BOOK I
Lead me from the unreal to the real! Lead me from darkness to light! Lead me from death to immortality!
In the beginning all things were Self, in the shape of personality. He looked round, saw nothing but Himself. The first thing he said was, 'It is I'. Hence 'I' became His name. Therefore even now if you ask a man who he is, he first says, 'It is I', and gives what other name he has. He is the eldest of all. Because he destroyed all evil, he is called the first Person. He who knows this, destroys all evil, takes the first rank.
He became afraid; loneliness creates fear. He thought: 'As there is nothing but myself, why should I be afraid?' Then his fear passed away; there was nothing to fear, fear comes when there is a second.
As a lonely man is unhappy, so he was unhappy. He wanted a companion. He was as big as man and wife together; He divided himself into two, husband and wife were born.
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Man is only half himself; his wife is the other half.'
They joined and mankind was born.
She thought: 'He shall not have me again; he has created me from himself; I will hide myself.'
She then became a cow, he became a bull; they joined and cattle were born. She became a mare, he a stallion; she became a she-ass, he an ass; they joined and the hoofed animals were born. She became a she-goat, he a goat; she became a ewe, he a ram; they joined and goats and sheep were born. Thus He created everything down to ants, male and female.
Then he put his hand into his mouth and there created fire as if he were churning butter. He knew that He was this creation; that He created it from Himself; that He was the cause. Who knows, finds creation joyful.
When they say: 'Sacrifice to this or that god,' they talk of separate gods; but all gods are created by Him, and He is all gods.
Whatever is liquid He created from His seed.
Everything in this world is eater or eaten. The seed is food and fire is eater.
He created the gods; created mortal men, created the immortal. Hence this creation is a miracle. He who knows, finds this miracle joyful.
This world was everywhere the same till name and shape began; then one could say: 'He has such a name and such a shape.' Even today everything is made different by name and shape.
Self entered into everything, even the tips of fingernails. He is hidden like the razor in its case. Though He lives in this world and maintains it, the ignorant cannot see Him.
When he is breathing, they name Him breath; when speaking, they name Him speech; when seeing, they name Him eye; when hearing, they name Him ear; when thinking, they name Him mind. He is not wholly there. All these names are the names of His actions.
He who worships Him as the one or the other is ignorant, is imperfect; though he attain completely one or the other perfection. Let him worship Him as Self, where all these become the whole.
This Self brings everything; for thereby everything is known. He is the footprint that brings a man to his goal. He who knows this attains name and fame.
This Self is nearer than all else; dearer than son, dearer than wealth, dearer than anything. If a man calls anything dearer than Self, then that he will lose what is dear; of a certainty he will lose it; for Self is God. Therefore one should worship Self as Love. Who worships Self as Love, his love never shall perish.
It is said everything can be got through the knowledge of Spirit. What is that knowledge?
In the beginning there was Self. It knew itself as Spirit; from that knowledge everything sprang up. Whosoever among gods, sages and men, got that knowledge, became Spirit itself. Sage Wamadewa knew it and sang 'I was Manu; I was the sun'.
Even today he who knows that he is Spirit, becomes Spirit, becomes everything; neither gods nor men can prevent him, for he has become themselves.
Who thinks of himself as separate from Self, and worships some other than Self, he is ignorant; becomes a sacrificial animal for the gods.
As many beasts serve a man, man serves the gods; if one beast is taken away, man is sorry, and much more sorry if many are taken away. For a like reason gods dislike men who get this knowledge.
In the beginning all things were Spirit, one and sole; hence He lacked power. He created the good kings. Indra, Waruna, Soma, Rudra, Parjanya, Yama, Mrityu, Eeshina, are the kings among gods.
Hence the king is above all men. The priest occupies a lower seat at the coronation. The priest confers the crown upon the king, is the root of the king's power.
Therefore though the king attain supremacy at the end of his coronation he sits below the priest and acknowledges him as the root of his power. So whoever destroys the priest, destroys his root. He sins; he destroys the good.
He still lacked power; therefore He created the traders, that are arrayed in guilds like those troops of the gods; Wasus, Rudras, Adityas, Maruts and Wishwedewas.
He still lacked power; therefore He created the labourer who, like the god Pushan, feeds all. This earth is Pushan, for it feeds everything everywhere.
He still lacked power; therefore He created the good law. That law is the power of the king; there is nothing higher than law. Even a weak man rules the strong with the help of law; law and the king are the same. Law is truth. Who speaks the truth, speaks the law; who speaks the law, speaks the truth; they are the same.
Thus Spirit became the priest, the ruler, the trader, the labourer. Among the gods, Spirit appeared as fire; among men He appeared as priest; He became the king whose duty is to rule; the trader, whose duty is to trade; the labourer, whose duty is to serve. People wish for a place among the gods through fire, for a place among mankind through the priest; for Spirit appeared in these two forms.
If a man leaves this kingdom without knowing that he owns the kingdom of Self, that Self is of no service to him; it remains like the unread Vedas, or a deed not done. No, even if he does a great meritorious deed without knowing the Self, that deed will exhaust itself in the end. Worship the kingdom of Self. He who worships the kingdom of Self, does that which is never exhausted; whatever he wants, he gets from himself.
