About Skambha or Cosmic Creation

In which of his limbs does penance dwell? In which of his limbs is right deposited? In what part of him abides the vow? In which of his limbs is truth established?

From which of his limbs does fire come forth? From which of his limbs issues and blows the wind? From which limb does the moon take the measuring rod when he measures the form of great Skambha?

In which of his limbs does the earth reside? In what limb is the atmosphere situated? In which of his limbs is the space set? In which of his limbs is set what is beyond the space?

Desiring what does Agni flame up high? Desiring whom the wind so eagerly blow? On whom do the compass points converge? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

Where do the half months go, where the months together with the year in harmony go? Where do the seasons go, together or alone? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

Desiring whom to attain the two sisters run, day and night?

Desiring whom to attain, the water flow? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

The One on whom Prajapati leant for support when he established the world? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

What was that highest, the lowest, and what was that midmost Prajapati created of all forms and by how much did he enter the support himself? What did not enter, how much was that portion?

By how much did Skambha enter the creation? How much of him lies along that will enter in the future? In that one limb that he fashioned thousand fold, by how much did Skambha himself enter?

By whom man knows the worlds and that which envelopes them, the waters and Brahman, in which are found both the existent and the non-existent? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

By whom the highest penance, waxing forth maintains the greatest vow, in whom unite the cosmic Low and Faith, the Waters and Brahman. Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

In whose one limb all the gods, thirty and three in number are set together? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

In whom both death and immortality are set together, as man? To whom belong the swelling ocean and the veins that runs within man? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

Of whom are the four cardinal directions and the swelling veins? In whom has the sacrifice strode forth? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

Whoever knows the Brahman in man, they know the highest One. Those who know the most high One, or Prajapati, the lord of creation, know the supreme Brahman, they therefore know the Skambha also.

Whose head is Vaishvanara, the universal fire, whose eyes the Angirases are, and whose limbs are the demons. Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

Of whom they say Brahman is the mouth, the honey-whip the tongue, of whom they say Viraj is the udder, tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

From out of his body they carved the verses, the sacrificial formulas were fashioned from his shavings. His hairs became the hymns, Atharvans and Angiras the mouth, tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

The branch of non-existence, that extends forth, men regard to be the highest things the lower one, the branch of existence, they regard as inferior, and them who adore it.

In whom do the Adityas, Rudras and Vasus abide together, in whom are the worlds set together, that in which what is and what is to be, are established together? Tell me of that Skambha, who may he be?

In whom the gods, knowing Brahman, worship the supreme Brahman, he who knows the gods eye to eye is verily a seer, a knower.

Great are the gods who were born out of non-being, that one limb of Skambha men call non-being beyond.

When the Skambha, generating forth, evolved the Ancient One, he who knows this limb also knows by that knowledge the Ancient one.

It was he in whose limbs the thirty-three gods shared severally the portions among themselves. So verily the knowers of Brahman also know the thirty-three gods.

People know the golden-embryo as the supreme, inexpressible. Yet it was the Skambha in the beginning who poured forth the gold on the world.

In the Skambha are contained the worlds, in him penance and law are established. You I know, O Skambha, eye to eye, as wholly set in Indra.

In Indra the worlds are, in Indra is penance, in 'Indra is law, you O Indra, I know eye to eye as wholly established in the Skambha.

Before the sun-rise, before the dawn, man calls name after names. This unborn came to being with full sovereignty beyond which there is nothing else existent.

Homage to him of whom the earth is model and the atmosphere his belly, who made the sky his head. Homage to this supreme Brahman!

Homage to him of whom the sun is eye, and the moon that grows anew, whose mouth is Agni. Homage to this supreme Brahman!

Homage to him whose in-breath and out-breath is the wind, of whom the Angirases are, who made the four cardinal points foreknown. Homage to this supreme Brahman!

The Skambha uphold both heaven and earth, the Skambha supports the wide space, the Skambha sustains the vast six directions, by the Skambha is the whole world pervaded!

Homage to him who is born of toil and penance, has pervaded al the worlds, who has made Soma all his own. Homage to this supreme Brahman!

How does the wind cease not to blow? How does the mind take no rest? Why do the waters, seeking to attain the truth, at no time cease flowing?

A great wonder in the midst of creation strode, in penance on the water's surface. In him are established whatever gods there be, like the branches of tree round about the trunk.

Unto whom do the gods always with two hands and feet, with speech, with ears and with sight bring tribute unmeasured in a well measured sacrifice. Tell of that Skambha, who may he be?

In him there is no darkness, no evil exists in him. In him are all the three lights that are in Parajapati, the Lord of creation.

He who knows the golden reed standing in the waters, he truly knows the mysterious Prajapati.

It is by the Skambha that these two, heaven and earth remain established in space. In Skambha abides al things that have a soul, and all that which winks and closes the eye.

Three generation have already gone, the others settled down about him, the great measurer of space stood on high. The golden one entered into green-gold plants.

One is the wheel, twelve are the bands, three are the hubs --who understands it? Therein are fixed three-hundred and sixty pins, and pegs that are firmly fixed.

This, O Savitar, do thou know, six are twins, one is born alone and the twins desire to unite with him who of them is born alone.

Though manifest, yet it is hidden, mysterious, by name the ancient, the great mode of being. There in the Skambha are set this all, therein are established all that stirs and breathes.

One-wheeled, one-rimmed, it rolls forth, thousand-named, forth in front, down behind. With a half of itself it created all existence, what has become of the other half that nearer, the nearer the more distant.

A bowl is there with aperture sideways and the bottom upturned. in it is deposited glory of all forms, thereon sit together the seven sages, the keepers of it, the great sphere.

The verse which is applied in front, and that which behind, and that which is applied in all cases, and the verse by which the sacrifice proceed forward, that I ask of you, which one it is of all verse?

What moves, what flies, what stands, and what breathes, what does not breathe, winks the eye, that abides into only one, though varied in form, sustains the earth.

Bearing water in a pitcher on high like a water-bearer, all see him with their eyes, but all know not him with the mid.

Whence does the sun rise, and where does he go to rest, that same I think to be the Supreme. There is nothing whatever that foes beyond.

The Sun, the yellow swan, flying to heaven on a thousand days flight gathers all the gods in his bosom, viewing all the worlds together.

By truth he blazes on high, by Brahman he beholds below, by breath he breathes across the realms, he on whom rests the Supreme.

A beautiful maiden, never aging, an immortal, dwells in a mortal house. He for whom she was created, lies prone, and he who made her has grown old.

You are woman, you are man, you are boy and a maiden too. You are the aged man tottering with a staff, When born, you manifest your face everywhere.

He is both their father and also their son, at once the eldest and the youngest. The one god penetrates the each mind, the first-born and yet even now within the womb.

From fullness he pours forth the full, the full spreads out merging with the full. may we know from whence is he thus poured out?

The lotus-bloom of nine doors, covered with the three strands is a great within. This is it that the Brahman knower knows.

He who knows the Self, desireless, wise, immortal, self-existent, full of fresh sap, wanting nothing, unaging, ever youthful, will never be afraid of death.