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SHWETASHWATARA UPANISHAD
chapter four
1. The One was without form and hue; and He, by Yoga of His own might, became manifold; He weareth many forms and hues, but hath no object nor interest therein; God into Whom all the universe breaketh up and departeth at the end of all and He alone was in the beginning. May He yoke us with a bright and gracious understanding.
2. God is fire that burneth and the Sun in heaven and the Wind that bloweth: He too is the Moon. His is the seed and Brahma and the waters and He is Prajapati, the Father of his peoples.
3. Thou art woman and Thou art man also; Thou art the boy, or else Thou art the young virgin, and Thou art yonder worn and aged man that walkest bending upon a staff. Lo, Thou becomest born and the universe groweth full of Thy faces.
4. Thou art the blue bird and the green and the scarlet-eyed; Thou art the womb of Lightning and the Seasons and the Oceans. Spirit without beginning, because Thou hast Page – 367 poured thyself manifoldly into all forms, therefore the worlds have being.
5. There is one Unborn Mother; she is white, she is black, she is blood-red of hue; having taken shape, lo, how she giveth birth to many kinds of creatures; for One of the two Unborn taketh delight in her and lieth with her, but the Other hath exhausted all her sweets and casteth her from him.
6. They are two birds that cling to one common tree; beautiful of plumage, yoke-fellows are they, eternal companions; and one of them eateth the delicious fruit of the tree and the Other eateth not, but watcheth His fellow.
7. Man is the bird that dwelleth on one common tree with God, but he is lost in its sweetness and the slave of its sweetness and loseth hold of God; therefore he hath grief, therefore he is bewildered. But when he seeth that other bird who is God, then he knoweth that nothing is but God’s greatness, and his grief passeth away from him.
8. In that highest and undying Heaven where all the Gods have taken their session, there are the verses of the Rig-veda; and he who knoweth not its abiding place, how shall the Rig-veda help him? They who know it, lo! they are here, they have their firm seat for ever. Page – 368
9. Holiness and sacrifices and vows and all offerings and what was and what shall be and what the Vedas tell of, all this is the stuff whence the Lord of the Illusion fashioneth for Himself his various Universe, and in them, as with a wall, that Other by His Illusion is prisoned and fettered.
10. Know Nature for the Illusion and Maheshwara, the Almighty, for the Lord of the Illusion: this whole moving world is filled in with created things as with His members.
11. He being One entereth upon womb and womb, in Him all this manifest world cometh together and breaketh up again, lo, the Master, the Giver, the Lord Adorable: whom having increased within himself man goeth to unutterable peace.
12. He is the birth of their Gods and He is their passing, Master of the Universe, Rudra, the mighty Seer, He beheld Hiranyagarbha shaping: may He yoke us with a bright and gracious understanding.
13. The Master and King of the Gods, in Him the worlds have their abiding place; He lordeth over the two-footed and the four-footed creature. For what God shall we order the offering? Page – 369
14. Finer beyond fineness. He hath hidden him in the midmost of this hustling chaos. He hath created this universe by taking many figures and as the One He encompasseth it around and girdeth it;¹ having known Shiva, the Blessed One, man goeth to unutterable peace.
15. He protecteth His World in its allotted season, yea, the Master of the Universe watcheth hidden in all his creatures: by Yoga, in Him the holy sages and the Gods knew and tore asunder Death and his meshes.
16. As the rare and fine cream in clarified butter, and it is richer than the butter, so Shiva the Blessed One hath hidden Him in every one of all His creatures; but as the One He encompasseth this whole world and girdeth it around. Know God and thou breakest every bondage.
17. This God, the Great Soul, the World-Builder, sitteth for ever in the heart of his peoples; and with the heart and with the mind and with the understanding the soul envisageth Him. They who know this are the immortals.
18. When darkness is not and day dawneth not nor night
¹Alternative version: Encompasser of the Universe, One and Single; Page – 370 cometh, nor reality nor unreality, but all is Shiva, the Blessed One pure and absolute, that verily is the Imperishable and the Sun, more glorious than Savita and from Him Wisdom, the Ancient Goddess, was poured in the beginning.¹
19. Not on high have any laid hold of Him, nor shalt thou take Him on the level nor seize Him; but lo. He hath no likeness nor image, whose glory verily is great among the nations.
