Long ago, Janaka, the illustrious king of Videha, undertook a grand sacrifice, renowned for its abundant gifts. To this sacred gathering, the learned Brahmins of the Kurus and Panchalas assembled, drawn by the king’s generosity and the promise of spiritual discourse. Yet, as the assembly gathered, Janaka’s mind was seized by a desire: to discern, among all these Brahmins, who was the most learned in the knowledge of Brahman. To test them, Janaka arranged for a thousand cows to be corralled, and to the horns of each cow he tied ten pieces of gold. Addressing the Brahmins, the king proclaimed, “Venerable ones! Whoever among you is the most learned in Brahman, let him drive these cows away.” Yet none dared to step forward. Then Yājñavalkya, the sage, quietly instructed his disciple, Samashrava, “Dear Samashrava, drive these cows away.” Without hesitation, Samashrava began to lead the cows away from the enclosure. The Brahmins, watching this, were inflamed with anger and indignation. “How can he claim to be the most learned among us?” they murmured. Asvala, the chief priest of Janaka, confronted Yājñavalkya and asked, “Surely, Yājñavalkya, you consider yourself the most learned among us?” But Yājñavalkya replied humbly, “We bow to the most learned; we are but seekers of cattle.” Asvala, undeterred, prepared to question him further. He began: “Since all this is seized by death, all is overtaken by death, by what does the sacrificer free himself from death’s grasp?” Yājñavalkya replied, “By the officiating priest, the Hotṛ; by speech; by fire—for speech is the Hotṛ of the sacrifice. This speech, this fire, this Hotṛ—this is the means of release, this is the means of complete release.” Asvala continued: “Since all this is seized by day and night, by what does the sacrificer free himself from their grasp?” Yājñavalkya answered, “By the Adhvaryu priest; by the eye; by the sun—for the eye is the Adhvaryu of the sacrifice. This eye, this sun, this Adhvaryu—this is the means of release, this is the means of complete release.” Again Asvala asked: “Since all this is seized by the waxing and waning fortnights, how does the sacrificer free himself from their grasp?” Yājñavalkya replied, “By the Brahman priest; by the mind; by the moon—for the mind is the Brahman of the sacrifice. This mind, this moon, this Brahman—this is the means of release, this is the means of complete release.” Asvala pressed on: “This intermediate space seems without support; by what means does the sacrificer ascend to the heavenly world?” Yājñavalkya answered, “By the Udgātṛ priest; with the method; with the breath—for the breath is truly the Udgātṛ of the sacrifice. This breath is the wind, the utterance of the Udgātṛ, the release, the supreme release. Thus is the supreme release; now, the attainments.” He then asked, “With how many verses does the Hotṛ today perform the sacrifice?” Yājñavalkya replied, “With three: the puronuvākyā, the yājyā, and the śasyā. With the puronuvākyā he wins the earth-world, with the yājyā the intermediate world, with the śasyā the heavenly world.” Asvala continued, “With how many offerings does the Adhvaryu pour into this sacrifice?” Yājñavalkya replied, “With three: the offering that blazes up, the offering that overflows, the offering that settles down. With the blazing offering, he wins the world of the gods; with the overflowing offering, the world of humans; with the settling offering, the world of the ancestors.” “How many deities does the Brahman priest today use to protect the sacrifice on the southern side?” asked Asvala. “With one,” said Yājñavalkya, “the mind. The mind is infinite, and all the gods are infinite. With the infinite alone, one wins the world of reality.” “And with how many stotras does the Udgātṛ chant in this sacrifice?” “With three: the puronuvākyā, the yājyā, and the śasyā, each with their respective deities and with reference to the self. The puronuvākyā is the breath, the yājyā is the downward breath, and the śasyā is the vyāna. With these, he wins whatever here possesses breath.” With this, the Hotṛ named Āśvala ceased his questioning. Then Jāratkārava Ārtabhāga spoke: “Yājñavalkya, how many grahas and how many atigrahas are there?” Yājñavalkya replied, “There are eight grahas and eight atigrahas.” He explained: “The breath is a graha, seized by the atigraha called apāna; by apāna, one perceives smells. The tongue is a graha, seized by rasa; by the tongue, one perceives tastes. Speech is a graha, seized by name; by speech, one utters names. The eye is a graha, seized by form; by the eye, one sees forms. The ear is a graha, seized by sound; by the ear, one hears sounds. The mind is a graha, seized by desire; by the mind, one desires. The hands are a graha, seized by action; by the hands, one acts. The skin is a graha, seized by touch; by the skin, one perceives touches. Thus, there are eight grahas and eight atigrahas.” Ārtabhāga then asked, “Since all this is food for death, is there any deity for whom death is food?” Yājñavalkya replied, “Fire is indeed death; having taken food, he again conquers death.” “When a person dies, what is it that does not leave him?” “Name,” replied Yājñavalkya. “Name is infinite, and all the gods are infinite; with the infinite alone, one wins the world of reality.” “When