Section 4.5

4.5.1 Yajnavalkya had two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani.Of the two, Maitreyi discoursed on Brahman.Katyayani, at that time, had only the understanding of a woman.Now Yajnavalkya was preparing to take up a different way of life.

4.5.2 "Maitreyi," said Yajnavalkya,"my dear, I am about to leave this place and become a wanderer.Come, let me make a settlement between you and Katyayani."

4.5.3 Maitreyi said,"Venerable sir, if this whole earth, filled with wealth, were mine, would I become deathless through it, or not?""No," said Yajnavalkya."As is the life of those who have abundant means,so your life would be.But there is no hope of deathlessness through wealth."

4.5.4 Maitreyi said,"What would I do with something that could not make me deathless?Tell me only what you yourself know, venerable sir."

4.5.5 Yajnavalkya said,"Dear to us you have always been, and now you have increased that dearness.Come, then.I will explain this to you.But as I explain, reflect deeply on what I say."

4.5.6 He said:"It is not for the husband's sake, my dear, that a husband is dear, but for the Self's sake that a husband is dear.It is not for the wife's sake, my dear, that a wife is dear, but for the Self's sake that a wife is dear.It is not for the sons' sake, my dear, that sons are dear, but for the Self's sake that sons are dear.It is not for wealth's sake, my dear, that wealth is dear, but for the Self's sake that wealth is dear.It is not for the cattle's sake, my dear, that cattle are dear, but for the Self's sake that cattle are dear.It is not for the Brahmin order's sake, my dear, that the Brahmin order is dear, but for the Self's sake that the Brahmin order is dear.It is not for the royal order's sake, my dear, that the royal order is dear, but for the Self's sake that the royal order is dear.It is not for the worlds' sake, my dear, that the worlds are dear, but for the Self's sake that the worlds are dear.It is not for the gods' sake, my dear, that the gods are dear, but for the Self's sake that the gods are dear.It is not for the Vedas' sake, my dear, that the Vedas are dear, but for the Self's sake that the Vedas are dear.It is not for beings' sake, my dear, that beings are dear, but for the Self's sake that beings are dear.It is not for the sake of everything, my dear, that everything is dear, but for the Self's sake that everything is dear.It is the Self, my dear Maitreyi, that must be seen, heard, thought about, and deeply contemplated.When the Self has been seen, heard, thought about, and known, my dear, all this is known.

4.5.7 "The Brahmin order rejects whoever knows the Brahmin order as something apart from the Self.The royal order rejects whoever knows the royal order as something apart from the Self.The worlds reject whoever knows the worlds as something apart from the Self.The gods reject whoever knows the gods as something apart from the Self.The Vedas reject whoever knows the Vedas as something apart from the Self.Beings reject whoever knows beings as something apart from the Self.Everything rejects whoever knows everything as something apart from the Self.This Brahmin order, this royal order, these worlds, these gods, these Vedas, these beings, this everything—all are this Self.

4.5.8 "When a drum is being beaten, one cannot grasp its sounds apart from it.But by grasping the drum, or the beating of the drum, its sound is grasped.

4.5.9 "When a conch is being blown, one cannot grasp its sounds apart from it.But by grasping the conch, or the blowing of the conch, its sound is grasped.

4.5.10 "When a lute is being played, one cannot grasp its sounds apart from it.But by grasping the lute, or the playing of the lute, its sound is grasped.

4.5.11 "As separate clouds of smoke issue from a fire laid with damp wood, so, my dear, all this is the outbreathing of this great Being: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvangiras, history, ancient lore, the sciences, the Upanishads, verses, aphorisms, explanations, commentaries, sacrifices, offerings, food given, drink given, this world, the other world, and all beings.All these are its outbreathings alone.

4.5.12 "As the ocean is the one meeting place of all waters,so the skin is the one meeting place of all touches.So the nostrils are the one meeting place of all smells.So the tongue is the one meeting place of all tastes.So the eye is the one meeting place of all forms.So the ear is the one meeting place of all sounds.So the mind is the one meeting place of all intentions.So the heart is the one meeting place of all kinds of knowledge.So the hands are the one meeting place of all actions.So the genitals are the one meeting place of all pleasures.So the anus is the one meeting place of all discharges.So the feet are the one meeting place of all journeys.So speech is the one meeting place of all the Vedas.

4.5.13 "As a solid lump of salt has neither inside nor outside, but is entirely a solid mass of taste,so, my dear, this Self has neither inside nor outside, but is entirely a solid mass of awareness.Arising from these elements, it dissolves back into them.After death there is no recognition, my dear: that is what I say."So said Yajnavalkya.

4.5.14 Maitreyi said,"Here you have brought me, venerable sir, into complete bewilderment.I do not understand this at all."He said, "My dear, I am not saying anything bewildering.This Self is imperishable, my dear; its nature cannot be cut off.

4.5.15 "For where there seems to be duality, 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 knows another.But when everything has become the Self for a person, then with what would one see whom? With what would one smell whom? With what would one taste whom? With what would one speak to whom? With what would one hear whom? With what would one think of whom? With what would one touch whom? With what would one know whom?With what would one know that by which one knows all this?This Self is ‘not this, not this.’It cannot be grasped, for it is not grasped.It cannot decay, for it does not decay.It is unattached, for it does not attach itself.It is unfettered; it does not suffer or come to harm.With what, my dear, would one know the knower? Maitreyi, you have now received the teaching.This, my dear, is the full extent of deathlessness." Having said this, Yajnavalkya departed.

