Gargya, eager to share his understanding, approached Ajatashatru and declared, “I worship that person who is in the directions as Brahman.” But Ajatashatru gently corrected him, saying, “Do not speak to me of this. He is the second, unremoved; I worship him.” He explained that whoever worships in this way becomes possessed of a second, and their group is never broken. Undeterred, Gargya continued, “I worship that person from whom the sound arises behind as Brahman.” Again, Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is a demon; I worship him.” He added that whoever worships thus attains long life in this world; breath does not leave him before its time. Gargya then said, “I worship that person who is made of shadow as Brahman.” Ajatashatru responded, “Do not speak to me of this. He is death; I worship him.” He assured that such worshippers attain long life; death does not come to them before its time. Finally, Gargya proclaimed, “I worship that person who is in the self as Brahman.” Ajatashatru replied, “Do not speak to me of this. He is the self; I worship him.” He explained that whoever worships thus becomes self-possessed, and their offspring are self-possessed. At this, Gargya fell silent. Ajatashatru then said, “This is as far as it goes. By this alone, it is not known.” Gargya, recognizing his own limits, humbly said, “I approach you.” Ajatashatru observed, “This is contrary; when a Brahmin approaches a Kshatriya for Brahman, he will teach me.” He agreed to instruct Gargya, took him by the hand, and stood up. Together, they went to a man who was sleeping. Ajatashatru addressed the sleeping man by various names—“Great, white-robed, Soma king”—and struck him to awaken him. The man awoke. Ajatashatru then asked Gargya, “When this person, who is made of knowledge, was asleep, where was he then? From where did he come back?” Gargya could not reply. Ajatashatru explained, “When this person, made of knowledge, is asleep, he gathers the awareness of the senses into himself by his own knowledge; this space within the heart is where he rests. When he takes hold of them, then this person is said to be dreaming. The breath is held, speech is held, the eye is held, the ear is held, and the mind is held. When he moves about in dreams, those are his worlds. There, he becomes like a great king or a great priest, and he goes up and down as he wishes. Just as a great king, having seized people from his kingdom, moves about as he wishes in his own domain, so too does this one, having gathered the senses, move about as he wishes in his own body.” “But when he is in deep sleep, when he knows nothing at all, then seventy-two thousand channels from the heart are said to be filled and established; through these, having withdrawn, he rests in the body. Just as a young boy, or a great priest, or one who has reached his desire, lies at ease, so too does this one rest.” Ajatashatru continued, “Just as a spider sends forth threads, just as small sparks fly out from a fire, so too from this Self all the breaths, all the worlds, all the gods, all beings, all these arise from the Self. The teaching of this truth is: the breaths are the truth, and this is their truth.” He added, “Whoever knows the child, the support, the counter-support, the pillar, and the cord, he overcomes his enemies for seven generations. This child is indeed the middle breath; for him, this is the support, this is the counter-support, breath is the pillar, and food is the cord. These seven openings attend upon him.” Ajatashatru described the connections in the eyes: “Of these red veins in the eyes, Rudra is connected with them; of the watery ones, Parjanya; of the yellow ones, the Sun; of the white, Fire; of the black, Indra. The lower eyelid is connected with the earth, the upper with the sky. His food does not fail, whoever knows this.” He recited a verse: “The bowl with the opening below and the base above; in it is placed all forms of glory. The seers are its seven shores; speech is the eighth, united with the sacred knowledge.” He explained, “The bowl with the opening below and the base above—this is the body. In it is placed all forms of glory—breath is indeed the glory placed in all forms. The seers are its seven shores—breath is the seers. Speech is the eighth, united with the sacred knowledge.” Ajatashatru revealed, “These two are Gautama and Bharadvāja; this is Gautama, this is Bharadvāja. These two are Viśvāmitra and Jamadagni; this is Viśvāmitra, this is Jamadagni. These two are Vasiṣṭha and Kaśyapa; this is Vasiṣṭha, this is Kaśyapa. Speech is Atri; by speech, food is eaten. This is indeed the meaning of Atri. He becomes the eater of all, and all is his food, whoever knows this.” He taught, “There are indeed two forms of Brahman: the formed and the formless, the mortal and the immortal, the fixed and the moving, the manifest and the unmanifest. That which is formed is what is other than air and space; this is the mortal, this is the fixed, this is the manifest. Of this formed, mortal, fixed, and manifest, its essence is what shines forth.” “Now, the formless: air and space—this is immortal; this is that essence. Of this formless, immortal essence—its sap is that person in this orb; this is its sap. Thus, the explanation concerning the divinity.” “Now, concerning the self: this is likewise formless, whatever is beyond the breath, and that which is the space within the self—this is mortal, this is established, this is existent. Of this formed, mortal, established, existent—its sap is the eye; for the existent is its sap. Now, the formless: breath and the space within the self—this is immortal; this is that essence. Of this formless, immortal essence—its sap is that person in the right eye; this is its sap.” “The form of that person is like a royal garment, like a white woolen cloth, like a firefly, like a flame of fire, like a lotus, like a flash of lightning. Just as a flash of lightning, so is his radiance; whoever knows thus.” He concluded, “Here is the instruction: ‘Not this, not this.’ For there is nothing higher than this ‘not this.’ Now, its name: ‘Truth of truth.’ The breath is truth; of these, this is the truth.” Meanwhile, Yajnavalkya prepared to depart and told Maitreyi, “Come, let me make the final arrangement for you and Katyayani.” Maitreyi asked, “If the whole earth were filled with wealth, how could I become immortal by that?” Yajnavalkya replied, “As is the life of those who possess means, so would be your life; but there is no hope of immortality through wealth.” Maitreyi pressed further, “That by which I would not become immortal—what would I do with that? Whatever you know, please tell me.” Yajnavalkya said, “You have spoken dear words, as one who is dear. Come, sit down; I will explain to you. While I explain, you should reflect.” Maitreyi agreed. Yajnavalkya then began to teach, saying, “This is the connection—Upanishad—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4—Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5—outer section—section.” He continued, “Whoever knows Brahman as something apart from the self, to him Brahman is lost; whoever knows power as something apart from the self, to him power is lost; whoever knows worlds as something apart from the self, to him worlds are lost; whoever knows gods as something apart from the self, to him gods are lost; whoever knows beings as something apart from the self, to him beings are lost; whoever knows all as something apart from the self, to him all is lost. This is Brahman, this is power, these are the worlds, these are the gods, these are the beings, this is all—this, which is the self.” He illustrated, “Just as, when a drum is struck, one cannot grasp the sounds outside it, but by grasping the drum or the strike, the sound of the drum is caught; just as, when a lute is played, one cannot grasp the sounds outside it, but by grasping the lute or the playing, the sound of the lute is caught.” Thus, through dialogue, demonstration, and analogy, the wisdom of the Self and Brahman was imparted: all is rooted in the Self, and nothing is truly apart from it.