

The Upanishads, Part 2 (SBE15), by Max Müller, [1879], at sacred-texts.com

Note by Redactor

For reasons of Victorian modesty, Müller left certain aspects of the Brihadâranyaka Upanishad, VI, 4, untranslated. This is because this particular Brâhmana has passages which discuss aspects of Vedic era sex magic. To fill in the gap, I have appended a 1921 translation of the same Brâhmana. This is from the translation of Robert Ernest Hume, and includes English translations of the passages Müller left untranslated. Note that Hume uses a slightly different transcription method for Sanskrit than the SBE system.--J. B. Hare.

Brihadâranyaka Upanishad

Translated by Robert Ernest Hume

Oxford University Press

[1921]

p. 168hume

SIXTH ADHYÂYA

FOURTH BRÂHMAṄA

Incantations and ceremonies for procreation

1. Verily, of created things here earth is the essence; of earth, water; of water, plants; of plants, flowers; of flowers, fruits; of fruits, man (puru s a); of man, semen.

2. Prajâpati ('Lord of creatures') bethought himself: 'Come, let me provide him a firm basis!' So he created woman. When he had created her, he revered her below.--Therefore one should revere woman below.--He stretched out for himself that stone which projects. With that he impregnated her.

3. Her lap is a sacrificial altar; her hairs, the sacrificial grass; her skin, the soma-press. The two labia of the vulva are the fire in the middle. Verily, indeed, as great as is the world of him who sacrifices with the Vâjapeya ('Strength-libation') sacrifice, so great is the world of him who practises sexual intercourse, knowing this; he turns the good deeds of women to himself. But he who practises sexual intercourse without knowing this-women turn his good deeds unto themselves.

4. This, verily, indeed, it was that Uddâlaka Âruṅi knew when he said:--

This, verily, indeed, it was that Nâka Maudgalya knew when he said:--

This, verily, indeed, it was that Kumârahârita knew when he said: 'Many mortal men, Brahmans by descent, go forth from this world, impotent and devoid of merit, namely those who practise sexual intercourse without knowing this.'

[If] even this much 1 semen is spilled, whether of one asleep or of one awake, [5] then he should touch it, or [without touching] repeat:--

'What semen has of mine to earth been spilt now,

Whate'er to herb has flowed, whate'er to water--

This very semen I reclaim!

Again to me let vigor come!

Again, my strength; again, my glow!

Again the altars and the fire

Be found in their accustomed place!'

p. 169hume

Having spoken thus, he should take it with ring-finger and thumb, and rub it on between his breasts or his eye-brows.

6. Now, if one should see himself in water, he should recite over it the formula: 'In me be vigor, power, beauty, wealth, merit!'

This, verily, indeed, is loveliness among women: when she has removed the clothes of her impurity. Therefore when she has removed the clothes of her impurity and is beautiful, one should approach and invite her.

7. If she should not grant him his desire, he should bribe her. If she still does not grant him his desire, he should hit her with a stick or with his hand, and overcome her, saying: 'With power, with glory I take away your glory!' Thus she becomes inglorious.

8. If she should yield to him, he says: 'With power, with glory I give you glory!' Thus they two become glorious.

9. The woman whom one may desire with the thought, 'May she enjoy love with me!'--after inserting the member in her, joining mouth with mouth, and stroking her lap, he should mutter:--

'Thou that from every limb art come,

That from the heart art generate,

Thou art the essence of the limbs!

Distract this woman here in me,

As if by poisoned arrow pierced!'

10. Now, the woman whom one may desire with the thought, 'May she not conceive offspring!'--after inserting the member in her and joining mouth with mouth, he should first inhale, then exhale, and say: 'With power, with semen, I reclaim the semen from you!' Thus she comes to be without seed.

12. Now, the woman whom one may desire with the thought, 'May she conceive!'--after inserting the member in her and joining mouth with mouth, he should first exhale, then inhale, and say: 'With power, with semen, I deposit semen in you!' Thus she becomes pregnant.