Hence this Self is the goal of all creatures. As long as man makes offerings and sacrifices, he pleases the gods; as long as he studies the Vedas, he pleases the wise; as long as he offers libations and desires children, he pleases the fathers; as long as he gives food and shelter, he pleases mankind; as long as he gives fodder and water the beasts are pleased; if birds and beasts down to the ants are fed in his house, they are pleased. But everybody wishes good to the man who has this knowledge; everybody is good to the man who is good to him.
In the beginning there was the Self, one and sole. He thought: 'Let me have a wife that I may have children; let me have wealth that I may do something in the world.' Thus far desire can go; even if man wants more, he cannot get it.
A lonely man thinks of a wife and children, of wealth and work; and so long as he does not get any of these, he thinks he is incomplete. Yet he is already complete; his mind is himself; speech his wife; life his offspring; eyes are his human wealth, for through eyes he gets it; ears his divine wealth, for through ears he gets it; body his work, for through body he works. This is the fivefold sacrifice; it applies to man, animal, everything. Who knows this, gets everything.
BOOK II
There lived Gargya, son of Balaka, learned yet proud. He went to Janaka, the king of Benares, and said: 'I will teach you about Spirit.'
Janaka said: 'People flock to me, my name on their lips, yet I give you a hundred cows for that promise.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the sun.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. He transcends all being; I worship Him as the crowned king of all. Who worships Him as such, transcends all being, becomes the crowned king of all.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the moon.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as the great king, the heavenly drinker, clad in purity. Who worships Him as the great King, milks heaven and drinks it day by day. His food is never exhausted.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in lightning.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as light. Who worships Him as light becomes enlightened; his children become enlightened.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the air.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as the still and the full. Who worships Him as the full is blessed with children and cattle. His family shall never be cut off.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in wind.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as that impregnable, unconquerable army. Who worships Him as that army conquers his enemies.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in fire.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as the tolerant; for fire harms the good and the bad. Who worships Him as the tolerant becomes tolerant; his children become tolerant.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in water.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as a reflection. Who worships Him as a reflection gets what he wants; nothing runs against him; his children reflect him.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is the mirror.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as beauty. Who worships Him as beauty becomes beautiful; his children become beautiful; he is adored by everybody.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the echo.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as life coming out of life. Who worships Him as life is blessed with abounding life. He does not die until all is spent.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the four quarters.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as my double, who never forsakes me. Who worships Him as his double is surrounded by friends; his neighbours do not forsake him.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the shadow.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as death. Who worships Him as death gets long life; he does not die too soon.'
Gargya said: 'I worship as Spirit the God that is in the body.'
Janaka said: 'No, no; that is no right way to talk of Spirit. I worship Him as a man. Who worships Him as a man gets the body he wants, his children get the bodies they want.'
Gargya became silent.
Janaka said: 'Is that all?'
Gargya said: 'That is all.'
Janaka said: 'Spirit is not so quickly known.'
Gargya said: 'I come to you as a pupil.'
Janaka said: 'It is unusual for a preacher to come to a king, to learn about Spirit. However, I will make you understand Him clearly.'
He took him by the hand and rose. The two came to a sleeping man. Janaka called out: 'Mighty man! Pure man! Heavenly drinker!' He did not wake; he woke when Janaka took him by the hand.
Janaka said: 'Where was this man's knowing Self when he slept, whence came he when he woke?'
Gargya could not understand.
Janaka said: 'When he slept, the knowing Self, all the senses within it, lay at rest in the hollow of the heart. When Self has mastered sense, man is said to sleep.
'Life is absorbed; speech, sight, hearing, thinking, absorbed.
'But when Self moves in dreams, He becomes his dreams. He becomes a great king; he becomes a great priest; he becomes the high and the low. As a great king surrounded by his retinue moves in his own country at his pleasure, Self, surrounded by his senses, moves in his own body, at his pleasure.
'But when man is in deep sleep he knows nothing; Self having crept out of those seventy-two thousand arteries called the Hitada, which spread from the heart through all the body, goes to rest surrounded by his body. Whether a child, or a king or a holy man, he transcends all happiness and goes to sleep. Thus it is that Self goes to sleep.
'As threads come from the spider, as little sparks come from the fire, so all senses, all conditions, all gods, all beings, come from this Self. He is known as the "Truth of all truths". The senses are true, but He is the truth of them all.'
BOOK III
Spirit has two aspects: measurable, immeasurable; mortal, immortal; stable, unstable; graspable, ungraspable.
Everything on this earth except wind and sky is measurable, mortal, stable, graspable; it comes from the graspable, from the sun that shines in the heavens, the substance of the graspable.
Wind and sky are immeasurable, immortal, unstable, ungraspable; they come from the ungraspable, from God that shines through the sun, the substance of the ungraspable.
This is the material aspect of Spirit.
Now the divine aspect of Spirit.
Everything in the body except life and heart is measurable, mortal, stable, graspable; it comes from the graspable from the eye, the substance of the graspable.