a person dies, do the breaths depart or not?” “Not so,” said Yājñavalkya. “They are gathered here itself. He swells, he is inflated, and, being inflated, he lies dead.” “When the speech of a dead person goes to fire, the breath to wind, the eye to the sun, the mind to the moon, the directions to the ear, the earth to the body, space to the self, the plants to the hair, the trees to the head-hair, and the blood and semen are placed in the waters, then what does this person become?” Yājñavalkya replied enigmatically, “Bring, dear one, your hand.” Ārtabhāga said, “Let us know this together.” They withdrew and deliberated. Whatever they said or praised, it was action. One becomes virtuous through virtuous action, sinful through sinful action. With this, Ārtabhāga ceased questioning. Then Bhujyu Lāhyāyani questioned Yājñavalkya: “We wandered among the Madras as mendicants and came to the house of Patañcala Kāpya, whose daughter was possessed by a Gandharva. We asked the Gandharva, ‘Who are you?’ and he replied, ‘I am Śudhanvan Āṅgiras.’ When we asked about the boundaries of the worlds, he answered, ‘Where did Parikṣit dwell?’ So now I ask you, Yājñavalkya, where did Parikṣit dwell?” Yājñavalkya answered, “They went to the place where those who perform the horse sacrifice go.” “Where do those who perform the horse sacrifice go?” “Thirty-two chariots of the Videhas travel each day around this world; they circle the world twice the size of the earth, and the ocean circles the earth likewise. The space between is as thin as a razor’s edge or a fly’s wing. Indra, becoming a great bird, carried them to Vāyu; Vāyu, placing them in himself, brought them to the place where Parikṣit dwelled. Thus, Vāyu alone was praised; therefore, Vāyu is the individual and the totality. Whoever knows this conquers death again and attains all life.” Bhujyu Lāhyāyani ceased questioning. Next, Kahoda Kauṣītakeya spoke: “Yājñavalkya, explain to me that Brahman which is directly perceived, not indirect; that Self which is the innermost of all.” Yājñavalkya replied, “This is that Self, the innermost of all.” “Which, Yājñavalkya, is the innermost of all?” “That which transcends hunger, thirst, sorrow, delusion, old age, and death. Knowing this Self, the Brahmins renounce the desire for sons, wealth, and worlds, and take up the life of mendicancy. The desire for sons is the desire for wealth; the desire for wealth is the desire for worlds; both are merely desires. Therefore, the wise, having attained wisdom, remain as children; having renounced both childhood and wisdom, the sage remains; having renounced both speech and silence, the Brahmin remains. How does one become a Brahmin? By whatever means one becomes, so he is; whoever knows thus.” With this, Kahoda ceased questioning. Then Uṣasta Cākrāyaṇa asked, “Yājñavalkya, explain to me that Brahman which is directly perceived, not indirect, that Self which is the innermost of all.” Yājñavalkya answered, “This is that Self, the innermost of all.” “Which, Yājñavalkya, is the innermost of all?” “That which breathes with the breath, with the downward breath, with the diffused breath, with the upward breath, with the equalizing breath—that is the innermost Self.” “This is that Self, the innermost of all.” Uṣasta pressed further: “Just as one would say, ‘That is a cow, that is a horse,’ so is this designated. Explain to me that Brahman which is directly perceived, not indirect, that Self which is the innermost of all.” Yājñavalkya replied, “You cannot see the seer of seeing; you cannot hear the hearer of hearing; you cannot think the thinker of thinking; you cannot know the knower of knowing. This is that Self, the innermost of all. Everything else is afflicted.” With this, Uṣasta ceased questioning. Then Gārgī Vācaknavī, wise among women, questioned him: “Yājñavalkya, that in which all this is woven, both warp and woof—in what are the waters woven?” “In air, Gārgī.” “In what is air woven?” “In space, Gārgī.” “In what is space woven?” “In the intermediate worlds, Gārgī.” “In what are the intermediate worlds woven?” “In the heavenly worlds, Gārgī.” “In what are the heavenly worlds woven?” “In the worlds of the sun, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of the sun woven?” “In the worlds of the moon, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of the moon woven?” “In the worlds of the stars, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of the stars woven?” “In the worlds of the gods, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of the gods woven?” “In the worlds of the Gandharvas, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of the Gandharvas woven?” “In the worlds of Prajāpati, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of Prajāpati woven?” “In the worlds of Brahman, Gārgī.” “In what are the worlds of Brahman woven?” At this, Yājñavalkya warned her: “Gārgī, do not ask further, lest your head fall off. You are asking questions beyond the proper limit, in the realm of the gods. Gārgī, do not ask further.” Gārgī ceased questioning. Then Uddālaka Āruṇi spoke: “Yājñavalkya, we stayed among the Madras in the house of Patañcala Kāpya, studying the sacrifice. He had a wife possessed by a Gandharva. We asked, ‘Who are you?’ and he replied, ‘I am Kabandha Atharvaṇa.