Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad

Chapter Three

Second Brahmana

The Man in Bondage and His Future at Death

III. 2.13

".....Verily, one becomes good by good action, bad by bad action........."

Fourth Brahmana

The Theoretical unknowability of Brahman

III.4.1

Then Usasta Cakrayana asked him,  "Yajnavalkya*," said he, "explain to me the Brahman that is immediately present and directly perceived, who is the self in all beings?"

"This is your self. That is within all things."

"Which is within all things, Yajnavalkya,?"

"He who breathes  in with your breathing in is the self of yours which is in all things.
He who breathes  out with your breathing out is the self of yours which is in all things.
He who breathes  about with your breathing about is the self of yours which is in all things.
He who breathes  up with your breathing up is the self of yours which is in all things.**

He is your self which is in all things."

Note: 
*Yajnavalkya was the sage who knew  Brahman, the self in all beings. 
**These are the vital forces moving in our body, breathing in, breathing out, breathing about, breathing up and breathing down.

III.4.2

Usasta Cakrayana said, "This has been explained by you as one might say, "This is a horse." Explain to me the Brahman that is immediately present and directly perceived, that is the self in all things."

"This is your self that is within all things."

"Which is within all things, Yajnavalkya?"

"You cannot see the seer of seeing,
You cannot hear the hearer of hearing, 
You cannot think the thinker of thinking, 
You cannot understand the understander of understanding,
He is your self which is in all things. 
Everything else is of evil."

Thereupon, Usasta Cakrayana kept silent.

Fifth Brahmana

Renunciation, the way to know Brahman

III.5.1

Now Kahola Kausitakeya asked him, "Yajnavalkya, " said he, "explain to me the Brahman that is immediately present and directly perceived, that is the self in all things."

"This is your self which is within all things."

"Which is within all things, Yajnavalkya?"

"It is that which transcends hunger and thirst, sorrow and delusion, old age and death. The Brahmanas, having known that self, having overcome the desire for sons, the desire for wealth, the desire for the worlds, live the life of medicants.

That which is the desire for sons is the desire for wealth;
that which is the desire for wealth is the desire for the worlds for both these are but desires.
Therefore, let a Brahmana, after he has done with learning, desire to live as a child. When he has done (both) with the state of childhood and the learning, then he becomes silent meditator. Having done with (both) the non-meditative and the meditative states, then he becomes a Brahmana (a knower of Brahman)."

"How does the Brahmana behave?"

"Howsoever he may behave, he is such indeed. Everything else is of evil. "

Thereupon, Kahola Kausitakeya kept silent.

Seventh Brahmana

The Principle of the World, the Inner Controller

III.7.3

(Yajnavalkya, said) ,  "He who dwells in the earth, yet is within the earth, whom the earth does not know, whose body the earth is, who controls the earth from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.4

"He who dwells in the water, yet is within the water, whom the water does not know, whose body the water is, who controls the water from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.5

"He who dwells in the fire yet is within the fire, whom the fire does not know, whose body the fire is, who controls the fire from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.6

"He who dwells in the sky, yet is within the sky, whom the sky does not know, whose body the sky is, who controls the sky from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.7

"He who dwells in the air, yet is within the air, whom the air does not know, whose body the air is, who controls the air from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.8

"He who dwells in the heaven, yet is within the heaven, whom the heaven does not know, whose body the heaven is, who controls the heaven from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.9

"He who dwells in the sun, yet is within the sun, whom the sun does not know, whose body the sun is, who controls the sun from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.10

"He who dwells in the quarters (of space), yet is within the quarters, whom the quarters do not know, whose body the quarters are, who controls the quarters from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.11

"He who dwells in the moon and the stars,  yet is within the moon and the stars, whom the moon and the stars do not know, whose body the moon and the stars are, who controls  the moon and the stars from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.12

"He who dwells in the ether*, yet is within the ether, whom the ether does not know, whose body the ether is, who controls the ether from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

Note: *"ether " means the space. 

III.7.13

"He who dwells in the darkness, yet is within the darkness, whom the darkness does not know, whose body the darkness is, who controls the darkness from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.14

"He who dwells in the light, yet is within the light, whom the light does not know, whose body the light is, who controls the light from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal.  Thus far with reference to the divinities. Now with reference to beings."

