Yajnavalkya had two wives. One was Maitreyi and second Katyayani. When Yajnavalkya decided to move towards renunciation from married life, he went to Maitreyi and asked whether he should divide his wealth between the two wives.
This dialogues between Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya are mentioned in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4
Maitreyi-Yajnavalkya Dialogue
मैत्रेयीति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्य उद्यास्यन्वा अरेऽहमस्मात्स्थानादस्मि हन्त तेऽनया कात्यायन्यान्तं करवाणीति ॥ 1॥
Yajnavalkya said – “Maitreyi , Since I will be going toward Sannyasa Ashram, so with your permission should I distribute the assets between you and Katyayani.
सा होवाच मैत्रेयी । यन्नु म इयं भगोः सर्वा पृथिवी वित्तेन पूर्णा स्यात्कथं तेनामृता स्यामिति नेति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यो यथैवोपकरणवतां जीवितं तथैव ते जीवितं स्यादमृतत्वस्य तु नाशास्ति वित्तेनेति ॥ 2॥
Maitreyi Said – “if all these possessions and with entire earth, would they bring me immortality?” Yajnavalkya replied – “No, that could never be. You could live a life of enjoyment like those who have wealth lives. Wealth can never bring immortality”
सा होवाच मैत्रेयी येनाहं नामृता स्यां किमहं तेन कुर्यां यदेव भगवान्वेद तदेव मे ब्रूहीति ॥ 3॥
“that which does not bring immorality, what will i do by taking those things? If you know a path towards immorality than please guide me towards it ” said Maitreyi
स होवाच न वा अरे पत्युः कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति । न वा अरे जायायै कामाय जाया प्रिया भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय जाया प्रिया भवति । न वा अरे पुत्राणां कामाय पुत्राः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय पुत्राः प्रिया भवन्ति । न वा अरे वित्तस्य कामाय वित्तं प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय वित्तं प्रियं भवति । न वा अरे ब्रह्मणः कामाय ब्रह्म प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय ब्रह्म प्रियं भवति । न वा अरे क्षत्रस्य कामाय क्षत्रं प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय क्षत्रं प्रियं भवति । न वा अरे लोकानां कामाय लोकाः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय लोकाः प्रिया भवन्ति । न वा अरे देवानां कामाय देवाः प्रिया भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय देवाः प्रिया भवन्ति । न वा अरे भूतानां कामाय भूतानि प्रियाणि भवन्त्यात्मनस्तु कामाय भूतानि प्रियाणि भवन्ति । न वा अरे सर्वस्य कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवत्यात्मनस्तु कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवति । आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यो मैत्रेय्यात्मनो वा अरे दर्शनेन श्रवणेन मत्या विज्ञानेनेदं सर्वं विदितम् ॥ 5॥
“My dear Maitreyi, know that a wife loves her husband not for his sake but for the sake of the Self. know that a husband loves his wife not for her sake but for the sake of the Self. Sons are not dear for the sons sake, but are dear due to one’s own Self. Wealth is not dear for the wealth’s sake, but is dear due to one’s own Self. Brahman is not dear for the Brahman’s sake, but is dear due to one’s own Self. Kshtryia is not dear for the Kshtryia’s sake, but are dear due to one’s own Self. Lokas are not dear for the Loka’s sake, but are dear due to one’s own Self. Devatas are not dear for the Devata’s sake, but are dear due to one’s own Self. Humans are not dear for the Human’s sake, but are dear due to one’s own Self. and All is not dear for the All’s sake, but are dear due to one’s own Self.
It is this Self that has to be seen, heard , thought and meditated. This being known all else is known.
ब्रह्म तं परादाद्योऽन्यत्रात्मनो ब्रह्म वेद क्षत्त्रं तं परादाद्योऽन्यत्रात्मनः क्षत्त्रं वेद लोकास्तं परादुर्योऽन्यत्रात्मनो लोकान्वेद देवास्तं परादुर्योऽन्यत्रात्मनो देवान्वेद भूतानि तं परादुर्योऽन्यत्रात्मनो भूतानि वेद सर्वं तं परादाद्योऽन्यत्रात्मनः सर्वं वेदेदं ब्रह्मेदं क्षत्त्रमिमे लोका इमे देवा इमानि भूतानीदं सर्वं यदयमात्मा ॥ 6॥
Brahman (caste) defeat those who consider Brahman different from this Atman. Kshtryia (caste) defeat those who consider Kshtryia different from this Atman. Lokas defeat those who consider Lokas different from this Atman. Devatas defeat those who consider Devatas different from this Atman. Humans defeat those who consider Humans different from this Atman. All defeat those who consider All different from this Atman. These Brahman, Kshtryia , Lokas, Devatas, Humans and all other things, it is all within the Atman.
स यथा दुन्दुभेर्हन्यमानस्य न बाह्याञ्शब्दाञ्शक्नुयाद्ग्रहणाय दुन्दुभेस्तु ग्रहणेन दुन्दुभ्याघातस्य वा शब्दो गृहीतः ॥ 7॥
As when a drum is beaten, one cannot distinguish between its particular notes from the general note of the drum.
