Prana, life is the eldest and the best. The envelope vasishta is speech. The eyes are steadiness. The ears are wealth. The mind is the receptacle or ayatana. Once there was a quarrel among the sense organs as to who was the superior organ, and in turn,each departed for a year, but life went on, just as if it were dumb, blind, deaf, or stupid. but when it was lifes turn to depart the organs implored life not to, because they realized that it is to due to life they have whatever qualities they may possess.
Life asked: what should be my food. All that birds and animals eat is fit food for life. All that is eatable is food appropriate for life. thus knowing, never go hungry. It asked: what should be my raiment. Water is the raiment, being consumed before and after consuming food, thus knowing, its covered and never naked.
Should one desire greatness one should observe the usual observances on the night of the nullmoon and on the fullmoon should offer oblations of annuals letils and stuff thats available after beating it up with curd and honey, instead of ghee, to the eldest, the best, the envelope, the steadiness and to wealth and to the receptacle and should talk to the fire, and then drink up the remains of the oblations that should have been preserved in the mixing pot. Then he sleeps behind the fire and if he dreams of women, for if after any sacrifice with a worldly object, the institutor dreams of women, he knows,that sacrifice has been fruitful.
[The upanishidic concept of the afterlife is introduced in the chandogya. Surprisingly the knowledge did not belong to the brahmins whose religion it seems only included ceremonials and sacrifices of the vedas and not the metaphysics. The knowledge belonged to the kshattriyas who preserved it, generation to generation and is given to the brahmins by pravahanna the king of pancala to svetaketu's father. From then on it was the knowledge of the brahmins. In most world religions the afterlife may be considered the crucial element, that guides actions, and the origins are presented in this chapter in the 3rd section. There are 24 sections in chapter 5 and 8 chapters in the chandogya.]

The king asked svetaketu 5 questions, that svetaketu did not know the answers for, and neither did svetaketus dad. So they go back to the king for instruction and the knowledge of the thereafter is passed on to the brahmins

  1. where do men rise from the earth
  2. how do they returnm
  3. where does the devayana and pitryana divide
  4. why does the yonder region never fill up
  5. why is the fluid of the fifth oblation called man

The region beyond is fire, the sun its fuel, the light of the sun the smoke, the days the flame, the moon its charcoal and the stars are the sparks. Into this fire the gods offer their faith and out of that sacrifice comes the kingofthemoonplant somaraja.

The deityoftherain parjanya is fire, the wind its fuel, lightning its flame, thunderbolts its charcoal, clouds its smoke and the rolling of the clouds are the sparks. Into this fire the gods offer somaraja and out of that sacrifice comes rain.

Earth is fire, the years its fuel, the sky its smoke, night is its flame, thee quarters are its charcoal, and the intermediate quarters are the sparks. Into this fire the gods offer rain and out of that sacrifice comes food.

Man is fire, his speech is its fuels, his breath is its smoke, his tongue the flame, his eyes the charcoal and the ears are its sparks. Into this fire the gods offer food and out of this sacrifice comes productive power.

Woman is fire. Her vagina is its fuel. When one invites her to have sex, that is its smoke, her vulva is the flame, impregnation insertion are the coals, and her sexual pleasure are the sparks. Into this fire the gods offer productive power and out of this sacrifice comes conception.

And that is why the fluid of the fifth oblation is called man, who lies for 10 months in ammonium, after his birth lives out his life to the alloted time and on death, proceeds to the thereafter, while his sons carry his corpse unto fire wherefrom he had taken birth.

Those who know of this, who lived as decent householders, who worshipped god in good faith and did penance in the desert and stuff, they go to the regions of light, and to the regions of the day, and to the regions of the brighthalfofthemoon, and to the sixmonths when the sun is in its northern declination and from there to the year and to the sun and to the moon and to lightning, where an inhuman being fetches them to the reguon of bramhan, this is the devayana.

Those villagers that worship deities and stuff who do charitable stuff and build roads and watertanks and practice religion with sacrifices, they go to the regions of darkness, and to the night and to the region of the darkfortnight, and to the sixmonths when the sun has a southern declination, and they do not go to the year, but instead go to the pitrs forefathers and to the sky and to the moon, and they are eaten by somaraja the kingofthemoon for they are food of the gods.

They remain there as long as they deserve. Then they take the road to the sky, from the sky to the wind, becoming wind they become smoke and from smoke the scattered clouds, to the rainbearing clouds to rain to rice corn lentils seasum. It is difficult to descend from there. Those who eat rice procreate and multiply. This is the way men return.

If his conduct was good he attains a good existance, a priest a warrior or a bsinessman. If his disposition was evil he becomes lowlife or a dog or a pig. But if the disposition was neither he becomes small creatures of repeated birth and short lives. This is the third place. This is why the region never fills up. This is why this should be detested.

the thief that steals gold, the drunkard, murderers of good people and defilers of his masters bed are filthy. Those who associare with them are filthy, But he that knows the five fires remains pure even in association with such filth.

