Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad: Sixth Adhyâya, Fourth Brahmana

1.The earth is the essence of all these things, water is the essence of the earth plants of water, flowers of plants, fruits of flowers, man of fruits, seed of man.

2. And Pragâpati thought, let me make an abode for him, and he created a woman (Satarupa).

Tam srishivadha upasta, tasmat striyam adha upasita. Sa etam prankam gravanam atmana eva samudaparayat, tenainam abhyasrigat.

3. Tasya vedir upastho, lomani barhis, karmadhishavane, samiddho madhyatas, tau mushkau. Sa yavan ha vai vagapeyena yagamanasya loko bhavati tavan asya loko bhavati ya evam vidvan adhopahasam karaty a sa strinam sukritam vrinkte 'tha ya idam avidvan adhopahasam karaty asya striyah sukritam vringate.

4. Etad dha sma vai tadvidvan Uddalaka Arunir ahaitad dha sma vai tadvidvan Nako Maudgalya ahaitad dha sma vai tadvidvan Kumaraharita aha, bahavo marya brahmanayana nirindriya visukrito'smal lokat prayanti ya idam avidvamso 'dhopahasam karantiti. Bahu va idam suptasya va gagrato va retah skandati,

5. Tad abhimrised anu va mantrayeta yan me 'dya retak prithivim askantsid yad oshadhir apy asarad yad apah, idam aham tad reta adade punar mam aitv indriyam punas tegah punar bhagah, punar agnayo dhishnya yathasthanam kalpantam, ity anamikangushthabhyam adayantaretia stanau va bhruvau va nimringyat.

6. If a man see himself in the water, he should recite the following verse: “May there be in me splendour, strength, glory, wealth, virtue.”

She is the best of women whose garments are pure. Therefore let him approach a woman whose garments are pure, and whose fame is pure, and address her.

7. If she do not give in, let him, as he likes, bribe her (with presents). And if she then do not give in, let him, as he likes, beat her with a stick or with his hand, and overcome her, saying: “With manly strength and glory I take away thy glory,”—and thus she becomes unglorious.

8. If she give in, he says: “With manly strength and glory I give thee glory,”—and thus they both become glorious.

9. Sa yam ikkhet kamayeta meti tasyam artham nishtaya mukhena mukham sandhayopastham asya abhimrisya gaped angadangat sambhavasi hridayad adhi gayase, sa tvam angakashayo 'si digdhaviddham iva madayemam amum mayiti.

10. Atha yam ikkhen na garbham dadhiteti tasyam artham nishiaya mukhena mukham sandhayabhipranyapanyad indriyena te retasa reta adada ity areta o eva bhavati.

11. Atha yam ikkhed garbham dadhiteti tasyam artham nishtaya mukhena mukham sandhayapanyabhipranyad indriyena te retasa reta adadhamiti garbhiny eva bhavati.

12. Now again, if a man's wife has a lover and the husband hates him, let him (according to rule) place fire by an unbaked jar, spread a layer of arrows in inverse order, anoint these three arrow-heads with butter in inverse order, and sacrifice, saying: “Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy up and down breathing, I here.”

“Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy sons and cattle, I here.”

“Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy sacred and thy good works, I here.”

“Thou hast sacrificed in my fire, I take away thy hope and expectation, I here.”

He whom a Brahmana who knows this curses, departs from this world without strength and without good works. Therefore let no one wish even for sport with the wife of a Srotriya who knows this, for he who knows this, is a dangerous enemy.

13. When the monthly illness seizes his wife, she should for three days not drink from a metal vessel, and wear a fresh dress. Let no Vrishala or Vrishali (a Sudra man or woman) touch her. At the end of the three days, when she has bathed, the husband should make her pound rice.