12. Now, if one's wife have a paramour, and he hate him, let him put fire in an unannealed vessel, spread out a row of reed arrows in inverse order, and therein sacrifice in inverse

p. 170hume

order those reed arrows, their heads smeared with ghee, saying:--

'You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your in-breath and out-breath (prâṅâpânau)--you, so-and-so!

You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your sons and cattle 1 --you, so-and-so!

You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your sacrifices and meritorious deeds 1 --you, so-and-so!

You have made a libation in my fire! I take away your hope and expectation 1 --you, so-and-so!'

Verily, he whom a Brahman who knows this curses--he departs from this world impotent and devoid of merit. Therefore one should not desire dalliance with the spouse of a person learned in sacred lore (s'rotriya) who knows this, for indeed he who knows this becomes superior. 2

13. Now, when the monthly sickness comes upon anyone's wife, for three days she should not drink from a metal cup, nor put on fresh clothes. Neither a low-caste man nor a low-caste woman should touch her. At the end of the three nights she should bathe and should have rice threshed.

14. In case one wishes, 'That a white son be born to me! that he be able to repeat a Veda! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice cooked with milk and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him].

15. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a tawny son with reddish-brown eyes be born to me! that he be able to recite two Vedas! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice cooked with sour milk and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him].

16. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a swarthy son with red eyes be born to me! that he be able to repeat three Vedas! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice boiled with water and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him].

p. 171hume

17. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a learned (pa nd ita) daughter be born to me! that she attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice boiled with sesame and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [her].

A. Now, in case one wishes, 'That a son, learned, famed, a frequenter of council-assemblies, a speaker of discourse desired to be heard, be born to me! that he be able to repeat all the Vedas! that he attain the full length of life!'--they two should have rice boiled with meat and should eat it prepared with ghee. They two are likely to beget [him], with meat, either veal or beef.

19. Now, toward morning, having prepared melted butter in the manner of the Sthâlîpâka, 1 he takes of the Sthâlîpâka and makes a libation, saying: 'To Agni, hail! To Anumati, 2 hail! To the god Savitri ('Enlivener,' the Sun), whose is true procreation 3 (satya-prasava), hail!' Having made the libation, he takes and eats, Having eaten, he offers to the other [i.e. to her]. Having washed his hands, he fills a vessel with water and therewith sprinkles her thrice, saying:--

'Arise from hence, Vis'vavasu! 4

Some other choicer maiden seek!

This wife together with her lord ----' 5

20. Then he comes to her and says:--

'This man (ama) am I; that woman (sâ), thou!

That woman, thou; this man am I!

I am the Sâman; thou, the Rig!

I am the heaven; thou, the earth!

Come, let us two together clasp!

Together let us semen mix,

A male, a son for to procure!'

p. 172hume

21. Then he spreads apart her thighs, saying: 'Spread yourselves apart, heaven and earth!' Inserting the member in her and joining mouth with mouth, he strokes her three times as the hair lies, saying:--

'Let Vishṅu make the womb prepared!

Let Tyash tr i shape the various forms!

Prajâpati--let him pour in!

Let Dhât r i place the germ for thee!

O Sinîvâlî, give the germ;

O give the germ, thou broad-tressed dame!

Let the Twin Gods implace thy germ--

The Asvins, crowned with lotus-wreaths!

22. With twain attrition-sticks of gold

The As'vin Twins twirl forth a flame;

'Tis such a germ we beg for thee,

In the tenth month to be brought forth. 1

As earth contains the germ of Fire (agni),

As heaven is pregnant with the Storm (indra),

As of the points the Wind (vâyu) is germ,

E'en so a germ I place in thee,

So-and-so!'

23. When she is about to bring forth, he sprinkles her with water, saying.--

Like as the wind doth agitate

A lotus-pond on every side,

So also let thy fetus stir.

Let it come with its chorion.

This fold of Indra's has been made

With barricade enclosed around.

O Indra, cause him to come forth--

The after-birth along with babe!' 2

24. When [the son] is born, he [i. e. the father] builds up a fire, places him on his lap, mingles ghee and coagulated milk in a metal dish, and makes an oblation, ladling out of the mingled ghee and coagulated milk, and saying-

p. 173hume

'In this son may I be increased,

And have a thousand in mine house!

