Verse 1
षष्ठः प्रश्नः ।अथ हैनं सुकेशा भारद्वाजः पप्रच्छ । भगवन् हिरण्यनाभःकौसल्यो राजपुत्रो मामुपेत्यैतं प्रश्नमपृच्छत । षोडशकलंभारद्वाज पुरुषं वेत्थ । तमहं कुमारमब्रुवं नाहमिमं वेद ।यद्यहमिममवेदिषं कथं ते नावक्ष्यमिति । समूलो वा एषपरिशुष्यति योऽनृतमभिवदति तस्मान्नार्हम्यनृतं वक्तुम् । सतूष्णीं रथमारुह्य प्रवव्राज । तं त्वा पृच्छामि क्वासौ पुरुषइति ॥ ६.१॥
atha hainaṃ sukeśā bhāradvājaḥ papraccha . bhagavan hiraṇyanābhaḥkausalyo rājaputro māmupetyaitaṃ praśnamapṛcchata . ṣoḍaśakalaṃbhāradvāja puruṣaṃ vettha . tamahaṃ kumāramabruvaṃ nāhamimaṃ veda .yadyahamimamavediṣaṃ kathaṃ te nāvakṣyamiti . samūlo vā eṣapariśuṣyati yo’nṛtamabhivadati tasmānnārhamyanṛtaṃ vaktum . satūṣ्णीं रथमारुह्य प्रवव्राज । taṃ tvā pṛcchāmi kvāsau puruṣaiti .. 6.1..
Translation by Swami Sivananda1 Then Sukesa, the son of Bharadvaja, said to Pippalada: Sir, Hiranyabha, the prince of Kosala, once came to me and asked this question: “O son of Bharadvaja, do you know the Person with sixteen parts?” I said to the prince: “I do not know Him; if I knew Him, why should I not tell you? Surely he who speaks what is not true withers away to the very root; therefore I should not speak untruth.” Then he silently mounted his chariot and went away. Now I ask you: Where does that Person dwell?Translation by Max Mueller1. Then Sukesas Bhâradvâga asked him, saying: ‘Sir, Hiranyanâbha, the prince of Kosalâ, came to me and asked this question: Do you know the person of sixteen parts, O Bhâradvâga? I said to the prince: I do not know him; if I knew him, how should I not tell you? Surely, he who speaks what is untrue withers away to the very root; therefore I will not say what is untrue. Then he mounted his chariot and went away silently. Now I ask you, where is that person?’
Verse 2
तस्मै स होवाचेहैवान्तःशरीरे सोम्य स पुरुषोयस्मिन्नताः षोडशकलाः प्रभवन्तीति ॥ ६.२॥
tasmai sa hovācehaivāntaḥśarīre somya sa puruṣoyasminnatāḥ ṣoḍaśakalāḥ prabhavantīti .. 6.2..
Translation by Swami Sivananda2 Pippalada said to him: That Person He from whom these sixteen parts arise is verily here within the body.Translation by Max Mueller2. He replied: ‘Friend, that person is here within the body, he in whom these sixteen parts arise.
Verse 3
स ईक्षाचक्रे । कस्मिन्नहमुत्क्रान्त उत्क्रान्तो भविष्यामिकस्मिन्वा प्रतिष्ठिते प्रतिष्ठास्यामीति ॥ ६.३॥
sa īkṣācakre . kasminnahamutkrānta utkrānto bhaviṣyāmikasminvā pratiṣṭhite pratiṣṭhāsyāmīti .. 6.3..
Translation by Swami Sivananda3 The Purusha reflected: “What is it by whose departure I shall depart and by whose staying I shall stay?”Translation by Max Mueller3. He reflected: What is it by whose departure I shall depart, and by whose staying I shall stay?
Verse 4
स प्राणमसृजत प्राणाच्छ्रद्धां खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवीन्द्रियंमनः । अन्नमन्नाद्वीर्यं तपो मन्त्राः कर्म लोका लोकेषु च नाम च॥ ६.४॥
sa prāṇamasṛjata prāṇācchraddhāṃ khaṃ vāyurjyotirāpaḥ pṛthivīndriyaṃmanaḥ . annamannādvīryaṃ tapo mantrāḥ karma lokā lokeṣu ca nāma ca.. 6.4..
