The Upanishads - Mandhata Global

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. 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.
16
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
206