meditates on him thus, he becomes the self of these.' 19. After this Bâlâki became silent. Agâtasatru said to him: Thus far only (do you know), O Bâlâki?' 'Thus far only,' replied Bâlâki. Then Agâtasatru said to him: 'Vainly did you challenge me, saying: 'Shall I tell you Brahman ? O Bâlâki, he who is the maker of those persons (whom you mentioned), he of whom all this is the work, he alone is to be known.' Thereupon Bâlâki came, carrying fuel in his hand, saying: May I come to you as a pupil?' Agâtasatru said to him: 'I deem it improper that a Kshatriya should initiate a Brâhmana. Come, I shall make you know clearly.' Then taking him by the hand, he went forth. And the two together came to a person who was asleep. And Agâtasatru called him, saying: 'Thou great one, clad in white raiment, Soma, King'.' But he remained lying. Then he pushed him with a stick, and he rose at once. Then said Agâtasatru to him: Bâlâki, where did this person here sleep? Where was he? Whence came he thus back?' Bâlâki did not know. 20. And Agâtasatru said to him: 'Where this person here slept, where he was, whence he thus came back, is this: The arteries of the heart called Hita extend from the heart of the person towards the surrounding body. Small as a hair divided a thousand times, they stand full of a thin fluid of various colours, white, black, yellow, red. In these the person is when sleeping he sees no dream. 1 See § 3 init. Then he becomes one with that prâna alone. Then speech goes to him with all names, the eye with all forms, the ear with all sounds, the mind with all thoughts. And when he awakes, then, as from a burning fire, sparks proceed in all directions, thus from that self the prânas (speech, &c.) proceed, each towards its place, from the prâñas the gods, from the gods the worlds. And as a razor might be fitted in a razor-case, or as fire in the fire-place (the arani on the altar), even thus this conscious self enters the self of the body (considers the body as himself) to the very hairs and nails. And the other selfs (such as speech, &c.) follow that self, as his people follow the master of the house. And as the master feeds with his people, nay, as his people feed on the master, thus does this conscious self feed with the other selfs, as a master with his people, and the other selfs follow him, as his people follow the master. So long as Indra did not understand that self, the Asuras conquered him. When he understood it, he conquered the Asuras and obtained the pre-eminence among all gods, sovereignty, supremacy. And thus also he who knows this obtains pre-eminence among all beings, sovereignty, supremacy,-yea, he who knows this. |