The Aitareya Upanishad is a short prose text of the Rigveda, forming the culminating portion of the Aitareya Aranyaka. In three brief chapters it moves from cosmology to embryology to pure consciousness. Chapter 1 tells how the Self, alone in the beginning, thought the worlds into being, drew a cosmic Person from the waters, and let the deities emerge from that Person's opening organs (speech and fire from the mouth, sight and the sun from the eyes, and the rest) before they entered the human body as its faculties; it then explains hunger, thirst and food, and how the Self at last entered its own creation through the crown of the head, saw itself everywhere as Brahman, and earned the cryptic name Indra. Chapter 2 describes the three births of the Self, through father, mother and rebirth, and quotes the sage Vamadeva who knew all this while still in the womb. Chapter 3 asks directly, 'Who is this Self whom we worship?' and answers by naming the many faces of awareness, culminating in the great declaration Prajñānaṃ Brahma: Consciousness is Brahman.
Shanti Patha (Rigveda)
ॐ वाङ् मे मनसि प्रतिष्ठिता मनो मे वाचि प्रतिष्ठितमाविरावीर्म एधि । वेदस्य म आणीस्थः श्रुतं मे मा प्रहासीरनेनाधीतेनाहोरात्रान्संदधाम्यृतं वदिष्यामि सत्यं वदिष्यामि । तन्मामवतु तद्वक्तारमवत्ववतु मामवतु वक्तारमवतु वक्तारम् ।। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।।
oṃ vāṅ me manasi pratiṣṭhitā mano me vāci pratiṣṭhitamāvirāvīrma edhi | vedasya ma āṇīsthaḥ śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenāhorātrānsaṃdadhāmyṛtaṃ vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi | tanmāmavatu tadvaktāramavatvavatu māmavatu vaktāramavatu vaktāram || oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
Om. May my speech be established in my mind; may my mind be established in my speech. O self-luminous Brahman, reveal yourself to me. May the two, mind and speech, bring me the Vedas; may what I have heard not desert me. By this study I join together day and night. I shall speak of the right; I shall speak of the truth. May that Brahman protect me; may it protect the teacher. May it protect me; may it protect the teacher, may it protect the teacher. Om peace, peace, peace.
Mantra 1
ॐ आत्मा वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीन्नान्यत्किञ्चन मिषत् । स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति ।। १ ।।
oṃ ātmā vā idameka evāgra āsīnnānyatkiñcana miṣat | sa īkṣata lokānnu sṛjā iti || 1 ||
In the beginning all this was the Self, one alone; there was nothing else whatsoever that blinked. He thought: 'Let me now create the worlds.'
Mantra 2
स इमाँल्लोकानसृजत । अम्भो मरीचीर्मरमापोऽदोऽम्भः परेण दिवं द्यौः प्रतिष्ठाऽन्तरिक्षं मरीचयः । पृथिवी मरो या अधस्तात्त आपः ।। २ ।।
sa imāṃllokānasṛjata | ambho marīcīrmaramāpo'do'mbhaḥ pareṇa divaṃ dyauḥ pratiṣṭhā'ntarikṣaṃ marīcayaḥ | pṛthivī maro yā adhastātta āpaḥ || 2 ||
He created these worlds: ambhas (the waters above), the marici (the shining spaces), mara (the mortal earth), and the apas (the waters below). Beyond heaven is ambhas, and heaven is its support; the mid-region is the marici; the earth is mara; and the waters below are the apas.
Mantra 3
स ईक्षतेमे नु लोका लोकपालान्नु सृजा इति ।। सोऽद्भ्य एव पुरुषं समुद्धृत्यामूर्छयत् ।। ३ ।।
sa īkṣateme nu lokā lokapālānnu sṛjā iti || so'dbhya eva puruṣaṃ samuddhṛtyāmūrchayat || 3 ||
He thought: 'Here now are the worlds; let me create guardians for the worlds.' He drew forth a Person from the very waters and gave him form.