20. The Eternal hath not form that He should stand in the dominion of the Eye, neither by vision doth any man behold Him but with heart and mind who truly know This which is in the heart, they became deathless.
21. Knowing Thee unborn, one cometh to Thee and his heart is full of fear. 0 Rudra, 0 thou Terrible, Thou hast that other kind and smiling face, with that sweet smile protect me.
22. O Rudra, smite not our sons nor our little children, nor our lives nor our horses nor our cattle; slay not our heroes in thy wrath, O Terrible One; lo, we come with offerings in our hands and call Thee in the assembly of the people.
¹Alternative version: When darkness is forgotten, yet it is not day, nor night, and there is no real and no unreal but all is absolute, Shiva, the Blessed One, then indeed it is the imperishableness of God and a Sun more glorious than Helios; from this Wisdom came forth, the ancient of the universe. Page – 371 chapter five
1. Both of these in the Transcendent, the Knowledge and the Ignorance, yea, both have their hidden being in the Eternal and Infinite and are set in it for ever. But of these Ignorance dieth and Knowledge liveth for ever and he who is master of both is other than they.
2. He being One entereth upon womb and womb, yea, upon all forms of being and upon all wombs of creatures; He in the beginning filled with (all) kinds of knowledge, Kapila, the Seer of old when he was born from his mother, yea, he saw Kapila in his shaping.¹
3. God weaveth Him one net or He weaveth Him another and He maketh it of manifold meshes and casteth it abroad in this field of the body; then He draweth it in again. Also he created Yatis, great Seekers, and thus the Mighty Mind, wieldeth, the sceptre of his universal Lordship.²
¹Alternative version: This was He that of old filled with many sorts of Knowledge, Kapila, the seer, after his mother bore him; yea. He saw Kapila shaping. ²Alternative version: and thus the Mighty Mind, the Master, exereiseth the sovereignty over all this creation. Page – 372
4. Lo, the sun riseth and driveth the world’s wain, then he blazeth illumining all the regions and above and below and the level grow one lustre, even so, this glorious and shining God, being One, entereth upon various natures of wombs and ruleth over them.
5. For He who is the Womb of the World, He bringeth each nature to its perfection and all those that are yet to be perfected He matureth. He indwelleth and presideth over all this His world and settleth all the modes of Nature to their workings.
6. This is that secret mystery which is hidden in the Upanishads, for the Upanishad is the secret of the Veda; this is that which Brahma knoweth for the Womb of the Eternal. And the older Gods and the sages who knew of This, became This and were immortal.
7. One who is the maker of works and their fruits, because the mood-stuffs of Nature cleave to Him, He also reapeth from all work that He hath done and the World is His shape and the stuff of His working is threefold and three are the paths of His travel.¹ Lo, the Master of Life, by the momentum of his own works He moveth in the centuries.
¹Alternative version: There is One who maketh works and their fruits to them, for the moods of Nature cleave to Him; this is He that enjoyeth the works He hath done; and the World is His body and He hath three modes of His natures and the roads of His travel are likewise three. Page – 373
8. His size is as the size of a man’s thumb, but His aspect as the Sun in its glory; and He hath Volition and He hath Personality. But there is another whom we see by virtue of the Understanding and by virtue of the Spirit, for the point of a cobbler’s awl is not finer to vision.
9. Take thou the hundredth part of the point of a hair, divide it into a hundred parts again; then as is a part of that hundredth part of a hundredth, such shalt thou find this Spirit in man, if thou seek to separate Him; yet it is this in thee that availeth towards Infinity.
10. Not woman is He, nor man either, not yet sexless; but whatsoever body He take, that confineth and preserveth Him.
11. By the allurements of sight, by the witcheries of touch, by the magic of volition, as body is born and groweth by food and drink and plenty, so also the Spirit in body progressively attaineth to successive forms in their fit places by the allurements etc.; according to His works He progresseth and His forms shape themselves to His works.