Life and heart are immeasurable, immortal, unstable, ungraspable; they come from the ungraspable, from God that shines in the right eye, the substance of the ungraspable.
And what is the shape of that God? It is like a saffron-coloured garment, like a white woollen garment, like red cochineal, like the flame of fire, like the white lotus, like a sudden flash of lightning. Who knows Him thus, his glory flashes like lightning.
They describe Spirit as 'Not this; not that'. The first means: 'There is nothing except Spirit;' the second means, 'There is nothing beyond Spirit.' They call Spirit the 'Truth of all truths'. The senses are true, but He is the truth of them all.
BOOK IV
Yadnyawalkya said to Maitreyee: 'Dear! I am going to renounce the world: I wish to divide my property between you and Katyayanee.'
Maitreyee said: 'Lord! If I get the wealth of the world, will it make me immortal?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'No, your life will be like the life of the wealthy. There is no hope of immortality through wealth.'
Maitreyee said: 'What can I do with that which cannot make me immortal? Tell me what you know of immortality.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Well spoken! You were dear to me; those words have made you dearer. Come, sit down. I will explain; meditate on what I say.'
He continued: 'Of a certainty, the wife does not love her husband for himself but loves him for herself only.
'The husband does not love his wife for herself, but loves her for himself only.
'The father does not love his sons for themselves, but loves them for himself only.
'A man does not love his wealth for itself, but loves it for himself only.
'A man does not love the priests for themselves, but loves them for himself only.
'A man does not love the rulers for themselves, but loves them for himself only.
'A man does not love the community for itself, but loves it for himself only.
'A man does not love the gods for themselves, but loves them for himself only.
'A man does not love the creatures for themselves, but loves them for himself only.
'A man does not love anything for itself, but loves it for himself only.'
'Maitreyee! This Self deserves to be seen, heard, thought of, meditated upon. When this Self is seen, heard, thought of, known, everything becomes known.
'The priestly order ignores the man who thinks of it as anything apart from the Self.
'The ruling order ignores the man who thinks of it as anything apart from the Self.
'The community ignores the man who thinks of it as anything apart from the Self.
'The gods ignore the man who thinks of them as anything apart from the Self.
'The creatures ignore the man who thinks of them as anything apart from the Self.
'Everything ignores the man who thinks of it as anything apart from the Self.
'Hence this Self is the priest, the ruler; He is all gods, all men, all creatures, all that exists; for these are all.
'As the sounds of a drum that cannot be understood unless we understand the drum and the drummer;
'As the sounds of a conch that cannot be understood unless we understand the conch and the blower;
'As the sounds of a lute that cannot be understood unless we understand the lute and the player;
'As clouds of smoke from fire kindled with damp fuel, from the great Being come the Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, Atharwa-Veda, history, ancient knowledge, sciences, Upanishads, poetry, aphorisms, commentaries, explanations. These are His breath;
'As all waters belong to the sea, all touches to the skin, all smells to the nose, all tastes to the tongue, all beauties to the eye, all words to the ear, all thoughts to the mind, all knowledge to the intellect, all works to the hand, all journeys to the feet, all Vedas to speech; so everything belongs to Him;
'As a lump of salt thrown in water dissolves, and cannot be taken out again as salt, though wherever we taste the water it is salt, so this great endless deathless Being dissolved is knowledge; He reveals Himself with the elements, disappears when they disappear; leaving no name behind.'
Maitreyee said: 'You say, Lord! that after death no name is left behind; this has confounded me.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Maitreyee! I say nothing that should confound you. It is easy to understand.
'For as long as there is duality, one sees the other, one smells the other, one hears the other, one speaks to the other, one thinks of the other, one knows the other; but when everything is one Self, who can see another, how can he see another; who can smell another, how can he smell another; who can hear another, how can he hear another; who can speak to another, how can he speak to another; who can think of another, how can he think of another; who can know another, how can he know another? Maitreyee! How can the knower be known?'
BOOK V
This earth is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of this earth. The bright eternal Self that is in earth, the bright eternal Self that lives in this body, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Water is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of water. The bright eternal Self that is in water, the bright eternal Self that lives in human seed, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Fire is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of fire. The bright eternal Self that is in fire, the bright eternal Self that lives in speech, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Wind is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of wind. The bright eternal Self that is in wind, the bright eternal Self that lives in breath, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
The sun is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of the sun. The bright eternal Self that is in the sun, the bright eternal Self that lives in the eye, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
The quarters are the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of the quarters. The bright eternal Self that is in the quarters, the bright eternal Self that lives in the ear, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
The moon is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of the moon. The bright eternal Self that is in the moon, the bright eternal Self that lives in the mind, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Lightning is the honey of all beings, all beings the honey of lightning. The bright eternal Self that is in lightning, the bright eternal Self that lives in the light of the body, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Thunder is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of thunder. The bright eternal Self that is in thunder, the bright eternal Self that lives in the voice, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Air is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of air. The bright eternal Self that is in air, the bright eternal Self that lives in the hollow of the heart, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Law is the honey of all beings; all beings are the honey of law. The bright eternal Self that is in law, the bright eternal Self that lives as the law in the body, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Truth is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of truth. The bright eternal Self that is truth, the bright eternal Self that lives as the truth in man, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Mankind is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of mankind. The bright eternal Self that is in mankind, the bright eternal Self that lives in a man, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
Self is the honey of all beings; all beings the honey of Self. The bright eternal Self that is everywhere, the bright eternal Self that lives in a man, are one and the same; that is immortality, that is Spirit, that is all.