14. And if a man wishes that a white son should be born to him, and that he should know one Veda, and live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with milk and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

15. And if a man wishes that a reddish son with tawny eyes should be born to him, and that he should know two Vedas, and live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with coagulated milk and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

16. And if a man wishes that a dark son should be born to him with red eyes, and that he should know three Vedas, and live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with water and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

17. And if a man wishes that a learned daughter should be born to him, and that she should live to her full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with sesamum and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring.

18. And if a man wishes that a learned son should be born to him, famous, a public man, a popular speaker, that he should know all the Vedas, and that he should live to his full age, then, after having prepared boiled rice with meat and butter, they should both eat, being fit to have offspring. The meat should be of a young or of an old bull.

19. And then toward morning, after having, according to the rule of the Sthalipaka (pot-boiling), performed the preparation of the Agya (clarified butter), he sacrifices from the Sthalipaka bit by bit, saying: “This is for Agni, Svaha! This is for Anumati, Svaha! This is for the divine Savitri, the true creator, Svaha!” Having sacrificed, he takes out the rest of the rice and eats it, and after having eaten, he gives it to his wife. Then he washes his hands, fills a water-jar, and sprinkles her thrice with it, saying: “Rise hence, O Visvavasu, seek another blooming girl, a wife with her husband.”

20. Then he embraces her, and says: “I am Ama (breath), thou art Sa (speech ). Thou art Sa (speech), I am Ama (breath). I am the saman, thou art the Rik. I am the sky, thou art the earth. Come, let us strive together, that a male child may be begotten.”

21. Athasya uru vihapayati, vigihitham dyavaprithivi iti tasyam artham nishtaya mukhena mukham sandhaya trir enam anulomam anumarshti, Vishnur yonim kalpayatu, Tvashta rupani pimsatu, asinkatu Pragâpatir Dhata garbham dadhatu te. Garbham dhehi Sinivali, garbham dhehi prithushtuke, garbham te Asvinau devav adhattam pushkarasragau.

22. Hiranmayi arani yabhyam nirmanthatam asvinau, tam te garbham havamahe dasame masi suitave. Yathagnigarbha prithivi, yatha dyaur indrena garbhini, vayur disam yatha garbha evam garbham dadhami te 'sav iti.

23. Soshyantim adbhir abhyukshati. Yatha vayuh pushkarinim samingayati sarvatah, eva te garbha egatu sahavaitu garayuna. Indrasyayam vragah kritah sargalah saparisrayah, tam indra nirgahi garbhena savaram saheti.

24. When the child is born, he prepares the fire, places the child on his lap, and having poured prishadagya, i.e. dadhi (thick milk) mixed with ghrita (clarified butter) into a metal jug, he sacrifices bit by bit of that prishadagya, saying: “May I, as I increase in this my house, nourish a thousand! May fortune never fail in his race, with offspring and cattle, Svaha!”

“I offer to thee. in my mind the vital breaths which are in me, Svaha!,

“Whatever in my work I have done too much, or whatever I have here done too little, may the wise Agni Svishtakrit make this right and proper for us, Svaha!”

25. Then putting his mouth near the child's right ear, he says thrice, Speech, speech! After that he pours together thick milk, honey, and clarified butter, and feeds the child with (a ladle of) pure gold, saying: “I give thee Bhuh, I give thee Bhuvah, I give thee Svah. Bhur, Bhuvah, Svah, I give thee all.”

26. Then he gives him his name, saying: “Thou art Veda;” but this is his secret name.

27. Then he hands the boy to his mother and gives him her breast, saying: “O Sarasvad, that breast of thine which is inexhaustible, delightful, abundant, wealthy, generous, by which thou cherishest all blessings, make that to flow here.”

28. Then he addresses the mother of the boy:

“Thou art Ila Maitravaruni: thou strong woman hast born a strong boy. Be thou blessed with strong children thou who hast blessed me with a strong child.”

And they say of such a boy: “Ah, thou art better than thy father; ah, thou art better than thy grandfather. Truly he has reached the highest point in happiness, praise, and Vedic glory who is born as the son of a Brahmana that knows this.”