12. Forms gross and forms subtle, forms many, — the Spirit in Page – 374 the body evolveth them all by His own nature in its working; by the law of action of His works and the law of action of the Spirit in man, by these He evolveth them. But there is Another in whom we behold Cause whereby all these meet together.¹
13. Without beginning, without end, in the welter and the chaos, who createth the world by taking many figures, and as the One girdeth and encompasseth it. He is the Lord and if thou know Him, thou shalt break free from all kinds of bondage.
14. Shiva, the Master of all becomings and not-becomings and from Him this whole creation floweth and it is only one part of Shiva; but He is not named after any nest of the winged Spirit, and the heart alone can apprehend Him. They who know Shiva, the Blessed One, abandon body for ever.
¹Alternative version: there is yet Another in whom we see the cause wherefore all these stand as one whole and have met together. Page – 375 chapter Six
1. ‘Tis Nature and Self-existence, say one school of the seers. Nay, ’tis Time, say another; both are deceived and bewildered. "Tis the Majesty of the Lord in the world of His creatures whereby this Wheel of the Eternal whirleth about continually.
2. He envelopeth this whole Universe with Himself for ever, He that knoweth. Maker of Time, and the Modes of Nature dwell in Him; yea, all things He discerneth. And by His governance the law of Works revolveth in its cycle; earth, water, fire, air, ether, of these thou shalt consider (as the substance wherein it turneth).
3. The Lord doeth works and resteth again from His works, He yoketh Himself with the principle of things in their essence be it one or two or three or eight and with Time He yoketh Himself, and with the Self in its subtle workings.
4. So He beginneth works that are subject to the Modes of Nature and setteth all existences to their workings: and when these things are not, thereby cometh annihilation of work that hath been done; and with the perishing of work, Page – 376 He departeth out of them; for in His final truth He is other than they.
5. We see Him to be the beginning, the Informing Cause whereby all standeth together; He dwelleth above and beyond the past, the present and the future and Time hath no part in him. Worship ye the Adorable whose shape is the whole universe and who hath become in the Universe, worship ye the Lord, the Ancient of Days in your own hearts who sitteth.¹
6. He is other than Time and Form and the Tree of the Cosmos and He is greater than they, from Whom this world of phenomena becometh and revolveth. Know ye the Master of Grace who bringeth virtue and driveth away sin. He dwelleth in the Spirit of man, the Immortal in whom all things have their home and dwelling-place.²
7. Him may we know, the Highest, Prince of Princes and King of Kings, the summit and Godhead of the Gods. The High Lord over lords above all highness; the Master of the
¹Alternative version: Lo we have beheld Him and He is the Beginning and the Cause of all causes whereby these elements meet together and form ariseth; the past, the present and the future are this side of Him. Time hath no part in Him. Let us worship the Ancient of Days, for in our own hearts He sitteth. Let us wait upon God who must be adored, for the world is His shape and the universe is but His becoming. ²Alternative version: Time and Form and the Tree of Things, none of these is He for He is more than they — and it is from Him that this cosmos beginneth. We will know this Master of grace and glory. He cometh to us carrying righteousness in His hands and driveth sin from the strong places. We will know Him for He is in our self and Immortal and the world’s foundation. Page – 377 worlds whom we must worship.¹
8. He hath nought that He must do nor any organ of His doing; there is none like Him seeing nor any greater. His might is over all and we hear of it in diverse fashions.² Lo, His strength and the works of Him and His knowledge, they are self-efficient and their own cause and nature.