This Self is the Lord of all beings; as all spokes are knit together in the hub, all things, all gods, all men, all lives, all bodies, are knit together in that Self.
This is the honey that Dadheechi gave to Ashwineekumars. A sage said to Ashwineekumars: 'As a reward for cutting off his head and substituting a horse's head Dadheechi gave you this honey, daring man! I proclaim this news, as thunder proclaims the rain. Dadheechi kept his word; though this honey was his secret, he gave it; gave this secret of creation.
'He made the two-footed; He made the four-footed. He, the great god, became the bird, entered into its body. He is the God who lives in all bodies. There is nothing that does not fill Him; nothing that He does not fill.
'He wanted every form, for He wanted to show Himself; as a magician He appears in many forms, He masters hundreds and thousands of powers. He is those powers; those millions of powers, those innumerable powers. He is Spirit; without antecedent, without precedent, without inside, without outside; omnipresent, omniscient. Self is Spirit. That is revelation.
BOOK VI
Adoration to the highest Self.
King Janaka of Behir sacrificed. Costly gifts were given to the priests. Many priests from the provinces of Kuru and Panchala had come. Janaka wanted to find out who knew most. He bought a thousand cows, every cow had ten gold coins tied between its horns.
He said: 'Venerable Priests! Let him, who knows Spirit, take those cows.'
But the priests dared not.
Thereupon Yadnyawalkya said to his pupil: 'Samashrawa! my son, take these cows.' He obeyed.
The other priests were angry. They said: 'How dare he call himself the wisest among us?'
Ashwala, a priest attached to the court of Janaka, said:
'Yadnyawalkya! Do you think you are the wisest among us?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'I bow to him who knows Spirit. I wanted the cows.'
Ushasta, son of Chakra, said: 'Yadnyawalkya! Explain that Spirit, which out of sight is known by sight; that Self who lives in the hearts of all.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Your own Self lives in the hearts of all.'
Ushasta said: 'What Self do you say lives in the hearts of all?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'He who inhales with the help of Prana is your Self, living in the hearts of all. He who exhales with the help of Apana is your Self, living in the hearts of all. He who diffuses breath with the help of Wyana is your Self, living in the hearts of all. He who goes out with the help of Udana is your Self, living in the hearts of all. Your own self lives in the hearts of all.'
Ushasta said: 'As one might point and say "this is a cow; this is a horse", explain Spirit; that Spirit which out of sight is known by sight; that Self who lives in the hearts of all.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Your own Self lives in the hearts of all.'
Ushasta said: 'What Self do you say lives in the hearts of all?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'You cannot see the seer of the sight, you cannot hear the hearer of the sound, you cannot think of the thinker of the thought, you cannot know the knower of the known. Your own Self lives in the hearts of all. Nothing else matters.'
Thereupon Ushasta became silent.
Then Kahola, son of Kusheetaka said: 'Yadnyawalkya! Explain that Spirit which out of sight is known by sight; that Self who lives in the hearts of all.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Your own Self lives in the hearts of all.'
Kahola said: 'What Self do you say lives in the hearts of all?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'He who is beyond hunger, thirst, delusion, sorrow, decay, death. When saints know that Self, they conquer desire for children, wealth, companions, live the life of mendicants. Desire for children is desire for wealth; desire for wealth is desire for companions; therefore let a spiritual man transcend all book-learning, and live like a child. When he transcends book-learning and childlike simplicity, let him meditate. When he transcends meditation and lack of meditation, he becomes a saint.'
'By what means?' said Kahola.
Yadnyawalkya said: 'By whatever means please him best, so long as he becomes like that. Nothing but the Self matters.' Thereupon Kahola became silent.
Then Gargee, daughter of Wachaknu, asked:
'Yadnyawalkya! Since everything in this world is woven, warp and woof, on water, please tell me, on what is water woven, warp and woof?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Gargee! It is woven on wind.'
'On what is wind woven, warp and woof?'
'On the sky.'
'On what is sky woven, warp and woof?'
'On the region of the celestial choir.'
'On what is the region of the celestial choir woven, warp and woof?'
'On the sun.'
'On what is the sun woven, warp and woof?'
'On the moon.'
'On what is the moon woven, warp and woof?'
'On the stars.'
'On what are the stars woven, warp and woof?'
'On the region of gods.'
'On what is the region of gods woven, warp and woof?'
'On the region of light.'
'On what is the region of light woven, warp and woof?'
'On the region of the Creator.'
'On what is the region of the Creator woven, warp and woof?'
'On the region of Spirit.'
