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The Upanishads: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: Part One Chapter II: The Process of Creation
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{4}
He desired: "Let a second self be born of Me," and He (Death or Hunger) brought about the union of speech with the mind. What was the seed there became the year. Prior to that there had been no year. He (Death) bore him (the year) for as long as a year and after that time projected him. Then, when he was born, Death opened His mouth to devour him. He (the child) cried: "Bhan!" and that, indeed, became speech.
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{5}
He thought: "If I kill him, I shall have but very little food,'' and through the union of that speech and that mind He brought forth all this, whatever there is: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda, the metres, the sacrifices, men and animals. Whatever He brought forth He resolved to eat. Verily, because He eats everything, therefore is Aditi (Death) called Aditi. He who knows why Aditi came to have this name of Aditi becomes the eater of everything and everything becomes his food.
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{6}
He desired: "Let me sacrifice again with the great sacrifice." He was tired and he practiced austerities. From Him thus fatigued and heated, His fame and vigour departed. The pranas (organs) are verily fame and vigour. When the pranas went out His body began to swell, but the mind was set on the body.
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{7}
He desired: "Let this body of Mine be fit for a sacrifice and let Me be embodied through this." Thinking thus, He entered the body. Because the body swelled (asvat), therefore it came to be called horse (asva). And because it became fit for sacrifice (medhya), therefore the Horse-sacrifice came to be known as Asvamedha. He who knows this verily knows the Horse-sacrifice. Prajapati, desiring again to sacrifice with the great sacrifice, imagined Himself as the horse and letting the horse remain free, He reflected on it. At the end of a year he sacrificed it to Himself and dispatched the other animals to the gods. Therefore priests even now sacrifice to Prajapati the sanctified horse dedicated to all the gods. Verily, the sun who shines yonder is the Horse-sacrifice. His body is the year. This earthly fire is the arka (sacrificial fire), whose limbs are these worlds. So these two, fire and the sun, are the arka and the Asvamedha (Horse-sacrifice). These two, again, become the same god, Death. He who knows this conquers further death; death cannot overcome him; death becomes his self; and he becomes one with these deities.
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The Upanishads: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: Part One Chapter III: The Prana: Its Glories and Redeeming Power
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{1}
There were two classes of Prajapati's sons: the gods (devas) and the demons (asuras). Naturally, the gods were few and the demons many. They struggled with one another for mastery of these worlds. Being overwhelmed by the demons, the gods said: "Well, let Us overcome the demons at the sacrifice (jyotishtoma) by means of the Udgitha."
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{2}
They said to the organ of speech: "Chant the Udgitha for us." "So be it," said speech and chanted for them. Whatever enjoyment common to all comes from the organ of speech, it secured for the gods by chanting, while the enjoyment derived from the fine utterance of the words it utilized for itself. Now, the demons knew that through this chanter the gods would overcome them. They charged at it (speech) and pierced it with evil. That evil is what is found today when one speaks improperly; that is that evil.
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{3}
Then they said to the organ of smell: "Chant the Udgitha for us." "So be it," said the organ and chanted for them. Whatever enjoyment common to all comes from the nose, it secured for the gods by chanting, while the enjoyment derived from fine smelling it utilized for itself. Now, the demons knew that through this chanter the gods would overcome them. They charged at it and pierced it with evil. That evil is what is found today when one smells improper things; that is that evil.
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{4}
Then they said to the organ of Seeing: "Chant the Udgitha for us." "So be it," said the organ and chanted for them. Whatever enjoyment common to all comes from the eye, it secured for the gods by chanting, while the enjoyment derived from fine seeing it utilized for itself. Now, the demons knew that through this chanter the gods would overcome them. They charged at it and pierced it with evil. That evil is what is found today when one sees improper things; that is that evil.
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{5}
Then they said to the organ of hearing: "Chant the Udgitha for us." "So be it," said the organ and chanted for them. Whatever enjoyment common to all comes from the ear, it secured for the gods by chanting, while the enjoyment derived from fine hearing it utilized for itself. Now, the demons knew that through this chanter the gods would overcome them. They charged at it and pierced it with evil. That evil is what is found today when one hears improper things; that is that evil.
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{6}
Then they said to the mind: "Chant the Udgitha for us." "So be it," said the mind and chanted for them. Whatever enjoyment common to all comes from the mind, it secured for the gods by chanting, while the enjoyment derived from fine thinking it utilized for itself. Now, the demons knew that through this chanter the gods would overcome them. They charged at it and pierced it with evil. That evil is what is found today when one thinks improperly; that is that evil. Likewise they also touched these other deities with evil-smote them with evil.
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{7}
Then they said to the vital breath in the mouth: "Chant the Udgitha for us." "So be it," said the vital breath and chanted for them. The demons knew that through this chanter the gods would overcome them. They charged at it, intending to pierce it with evil. But as a clod of earth, hitting a stone, is scattered, even so they were scattered in all directions, crushed, and completely destroyed. Thereupon the gods became established in their true selves and the demons perished. He who knows this becomes his true self, and his spiteful kinsman perishes.
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{8}
Then the organs said: "Where is that which joined us to our true selves?" After deliberation they discovered that it was here, within the mouth (asye). Hence the vital breath (prana) is called ayasya and also, because it is the essence (rasa) of the limbs (anga) of the body, angirasa.
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{9}
That deity is called "dur," because death is far (dur) from it. From him who knows this, death is far away.
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{10}
That deity took away death, the evil of these gods and carried it to where the end of the quarters is. There it deposited their evil. Therefore let no one go to a person of that region, or to the country beyond the border, lest he should meet there with evil, with death.
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{11}
That deity, after taking away the death-the evil-of the gods, carried them beyond death.
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{12}
First of all, it carried the organ of speech, which is the foremost organ. When the organ of speech was freed from death it became fire. That fire, having transcended death, shines beyond its reach.
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{13-15}
Then it carried the organ of smell. When it was freed from death it became air (Vayu). That air, having transcended death, blows beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of sight. When it was freed from death it became the sun (Surya). That sun, having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Then it carried the organ of hearing. When it was freed from death, it became the quarters (Disah). Those quarters, having transcended death, remain beyond its reach.
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{16}
Then it carried the mind. When the mind was freed from death it became the moon (Chandra). That moon, having transcended death, shines beyond its reach. Thus, verily, that deity carries beyond death him who knows this.
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{17}
Next it (the vital breath) obtained eatable food for itself by chanting. For whatever food is eaten, is eaten by the vital breath alone, and it (the vital breath) rests on that (the food).
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{18}
The gods said to the vital breath: "Verily, just this much is all the food there is and you have secured it for yourself by chanting. Now give us, please, a share of this food." "Then sit around facing me." "So be it." They sat down around the vital breath. That is why whatever food one eats through the vital breath satisfies the organs. So do his relatives sit around facing him who knows this; he becomes the supporter of his kinsmen, the greatest among them and their leader, a good eater of food and their lord. Whoever, among his kinsmen, the greatest among them and their leader, a good eater of food and their lord. Whoever, among his kinsmen, desires to be a rival of the man who has this knowledge is not able to support his dependents. But, on the other hand, he who follows him (the knower of the vital breath) and who, following him, desires to support his dependents is certainly able to do so.
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{19}
It is called ayasa angirasa, for it is the essence (rasa) of the limbs (anga). Yes, the prana is the essence of the limbs. From whichever limb the vital breath departs, that limb withers right there; therefore it is verily the essence of the limbs.
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