Brahma Knowledge: Part II. Some Texts of the Vendanta: X: The Spirit Within

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X. The Spirit Within 1

Then Uddālaka Āruṇi 2 questioned him.

"Yājnavalkya," said he, "we dwelt among

the Madras, in the house of Patanchala Kāpya, 1. studying sacrifice. He had a wife who was possessed by a spirit 2; we asked him who he was, and he answered that he was Kabandha Ātharvaṇa, and said to Patanchala Kāpya and to the students of sacrifice, "Knowest thou, Kāpya, that Thread whereby this world and the world beyond and all creatures are bound together?" "Nay, my lord," said Patanchala Kāpya, "I know it not." Then he said to Patanchala Kāpya and the students of sacrifice, "Knowest thou, Kāpya, that Inward Ruler who rules inwardly this world and the world beyond and all creatures?" "Nay, my lord," said Patanchala Kāpya, "I know him not." Then he said to Patanchala Kāpya and the students of sacrifice, "Verily, Kāpya, he who should know that Thread and that Inward Ruler knows Brahma, knows the worlds, knows the Vedas, knows the creatures, knows the Self, knows the All." This he said to them: this I know. If thou, Yājnavalkya, shalt drive home the Brahman's cows without knowing that Thread and that Inward Ruler, thy head shall split." 3

"Verily, Gautama, I know that Thread and that Inward Ruler."

"Any man may say, "I know, I know"; but do thou say how thou knowest."

"Truly, Gautama," said he, "the wind is that Thread; for by the wind as thread, Gautama, this world and the world beyond and all creatures are bound together. Therefore, Gautama, they say of a man who has died that his limbs are relaxed; for by the wind as thread, Gautama, were they bound together."

"It is so, Yājnavalkya. Tell of the Inward Ruler."

"He who, dwelling in the earth, is other than the earth, whom the earth knows not, whose body the earth is, who inwardly rules the earth, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the waters, is other than the waters, whom the waters know not, whose body the waters are, who inwardly rules the waters, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the fire, is other than the fire, whom the fire knows not, whose body the fire is, who inwardly rules the fire, is thy Self, the

inwardly rules the dark, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the light, is other than the light, whom the light knows not, whose body the light is, who inwardly rules the light, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. Thus as to godhead; now as to nature. He who, dwelling in all beings, is other than all beings, whom all beings know not, whose body all beings are, who inwardly rules all beings, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. Thus as to nature; now as to personality. He who, dwelling in the breath, is other than the breath, whom the breath knows not, whose body the breath is, who inwardly rules the breath, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in speech, is other than speech, whom speech knows not, whose body speech is, who inwardly rules speech, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the eye, is other than the eye, whom the eye knows not, whose body the eye is, who inwardly rules the eye, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the ear, is other than the ear, whom the ear knows not, whose body the ear is, who inwardly rules the ear, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the mind, is other than the mind, whom the mind knows not, whose body the mind is, who inwardly rules the mind, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling

in the skin, is other than the skin, whom the skin knows not, whose body the skin is, who inwardly rules the skin, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the understanding, is other than the understanding, whom the understanding knows not, whose body the understanding is, who inwardly rules the understanding, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He who, dwelling in the seed, is other than the seed, whom the seed knows not, whose body the seed is, who inwardly rules the seed, is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. He unseen sees, unheard hears, unthought thinks, uncomprehended comprehends. There is no other than he who sees, no other who hears, no other who thinks, no other who comprehends. He is thy Self, the Inward Ruler, the deathless. All else is fraught with sorrow."

Then Uddālaka Āruṇi held his peace.

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Footnotes

75:1 Bṛihad-āraṇyaka Upanishad, III. vii.

75:2 A patronymic, meaning "son of Aruṇa."

76:1 A patronymic signifying a descendant of Kapi. Similarly Ātharvaṇa, below, means a descendant of the mythical sage Atharvan.

76:2 In Sanskrit Gandharva; originally, perhaps, the Gandharvas were spirits of fertility, but in classical literature they are a kind of fairies, with musical proclivities. See especially Pischel and Geldner, Vedische Studien, vol. i., p. 183 foll.

76:3 This dialogue between Uddālaka and Yājnavalkya forms part of a disputation between Brahman theologians, as the prize of which a thousand cows were offered by King Janaka of Videha (Bṛihad-ār. Up. III. i. 1). The mention of a splitting head occurs several times in a similar connection in the Upanishads; practically it means that he who accepts the challenge and fails in these tourneys of wit is doomed to death by "visitation of God."