(2) Then said Yajnavalkya: ' Ah (bata) \ Lo (arc\ dear (priya) as you are to us, dear is what you say! Come, sit down. I will explain to you. But while I am expounding, do you seek to ponder thereon.

(18) Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed, I have regained my memory through your grace, ‘O Krishna! I stand firm, free from doubt; I will act according to your word.

(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) [Sakalya said:] c What divinity have you in this northern quarter? ' 'Sorna/ ' And on what is the Diksha rite based? ' ' On truth. Therefore they say to one who is initiated, c< Speak the truth! " For on truth alone the Diksha rite is based/ f And on what is truth based? ' f On the heart/ he said, ' for with the heart one knows truth. Verily, on the heart alone truth is based/

(3) Then he [i.e. Yajfiavalkya] said: 'Venerable Brahmans, let him of you that desires question me. Or do ye all question me. Or I will question him of you that desires [to be questioned]; or I will question all of you/ Those Brahmans, however, durst not.

(3) Then Uddalaka Arum questioned him. 'Yajfiavalkya,' said he, ' we were dwelling among the Madras in the house of Patancala Kapya, studying the sacrifice. He had a wife possessed by a spirit (gandharvd). We asked him: " Who arc you? " He said: " I am Kabandha Atharvana." He said to Patancala Kapya and to us students of the sacrifice: fCDo you know, O Kapya, that thread by which this world and the other world and all things are tied together? " Patancala Kapya said: "I do not know it, Sir/ He said to Patancala Kapya and to us students of the sacrifice: * Pray do you know, O Kapya, that Inner Controller who from within controls this world and the other world and all things? " Patancala Kapya said: " I do not know him, Sir." He said to Patancala Kapya and to us students of the sacrifice: a Verily, Kapya, he who knows that thread and the so-called Inner Controller knows Brahma, he knows the worlds, he knows the gods, he knows the Vedas, he knows created things, he knows the Soul, he knows everything/' Thus he [i.e. the spirit] explained it to them. And I know it. If you, O Yajfiavalkya, drive away the Brahma-cows without knowing that thread and the Inner Controller, your head will fall off/ ' Verily, I know that thread and the Inner Controller,; Any one might say "I know, I know." Do you tell what you know/

(10) The Lord said: Once more, Ο mighty Arjuna, listen to My supreme word, which I, from a desire for your welfare, will impart to you, to your great delight.

(3) ' Yajnavalkya/. said Sakalya, t by knowing what Brahma is it that you have talked down the Brahmans of the Kurupafi- calas? ' ' I know the quarters of heaven together with their gods and their bases.' their gods and their bases, [20] what divinity have you in this eastern quarter? ' < The sun/ ' On the eye/ c And on what is the eye based? ' { On the heart/ he said, ' for with the heart one knows appear- ances, for on the heart alone appearances are based/ ' Quite so, Yajnavalkya/

(18) Has this been heard by you O Partha, with a concentrated mind? Has the delusion of your ignorance been destroyed O Arjuna?

(3) Then Ushasta Cakrayana questioned him. ' Yajnavalkya/ said he, ' explain to me him who is the Brahma present and not beyond our ken, him who is the Soul in all things.' ' He is your soul (dtman), which is in all things.' c Which one, O Yajnavalkya, is in all things? ' in Soul of yours, which is in all things. He who breathes out with your breathing out (apand] is the Soul of yours, which is in all things. He who breathes about with your breathing about (vyana] is the Soul of yours, which is in all things. He who breathes up with your breathing up (uddna) is the Soul of yours, which is in all things. He is your soul, which is in all things.' a. Ushasta Cakrayana said: ' This has been explained to me just as one might say, <cThis is a cow. This is a horse." Explain to me him who is just the Brahma present and not beyond our ken, him who is the Soul in all things. c He is your soul, which is in all things/ £ Which one, O Yajnavalkya, is in all things? ' c You could not see the seer of seeing. You could not hear the hearer of hearing. You could not think the thinker of thinking. You could not understand the undcrstander of understanding. He is your soul, which is in all things. Aught else than Him [or, than this] is wretched.' Thereupon Ushasta Cakrayana held his peace.

(11) Arjuna said: Out of compassion for me You have spoken words of ultimate profundity concerning the Self, and they have dispelled my delusion.

(12) When it said this, it (the soul) went away rejoicing greatly.

(2) “World Honoured One, the body of the Tathagata being such, seeing Him as above-mentioned is correct whereas seeing Him otherwise is wrong.”

(6) Mahakatyayana:

The Buddha then said to Mahakatyayana:

“You go to Vimalakirti to enquire after his health on my behalf.”

Mahakatyayana said:

“World Honoured One, I am not qualified to call on him and inquire after his health. For once after the Buddha had expounded the essential aspects of the Dharma to a group of bhiksus, I followed Him to explain to them the meanings of impermanence, suffering, voidness, egolessness and nirvana. “Vimalakirti came and said:

‘Hey, Mahakatyayana, do not use your mortal mind to preach immortal reality. Mahakatyayana, all things are fundamentally above creation and destruction; this is what impermanence means. The five aggregates are perceived as void and not arising; this is what suffering means. All things are basically non-existent; this is what voidness means. Ego and its absence are not a duality; this is what egolessness means. All things basically are not what they seem to be, they cannot be subject to extinction now; this is what nirvana means.

After Vimalakirti had expounded the Dharma, the bhiksus present succeeded in liberating their minds. Hence, I am not qualified to call on him and inquire after his health.

(12) O Arjuna! Those verily who renounce all actions in Me, think of Me as the only refuge and worship Me with single-minded devotion and Dhyana, to them I become the saviour and quickly lift them up from the ocean of death and ‘samsara’.

(21) Death said: 'On this point even the gods have doubted formerly; it is not easy to understand. That subject is subtle. Choose another boon, O Nakiketas, do not press me, and let me off that boon.'

(32) The goddess then asked: “Why is the wise elder silent on this point?”

Sariputra replied: “He who wins liberation does not express it in words; hence I do not know what to say!”

(3) [Sakalya said:] * What divinity have you in this southern (daksina) quarter? ' ' That Yama — on what is he based? ' ' On sacrifice.' t And on what is sacrifice based? ' f On gifts to the priests (daksind}' priests. Verily, on faith the gifts to the priests are based/ ' On the heart,' he said, ' for with the heart one knows faith. Verily, on the heart alone faith is based/

(1) And He said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

(25) Ananda said: “From now on I dare no more claim to have heard much of the Dharma.”