Brihadaranyak

Then Vidaghdha, the son of Sakala, asked him - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" Yajnavalkya ascertained the number through the group of mantras known as the Nivid and said - "As many as are mentioned in the Nivid of the Visve-devas, three hundred and three and three thousand and three." "Very good," - said Sakalya (the son of Sakala) and asked again - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Thirty-three." "Very good," said Sakalya and asked again - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Six." "Very good," - said Sakalya and asked again - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Three." "Very good," - said Sakalya and asked again - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Two." "Very good," - said Sakalya and asked again - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "One and a half." "Very good," - said Sakalya and asked again - "How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "One." "Very good," - said Sakalya and asked - "Which are those three hundred and three and those three thousand and three?"

Yajnavalkya said - "There are only thirty-three gods. These others are but manifestations of them." (Sakalya asked) "Which are these thirty-three?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras and the twelve Adityas, these are thirty-one. And Indra and Prajapati make up the thirty-three."

Which are the Vasus?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "Fire, the earth, the air, the sky, the sun, heaven, the moon and the stars - these are the Vasus; for in them all this universe is placed (vasavah). Therefore, they are called Vasus.

"Which are the Rudras?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "The ten organs in the human body, with the mind as the eleventh. When they depart from this mortal body, they make one's relatives weep. Because they make them weep (rud), therefore they are called Rudras.

"Which are the Adityas?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "There are twelve months in the year. These are the Adityas, because they move along carrying (adadanah) all this with them; therefore, they are called Adityas."

"Which is Indra and which is Prajapati?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "The thunderclap is Indra, and the sacrifice is Prajapati." (Sakalya asked) "Which is the thunderclap?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The thunderbolt." (Sakalya asked) "Which is the sacrifice?" "The animals. (Surrender of our own value to the Eternal Value)"

"Which are the six gods?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "Fire, the earth, the air, the sky, the sun and heaven; for these six comprise all those."

"Which are the three gods?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "These three worlds, because all those gods are comprised in these three." (Sakalya asked) "Which are the two gods?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Matter and the vital breath (prana)." (Sakalya asked) "Which are the one and a half?" (Yajnavlakya replied) "This air that blows."

Yajnavalkya said - "Concerning this some say, 'Since the air blows as one substance, how can it be one and a half (adhyardha)?' The answer is - It is one and a half because by its presence everything attains surpassing glory (adhyardhnot)." (Sakalya asked) "Which is the one God?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The vital breath (Hiranyagarbha); it is Brahman which is called That (Tyat)."

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is the earth, whose organ of vision is fire, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is in this body. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity (cause)?" "Nectar (chyle)," - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is lust (kama), whose organ of vision is the intellect, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is identified with lust. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "Women," - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is colours, whose organ of vision is the eye, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is in the sun. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "Truth (the eye)," - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is the akasa (space), whose organ of vision is the ear, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is identified with the ear and with the time of hearing. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "The quarters (directions)" - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is darkness, whose organ of vision is the intellect, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is identified with shadow (ignorance). Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "Death," - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is particular colours, whose organ of vision is the eye, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the being who is in the mirror. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "The vital breath," - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is water, whose organ of vision is the intellect, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is in water. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "Varuna (rain)," - said Yajnavalkya.

Sakalya said - "Verily, whosoever knows that Being whose body is semen, whose organ of vision is the intellect, whose light is the mind and who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety, he indeed knows, O Yajnavalkya." (Yajnavalkya replied) "I know that Being of whom you speak, who is the ultimate support of the body and organs in their entirety. It is the Being who is identified with the son. Go on, Sakalya." (Sakalya asked) "Who is His deity?" "Prajapati (the father)," - said Yajnavalkya.

When Sakalya kept silent, Yajnavalkya addressed him thus - "Sakalya, have these brahmins made you their instrument such as tongs for burning charcoal?"

"Yajnavalkya," said Sakalya, "what Brahman do you know, that you have thus flouted these Vedic scholars of Kuru and Panchala?"

Yajnavalkya replied - "I know the quarters, with their deities and supports." Sakalya said - "If you know the quarters, with their deities and supports, what deity are you identified with in the east?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "With the deity sun." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the sun find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The eye. (Sakalya asked) "In what does the eye find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Colours, for one sees colours with the eye." (Sakalya asked) "In what do colours find their support?" "The heart (mind)," - said Yajnavalkya, "for one knows colours through the heart. Therefore, it is in the heart that colours find their support." (Sakalya said) "Just so, Yajnavalkya."