Translation by Swami Sivananda4 He created prana; from prana faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, the organs, mind, food; from food virility, austerity, the Vedic hymns, sacrifice, the worlds; and in the worlds He created names.Translation by Max Mueller4. He sent forth (created) Prâna (spirit); from Prâna Sraddhâ (faith), ether, air, light, water, earth, sense, mind, food; from food came vigour, penance, hymns, sacrifice, the worlds, and in the worlds the name also.
Verse 5
स यथेमा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रायणाः समुद्रं प्राप्यास्तंगच्छन्ति भिद्येते तासां नामरूपे समुद्र इत्येवं प्रोच्यते । एवमेवास्यपरिद्रष्टुरिमाः षोडशकलाः पुरुषायणाः पुरुषं प्राप्यास्तं गच्छन्तिभिद्येते चासां नामरूपे पुरुष इत्येवं प्रोच्यते स एषोऽकलोऽमृतोभवति तदेष श्लोकः ॥ ६.५॥
sa yathemā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudrāyaṇāḥ samudraṃ prāpyāstaṃgacchanti bhidyete tāsāṃ nāmarūpe samudra ityevaṃ procyate . evamevāsyaparidraṣṭurimāḥ ṣoḍaśakalāḥ puruṣāyaṇāḥ puruṣaṃ prāpyāstaṃ gacchantibhidyete cāsāṃ nāmarūpe puruṣa ityevaṃ procyate sa eṣo’kalo’mṛtobhavati tadeṣa ślokaḥ .. 6.5..
Translation by Swami Sivananda5 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 Mueller5. 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:
Verse 6
अरा इव रथनाभौ कला यस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठिताः ।तं वेद्यं पुरुषं वेद यथ मा वो मृत्युः परिव्यथा इति ॥ ६.६॥
arā iva rathanābhau kalā yasminpratiṣṭhitāḥ .taṃ vedyaṃ puruṣaṃ veda yatha mā vo mṛtyuḥ parivyathā iti .. 6.6..
Translation by Swami Sivananda6 Know Him, the Purusha, who alone is to he known and in whom the parts rest firm, like the spokes in the nave of a wheel, that death may not affect you.Translation by Max Mueller6. That person who is to be known, he in whom these parts rest, like spokes in the nave of a wheel, you know him, lest death should hurt you.’
Verse 7
तान् होवाचैतावदेवाहमेतत् परं ब्रह्म वेद । नातःपरमस्तीति ॥ ६.७॥
tān hovācaitāvadevāhametat paraṃ brahma veda . nātaḥparamastīti .. 6.7..
Translation by Swami Sivananda7 Pippalada said to them: Thus far, indeed, I know the Supreme Brahman; there is nothing higher than this.Translation by Max Mueller7. Then he (Pippalâda) said to them: ‘So far do I know this Highest Brahman, there is nothing higher than it.’
Verse 8
ते तमर्चयन्तस्त्वं हि नः पिता योऽस्माकमविद्यायाः परं पारंतारयसीति । नमः परमऋषिभ्यो नमः परमऋषिभ्यः ॥ ६.८॥इति प्रश्नोपनिषदि षष्ठः प्रश्नः ॥
te tamarcayantastvaṃ hi naḥ pitā yo’smākamavidyāyāḥ paraṃ pāraṃtārayasīti . namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyo namaḥ paramaṛṣibhyaḥ .. 6.8..iti praśnopaniṣadi ṣaṣṭhaḥ praśnaḥ ..
Translation by Swami Sivananda8 And they, worshipping him, said: Thou, indeed, art our father thou who hast taken us across our ignorance to the other shore. Adoration to the supreme rishis! Adoration to the supreme rishis!Translation by Max Mueller8. And they praising him, said: ‘You, indeed, are our father, you who carry us from our ignorance to the other shore.’