Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣadबृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्

Yajnavalkya Kanda. Adhyaya 4, Brahmana 2. The Self within the two eyes

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Each mantra is given four ways: the Sanskrit in its Devanagari script, the same sounds in Roman letters, an English translation set in our own voice, and then the line once more in plain words, for a first and unhurried reading.

Not every passage is opened to the same depth. A few central mantras carry the full cross-school commentary, where the schools are set side by side. The rest are kept here whole and faithful, set in their place but not expounded, so the book stays entire and nothing is dropped for being thought minor.

Where the schools read a line differently, the difference is kept open. None is crowned and none is corrected. Each is met on its own terms, and where they contradict, the contradiction is left standing for you to sit with.

॥ 4.2.1 ॥

The king equipped for the road

जनको ह वैदेहः कूर्चादुपावसर्पन्नुवाच नमस्तेऽस्तु याज्ञवल्क्य । अनु मा शाधीति । स होवाच यथा वै सम्राण्महान्तमध्वानमेष्यन् रथं वा नावं वा समाददीतैवमेवैताभिरुपनिषद्भिः समाहितात्मासि । एवं वृन्दारक आढ्यः सन्नधीतवेद उक्तोपनिषत्क इतो विमुच्यमानः क्व गमिष्यसीति । नाहं तद्भगवन् वेद यत्र गमिष्यामीति । अथ वै तेऽहं तद्वक्ष्यामि यत्र गमिष्यसीति । ब्रवीतु भगवानिति

In transliteration

janako ha vaidehaḥ kūrcādupāvasarpannuvāca namaste'stu yājñavalkya | anu mā śādhīti | sa hovāca yathā vai samrāṇmahāntamadhvānameṣyan rathaṃ vā nāvaṃ vā samādadītaivamevaitābhirupaniṣadbhiḥ samāhitātmāsi | evaṃ vṛndāraka āḍhyaḥ sannadhītaveda uktopaniṣatka ito vimucyamānaḥ kva gamiṣyasīti | nāhaṃ tadbhagavan veda yatra gamiṣyāmīti | atha vai te'haṃ tadvakṣyāmi yatra gamiṣyasīti | bravītu bhagavāniti

In English

Janaka, emperor of Videha, came down from his cushion, drew near, and said: Salutations to you, Yajnavalkya. Instruct me. Yajnavalkya said: Just as a great king, about to set out on a long road, would furnish himself with a chariot or a ship, so are you, with a mind made ready by these sacred teachings. So learned, so wealthy, versed in the Vedas, taught the secret doctrines: when you are released from here, where will you go? I do not know, revered sir, where I shall go. Then I will tell you where you will go. Let my revered teacher speak.

In plain words

King Janaka of Videha steps down from his seat (kurca), bows to Yajnavalkya, and asks to be taught. Yajnavalkya answers with an image: just as a king setting out on a long journey first secures a chariot or a boat, Janaka has equipped himself for the great journey with the upanisads, the secret teachings (upanisadbhih), and his mind is now composed and ready (samahita-atma). Yet for all his learning, wealth, and Vedic knowledge, Janaka still does not know where he will go when he leaves the body. Yajnavalkya promises to tell him, and Janaka asks him to begin.

All mantras