Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣadबृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्

Khila Kanda. Adhyaya 6, Brahmana 1. The contest of the organs: the vital breath is greatest

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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.

॥ 6.1.3 ॥

The eye, firm footing on any ground

यो ह वै प्रतिष्ठां वेद प्रतितिष्ठति समे । प्रतितिष्ठति दुर्गे । चक्षुर्वै प्रतिष्ठा । चक्षुषा हि समे च दुर्गे च प्रतितिष्ठति । प्रतितिष्ठति समे प्रतितिष्ठति दुर्गे । य एवं वेद ॥

In transliteration

yo ha vai pratiṣṭhāṃ veda pratitiṣṭhati same | pratitiṣṭhati durge | cakṣurvai pratiṣṭhā | cakṣuṣā hi same ca durge ca pratitiṣṭhati | pratitiṣṭhati same pratitiṣṭhati durge | ya evaṃ veda ||

In English

He who knows the firm support stands firm on level ground; he stands firm on rough ground. The eye is indeed the firm support, for by the eye one stands firm on level and on rough ground alike. He stands firm on level ground, he stands firm on rough ground, who knows this.

In plain words

Whoever knows the firm support (pratistha) keeps his footing on smooth ground and on rough ground. The eye (caksus) is that support, since by sight one finds firm footing whether the ground is even or treacherous. The one who knows this stands firm in every place.

In the commentaries

Sri SankaraAdvaita

The eye is the firm support because by seeing one keeps one's footing on both smooth and difficult ground; meditation on the eye as such grants steadiness in all circumstances.

Sri Sankara, Brhadaranyaka-bhasya 6.1.3 (via Madhavananda)

All mantras