Gargi and Yajnavalkya
In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:8 , the dialogue between Gargi and Yajnavalkya are mentioned.
In the court of King Janaka, where a debate is going on between various learned sages. Gargi, the daughter of Vachaknu was also present there as a participant.
She took permission from the other sages to ask two questions from Yajnavalkya.
Dialogue between Gargi and Yajnavalkya
Gargi’s First Question
सा होवाच यदूर्ध्वं याज्ञवल्क्य दिवो यदवाक्पृथिव्या यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे यद्भूतं च भवच्च भविष्यच्चेत्याचक्षते कस्मिंस्तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति ॥ ३ ॥
“Yajnavalkya, that which they say is above heaven and below the earth, which is between heaven and earth as well, and which is himself this heaven and earth and which is past, present and future – tell me, in what is that”
Yajnavalkya’s Answer
स होवाच यदूर्ध्वं गार्गि दिवो यदवाक्पृथिव्या यदन्तरा द्यावापृथिवी इमे यद्भूतं च भवच्च भविष्यच्चेत्याचक्षत आकाशे तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति ॥ ४ ॥
Yajnavalkya Replied : – “That of which they say, O Gargi, that it is above heaven and below the earth, which is between heaven and earth as well, which is himself this heaven and earth and which is past, present and future is Sky (Akasha)”
Gargi’s Second Question
तदोतं च प्रोतं चेति कस्मिन्नु खल्वाकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्चेति ॥
Gargi said – “In whom is that Sky ( Akasha) is held ?”
Yajnavalkya’s Answer
स होवाचैतद्वै तदक्षरं गार्गि ब्राह्मणा अभिवदन्त्यस्थूलमनण्वह्रस्वमदीर्घमलोहितमस्नेहमच्छायमतमोऽवाय्वनाकाशमसङ्गमरसमगन्धमचक्षुष्कमश्रोत्रमवागमनोऽतेजस्कमप्राणममुखममात्रमनन्तरमबाह्यं न तदश्नाति किञ्चन न तदश्नाति कश्चन ॥ ८ ॥
Yajnavalkya said – “O Gargi, Learned call him as Akshara. He is neither fat nor thin, neither short nor long, neither hot nor cold, neither light nor dark, neither of the nature of air, nor of the nature of sky. He is without relations. He is without taste or smell, without eyes, ears, speech, mind, vigor, breath, mouth. He is without measure; he is without inside or outside. He eat nothing; nothing can eat him”
एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ विधृतौ तिष्ठत एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि द्यावापृथिव्यौ विधृते तिष्ठत एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि निमेषा मुहूर्ता अहोरात्राण्यर्धमासा मासा ऋतवः संवत्सरा इति विधृतास्तिष्ठन्त्येतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि प्राच्योऽन्या नद्यः स्यन्दन्ते श्वेतेभ्यः पर्वतेभ्यः प्रतीच्योऽन्या यां यां च दिशमन्वेतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि ददतो मनुष्याः प्रशंसन्ति यजमानं देवा दर्वीं पितरोऽन्वायत्ताः ॥ ९ ॥
Yajnavalkya said – “At the command of this Akshara (Supreme) , O Gargi, the sun and moon hold their courses; heaven and earth keep their positions; moments, hours, days and nights, fortnights and months, seasons and years–all follow their paths; in his command only eastern flowing rivers flow from the snowy mountains and western river follow their directions. In his command only human praise a donor; devatas praise the worshippers, and forefather praise the offerings.”
यो वा एतदक्षरं गार्ग्यविदित्वास्मिँल्लोके जुहोति यजते तपस्तप्यते बहूनि वर्षसहस्राण्यन्तवदेवास्य तद्भवति यो वा एतदक्षरं गार्ग्यविदित्वास्माल्लोकात्प्रैति स कृपणोऽथ य एतदक्षरं गार्गि विदित्वास्माल्लोकात्प्रैति स ब्राह्मणः ॥ १० ॥
Yajnavalkya said – “O Gargi, one who in this world, without knowing this Akshara (Supreme), offers oblations, performs sacrifices, practices austerities, even though for many thousands of years,: but their fruits are limited by time and are perishable. O Gargi, who departs from life without knowing the Akshara (Supreme), he is pitiable. But the one who departs from life after knowing this Akshara (Supreme) is Brahman (Knower of Reality)”
तद्वा एतदक्षरं गार्ग्यदृष्टं द्रष्ट्रश्रुतं श्रोत्रमतं मन्त्रविज्ञातं विज्ञातृ नान्यदतोऽस्ति द्रष्टृ नान्यदतोऽस्ति श्रोतृ नान्यदतोऽस्ति मन्तृ नान्यदतोऽस्ति विज्ञात्रेतस्मिन्नु खल्वक्षरे गार्ग्याकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्चेति ॥ ११ ॥
Yajnavalkya said – “ O Gargi, Akshara (Supreme) can never be an object of sight , as it is the seer. It cannot be unheard but is the hearer, it cannot be thought as it is thinker, it cannot be known but is the knower. There is no seer other than him , there is no hearer other than him, there is no thinker other than him, there is no knower other than him. This Akshara, hold the sky ( Akasha).”
Hearing these words from Yajnavalkya, Gargi again looked at the sages present and said, “Revered Brahmins, please consider this enough that you get off him by just by salutation to him! No one can defeat Yajnavalkya, in the Atman Knowledge related subjects.”
