Section 3.2
Original Sanskrit
3.2.1 अथ हैनं जारत्कारव आर्तभागः पप्रच्छ ।याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच कति ग्रहाः कत्यतिग्रहा इति ।अष्टौ ग्रहा अष्टावतिग्रहा इति ।ये तेऽष्टौ ग्रहा अष्टावतिग्रहाः कतमे त इति
3.2.2 प्राणो वै ग्रहः ।स गन्धेनातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।प्राणेन हि गन्धाञ्जिघ्रति
3.2.3 वाग्वै ग्रहः ।स नाम्नातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।वाचा हि नामान्यभिवदति
3.2.4 जिह्वा वै ग्रहः ।स रसेनातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।जिह्वया हि रसान् विजानाति
3.2.5 चक्षुर्वै ग्रहः ।स रूपेणातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।चक्षुषा हि रूपाणि पश्यति
3.2.6 श्रोत्रं वै ग्रहः ।स शब्देनातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।श्रोत्रेण हि शब्दाञ्शृणोति
3.2.7 मनो वै ग्रहः ।स कामेनातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।मनसा हि कामान् कामयते
3.2.8 हस्तौ वै ग्रहः ।स कर्मणातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।हस्ताभ्यां हि कर्म करोति
3.2.9 त्वग्वै ग्रहः ।स स्पर्शेनातिग्रहेण गृहीतः ।त्वचा हि स्पर्शान् वेदयत ।इत्यष्टौ ग्रहा अष्टावतिग्रहाः
3.2.10 याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच यदिदं सर्वं मृत्योरन्नं का स्वित्सा देवता यस्या मृत्युरन्नमिति ।अग्निर्वै मृत्युः सोऽपामन्नम् ।अप पुनर्मृत्युं जयति
3.2.11 याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच यत्रायं पुरुषो म्रियत उदस्मात्प्राणाः क्रामन्त्याहो नेति ।नेति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः ।अत्रैव समवनीयन्ते ।स उच्छ्वयति ।आध्मायति ।आध्मातो मृतः शेते
3.2.12 याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच यत्रायं पुरुषो म्रियते ।किमेनं न जहातीति ।नामेति ।अनन्तं वै नामानन्ता विश्वे देवाः ।अनन्तमेव स तेन लोकं जयति
3.2.13 याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच यत्रास्य पुरुषस्य मृतस्याग्निं वागप्येति वातं प्राणश्चक्षुरादित्यं मनश्चन्द्रं दिशः श्रोत्रं पृथिवीं शरीरमाकाशमात्मौषधीर्लोमानि वनस्पतीन् केशा अप्सु लोहितं च रेतश्च निधीयते क्वायं तदा पुरुषो भवतीति ।आहर सौम्य हस्तम् आर्तभाग ।आवामेवैतस्य वेदिष्यावो न नावेतत्सजन इति ।तौ होत्क्रम्य मन्त्रयां चक्राते ।तौ ह यदूचतुः कर्म हैव तदूचतुः ।अथ ह यत्प्रशंसतुः कर्म हैव तत्प्रशशंसतुः ।पुण्यो वै पुण्येन कर्मणा भवति पापः पापेनेति ।ततो ह जारत्कारव आर्तभाग उपरराम
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from Sanskrit and checked passage by passage against the Kāṇva text.
3.2.1 Then Artabhaga of the line of Jaratkaru questioned him."Yajnavalkya," he said, "how many graspers are there, and how many overgraspers?""Eight graspers and eight overgraspers.""Which are these eight graspers and eight overgraspers?"
3.2.2 "Breath is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, scent,for through breath one smells scents.
3.2.3 "Speech is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, name,for through speech one utters names.
3.2.4 "The tongue is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, taste,for through the tongue one knows tastes.
3.2.5 "Sight is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, form,for through sight one sees forms.
3.2.6 "Hearing is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, sound,for through hearing one hears sounds.
3.2.7 "Mind is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, desire,for through the mind one forms desires.
3.2.8 "The hands are a grasper.They are seized by the overgrasper, action,for through the hands one performs actions.
3.2.9 "The skin is a grasper.It is seized by the overgrasper, touch,for through the skin one feels touches.These are the eight graspers and eight overgraspers."
3.2.10 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "all this is food for death. Which god has death for its food?""Fire is death, and fire is food for the waters.One conquers repeated death."
3.2.11 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when this person dies, do the vital breaths rise out of him, or not?""No," said Yajnavalkya."They gather together right here.He swells,he becomes bloated,and lies dead, bloated."
3.2.12 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when this person dies,what does not leave him?""Name.Name is infinite; the All-Gods are infinite.Through it he wins an infinite world."
3.2.13 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when a dead person's speech enters fire, breath the wind, sight the sun, mind the moon, hearing the directions, body the earth, self space, body hair the plants, head hair the trees, and blood and semen are laid in the waters—where is that person then?""Give me your hand, my dear Artabhaga.We two alone will understand this; it is not for us to discuss among a crowd."They withdrew and conferred.What they spoke of was action alone.What they praised was action alone.Through good action one becomes good; through evil action, evil.Then Artabhaga of the line of Jaratkaru fell silent.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English edition, translated independently from Sanskrit and checked passage by passage against the Kāṇva text.
3.2.1 Then Artabhaga, a descendant of Jaratkaru, questioned him. "Yajnavalkya," he said, "how many things grasp, and how many things overpower them?""Eight things grasp, and eight things overpower them.""What are these eight things that grasp and these eight things that overpower them?"
3.2.2 "Breath grasps. Odor overpowers it and holds it. For a person smells odors through breath.
3.2.3 "Speech grasps. Names overpower it and hold it. For a person speaks names through speech.
3.2.4 "The tongue grasps. Taste overpowers it and holds it. For a person knows tastes through the tongue.
3.2.5 "Sight grasps. Visible form overpowers it and holds it. For a person sees forms through sight.
3.2.6 "Hearing grasps. Sound overpowers it and holds it. For a person hears sounds through hearing.
3.2.7 "The mind grasps. Desire overpowers it and holds it. For a person desires desired things through the mind.
3.2.8 "The hands grasp. Action overpowers them and holds them. For a person acts through the hands.
3.2.9 "The skin grasps. Touch overpowers it and holds it. For a person feels touches through the skin. These are the eight things that grasp and the eight things that overpower them."
3.2.10 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "everything here is food for death. What deity has death as its food?""Fire is death. It is food for water. One overcomes repeated death."
3.2.11 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when this person dies, do the breaths leave him or not?""No," said Yajnavalkya. "They gather together right here. He swells. He bloats. He lies dead and bloated."
3.2.12 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when this person dies, what does not leave him?""His name. Names have no limit, and all the gods have no limit. Through that he wins a world without limits."
3.2.13 "Yajnavalkya," he said, "when this person dies, his speech goes into fire, his breath into wind, his sight into the sun, his mind into the moon, his hearing into the directions, his body into earth, and his self into space. His body hair goes into plants and his head hair into trees. His blood and semen are placed in water. Where is that person then?""Give me your hand, dear Artabhaga. We two will find this out by ourselves. This is not for us to discuss in public."The two went aside and talked. What they spoke about was action. What they praised was action. A person becomes good through good action and bad through bad action.Then Artabhaga, the descendant of Jaratkaru, stopped questioning him.
About this section
Section 3.2 is part of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Unknown. This page sets the Sanskrit original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 14 of 47 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.
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