In the ancient times, the wise spoke of the mystery of existence, teaching that no form arises from any one thing alone, nor is anything truly separate from the rest. Just as the rim of a wheel is set upon its spokes, and the hub is fixed within the rim, so too are the elemental principles founded upon wisdom, and wisdom itself is established upon breath. This breath—vital, subtle, and profound—is the very self of wisdom: blissful, ageless, and immortal. Neither good deeds make one greater nor do evil deeds diminish one; it is this very self that impels all actions, lifting one upward or casting one downward through the worlds. This is the guardian, the lord, the sovereign of all worlds. Let one understand: “This is my Self, this is my Self.” In this spirit, Gārgya, son of Bālākira, a devoted student, set out on a quest for true knowledge. He lived among the Uśinaras, the Matsyas, the Kurus and Pañcālas, the Kāśis and Videhas, seeking wisdom wherever he went. At last, he approached Ajātaśatru, the king of Kāśi, and declared, “I will teach you about Brahman.” The king, in his generosity, replied, “I grant you a thousand in return.” In those days, kings like Janaka were renowned, and people flocked to them for such teachings. Gārgya began his exposition: “This is the person in the sun; I worship him.” But Ajātaśatru gently corrected him, “Do not worship him in that way. He stands radiant, clothed in white, above all beings. Worship him thus, and you stand as the head of all beings.” Undeterred, Gārgya continued, “This is the person in the moon; I worship him.” Again, Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not worship him in that way. Soma is the king, the self of food. Worship him thus, and you become the self of food.” Gārgya went on, “This is the person in lightning; I worship him.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not worship him in that way. He is the self of radiance. Worship him thus, and you become the self of radiance.” He spoke further, “This is the person in thunder; I worship him.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not worship him in that way. He is the self of sound. Worship him thus, and you become the self of sound.” Gārgya then said, “This is the person in the sky; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru answered, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is not fullness, nor does he proceed as Brahman. Meditate upon him thus, and you will be filled with offspring and cattle, but not before the proper time.” Next, Gārgya declared, “This is the person in the wind; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is Indra, Vaikuṇṭha, the unconquered general. Meditate upon him thus, and you become victorious and unconquered.” Gārgya continued, “This is the person in fire; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is Viṣāsahi. Meditate upon him thus, and you gain the power to overcome poison.” He added, “This is the person in the waters; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is the self of names. Meditate upon him thus, and you become the self of names. Thus much is the teaching concerning the deities; now let us speak of the self.” Gārgya said, “This is the person in the mirror; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is the counterpart. Meditate upon him thus, and a counterpart is born to you in your offspring.” He continued, “This is the person in the echo; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is the second, the inseparable. Meditate upon him thus, and you attain a second, and are possessed of a second.” Gārgya then said, “This is the sound that follows the person; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is the Asura. Meditate upon him thus, and you will not have progeny before the proper time, but will come to confusion.” He went on, “This is the shadow-person; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is death. Meditate upon him thus, and you perish.” Gārgya said, “This is the person in the body; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is Prajāpati. Meditate upon him thus, and you are born with offspring and cattle.” He continued, “This is the intelligent self by which one, while asleep, experiences dreams; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is Yama, he is the king. Meditate upon him thus, and all this is attained for your excellence.” Gārgya said, “This is the person in the right eye; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru replied, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is the self of name, fire, and light. Meditate upon him thus, and you become the self of all these.” He added, “This is the person in the left eye; him alone I meditate upon.” Ajātaśatru said, “Do not meditate upon this as the ultimate. He is the self of truth, lightning, and brilliance. Meditate upon him thus, and you become the self of all these.” At last, Gārgya fell silent. Ajātaśatru asked, “Is this all, O Bālākī?” Gārgya replied, “This is all.” The king said, “In vain have you meditated; I will tell you about Brahman. The true knower is the maker of all these persons and their works—he alone is to be known.” Humbled, Gārgya approached him with fuel in hand, seeking instruction. Ajātaśatru remarked, “It is a reversal for a Kṣatriya to teach a Brāhmaṇa, but come, I will show you.” The king took Gārgya’s hand and led him to a man who was asleep. Calling out, “O king Soma, clothed in white!” the king received no response. He struck the man with a stick; at once he awoke. Ajātaśatru asked, “Where was the person who was in this body? Where did he go, and from where has he returned?” Gārgya could not answer. Ajātaśatru explained, “Where this person was lying, where he was, from where he returned—there are the arteries of the heart, called hitā, which extend from the heart throughout the body. These arteries are as fine as the split of a thousandfold hair, white, black, yellow, and red. In them, the self dwells. When one is asleep and sees no dreams, he becomes one with the vital breath alone. Then speech, with all its names, enters into him; the eye, with all forms, enters into him; the ear, with all sounds, enters into him; the mind, with all thoughts, enters into him. When he awakens, just as sparks fly in all directions from a blazing fire, so from this self the vital breaths go forth. From the vital breaths come the gods; from the gods, the worlds. Just as a razor is kept in its case or a spider in its web, so this intelligent self has entered the body, from the hairs to the nails.