Just as a kingdom stirs with anticipation at the news of a king’s arrival—officials, charioteers, and village chiefs bustling to prepare food, drink, and lodging, announcing, “He is coming, he is approaching!”—so too do all beings ready themselves for one who truly knows, recognizing, “This is Brahman coming, this is Brahman approaching.” In the same way, when a king is about to depart, the officials and attendants gather around him; so, when one who knows Brahman is about to breathe his last, all the vital breaths assemble around him. At the moment of departure, when the self draws its strength away from the body, as if sinking into unconsciousness, the vital breaths come together around him. Then, carrying with him only the essence of his inner light, he journeys toward the heart. When the indweller who resides in the eye turns away, forms are no longer seen. People say, “He has become one; he does not see.” Likewise, “He has become one; he does not smell, taste, speak, hear, think, touch, or know.” All the senses withdraw as the self prepares to leave. At this point, the very tip of his heart becomes illuminated. By that subtle light, the self departs—sometimes through the eye, sometimes through the head, or another part of the body. As the self leaves, the chief vital breath follows, and with it, all the other breaths. He departs with his consciousness, knowledgeable and aware, accompanied by his knowledge, deeds, and former understanding. This process is like a leech reaching the end of a blade of grass and then drawing itself together to move on. In the same way, the self, after leaving the body and casting off ignorance, gathers itself. Or, just as a goldsmith takes a piece of gold and fashions from it a new, more beautiful form, so too does the self, having left the body and ignorance behind, shape for itself another, newer, and more beautiful form—whether as an ancestor, a celestial being, a Brahman, a Prajapati, a god, or some other being. This self is Brahman: it is made of knowledge, mind, speech, breath, sight, hearing, space, air, fire, water, earth, anger, non-anger, joy, non-joy, righteousness, and unrighteousness—indeed, it is everything. As one acts and behaves, so does one become. The doer of good becomes good; the doer of evil becomes evil. By virtuous action, one becomes virtuous; by evil action, one becomes evil. People say, “This person is truly made of desire.” As is his desire, so is his will; as is his will, so is his action; and whatever action he does, that he attains. There is a verse: “He, together with his actions, goes to whatever object his mind is attached to, having reached the end of his deeds. Whatever he does here, he returns again from that world to this world for further action. But one who is without desire, whose desires are satisfied, whose desire is the Self—his vital breaths do not depart; being Brahman, he merges into Brahman.” Another verse declares: “When all the desires that dwell in the heart are released, then the mortal becomes immortal; he attains Brahman here.” Just as a snake sheds its skin and lies discarded on an anthill, so too does the body lie lifeless, but the disembodied, intelligent self, having attained the Supreme, is immortal. Thus spoke Yajnavalkya, and King Janaka respectfully offered him a thousand gifts. There are further verses: “Narrow is the path, and ancient; it is untouched and untraveled by me. By that path, the wise who know Brahman, having departed, attain the heavenly world, freed from this world.” On that path, it is said, there are colors—white, blue, yellow, green, and red; this is the path of Brahman. By that path, the knower of Brahman, radiant and virtuous, travels. Those who worship only the unmanifest enter blind darkness; those who delight only in the manifest enter even greater darkness. The worlds called asurya, covered in blinding darkness, are entered after death by the ignorant and unwise. Truly, being that, we become that. If one does not know this, there is great loss. Those who know this become immortal; others enter only into suffering. If a person knows the Self as “I am this,” then, desiring what and for whose sake would he cling to the body? For one whose awakened Self is accompanied by understanding, who has entered this dense body, who is the maker and doer of all—his world is that world and that world alone. When one sees this Self as God, as the lord, straightforward, the ruler of what was and what will be, then he has no doubt. In him are established the five groups of five and space; knowing that Self in this way, one becomes immortal Brahman. From whom the year revolves, with days moving onward—the gods worship him as the light of lights, as life, as the immortal. He is the breath of