"Then comes praṭyāhāra, which is of five kinds. It is the drawing away of the organs from attaching themselves to the objects of senses. Contemplating upon everything that one sees as Āṭmā is praṭyāhāra. Renouncing the fruits of one's daily actions is praṭyāhāra. Turning away from all objects of sense is praṭyāhāra. Ḍhāraṇā in the eighteen important places (mentioned below) is praṭyāhāra, (viz.,) the feet, the toes, the ankles, the calves, the knees, the thighs, the anus, the penis, the navel, the heart, the well of the throat, the palate, the nose, the eyes, the middle of the brows, the forehead, and the head in ascending and descending orders.

"Then (comes) ḍhāraṇā. It is of three kinds, (viz.,) fixing the mind in the Āṭmā, bringing the external ākāś into the ākaś of the heart and contemplating the five mūrṭis (forms of ḍevaṭās) in the five elements—earth, āpas, fire, vāyu, and ākaś.

"Then comes ḍhyāna. It is of two kinds, saguṇa (with guṇas or quality) and nirguṇa (without quality). Saguṇa is the meditation of a mūrṭi. Nirguṇa is on the reality of Self.

"Samāḍhi is the union of the Jīvāṭmā (individual self) and the Paramāṭmā (higher self) without the threefold state, (viz., the knower, the known, and the knowledge). It is of the nature of extreme bliss and pure consciousness.

"Thus ends the first chapter of Śāṇdilya Upanishaḍ."

Chapter II

Then the Bṛahmarshi Śāṇdilya not obtaining the knowledge of Brahman in the four Veḍas, approached the Lord Aṭharvan and asked him: "What is it? Teach me the science of Brahman by which I shall obtain that which is most excellent."

Aṭharvan replied: "O Śāṇdilya, Brahman is saṭya, vijñāna and ananṭa in which all this (world) is interwoven, warp-wise and woof-wise, from which all originated and into which all are absorbed, and which being known makes everything else known. It is without hands and feet, without eyes and ears, without tongue or without body, and is unreachable and undefinable. From which, vāk (speech) and mind return, being unable to obtain (or reach) It. It is to be cognised by jñāna and yoga. 1 From which, prajñā of old sprang. That which is one and non-dual, that which pervades everything like ākāś, which is extremely subtle, without a blemish, actionless, saṭ (be-ness) only, the essence of the bliss of consciousness, beneficent, calm and immortal and which is beyond. That is Brahman. Thou art That. Know That by wisdom. He who is the one, the shining, the giver of the power of Āṭmā, the omniscient, the lord of all, and the inner soul of all beings, who lives in all beings, who is hidden in all beings and the source of all beings, who is reachable only through yoga and who creates, supports and destroys everything—He is Āṭmā. Know the several worlds in the Āṭma. Do not grieve, O knower of Āṭmā, thou shalt reach the end of pains."

Chapter III