III.7.15

"He who dwells in all beings, yet is within all beings, whom no beings know, whose body is all beings, who controls all beings from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal. Thus far with reference to the beings. Now with reference to self."

III.7.16

"He who dwells in the breath, yet is within the breath, whom the breath does not know, whose body the breath is, who controls the breath from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.17

"He who dwells in (the organ of) speech, yet is within speech, whom speech does not know, whose body speech is, who controls speech from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.18

"He who dwells in the eye, yet is within the eye, whom the eye does not know, whose body the eye is, who controls the eye from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.19

"He who dwells in the ear, yet is within the ear, whom the ear does not know, whose body the ear is, who controls the ear from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.20

"He who dwells in the mind, yet is within the mind, whom the mind does not know, whose body the mind is, who controls the mind from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.21

"He who dwells in the skin, yet is within the skin, whom the skin does not know, whose body the skin is, who controls the skin from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.22

"He who dwells in the understanding, yet is within the understanding, whom the understanding does not know, whose body the understanding is, who controls the understanding from within, He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

III.7.23

"He who dwells in the semen, is other than the semen, whom the semen does not know, whose body the semen is, who controls the semen from within, That is your self, the inner controller, the immortal."

"He is never seen but is the seer,

He is never heard but is the hearer,

He is never perceived, but is the perceiver, 

He is never thought but is the thinker.

There is no other seer but He.

There is no other hearer but He.

There is no other perceiver but He.

There is no other thinker but He.

He is your self, the inner controller, the immortal. 

Everything else is of evil."

After that Uddalaka Aruni kept silent.

Eighth Brahmana

The Unqualified Brahman

III.8.8

He said, "That, O Gargi*, the knowers of Brahman, call the Imperishable. 

It is nether gross nor fine, neither short nor long, neither glowing red (like fire) nor adhesive (like water). (It is) neither shadow nor darkness, neither air nor space, unattached, without taste, without smell, without eyes, without ears, without voice, without mind, without radiance, without breath, without a mouth, without measure, having no within and no without. It eats nothing and no one eats it."

Note: *Gargi is the pupil of Yajnavalkya learning the knowledge of Brahman.

III.8.9

"Verily, at the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, the sun and the moon stand in their respective positions.

At the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, heaven and earth stand in their respective positions.

At the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, what are called moments, hours, days and nights, half-months, months, seasons, years stand in their respective positions.

At the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, some rivers flow to the east from the white (snowy) mountains, others to the west in whatever direction each flows......"

III.8.10

"Whosoever, O Gargi, in this world, without knowing this Imperishable, performs sacrifice, worships, performs austerities for a thousand years, his work will have an end;

Whosoever, O Gargi, without knowing this Imperishable, departs from this world, is pitiable. But, O Gargi, he who knowing the Imperishable, departs from this world is a Brahmana (a knower of Brahman)."

Ninth Brahmana

The Self

III.9.26

Sakalya said, "On what are you (your body) and yourself (the heart) supported?"

(Yajnavalkya said:) "On the prana (life-breath - inbreath)"

"On what is prana supported?"

"On the apana (the outbreath)."

"And on what is the outbreath supported?"

"On the vyana (the diffused breath).

"And on what is the diffused breath supported?"

"On the samana (the equalizing or middle breath).*

That Self is not this, not this.

It is incomprehensible for it is not comprehend.

It is indestructible for it is never destroyed.

It is unattached for it does not attach itself.

It is unfettered.

It does not suffer.

It is not injured.

These are the eight abodes, the eight worlds, the eight gods, the eight persons**. He who takes apart and puts together these persons and passes beyond them, that is the person taught in the Upanisads about whom I ask you. If you do not explain him to me your head will fall off."

Sakalya did not know him, and his head fell off. Indeed robbers took away his bones, thinking they were something else.

Note: 

* They are the vital forces functioning in our body: prana (inbreath);  apana (outbreath); vyana (the diffused breath); samana (the middle breath)

**The eight refers to the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space), plus mind, intelligence and ego.