Yajnavalkya came to Janaka, king of Videha, saying to himself, “I will not talk today”. But earlier, while they were discussing the fire ceremony, Yajnavalkya had promised him any boon he wanted. Now the King asked the sage permission to question him.
Janaka:
Yajnavalkya, What is the light of man?
Yajnavalkya:
The Sun is our light, for by that light we sit, work, go out and come back.
Janaka: When the Sun sets what is the light of man?
Yajnavalkya: The moon is our light for by that light we sit, work, go out and come back.
Janaka: When the Sun sets Yajnavalkya and the moon sets what is the light of man?
Yajnavalkya: Fire is our light for by that we sit, work, go out and come back.
Janaka: When the Sun sets Yajnavalkya and the moon sets and the fire go out what is the light of man?
Yajnavalkya: Then speech is our light for by that we sit work go out and come back even though we cannot see our own hand in the dark we can hear what is said and move toward the person speaking.
Janaka: When the Sun sets Yajnavalkya and the moon sets then the fire goes out and no one speaks. what is the light of man?
Yajnavalkya: The Self indeed is the light of man your majesty for by that we sit, work, go out and come back.
Janaka: Who is that Self..?
Yajnavalkya: The self, the pure awareness that shines as the light within the heart surrounded by the senses. Only seen to think. seem to move. The self neither sleeps nor wakes nor dreams. When the Self takes on a body he seems to assume the body’s frailties and limitations but when he sheds the body at the time of death, the Self leaves all these behinds. The human being has two states of consciousness. one in this world, the other in the next but there is a third state between them not unlike the world of dreams of which we are aware of both worlds with their sorrows and joys. When a person dies it is only the physical body that dies that person lives on in a non-physical body which carries the impressions of his past life. It is these impressions that determine his next life. In this intermediate state, he makes and dissolves impressions by the light of the self in that third state of consciousness. There are no chariots no horses drawing them or roads on which to travel but he makes up his own variants horses and roads.
In that state, there are no Joy’s or pleasures but he makes up his own joys and pleasures. In that state, there are no lotus ponds no lakes no rivers but he makes up his own lotus ponds lakes and rivers. It is he who makes up all these from the impressions of his past or waking life. It is said of these states of consciousness that in the dreaming state when one is sleeping, the shining self who never dreams who was ever awake watch us by his own light the dreams are woven out of past deeds and present desires. In the Dreaming state, when one is sleeping, the shining Self keeps the body alive with the vital force of prana and wanders wherever he wills. In the Dreaming state when one is sleeping, The Shining Self assumes many forms, eats with friends, indulges in sex, sees fear sees spectacles but he is not affected by anything because he is detached and free and after wandering here and there in the state of dreaming enjoying pleasures and seeing good and evil, he returns to the state from which he began. As a great fish swims between the banks of a river as it likes so does the shining Self move between the states of dreaming and waking. As an Eagle weary after soaring in the sky folds its wings and flies down to rest in its nest. so does the self himself enter the state of dreamless sleep where one is freed from all desires. the self is free from desire. free from evil. free from fear.
As a man in the arms of his beloved is not aware of what is without and what is within. So a person in union with the self is not aware of what is without and what is within for in that unitive state, all desires find their perfect fulfillment. There is no other desire that needs to be fulfilled and one goes beyond sorrow in that unitive state, there is neither father nor mother, neither world’s nor gods nor even scriptures in that state there is neither thief nor Slayer neither low caste nor high neither Munk nor ascetic. The Self is beyond good and evil beyond all the suffering of the human heart. In that unitive state, one sees without seeing for there is nothing separate from him. Smells without smelling for there is nothing separate from him. Tastes without tasting for there is nothing separate from him. Speaks without speaking, for there is nothing separate from him. Hear without hearing for there is nothing separate from him. Touches without touching for there is nothing separate from him. Thinks without thinking, for there is nothing separate from him. Knows without knowing, for there is nothing separate from him.
Where there is separateness. one sees another, smells another, tastes another, speaks to another, hears another, touches another, thinks of another, knows another but where there is unity one without a second that is the world of Brahman. This is the supreme goal of life, the supreme treasure, the supreme joy. Those who do not seek the supreme goal live on butter fraction of joy.
Janaka: I give you another thousand cows. please teach me more of the way to self-realization.
Yajnavalkya: As a heavily laden cart creaks as it moves along. the body groans under its burden when a person is about to die. When the body grows weak through old age or illness the Self separates himself as a mango or fig or banyan fruit frees itself from the stalk and returns the way he came to begin another life. Just as when a king is expected to visit a village the mayor and all the other officials turned out to welcome him with food and drink. All creation awaits the person who sheds his body having realized Brahma. Here he comes they say here comes Brahma himself. but the senses while that man lies dying gather around and mourns the selfs departure as courtiers mourn when their king is about to leave. When body and mind grow weak, the Self gathers in all the powers of life and descends with them into the heart. As prana leaves the eye it ceases to see. He is becoming one say the wise. he does not see. he is becoming one he no longer hears. he is becoming one he no longer speaks or tastes or smells or thinks or knows. By the light of the heart, the Self leaves the body by one of its gates and when he leaves prana follows and with it all the vital powers of the body. he who is dying, merge in consciousness and thus consciousness accompanies him when he departs along with the impressions of all that he has done experienced and known.
As a caterpillar having come to the end of one blade of grass draws itself together and reaches out for the next. so the self having come to the end of one life and dispelled all ignorance gathers in his faculties and reaches out from the old body to a new as a goldsmith fashions an old ornament into a new and more beautiful one. so the self having reached the end of the last life and dispelled all ignorance makes for himself a new more beautiful shape like that of the Devas or other celestial beings.
The self is indeed a Brahmam but through ignorance, people identify it with intellect, mind, senses passions and the elements of earth water air space and fire. This is why the self is said to consist of this and that and appears to be everything.
As a person acts so he becomes in life. Those who do Good become good. Those who do harm become bad. Good deeds make one pure. Bad deeds make one impure.
So we are said to be what our desire is.
As our desire is, so is our will. As our will is, so our acts. As we act, so we become.
We live in accordance with our deep driving desire it is this desire at the time of death that determines what our next life is to be. we will come back to earth to work out the satisfaction of that desire but not those who are free from desire.
They are free because all their desires have found fulfillment in the self. They do not die like the others but realizing Brahman they merge in Brahman.
So it is said when all the desires that surged in the heart are renounced, the mortal becomes immortal. When all the knots that strangle the heart are loosened, the mortal becomes immortal. Here in this very life as the skin of a snake is slough onto an ant hill so does the mortal body fall. but the self freed from the body merges in Brahman. infinite life eternal light.
Janaka : I give you another thousand cows please teach me more of the way to self-realization.
Yajnavalkya : Those who realize the self, enter into the peace that brings complete self-control and perfect patience. They see themselves in everyone and everyone in themselves. Evil cannot overcome them because they overcome all evil. Sin cannot consume them because they consume all sin. Free from evil, free from sin, doubt, and fear. They live in the kingdom of Brahman, your Majesty. this kingdom is yours now.
Janaka: Venerable one, I offer myself and my kingdom in your service
Saguna Brahman 