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Prashna Upanishad

Chapter 6

षष्ठः प्रश्नः

Sixth Prashna

Verses

  1. Verse 1

    atha hainaṃ sukeśā bhāradvājaḥ papraccha | bhagavan hiraṇyanābhaḥ kausalyo rājaputro māmupetyaitaṃ praśnamapṛcchata | ṣoḍaśakalaṃ bhāradvāja puruṣaṃ vettha | tamahaṃ kumāramabruvaṃ nāhamimaṃ veda | yadyahamimamavediṣaṃ kathaṃ te nāvakṣyamiti | samūlo vā eṣa pariśuṣyati yo'nṛtamabhivadati tasmānnārhamyanṛtaṃ vaktum | sa tūṣṇīṃ rathamāruhya pravavrāja | taṃ tvā pṛcchāmi kvāsau puruṣa iti || 6.1||

    Meaning

    Then Sukesha Bharadvaja asked him: 'Lord, Hiranyanabha, the prince of Kosala, came to me and asked this question: "O Bharadvaja, do you know the Purusha of sixteen parts?" I said to the youth, "I do not know him; had I known him, why should I not have told you? He who speaks untruth withers away to the very root; therefore I dare not speak untruth." Silently he mounted his chariot and departed. I ask you — where is that Purusha?'

  2. Verse 2

    tasmai sa hovācehaivāntaḥśarīre somya sa puruṣo yasminnatāḥ ṣoḍaśakalāḥ prabhavantīti || 6.2||

    Meaning

    To him he said: 'Here itself, within the body, O dear one, is that Purusha in whom these sixteen parts arise.'

  3. Verse 3

    sa īkṣācakre | kasminnahamutkrānta utkrānto bhaviṣyāmi kasminvā pratiṣṭhite pratiṣṭhāsyāmīti || 6.3||

    Meaning

    'He (the Purusha) reflected: "On whose departing shall I depart? In whose remaining shall I remain (established)?"'

  4. Verse 4

    sa prāṇamasṛjata prāṇācchraddhāṃ khaṃ vāyurjyotirāpaḥ pṛthivīndriyaṃ manaḥ | annamannādvīryaṃ tapo mantrāḥ karma lokā lokeṣu ca nāma ca || 6.4||

    Meaning

    'He created Prana; from Prana, faith, ether, air, fire, water, earth, the senses, mind, and food; from food, virility, tapas, the hymns, action, the worlds, and in the worlds, name.'

  5. Verse 5

    sa yathemā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudrāyaṇāḥ samudraṃ prāpyāstaṃ gacchanti bhidyete tāsāṃ nāmarūpe samudra ityevaṃ procyate | evamevāsya paridraṣṭurimāḥ ṣoḍaśakalāḥ puruṣāyaṇāḥ puruṣaṃ prāpyāstaṃ gacchanti bhidyete cāsāṃ nāmarūpe puruṣa ityevaṃ procyate sa eṣo'kalo'mṛto bhavati tadeṣa ślokaḥ || 6.5||

    Meaning

    'As these flowing rivers, bound for the ocean, on reaching the ocean disappear, their name and form broken up, and are simply called "the ocean" — so these sixteen parts of the seer (the perceiving soul), bound for the Purusha, on reaching the Purusha disappear, their name and form broken up, and are simply called "the Purusha." He (the liberated one) becomes partless and immortal. On this there is a verse:'

  6. Verse 6

    arā iva rathanābhau kalā yasminpratiṣṭhitāḥ | taṃ vedyaṃ puruṣaṃ veda yatha mā vo mṛtyuḥ parivyathā iti || 6.6||

    Meaning

    'Know that Purusha, the one to be known, in whom the parts are set like spokes in the hub of a wheel, so that death may not afflict you.'

  7. Verse 7

    tān hovācaitāvadevāhametat paraṃ brahma veda | nātaḥ paramastīti || 6.7||

    Meaning

    To them he said: 'Thus far do I know this supreme Brahman; there is nothing higher than this.'

  8. Verse 8

    te tamarcayantastvaṃ hi naḥ pitā yo'smākamavidyāyāḥ paraṃ pāraṃ tārayasīti | namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyo namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ || 6.8||

    Meaning

    And they, worshipping him, said: 'You indeed are our father, who carry us across to the far shore beyond ignorance.' Salutation to the supreme seers! Salutation to the supreme seers!

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