forest – they go to light; from light to the day, from the day to the bright fortnight, from the bright fortnight to those six months during which the sun travels northward; from the months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon and from the moon to the lightning. (From the region of Brahman) a person, who is other than human, (comes and) causes them, existing there, to attain Brahman. This is the path of the gods.
V-x-3: But those who living in villages (as householders) practise sacrifices and works of public utility and gift, go to smoke, from smoke to night, from night to the dark fortnight, from the dark fortnight to those months during which the sun travels southward. From there they do not reach the year (like those going the path of the gods).
V-x-4: From the months, (they go) to the region of the fathers, from the region of the fathers to Akasa, from Akasa to the moon. This (i.e. this moon) is King Soma (the king of the Brahmanas). This is the food of the deities. This the deities eat.
V-x-5: Residing in that (region of the moon) till they have exhausted (the results of action) they then return again the same way as they came (by the path that is being mentioned). They come to Akasa, and from Akasa to air. Having become air, they become smoke. Having become smoke they become the white cloud.
V-x-6: Having become the white cloud, they become the (rain-bearing) cloud. Having become the cloud they fall as rain. Then they are born in this world as rice and barley, herbs and trees, sesamum plants and beans. But the release from these is more difficult, for whoever eats the food and sows the seed, they become like him only.
V-x-7: Among them, those who have good residual results of action here (earned in this world and left as residue after the enjoyment in the region of the moon), quickly reach a good womb, the womb of a Brahmana, or of a Kshatriya or of a Vaisya. But those who have bad residual results of action quickly reach an evil womb, the womb of a dog or of a hog or of a Chandala.
V-x-8: Then, by neither of these two paths, do they go. They, as small creatures, keep repeatedly revolving, subject to the saying ‘Be born and die’. This is the third state. Therefore that region (of the moon) is never filled up. Hence one should be disgusted (with this state). There is this verse about it.
V-x-9: One who steals gold, one who drinks wine, one who dishonours the teacher’s bed, and one who injures a Brahmana – all these four fall, as also the fifth one who associates with them.
V-x-10: Moreover, he who knows (worships) these five fires thus, even though he associates with those sinners, is not tainted by sin. He who knows these thus becomes cleansed and pure and obtains the meritorious world – yea, he who knows thus.
V-xi-1: Pracinasala the son of Upamanyu, Satyayajna the son of Pulusa, Indradyumna the son of Bhallavi, Jana the son of Sarkaraksa, and Budila the son of Asvatarasva – these five great householders and great Vedic scholars, having come together, held a discussion on ‘What is our Atman ? What is Brahman ?’
V-xi-2: They reflected among themselves, ‘Revered sirs, Uddalaka, the son of Aruna, knows well this Vaisvanara Atman. Well, let us go to him’. And they went to him.
V-xi-3: Uddalaka reflected, ‘These great householders and great Vedic scholars are going to uestion me; but possibly I shall not be able to tell them everything. However, I shall direct them to another teacher’.
V-xi-4: Uddalaka said to the, ‘Revered sirs, at present, Asvapati, the son of Kekaya, is studying this Vaisvanara Atman. Well, let us go to him’. Then they went to him.
V-xi-5: When they arrived, the king arranged for each of them separately a welcome with suitable rites. Next morning, on rising, he said to them, ‘In my kingdom there is no thief, no miser, no drunkard, no man who has not installed the fire, no ignorant person, no adulterer, so how can there be any adulteress ? Revered sirs, I am going to perform a sacrifice. In that as much wealth, sirs, as I give to each single priest, shall I give to you also. Revered sirs, please remain’.
V-xi-6: They said, ‘The purpose for which a man goes (to another), on that alone he should speak to him. You are, at present, studying the Vaisvanara Atman, please tell us of that.
V-xi-7: The king said to them, ‘I shall answer you in the morning’. In the morning, they approached him with sacrificial fuel in their hands. The king, without receiving them as initiated pupils, spoke thus:
V-xii-1: ‘O Aupamanyava, what is the Atman on which you meditate ?’ He replied, ‘Heaven only, O venerable king’. The king said, ‘This that you meditate upon as Atman is the Vaisvanara Atman known as “the highly luminous”. Therefore in your family are seen the Suta, Prasuta and Asuta libations of Soma-juice.’
V-xii-2: ‘So you eat food and see what is dear. One who meditates on this Vaisvanara Atman thus, eats food and sees what is dear, and there is in his family the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom. But this is only the head of the Atman. If you had not come to me your head (a portion) would have fallen down.’
V-xiii-1: Then the king said to Satyayajna Paulusi, ‘O Pracinayogya, what is that Atman on which you meditate ?’ He replied, ‘The sun only, O venerable king’. The king said, ‘This that you meditate upon as Atman is the Vaisvanara Atman known as “the multiform”. Therefore in your family are seen all kinds of enjoyable things.