May nothing rob his retinue

Of offspring or of animals!

Hail!

The vital powers (prâ n a) which are in me, my mind, I offer in you.

Hail!

What in this rite I overdid,

Or what I have here scanty made--

Let Agni, wise, the Prosperer,

Make fit and good our sacrifice!

Hail!'

25. Then he draws down to the child's right ear and says 'Speech! Speech!' three times. Then he mingles coagulated milk, honey, and ghee and feeds [his son] out of a gold [spoon] which is not placed within [the mouth], 1 saying: 'I place in you Bhûr! I place in you Bhuvas! I place in you Svar! Bhûr, Bhuvas, Svar---everything 2 I place in you!'

26. Then he gives him a name, saying: 'You are Veda.' 3 So this becomes his secret name. 4

27. Then he presents him to the mother and offers the breast, saying:--

'Thy breast which is unfailing and refreshing,

Wealth-bearer, treasure-finder, rich bestower,

With which thou nourishest all things esteeméd--

Give it here, O Sarasvatî, to suck from. 5 '

28. Then he addresses the child's mother:--

'You are I l â, 6 of the lineage of Mitra and Varuṅa!

O heroine! She has borne a hero!' 7

Continue to be such a woman abounding in heroes--

She who has made us abound in a hero!'

p. 174hume

Of such a son, verily, they say: 'Ah, you have gone beyond your father! Ah, you have gone beyond your grandfather!'

Ah, he reaches the highest pinnacle of splendor, glory, and sacred knowledge who is born as the son of a Brahman who knows this!

Footnotes

168hume:1 Deictically used.

170hume:1 These same items recur (though not altogether verbatim) in Ka t ha I. 9 as possessions of which an offender is to be deprived by an offended Brahman.

170hume:2 This prohibition recurs verbatim in Pâraskara G r ihya Sûtras I. 11. 6; the last phrase also in S'at. Br. 1. 6. 1. 18.

171hume:1 'Pot-of-cooked-food,' one of the prescribed forms of oblation, namely a mess of barley or rice cooked with milk.

171hume:2 Originally and in general, the feminine personification of 'Divine Favor,' as in RV. 10. 59. 6; 10. 167. 3; VS. 34. 8, 9; AV. 1. 18. 2; 5. 7. 4; S'at. Br. 5. 2. 3. 2, 4. Specifically invoked, as here, to favor procreation at AV. 6. 131. 2; 7. 20 (21). 2. In the ritual, associated with the day of the full moon, Ait. Br. 7. 11.

171hume:3 Such is the meaning especially applicable in this context. Elsewhere, e. g. VS. 10. 28; S'at. Br. 5. 3. 3. 2; 13. 4. 2. 12, this epithet of Savit r i is usually taken as from another √sû, with the meaning 'whose is true impelling.'

171hume:4 A lecherous demon.

171hume:5 A loose quotation of RV. 10. 85. 22 a, c, d.

172hume:1 The above three quatrains are a loose quotation of the hymn RV. 10. 184. The first quatrain occurs also at AV. 5. 25. 5; the second (with slight alterations) at AV. 5. 25. 3.

172hume:2 Compare with this the invocation for successful parturition at RV. 5. 78. 7-8.

173hume:1 See the similar directions at Mânava-Dharma-S'âstra 2. 29.

173hume:2 Interpreted by the commentators as earth, atmosphere, and heaven, i.e. the world-all; or as Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Sâma-Veda, i.e. all knowledge.

173hume:3 Possibly with an added connotation, as vedo may be the nominative form also of vedas, 'property, wealth.'

173hume:4 in later works this sacred ceremony of naming is found considerably elaborated. See Âsvalâyana G r ihya Sûtras 1. 15. 3-8; Pâraskara G r ihya Sûtras 1. 17-1-4; Gobhila Grihya Sûtras 2. 8. 14-17; and Mânava-Dharma-S'âstra 2. 30-33.

173hume:5 RV. 1. 164. 49 with lines b and c transposed.

173hume:6 Or I d â, goddess of refreshment in the Rig-Veda.

173hume:7 Or, 'To a hero she has home a hero.'