[5 householders (Pracinasala Aupamananvaya, Satyayagna Paulusha, Indradyuma Bhaallava Jana Saarkarasa, and Budila Aasvataraasya) met to discuss the nature of the soul and brahman. they couldnt come to a conclusion so they go to ask Uddalaaka aruni. Uddakala decided he will not be able to explain stuff to them, so he meets them and takes them to Asvapati. Asvapati seens to be a king, and treats them well, but these people just want the knowledge. He makes them wait a day and then them, without investing in them the sacredthread: he asks them each in turn - to which soul to you offer your adorations?]
FILLEM INCOMPLETENOTES:>
The Aupamanya said he offered adorations to the heavens. -that soul you adore the heavens are the glory of the universal soul.the juices of the moonplant are in your family who adores vaisvanara as heaven. his race has vedic glory, he sees things around him he perceives dear, eats good food with a good appetite. - But if you hadnt come to me your head would have fallen off.

Satyayagna sun of pulusha said he worshipped the sun. -that soul you adore the sun is the allpervading form of the universal soul, the sun is the eye of that soul. There are many conveniences in your family of him who adores the universal soul as the sun. Mules yoked to carts follow you around. Youre so rich even your servantmaids wear necklaces, you eat good food, have objects that are dear and the race gets vedic glory. But if you hadnt come to me you'd have gone blind/

Indradyumna, son of Bhaallaveya said hw worshipped the winds. -that soul you adore the wind is one of the varoious courses that the universal soul takes, the wind is the breath of the soul,( one of the many paths ). Armies submit to you, trains of chariots follow you, and you eat good food and behold dear objects and his race becomes one with vedic glory, who worships vaisvanara as the wind. But if you hadnt come to me you would have stopped breathing.

Saarkaraasya said he worshipped the soul in sky -that soul you adore the sky is the multiformed [bahula] manifestation of the universal soul, it is the trunk of that soul. you are full of wealth and tenants. he eats well, beholds dear objects and his race becomes possesed with vedic glory, who worships the vaisvanara as the sky. but if you hadnt come to me your trunk would have dried up.

Budila Aasvataraasvi said he offered his adorations to the soul in water. -that soul you adore water is the wealth of the universal soul, the water is the pelvics of the universal soul. you are wealthy and healthy. so you eat well, have cool things and your racegets vedic glorywho adores vaisvanara as water. But if you hadnt come to me your body would have been halved and your pelvis come off.

Uddakala Aarni said he offered his adorations to the earth -that soul you adore, the earth are the feet of the universal soul. So you have a family thats well established. you eat well, have cool things and your racegets vedic glorywho adores vaisvanara as the earth, but if you hadnt come to me your feet would have become dysfunctional

You all eat food thinking that the universal soul is many. But he who knowing offers adorations to the universal soul (that that is the object indicated by the pronoun I everywhere, that fire which pervades the heaven and earth - that that is the soul of creation), eats food everywhere in all places in every form through every faculty.
Of that universal soul's all pervading form, the heavens are its head the sun the eye, wind the breath, sky trhe trunk, the moon its fundament? and the earth are the feet.
The alter is his breast the sacrificial grass are the bodily hairs , the household (garhapatya) fires are his heart, the anvaahaarya-pacana fires are his mind, and the aahavaniya fires his face.
[when food is brought in front of practitioners, even these days, there are 5 oblations one performs, by first sipping watter by the palm of the hand and then eating morsels of ghee+rice with the thumb and middle fingers, 5 times, each time muttering "pranaya svaha, apanaya svaha, etc"]

Pranaya Svaha: life is satisfied. By the satisfaction of life, vision is satisfied. -> Sun -> heavens -> whatever that depends on the sun and the heaves -> through this satisfaction satisfaction with descendants,cattle,food and glory are achieved.

2nd oblation: Vyanaya Svaha: Vyana is satisfied. By the satisfaction of vyana audition is satisfied. Audition-> moon -> quarters -> whatever that depends on the moon and quarters -> ...

3rd Oblation: Apanaya Svaha: Apana is satisfied -> speech -> fire -> earth -> all that depends on fire and earth -> ... [the order of 2nd and 3rd were reversed the way I was instructed]

4th Oblation:Samanaaya Svaha: Samaana > mind ->cloud -> lightning -> all that depends on lightning and cloud -? ...

5thL Udaana: -> wind -> sky -> all tha depends on wind and sky

Fire sacrifices have no effect unless this is understood. On the otherhand if one knows this his sacrifices work for him. As is common with hungry kids that lookup up to their moms for food, all creatures look up to the fire sacrifice., they all look up to the fire sacrifice agnihotra.

[hOMe] Touched: Sat Aug 8 16:08:49 1998