The ancient narrow path that stretches far away

Has been touched by me, has been found by me.

By it the wise, the knowers of God, go up

Hence to the heavenly world, released.

9 On it, they say, is white and blue

And yellow and green and red.

That is the path which God's messengers found;

By it goes the knower of God, the doer of right, and every shining one.

10 Into blind darkness enter they

That worship ignorance;

Into darkness greater than that, as it were, they

That delight in knowledge alone.

11 Joyless are those worlds called,

Covered with blind darkness.

To them after death go those

People that have not knowledge, that are not awakened.

12 If a person knew his Lord,

With what desire, for love of what

Would he cling unto the body?

13 He who has found and has awakened to the knowledge of God,

Who encompasses this conglomerate abode —

He is the maker of everything, for He is the creator of all;

The world is His.

14 Verily, while we are here we may know this.

If you have known it not, great is the destruction.

Those who know this attain lasting life.

But others go only to sorrow.

15 If one perceives Him clearly

As God, as the Lord of what has been and of what is to be —

One does not shrink away from Him.

16 That before which the year

Revolves with its days —

That the angels revere as the light of lights,

As life immortal.

17 On whom the five peoples

And space are established —

Him alone I, the knowing, believe

To be God, the Immortal.

18 They who know the breathing of the breath,

The seeing of the eye, the hearing of the ear,

The food of food, the thinking of the mind —

They have recognized the ancient, primeval God.

19 By the mind alone is He to be perceived.

There is on earth no partner with Him.

He goes from death to death

Who sees partners with Him.

20 As One alone is He to be looked upon —

This indemonstrable, enduring Being,

Spotless, beyond space,

The unborn, great, enduring.

21 By knowing Him only, a wise

Scholar should get for himself intelligence;

He should not meditate upon many words.

For that is a weariness of speech.

22 Verily, God is great and unborn. He is the Ruler of all, the Lord of all, the King of all, nearer to man than his jugular vein. He does not become greater by good action nor inferior by bad action. He is the Lord of all, the overlord of beings, the protector of beings. He is the separating dam for keeping these worlds apart.

Such a one the scholars desire to know by recitation of the scriptures, by worship, by charity, by self-restraint, by fasting. On knowing Him, in truth, one becomes devout. Desiring Him alone as their refuge, the devout turn away from worldly gain.

Verily, because they know this, the ancients were not enslaved by the desire for offspring, saying: "What shall we do with offspring, we who have God as our refuge?" They, verily, rising above the desire for sons and the desire for wealth and the desire for worlds, lived humbly. For the desire for sons is the desire for wealth, and the desire for wealth is the desire for worlds; for both these are desires.

God is not this, He is not that. He is unseizable, for He cannot be seized. He is indestructible, for He cannot be destroyed. He is unattached, for He does not attach Himself. He is unbound. He does not tremble. He is not injured.

Him who knows this, no fear shall come upon, nor shall he grieve. He is mindful of what he has done and what he has left undone, and puts his trust in God's mercy.

23 This very doctrine has been declared in the verse: —

This eternal greatness of God

Is not increased by deeds, nor diminished.

One should be familiar with it. By knowing it,

One is guarded from evil action.

Therefore, having this knowledge, having become calm, subdued, quiet, patiently enduring, and collected, one sees the signs of God in himself and in all things. Evil does not overcome him; he overcomes all evil. Evil does not burn him; he burns all evil. Free from evil, free from impurity, free from doubt, he becomes a true servant of God.

This is nearness to God, O king,' said Yajnavalkya.

[Janaka said:] 'I will give you, noble Sir, the Videhas and myself also to serve you.'

24 [Yajnavalkya continued:] 'This is the great, unborn God, who provides the food which people eat, the Giver of good. He finds good who knows this.

25 Verily, God is great, unborn, undecaying, undying, immortal, fearless. He who knows this becomes fearless.'

Fifth Brahmana

The conversation of Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi

1 Now then, Yajnavalkya had two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani. Of the two, Maitreyi was a discourser on sacred knowledge; Katyayani was learned in the ways of the household.

Now then, Yajnavalkya was about to commence another mode of life.

2 'Maitreyi!' said Yajnavalkya, 'lo, verily, I am about to go forth from this state. Behold! Let me make a final settlement for you and that Katyayani.'

3 Then spake Maitreyi: 'If now, Sir, this whole earth filled with wealth were mine, would I now thereby be immortal?'

'No, no!' said Yajnavalkya. 'As the life of the rich, even so would your life be. Of immortality, however, there is no hope through wealth.'

4 Then spake Maitreyi: 'What should I do with that through which I may not be immortal? What you know, Sir — that, indeed, explain to me.'

5 Then spake Yajnavalkya: 'Though, verily, you, my lady, were dear to us, you have increased your dearness. Behold, then, lady, I will explain it to you. But, while I am expounding, do you seek to ponder thereon.'

6 Then spake he: 'Lo, verily, not for the husband's own sake is a husband dear, but for God's sake a husband is dear.

Lo, verily, not for the wife's own sake is a wife dear, but for God's sake a wife is dear.

Lo, verily, not for the sons' own sake are sons dear, but for God's sake sons are dear.