4.5.1 Yajnavalkya had two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani.Maitreyi was versed in discussions about Brahman.At that time Katyayani had only a woman's understanding.Yajnavalkya was about to begin a different way of life.

4.5.2 "Maitreyi," said Yajnavalkya,"my dear, I am about to leave this place and go wandering.Let me make a settlement between you and Katyayani."

4.5.3 Maitreyi said,"Sir, if I owned this whole earth, filled with wealth, would that make me immortal or not?""No," said Yajnavalkya."Your life would be like that of people with plenty of possessions.But wealth offers no hope of immortality."

4.5.4 Maitreyi said,"What would I do with something that will not make me immortal?Tell me just what you know, sir."

4.5.5 Yajnavalkya said,"You were dear to me already; what you have said makes you even dearer.Come, then.I will explain this to you.As I explain, think carefully about what I say."

4.5.6 He said,"You do not love a husband for the husband's sake, my dear. You love a husband for the Self's sake.You do not love a wife for the wife's sake, my dear. You love a wife for the Self's sake.You do not love sons for the sons' sake, my dear. You love sons for the Self's sake.You do not love wealth for wealth's sake, my dear. You love wealth for the Self's sake.You do not love livestock for the livestock's sake, my dear. You love livestock for the Self's sake.You do not love priestly power for priestly power's sake, my dear. You love priestly power for the Self's sake.You do not love ruling power for ruling power's sake, my dear. You love ruling power for the Self's sake.You do not love worlds for the worlds' sake, my dear. You love worlds for the Self's sake.You do not love gods for the gods' sake, my dear. You love gods for the Self's sake.You do not love the Vedas for the Vedas' sake, my dear. You love the Vedas for the Self's sake.You do not love beings for the beings' sake, my dear. You love beings for the Self's sake.You do not love everything for everything's sake, my dear. You love everything for the Self's sake.Maitreyi, my dear, the Self must be seen, heard, thought about, and deeply considered.When the Self has been seen, heard, thought about, and understood, everything here is known.

4.5.7 "Priestly power turns away from anyone who knows it as separate from the Self.Ruling power turns away from anyone who knows it as separate from the Self.The worlds turn away from anyone who knows them as separate from the Self.The gods turn away from anyone who knows them as separate from the Self.The Vedas turn away from anyone who knows them as separate from the Self.Beings turn away from anyone who knows them as separate from the Self.Everything turns away from anyone who knows it as separate from the Self.This priestly power, this ruling power, these worlds, these gods, these Vedas, these beings, and everything here are this Self.

4.5.8 "When someone strikes a drum, you cannot take hold of the sounds that come out of it.But by grasping the drum or the drumming, you grasp the sound.

4.5.9 "When someone blows a conch, you cannot take hold of the sounds that come out of it.But by grasping the conch or the blowing of it, you grasp the sound.

4.5.10 "When someone plays a lute, you cannot take hold of the sounds that come out of it.But by grasping the lute or the playing of it, you grasp the sound.

4.5.11 "As separate streams of smoke come from a fire lit with damp wood, my dear, all these are the breath of this great being: the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvangiras, histories, ancient lore, branches of knowledge, Upanishads, verses, aphorisms, detailed explanations, explanations, sacrifices, offerings, food and drink, this world, the world beyond, and all beings.All these are its breaths.

4.5.12 "As all waters have their one destination in the sea,all touches have their one destination in the skin;all smells have their one destination in the nostrils;all tastes have their one destination in the tongue;all forms have their one destination in sight;all sounds have their one destination in hearing;all intentions have their one destination in mind;all branches of knowledge have their one destination in the heart;all actions have their one destination in the hands;all pleasures have their one destination in the sexual organ;all discharges have their one destination in the anus;all paths have their one destination in the feet;and all Vedas have their one destination in speech.

4.5.13 "A lump of salt has no separate inside or outside. It is entirely a mass of taste.In the same way, my dear, this Self has no separate inside or outside. It is entirely a mass of understanding.It arises from these elements and passes away with them.My dear, I say that after death there is no recognition."That is what Yajnavalkya said.

4.5.14 Maitreyi said,"Sir, here you have brought me to complete confusion.I do not understand this Self."He said, "My dear, I am not saying anything confusing.This Self cannot be destroyed. Its nature is not to be cut off.

4.5.15 "Where there seems to be a second thing, one person sees another, smells another, tastes another, speaks to another, hears another, thinks of another, touches another, and knows another.But when everything has become the Self for a person, through what would they see whom? Through what would they smell whom? Through what would they taste whom? Through what would they speak to whom? Through what would they hear whom? Through what would they think of whom? Through what would they touch whom? Through what would they know whom?Through what could they know that by which they know everything here?This Self is 'not this, not this.'It cannot be grasped, because it is never grasped.It does not decay, because it never decays.It is unattached, because it does not become attached.It is unbound. It is neither troubled nor injured.My dear, through what could a person know the knower? Maitreyi, you have received the teaching.My dear, this is the whole of immortality."After saying this, Yajnavalkya left.