thath thvam asi-chandhogya upanishat 6

[Guest guest]

Then Uddhalaka Aruni illustrated this by means of a practical lesson. He told his son,

 

shodasakalaH soumya purushaH

 

The man is made up of sixteen parts

 

panchadhaSaahaani maa aSeeH

 

For fifteen days you do not eat.

 

kamam aapaH piba

 

But you can drink as much water as you like.

 

apomayaH praaNaH na pibathaH vicChethsyatha ithi

 

As prana is made of water it will not leave one who drinks water.( Or prana will leave one who does not drink water.)

 

This is to prove that the mind is made of food and prana of water.

 

Sah panchadhaSa ahaani na aaSa.

 

The son did not eat for fifteen days.

 

aTha hi enam upasasaaadha kim braveemi bho ithi .

 

Then he approached his father saying, "what shall I say?"

 

rchaH soumya yajoomshi saamaani ithi .

 

The father said "The rks, yajus and saamans , my dear."

 

sa hovaacha na vai maam prathibhaanthi bho ithi.

 

He said , "sir they do not appear to me."

 

After fasting for fifteen days Svethakethu was not able to remember the Vedas he had learnt which proves that the mind is made up of food.

 

tha hovaacha

 

He ( father) said,

 

yaThaa soumya mahathaH abhyaahithasya ekaH angaaraH khadhyothamaathraH pariSishtaH syaath

 

"Just as a small spark of the size of a firefly is left over from big fire,

 

thena thathaH api bahu dhaheth

 

By that the fire cannot burn much.

 

evam soumya the shodaSaanaam kalaanaam ekaa kalaa athiSishtaa syaath

 

Like that my dear, of the sixteen parts of you only one is remaining.

 

ethath tharhi vedhaan na anubhavasi

 

it being so you do not experience the Vedas ( nit able to recall them)

 

asa aTha me vidhvaamsyasi ithi.

 

eat you will understand me."

 

sa aaSa ha enam upasasaadha tha hayath kimcha papracCha sarvam ha prathipedhe

 

He ate and approached the father and was able to answer whatever he asked. ( remembered all that he learnt fully)

 

tha hovaacha

 

He (father) said

 

yaThaa soumya mahathah abhyaahithasya ekam angaaram khadhothamaathram pariSishtam

 

"Just as , my dear, one spark of the size of a firefly, left over from a big fire

 

tham thrNaiH upasamaaDhaayapraajvaleyeth thena thathaH api bahu dhaheth

 

When it is fed with straw it will burn more than before,

 

evam soumya the shodasaanaam kalaanaam ekaa kalaa athiSishtaa abhooth

 

Likewise of the sixteen parts of you one part that is remaining

 

saa annena upasamaahithaa praajvaalee

 

that is blazing now nourished by food.

 

thayaa etharhi vedhaan anubhavasi

 

by that you are able to recall the Vedas now.

 

annamaya hi soumya mana aapomaya praaNaH thejomayee vaak ithi

 

So the mind is made up of food, prana is made of water and speech is made of fire. "

thath asya vijajnou vijajnou ithi

 

From this he (Svethakethu) understood. He understood.( The repetition indicates that the topic is ended.)