(6) Om \ Verily, he who knows the chiefest and best, becomes the chiefest and best of his own [people]. Breath (prdna\ verily, is chiefest and best. He who knows this becomes the chiefest and best of his own [people] and even of those of whom he wishes so to become. 5 A parallel passage in simpler form is Chand. 5.1. 1-5,

(422) Him I call indeed a Brâhmana, the manly, the noble, the hero, the great sage, the conqueror, the impassible, the accomplished, the awakened.

(3) He said to them: < Venerable Brahmans, let him of you who is the best Brahman drive away these cows/ Those Brahmans durst not. Then Yajnavalkya said to his pupil: ' Samasravas, my dear, drive them away.' He drove them away. The Brahmans were angry. ' How can he declare himself to be the best Brahman among us? ' Now there was Asvala, the Hotri-priest of Janaka, [king] of Videha. He asked him: < Yajfiavalkya, are you now the best Brahman among us? * He replied, < We give honor to the best Brahman. But we are really desirous of having those cows/ Thereupon Asvala, the Hotri-priest, began to question him.

(43) is [as follows]: O ye Conquerors and your Sons, abiding in the Ten Directions, O ye ocean-like Congregation of the All-Good Conquerors, the Peaceful and the Wrathful, O ye Gurus and Devas, and ye DakinTs, the Faithful Ones, Hearken now out of [your] great love and compassions: Obeisance, O ye assemblage of Gurus and DakinTs; Out of your great love, lead us along the Path.

(7) They went to their father Pragâpati and said: 'Sir, who is the best of us?' He replied: 'He by whose departure the body seems worse than worst, he is the best of you.'

(6) Then he said: 'As truly as this knowledge has never heretofore dwelt with any Brahman (brd/imana) whatsoever, so truly may not you and your grandfathers injure us. But I will tell it to you, for who is able to refuse you when you speak thus! ' He continued (iti):

(3) (Yea, tell me then this), for to the enlightened man is that the best of teachings which the beneficent Ahura doth proclaim, and through (the revelations of) His holy Order, bounteous as he and wise with His intelligence, as well as they who declare to us (still other) secret sayings (in His name). The one like Thee (their chieftain ) is, O Mazda! endowed with Thy Good Mind's understanding thoughts.