Bhardvaja, Satyakama, Gargya, Ashvalayana, Vaidharbhi and Katyayana, all of whom were firmly established in the faith, sought
for knowledge of the eternal
spirit (god).
Believing that the sage Pippalada could enlighten them, they approached him as mere pupils. The sage told them to stay on for another year practicing the faith, after which they would be free to ask whatever questions they wanted, and he would reply to the best of his ability. A year passed…
Katyayana approached the sage, and asked him from what place or source are living beings born? The sage
replied that when the lord of beings desires it, when matter and spirit come together, living beings are born. Aditya (the sun) is the home of the spirits, matter is the province of the moon.
Then Vaidharbhi asked the sage what are the elements that sustain the being that has been created, and which is the most important of them? The sage replied that the five elements (earth, wind, water, fire, ether), speech, mind and the senses sustain the being, but the breath of life (the life spirit) is the most important because when the breath of life goes out of a living being, all the other elements also go out.
Then Ashvalayana asked the sage from what place or source is the life spirit born? How does it come into the body? How does it abide there? How does it go out? The sage replied that the life spirit is born of the eternal spirit (god / supreme soul). The life spirit enters the body by means of the mind. Good works lead to good worlds, bad works lead to bad worlds, and a mixture leads to the world of men. When the breathe goes out of the body, the life spirit leaves the world of matter behind.
Then Gargya asked the sage what is the power that sleeps in man, what is the power that wakes in him? What is the power that sees dreams? And upon what does it all depend? The sage replied that when the sun sets, the senses are gathered in the mind and people say that a man sleeps. But the life spirit is awake in the body. It is the mind that enjoys sleep, it is the mind that dreams. What has been seen, the mind sees again; what has been heard, the mind hears again; what has been enjoyed, the mind enjoys again. As birds go to a tree to roost, thus (during sleep) the mind rests in the supreme soul.
Then Satyakama asked the sage that if man were to meditate upon the symbol aum, what would he obtain by it? The sage replied that he enjoys greatness in the world of men upon this earth, he enjoys greatness of mind, and he is freed from sin (from the consequences of his acts). By recitation of the syllable aum, he gains freedom from decay and death.
Then Bhardvaj asked the sage who or what is that person of many parts? The sage replied that the person is here within the body, he who is made up of many parts. As the flowing rivers, having reached the ocean vanish into it, their names and forms forgotten; the many parts merge into the person, their names and forms forgotten. And people speak of the person only, and he becomes one without parts.