Listen, O seeker, to the profound dialogue that unfolded among the sages, where the mystery of the Self and the imperishable foundation of all was revealed through the wise words of Yājñavalkya. Yājñavalkya spoke of the Self, the inner controller, the immortal one. He explained that within the breath, standing above and within it, is the Self. The breath does not know him, yet his very body is breath, and from within, he controls all breathing. In the same way, he stands in speech, within speech, unknown to speech, yet speech is his very form, and from within, he governs all utterance. He is also present in the eye, standing over and within sight, unseen by the eye, but the eye itself is his body, and from within he directs all seeing. He stands in the ear, within the ear, unheard by the ear, yet the ear is his body, and from within he commands all hearing. So too he stands in the mind, within the mind, unknown to the mind, yet the mind is his body, and from within he rules all thought. He is in the skin, within the skin, untouched by the skin, yet the skin is his body, and from within he governs all sensation. He stands in knowledge, within knowledge, unknown to knowledge, yet knowledge is his body, and from within he guides all understanding. He is in light, within light, unknown to light, yet light is his body, and from within he controls all radiance. He is in darkness, within darkness, unknown to darkness, yet darkness is his body, and from within he directs all obscurity. He is in seed, within seed, unknown to seed, yet seed is his body, and from within he governs all generation. He stands in the self, within the self, unknown to the self, yet the self is his body, and from within he controls the self. This, indeed, is the Self, the inner controller, the immortal. He is unseen, yet the seer; unheard, yet the hearer; unthought, yet the thinker; unknown, yet the knower. There is no other seer, hearer, thinker, or knower but this Self. Anything apart from this is subject to suffering. Having spoken thus, Uddalaka, son of Aruna, fell silent. Then Vacaknavi, known as Gārgī, addressed the assembled Brahmins, declaring her intent to question Yājñavalkya with two decisive inquiries, promising that if he answered, none would surpass him in knowledge of Brahman; but if he failed, his head would fall. The assembly urged her to proceed. Gārgī approached Yājñavalkya with the vigor of a warrior from Kāśī or Videha, ready for contest with two sharp arrows, and announced her two questions. Yājñavalkya invited her to ask. She asked, “Yājñavalkya, that which is above the heavens, below the earth, between heaven and earth, and that which is, was, and will be—people speak of these. In what are all these woven and interwoven?” Yājñavalkya replied, “Gārgī, all these are woven and interwoven in space (ākāśa).” Gārgī acknowledged his answer and asked her second question: “Yājñavalkya, in what is space itself woven and interwoven?” Yājñavalkya answered, “Gārgī, the knowers of Brahman call this the Imperishable. It is neither gross nor subtle, neither short nor long, neither red nor fluid, neither shadow nor darkness, neither air nor space, unattached, untouchable, without smell or taste, without eyes or ears, without speech or mind, without radiance, without breath, without mouth, without name or lineage, undecaying, immortal, fearless, deathless, without impurity, soundless, unmanifest, unconfined, without beginning or end, without inside or outside. No one can reach it or grasp it. “By the command of this Imperishable, Gārgī, heaven and earth stand firm; the sun and moon are held in place; day and night, months, seasons, and years are sustained; the rivers flow to their destinations; and humans, gods, and ancestors perform their duties and receive their offerings. “Whoever sacrifices, gives, or performs austerities without knowing this Imperishable, even for thousands of years, attains only a finite world. Whoever departs from this world without knowing this Imperishable is pitiable. But whoever departs knowing this Imperishable is a knower of Brahman. “This, Gārgī, is the Imperishable: unseen, but the seer; unheard, but the hearer; unthought, but the thinker; unknown, but the knower. There is no other seer, hearer, thinker, or knower but this. In this, Gārgī, space is woven and interwoven.” Hearing this, Gārgī turned to the Brahmins and said, “Honor Yājñavalkya, for his answers have released you from further questioning. None of you will ever defeat him in a debate about Brahman.” And with that, she ceased her questions. Then Vidagdha Śākalya addressed Yājñavalkya, asking, “How many gods are there?” Yājñavalkya replied as in the Vaiśvadeva hymn: “Three and three hundred, three and three thousand.” Śākalya pressed further, and Yājñavalkya answered successively: “Thirty-three. Six. Three. Two. One and a half. One.” Śākalya then asked for the meaning of these numbers. Yājñavalkya explained, “These are but manifestations of greatness; in reality, there are only thirty-three gods: the eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, twelve Ādityas—making thirty-one—plus Indra and Prajāpati.” He described them: the Vasus are fire, earth, wind, atmosphere, sun, heaven, moon, and stars—so called because all things reside in them. The Rudras are the ten vital breaths within a person, and the self as the eleventh; when they depart, they cause weeping—hence, Rudras. The Ādityas are the twelve months, for they take away everything. Thunder is Indra, and sacrifice is Prajāpati; thunder means lightning, and sacrifice means the animals. The six gods are fire and earth, air and intermediate space, sun and sky—by these alone, all here is sixfold. The three gods are the three worlds, for in these all gods reside. The two gods are food and breath. The one and a half is wind, for in it all things attain fullness. The one god is Brahman. Yājñavalkya further revealed: the earth is Brahman’s support, the eye is its world, and the mind its light. Whoever knows this person, whose ultimate refuge is the self of all, becomes the knower of all. Śākalya claimed to know this person, both within the body and beyond, and asked after his deity. The answer was: woman. Desire is its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in the moon is also this one; his deity is the mind. Forms are its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in the sun is this one; his deity is the eye. Space is its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in the wind is this one; his deity is breath. Light is its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in fire is this one; his deity is speech. Darkness is its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in shadow is this one; his deity is death. Water is its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in the waters is this one; his deity is Varuṇa. Seed is its support, the eye its world, the mind its light. The person in offspring is this one; his deity is Prajāpati. Thus, the wise revealed that the Self, the inner controller, is present in all things, manifesting as all gods and all beings, and yet remains the immortal, imperishable foundation of all. Whoever knows this, knows the knower of all.