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Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣadबृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्

Madhu Kanda. Adhyaya 2, Brahmana 5. The honey: the Self shining in all beings

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Each mantra is given four ways: the Sanskrit in its Devanagari script, the same sounds in Roman letters, an English translation set in our own voice, and then the line once more in plain words, for a first and unhurried reading.

Not every passage is opened to the same depth. A few central mantras carry the full cross-school commentary, where the schools are set side by side. The rest are kept here whole and faithful, set in their place but not expounded, so the book stays entire and nothing is dropped for being thought minor.

Where the schools read a line differently, the difference is kept open. None is crowned and none is corrected. Each is met on its own terms, and where they contradict, the contradiction is left standing for you to sit with.

॥ 2.5.18 ॥

The Person who entered all bodies

इदं वै तन्मधु दध्यङ्ङाथर्वणोऽश्विभ्यामुवाच । तदेतदृषिः पश्यन्नवोचत् पुरश्चक्रे द्विपदः पुरश्चक्रे चतुष्पदः । पुरः स पक्षी भुत्वा पुरः पुरुष आविशदिति । स वा अयं पुरुषः सर्वासु पूर्षु पुरिशयः । नैनेन किं चनानावृतम् । नैनेन किं चनासंवृतम्
In transliteration
idaṃ vai tanmadhu dadhyaṅṅātharvaṇo'śvibhyāmuvāca | tadetadṛṣiḥ paśyannavocat puraścakre dvipadaḥ puraścakre catuṣpadaḥ | puraḥ sa pakṣī bhutvā puraḥ puruṣa āviśaditi | sa vā ayaṃ puruṣaḥ sarvāsu pūrṣu puriśayaḥ | nainena kiṃ canānāvṛtam | nainena kiṃ canāsaṃvṛtam

In English

This indeed is that honey which Dadhyac Atharvana declared to the two Asvins. Seeing this, the seer said: He made bodies of two feet, he made bodies of four feet; becoming first a bird, that Person entered the bodies. Because he lies in all bodies, he is the Person. There is nothing not covered by him, nothing not enclosed by him.

In plain words

This is that very honey-knowledge which Dadhyac, son of Atharvan, taught to the two Asvins. A seer, beholding it, sang the Rgveda verse: the Lord shaped the two-footed and four-footed bodies; becoming first the subtle body (the bird), he entered every form. Because he dwells (sete) within all cities, that is, all bodies (pur), he is called the Person (purusa). Nothing whatever is left uncovered by him; nothing whatever is left unenclosed by him.

In the commentaries

Sri SankaraAdvaita

Sankara takes the verse to teach that the one Lord, having formed all two-footed and four-footed bodies, enters each as its subtle body and is therefore named purusa, the indweller of the cities of the body; nothing exists that he does not pervade and enclose.

Sri Sankara, Brhadaranyaka-bhasya 2.5.18 (via Madhavananda)