Prashna Upanishad

6.5

Translation by Swami Sivananda
5 As these flowing rivers, bound for the ocean, disappear into the ocean after having reached it, their names and forms being destroyed and are called simply the ocean even so, these sixteen parts of the seer, whose goal is the Purusha, disappear into the Purusha after having reached Him, their names and forms being destroyed and are called simply the Purusha. He becomes free of parts and immortal. On this there is the following verse: 

Translation by Max Mueller
5. As these flowing rivers that go towards the ocean, when they have reached the ocean, sink into it, their name and form are broken, and people speak of the ocean only, exactly thus these sixteen parts of the spectator that go towards the person (purusha), when they have reached the person, sink into him, their name and form are broken, and people speak of the person only, and he becomes without parts and immortal. On this there is this verse:






  • sa —

  • yathemā —

  • nadyaḥ —

  • syandamānāḥ —

  • samudrāyaṇāḥ —

  • samudraṃ —

  • prāpyāstaṃ —

  • gacchanti —

  • bhidyete —

  • tāsāṃ —

  • nāmarūpe —

  • samudra —

  • ityevaṃ —

  • procyate —

  • . —

  • evamevāsya —

  • paridraṣṭurimāḥ —

  • ṣoḍaśakalāḥ —

  • puruṣāyaṇāḥ —

  • puruṣaṃ —

  • prāpyāstaṃ —

  • gacchanti —

  • bhidyete —

  • cāsāṃ —

  • nāmarūpe —

  • puruṣa —

  • ityevaṃ —

  • procyate —

  • sa —

  • eṣo'kalo'mṛto —

  • bhavati —

  • tadeṣa —

  • ślokaḥ —

  • .. —

  • 6.5.. —

  • —

Prashna Upanishad