Listen, O seeker, to the sacred teaching as it unfolds, for it reveals the heart of wisdom and the immortal Self. There is only One, the indestructible essence. When you taste, even as you experience flavor, know that it is this One you taste. The taster never ceases tasting, for this essence cannot be destroyed. Since there is nothing else, what could you taste apart from it? When you speak, even as words pass your lips, know that it is this One you speak. The speaker never ceases speaking, for this essence is indestructible. Since there is nothing else, what could you speak apart from it? When you hear, even as sounds reach your ears, know that it is this One you hear. The hearer never ceases hearing, for this essence cannot be destroyed. Since there is nothing else, what could you hear apart from it? When you think, even as thoughts arise, know that it is this One you think. The thinker never ceases thinking, for this essence is indestructible. Since there is nothing else, what could you think apart from it? When you touch, even as your hand meets something, know that it is this One you touch. Yet, it is not touched, for the toucher never ceases touching the touched, as this essence cannot be destroyed. Since there is nothing else, by what could it be touched? When you know, even as knowledge dawns, know that it is this One you know. Yet, it is not known, for the knower never ceases knowing the known, as this essence cannot be destroyed. Since there is nothing else, by what could it be known? Where there appears duality, one sees another, smells another, tastes another, speaks to another, hears another, thinks of another, touches another, knows another. But when all has become the Self, by what means and whom would one see, smell, taste, speak, hear, think, touch, or know? By what means would one know That by which all is known? By what means would one know the knower? Thus ends the teaching, O Maitreyi. This alone is immortality. Having spoken thus, Yajnavalkya departed. Now, the lineage of wisdom is recalled: Paśutimāṣya from Gaupavana, Gaupavana from Paśutimāṣya, Paśutimāṣya from Gaupavana, Gaupavana from Kauśika, Kauśika from Kauṇḍinya, Kauṇḍinya from Hāṇḍilya, Chāṇḍilya from Kauśika and Gautama, Gautama— Agniveśya from Agniveśya, Agniveśya from Gārgya, Gārgya from Gārgya, Gārgya from Gautama, Gautama from Śaitava, Śaitava from Pārāśāryāyaṇa, Pārāśāryāṇa from Gārgāyaṇa, Gārgāyaṇa from Ūddālakāyana, Ūddālakāyana from Jābālāyana, Jābālāyana from Mādhyaṃdināyana, Mādhyaṃdināyana from Śaukarāyaṇa, Śaukarāyaṇa from Kāṣāyaṇa, Kāṣāyaṇa from Śāyakāyana, Śāyakāyana from Kauśikāyana, Kauśikāyana— Ghṛtakauśika from Ghṛtakauśika, Prāśaryāyaṇa from Pārāśaryāṇa, Pārāśarya from Pārāśarya, Jātūkarṇya from Jātūkarṇya, Asurāyaṇa and Yāska from Asurāyaṇa, Asurāyaṇa from Ṭraivaṇa, Ṭraivaṇa from Aupajandhana, Aupajandhana from Asura, Asura from Bhāradvāja, Bhāradvāja from Atreya, Atreya from Māṇṭi, Māṇṭi from Gautama, Gautama from Gautama, Gautama from Vātsyā, Vātsyā from Hāṇḍilya, Chāṇḍilya from Kaiśorya, Kāpyā from Kaiśorya, Kāpyā from Kumārahārita, Kumārahārita from Gālava, Gālava from Vidarbhīkauṇḍinya, Vidarbhīkauṇḍinya from Vatsanapāta, Bābhrava from Vatsanapāta, Panthā from Śaubhara, Śaubhara from Āyāsya, Āyāsya from Aṅgiras, Bhūti from Ṭvāṣṭra, Ṭvāṣṭra from Viśvarūpa, Viśvarūpa from Ṭvāṣṭra, Ṭvāṣṭra from the Aśvins, the Aśvins from Ḍadhīca, Ḍadhyaṅ from Atharvan, Atharvan from Ātharvā, Ātharvā from Daiva, Daiva from Mṛtyu, Mṛtyu from Prādhvaṃsana, Prādhvaṃsana from Prādhvaṃsana, Prādhvaṃsana from Ekarṣi, Ekarṣi from Vipracitti, Vipracitti from Vyaṣṭi, Vyaṣṭi from Ṣanāra, Ṣanāra from Ṣanātana, Ṣanātana from Ṣanaga, Ṣanaga from Parameṣṭhin, Parameṣṭhin from Brahman, Brahman self-born. Homage to Brahman. That is whole, this is whole; from the whole, the whole arises. When the whole is taken from the whole, the whole alone remains. Space is Brahman, space is ancient, air is space—so said the son of Kauravyāyaṇī. This is the Veda, and the Brāhmaṇas know the Veda; by this, whatever is to be known is known. Now, Prajāpati had three kinds of offspring: gods, humans, and asuras. They lived as students with their father. Having completed their studies, the gods approached Prajāpati and asked for instruction. He uttered the syllable 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' he asked. 'We understood,' they replied, 'Control yourselves.' 'Yes,' he said, 'you understood.' Then the humans approached and asked for instruction. He uttered the same syllable, 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' he asked. 'We understood,' they replied, 'Give.' 'Yes,' he said, 'you understood.' Then the asuras approached and asked for instruction. He uttered the same syllable, 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' he asked. 'We understood,' they replied, 'Be compassionate.' 