In the Bhagavad Gita we read: “Nothing higher than Me exists. On Me all this universe is strung like pearls on a thread” (7:7). This concept is upanishadic: “Uddalaka spoke: ‘Yajnavalkya, we lived as students in Madra, in the house of Kapya, whose wife was once possessed by a Gandharva, a celestial singer. We asked the Gandharva who he was. He replied that he was Kabandha, and proceeded to question Kapya thus: “Dost thou know that thread whereon this life, the next life, and all beings are strung together?” Kapya did not know. The Gandharva continued: “Dost thou know that Inner Ruler who controls, from within, this life, the next life, and all beings?” Kapya did not know. The Gandharva then said: “He who knows that thread and that Inner Ruler knows Brahman, knows the worlds, knows the gods, knows the Vedas, knows the creatures, knows the Self–knows all things.” I myself know these things that the Gandharva taught. Yajnavalkya, if thou, without knowing that thread and that Inner Ruler, take the cows that belong only to the wisest, accursed shalt thou be.’ Yajnavalkya said: ‘I know that thread and that Inner Ruler.’ Uddalaka said: ‘Anybody can say, “I know, I know.” Tell us what you know.’” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:7:1).
This questioning contains a lot of facts regarding the Self:
It is the connecting foundation of all beings.
It is the cohesive force that impels all beings through a succession of lives for their evolution.
It is the absolute Ruler and Controller of all lives and beings as their inmost essential nature.
To know the Self is to know all things, both the Manifester and the manifested.
Now Yajnavalkya responds. “Yajnavalkya said: ‘The subtle principle of life is that thread whereon this life and the next life and all beings are strung. Hence, when a man dies, they say his limbs are loosed, for while he lives they are held together by that principle of life.’ Uddalaka said: ‘That is true, Yajnavalkya. Now speak of the Inner Ruler.’” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:7:2).
The Self is the principle of Life itself.
Present but separate
“Yajnavalkya said: ‘He who dwells on earth, but is separate from the earth, whom the earth does not know, whose body the earth is, and who controls the earth from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘He who dwells in water but is separate from water, whom water does not know, whose body water is, and who controls water from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘He who dwells in fire but is separate from fire, whom fire does not know, whose body fire is, and who controls fire from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
““He who dwells in the sky, in the air, in heaven, in the four quarters, in the sun, in the moon, in the stars, in ether, in darkness, in light, but is separate from them, whom none of them knows, whose body they are, and who controls them from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘He who dwells in all beings but is separate from all beings, whom no being knows, whose body all beings are, and who controls all beings from within–he, the Self, is the inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘He who dwells in odor, speech, sight, hearing, and touch, but is separate from them, whom odor, speech, sight, hearing, and touch do not know, whose body is odor, speech, sight, hearing, and touch are, and who controls them all from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘He who dwells in the mind, but is separate from the mind, whom the mind does not know, whose body the mind is, and who controls the mind from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘He who dwells in the intellect, but is separate from the intellect, whom the intellect does not know, whose body the intellect is, and who controls the intellect from within–he, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘Unseen, but the seer; unheard but the hearer, unthinkable, but the thinker; unknown, but the knower–there is no seer but he, there is no hearer but he, there is no other but he, there is no knower but he. He, the Self, is the Inner Ruler, the Immortal.
“‘Anything that is not the Self perishes.’
“Uddalaka held his peace” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:7:3-23).
If we have not figured this out already, nothing can be said that will give us the idea. But we do have the idea, and this is an affirmation intended to confirm us in our understanding.
Gargi and the Imperishable
Now we hear from the female sage, Gargi.
“Then arose Gargi, the daughter of Vachaknu, and addressed the sages: ‘Revered Brahmins, I shall ask Yajnavalkya two questions. If he is able to answer them, no one among you can ever defeat him. He will be the great expounder of the truth of Brahman.’ Yajnavalkya said: ‘Ask, O Gargi.’
