Muni's PlayAkshara Vidya (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)
The Akshara Vidya is a profound dialogue between Sage Yajnavalkya and Gargi Vachaknavi, exploring the “Imperishable” (Akshara) that pervades the entire universe.
Verse 3.6.1: The Chain of Pervasion
Sanskrit
अथ हैनं गार्गी वाचक्नवी पप्रच्छ; याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, यदिदं सर्वमप्स्वोतं च प्रोतं च, कस्मिन्नु खल्वाप ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; वायौ गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु वायुरोतश्च प्रोतश्चेति; अन्तरिक्शलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खल्वन्तरिक्शलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; गन्धर्वलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु गन्धर्वलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; आदित्यलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खल्वादित्यलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; चन्द्रलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु चन्द्रलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; नक्शत्रलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु नक्शत्रलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; देवलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु देवलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; इन्द्रलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खल्विन्द्रलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; प्रजापतिलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु प्रजापतिलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; ब्रह्मलोकेषु गार्गीति; कस्मिन्नु खलु ब्रह्मलोका ओताश्च प्रोताश्चेति; स होवाच, गार्गि मातिप्राक्शीः, मा ते मूर्धा व्यपप्तत्, अनतिप्रश्न्यां वै देवतामतिपृच्छसि गार्गि, मातिप्राक्शीरिति; ततो ह गार्गी वाचक्नव्युपरराम ॥ १ ॥
Translation
Then Gargi, the daughter of Vachaknu, questioned him: “Yajnavalkya,” she said, “since all this world is woven and pervaded by water, what is it that water is woven and pervaded by?” “By air, Gargi,” he replied. She continued to ask what pervaded each successive layer, moving through the worlds of the atmosphere, the Gandharvas, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, the Gods, Indra, and Prajapati. Finally, she asked what the worlds of Prajapati were woven and pervaded by, to which he answered, “The worlds of Brahman, Gargi.” When she asked what pervaded the worlds of Brahman, Yajnavalkya warned her, “Gargi, do not question too much, lest your head fall off. You are asking too many questions about a deity that should not be questioned beyond a certain point.” Thereupon, Gargi Vachaknavi became silent.
Word-by-Word Analysis
- अथ (atha) — then
- ह एनम् (ha enam) — indeed him
- गार्गी वाचक्नवी (gārgī vācaknavī) — Gargi, daughter of Vachaknu
- पप्रच्छ (papraccḥa) — asked
- याज्ञवल्क्य (yājñavalkya) — O Yajnavalkya
- यदितं सर्वमप्स्वोतं च प्रोतं च (yadidaṃ sarvamapsvotaṃ ca protaṃ ca) — since all this is woven and pervaded by water
- कस्मिन्नु खल्वाप ओताश्च प्रोताश्च (kasminnu khalvāpa otāśca protāśca) — in what indeed water is woven and pervaded?
- कस्मिन् (kasmin) — in what?
- वायौ (vāyau) — in air
- अन्तरिक्षलोकेषु (antarikṣalokeṣu) — in the atmosphere worlds
- गन्धर्वलोकेषु (gandharvalokeṣu) — in the Gandharva worlds
- आदित्यालोकेषु (ādityalokeṣu) — in the solar worlds
- चन्द्रलोकेषु (candralokeṣu) — in the lunar worlds
- नक्षत्रलोकेषु (nakṣatralokeṣu) — in the stellar worlds
- देवलोकेषु (devalokeṣu) — in the worlds of the gods
- इन्द्रलोकेषु (indralokeṣu) — in the worlds of Indra
- प्रजापतिलोकेषु (prajāpatilokeṣu) — in the worlds of Prajapati
- ब्रह्मलोकेषु (brahmalokeṣu) — in the worlds of Brahman
- गार्गि मा अतिप्राक्षीः (gārgi mā atiprāksḥīḥ) — Gargi, do not over-question
- मा ते मूर्धा व्यपप्तत् (mā te mūrdhā vyapaptat) — lest your head fall off
- ततः उपराम (tataḥ uparāma) — then ceased/became silent
Verse 3.8.3 - 3.8.4: The Akasha Pervasion
Sanskrit
सा होवाच, यदूर्ध्वं याज्ञवल्क्य दिवः, यदवाक् पृथिव्यः, यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे, यद्भूतं च भवच्च भविष्यच्चेत्याचक्शते, कस्मिंस्तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति ॥ ३ ॥ स होवाच, यदूर्ध्वं गार्गि दिवः, यदवाक् पृथिव्याः, यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे, यद्भूतं च भवच्च भविष्यच्चेत्याचक्शते, आकाशे तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति ॥ ४ ॥
Translation
She said: “O Yajnavalkya, that which is above the heavens, that which is below the earth, that which is between heaven and earth, and that which they call the past, the present, and the future—across what is all that woven and pervaded, like warp and woof?”
He replied: “O Gargi, that which is above heaven, that which is below the earth, that which is between these two (heaven and earth), and that which they call the past, the present, and the future—all that is woven and pervaded, warp and woof, in Akasha (Unmanifested Space/Ether).”
Word-by-Word Analysis
- सा उवाच (sā uvāca) — she said
- यदूर्ध्वं दिवः (yadūrdhvaṃ divaḥ) — that which is above heaven
- यदवाक् पृथिव्याः (yadavāk pṛthivyāḥ) — that which is below the earth
- यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे (yadantarā dyāvāpṛthivī ime) — that which is between these two (heaven and earth)
- यद्भूतं च भवत् च भविष्यत् च (yadbḥūtaṃ ca bhavat ca bhaviṣyat ca) — past, present, and future
- आचक्षते (ācakṣate) — they call
- कस्मिन् तत् ओतम् च प्रोतम् च (kasmin tat otam ca protam ca) — in what is that woven and pervaded?
