Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.5128.3

c9.5128.3

Just as a fish jumps from one side of the river to the other and back again, life keeps jumping from the state of wakefulness to the state of slumber and vice versa. Just as a kite goes up flying and then comes back to its nest, one moves from the state of wakefulness to sleep and back again. In deep slumber, he merges with God, but he does not know that. In that state, the father or the mother does not have the knowledge that they are the father or mother. After that Yājñavalkya explained the nature of the soul and the various aspects of its working in a state of wakefulness and of slumber. He added:—“As long as there is “Kāma” (desire) there is “Karman” also. Life goes on passing from birth to death and from death to birth. One attains perfection when one is above all desires, and acquires the highest divine knowledge. He is liberated from birth and death and becomes immortal. By jñāna, dāna and tapas we become self-purified and thus become worthy of the highest divine grace. We have to go from the world of Karman (action) to the world of ātman (soul). One who has acquired Brahma-jñāna (knowledge of Brahman) becomes a Brāhmaṇa. Hearing these famous teachings of Yājñavalkya, Janaka became his permanent disciple. 5) His end. Yājñavalkya had two wives named Kalyāṇī and Maitreyī. After giving his all to his wives he passed into immortality. (Bṛhadāraṇyaka; M.B. Śānti Parva, Chapters 3-9).