Svarūpa-lakṣaṇa in Bṛhadāraṇyaka
This is in the 3rd Adhyāya, 7th Brāhmaṇa of Bṛhadāraṇyaka known as Yājnavalkya-Uddālaka saṃvāda.
{Uddālaka traveled long distances across the breadth of Āryāvarta from Gāndhāra - Madra region (Sialkot area) in the west, to Videha in the east (Bṛ.Up-.3.7.1; Chā.Up.-5.3.6; 10.4). It must have taken considerable courage and determination to trudge such long distances on foot when roads were almost non-existent, and the modes of travel were poor, slow, and painful.}
Continuing the questions put to Yājñavalkya, when he is about to take away the cows before anybody could start any (Bṛ.Up.-III.1) debate, Uddālaka Āruṇi poses Yājñavalkya a question giving a background. Uddālaka’s question follows Aśvala (III.1), Jāratkārava Ārtabhāga (III.2), Bhujyu Lāhyāyani (III.3), Uṣasta Cākrāyaṇa (III.4), Kahola Kauṣītakeya (III.5), Gārgī Vācaknvī (III.6) (the famous Yājñavalkya-Gārgī samvāda), and the Uddalāka Āruṇi (III.7).
1. Then Uddālaka, the son/descendant of Aruṇa, questioned him – ‘Yajñavalkya’, said (he), ‘in Madra, we dwelt in the house of Patañcala Kāpya (of the line of Kapi), studying scriptures of rituals. His wife was possessed by a gandharva. We asked the gandharva, “Who are you?” He said, “I am Kabandha, the son/descendant of Ātharvaṇa.” He said to Patañcala Kāpya and those studying the rituals, “Kāpya! Do you know that Sūtra by which this world, the next world, and all beings are strung together?”
Patañcala Kāpya said, “I do not know it, venerable Sir!”
The gandharva said to him and those studying the rituals, “Kāpya! Do you know that Inner Controller who, dwelling within, governs this life, the next life, and all beings.”
Patañcala Kāpya said, “I do not know him, venerable Sir.”
The gandharva said to him and the students, “Whoever knows that Sūtra and that Inner Controller as above, is a knower of Brahman (the Supreme Self), a knower of the worlds, a knower of the gods, a knower of the Vedas, a knower of beings, a knower of the self, and a knower of all.” He described both to them. I know that meditation. If you Yājñavalkya, without knowing that Sūtra, and that Inner Controller, remove the cows meant for the knowers of Brahman, your head shall fall off.’
- ‘I know, Oh! Gautama! That Sūtra and that Inner Controller.’
- - ‘And anybody may say, ‘I know, I know’. Tell us what you know.’ – III.1.
(Adhidaivatam)
2. He said – “Vāyu O Gautama, is verily that sūtra. It is by the sūtra that is vāyu, O Gautama, that this world, the next world, and all beings are strung together. For this very reason, O Gautama, they say of a dead person, that his limbs are loosened, because they are strung together by the sutra that is vāyu.’
- - ‘It is indeed so, Yājñavalkya! Now tell us about the Inner Controller.- III.2.
3. ‘He who dwells in earth, but is within it, whom earth does not know, whose body is earth, and who controls earth from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.3.
4. ‘He who dwells in water, but is within it, whom water does not know, whose body is water, and who controls water from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.4
5. ‘He who dwells in fire, but is within it, whom fire does not know, whose body is fire, and who controls fire from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.5.
6. He who dwells in mid-region (antarikṣa), but is within it, whom mid-region does not know, whose body is the mid-region, and who controls the mid-region from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.6.
7. He who dwells in the air, but is within it, whom the air does not know, whose body is the air, and who controls the air from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.7.
8. He who dwells in heaven (divi), but is within it, whom heaven does not know, whose body is heaven, and who controls heaven from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.8.
9. He who dwells in the sun, but is within it, whom the sun does not know, whose body is the sun, and who controls the sun from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.9.
10. He who dwells in the directions (dik), but is within them, whom the directions do not know, whose body is the directions, and who controls the directions from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.10.
11. He who dwells in the moon and the stars, but is within them, whom the moon and the stars do not know, whose body is the moon and the stars, and who controls the moon and the stars from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.11.
12. He who dwells in the space (ākāśa), but is within it, whom the space does not know, whose body is the space, and who controls the space from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.12.
13. He who dwells in the darkness, but is within it, whom the darkness does not know, whose body is the darkness, and who controls the darkness from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.13.
14. He who dwells in the light, but is within it, whom the light does not know, whose body is the light, and who controls the light from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal.
This is wrt the deities (adhidaivatam). Now wrt beings (adhibhutam). - III.7.14.
(Adhibhūtam)
15. He who dwells in all beings, but is within them, whom none of the beings knows, whose body is all beings, and who controls all beings from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal.
This is wrt beings (adhibhūtam). Now wrt the body (adhyātmam). - III.7.15.
(Adhyātmam)
16. He who dwells in the prāṇa, but is within it, whom the prāṇa does not know, whose body is the prāṇa, and who controls the prāṇa from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.16.
17. He who dwells in the speech (vāk), but is within it, whom the speech does not know, whose body is the speech, and who controls the speech from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.17.
18. He who dwells in the eye, but is within it, whom the eye does not know, whose body is the eye, and who controls the eye from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.18.
19. He who dwells in the ear, but is within it, whom the ear does not know, whose body is the ear, and who controls the ear from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.19.
20. He who dwells in the mind, but is within it, whom the mind does not know, whose body is the mind, and who controls the mind from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.20.
21. He who dwells in the skin, but is within it, whom the skin does not know, whose body is the skin, and who controls the skin from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.21.
22. He who dwells in the intellect, but is within it, whom the intellect does not know, whose body is the intellect, and who controls the intellect from within, is the Inner Controller, your own self and immortal. - III.7.22.
(Finally)
23. He who dwells in the seed (retas), but is within it, whom retas does not know, whose body is retas, and who controls retas from within, is the Inner Controller – your own self and immortal.
He is never seen, but is the Seer,
He is never heard, but is the Hearer;
He is never thought, but is the Thinker,
He is never known, but is the Knower.
There is no other seer than He,
There is no other hearer than He,
There is no other thinker than He,
There is no other knower than He.
He is the Inner Controller,
Your own Self and Immortal.
All else but Him is Perishable.
Thereupon Uddālaka, son of Aruṇa kept quiet.
*** Dedicated to Amiya Basu 'Didi' ***
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Swāminī Ātmaprajñānanda Saraswatī is a Vedāntācāryā and Vyākaraṇācāryā. She teaches Vedānta and Pāṇini at Ārsha Vidyā Vikāś Kendra in Bhubaneswar. She is the author of three published books - Nomenclature of the Vedas, Ṛṣikās of the Ṛgveda, and Om: The Sound Symbol.
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