(1) As also Brahmadatta Caikitaneya, while partaking of King [Soma], said: 'Let this king cause this man's head to fall off, if Ayasya Angirasa sang the Udgitha with any other means than that, for/ said he, 'only with speech and with breath did he sing the Udgitha/

(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.

(4) ' Let us hear what anybody may have told you,' [con- tinued Yajnavalkya]. 'Jitvan Sailini told me: " Brahma, verily, is speech (vac)"' [said Janaka]. 'As a man might say that he had a mother, that he had a father, that he had a teacher, so did that Sailina say, " Brahma, verily, is speech." For he might have thought (iti), '* What can one have who can not speak? " But did he tell you Its seat and support?' ' He did not tell me.' ' Forsooth, your Majesty, that is a one-legged [Brahma].' ' Its seat is just speech; Its support, space (akasa). One should worship It as intelligence (prajna)' ' What is Its quality of intelligence, Yajnavalkya? ' 'Just speech, your Majesty,' said he. c Verily, by speech, your Majesty, a friend is recognized. By speech alone, your Majesty, the Rig- Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda, the [Hymns] of the Atharvans and Angirases, Legends (itika$a\ Ancient Lore (pur and], Sciences (vidya), Mystic Doctrines (upanisad)) Verses (sloka), Aphorisms (sutra\ Explanations (anuvyakhyand)) Commentaries (uyakkyana), what is offered in sacrifice and as oblation, food and drink, this world and the other, and all beings are known. The highest Brahma, your Majesty, is in truth speech. Speech does not desert him be noted, takes the active bruyat as if it were middle voice — a late epic usage. 2 A designation of the Atharva-Veda. who, knowing this, worships it as such. All things run unto him. He, having become a god, goes even to the gods/ { I will give you a thousand cows with a bull as large as an elephant/ said Janaka, [king] of Videha. Yajfiavalkya replied: 'My father thought that without having instructed one should not accept'

(6) This, indeed, did Vajasaneya Yajnavalkya tell to his pupil Madhuka Paingya, and say: 'Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring forth. 9- This, indeed, did Madhuka Paingya tell to his pupil Cula Bhagavitti, and say: < Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring- forth/ ^ * _ 10. This, indeed, did Cula Bhagavitti tell to his pupil Janaki Ayasthuna, and say: 'Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring- forth. * 5 ii. This, indeed, did Janaki Ayasthuna tell to his pupil Satyakama Jabala, and say: < Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring forth.'

(3) < You idiot,' said Yajfiavalkya, * that you will think that it could be anywhere else than in ourselves! for if it were any- where else than in ourselves, the dogs might eat it or the birds might tear it to pieces.' The Soul, the Person taught in the Upanishads 26, ' On what are you and your soul (dtman) based? ' e On the in-breath (fraud)? ' And on what is the out-breath based? ' ' On the diffused breath (vyana)! ' On the up-breath (ndana)? f And on what is the up-breath based * ' c On the middle [or equalizing] breath (samana)? ( That Soul (Atman) is not this, it is not that (neti, neti). It is unseizable, for it is not seized. It is indestructible, for it is not destroyed. It is unattached, for it does not attach itself. It is unbound. It does not tremble. It is not injured. These * are the eight abodes, the eight worlds, the eight gods, the eight persons. He who plucks apait and puts together these persons and passes beyond them — that is the Person taught in the Upanishads about whom I ask you. If him to me ye \\ill not tell, Your head indeed will then fall off.' But him £akalya did not know, And so indeed his head fell off. Indeed, robbers carried off his bones, thinking they were some- thing else. Man, a tree growing from Brahma

(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/

(5) So then the devils said to him: 6 Speak to us, Sir/ To them then he spoke this syllable, ' Da! ' Did you understand? ' ' We did understand/ said they. { You said to us, " Be compassionate (dayadlwanfy" ' ' Yes (Om)! } said he. ' You did understand/ This same thing does the divine voice here, thunder, repeat: Da! Da! Da! that is, restrain yourselves, give, be compas- sionate. One should practise this same triad: self-restraint, giving, compassion.

(6) This, indeed, did Satyakama Jabala tell to his pupils, and say: ' Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring forth/ One should not tell this to one who is not a son or to one who is not a pupil.

