अध्याय 4
श्लोक 1.4.1
आत्मैवेदमग्र आसीत्पुरुषविधः ।सोऽनुवीक्ष्य नान्यदात्मनोऽपश्यत् सोऽहमस्मीत्यग्रे व्याहरत् ततोऽहन्नामाभवत् ।तस्मादप्येतर्ह्यामन्त्रितो ऽहमयमित्येवाग्र उक्त्वाऽथान्यन्नाम प्रब्रूते यदस्य भवति ।स यत्पूर्वोऽस्मात्सर्वस्मात्सर्वान्पाप्मन औषत् तस्मात्पुरुषः ।ओषति ह वै स तं योऽस्मात्पूर्वो बुभूषति य एवं वेद
ātmaivedamagra āsītpuruṣavidhaḥ | so'nuvīkṣya nānyadātmano'paśyat so'hamasmītyagre vyāharat tato'hannāmābhavat | tasmādapyetarhyāmantrito 'hamayamityevāgra uktvā'thānyannāma prabrūte yadasya bhavati | sa yatpūrvo'smātsarvasmātsarvānpāpmana auṣat tasmātpuruṣaḥ | oṣati ha vai sa taṃ yo'smātpūrvo bubhūṣati ya evaṃ veda
English
In the beginning this was Self alone, in the shape of a person (purusha). He looking round saw nothing but his Self. He first said, 'This is I;' therefore he became I by name. Therefore even now, if a man is asked, he first says, 'This is I,' and then pronounces the other name which he may have. And because before (pûrva) all this, he (the Self) burnt down (ush) all evils, therefore he was a person (pur-usha). Verily he who knows this, burns down every one who tries to be before him.