'On what is the region of Spirit woven, warp and woof?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Gargee! Do not transgress the limit; or you may go crazy.'
Gargee became silent.
Then Uddalaka, of the family of Aruna, said: 'Yadnyawalkya! We were staying in the province of Madra in the house of Patanjala Kapya, studying the ritual of sacrifice.
'A celestial singer entered into his wife. We asked him who he was.
'He said: "I am Kabandha of the family of Atharwana."
'He said: "Do you know that thread wherein this world, the next world and all beings are strung?"
'"I do not know, Sir," said I.
'He said: "Do you know who controls this world, the next world and all beings from within?"
'"I do not know, Sir!" said I.
'He said: "Who knows thread and controller, knows Spirit, knows the world, knows the gods, knows all beings, knows all knowledge, knows the Self, knows everything."
'He then explained everything, hence I know everything. If, Yadnyawalkya! you drive away these cows without knowing that thread and that controller, you will be lost.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'I know the thread, and the controller.'
Uddalaka said: 'Anybody can say that he knows, that he is wise. What do you know?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Life is that thread whereon this world, the next world, and all beings are strung. We say that when a man is dead his limbs are unstrung; everything is strung on life.'
Uddalaka said: 'So it is; now what of the controller within?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'He who lives on earth, apart from earth, whom earth does not know; whose body is earth; controlling earth from within; is your own Self, the immortal, the controller.
'He who lives in water, apart from water, whom water does not know; whose body is water, controlling water from within; is your own Self, the immortal, the controller.
'He who lives in sky, wind, heaven, quarters, sun, moon, stars, air, darkness, light; apart from them; whom sky, wind, heaven, quarters, sun, moon, stars, air, darkness, light do not know; whose body is sky, wind, heaven, quarters, sun, moon, stars, air, darkness, light; controlling them from within; is your own Self, the immortal, the controller. Thus He lives in all gods.
'He who lives in all beings, apart from them, whom no being knows; whose body is all beings; controlling all beings from within; is your own Self, the immortal, the controller. Thus he lives in all beings.
'He who lives in breath, speech, eyes, ears, skin, mind, knowledge; apart from them; whom breath, speech, eyes, ears, skin, mind, knowledge do not know; whose body is breath, speech, eyes, ears, skin, mind, knowledge; controlling them from within; is your own Self, the immortal, the controller.
'Thus he lives in man's body.
'He who lives in man's seed; apart from it; whom man's seed does not know; whose body is seed; controlling it from within; is your own Self, the immortal, the controller.
'Invisible, He sees; inaudible, He hears; unthinkable, He thinks; unknowable, He knows. None other can see, hear, think, know. He is your own Self, the immortal; the controller; nothing else matters.'
Thereupon Uddalaka became silent.
Then Gargee said: 'Revered sirs! I can ask him two questions, that if he answer, no one amongst you can defeat him in discussion about Spirit.'
The venerable Brahmans gave her permission.
Gargee said: 'Yadnyawalkya! As a soldier from Benares or Behar might string his loosened bow and rise with two deadly arrows, so I have risen to fight you. Answer my questions.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'What are they?'
Gargee said: 'Yadnyawalkya! Tell me, on what is woven, warp and woof, that which is above heaven, below earth, containing heaven and earth; that which is past, present and future?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'That which is above heaven, below earth, containing heaven and earth; that which is past, present and future, is woven, warp and woof, on air.'
Gargee said: 'Yadnyawalkya! I curtsy; you have solved my doubt. Now answer my second question.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'What is that?'
Gargee said: 'Yadnyawalkya! On what is that air woven, warp and woof?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'The saints call it the Root. It is neither big nor little, neither long nor short, neither burning like fire nor flowing like water; without shadow, without darkness, without wind, without air, without attachment; without touch, taste, sight, smell; without hearing, speaking, thinking; without breath, without face, without energy, without measure, without inside or outside; it consumes nothing; nothing consumes it.
'Gargee! At the command of that Root, sun and moon do not clash; heaven and earth do not clash; moments, hours, days, nights, fortnights, months, seasons, years, follow their course; rivers issuing from the snowy mountains follow their course to east and west or where you will. At the command of that Root; people praise the generous, gods guard the sacrificer, fathers watch the sacrificial offerings.
'Gargee! who without knowing this Root, meditates, sacrifices, practises austerity, though for thousands of years, does what passes away. Who dies without knowing this Root, is pitiful; who leaves this world, knowing it, is wise.
'Gargee! That Root sees, though invisible; hears, though inaudible; thinks, though unthinkable; knows, though unknowable. Nothing else can see, hear, think, know. Air is woven on that Root, warp and woof.'
Gargee said: 'Revered sirs! Anybody has a right to be proud who can escape this sage, with a curtsy; no one can defeat him in discussion about Spirit.'
Thereupon Gargee became silent.
Widagdha Shakala asked: 'Yadnyawalkya! How many gods are there?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Three hundred and three and three thousand and three, as is mentioned in the list of the hymns to all gods.'
'Right,' said Widagdha; 'but how many in reality?'
'Thirty-three.'
'Right; but how many in reality?'
'Six.'