V-xiii-2: ‘So, for you are provided a chariot drawn by mules, maid-servants and a gold necklace; so you eat food and see what is dear. One who thus meditates upon this Vaisvanara Atman, eats food and sees what is dear, and there is in his family the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom. But this is only the eye of the Atman. If you had not come to me you would have become blind.’
V-xiv-1: Then the king said to Indradyumna Bhallaveya, ‘O descendant of Vyaghrapada, what is that Atman on which you meditate ?’ He replied, ‘Air only, O venerable king.’ The king said, ‘This that you meditate upon as Atman is the Vaisvanara Atman known as “the diversely coursed”. Therefore from diverse directions offerings come to you, and various rows of chariots follow you.
V-xiv-2: ‘So you eat food and see what is dear. One who thus meditates upon this Vaisvanara Atman eats food and sees what is dear, and there is in his family the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom. But this is only the Prana of the Atman. If you had not come to me your Prana would have departed’.
V-xv-1: Then the king said to Jana, ‘O Sarkaraksya, what is that Atman on which you meditate ?’ He replied, ‘Akasa only, O venerable king’. The king said, ‘This that you meditate upon as Atman is the Vaisvanara Atman known as “the manifold”. Therefore are your offspring and wealth manifold.
V-xv-2: ‘So you eat food and see what is dear. One who thus meditates upon this Vaisvanara Atman, eats food and sees what is dear, and there is in his family the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom. But this is only the trunk of the Atman. If you had not come to me your trunk would have been shattered’.
V-xvi-1: Then the king said to Budila Asvatarasvi, ‘O Vaiyaghrapadya, what is that Atman on which you meditate ?’ He replied, ‘Water only, O venerable king’. The king said, ‘This that you meditate upon as Atman is the Vaisvanara Atman known as “the wealth”. Therefore are you endowed with wealth and bodily strength.
V-xvi-2: ‘So you eat food and see what is dear. One who thus meditates upon this Vaisvanara Atman, eats food and sees what is dear, and there is in his family the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom. But this is only the lower belly of the Atman. If you had not come to me your lower belly would have burst’.
V-xvii-1: Then the king said to Uddalaka Aruni, ‘O Gautama, what is that Atman on which you meditate ?’ He replied, ‘The earth only, O venerable king’. The king said, ‘This that you meditate upon as Atman is the Vaisvanara Atman known as “the foundation”. Therefore are you well-founded in offspring and cattle’.
V-xvii-2: ‘So you eat food and see what is dear. One who thus meditates upon this Vaisvanara Atman, eats food and sees what is dear, and there is in his family the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom. But this is only the feet of the Atman. If you had not come to me your feet would have withered away’.
V-xviii-1: The king said to them, ‘All of you (with partial knowledge) eat food knowing the Vaisvanara Atman differently, as it were. But one who thus meditates upon this Vaisvanara Atman as a whole, consisting of parts and self-conscious, eats food in all the worlds, in all the beings, and in all the selves.
V-xviii-2: Of the aforesaid Vaisvanara Atman, the head is ‘the highly luminous’, the eye is ‘the multiform’, the breath is ‘the diversely coursed’, the trunk is ‘the vast’, the lower belly is the ‘wealth’, the feet are the earth (‘the foundation’). (Of the enjoyer as Vaisvanara) the chest is the altar, the hairs on the chest are the Kusa grass, the heart is the Garhapatya fire, the mind is the Anvaharyapacana fire, and the mouth is the Ahavaniya fire.
V-xix-1: Therefore, the food that comes first should be an object of oblation. That eater, when he offers the first oblation, should offer it with the Mantra ‘Svaha to Prana’; thereby Prana is satisfied.
V-xix-2: Prana being satisfied, the eye is satisfied; the eye being satisfied, the sun is satisfied; the sun being satisfied, heaven is satisfied; heaven being satisfied, whatever is under heaven and the sun is satisfied. Through its satisfaction the eater himself is satisfied. (He is satisfied) also with offspring, cattle, food, lustre and the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom.
V-xx-1: Then, when he offers the second oblation, he should offer it with the Mantra ‘Svaha to Vyana’; thereby Vyana is satisfied.
V-xx-2: Vyana being satisfied, the ear is satisfied; the ear being satisfied, the moon is satisfied; the moon being satisfied, the quarters are satisfied; the quarters being satisfied, whatever is under the moon and the quarters is satisfied. Through its satisfaction the eater himself is satisfied. (He is satisfied) also with offspring, cattle, food, lustre and the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom.
V-xxi-1: Then, when he offers the third oblation, he should offer it with the Mantra ‘Svaha to Apana’; thereby Apana is satisfied.
V-xxi-2: Apana being satisfied, speech is satisfied; speech being satisfied, fire is satisfied; fire being satisfied, the earth is satisfied; the earth being satisfied, whatever is under the earth and fire is satisfied. Through its satisfaction the eater himself is satisfied. (He is satisfied) also with offspring, cattle, food, lustre and the holy effulgence born of sacred wisdom.