Mantra 4
तमभ्यतपत्तस्याभितप्तस्य मुखं निरभिद्यत यथाऽण्डं मुखाद्वाग्वाचोऽग्निर्नासिके निरभिद्येतं नासिकाभ्यां प्राणः । प्राणाद्वायुरक्षिणी निरभिद्येतमक्षीभ्यां चक्षुश्चक्षुष आदित्यः कर्णौ निरभिद्येतां कर्णाभ्यां श्रोत्रं श्रोत्राद्दिशस्त्वङ्निरभिद्यत त्वचो लोमानि लोमभ्य ओषधिवनस्पतयो हृदयं निरभिद्यत हृदयान्मनो मनसश्चन्द्रमा नाभिर्निरभिद्यत नाभ्या अपानोऽपानान्मृत्युः शिश्नं निरभिद्यत शिश्नाद्रेतो रेतस आपः ।। ४ ।।
tamabhyatapattasyābhitaptasya mukhaṃ nirabhidyata yathā'ṇḍaṃ mukhādvāgvāco'gnirnāsike nirabhidyetaṃ nāsikābhyāṃ prāṇaḥ | prāṇādvāyurakṣiṇī nirabhidyetamakṣībhyāṃ cakṣuścakṣuṣa ādityaḥ karṇau nirabhidyetāṃ karṇābhyāṃ śrotraṃ śrotrāddiśastvaṅnirabhidyata tvaco lomāni lomabhya oṣadhivanaspatayo hṛdayaṃ nirabhidyata hṛdayānmano manasaścandramā nābhirnirabhidyata nābhyā apāno'pānānmṛtyuḥ śiśnaṃ nirabhidyata śiśnādreto retasa āpaḥ || 4 ||
He brooded over him. From him, thus brooded upon, a mouth broke open, like an egg; from the mouth came speech, and from speech, fire. The nostrils broke open; from the nostrils came breath, and from breath, air. The eyes broke open; from the eyes came sight, and from sight, the sun. The ears broke open; from the ears came hearing, and from hearing, the directions. The skin broke open; from the skin came the hairs, and from the hairs, the plants and trees. The heart broke open; from the heart came the mind, and from the mind, the moon. The navel broke open; from the navel came the out-breath, and from the out-breath, death. The generative organ broke open; from it came the seed, and from the seed, the waters.
Mantra 5
ता एता देवताः सृष्टा अस्मिन्महत्यर्णवे प्रापतन् । तमशनापिपासाभ्यामन्ववार्जत् । ता एनमब्रुवन्नायतनं नः प्रजानीहि यस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठिता अन्नमदामेति ।। १ ।।
tā etā devatāḥ sṛṣṭā asminmahatyarṇave prāpatan | tamaśanāpipāsābhyāmanvavārjat | tā enamabruvannāyatanaṃ naḥ prajānīhi yasminpratiṣṭhitā annamadāmeti || 1 ||
These deities, thus created, fell into this vast ocean of worldly existence. He afflicted the Person with hunger and thirst. The deities said to him: 'Find us an abode in which, established, we may eat food.'
Mantra 6
ताभ्यो गामानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति । ताभ्योऽश्वमानयत्ता अब्रुवन्न वै नोऽयमलमिति ।। २ ।।
tābhyo gāmānayattā abruvanna vai no'yamalamiti | tābhyo'śvamānayattā abruvanna vai no'yamalamiti || 2 ||
He brought a cow to them. They said: 'This is not enough for us.' He brought a horse to them. They said: 'This too is not enough for us.'
Mantra 7
ताभ्यः पुरुषमानयत्ता अब्रुवन् सुकृतं बतेति पुरुषो वाव सुकृतम् । ता अब्रवीद्यथायतनं प्रविशतेति ।। ३ ।।
tābhyaḥ puruṣamānayattā abruvan sukṛtaṃ bateti puruṣo vāva sukṛtam | tā abravīdyathāyatanaṃ praviśateti || 3 ||
He brought a human being to them. They said: 'Well made, indeed!' The human being alone is truly well made. He said to them: 'Enter, each into your respective abode.'