Yajnavalkya," said Sakalya, "what deity are you identified with in the south?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "With the deity Yama (the god of justice)." (Sakalya asked) "In what does Yama find his support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The sacrifice." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the sacrifice find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The remuneration of the priests." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the remuneration find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Faith, for when a man has faith, he remunerates the priest. Therefore, it is in faith that the remuneration finds its support." (Sakalya asked) "In what does faith find its support?" "The heart (mind)," said Yajnavalkya, "for one knows faith through the heart. Therefore, it is in the heart that faith finds its support." (Sakalya said) "Just so, Yajnavalkya."

"Yajnavalkya," said Sakalya, "what deity are you identified with in the west?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "With the deity Varuna (the god of rain)." (Sakalya asked) "In what does Varuna find his support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Water." (Sakalya asked) "In what does water find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Semen." (Sakalya asked) "In what does semen find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The heart," said Yajnavalkya. "Therefore they say of a new-born child who resembles his father that it seems as if he has sprung from his father's heart, that he has been created of his father's heart, as it were. Therefore, it is in the heart that semen finds its support." (Sakalya said) "Just so, Yajnavalkya."

"Yajnavalkya," said Sakalya, "what deity are you identified with in the north?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "With the deity Soma (the moon and the creeper of that name)." (Sakalya asked) "In what does Soma find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The initiatory rite." (Sakalya asked) "In what does initiation find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Truth. Therefore, they say to the one who is initiated - 'Speak the truth'; for it is in the truth that initiation finds its support." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the truth find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The heart," said Yajnavalkya, "for through the heart one knows the truth; therefore, it is in the heart that the truth finds its support." (Sakalya said) "Just so, Yajnavalkya."

"What deity," said Sakalya, "are you identified with in the fixed direction (i.e., overhead)?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "With the deity fire." (Sakalya asked) "In what does fire find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "Speech." (Sakalya asked) "In what does speech find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "The heart." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the heart find its support?"

"You ghost," said Yajnavalkya, "that you think that the heart should be elsewhere than in ourselves! If it were elsewhere than in ourselves, dogs would eat this body or birds tear it to pieces."

"In what do the body and the heart find their support?" asked Sakalya. (Yajnavalkya replied) "In the prana." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the prana find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "In the apana." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the apana find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "In the vyana." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the vyana find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "In the udana." (Sakalya asked) "In what does the udana find its support?" (Yajnavalkya replied) "In the samana." Here the Upanishad itself states - This self is That which has been described as "Not this, not this." It is imperceptible, for It is never perceived; undecaying, for It never decays; unattached, for It is never attached; unfettered, for It never feels pain and never suffers injury. Yajnavalkya said - "These are the eight abodes, the eight organs of vision, the eight deities and the eight beings. "Now I ask you about that Person who is to be known only from the Upanishads, who definitely projects those beings and again withdraws them into Himself and who is at the same time transcendental. If you cannot clearly explain Him to me, your head shall fall off?" Sakalya did not know Him; his head fell off; and robbers snatched away his bones, mistaking them for something else.

Then Yajnavalkya said - "Venerable brahmins, whosoever among you wishes to question me may now do so, or all of you may. Or whosoever among you desires it, I shall question him, or I shall question all of you. But the brahmins did not dare.

Yajnavalkya interrogated them with the following verses - 1. As is a mighty tree, so indeed is a man: this is true. His hairs are the leaves, and his skin is the outer bark. 2. From his skin blood flows and from the bark, sap. Therefore, when a man is Wounded blood flows, as sap from a tree that is injured. 3. His flesh is its inner bark, and his nerves are its innermost layer of bark, which is tough. His bones lie within, as does the wood of the tree. His marrow resembles the pith. 4. A tree, when it is felled, springs again from its root in a new form; from what root, tell me, does a man spring forth after he is cut off by death? 5. Do not say - From the semen, for that is produced from the living man. A tree springs from the seed as well; after it is dead it certainly springs again. 6. If a tree is pulled up with its root, it will not spring again. From what root, tell me, does a mortal spring forth after he is cut off by death? 7. If you think he is indeed born, I say: No, he is born again. Now who should again bring him forth? The Upanishad states - It is Brahman, which is absolute Knowledge and Bliss, the ultimate goal of him who offers wealth and also of him who has realized Brahman and stands firm in It.