MantraOnNet.com: Brhadaranyaka Upanishad

III.4

1. Then Usasta Cakrayana questioned him. ‘Yajnavalkya he said, he said, ‘reveal to me the brahman that is manifest, not hidden, that is the self within everything.’ ‘It is your self that is within everything.’ ‘What is within everything, Yajnavalkya?’

‘The one that breathes with your breath is your self that is within everything. The one that breathes down with you lower breath is your self that is within everything. The one that breathes apart with your diffused breath is your self that is within everything. The one that breathes up with your up-breath is your self that is within everything. This is your self that is within everything.?

2. Usasta Cakrayana said, ‘You have explained it exactly as one might say, “This is a cow, this is a horse. ” Reveal to me the brahman that is manifest, not hidden, that is the self within everything.’ It is your self that is within everything.’ ‘What is within everything, Yajnavalkya?’

‘You cannot see the seer of seeing,- you cannot hear the hearer of hearing; you cannot think of the thinker of thinking; you cannot know the knower of knowing. This is your self that is within everything. What is other than this is suffering.’ Then Usasta Cakrayana fell silent.

III 5

1. Then Kahola Kausitakeya questioned him. ‘Yajnavalkya,’ he said, ‘reveal to me the brahman, that is manifest, not hidden, that is the self within everything.’ It is your self that is within everything.’ ‘What is within everything, Yajnavalkya?’

‘What goes beyond hunger and thirst, grief, delusion, old age and death. Seeing the self as such, leaving behind desires for sons, desires for wealth, and desires for worlds, Brahmanas live on alms. For desire for sons is desire for wealth, and desire for wealth is desire for worlds: both are merely desires. Therefore a Brahmana should turn away from learning, and desire to live like a child. When he has turned away from both childhood and learning, he is a “silent one” (muni). When he has turned away from both non-silence and silence, he is a Brahmana.’ ‘By what would he become a Brahmana?’

‘By whatever it might be, that is how he is. What is other than this is suffering.’

Then Kahola Kausitakeya fell silent.

III.6

1. Then Gargi Vacaknavi questioned him. ‘Yajnavalkya,’
she said, ‘since all this is woven on the waters, as warp and weft, on what are the waters woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On air, Gargi’

‘On what is air woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On the worlds of middle-air, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of middle-air woven, as warp and weft?’ ‘On the worlds of the gandharvas, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of the gandharvas woven, as warp and weft?’ ‘On the worlds of the sun, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of the sun woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On the worlds of the moon, Gargi.’
‘On what are the worlds of the moon woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On the worlds of the constellations, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of the constellations woven, as warp and weft?’ ‘On the worlds of the gods, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of the gods woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On the worlds of Indra, Gargi.’
‘On what are the worlds of Indra woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On the worlds of Prajapati, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of Prajapati woven, as warp and weft?’

‘On the worlds of Brahma, Gargi.’

‘On what are the worlds of Brahma woven, as warp and weft?’

He said, ‘Gargi, do not ask too many questions, least your head should split apart. You are asking too many questions about a deity concerning whom too many questions should not be asked. Gardi, do not ask too many questions.’

Then Gargi Vacaknavi fell silent.