Mantra 8
अग्निर्वाग्भूत्वा मुखं प्राविशद्वायुः प्राणो भूत्वा नासिके प्राविशदादित्यश्चक्षुर्भूत्वाऽक्षिणी प्राविशाद्दिशः श्रोत्रं भूत्वा कर्णौ प्राविशन्नोषधिवनस्पतयो लोमानि भूत्वा त्वचं प्राविशंश्चन्द्रमा मनो भूत्वा हृदयं प्राविशन्मृत्युरपानो भूत्वा नाभिं प्राविशदापो रेतो भूत्वा शिश्नं प्राविशन् ।। ४ ।।
agnirvāgbhūtvā mukhaṃ prāviśadvāyuḥ prāṇo bhūtvā nāsike prāviśadādityaścakṣurbhūtvā'kṣiṇī prāviśāddiśaḥ śrotraṃ bhūtvā karṇau prāviśannoṣadhivanaspatayo lomāni bhūtvā tvacaṃ prāviśaṃścandramā mano bhūtvā hṛdayaṃ prāviśanmṛtyurapāno bhūtvā nābhiṃ prāviśadāpo reto bhūtvā śiśnaṃ prāviśan || 4 ||
Fire became speech and entered the mouth; air became breath and entered the nostrils; the sun became sight and entered the eyes; the directions became hearing and entered the ears; the plants and trees became hairs and entered the skin; the moon became mind and entered the heart; death became the out-breath and entered the navel; the waters became seed and entered the generative organ.
Mantra 9
तमशनायापिपासे अब्रूतामावाभ्यामभिप्रजानीहीति ते अब्रवीदेतास्वेव वां देवतास्वाभजाम्येतासु भागिन्न्यौ करोमीति । तस्माद्यस्यै कस्यै च देवतायै हविर्गृह्यते भागिन्यावेवास्यामशनायापिपासे भवतः ।। ५ ।।
tamaśanāyāpipāse abrūtāmāvābhyāmabhiprajānīhīti te abravīdetāsveva vāṃ devatāsvābhajāmyetāsu bhāginnyau karomīti | tasmādyasyai kasyai ca devatāyai havirgṛhyate bhāginyāvevāsyāmaśanāyāpipāse bhavataḥ || 5 ||
Hunger and thirst said to him: 'Find an abode for the two of us as well.' He said to them: 'I assign you a share among these very deities; I make you sharers with them.' Therefore, whenever an offering is taken up for any deity whatever, hunger and thirst become sharers in it.
Mantra 10
स ईक्षतेमे नु लोकाश्च लोकपालाश्चान्नमेभ्यः सृजा इति ।। १ ।।
sa īkṣateme nu lokāśca lokapālāścānnamebhyaḥ sṛjā iti || 1 ||
He thought: 'Here now are the worlds and the guardians of the worlds; let me create food for them.'
Mantra 11
सोऽपोऽभ्यतपत्ताभ्योऽभितप्ताभ्यो मूर्तिरजायत । या वै सा मूर्तिरजायतान्नं वै तत् ।। २ ।।
so'po'bhyatapattābhyo'bhitaptābhyo mūrtirajāyata | yā vai sā mūrtirajāyatānnaṃ vai tat || 2 ||
He brooded over the waters. From the waters, thus brooded upon, a form was born. The form that was born: that indeed is food.
Mantra 12
तदेनत्सृष्टं पराङ्त्यजिघांसत्तद्वाचाऽजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोद्वाचा ग्रहीतुम् । स यद्धैनद्वाचाऽग्रहैष्यदभिव्याहृत्य हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ३ ।।
tadenatsṛṣṭaṃ parāṅtyajighāṃsattadvācā'jighṛkṣattannāśaknodvācā grahītum | sa yaddhainadvācā'grahaiṣyadabhivyāhṛtya haivānnamatrapsyat || 3 ||
This food, thus created, sought to flee away. He tried to grasp it with speech but could not seize it with speech. Had he seized it with speech, one would be satisfied merely by speaking of food.
Mantra 13
तत्प्राणेनाजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोत्प्राणेन ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनत्प्राणेनाग्रहैष्यदभिप्राण्य हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ४ ।।
tatprāṇenājighṛkṣattannāśaknotprāṇena grahītuṃ sa yaddhainatprāṇenāgrahaiṣyadabhiprāṇya haivānnamatrapsyat || 4 ||
He tried to grasp it with breath but could not seize it with breath. Had he seized it with breath, one would be satisfied merely by breathing at food.