- आकाशे (ākāśe) — in Akasha (Space)
Verse 3.8.6 - 3.8.7: Beyond Akasha
Sanskrit
सा होवाच, यदूर्ध्वं याज्ञवल्क्य दिवः, यदवाक् पृथिव्याः, यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे, यद्भूतं च भवच्च भविष्यच्चेत्याचक्शते, कस्मिंस्तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति ॥ ६ ॥ स होवाच, यदूर्ध्वं गार्गि दिवः, यदवाक् पृथिव्याः, यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे, यद्भूतं च भवच्च भविष्यच्चेत्याचक्शते, आकाश एव तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति, कस्मिन्नु खल्वाकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्चेति ॥ ७ ॥
Translation
She said: “O Yajnavalkya, that which is above heaven, below the earth, between heaven and earth, and which they call past, present, and future—across what is Akasha (Space) itself woven and pervaded, warp and woof?”
He said: “O Gargi, that which is above the heaven, that which is below the earth, that which is between these two, heaven and earth, and that which they call the past, the present, and the future—all that is woven and pervaded, warp and woof, in Akasha (Space).” Gargi then asked: “In what then, is Akasha woven and pervaded, warp and woof?”
Word-by-Word Analysis
- आकाशः ओतः च प्रोतः च (ākāśaḥ otaḥ ca protaḥ ca) — Akasha is woven and pervaded
- कस्मिन् नु खलु (kasmin nu khalu) — in what now indeed?
Verse 3.8.8: The Nature of the Akshara
Sanskrit
स होवाच, एतद्वै तदक्शरः, गार्गि ब्राह्मणा अभिवदन्ति, अस्थूलमनण्वह्रस्वमदीर्घमलोहितमस्नेहमच्छायमतमोऽवायुनाकाशमसङ्गमचक्शुष्कमश्रोत्रमवागमनोऽतेजस्कमप्राणममुखममात्रमनन्तरमबाह्यम्, न तदश्नाति किंचन, न तदश्नाति कश्चन ॥ ८ ॥
Translation
He said: “O Gargi, the knowers of Brahman call this the Imperishable (Akshara). It is neither gross nor subtle, neither short nor long, neither glowing red like fire nor fluid like water. It is without shadow and without darkness, without air and without space, unattached, without taste, without smell, without eyes, without ears, without speech, without mind, without light, without breath, and without a mouth. It has no measure, no ‘inside,’ and no ‘outside.’ It consumes nothing, and nothing consumes it.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
- एतत् वै तत् अक्षरम् (etat vai tat akṣaram) — this verily is that Imperishable
- ब्राह्मणाः अभिवदन्ति (brāhmaṇāḥ abhivadanti) — knowers of Brahman declare
- अस्थूलम् (asthūlam) — not gross
- अनणु (anaṇu) — not subtle/atomic
- अह्रस्वम् (ahrasvam) — not short
- अदीर्घम् (adīrgham) — not long
- अलोहितम् (alohitam) — not red/colorless
- अस्नेहम् (asneham) — not moist/unctuous
- अच्छायाम् (acchāyām) — without shadow
- अतमः (atamaḥ) — without darkness
- अवायु (avāyu) — without air
- अनाकाशम् (anākāśam) — without space
- असङ्गम् (asaṅgam) — unattached
- अचक्षुष्कम (acakṣuṣkam) — without eyes
- अश्रोत्रम् (aśrotram) — without ears
- अवाक (avāk) — without speech
- अमनः (amanaḥ) — without mind
- अतेजस्कम् (atejaskam) — without light
- अप्राणम् (aprāṇam) — without breath
- अमुखम् (amukham) — without mouth
- अमात्रम् (amātram) — without measure
- अनन्तरम् (anantaram) — without interior
- अबाह्यम् (abāhyam) — without exterior
- न अश्नाति किंचन (na aśnāti kiñcana) — eats nothing
Verse 3.8.11: The Internal Seer
Sanskrit
तद्वा एतदक्शरं गार्ग्यदृष्टं द्रष्टृ, अश्रुतं श्रोत्तृ, अमतं मन्तृ, अविज्ञातं विज्ञातृ; नान्यदतोऽस्ति द्रष्टृ, नान्यदतोऽस्ति श्रोतृ, नान्यदतोऽस्ति मन्तृ, नान्यदतोऽस्ति विज्ञातृ; एतस्मिन्नु खल्वक्शरे गार्ग्याकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्चेति ॥ ११ ॥
Translation
“Verily, O Gargi, that Imperishable is the Seer who is not seen, the Hearer who is not heard, the Thinker who is not thought, and the Knower who is not known. There is no other seer but This; there is no other hearer but This; there is no other thinker but This; there is no other knower but This. By this very Imperishable, O Gargi, is Space (Akasha) woven and pervaded, warp and woof.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
- अदृष्टम् द्रष्टृ (adṛṣṭam draṣṭṛ) — unseen Seer
- अश्रुतम् श्रोतृ (aśrutam śrotṛ) — unheard Hearer
- अमतम् मन्तृ (amatam mantṛ) — unthought Thinker
- अविज्ञातम् विज्ञातृ (avijñātam vijñātṛ) — unknown Knower
- न अन्यत् अतः अस्ति द्रष्टृ (na anyat ataḥ asti draṣṭṛ) — there is no other seer than this
- एतस्मिन् अक्षरे (etasmin akṣare) — in this Imperishable
- आकाशः ओतः च प्रोतः च (ākāśaḥ otaḥ ca protaḥ ca) — Akasha is woven and pervaded
इति अष्टमं ब्राह्मणम् ॥
Thus ends the eighth Brahmana (of the third chapter).