'Yes,' he said, 'you understood.' Thus, this divine voice echoes in the thunder: 'Da, Da, Da'—Control yourselves, Give, Be compassionate. Thus, one should learn these three: self-control, giving, and compassion. This Prajāpati is the heart; this is Brahman, this is all. It is composed of three syllables: hṛ-da-yam. 'Hṛ' is one syllable; to him they offer themselves and others, who knows thus. 'Da' is one syllable; to him they give themselves and others, who knows thus. 'Yam' is one syllable; he attains the heavenly world, who knows thus. That, indeed, is this—this alone is the truth. Whoever knows this great, first-born being, the truth that is Brahman, conquers all worlds. He who knows this great, first-born being, the truth that is Brahman, conquers and dwells in all worlds; for truly, Brahman is truth. In the beginning, this was water alone. From water, they created truth; truth is Brahman, Brahman is Prajāpati, Prajāpati is the gods. Therefore, they worship truth alone. It is of three syllables: sa-tyam. 'Sa' is one syllable, 'tya' is one syllable, 'm' is one syllable. The first and last syllables are truth, the middle is falsehood; thus, falsehood is enclosed by truth and becomes truth alone. One who knows thus is not touched by falsehood. That which is truth is this sun. The person who is in this disk and the person who is in the right eye—these two rest upon each other. The one here is established in the other by the rays, and this one there by the breaths. When one is about to depart, one sees only this pure disk; the rays do not return to him. That person who is in this disk—his 'bhūḥ' is the head, one head, one syllable; 'bhuvaḥ' are the arms, two arms, two syllables; 'svaḥ' are the supports, two supports, two syllables. His secret teaching is 'aha.' He destroys and casts off evil, who knows thus. Now, the person who is in the right eye—his 'bhūḥ' is the head, one head, one syllable; 'bhuvaḥ' are the arms, two arms, two syllables; 'svaḥ' are the supports, two supports, two syllables. His secret teaching is 'aham.' He destroys and casts off evil, who knows thus. They say lightning is Brahman. Because it illumines, it is called lightning. It destroys evil for him who knows thus: 'Lightning is Brahman.' Indeed, lightning is Brahman. This person is made of mind, his light is truth. Within the heart, as rice or barley is within the husk, so is this person within the inner self. He is the lord of all, the ruler of all, the master of all; he governs all this, whatever exists, who knows thus. One should meditate upon speech as a cow. She has four teats: the syllables svāhā, vaṣaṭ, hant, and svadhā. Of these, the gods live upon the first two teats, svāhā and vaṣaṭ; humans upon hant; the ancestors upon svadhā. Her vital breath is the bull, and the mind is the calf. This fire, the Vaiśvānara, is within a person, by which food is cooked and eaten. Its sound is what one hears when covering the ears. When one is about to depart, this sound is no longer heard. Indeed, the highest austerity is that which is practiced in seclusion; one who knows this conquers the supreme world, whether the body is taken to the forest after death or offered in the fire; one who knows this conquers the supreme world. When a person departs from this world, he goes to the wind; for him, a space opens there, as in the hub of a chariot wheel; through that, he ascends upward. He reaches the sun; for him, a space opens there, as in the opening of a drum; through that, he ascends upward. He reaches the moon; for him, a space opens there, as in the hollow of a kettledrum; through that, he ascends upward. He reaches a world free from sorrow and full of glory; there he dwells for endless years. Some say, 'Food is Brahman.' That is not so, for food decays without breath. Some say, 'Breath is Brahman.' That is not so, for breath dries up without food. Here, these two deities, having become one, attain the highest state. Then Prātṛda said to his father: 'What good should I do for one who knows thus? What harm could I do?' The father replied, 'Do not speak thus, Prātṛda. Who, having become one with these two, attains the highest state?' Therefore it is said: 'All beings are established in food.' And, 'All beings delight in breath.' Indeed, all beings enter into it, and all beings delight in it, who knows thus. The hymn (uktha) is breath; for breath indeed raises up all this. The knower of the hymn stands firm, attains union and the same world as the hymn, who knows thus. The Yajus is breath; for by breath all beings are joined. All beings are joined to him for excellence; he attains union and the same world as the Yajus, who knows thus. The Sāman is breath; for by breath all beings are harmonized. All beings are harmonized for his excellence; he attains union and the same world as the Sāman, who knows thus. Kṣatra (sovereignty) is breath; for breath indeed protects sovereignty from being diminished. He attains the full measure of sovereignty, union and the same world as sovereignty, who knows thus.