9. He hath no master in all this world, there is none that shall rule over Him. Verily, He hath no mark nor feature,³ for He is the begetting cause and sovereign over the lords of these natural organs, but Himself hath no begetter neither any sovereign.4
10. As the spider fashioneth his web and its threads are from his own body, so the One God than whom nought else existeth wrapt Himself from sight in the web born of eternal matter. May He ordain to us departure into the eternal.5
¹Alternative version: We will know this Mightiest One who is far above all the mighty, — this Summit of the Gods and their Godhead, King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who towereth high above all summits and greatnesses. Let us learn of the Lord for He is the World’s Master and all shall adore Him. ²Alternative version: God needeth not to do anything neither hath He any organ of doing; there is none greater than He nor do we see any that is His equal — for His power is far over all, only men hear of it under a thousand names and various fashions…. ³Alternative version: Nor feature nor distinction He hath; 4 Alternative version: there is none that is His father or sovereign. 5 Alternative version: Even as is the spider that out of Himself fashioneth his own web, so is God One and nought else existeth but by His own nature covereth Himself up with the threads He hath spun out of primal matter. May the One God ordain unto us departure into His eternal. Page – 378
11. One God alone is hidden in all creatures; for He pervadeth all things and is the inner Self of all beings, Master of their works and home of all that liveth, the great Witness, the Well of conscious life. Absolute, without qualities.¹
12. One God and alone He controlleth the many who have themselves no separate work nor purpose; and He developeth one seed into many kinds of creatures; therefore the strong who behold Him in their own self where He sitteth, for them is the bliss that endureth for ever, and not for others.²
13. One Eternal of all those that pass and are not. One Conscious in all consciousness. He being One ordereth the desires of many; He alone is the great Source to which Sankhya and Yoga bring us, if thou know God thou shalt break free from every sort of bondage.
14. There the Sun cannot shine and the moon has no splendour;
¹Alternative version: One God who alone is and He lurketh hidden in every creature, for He pervadeth and is the inmost Self of all beings. And he presideth over all work and is the home of all things living. He is the Mighty Witness who relateth thought with thought and again He is the Absolute in whom mood is not nor any attribute. ²Alternative version: The strong-hearted behold God in their own self, therefore for them is everlasting bliss and not for others. Page – 379 the stars are blind; there our lightnings flash not neither any earthly fire; all that is bright is but the shadow of His brightness and by His shining all this shineth.
15. One Swan of Being in the heart of all this Universe and He is Fire that lieth deep in the heart of water. By this Knowledge the soul passeth beyond the pursuit of Death and there is no other road for the great passage.
16. He hath made all and knoweth all, for He is the womb out of which Self ariseth, and being possessed of the Nature Moods He becometh Time. There is eternal Matter and there is the Spirit within that knoweth his field in Matter; He is Lord of both, He ruleth over the Modes of Nature. The world and deliverance out of the world and the endurance of things and the bonds of their endurance, of all these He is the One Cause and reason.¹
17. He is purely Himself, for He is the Immortal manifested in the Mighty One, the Knower who reacheth everywhere and guardeth this cosmos,² yea. He ruleth all this moving
¹Alternative version: And Matter is subject to Him, and the Spirit in Man that cogniseth His field of matter and the modes of Nature are His servants. He ruleth Nature and her workings. He therefore is the cause of the coming into phenomena and of the release from phenomena — and because of Him is their endurance and because of Him is their bondage. ²Alternative version: Lo, He is Immortal because He is utter existence; but He houseth Himself in the Lord and becometh the Knower, the Omnipresent that standeth on guard over this His universe. Page – 380 world for ever and for ever, and there is no other source of greatness and lordship.
18. He ordained Brahma the Creator from of old and sent forth unto Him the Veda, I will make haste unto God who standeth self-revealed in the spirit and in the understanding. I will take refuge in the Lord for my salvation.¹
19. Without part, without act, utterly tranquil and faultless and stainless, therefore is He the one great bridge that carrieth us over to Immortality even as when a fire hath burnt up its fuel.
20. When the sons of men shall fold up ether like a skin and wrap the heavens round them like a garment, then alone, without knowledge of the Lord, our God, shall the misery of the world have an ending.
21. By the might of his devotion and the grace of God, by the energy in his being Shwetashwatara hereafter knew the Eternal and he came to the renouncers of the worldly life and truly declared unto them the Most High and Pure God to whom the companies of seers resort for ever.
¹Alternative version’. To Him who ordained Brahma of old and sent forth unto him the Veda, God in whom the understanding of the Self findeth illumination, I desiring liberation make haste for refuge. Page – 381
22. This is the great secret of the Vedanta which was declared in a former time, not on hearts untranquilled to be squandered nor on men soulless nor on one who hath no disciples.¹
23. But whosoever hath the supreme love and adoration for the Lord and as for the Lord, likewise for the Master, to him these great matters, when they are told, become clear of themselves, yea, to the Great Soul of him they are manifest.
¹Alternative version: thou shalt not bestow it on a soul untranquillised nor on the soulless man nor on one who hath no disciple. Page – 382
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