According to his deeds, and according to his knowledge,
man is
born upon the earth. When he is born on the earth, the guru asks man – Who are you?
Man answers that from the home of the ancestors, a seed was brought to a mother to be born. And that he is a child of the seasons.
The guru is one who has knowledge of the
eternal spirit. Man replies that I am you.
When he departs from the earth, the eternal spirit asks man – Who are you?
Man answers that he is a child of the seasons, born from the womb of space.
The eternal spirit is the source of light, times past and present, all living beings, and all the elements. Man replies that what you are, so am I.
It is most beneficial for man that he should know the eternal spirit. Even if he commits a sin, no harm will come to him.
Prana (the
vital breath) is the same substance as the eternal spirit. This vital breath animates the mind, the
body and the senses. By means of this vital breath, a person gains
consciousness. Without this vital breath, speech cannot be understood, the ear does not hear sounds, and the eye does not perceive any forms. Without this vital breath, the hands and feet do not move.
When a person sleeps, consciousness withdraws from the body, and he becomes one with the vital breath. When he wakes, consciousness returns to the body, and he is once more the master of his house. When a person understands this, he conquers his vices and obtains sovereignty over himself.
The Kaushitaki
Upanishad is one of the two upanishads (the other being the Aitareya Upanishad) that form part of the Rig Veda. The Upanishads were first translated from the Sanskrit, more than a hundred years ago, by the German indologist Max-Muller.
More summaries about the Kaushitaki Upanishad