The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c11.31

c11.31

“Yājnavalkya,” says Ārtabhāga in the “Great Forest Upanishad,”² “if, after the death of this man, his speech goes into fire, his breath into wind, his eye into the sun, his mind into the moon, his ear into the directions of space, his body into the earth, his self (*ātman*) into ether, the hair of his body into plants, the hair of his head into trees, his blood and semen into water,—what then becomes of the man?” Then spake Yājnavalkya: “Take me by the hand, my dear! Ārtabhāga, we two must come to an understanding about this privately, not here among people.” And they went out and consulted. And what they said was DEED (*karma*), and what they praised was DEED: ‘Verily, one becomes good through good deed, evil through evil deed.”