Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | Part III. Ch VII. Yajnavalkya and Uddalaka

He is never seen, but is the Seer; He is never heard, but is the Hearer; He is never thought of, but is the Thinker; He is never known, but is the Knower.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

The Upanishads

1. Then Uddalaka, the son of Aruna, questioned him. "Yajnavalkya," said he, "in the country of Madra we lived in the house of Patanchala, of the line of Kapi, studying the scriptures on the sacrifices. His wife was possessed by a gandharva. We asked him: 'Who are you?' He said: 'I am Kabandha, the son of Atharvan.' He said to Patanchala Kapya and those studying the scriptures on the sacrifices: 'O descendant of Kapi, do you know that Sutra by which this world, the other world and all beings are held together?' Patanchala Kapya said: 'I do not know it, venerable Sir.' Then he said to Patanchala Kapya and those studying the scriptures on the sacrifices: 'O descendant of Kapi, do you know that Inner Controller who controls this world, the next world and all beings?' Patanchala Kapya said: 'I do not know him, venerable Sir.' Then he said to Patanchala Kapya and those studying the scriptures on the sacrifices: 'O descendant of Kapi, he who knows that Sutra and that Inner Controller indeed knows Brahman; he knows the worlds, he knows the gods, he knows the Vedas, he knows the beings, he knows the self, he knows everything.' He explained it all to them and I know it. If you, Yajnavalkya, do not know that Sutra and that Inner Controller and still take away the cows that belong only to the knowers of Brahman, your head will fall off." "I know, O Gautama, that Sutra and that Inner Controller." "Anyone might say: 'I know, I know.' Tell us what you know."

2. Yajnavalkya said: "Vayu, O Gautama, is that Sutra. By Vayu, as by a thread, O Gautama, are this world, the other world and all beings held together. Therefore, O Gautama, they say of a person who dies that his limbs have been loosened; for they are held together by Vayu as by a thread." "Quite so, Yajnavalkya. Now describe the Inner Controller."

3. Yajnavalkya said: "He who inhabits the earth, yet is within the earth, whom the earth does not know, whose body the earth is and who controls the earth from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal.

4-14. "He who inhabits water, yet is within water, whom water does not know, whose body water is and who controls water from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits fire, yet is within fire, whom fire does not know, whose body fire is and who controls fire from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the sky, yet is within the sky, whom the sky does not know, whose body the sky is and who controls the sky from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the air, yet is within the air, whom the air does not know, whose body the air is and who controls the air from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits heaven, yet is within heaven, whom heaven does not know, whose body heaven is and who controls heaven from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the sun, yet is within the sun, whom the sun does not know, whose body the sun is and who controls the sun from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the quarters of space, yet is within them, whom the quarters do not know, whose body the quarters are and who controls the quarters from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the moon and stars, yet is within the moon and stars, whom the moon and stars do not know, whose body the moon and stars are and who controls the moon and stars from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the akasa, yet is within the akasa, whom the akasa does not know, whose body the akasa is and who controls the akasa from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits darkness, yet is within darkness, whom darkness does not know, whose body darkness is and who controls darkness from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits light, yet is within light, whom light does not know, whose body light is and who controls light from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal." This much with reference to the gods (adhidaivatam). Now with reference to beings (adhibhutam).

15. Yajnavalkya said: "He who inhabits all beings, yet is within all beings, whom no beings know, whose body all beings are and who controls all beings from within-He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal." This much with reference to the beings. Now with reference to the body.

16. Yajnavalkya said: "He who inhabits the nose (prana), yet is within the nose, whom the nose does not know, whose body the nose is and who controls the nose from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the organ of speech, yet is within speech, whom speech does not know, whose body speech is and who controls speech from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the eye, yet is within the eye, whom the eye does not know, whose body the eye is and who controls the eye from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the ear, yet is within the ear, whom the ear does not know, whose body the ear is and who controls the ear from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the mind, yet is within the mind, whom the mind does not know, whose body the mind is and who controls the mind from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the skin, yet is within the skin, whom the skin does not know, whose body the skin is and who controls the skin from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the intellect (vijnana), yet is within the intellect, whom the intellect does not know, whose body the intellect is and who controls the intellect from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He who inhabits the organ of generation, yet is within the organ, whom the organ does not know, whose body the organ is and who controls the organ from within -He is your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. "He is never seen, but is the Seer; He is never heard, but is the Hearer; He is never thought of, 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 your Self, the Inner Controller, the Immortal. Everything else but Him is perishable." Thereupon Uddilaka, the son of Aruna, held his peace.

The Upanishads translated by Swami Nikhilananda

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