Lo, verily, not for wealth's own sake is wealth dear, but for God's sake wealth is dear.

Lo, verily, not for the cattle's own sake are cattle dear, but for God's sake cattle are dear.

Lo, verily, not for the sake of scholarship is scholarship dear, but for God's sake scholarship is dear.

Lo, verily, not for the sake of rulership is rulership dear, but for God's sake rulership is dear.

Lo, verily, not for the worlds' own sake are the worlds dear, but for God's sake the worlds are dear.

Lo, verily, not for the angels' own sake are the angels dear, but for God's sake the angels are dear.

Lo, verily, not for the scriptures' own sake are the scriptures dear, but for God's sake the scriptures are dear.

Lo, verily, not for the beings' own sake are beings dear, but for God's sake beings are dear.

Lo, verily, not for the sake of all is all dear, but for God's sake all is dear.

Lo, verily, it is God that should be known, that should be hearkened to, that should be thought on, that should be pondered on, O Maitreyi.

Lo, verily, in the knowing of God, the hearkening to Him, the thinking on Him, and the understanding of Him, this whole world is understood as His sign.

7 Scholarship deserts him who seeks scholarship in aught else than God. Rulership deserts him who seeks rulership in aught else than God. The worlds desert him who seeks the worlds in aught else than God. The angels desert him who seeks the angels in aught else than God. The scriptures desert him who seeks the scriptures in aught else than God. Beings desert him who seeks beings in aught else than God. Everything deserts him who seeks everything in aught else than God. This scholarship, this rulership, these worlds, these angels, these scriptures, all these beings, everything here exists by God's command and is His sign.

8 It is — as, when a drum is being beaten, one would not be able to grasp the external sounds, but by grasping the drum or the beater of the drum the sound is grasped.

9 It is — as, when a conch-shell is being blown, one would not be able to grasp the external sounds, but by grasping the conch-shell or the blower of the conch-shell the sound is grasped.

10 It is — as, when a lute is being played, one would not be able to grasp the external sounds, but by grasping the lute or the player of the lute the sound is grasped.

11 It is — as, from a fire laid with damp fuel, clouds of smoke separately issue forth, so, lo, verily, from the Great God has been sent forth revelation: the scriptures, the hymns, the legends, the ancient lore, the sciences, the sacred teachings, the verses, the aphorisms, the explanations, the commentaries, worship, charity, food, drink, this world and the other, and all beings. From Him, indeed, have all these been sent forth.

12 It is — as the uniting-place of all waters is the sea, likewise the uniting-place of all touches is the skin; likewise the uniting-place of all tastes is the tongue; likewise the uniting-place of all odors is the nose; likewise the uniting-place of all forms is the eye; likewise the uniting-place of all sounds is the ear; likewise the uniting-place of all intentions is the mind; likewise the uniting-place of all knowledges is the heart; likewise the uniting-place of all actions is the hands; likewise the uniting-place of all pleasures is the generative organ; likewise the uniting-place of all journeys is the feet; likewise the uniting-place of all scriptures is speech.

13 It is — as is a mass of salt, without inside, without outside, entirely a mass of taste, even so, verily, is the knowledge of God, without inside, without outside, entirely complete, encompassing all things.

The body arises out of these elements, and into them also it vanishes away. After death the body has no consciousness; the soul is in God's keeping until the Day of Resurrection. Thus, lo, say I.' Thus spake Yajnavalkya.

14 Then said Maitreyi: 'Herein, indeed, you have caused me, Sir, to arrive at the extreme of bewilderment. Verily, I understand it not.'

Then said he: 'Lo, verily, I speak not bewilderment. God is imperishable, lo, verily, and of indestructible quality.

15 For where there is a duality, as it were, there one sees another; there one smells another; there one tastes another; there one speaks to another; there one hears another; there one thinks of another; there one touches another; there one understands another. But God is the One, whom no eye perceives. Whereby and whom would one see? whereby and whom would one smell? whereby and whom would one taste? whereby and to whom would one speak? whereby and whom would one hear? whereby and of whom would one think? whereby and whom would one touch? whereby and whom would one understand? Whereby would one understand Him by whom one understands this All?

God is not this, He is not that. He is unseizable, for He cannot be seized; indestructible, for He cannot be destroyed; unattached, for He does not attach Himself; He is unbound, does not tremble, is not injured.

Lo, whereby would one understand the Understander?

Thus you have the instruction told to you, Maitreyi. Such, lo, indeed, is the way to everlasting life.'

After speaking thus, Yajnavalkya departed.

Sixth Brahmana

The transmission of this teaching

1 This teaching was handed down from teacher to teacher through the ages, and its source is God, the Self-subsisting. Adoration belongs to God!

Fifth Adhyaya

First Brahmana

The inexhaustible God

God is full and perfect; this creation, too, is full by His decree.

From fullness, fullness doth proceed.

Take fullness from fullness away,

E'en fullness then itself remains.

'God is the Primeval; He created space — the space primeval, the space that blows.' Thus, verily, was the son of Kauravyayani wont to say.

This is the knowledge the knowers know. Thereby I know what is to be known.

Second Brahmana

The three cardinal virtues