From Chhandogya Upanishad

Do you know from what place men go from here?

Do you know how they return here again?

What are two paths through which soul ascends?

Do you know why that world never overflows?

Why in the fifth libation is water made Man?

King Pravahana Gaivali asked

Brahmin boy Svetaketu Aruneya in the court.

None of the questions could he answer.

The Shatrika tells the Brahmin thus:

The altar is cosmos, where the fuel is sun,

From where arose the moon.

The altar is clouds, where the fuel is air,

From where rises rain.

The altar is the earth, where the fuel is time(year),

From which rises food. (crop)

The Altar is man, where the fuel is speech,

From where rises semen (water)

The altar is woman, where the fuel is sex,

From where forms foetus.

(Water in fifth oblation is called man)

The germ in the womb in ten months comes.

On death it goes to fire, whence it came.

Two paths through which soul ascends

Are Devayana and Pitrayana.

Through Devayana, those who enters Vanaprastha,

and know truth, go to heaven never to return.

Through Pitrayana, those who do rituals, service

And sacrifice,  go to forefathers and return.

Tat Tvam Asi is the chant of Chhandogya:

Each of us comes from and are that Shelf,

The Atman, nothing less.

.

The first oblation to Prana (up-breathing)

The second oblation to Vyana (back-breathing)

The third oblation to Apana (down-breathing)

The fourth oblation to Samana (on-breathing)

The fifth oblation to Udana (out-breathing)

21.07.2016