Upaniṣads · Aitareya 2.4
॥
Devanāgarī
सः अस्य अयम् आत्मा पुण्येभ्यः कर्मेभ्यः प्रतिधीयते अथ अस्य अयम् इतरः आत्मा कृतकृत्यः वयोगतः प्रैति सः इतः प्रयन् एव पुनः जायते तत् अस्य तृतीयम् जन्म
Transliteración (IAST)
saḥ asya ayam ātmā puṇyebhyaḥ karmebhyaḥ pratidhīyate atha asya ayam itaraḥ ātmā kṛtakṛtyaḥ vayogataḥ praiti saḥ itaḥ prayan eva punaḥ jāyate tat asya tṛtīyam janma
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
सःsaḥhe; that one
अस्यasyaof him; his
अयम्ayamthis; the present
आत्माātmāself; own being
पुण्येभ्यःpuṇyebhyaḥfor the meritorious; for the deserving
कर्मेभ्यःkarmebhyaḥdeeds; works
प्रतिधीयतेpratidhīyateis set in his place (prati-√dhā — 'to put in the stead of'); is appointed as a substitute; takes his post
अथathathen; thereupon
अस्यasyaof him; his
अयम्ayamthis; the present
इतरःitaraḥother; another
आत्माātmāself; own being
कृतकृत्यःkṛtakṛtyaḥhaving done what was to be done (kṛta-kṛtya); having fulfilled his duty; having accomplished what is to be accomplished
वयोगतःvayogataḥhaving reached his term (vayo-gata — 'his age gone by'); having lived out his span; grown old
प्रैतिpraitideparts (pra-√i); goes forth; leaves
सःsaḥhe; that one
इतःitaḥfrom here; out of this
प्रयन्prayandeparting; going forth
एवevaprecisely; only
पुनःpunaḥagain; anew
जायतेjāyateis born; comes into being
तत्tatthat; this
अस्यasyaof him; his
तृतीयम्tṛtīyamthe third (tṛtīya); the third [birth]; the threefold
जन्मjanmabirth; coming forth
Traducción
This self of his is set in his place, for meritorious deeds. And that other self of his, having done what was to be done and reached his term, departs. Departing from here, he is born again. This is his third birth.
Versión
374774a9478a · publicado 26 jul 2026, 19:36:16 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The changing of the generations' guard: so 'syāyam ātmā puṇyebhyaḥ karmabhyaḥ pratidhīyate — "this self of his (the son) is set in his stead — for meritorious deeds": the son is a prati-dhā, one "put in place of", a relief on the watch of dharma: the father hands over to him not property first of all but service: the sacrifices, the duty, the good works of the line are carried on by the one who has taken his post.
athāsyāyam itara ātmā kṛta-kṛtyo vayo-gataḥ praiti — "and that other self of his, having done what was to be done (kṛta-kṛtya — 'having accomplished what is to be accomplished' — what peace there is in that word!) and having reached his age, departs": the father's death is shown without tragedy: the watch has been handed over, the term fulfilled. sa itaḥ prayann eva punar jāyate — "departing from here, he is born again": tad asya tṛtīyaṁ janma — "this is his third birth": death itself is a birth! The three births of man: into the mother (by conception), into the world (by delivery), into the other world (by death).
To rename death a birth is no euphemism but exact optics: from the standpoint of the ātman every passage is an emergence into the new (the Kaṭha: "like corn a mortal ripens, and like corn he is born again"). Life according to the Aitareya is a chain of births without a single real death: the word "death" is absent from the chapter on births — there are three doors, and all three lead onward.