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Famous Debates in the Forest- (Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad) - Shree Purohit Swami and WB Yeats

Part VI

Adoration to the highest Self.

King Janaka of Behar 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.’

There upon 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, practices 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.’