'Right; but how many in reality?'
'Three.'
'Right; but how many in reality?'
'Two.'
'Right; but how many in reality?'
'One and a half.'
'Right; but how many in reality?'
'One God only.'
'Then what are those three hundred and three and three thousand and three?'
'The divine powers; the more important being thirty-three.'
'What are those thirty-three?'
'Eight Wasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, Indra and Prajapati.'
'What are the Wasus?'
'Fire, earth, wind, sky, sun, moon, stars, heaven.'
'What are the eleven Rudras?'
'Five living fires, five senses and the personal Self. When they leave our body, they make us cry out; hence the name Rudra.'
'What are the Adityas?'
'Twelve months of the year; they pass carrying everything; hence their name.'
'Who is Indra? Who is Prajapati?'
'Indra is thunder; Prajapati is sacrifice.'
'What is the symbol of thunder?'
'The thunderbolt.'
'What is the symbol of sacrifice?'
'The sacrificial animal.'
'What are the gods?'
'Fire, ear, mind, air, sun, sky; all the world lives in.'
'What are the three gods?'
'The three worlds; all the gods live therein.'
'What are the two gods?'
'Food and breath.'
'What is one and a half?'
'The wind.'
'The wind is one, why is it called one and a half?'
'Because as the wind blows, everything grows.'
'Who is the one God?'
'Life is the one God. It is that Spirit.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Revered sirs! Anybody in this assembly can question me; I can question anybody or I can question all.'
Nobody dared question him.
Then Yadnyawalkya questioned them: 'Man is like a big tree; his hairs are leaves, his skin bark; blood can ooze from a wound like sap from a tree; there is flesh in man, wood in the tree; his muscles are like its fibres, his bones like hard wood, his marrow like its pith.
'The tree when felled grows up again from its root, from what root does man grow when cut down by death?
'Do not say that he grows from his seed, his seed dies with him; the tree can grow from its seed, its seed does not die with it.
'If the tree is pulled root and all, it will not grow again. From what root or seed does a man, cut down by death, grow again?
'He is not born again as he is; then who creates him again?'
Yadnyawalkya answered his question: 'Spirit is the root, the seed; for him who stands still and knows, the invulnerable rock. Spirit is knowledge; Spirit is joy.'
Janaka, king of Behar, descending from his throne, said: 'Yadnyawalkya! I bow. Teach me.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'King! As one about to make a long journey is furnished with ship or carriage, so you are furnished with the sacred teachings. Though a rich king, you have learnt the Vedas and the Upanishads; where will you go, when you leave this world?'
Janaka said: 'Lord! I do not know where I shall go.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'But I can tell you where.'
Janaka said: 'Tell me.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'In the right eye Self lives and kindles the light; in the left eye His queen. They meet in the hollow of the heart, feed on the heart's red lump, rest in the network of the veins, move through the artery that rises upward from the heart. The veins, like numberless small hairs, are rooted in the heart, through the heart flows a food finer than the food that nourishes the body.
'East, west, south, north, above, below, every quarter is filled with His breath. That Self described as "not this, not that" cannot be grasped, nor destroyed, nor captured, nor afflicted. King, he is imperishable. Do not fear.'
Janaka said: 'You have set me above fear. Here is my kingdom; here am I, at your service.'
BOOK VII
Yadnyawalkya went to Janaka. He had not planned a discussion; but something said about sacrifice so pleased him that he promised Janaka whatever he asked. Janaka asked permission to question him; and that was the first question he asked.
Janaka said: 'Yadnyawalkya! What is the light of man?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'The sun is his light. By that light man sits, works, goes, returns.'
Janaka said: 'When the sun has set what is his light?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'The moon is his light; by that light man sits, works, goes, returns.'
Janaka said: 'When sun and moon have set, what is his light?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Fire is his light; by that light man sits, works, goes, returns.'
Janaka said: 'When sun and moon have set, when fire is out, what is his light?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Speech is his light; by that light man sits, works, goes, returns. When man cannot see his own hand, he can hear what is said, and go towards the voice.'
Janaka said: 'When sun and moon have set, when fire is out, when nothing is said, what is his light?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'Self is his light; by that light man sits, works, goes, returns.'
Janaka said: 'Who is that Self?'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'He who lives within the heart, surrounded by the senses, He is the light within, knowledge itself. Unchanged He moves through both conditions, through waking and sleeping; seems to think in the one, to sport in the other; plays amid multiform dreams, then transcends this world, transcends every perishing shape, goes to sleep.
'He takes a body at birth, takes up its infirmities; but when he leaves that body, He leaves all infirmities.
'He has in truth two homes, earth and heaven; but seems to have a third between, built of dreams. He stands in this third home, surveys both heaven and earth. While passing on his way to heaven, his nightly way, He knows both happiness and misery. He breaks the link. He has made dreams through his own power and light, he rejects them and goes into dreamless sleep.
'In dreams he shone by his own light; no horse there, no road, no carriage, but he made it; no well, no tank, no river, but he made it; no excitement, no pleasure, no happiness, but he made it. He is the maker.
'Here is my authority: "He breaks the link with all that belongs to body; he remains awake giving light; dreamless he makes dreams. By that light he returns to earth. He is the Golden God, the Man, the Self, Hamsa, the solitary Bird."
'The Golden God, the Man, the Self, Hamsa, the solitary Bird, He leaves that small nest, the body, in charge of its guardian life, goes out wherever He will, is never weary.
'He the God, seems to dream, sporting among forms, to go hither and thither, seems to delight in sex, to eat and laugh with friends, or to look upon heart-rending spectacles.
'His playing ground is seen; no one can see Him.
'Some say that dreaming and waking are the same; for what man sees while awake, he sees in his dreams. Whatever else be true, the Self shines by its own light.'
Janaka said: 'Lord! I give you a thousand crowns. Speak on for the sake of my liberation.'
Yadnyawalkya said: 'He wakes; and having enjoyed, gone hither and thither, known good and evil, he hastens back again to his dreams. But nothing can affect him, nothing can cling to Self.
'Having enjoyed his dreams, gone hither and thither, known good and evil, he hastens back to wakefulness. But nothing can affect Him, nothing can cling to Self.
'Having enjoyed his wakefulness, gone hither and thither, known good and evil, he hastens back again to his dreams.
'As a large fish moves from one bank of a river to the other, Self moves between waking and dreaming.
'But as a falcon or eagle, flying in the sky, wearies, folds its wings, falls into its nest, Self hastens into that sleep, his last resort, where he desires nothing, creates no dream.
'In this body, there are those veins like numberless small hairs called Hita, full of white, blue, yellow, green, red. It is because of these that he sees himself killed, sees himself beaten down, sees himself chased by elephants, sees himself falling into a well; in all these dreams, he creates, through ignorance, dangers known when awake, or he draws upon imagination, thinking himself a king or a god or the world.
'But his true nature is free from desire, free from evil, free from fear. As a man in the embrace of his beloved wife forgets everything that is without, everything that is within; so man, in the embrace of the knowing Self, forgets everything that is without, everything that is within; for there all desires are satisfied, Self his sole desire, that is no desire; man goes beyond sorrow.
'Father disappears, mother disappears, world disappears, gods disappear, Vedas disappear, thief disappears, rogue disappears, ascetic disappears, monk disappears, menial disappears, good and evil disappear; he has gone beyond sorrow.
'What He cannot see, he cannot see, yet He can see; sight and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He see; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot smell, He cannot smell, yet He can smell; smelling and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He smell; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot taste, He cannot taste, yet He can taste; taste and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He taste; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot speak, He cannot speak, yet He can speak; speech and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He speak; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot hear, He cannot hear, yet he can hear; hearing and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He hear; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot think, He cannot think, yet He can think; thinking and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He think; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot touch, He cannot touch, yet He can touch; touching and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He touch; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'What He cannot know, He cannot know, yet He can know; knowing and He are one, and He is indestructible; what can He know; there is nothing separate from Him; no second.
'Where there is another, one sees another; smells, tastes, touches, knows, hears another, speaks to another, of another.
'One, without a second; that is the Kingdom of Heaven; man's highest achievement; his greatest wealth; his final goal; his utmost joy. Other creatures must live on a diminution of this joy.
'When the knowing Self masters the personal self at death, the personal self groans, as a heavily laden cart groans under its burden.
'When body grows weak through age or disease, the Self separates itself from the limbs, as a mango, a fig, a banyan fruit separates itself from the stalk; man hastens back to birth, goes, as before, from birth to birth.
'As soldiers, governors, scholars, leaders, wait upon a returning king with food and drink and bring him to his house announcing his approach, so all the elements wait upon such a Self, announcing its approach.
'As soldiers, governors, scholars, leaders, gather together to bid goodbye to a king, so when the Self decides to go, all the senses gather.'
'As a caterpillar, having reached the end of a blade of grass, takes hold of another blade, then draws its body from the first, so the Self having reached the end of his body, takes hold of another body, then draws itself from the first.
'And as a goldsmith takes the gold from an old piece of jewelry and shapes it into a more modern piece, so the Self forgets the old body, takes hold of another body, whether like that of the fathers, or of the celestial singers, or of the gods, or of the begetter, or of any other creature.
'This Self is Spirit. He is knowledge, mind, life, sight, hearing, earth, water, wind, air, light, darkness, desire, absence of desire, anger, placability, right, wrong; He is everything; He is this and that. Whatever his conduct and character in one life, he has it in his next; if good in one, he is good in another; if a sinner in one, he is a sinner in another; his good karma makes him good, his sinful karma makes him sinful. Hence they say that soul is full of desire. He wills according to his desire; he acts according to his will; he reaps what he sows. Here is my authority:
'"Self goes where man's mind goes. Whatever his actions in this world, he enjoys their reward in the next; that over, he returns for action's sake. I speak of a man with desire; but what is he who has no desire? He has no desire, because he has attained his desire; desire of Self is no desire. He does not die like others; he is of Spirit, he becomes Spirit."
'When all desires of the heart are gone, mortal becomes immortal, man becomes Spirit, even in this life.