स यथा शङ्खस्य ध्मायमानस्य न बाह्याञ्शब्दाञ्शक्नुयाद्ग्रहणाय शङ्खस्य तु ग्रहणेन शङ्खध्मस्य वा शब्दो गृहीतः ॥ 8॥
As when a conch is blown, one cannot distinguish between its particular notes from the general note of the conch .
स यथा वीणायै वाद्यमानायै न बाह्याञ्शब्दाञ्शक्नुयाद्ग्रहणाय वीणायै तु ग्रहणेन वीणावादस्य वा शब्दो गृहीतः ॥9॥
As when a Veena is played, one cannot distinguish between its particular notes from the general note of the Veena.
स यथार्द्रैधाग्नेरभ्याहितात्पृथग्धूमा विनिश्चरन्त्येवं वा अरेऽस्य महतो भूतस्य निश्वसितमेतद्यदृग्वेदो यजुर्वेदः सामवेदोऽथर्वाङ्गिरस इतिहासः पुराणं विद्या उपनिषदः श्लोकाः सूत्राण्यनुव्याख्यानानि व्याख्यानान्यस्यैवैतानि निश्वसितानि ॥ 10॥
As the fire which is born out of wet wood give rise to different type of smoke, spark e.t.c, similarly these Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharva, history, purana, self knowledge, Upanishads , shloka , sutras , mantra and economy they all are born out of the breadth of Supreme Self.
स यथा सर्वासामपां समुद्र एकायनमेवं सर्वेषां स्पर्शानां त्वगेकायनमेवं सर्वेषां गन्धानां नासिके एकायनमेवं सर्वेषां रसानां जिह्वैकायनमेवं सर्वेषां रूपाणां चक्षुरेकायनमेवं सर्वेषां शब्दानां श्रोत्रमेकायनमेवं सर्वेषां सङ्कल्पानां मन एकायनमेवं सर्वासां विद्यानां हृदयमेकायनमेवं सर्वेषां कर्मणां हस्तावेकायनमेवं सर्वेषामानन्दानामुपस्थ एकायनमेवं सर्वेषां विसर्गाणां पायुरेकायनमेवं सर्वेषामध्वनां पादावेकायनमेवं सर्वेषां वेदानां वागेकायनम् ॥ 11॥
As the ocean is the end of all type of water, as the skin is the end of all kinds of touch, nostrils is the end of all odors, tongue is the end of all type of tastes, eye is the end of all colors, ear is end of all sounds. Manas is end of all desires, mind is the end of all the knowledge, hands are the end of all sort of work, organ of generation is the end of all enjoyment, anus is the end of all excretions, feet’s are end of all kind of paths and organ of speech is the end of all the Vedas.
स यथा सैन्धवखिल्य उदके प्रास्त उदकमेवानुविलीयेत न हास्योद्ग्रहणायेव स्यात् । यतो यतस्त्वाददीत लवणमेवैवं वा अर इदं महद्भूतमनन्तमपारं विज्ञानघन एव । एतेभ्यो भूतेभ्यः समुत्थाय तान्येवानु विनश्यति न प्रेत्य संज्ञास्तीत्यरे ब्रवीमीति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः ॥ 12॥
As a lump of salt dropped into water dissolves with water, and no one is able to pick it up, but from wheresoever one takes water it will always taste salty.
Similarly this Atman is endless, infinite and pure intelligence. These element comes out of Atman and destroyed within the same. Free from the embodiment this Atman does have any valid classification.
सा होवाच मैत्रेय्यत्रैव मा भगवानमूमुहन्न प्रेत्य संज्ञास्तीति स होवाच न वा अरेऽहं मोहं ब्रवीम्यलं वा अर इदं विज्ञानाय ॥ 13॥
Maitreyi asked “This Atman does not have any classification after the embodiment is gone, by saying this you have created a confusion” Yajnavalkya replied – ” I am not saying anything confusing, these teachings will alone lead to Self knowledge”
यत्र हि द्वैतमिव भवति तदितर इतरं जिघ्रति तदितर इतरं पश्यति तदितर इतरं शृणोति तदितर इतरमभिवदति तदितर इतरं मनुते मदितर इतरं विजानाति यत्र वा अस्य सर्वमात्मैवाभूत्तत्केन कं जिघ्रेत्तत्केन कं पश्येत्तत्केन कं शृणुयात्तत्केन कमभिवदेत्तत्केन कं मन्वीत तत्केन कं विजानीयात् । येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति तं केन विजानीयाद्विज्ञातारमरे केन विजानीयादिति ॥ 14॥
Where there is duality, there alone one smell another thing, one sees another thing, one hears another thing, one speaks another thing, one greets another, one thinks of another and one knows another.
But when to the knower of Brahman everything has become self , that moment whom should one smell, whom should one see, whom should one hear, whom should one greet, about whom one should think, though whom should one know whom ? Though the Atman which help in knowing the objects, how can one know that Atman ? Oh Maitreyi – how will one know the knower ?
