Gargya began the conversation saying that he adores as Brahman the spirit who abides in the sun. Ajatashatru asked him not to boast as he meditates upon him as all surpassing, as the head of all beings and as resplendent. Whoever thus adores him excels all beings and becomes their head, their king. Gargya said that he adores as Brahman the spirit who abides in the moon. Ajatashatru told him not to be proud as he meditates upon him as the great, white robed, radiant Soma. Whosoever meditates upon him every day has abundant soma for him in his principal and auxiliary sacrifices and his food never runs short. Gargya next said that he adorns as Brahman the spirit who abides in the ether but Ajatashatru said that he meditates upon him as luminous. A person who thus meditates upon him becomes luminous and his progeny too become luminous. Gargya said that he adores as Brahman the spirit who abides in the akasa but Ajatashatru said that he meditates upon him as full and unmoving. A person who meditates upon him is blessed with progeny and cattle and his progeny is never extinct from this world. Gargya said that he adores as Brahman the spirit who is in the air. Ajatashatru said that he must not talk so proudly. He meditates upon him as the Lord Indra, as irresistible and as the unvanquished army. A person who worships him becomes victorious, invincible and is able to conqueror his enemies. Gargya tells that he adores as Brahma the spirit who is in fire. However, Ajatashatru said that he meditates upon him as forbearing. Whosoever worships him becomes forbearing and his progeny becomes forbearing. Gargya says that he meditates upon Brahman who is in water but Ajatashatru said that he meditate upon him as agreeable. Whosoever thus meditates upon him discovers that is agreeable and is blessed with children who are agreeable too. Gargya now says that he meditates upon Brahma who is in the mirror. Ajatashatru warns him not to be proud and tells him that he worships him as shining. Whosoever worships him becomes shining and his progeny too becomes shining. Gargya now says that he adores as Brahman the spirit who, when proceeding, is followed by noise. Ajatashatru said that he worships him as life. A person who worships him attains his full age on this earth. He does not die before the completion of that time. Gargya told him that he meditates upon Brahman who is in the quarters. Ajatashatru told him that he adores him as second and as inseparable. Whosoever adores him gets companions and his followers never leave him. Gargya said told him that he meditates upon Brahman who consists of shadow. Ajatashatru said he meditates upon him as death. A person who meditates upon him reaches his full age on this earth and death does not overtake him. Gargya said that he adorns upon Brahman who is in the self. Ajatashatru said that he meditates upon him as self possessed. Whosoever thus meditates upon him becomes self possessed and his progeny too becomes self possessed. Gargya now becomes silent. Gargya the wished to approach Ajatasatru as his disciple understand the Brahman. However, Ajatashatru resented the approach as it was unusual of a Brahmin to approach a Kshatriya as a disciple. Ajatashatru told him that he would impart knowledge on Brahman. Ajatashatru took him to a place where a person was asleep. Ajatashatru called him but he just lay silent. Then he pushed him with a stick until he got up. Ajatashatru asked Gargya where was the spirit whose nature is like knowledge, at the time when he was profoundly sleeping and when did he come. Gargya remained silent. Ajatashatru explained that when the spirit whose nature is like knowledge, profoundly slept, at that time the ether in the midst of the heart drew in the knowledge of the senses, and their actual knowledge, slept therein. When the spirit draws in that knowledge of the senses, he sleeps indeed. It is then that life is drawn in, speech is drawn in, the eye is drawn in, the ear is drawn in and mind is drawn in. He asked Balaki what has happened of him. Balaki remained silent thus Ajatashatru' said that he is absorbed in that Prana. The speech enters into it with all names, the sight enters with all forms, hearing enters with all sounds, and the mind enters with all thoughts. When he awakes, as from blazing fire sparks go forth in all directions, so from this Soul all the Pranas go forth to their several stations, from the Pranas go forth the devas, from the devas the worlds. This is the true Prana, identical with Prajna; entering this body and soul, it penetrates to the nails and hairs of the skin. Just as a razor placed in a razor case, or fire in the home of fire, thus this Soul, itself Prajna enters this body and soul to the hairs and nails. The inferior souls follow this Soul as the household the householder. As the householder feeds with his householder, so this Soul, itself Prajna, feeds with those souls and thus those souls feed on this Soul. As long as Lord Indra was unaware of this Soul, till then the Asuras overcame him. When he knew it, then having conquered and slain the Asuras, he attained the pre-eminence of all gods and all beings; he attained sovereignty and his empire. Thus, he who is knowledgeable can destroy all sins, and can attain the pre-eminence of all beings and sovereignty and empire. When the self is in the dream state, these are its achievements or the results of his past actions. He is then a great king, as it were; or a noble Brahmin, as it were; he proceeds as it were to higher and lower places. Like a great king assembles his followers, sends them in his kingdom according to his pleasure, in the same way the organs and sends them about in his body according to his pleasure. Next, when the self goes into deep sleep and is not aware of his surroundings it returns along the seventy two thousand arteries called hita. These extend from the heart throughout the whole body and remains in the body. Like a baby or an emperor or a noble Brahmin lives his life having reached the summit of happiness, the self also happily takes rest. In another example he says that as a spider moves along the thread it produces, or as from a fire tiny sparks are emitted fly in the same way from this Atman come forth all organs, all worlds, all gods, all beings. Its secret name is "the Truth of truth." The vital breaths are the truth and their truth is Atman. |