The gods (the righteous ones) and the asuras (the passionate ones) were both the progeny of the Creator – the gods were the younger, the asuras were the elder. The gods sought to overcome the asuras by means of sacrifices. Controlling the vital breath – the breath of life - by means of Yoga, the gods rose and the asuras fell.
The Creator was one – he became many. It does not matter whether sacrifices are offered to this god or to that god, because the various gods are only manifestations of the one and only Creator. A person who offers sacrifices lives among the gods, a person who recites sacred hymns lives among the seers, a person who obtains offspring (to continue the family line) lives among the ancestors, and a person who gives food and shelter lives among his fellow men.
This Universe is nothing but matter and energy (that which consumes matter). In it, all beings are differentiated by means of name and form, and defined by their work or actions. According to Yajnavalkya, a man becomes good by good works, and bad by bad works.
Of the eternal spirit, they say that it is above the heavens, beneath the earth, embraces both heaven and earth, and is woven into the fabric of space. Of the eternal spirit, they say that it is the past, the present and the future, that it is eternal and not subject to decay. Due to the eternal spirit the rivers flow, the months and the seasons follow their courses, and the men and the gods follow the laws of sacrifice and charity.
On birth (on entering a body), the person acquires desires of the flesh. On death (on leaving the body), the person leaves the desires of the flesh behind. Hindus believe that the soul of the person who remains attached to desires is subject to transmigration, while the soul of the person who is freed from desire attains immortality. This explains the importance attached by Hindus to the practice of austerities.
The gods, the asuras and men came to receive instructions from the Creator. The Creator told the gods to practice self-control, the asuras to practice compassion, and the men to practice charity (as these were the qualities they were deficient in). Thus, self-control, compassion and charity are the cardinal virtues.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad forms part of the Yajur Veda.
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