breath, the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the food of food, the mind of the mind. Those who know this realize the ancient, primeval Brahman. It is to be attained by the mind alone; here, there is no diversity at all. Whoever sees any kind of diversity here goes from death to death. It is to be perceived by the mind alone; this is immeasurable and unchanging. Pure, supreme, greater than space, unborn, the great, the unchanging—knowing him alone, the wise Brahmin should cultivate understanding, not dwelling on many words, for that only wearies the voice. This indeed is the Self, the one who is in the space within the heart, the ruler, lord, and master of all, who governs everything that exists. By good deeds, he becomes greater; by evil deeds, he becomes lesser. He is the lord and protector of beings and the world, the bridge that keeps the worlds apart. This is what seekers strive to know through Vedic recitation, celibacy, austerity, faith, and the undying offering. Not knowing this, one may become a sage; those who desire this world alone, renounce and seek it. Thus did the ancient knowers of Brahman, having understood this, renounce the desire for offspring, wealth, and worlds, living as mendicants. For the desire for sons is the same as the desire for wealth, and the desire for wealth is the same as the desire for worlds—both are but desires. This Self is “not this, not this”—ungraspable, undecaying, unattached, unsuffering. Whether one thinks, “I have done evil,” or “I have done good,” he transcends both; he is immortal, beyond good and evil, untouched by deeds. A verse says: “This is the eternal greatness of the knower of Brahman; it does not increase by action nor decrease.” Having known the Self, one is not tainted by evil deeds. Therefore, one who knows thus—calm, self-controlled, withdrawn, enduring, and full of faith—should see the Self in himself. He sees all as the Self, and all becomes his Self. He crosses over all evil; evil does not burn him; he burns all evil. He becomes free from evil, pure, without hunger or thirst—a knower of Brahman, if he knows thus. “O King, you have attained this,” said Yajnavalkya. This is the great, unborn Self, the eater of food, the giver of wealth. Whoever knows this great, unborn Self obtains wealth. This is the great, unborn Self, undecaying, immortal, fearless, deathless. “You have attained the fearless Brahman, Janaka,” said Yajnavalkya. “Therefore, revered one, I give the kingdom of Videha to you, and myself as well, to be your servant.” Now, Yajnavalkya had two wives: Maitreyi, a seeker of Brahman, and Katyayani, of ordinary understanding. He was preparing to renounce household life. He said, “Maitreyi, I am about to leave this house and go forth. Let me make a final settlement between you and Katyayani.” Maitreyi asked, “If this whole earth filled with wealth were mine, would I become immortal through it?” Yajnavalkya replied, “No, your life would be like that of those who have abundance, but there is no hope of immortality through wealth.” Maitreyi then said, “If by this I do not become immortal, what use is it to me? Whatever you know, please teach me that alone.” Yajnavalkya replied, “Truly, you are dear to us, and you speak what is dear. So I will explain it to you; meditate upon my words.” He continued, “Not for the sake of the husband is the husband dear, but for the sake of the Self the husband is dear; not for the sake of the wife is the wife dear, but for the sake of the Self the wife is dear; not for the sake of the children are the children dear, but for the sake of the Self the children are dear; not for the sake of wealth is wealth dear, but for the sake of the Self wealth is dear; not for the sake of Brahman is Brahman dear, but for the sake of the Self Brahman is dear; not for the sake of Kshatra is Kshatra dear, but for the sake of the Self Kshatra is dear; not for the sake of the worlds are the worlds dear, but for the sake of the Self the worlds are dear; not for the sake of the gods are the gods dear, but for the sake of the Self the gods are dear; not for the sake of beings are beings dear, but for the sake of the Self beings are dear; not for the sake of all is all dear, but for the sake of the Self all is dear. Therefore, the Self must be seen, heard, reflected upon, and meditated upon, Maitreyi; through seeing, hearing, thinking, and knowing the Self, everything is known.” He added, “Brahman departs from him who knows Brahman as other than the Self; the Vedas, sacrifices, Kshatra, worlds, gods, beings, and all depart from him who knows them as other than the Self. This is Brahman, this is Kshatra, these are the worlds, these are the gods, these are the Vedas, these are the beings, this is all—whatever is this Self.