So these four castes were projected: the brahmin: the kshatriya, the vaisya, and the sudra. Among the gods Prajapati became a brahmin as fire, and among men He became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya among men through the divine kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas, and a sudra through the divine sudras. Therefore people desire to attain the results of their rites among the gods through fire, and among men as a brahmin. For Prajapati directly projected Himself as these two forms.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause, 15
Now, if a man departs from this world without realizing his own World (the Self), It, being unknown, does not protect him-as the Vedas, unrecited, or as a deed unaccomplished, do not protect him. Nay, even if one who does not know It (the Self) should perform here on earth a great many meritorious acts, those acts will in the end surely perish for him. One should meditate only upon the World called the Self. He who meditates upon the World called the Self-his work does not perish; for from this very Self he projects whatever he desires.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause, 15 (CONT)
Now, this self (the ignorant person) is an object of enjoyment (lokah) to all beings. In so far as he offers oblations in the fire and performs sacrifices, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the gods. In so far as he studies the Vedas, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the rishis. In so far as he makes offerings to the Manes and desires children, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the Manes. In so far as he gives shelter and food to men, he becomes an object of enjoyment to men. In so far as he gives fodder and water to the animals, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the animals. In so far as beasts and birds and even ants find a living in his home, he becomes an object of enjoyment to these. Just as one wishes no injury to one’s body, so do all beings wish no injury to him who has this knowledge. All this, indeed, has been known and well investigated.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause, 16
In the beginning this aggregate of desirable objects was but the self, one only. He cherished the desire: Let me have a wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites. This much, indeed, is the range of desire; even if one wishes, one cannot get more than this. Therefore, to this day, a man who is single desires: Let me have a wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites. So long as he does not obtain each one of these, he thinks he is incomplete.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause, 17
Now, his completeness can also come in this way: The mind is his self, speech his wife, the vital breath his child, the eye his human wealth, for he finds it with the eye; the ear his divine wealth, for he hears it with the ear; the body his instrument of rites, for he performs rites through the body. So this sacrifice has five factors-the animals have five factors, men have five factors and all this that exists has five factors. He who knows this obtains all this.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, IV-The Creation and Its Cause, 17 (CONT)
