Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ("Great Forest Teaching") 2.1

2.1.1

— dṛptabālākirhānūcāno gārgya āsa sa hovācājātaśatruṃ kāśyaṃ brahma

There was formerly the proud Gârgya Bâlâki, a man of great reading. He said to Agâtasatru of Kâsi, 'Shall I tell you Brahman?' Agâtasatru said: 'We give a thousand (cows) for that speech (of yours), for verily all people run away, saying, Ganaka (the king of Mithilâ) is our father (patron).'

2.1.1-2

te bravāṇīti sa hovācājātaśatruḥ sahasrametasyāṃ bāci dadmo janako janaka iti cai janā dhāvantīti

2.1.2

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāsāvāditye puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā atiṣṭhāḥ sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ mūrdhā rājeti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste'tiṣṭhāḥ sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ mūrdhā rājā bhavati

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the sun, that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as the supreme, the head of all beings, the king. Whoso adores him thus, becomes Supreme, the head of all beings, a king.'

2.1.3

sa hovāca gārgyo yaevāsau candre puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sahovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā bṛhanpāṇḍaravāsāḥ somo rājeti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste'haraharha sutaḥ prasuto bhavati nāsyānnaṃ kṣīyate

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the moon (and in the mind), that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as the great, clad in white raiment, as Soma, the king.' Whoso adores him thus, Soma is poured out and poured forth for him day by day, and his food does not fail.

2.1.4

sahovāca gārgyo ya evāsau vidyuti puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhāstejasvīti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste tejasvī ha bhavati tejasvinī hāsya prajā bhavatiṃ

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the lightning (and in the heart), that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as the luminous.' Whoso adores him thus, becomes luminous, and his offspring becomes luminous.

2.1.5

sahovāca gārgyo ya evāyamākāśe puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhāḥ pūrṇamapravartīti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste pūryate prajayā paśubhirnāsyāsmāllokātprajodvartate

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the ether (and in the ether of the heart), that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him as what is full, and quiescent.' Whoso adores him thus, becomes filled with offspring and cattle, and his offspring does not cease from this world.

2.1.6

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyaṃ vāyau puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā indro vaikuṇṭho'parājitā seneti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste jiṣṇurhāparājiṣṇurbhavatyanyatastyajāyī

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the wind (and in the breath), that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him as Indra Vaikuntha, as the unconquerable army (of the Maruts).' Whoso adores him thus, becomes victorious, unconquerable, conquering his enemies.

2.1.7

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyamagnau puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā viṣāsahiriti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste viṣāsahirha bhavati viṣāsahirhāsya prajā bhavati

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the fire (and in the heart), that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him as powerful.' Whoso adores him thus, becomes powerful, and his offspring becomes powerful.

2.1.8

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyamapsu puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhāḥ pratirūpa iti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste pratirūpam̐ haivainamupagacchati nāpratirūpamatho pratirūpo'smājjāyate

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the water (in seed, and in the heart), that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him as likeness.' Whoso adores him thus, to him comes what is likely (or proper), not what is improper; what is born from him, is like unto him.

2.1.9

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyamādarśe puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsaiti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā jociṣṇuriti vā ahametamupāsa hati sa ya etamevamupāste rociṣṇurha bhavati rociṣṇurhāsya prajā bhavatyatho yaiḥ saṃnigacchati sarvām̐stānatirocate

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the mirror, that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as the brilliant.' Whoso adores him thus, he becomes brilliant, his offspring becomes brilliant, and with whomsoever he comes together, he outshines them.

2.1.10

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyaṃ yantaṃ paścācchabdo'nūdetyetamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā asuriti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste sarvam̐ haivāsmim̐lloka āyureti nainaṃ purā kālātprāṇo jahāti

Gârgya said: 'The sound that follows a man while he moves, that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as life.' Whoso adores him thus, he reaches his full age in this world, breath does not leave him before the time.

2.1.11

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyaṃ dikṣu puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā dvitīyo'napaga iti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste dvitīyavānha bhavati nāsmādgaṇaśchidyate

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in space, that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as the second who never leaves us.'
Whoso adores him thus, becomes possessed of a second, his party is not cut off from him,

2.1.12

sa hovāca gārgyo ya evāyaṃ chāyāmayaḥ puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā mṛtyuriti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāste sarvam̐ haivāsmim̐lloka āyureti nainaṃ purā kālānmṛtyurāgacchati

Gârgya said: 'The person that consists of the shadow, that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as death.' Whoso adores him thus, he reaches his whole age in this world, death does not approach him before the time.

2.1.13

sa hovāca gārmyo ya evāyamātmani puruṣa etamevāhaṃ brahmopāsa iti sa hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsaṃvadiṣṭhā ātmanvīti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa ya etamevamupāsta ātmanvī ha bhavatyātmanvinī hāsya prajābhavati sa ha tūṣṇīmāsa gārgyaḥ

Gârgya said: 'The person that is in the body, that I adore as Brahman.' Agâtasatru said to him: 'No, no! Do not speak to me on this. I adore him verily as embodied.' Whoso adores him thus, becomes embodied, and his offspring becomes embodied.
Then Gârgya became silent.

