vettha yathemāḥ prajāḥ prayatyo vipratipadyantā3 iti | neti hovāca | vettho yathemaṃ lokaṃ punar āpadyantā3 iti | neti haivovāca | vettho yathāsau loka evaṃ bahubhiḥ punaḥ punaḥ prayadbhir na saṃpūryatā3 iti | neti haivovāca | vettho yatithyām āhutyāṃ hutāyām āpaḥ puruṣavāco bhūtvā samutthāya vadantī3 iti | neti haivovāca | vettho devayānasya vā pathaḥ pratipadaṃ pitṛyāṇasya vā | yat kṛtvā devayānaṃ vā panthānaṃ pratipadyante pitṛyāṇaṃ vā | api hi na ṛṣer vacaḥ śrutaṃ -- dve sṛtī aśṛṇavaṃ pitṝṇām ahaṃ devānām uta martyānām | tābhyām idaṃ viśvam ejat sameti yad antarā pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ceti | nāham ata ekaṃ cana vedeti hovāca ||
2. The king said: 'Do you know how men, when they depart from here, separate from each other?' 'No,' he replied. 'Do you know how they come back to this world?' 'No,' he replied. 'Do you know how that world does never become full with the many who again and again depart thither?' 'No,' he replied. 'Do you know at the offering of which libation the waters become endowed with a human voice and rise and speak?' 'No,' he replied. 'Do you know the access to the path leading to the Devas and to the path leading to the Fathers, i.e. by what deeds men gain access to the path leading to the Devas or to that leading to the Fathers? For we have heard even the saying of a Rishi: "I heard of two paths for men, one leading to the Fathers, the other leading to the Devas. On those paths all that lives moves on, whatever there is between father (sky) and mother (earth)."' Svetaketu said: 'I do not know even one of all these questions.'
yadyevaṃ vettha vijānāsi kiṃ yathā yena prakāreṇemāḥ prajāḥ prasiddhāḥ prayatyo mriyamāṇā vipratipadyantā3iti vipratipadyante vicāraṇārthā plutiḥ | samānena mārgeṇa gacchantīnāṃ mārgadvaividhyaṃ yatra kāścitprajā anyena mārgeṇa gacchanti kāścidanyeneti vipratipattiḥ | yathā tāḥ prajā vipratipadyante tatkiṃ vetthetyarthaḥ | neti hovācetaraḥ | tarhi vettha u yathemaṃ lokaṃ punarāpadyantā3iti punarāpadyante yathā punarāgacchantīmaṃ lokam | neti haivovāca śvetaketuḥ | vettho yathāsau lokaḥ evaṃ prasiddhena nyāyena punaḥ punarasakṛtprayadbhirmariyamāṇairyathāyena prakāreṇa na saṃpūryatā3iti na saṃpūryate 'sau lokastatkiṃ vettha | neti haivovāca | vettho yatithyāṃ yatsaṃkhyākāyāmāhutyāmāhutau hutāyāmāpaḥ puruṣavācaḥ puruṣasya yā vāksaiva yāsāṃ vāktāḥ puruṣavāco bhūtvā puruṣaśabdavācyā vā bhūtvā | yadā puruṣākārapariṇatāstadā puruṣavāco bhavanti | samutthāya samyagutthāyodbhūtāḥ satyo vadantī3iti | neti haivovāca | puruṣākārapariṇatāstadā puruṣavāco bhavanti | samutthāya samyagutthāyodbhūtāḥ satyo vadantī3iti | neti haivovāca | yadyevaṃ vettha u devayānasya patho mārgasya pratipadaṃ pratipadyate yena sā pratipattāṃ pratipadaṃ pitṛyāṇasya vā pratipadaṃ pratipacchabdavācyamarthamāha | yatkarma kṛtvā yathāviśiṣṭaṃ karma kṛtvetyarthaḥ | devayānaṃ vā panthānaṃ mārgaṃ pratipadyante pitṛyāṇaṃ vā yatkarma kṛtvā pratidyante tatkarma pratipadicyate tāṃ pratipadaṃ kiṃ vettha devalokapitṛlokapratipattisādhanaṃ kiṃ vetthetyarthaḥ | apyatrāsyārthasya prakāśakamṛṣermantrasya vaco vākyaṃ naḥ śrutamasti | mantro 'pyasyārthasya prakāśako vidyata ityarthaḥ | ko 'sau mantra iti | ucyate-dve sṛtī dvau mārgāvaśṛṇavaṃ śṛtavānasmi tayorekā pitṛṇāṃ prāpikā pitṛlokasaṃbaddhā tayā sṛtyā pitṛlokaṃ prāpnotītyarthaḥ | ahamaśṛṇavamiti vyavahitena saṃbandhaḥ | devānāmutāpi devānāṃ saṃbandhinyanyā devānprāpayati sā | ke punarubhābhyāṃ sṛtibhyāṃ pitṝndevāṃśca gacchantīti | ucyate-utāpi martyānāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ saṃbandhinyau manuṣyā eva hi sṛtibhyāṃ gacchantītyarthaḥ | tābhyāṃ sṛtihyāmidaṃ viśvaṃ samastametadgacchatsameti saṃgacchate | te ca dve sṛtī yadantarā yayorantarā yadantarā pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca mātāpitrorantarā madhya ityarthaḥ |
kau tau mātāpitarau dyāvāpṛthivyāvaṇḍakapāle |
iyaṃ vai mātāsau piteti hi vyākhyātaṃ brāhmaṇena |
aṇḍakapālayormadhye saṃsāraviṣaye evaite sṛtī nā'tyantikāmṛtatvagamanāya |
itara āha-nāhamato 'smātpraśnasamudāyādekañcanaikamapi praśnaṃ na veda nāhaṃ vedeti hovāca śvetaketuḥ || 2 ||
Bṛhad san, ca. B.C. 600, Adhyāya, Brāhmaṇa, verse 6,2.2;
Bṛhad-DSh, 1657, p.;
Bṛhad-Anq-Dup, 1801-02, p.;
Bṛhad-Mül, 1879-84;
Bṛhad-Śaṃ, 8th c. A.D.;
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