Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | Part III. Ch II. Jnavalkya and Artabhaga

One becomes good through good karma and evil through evil karma.

1. Then Artabhaga, of the line of Jaratkaru, questioned him. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "how many grahas (organs) are there and how many atigrahas (objects)?" "Eight grahas," he replied, "and eight atigrahas." "And which are these eight grahas and eight atigrahas?"

2. "The Prana (the nose), indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the apana (odour), the atigraha; for one smells odours through apana (the air breathed in).

3. "The vak (the organ of speech), indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the atigraha, name; for one utters names through the organ of speech.

4. "The tongue, indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the atigraha, taste; for one knows tastes by the tongue.

5. "The eye, indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the atigraha colour; for one sees colours through the eye.

6. "The ear, indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the atigraha sound; for one hears sounds with the ear.

7. "The mind, indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the atigraha desire; for through the mind one cherishes desires.

8. "The hands, indeed, are the graha; they are controlled by the atigraha, work; for one performs work by means of the hands.

9. "The skin, indeed, is the graha; it is controlled by the atigraha, touch; for one feels touch through the skin. These are the eight grahas and eight atigrahas."

10. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "since all this is the food of death, who, pray, is that god to whom death is the food?" "Fire, indeed, is death; it is the food of water. One who knows this conquers further death."

11. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "when this liberated person dies, do his organs depart from him or not?" "No," replied Yajnavalkya, "they merge in him only. The body swells, is inflated and in that state the dead body lies at rest."

12. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "when such a man dies, what is it that does not leave him?" "The name. For the name is infinite and infinite are the Visve- devas. He who knows this wins thereby an infinite world."

13. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "when the vocal organ of this dead person merges in fire, the nose in air, the eye in the sun, the mind in the moon, the ear in the quarters, the body in the earth, the akasa (space) in the heart in the external akasa, the hair on the body in the herbs, the hair on the head in the trees and the blood and semen are deposited in water, where is that person then?" Yajnavalkya said: "Give me your hand, dear Artabhaga. We shall decide this between ourselves; we cannot do it in a crowd."

Then they went out and deliberated and what they talked about was karma (work) and what they praised was karma: one becomes good through good karma and evil through evil karma. Thereupon Artabhaga, of the line of Jaratkaru, held his peace.

The Upanishads translated by Swami Nikhilananda

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