'As the skin of a snake is peeled off and lies dead on an ant-hill, so this body falls and lies on the ground; but the Self is bodiless, immortal, full of light; he is of Spirit, he becomes Spirit.
'If man knows that he is He, why should he hunger for a body?
'He, whose Self lying in this mysterious uncertain body is awakened, becomes Spirit. He becomes the maker of the world, the maker of everything. His is the world, he is the world itself.
'Let the wise and holy man know Him, govern his intellect by that knowledge; not learn words after words, a weariness to the tongue.
'Holding this purpose, people long ago did not want children. Spirit was their goal; what had they to do with children? They refused children, wealth, company, travelled with a begging bowl. Desire for children is desire for wealth, desire for wealth is desire for company; what is desire but desire?'
BOOK VIII
Shwetaketu went to the assembly of the wise men of Panchala, and found king Prawahana Jaiwali, surrounded by courtiers. The king saw him and said: 'Welcome, young man!'
'Here I am, Your Majesty,' said Shwetaketu.
The king said: 'Have you been taught by your father?'
Shwetaketu said: 'Yes!'
The king said: 'Do you know if people go in different directions when they die?'
'No!'
'Do you know how they come back again to this world?'
'No!'
'Do you know why the other world is not over crowded by those who are pouring in?'
'No!'
'Do you know when water takes the form of man and begins to speak?'
'No!'
'Do you know where to find the road that leads to God and the road that leads to the fathers? Have you not heard these words of the Sage: "I have heard of the roads by which men travel, one that leads to God, one that leads to the fathers. Everything that moves between heaven and earth, moves along these roads!"'
Shwetaketu said: 'I have not heard of either road.'
Then the king offered him bed and board but the young man refused, went back to his father and said: 'Father! Why did you call me well educated?'
Father said: 'Wise man! what is the matter?'
Son said: 'That king asked me five questions, and I did not know how to answer one of them.'
Father said: 'What were they?'
Son said: 'They were these,' and told him the five questions.
Father said: 'My son! Whatever I knew, I taught you. But come, we go to the king and become his pupils.'
Son said: 'You can go alone.'
Thereupon Gautama went to the king, who gave him a seat, water and a welcome, saying: 'I will give whatever you ask.'
Gautama said: 'Say what you said to my son.'
King said: 'Why ask for a spiritual gift; why not ask a more substantial gift?'
Gautama said: 'You know well that I do not lack gold, cows, horses, servants, attendants, clothes. Do not offer me what I have already in great abundance.'
King said: 'Gautama! Then ask in the proper way.'
Gautama said: 'I come as a pupil. There was a time when people gave their word, and were accepted as pupils.'
Gautama was accepted and stayed as a pupil.
King said: 'Gautama! As your forefathers were not offended with my forefathers, do not be offended with me. I give what you have asked; for who can refuse when asked, as you have asked?
'This knowledge is not born even in a priest.
'Gautama! Heaven is the sacrificial fire, sun its fuel, rays its smoke, day its flame, quarters its coal, sub-quarters its sparks. Gods offer faith as an oblation and create king moon.
'Rain-cloud is the sacrificial fire, year its fuel, vapour its smoke, lightning its flame, thunderbolt its coal, thunder its spark. Gods offer king moon as an oblation and create the rain.
'World is the sacrificial fire, earth its fuel, fire its smoke, night its flame, moon its coal, stars its sparks. Gods offer rain as an oblation and create food.
'Man is the sacrificial fire, open mouth its fuel, breath its smoke, tongue its flame, eyes its coal, ears its sparks. Gods offer food as an oblation and create seed.
'Woman is the sacrificial fire. Gods offer seed as an oblation and create man. He lives as long as he may and dies.
'Then they burn him on the funeral pile. There fire is the sacrificial fire, fuel is fuel, smoke is smoke, flame is flame, coal is coal, spark is spark. Gods offer man as an oblation and create a being blazing with light.
'Householders who know and worship sacrificial fire; ascetics who know it in solitude, and worship it as faith and truth; pass after death into light, from light into day, from day into the moon's brightening fortnight, from the moon's brightening fortnight into the six months when sun moves northward, from these months into the territory of gods, from the territory of gods into the sun, from the sun into lightning. The self-born Spirit finds them there and leads them to heaven. In that Kingdom of Heaven they live, never returning to earth.
'But they who conquer the lesser worlds by sacrifice, austerity, almsgiving, pass into smoke, from smoke into night, from night into the six months when the sun travels southward, from these months into the world of fathers, from the world of fathers into the moon, where they become food. As priests feed on the moon, so gods feed on them. When their karma is exhausted, they return to air, from air to wind, from wind to rain, from rain into the earth where they become food, where they are offered as sacrifice to the fire in man; offered as sacrifice to the fire in woman; then they are born again. Once more they rise, once more they circle round.
'Those who do not know any of these roads, are born as poisonous worms and insects.'
This is perfect. That is perfect. Perfect comes from perfect. Take perfect from perfect; the remainder is perfect.
May peace and peace and peace be everywhere.
The End