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[*1] This is His shape wherein desire is won, desire is of Self, desire is not, grief is gone. Herein the father is no father, the mother no mother, the worlds no worlds, the Gods no [p. 71] [paragraph continues] Gods, the Vedas no Vedas; herein the thief is no thief, the murderer no murderer, the Chandala no Chandala, the Paulkasa no Paulkasa, [*1] the beggar-monk no beggar-monk, the ascetic no ascetic. Good attaches not, evil attaches not; for then has He overpast all griefs of the heart. While He sees not, yet without seeing He sees; the sight of the seer is not to be broken, for it is imperishable. But there is naught beside Him, naught apart from Him, that He should see... When He understands not, yet without understanding He understands; the understanding of the understander is not to be broken, for it is imperishable. But there is naught beside Him, naught apart from Him, that He should understand. If there should be as it were another, one would see another, smell another, taste another, speak to another, hear another, think of another, feel another, understand another. The Seer is the Waters, [*2] one with naught beside. He is the Brahma-world, O king." Thus did Yajnavalkya teach him. "This is the highest way for Him, this the highest fortune for Him, [p. 72] this the highest world for Him, this the highest bliss for Him; of this bliss other creatures live on but a morsel." Footnotes ^68:1 Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad, IV. iii. 7-33. ^68:2 Purusha; see above p. 56. ^68:3 Namely, this world in waking and dreaming, and the world of Brahma in deep sleep or death. ^69:1 The soul's seats are (1) that in this world, and (2) that in the transcendental "Brahma-world," which it visits on death. The former is the site of sorrows, the latter of pure joy. Between these is the condition of sleep; for dreaming sleep is still in touch with waking experience, and dreamless sleep is a temporary approach towards the "Brahma-world." ^70:1 In dreamless sleep the individual consciousness is merged into universal consciousness, prajna atma or "Self of Intelligence," and thus arises absolute unconsciousness. ^71:1 Two of the basest castes. ^71:2 This may refer to an Indian theory according to which water is essentially tasteless, but derives its special flavour from its surroundings, as in a cocoanut or a lemon (see Sankhya-karika, xvi.); or perhaps it is based upon the Vedic theory that made water the first principle of cosmic being, as in the doctrine of Thales of Miletus. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com VIII. GaRGi AND YaJNAVALKYA [*1] "Yajnavalkya," said she, "as a warrior from the land of Kas'i or Videha might string his unstrung bow and come forward holding in his hand two arrows to pierce through his foe, even so I have come forward against thee with two questions; answer me them." "Ask, Gargi." "Yajnavalkya," said she, "that which is above the heavens, which is beneath the earth, which is midway between the heavens and the earth, which they call What hath been, What is, and What shall be--in what is it woven and woofed?" "Gargi," said he, "that which is above the heavens, which is below the earth, which is midway between the heavens and the earth, which they call What hath been, What is, and What shall be, is woven and woofed in the ether." "Homage to thee, Yajnavalkya," said she. "for thou hast answered me this; make ready for the other." "Ask, Gargi." [p. 73] "Yajnavalkya," said she, "that which is above the heavens, which is below the earth, which is midway between the heavens and the earth, which they call What hath been, What is, and What shall be--in what is it woven and woofed?" "Gargi," said he, "that which is above the heavens, which is below the earth, which is midway between the heavens and the earth, which they call What hath been, What is, and What shall be, is woven and woofed in the ether." "And in what is the ether woven and woofed?" "Gargi," said he, "that is what Brahmans call the Unfading; it is not gross, not fine, not short, not long, not red, not fluid, not shadow, not darkness, not wind, not ether, not clinging, without taste, without smell, without eye, without ear, without speech, without mind, without vital force, without breath, without mouth, without measure, without aught inward, without aught outward; it consumes nothing, none consumes it. At the behest of the Unfading, Gargi, sun and moon are held asunder; at the behest of the Unfading, Gargi, heaven and earth are held asunder; at the behest of the Unfading, Gargi, minutes, hours, days and nights, fortnights, months, seasons, and years are held asunder; at the behest of the Unfading, Gargi, flow the rivers, some eastward from the white mountains, some westward, each in its own way. At the behest of the Unfading, Gargi, men praise [p. 74] givers, the Gods hang upon the sacrifice-giver, the Fathers upon the ladle. Indeed, Gargi, to him who makes oblation and sacrifice, and mortifies himself in this world for many thousands of years without knowing the Unfading, it comes to an end. Indeed, Gargi, he who departs from this world without knowing the Unfading is wretched. But he who departs from this world knowing the Unfading, Gargi, is the Brahman. Indeed, Gargi, the Unfading unseen sees, unheard hears, unthought thinks, uncomprehended comprehends. There is naught else than this which sees, naught else that hears, naught else that thinks, naught else that comprehends. In the Unfading, forsooth, Gargi, is the ether woven and woofed." Footnotes ^72:1 Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad, III. viii. 2-11. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com IX. THE EVERLASTING NAY [*1] Verily this great unborn Self it is that is compact of understanding amid the life-breaths, that lies in the ether within the heart, master of all, lord of all, ruler of all; He becomes not greater by a good deed nor less by an ill deed; He is king of all, ruler of born beings, guardian of born beings, the dyke holding asunder these worlds that they fall not one into another. Brahmans seek to know Him by reading the Veda, by sacrifice, by charity, by mortification. Knowing [p. 75] [paragraph continues] Him, a man becomes a saint; wandering friars wander forth seeking Him for their world. Understanding this, the ancients desired not offspring: "What is offspring to us who have this Self for this world?" So having departed from desire of sons, from desire of substance, and desire of the world, they went about begging. For desire of sons is desire of substance, desire of substance is desire of the world; these are both desires. This Self is Nay, Nay: not to be grasped, for He is not grasped; not to be broken, for He is not broken; unclinging, for He clings not; He is not bound, He trembles not, He takes no hurt. One [who knows this] is overcome neither by having done evil for His sake nor by having done good for His sake; he overcomes both; work done and work not done grieve him not. This is said by a verse: The Brahman's constant majesty by works Nor waxes more, nor wanes. This shall he trace; This known, ill deeds defile him nevermore. Footnotes ^74:1 Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad, IV. iv. 22-23. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com X. THE SPIRIT WITHIN [*1] Then Uddalaka Aruni [*2] questioned him. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "we dwelt among [p. 76] the Madras, in the house of Patanchala Kapya, [*1]. studying sacrifice. He had a wife who was possessed by a spirit [*2]; we asked him who he was, and he answered that he was Kabandha Atharvana, and said to Patanchala Kapya and to the students of sacrifice, "Knowest thou, Kapya, that Thread whereby this world and the world beyond and all creatures are bound together?" "Nay, my lord," said Patanchala Kapya, "I know it not." Then he said to Patanchala Kapya and the students of sacrifice, "Knowest thou, Kapya, that Inward Ruler who rules inwardly this world and the world beyond and all creatures?" "Nay, my lord," said Patanchala Kapya, "I know him not." Then he said to Patanchala Kapya and the students of sacrifice, "Verily, Kapya, he who should know that Thread and that Inward Ruler knows Brahma, knows the worlds, knows the Vedas, knows the creatures, knows the Self, knows the All." This he said to them: this I know. If thou, Yajnavalkya, shalt drive home the Brahman's cows without knowing that Thread and that Inward Ruler, thy head shall split." [*3] [p. 77] "Verily, Gautama, I know that Thread and that Inward Ruler." "Any man may say, "I know, I know"; but do thou say how thou knowest." "Truly, Gautama," said he, "the wind is that Thread; for by the wind as thread, Gautama, this world and the world beyond and all creatures are bound together. Therefore, Gautama, they say of a man who has died that his limbs are relaxed; for by the wind as thread, Gautama, were they bound together." "It is so, Yajnavalkya. Tell of the Inward Ruler." "He who, dwelling in the earth, is other than the earth, whom the earth knows not, whose body the earth is, who inwardly rules the earth, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the waters, is other than the waters, whom the waters know not, whose body the waters are, who inwardly rules the waters, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the fire, is other than the fire, whom the fire knows not, whose body the fire is, who inwardly rules the fire, is thy Self, the [p. 78] [paragraph continues] Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the sky, is other than the sky, whom the sky knows not, whose body the sky is, who inwardly rules the sky, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the wind, is other than the wind, whom the wind knows not, whose body the wind is, who inwardly rules the wind, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless.