Savitri
A Legend and a Symbol

Chapter 6Taittiriya Upanishad: Bhrigu Valli

Book 7. Section Two - Complete Translations

Bhrigu Valli Hari OM. Together may He protect us, together may He possess us, together may we make unto us force & virility. May our reading be full of light and power. May we never hate. OM Peace! Peace! Peace!

Chapter I Bhrigu, Varouna’s son, came unto his father Varouna and said “Lord, teach me the Eternal.” And his father declared it unto him thus “Food and Prana and Eye and Ear and Mind — even these.” Verily he said unto him “Seek thou to know that from which these creatures are born, whereby being born they live and to which they go hence and enter again; for that is the Eternal.” And Bhrigu concentrated himself in thought and by the askesis of his brooding

Chapter II He knew food for the Eternal. For from food alone, it appeareth, are these creatures born and being born they live by food, and into food they depart and enter again. And when he had known this, he came again to Varouna his father and said “Lord, teach me the Eternal.” And his father said to him “By askesis do thou seek to know the Eternal, for concentration in thought is the Eternal.” He concentrated himself in thought and by the energy of his brooding

Chapter III

- He knew Prana for the Eternal. For from Prana alone, it ap-peareth, are these creatures born and being born they live by Prana and to Prana they go hence and return. And when he had known this, he came again to Varouna his father and said “Lord, teach me the Eternal.” But his father said to him “By askesis do thou seek to know the Eternal, for askesis in thought is the Eternal.” He concentrated himself in thought and by the energy of his brooding

Chapter IV

- He knew mind for the Eternal. For from mind alone, it ap-peareth, are these creatures born and being born they live by mind, and to mind they go hence and return. And when he had known this, he came again to Varouna his father and said “Lord, teach me the Eternal.” But his father said to him “By askesis do thou seek to know the Eternal, for concentration of force is the Eternal.” He concentrated himself in thought and by the energy of his brooding

Chapter V

- He knew Knowledge for the Eternal. For from Knowledge alone, it appeareth, are these creatures born and being born they live by Knowledge and to Knowledge they go hence and return. And when he had known this, he came again to Varouna his father and said “Lord, teach me the Eternal.” But his father said to him “By askesis do thou seek to know the Eternal, for concentration of force is the Eternal.” He concentrated himself in thought and by the energy of his brooding

Chapter VI

- He knew Bliss for the Eternal. For from Bliss alone, it appeareth, are these creatures born and being born they live by Bliss and to Bliss they go hence and return. This is the lore of Bhrigu, the lore of Varouna, which hath its firm base in the highest heaven.

Who knoweth, getteth his firm base, he becometh the master of food and its eater, great in progeny, great in cattle, great in the splendour of holiness, great in glory.

Chapter VII Thou shalt not blame food; for that is thy commandment unto labour. Verily Prana also is food, and the body is the eater. The body is established upon Prana and Prana is established upon the body. Therefore food here is established upon food. He who knoweth this food that is established upon food, getteth his firm base, he becometh the master of food and its eater, great in progeny, great in cattle, great in the radiance of holiness, great in glory.

Chapter VIII Thou shalt not reject food; for that too is the vow of thy labour. Verily the waters also are food, and the bright fire is the eater. The fire is established upon the waters and the waters are established upon the fires. Here too is food established upon food. He who knoweth this food that is established upon food, getteth his firm base, he becometh the master of food and its eater, great in progeny, great in cattle, great in the radiance of holiness, great in glory.

Chapter IX Thou shalt increase and amass food; for that too is thy commandment unto labour. Verily, earth also is food and ether is the eater. Ether is established upon earth and earth is established upon ether. Here too is food established upon food. He who knoweth this food that is established upon food, getteth his firm base. He becometh the master of food and its eater, great in progeny, great in cattle, great in the radiance of holiness, great in glory.

Chapter X

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- - Thou shalt not reject any man in thy habitation, for that too is thy commandment unto labour. Therefore in whatsoever sort do thou get thee great store of food. They say unto the stranger in their dwelling “Arise, the food is ready.” Was the food made ready at the beginning? To him also is food made ready in the beginning. Was the food made ready in the middle? To him also is food made ready in the middle. Was the food made ready at the end & last? To him also is the food made ready at the end and last, who hath this knowledge. As prosperity in speech, as getting & having in the main breath and the nether, as work in the hands, as movement in the feet, as discharge in the anus, these are the cognitions in the human. Then in the divine; as satisfaction in the rain, as force in the lightning, as splendour in the beasts, as brightness in the constellations, as procreation and bliss and death conquered in the organ of pleasure, as the All in Ether. Pursue thou Him as the firm foundation of things & thou shalt get thee firm foundation. Pursue Him as Mahas, thou shalt become Mighty; pursue Him as Mind, thou shalt become full of mind; pursue Him as adoration, thy desires shall bow down before thee; pursue Him as the Eternal, thou shalt become full of the Spirit; pursue Him as the destruction of the Eternal that rangeth abroad, thou shalt see thy rivals and thy haters perish thick around thee and thy kin who loved thee not. The Spirit who is here in man & the Spirit who is there in the Sun, lo, it is One Spirit and there is no other. He who hath this knowledge, when he goeth from this world having passed to the Self which is of food; having passed to the Self which is of Prana; having passed to the Self which is of Mind; having passed to the Self which is of Knowledge; having passed to the Self which is of Bliss, lo he rangeth about the worlds & eateth what he will and taketh what shape he will and ever he singeth the mighty Sama. “Ho! ho! ho! I am food! I am food! I am food! I am the eater of food! I am the eater! I am the eater! I am he who maketh Scripture! I am he who maketh! I am he who maketh! I am the firstborn of the Law; before the gods were, I am, yea at the very heart of immortality. He who giveth me, verily he preserveth me; for I being food, eat him that eateth. I have conquered the whole world and possessed it, my light is as the sun in its glory.” Thus he singeth, who hath the knowledge. This verily is Upanishad, the secret of the Veda.

Together may He protect us, together may He possess us, together may we make unto us strength and virility! May our study be full of light and power! May we never hate! OM Peace! Peace! Peace! Hari OM!