“Gargi said: ‘Yajnavalkya, as the son of a warrior from Kashi or Videha might string his loosened bow and with two deadly arrows in his hand rise to give battle, even so have I risen to fight thee with two questions.’ Yajnavalkya said: ‘Ask, O Gargi.’
“Gargi said: ‘Yajnavalkya, that of which they say that it is above heaven and below the earth, which is between heaven and earth as well, and which was, is, and shall be–tell me, in what is it woven, warp and woof?’
“Yajnavalkya said: ‘That of which they say, O Gargi, that it is above heaven and below the earth, which is between heaven and earth as well, and which was, is, and shall be–that is woven, warp and woof, in the ether.’” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:8:1-4).
Ether (Akasha) is the subtlest element, so subtle that it is often indistinguishable from Consciousness. Without it nothing can exist. Yet there is more, so Gargi persists.
“Gargi said: ‘Thou hast answered my first question. I bow to thee, O Yajnavalkya. Be ready now to answer my second question.’ Yajnavalkya said: ‘Ask, O Gargi.’
“Gargi said: ‘In whom is that ether woven, warp and woof?’
“Yajnavalkya said: ‘The seers, O Gargi, call him Akshara–the changeless Reality. He is neither gross nor fine, neither short nor long, neither hot nor cold, neither light nor dark, neither of the nature of air, nor of the nature of ether. He is without relations. He is without taste or smell, without eyes, ears, speech, mind, vigor, breath, mouth; he is without measure; he is without inside or outside. He enjoys nothing; nothing enjoys him.’” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:8:5-8).
“Akshara” means imperishable, indestructible, and immutable. It is sometimes a synonym for the Chidakasha, the Ether of Consciousness in which the element of ether rests. As Yajnavalkya makes clear, the Imperishable Brahman and the imperishable Self are No Thing, having no attributes or form whatsoever; yet It is infinite and omnipresent. “He enjoys nothing” because there is no second, no separate object for Brahman to be involved with or relate to. And “nothing enjoys him” because no thing can perceive Brahman. “Things” do not really exist. Brahman, on the other hand, is the sole Existence.
“‘At the command of that Akshara, O Gargi, sun and moon hold their courses. At the command of that Akshara, O Gargi, heaven and earth keep their positions. At the command of that Akshara, O Gargi, moments, hours, days and nights, fortnights and months, seasons and years–all follow their paths. At the command of that Akshara, O Gargi, rivers, issuing from the snowy mountains, flow on, some eastward, some westward, others in other directions.
“‘He, O Gargi, who in this world, without knowing this Akshara, offers oblations, performs sacrifices, practices austerities, even though for many thousands of years, gains little: his offerings and practices are perishable. He, O Gargi, who departs this life without knowing the Imperishable, is pitiable. But he, O Gargi, who departs this life knowing the Akshara, is wise.
“‘This Akshara, O Gargi, is unseen but is the seer, is unheard but is the hearer, is unthinkable but is the thinker, is unknown but is the knower. There is no seer but he, there is no hearer but he, there is no thinker but he, there is no knower but he. In Akshara, verily, O Gargi, the ether is woven, warp and woof.’
“Gargi said: ‘Revered Brahmins, well may you feel blest if you get off with bowing before him! No one will defeat Yajnavalkya, expounder of the truth of Brahman.’ Gargi held her peace” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:8:9-12).
Is it any wonder that men and women throughout the ages have devoted their entire lives to the pursuit of the knowledge of Brahman? What else is there?
“Yajnavalkya addressed the sages: ‘Revered Brahmins, ask me questions if you will–any one of you in the assembly, or all of you. Or if any one of you so desires, I will question him. Or I will question all of you.’ But the Brahmins held their peace” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:9:27).
Let us hope they returned home and doubled and tripled their efforts to realize Brahman. And so may we, for that is the purpose of this section.
Read the next article in the Upanishads for Awakening: Janaka and Yajnavalkya–1