2.1.3-2

sa hovācājātaśatruretāvannū

Agâtasatru said: 'Thus far only?' 'Thus far only,' he replied. Agâtasatru said: 'This does not suffice to know it (the true Brahman).' Gârgya replied: 'Then let me come to you, as a pupil.'

2.1.14

ityetāvaddhīti naitāvatā viditaṃ bhavatīti sa hovāca gārgya upa tvā yānīti

Agâtasatru said: 'Thus far only?' 'Thus far only,' he replied. Agâtasatru said: 'This does not suffice to know it (the true Brahman).' Gârgya replied: 'Then let me come to you, as a pupil.'

2.1.15

sa hovācājātaśatruḥ pratilomaṃ caitadyadbrahmaṇaḥ kṣatriyamupeyādbrahma me vakṣyatīti vyeva tvā jñapayiṣyāmīti taṃ pāṇāvādāyottasthau tau ha puruṣam̐ suptamājagmatustametairnāmabhirāmantrayāṃcakree bṛhanpāṇḍaravāsaḥ soma rājanniti sa nottasthautaṃ pāṇinā peṣaṃ bodhayāṃcakāra sa hottasthau

Agâtasatru said: 'Verily, it is unnatural that a Brâhmana should come to a Kshatriya, hoping that he should tell him the Brahman. However, I shall make you know him clearly,' thus saying he took him by the hand and rose.
And the two together came to a person who was asleep. He called him by these names, 'Thou, great one, clad in white raiment, Soma, King.' He did not rise. Then rubbing him with his hand, he woke him, and he arose.

2.1.16

sa hovācājātaśatruryatraiṣa etatsupto'bhūdya eṣa vijñānamayaḥ puruṣaḥ kvaiṣa tadābhūtkuta etadāgādititadu ha na mene gārgyaḥ

Agâtasatru said: 'When this man was thus asleep, where was then the person (purusha), the intelligent? and from whence did he thus come back?' Gârgya did not know this?

2.1.17

sa hovācājātaśatruryatraiṣa etatsupto'bhūdya eṣa vijñānamayaḥ puruṣastadeṣāṃ prāṇānāṃ vijñānena vijñānamādāya ya eṣo'ntarhṛdaya ākāśastasmiñchete tāni yadā gṛhṇātyatha haitatpuruṣaḥ svapiti nāmatadgṛhīta eva prāṇo bhavati gṛhītā vāggṛhītaṃ cakṣurgṛhītam̐ śrotraṃ gṛhītaṃmanaḥ

Agâtasatru said: 'When this man was thus asleep, then the intelligent person (purusha), having through the intelligence of the senses (prânas) absorbed within himself all intelligence, lies in the ether, which is in the heart. When he takes in these different kinds of intelligence, then it is said that the man sleeps (svapiti). Then the breath is kept in, speech is kept in, the ear is kept in, the eye is kept in, the mind is kept in.

2.1.18

sa yatraitatsvapnyayā carati te hāsya lokāstaduteva mahārājo bhavatyuteva mahābrāhmaṇa utevoccāvacaṃ nigacchati sa yathā mahārājo jānapadāngṛhītvā sve janapade yathākāmaṃ parivartetaivamevaiṣa etatprāṇāngṛhītvā sveśarīre yathākāmaṃ parivartate

But when he moves about in sleep (and dream), then these are his worlds. He is, as it were, a great king; he is, as it were, a great Brâhmana; he rises, as it were, and he falls. And as a great king might keep in his own subjects, and move about, according to his pleasure, within his own domain, thus does that person (who is endowed with intelligence) keep in the various senses (prânas) and move about, according to his pleasure, within his own body (while dreaming).

2.1.19

atha yadā suṣupto bhavati yadā na kasyacana ceda hitā nāma nāḍyo dvāsaptatiḥ sahasrāṇi hṛdayātpurītatamabhipratiṣṭhanta etābhiḥ pratyavasṛpya purītati śete sa yathā kumāro vā mahārājo vā mahābrāhmaṇo vātighnīmānandasya gatvā śayītaivamevaiṣa etacchete

Next, when he is in profound sleep, and knows nothing, there are the seventy-two thousand arteries called Hita, which from the heart spread through the body. Through them he moves forth and rests in the surrounding body. And as a young man, or a great king, or a great Brâhmana, having reached the summit of happiness, might rest, so does he then rest.

2.1.20

sa yathorṇanābhistantunoccaredyathāgneḥ kṣudrā visphuliṅgā vyuccarantyevamevāsmādātmanaḥ sava auerprāṇāḥ sarve lokāḥ sarve devāḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni vyuccaranti tasyopaniṣatsatyasyasatyamiti prāṇā vai satyaṃ teṣāmeṣa satyam

As the spider comes out with its thread, or as small sparks come forth from fire, thus do all senses, all worlds, all Devas, all beings come forth from that Self The Upanishad (the true name and doctrine) of that Self is 'the True of the True.' Verily the senses are the true, and he is the true of the true.

2.1.20.p1

iti dvitīyādhyāye prathamaṃ brāhmaṇam