Yājñavalkya, the renowned sage, stood before the assembly of venerable Brāhmaṇas and addressed them: “Venerable Brāhmaṇas, let any among you who so desires ask me a question. Or, if you wish, all of you may ask. If you prefer, I will question one of you, or all of you.” But the Brāhmaṇas, awed by his presence, did not dare to speak. Then Yājñavalkya himself questioned them through a series of verses, drawing a deep analogy between a person and a tree. “Just as a tree is a forest tree,” he began, “so too is a person not false. The hairs upon him are like the leaves, and his outer skin is the bark. His blood flows beneath the skin as sap flows within a tree, which is why, when cut, blood seeps out just as sap oozes from a wounded tree. The flesh is the tree’s pulp, the sinews are its strong fibers, the bones the sturdy wood within, and the marrow is shaped like the pith at the tree’s core.” He continued, “When a tree is cut, it grows again from its root. In the same way, when a mortal is cut down by death, from what root does he spring forth again?” He cautioned, “Do not say it is from seed—for while alive, a person produces offspring, but once dead, who can bring him forth again? Like a tree that springs from another root, so is rebirth after death. If a tree is uprooted, it does not grow again; so, when a mortal is cut down by death, from what root does he rise anew?” Then Yājñavalkya declared, “Consciousness, bliss, Brahman—these are the support of the giver of seed, the final resort of the one who stands firm—such is known by those who know.” At this, Janaka, the king of Videha, arranged the assembly. Yājñavalkya approached him, and Janaka asked, “Yājñavalkya, for what purpose have you come—seeking cattle or seeking knowledge?” Yājñavalkya replied, “Both, O King.” He began to recount what he had learned from various teachers. “Udaṅka Houlvāyana told me: ‘Breath indeed is Brahman.’ He spoke with the authority of one who has mother, father, and teacher. ‘Without breath, nothing would exist.’ But he did not tell me its abode and support. He said, ‘I do not know.’ This, O King, is only one part.” Janaka pressed, “Tell me, Yājñavalkya.” Yājñavalkya replied, “Its abode is space, its support is love; meditate on it as love.” The king asked, “What is love, Yājñavalkya?” “Breath itself, O King,” Yājñavalkya answered. “For the sake of breath, one offers sacrifices and receives gifts; even when there is fear of death, it is for the sake of breath that one acts. Breath, O King, is the supreme Brahman; breath does not abandon him—all beings approach him.” “Whoever knows and meditates thus, having become a god, attains the gods,” Yājñavalkya continued. Janaka, pleased, said, “I will give a thousand cows.” But Yājñavalkya replied, “My father thought, ‘He should not take without instructing.’ What did he say to you?” Yājñavalkya continued, “Jitvā Hailina told me: ‘Speech indeed is Brahman.’ Without speech, nothing would exist. But he did not tell me its abode and support.” Janaka again requested, “Tell me, Yājñavalkya.” Yājñavalkya explained, “Its abode is speech, its support is space; meditate on it as knowledge.” The king asked, “What is knowledge, Yājñavalkya?” “Speech itself, O King,” Yājñavalkya replied. “Through speech, one recognizes a relative; the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, Atharvāṅgiras, history, legend, knowledge, Upaniṣad, verses, aphorisms, explanations, and commentaries—all are known through speech. Speech is the supreme Brahman; speech does not abandon him—all beings approach him.” Again, Janaka offered a thousand cows, and again Yājñavalkya deferred, recounting his father’s teaching. Next, Yājñavalkya recalled, “Barku Vārṣṇa told me: ‘The eye indeed is Brahman.’ Without seeing, nothing would exist. But he did not tell me its abode and support.” Janaka pressed for the answer, and Yājñavalkya said, “Its abode is the eye, its support is space; meditate on it as truth.” The king asked, “What is truth, Yājñavalkya?” “The eye itself, O King,” he replied. “By the eye, one is said to see; when one says, ‘I have seen,’ that is truth. The eye is the supreme Brahman; the eye does not abandon him—all beings approach him.” Once more, Janaka offered a thousand cows, and Yājñavalkya repeated his father’s teaching. Then Yājñavalkya said, “Bharadvāja, who had drunk donkey’s milk, told me: ‘The ear is indeed Brahman; for without the ear, one would be as if without hearing.’ But he did not reveal its abode and support.” Janaka asked, and Yājñavalkya replied, “The ear is the abode; space is its support—one should meditate thus, as infinite.” “What is this infinitude, Yājñavalkya?” Janaka asked. “The directions themselves, O King,” Yājñavalkya replied. “Whichever direction one goes, one never reaches its end; the directions are indeed infinite, and so is the ear. The ear is the supreme Brahman; the ear never abandons him—all beings approach him.” Janaka again offered a thousand cows, and Yājñavalkya deferred, as before. Yājñavalkya continued, “Śatyakāma Jābāla told me: ‘The mind is indeed Brahman; for without the mind, one would be as if without mind.’ But he did not tell me its abode and support.” Janaka asked, and Yājñavalkya explained, “The mind is the abode; space is its support—one should meditate thus, as bliss.” “What is this bliss, Yājñavalkya?” Janaka asked. “The mind itself, O King,” Yājñavalkya replied. “With the mind, one approaches a woman, and a son resembling him is born; that is bliss. The mind is the supreme Brahman; the mind never abandons him—all beings approach him.” Again, Janaka offered a thousand cows, and Yājñavalkya repeated his father’s principle. He went on, “Vidagdha Śākalya told me: ‘The heart is indeed Brahman; for without the heart, one would be as if without heart.’ But he did not tell me its abode and support.” Janaka asked, and Yājñavalkya replied, “The heart is the abode; space is its support—one should meditate thus, as stability.” “What is this stability, Yājñavalkya?” “The heart itself, O King,” he replied. “The heart is the abode and support of all beings; indeed, all beings are established in the heart. The heart is the supreme Brahman; the heart never abandons him—all beings approach him.” Janaka offered a thousand cows once more, and Yājñavalkya, as was his way, recalled his father’s teaching. At this, Janaka, king of Videha, rose from his seat and respectfully approached Yājñavalkya, saying, “Salutations to you! Yājñavalkya, do not defeat me.” Yājñavalkya replied, “Just as one who is about to undertake a great journey prepares a chariot or a boat, so, with these Upaniṣads, you have composed yourself. O wealthy Vṛndāraka, having studied the Veda and spoken the Upaniṣad, when you are released from here, where will you go?” Janaka confessed, “I do not know, revered one, where I shall go.” Yājñavalkya said, “Then I will tell you where you will go.” “Let the revered one speak,” said Janaka. Yājñavalkya explained, “This person who is in the right eye is called Indha; they call him Indra, but only indirectly, for the gods love indirectness and dislike directness. In the left eye is the form of a person—she is his wife, Virāj. The space within the heart is their meeting place. The lump of blood within the heart is their food. The network within the heart is their covering, like a mesh. The artery that rises upward from the heart is their path of movement.” He described, “There are a thousand arteries of the heart, like hair split a thousandfold. Through these, he moves and moves out. Therefore, when the self departs from the body, he becomes thin, as if deprived of nourishment. For that person, the vital breaths correspond to the directions: the east to the eastern breaths, the south to the southern breaths, the west to the western breaths, the north to the northern breaths, the upward to the upward breaths, the downward to the downward breaths; all directions are all the breaths.” Yājñavalkya then declared the ultimate truth: “This self is ‘not this, not this’; it cannot be grasped, for it cannot be grasped; it does not decay, for it does not decay; it is unattached, for it does not attach; it does not suffer. You have attained fearlessness, Janaka,” he said. Janaka replied with gratitude, “Salutations to you, Yājñavalkya. May fearlessness come to us. Revered one, you have made us know fearlessness.” And Janaka added, “May fearlessness come to you, Yājñavalkya, since you have made us know fearlessness. Salutations to you. These are the Videhas; I am this.” Later, Janaka, desiring to test Yājñavalkya further, approached him with the intention of debate. Together, they performed the Agnihotra sacrifice, and Yājñavalkya granted Janaka a boon. Janaka chose the question of desire, and it was granted. Then, as before, the king questioned the sage. “Yājñavalkya, what is the light of this person?” asked Janaka. “The sun is his light, O King,” replied Yājñavalkya. “By the light of the sun, he sits, moves about, does his work, and returns.” “So it is, Yājñavalkya,” Janaka agreed. “When the sun has set, Yājñavalkya, what is the light of this person?” “The moon is his light, O King,” answered Yājñavalkya. “By the light of the moon, he sits, moves about, does his work, and returns.” “So it is, Yājñavalkya.” “When the sun has set, Yājñavalkya, and the moon has set, what then is the light by which this person lives?” “Fire is his light, O King,” replied the sage. “With fire as his light, he sits, moves about, performs actions, and returns.” “So it is, Yājñavalkya.” “When the sun has set, the moon has set, and the fire is extinguished, what then is the light by which this person lives?” “Speech is his light, O King,” Yājñavalkya replied. “With speech as his light, he sits, moves about, performs actions, and returns. Therefore, even when one cannot see his own hand, yet when speech is uttered, he moves towards it.” “So it is, Yājñavalkya.” “When the sun has set, the moon has set, the fire is extinguished, and speech is silent, what then is the light by which this person lives?” “The self is his light, O King,” Yājñavalkya answered. “With the self as his light, he sits, moves about, performs actions, and returns.” Janaka then asked, “Which is the self?” Yājñavalkya replied, “That which is this person made of knowledge among the vital breaths, the inner light within the heart—being the same, he moves through both worlds. As if thinking, as if moving, endowed with intelligence, becoming a dreamer, he passes beyond this world.” He continued, “This person, being born, enters a body and is joined with evils.