Mantra 14
तच्चक्षुषाऽजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोच्चक्षुषा ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनच्चक्षुषाऽग्रहैष्यद्दृष्ट्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ५ ।।
taccakṣuṣā'jighṛkṣattannāśaknoccakṣuṣā grahītuṃ sa yaddhainaccakṣuṣā'grahaiṣyaddṛṣṭvā haivānnamatrapsyat || 5 ||
He tried to grasp it with the eye but could not seize it with the eye. Had he seized it with the eye, one would be satisfied merely by seeing food.
Mantra 15
तच्छ्रोत्रेणाजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोच्छ्रोत्रेण ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनच्छ्रोत्रेणाग्रहैष्यच्छ्रुत्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ६ ।।
tacchrotreṇājighṛkṣattannāśaknocchrotreṇa grahītuṃ sa yaddhainacchrotreṇāgrahaiṣyacchrutvā haivānnamatrapsyat || 6 ||
He tried to grasp it with the ear but could not seize it with the ear. Had he seized it with the ear, one would be satisfied merely by hearing of food.
Mantra 16
तत्त्वचाऽजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोत्त्वचा ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनत्त्वचाऽग्रहैष्यत्स्पृष्ट्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ७ ।।
tattvacā'jighṛkṣattannāśaknottvacā grahītuṃ sa yaddhainattvacā'grahaiṣyatspṛṣṭvā haivānnamatrapsyat || 7 ||
He tried to grasp it with the skin but could not seize it with the skin. Had he seized it with the skin, one would be satisfied merely by touching food.
Mantra 17
तन्मनसाऽजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोन्मनसा ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनन्मनसाऽग्रहैष्यद्ध्यात्वा हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ८ ।।
tanmanasā'jighṛkṣattannāśaknonmanasā grahītuṃ sa yaddhainanmanasā'grahaiṣyaddhyātvā haivānnamatrapsyat || 8 ||
He tried to grasp it with the mind but could not seize it with the mind. Had he seized it with the mind, one would be satisfied merely by thinking of food.
Mantra 18
तच्छिश्नेनाजिघृक्षत्तन्नाशक्नोच्छिश्नेन ग्रहीतुं स यद्धैनच्छिश्नेनाग्रहैष्यद्वित्सृज्य हैवान्नमत्रप्स्यत् ।। ९ ।।
tacchiśnenājighṛkṣattannāśaknocchiśnena grahītuṃ sa yaddhainacchiśnenāgrahaiṣyadvitsṛjya haivānnamatrapsyat || 9 ||
He tried to grasp it with the generative organ but could not seize it with the generative organ. Had he seized it with it, one would be satisfied merely by emitting food.
Mantra 19
तदपानेनाजिघृक्षत्तदावयत्सैषोऽन्नस्य ग्रहो यद्वायुरनायुर्वा एष यद्वायुः ।। १० ।।
tadapānenājighṛkṣattadāvayatsaiṣo'nnasya graho yadvāyuranāyurvā eṣa yadvāyuḥ || 10 ||
He tried to grasp it with the out-breath, and by that he took it in. This wind is the seizer of food; indeed, that which is called Vayu, the vital air, lives upon food.
Mantra 20
स ईक्षत कथं न्विदं मदृते स्यादिति स ईक्षत कतरेण प्रपद्या इति । स ईक्षत यदि वाचाऽभिव्याहृतं यदि प्राणेनाभिप्राणितं यदि चक्षुषा दृष्टं यदि श्रोत्रेण श्रुतं यदि त्वचा स्पृष्टं यदि मनसा ध्यातं यद्यपानेनाभ्यपानितं यदि शिश्नेन विसृष्टमथ कोऽहमिति ।। ११ ।।
sa īkṣata kathaṃ nvidaṃ madṛte syāditi sa īkṣata katareṇa prapadyā iti | sa īkṣata yadi vācā'bhivyāhṛtaṃ yadi prāṇenābhiprāṇitaṃ yadi cakṣuṣā dṛṣṭaṃ yadi śrotreṇa śrutaṃ yadi tvacā spṛṣṭaṃ yadi manasā dhyātaṃ yadyapānenābhyapānitaṃ yadi śiśnena visṛṣṭamatha ko'hamiti || 11 ||
He thought: 'How could this body exist without me?' He thought: 'Through which point should I enter it?' He thought: 'If speech is what utters, if breath is what breathes, if the eye is what sees, if the ear is what hears, if the skin is what touches, if the mind is what thinks, if the out-breath is what digests, if the generative organ is what emits, then who am I?'