(4) Then spake Yajnavalkya: < Though, verily, you, my lady, were dear to us, you have increased your clearness. Behold, then, lady, I will explain it to you. But, while I am expound- ing, do you seek to ponder thereon/

(4) Janaka, [king] of Videha, descending from his cushion and approaching, said: c Adoration to you, Yajnavalkya. Do you instruct me.' He [i.e. Yajnavalkya] said: 'Verily, as a king about to go on a great journey would prepare a chariot or a ship, even so you have a soul (atman) prepared with these mystic doctrines (tipanisad}. So, being at the head of a troop, and wealthy, learned in the Vedas, and instructed in mystic doctrines, whither, when released hence, will you go? ' ' That I know not, noble Sir — whither I shall go/ 2, £ Indha (i. e. the Kindler) by name is this person here in the right eye. Him, verily, who is that Indha people call " Indra" 1 K % cryptically, for the gods are fond of the cryptic, as it were, and dislike the evident.

(4) ' Let us hear what anybody may have told you/ [con- tinued Yajnavalkya]. 'Vidagdha Sakalya told me: "Brahma, verily, is the heart.'" ' As a man might say that he had a mother, that he had a father, that he had a teacher, so did that Sakalya say, " Brahma is the heart." For he might have thought, " What can one have who is without a heart?" But did he not tell you Its seat and support? ' ' Verily, Yajnavalkya, do you here tell us/ ' Its seat is just the heart; Its support, space. One should worship It as the steadfast (stkiti).' 'What is Its steadfastness, Yajnavalkya? 'Just the heart, your Majesty/ said he. < Verily, your Majesty, the heart is the seat of all things. Verily, your Majesty, the heart is the support (pratistka) of all things, for on the heart alone, your Majesty, all things are established (prattsthitd). Veiily, your Majesty, the highest Brahma is the heart The heart does not leave him, who, knowing this, worships it as such. All things run unto him. He, becoming a god, goes to the gods/ ' I will give you a thousand cows with a bull as large as an elephant/ said Janaka, [king] of Videha. Yajnavalkya replied: 'My father thought that without having instructed one should not accept/

(2) Then spake Maitrey!: 'Herein, indeed, you have be- wildered me. Sir — in saying (iti): " After death there is no consciousness " 1 ' Then spake Yajnavalkya: c Lo, verily, I speak not bewilder- ment (moha). Sufficient, lo, verily, is this for understanding.

(32) Those who are voraciously inclined towards this [i.e. sangsaric existence], or those who do not at heart fear it — O dreadful! O dreadful! Alas! — and those who have not received a guru's teachings, will fall down into the precipitous depths of the Sangsdra in this manner, and suffer interminably and unbearably. Rather than meet with a like fate, listen thou unto my words and bear these teachings of mine at heart.

(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.

(4) f Let us hear what anybody may have told you/ [con- tinued Yajfiavalkya]. ' Udanka Saulbayana told me: "Brahma, verily, is the breath of life (prana)" ' As a man might say that he had a mother, that he had a father, that he had a teacher, so did that Saulbayana say, f< Brahma is the breath of life." For he might have thought, " What can one have who is without the breath of life? " But did he tell you Its seat and support? ' I He did not tell me. c Forsooth, your Majesty, that is a one-legged [Brahma].' c Verily, Yajfiavalkya, do you here tell us. should worship It as the dear (przya).' £The breath of life itself, your Majesty/ said he. c Verily, out of love for the breath of life, your Majesty, one has sacrifice offered for him for whom one should not offer sacrifice, one accepts from him from whom one should not accept. Out of love of just the breath of life, your Majesty, there arises fear of being killed wherever one goes. The highest Brahma, your Majesty, is in truth the breath of life. The breath of life leaves not him who, knowing this, worships it as such. All things run unto him. He, having become a god, goes even to the gods/ I 1 will give you a thousand cows with a bull as large as an elephant/ said Janaka, [king] of Videha. Yajnavalkya replied: c My father thought that without having instructed one should not accept/

(5) So then the men said to him: 'Speak to us, Sir/ To them then he spoke this syllable, c Da! ' Did you understand?' (dattay ' < Yes (Om) \ ' said he. ' You did understand/