Mantra 21
स एतमेव सीमानं विदर्यैतया द्वारा प्रापद्यत । सैषा विदृतिर्नाम द्वास्तदेतन्नान्दनम् । तस्य त्रय आवसथास्त्रयः स्वप्ना अयमावसथोऽयमावसथोऽयमावसथ इति ।। १२ ।।
sa etameva sīmānaṃ vidaryaitayā dvārā prāpadyata | saiṣā vidṛtirnāma dvāstadetannāndanam | tasya traya āvasathāstrayaḥ svapnā ayamāvasatho'yamāvasatho'yamāvasatha iti || 12 ||
He split open this very crown of the head and entered through that door. This door is called vidriti, the cleft; this is the place of delight. He has three dwelling-places, three states of sleep: this is one dwelling, this is another, this is another.
Mantra 22
स जातो भूतान्यभिव्यैख्यत्किमिहान्यं वावदिषदिति । स एतमेव पुरुषं ब्रह्म ततममपश्यत् । इदमदर्शनमिती ३ ।। १३ ।।
sa jāto bhūtānyabhivyaikhyatkimihānyaṃ vāvadiṣaditi | sa etameva puruṣaṃ brahma tatamamapaśyat | idamadarśanamitī 3 || 13 ||
Being born, he perceived all beings, thinking: 'What else here would one wish to declare as separate from Brahman?' He saw this very Person as Brahman, the all-pervading, and said: 'I have seen this!'
Mantra 23
तस्मादिदन्द्रो नामेदन्द्रो ह वै नाम । तमिदन्द्रं सन्तमिन्द्र इत्याचक्षते परोक्षेण । परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः ।। १४ ।।
tasmādidandro nāmedandro ha vai nāma | tamidandraṃ santamindra ityācakṣate parokṣeṇa | parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ || 14 ||
Therefore his name is Idandra, 'the one who saw this'; for Idandra is indeed his name. Him, though he is Idandra, they call Indra, cryptically; for the gods are, as it were, fond of the cryptic; the gods are, as it were, fond of the cryptic.
Mantra 1
ॐ पुरुषे ह वा अयमादितो गर्भो भवति यदेतद्रेतः । तदेतत्सर्वेभ्योऽङ्गेभ्यस्तेजः सम्भूतमात्मन्येवात्मानं बिभर्ति तद्यदा स्त्रियां सिञ्चत्यथैनज्जनयति तदस्य प्रथमं जन्म ।। १ ।।
oṃ puruṣe ha vā ayamādito garbho bhavati yadetadretaḥ | tadetatsarvebhyo'ṅgebhyastejaḥ saṃbhūtamātmanyevātmānaṃ bibharti tadyadā striyāṃ siñcatyathainajjanayati tadasya prathamaṃ janma || 1 ||
In a man this self first becomes an embryo; that which is the semen is drawn from all his limbs as their vigor. In himself he holds the self. When he pours it into a woman, then he gives it birth. That is its first birth.
Mantra 2
तत्स्त्रिया आत्मभूयं गच्छति यथा स्वमङ्गं तथा । तस्मादेनां न हिनस्ति । साऽस्यैतमात्मानमत्र गतं भावयति ।। २ ।।
tatstriyā ātmabhūyaṃ gacchati yathā svamaṅgaṃ tathā | tasmādenāṃ na hinasti | sā'syaitamātmānamatra gataṃ bhāvayati || 2 ||
It becomes one with the woman's own self, just as a limb of her own; therefore it does not harm her. She nourishes this self of his that has entered her.
Mantra 3
सा भावयित्री भावयितव्या भवति । तं स्त्री गर्भ बिभर्ति । सोऽग्र एव कुमारं जन्मनोऽग्रेऽधिभावयति । स यत्कुमारं जन्मनोऽग्रेऽधिभावयत्यात्मानमेव तद्भावयत्येषं लोकानां सन्तत्या । एवं सन्तता हीमे लोकास्तदस्य द्वितीयं जन्म ।। ३ ।।
sā bhāvayitrī bhāvayitavyā bhavati | taṃ strī garbha bibharti | so'gra eva kumāraṃ janmano'gre'dhibhāvayati | sa yatkumāraṃ janmano'gre'dhibhāvayatyātmānameva tadbhāvayatyeṣaṃ lokānāṃ santatyā | evaṃ santatā hīme lokāstadasya dvitīyaṃ janma || 3 ||
She, the nourisher, becomes one to be nourished. The woman bears the embryo. Even before the child's birth, the father nourishes the child. In nourishing the child even before its birth, he thereby nourishes his own self, for the continuance of these worlds; for it is thus that these worlds are continued. This is his second birth.
Mantra 4
सोऽस्यायमात्मा पुण्येभ्यः कर्मभ्यः प्रतिधीयते । अथास्यायमितर आत्मा कृतकृत्यो वयोगतः प्रैति । स इतः प्रयन्नेव पुनर्जायते तदस्य तृतीयं जन्म ।। ४ ।।
so'syāyamātmā puṇyebhyaḥ karmabhyaḥ pratidhīyate | athāsyāyamitara ātmā kṛtakṛtyo vayogataḥ praiti | sa itaḥ prayanneva punarjāyate tadasya tṛtīyaṃ janma || 4 ||
This self of his, the child, is set in his place for the performance of meritorious deeds. Then his other self, the father, having done what it had to do and having reached its age, departs. Departing from here, it is born again. That is its third birth.
Mantra 5
तदुक्तमृषिणा गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषामवेदमहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा । शतं मा पुर आयसीररक्षन्नधः श्येनो जवसा निरदीयमिति । गर्भ एवैतच्छयानो वामदेव एवमुवाच ।। ५ ।।
taduktamṛṣiṇā garbhe nu sannanveṣāmavedamahaṃ devānāṃ janimāni viśvā | śataṃ mā pura āyasīrarakṣannadhaḥ śyeno javasā niradīyamiti | garbha evaitacchayāno vāmadeva evamuvāca || 5 ||
This was declared by the seer: 'While still lying in the womb, I came to know all the births of the gods. A hundred iron fortresses held me down, but I burst through them all, swift as a hawk.' Thus spoke Vamadeva, even while lying in the womb.
Mantra 6
स एवं विद्वानस्माच्छरीरभेदादूर्ध्व उत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन्स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान्कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत्समभवत् ।। ६ ।।
sa evaṃ vidvānasmāccharīrabhedādūrdhva utkramyāmuṣminsvarge loke sarvānkāmānāptvā'mṛtaḥ samabhavatsamabhavat || 6 ||
He, thus knowing, and rising upward at the dissolution of this body, obtained all desires in that world of heaven and became immortal, became immortal.
Mantra 1
ॐ कोऽयमात्मेति वयमुपास्महे कतरः स आत्मा । येन वा पश्यति येन वा शृणोति येन वा गन्धानाजिघ्रति येन वा वाचं व्याकरोति येन वा स्वादु चास्वादु च विजानाति ।। १ ।।
oṃ ko'yamātmeti vayamupāsmahe kataraḥ sa ātmā | yena vā paśyati yena vā śṛṇoti yena vā gandhānājighrati yena vā vācaṃ vyākaroti yena vā svādu cāsvādu ca vijānāti || 1 ||
'Who is this Self whom we worship? Which one is the Self?' Is it that by which one sees, or that by which one hears, or that by which one smells odors, or that by which one articulates speech, or that by which one discerns the sweet and the unsweet?
Mantra 2
यदेतद्धृदयं मनश्चैतत् । संज्ञानमाज्ञानं विज्ञानं प्रज्ञानं मेधा दृष्टिर्धृतिर्मतिर्मनीषा जूतिः स्मृतिः संकल्पः क्रतुरसुः कामो वश इति । सर्वाण्येवैतानि प्रज्ञानस्य नामधेयानि भवन्ति ।। २ ।।
yadetaddhṛdayaṃ manaścaitat | saṃjñānamājñānaṃ vijñānaṃ prajñānaṃ medhā dṛṣṭirdhṛtirmatirmanīṣā jūtiḥ smṛtiḥ saṃkalpaḥ kraturasuḥ kāmo vaśa iti | sarvāṇyevaitāni prajñānasya nāmadheyāni bhavanti || 2 ||
It is this heart and this mind: perception, direction, discernment, cognition, wisdom, insight, steadfastness, thought, thoughtfulness, impulse, memory, resolve, intention, life-force, desire, and longing. All these, indeed, are names of consciousness.
Mantra 3
एष ब्रह्मैष इन्द्र एष प्रजापतिरेते सर्वे देवा इमानि च पञ्चमहाभूतानि पृथिवी वायुराकाश आपो ज्योतींषीत्येतानीमानि च क्षुद्रमिश्राणीव । बीजानीतराणि चेतराणि चाण्डजानि च जारुजानि च स्वेदजानि चोद्भिज्जानि चाश्वा गावः पुरुषा हस्तिनो यत्किञ्चेदं प्राणि जङ्गमं च पतत्रि च यच्च स्थावरं सर्वं तत्प्रज्ञानेत्रं प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितं प्रज्ञानेत्रो लोकः प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म ।। ३ ।।
eṣa brahmaiṣa indra eṣa prajāpatirete sarve devā imāni ca pañcamahābhūtāni pṛthivī vāyurākāśa āpo jyotīṃṣītyetānīmāni ca kṣudramiśrāṇīva | bījānītarāṇi cetarāṇi cāṇḍajāni ca jārujāni ca svedajāni codbhijjāni cāśvā gāvaḥ puruṣā hastino yatkiñcedaṃ prāṇi jaṅgamaṃ ca patatri ca yacca sthāvaraṃ sarvaṃ tatprajñānetraṃ prajñāne pratiṣṭhitaṃ prajñānetro lokaḥ prajñā pratiṣṭhā prajñānaṃ brahma || 3 ||
This is Brahma; this is Indra; this is Prajapati; these are all the gods; and these five great elements, namely earth, air, ether, water, and light; and these beings mingled together, as it were, of the fine and the coarse; the seeds of one kind and another; those born from eggs, those born from wombs, those born from moisture, those born from sprouts; horses, cattle, human beings, elephants; whatever breathes here, whether moving or flying, and whatever is unmoving. All this is guided by consciousness and established in consciousness. The world is guided by consciousness; consciousness is its foundation. Consciousness is Brahman.
Mantra 4
स एतेन प्राज्ञेनात्मनाऽस्माल्लोकादुत्क्रम्यामुष्मिन्स्वर्गे लोके सर्वान्कामानाप्त्वाऽमृतः समभवत्समभवत् ।। ४ ।।
sa etena prājñenātmanā'smāllokādutkramyāmuṣminsvarge loke sarvānkāmānāptvā'mṛtaḥ samabhavatsamabhavat || 4 ||
He, by means of this conscious Self, rose upward from this world, and having obtained all desires in that world of heaven, became immortal, became immortal.
Why it matters today
Most creation stories begin with a maker standing apart from what is made. The Aitareya begins differently: in the beginning there was only the Self, and everything that follows is the Self folding into its own creation until it can look out through human eyes and recognize itself. That is the strange and beautiful turn of Chapter 1: the last thing the Self does is enter through the crown of the head and say, in effect, I have seen this. The Upanishad is asking the question a small child eventually asks, the one that stops a parent mid-sentence: not what do I see, but who is doing the seeing? Chapter 2 puts that question inside the most ordinary miracle there is, a child being born, and calls it three births, because a parent is genuinely reborn in a son or daughter. And Chapter 3 gives the answer that the whole of the Rigveda had been circling toward. It lists everything that is alive, from insects to elephants to the gods themselves, and says one thing holds all of it together: prajñāna, awareness. Prajñānaṃ Brahma. Consciousness is Brahman. Not a doctrine to memorize before an exam, but a claim about the one thing that is awake in the student, in the newborn, and in the farthest star.