A Dialog between Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya
An inspiring episode from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad


The sage Yajnavalkya had two wives: Maitreyi and Katyayani. Of these,  Maitreyi was conversant with the Knowledge of Brahman,  while Katyayani had an essentially feminine outlook.

One day  Yajnavalkya, when he wished to embrace another mode of life,  said: "Maitreyi, my dear, I am going to renounce this life to  become a monk. Let me make a final settlement between you  and Katyayani." 

Maitreyi said: "Venerable Sir, if indeed the whole earth full of  wealth belonged to me, would I be immortal through that or  not?" "No," replied Yajnavalkya, "your life would be just like  that of people who have plenty. Of Immortality, however, there  is no hope through wealth."  Then Maitreyi said: "What should I do with that which would  not make me immortal? Tell me, venerable Sir, of that alone  which you know to be the only means of attaining  Immortality." 

Yajnavalkya replied: "My dear, you have been my beloved  even before and now you have resolved to know what is after  my heart. If you wish, my dear, I shall explain it to you. As I  explain it, meditate on what I say." 

Everything is the Self, O Maitreyi !

Yajnavalkya said:

"Verily, not for the sake of the husband, my dear,  is the husband loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self  which, in its true nature, is one with the Supreme Self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the wife, my dear, is the wife loved,  but she is loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the sons, my dear, are the sons  loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of wealth, my dear, is wealth loved,  but it is loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the animals, my dear, are the  animals loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the brahmin, my dear, is the  brahmin loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the kshatriya, my dear, is the  kshatriya loved, but he is loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the worlds, my dear, are the worlds  loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the gods, my dear, are the gods  loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the Vedas, my dear, are the Vedas  loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the beings, my dear, are the beings  loved, but they are loved for the sake of the self. 
"Verily, not for the sake of the All, my dear, is the All loved,  but it is loved for the sake of the self. 

"Verily, my dear Maitreyi, it is the Self that should be  realized—should be heard of, reflected on and meditated upon.  By the realisation of the Self, my dear, through hearing,  reflection and meditation, all this is known. 

"The brahmin rejects one who knows him as different from the  Self.
The kshatriya rejects one who knows him as different  from the Self.
The worlds reject one who knows them as  different from the Self.
The gods reject one who knows them as  different from the Self.
The Vedas reject one who knows them  as different from the Self.
The beings reject one who knows  them as different from the Self.
The All rejects one who knows  it as different from the Self.

This brahmin, this kshatriya, these  worlds, these gods, these Vedas, these beings and this All—are  that Self.  

"As the various particular kinds of notes of a drum, when it is  beaten, cannot be grasped by themselves, but are grasped only when the general note of the drum or the general sound  produced by different kinds of strokes is grasped; 

"And as the various particular notes of a conch, when it is  blown, cannot be grasped by themselves, but are grasped only  when the general note of the conch or the general sound  produced by different kinds of blowing is grasped; 

"And as the various particular notes of a vina, when it is  played, cannot be grasped by themselves, but are grasped only  when the general note of the vina or the general sound  produced by the different kinds of playing is grasped;  

"As from a fire kindled with wet fuel various kinds of smoke  issue forth, even so, my dear, the Rig—Veda, the Yajur—Veda,  the Sama—Veda, the Atharvangirasa, history (itihasa),  mythology (purana), the arts (vidya), Upanishads, verses  (slokas), aphorisms (sutras), elucidations (anuvyakhyanas),  explanations (vyakhyanas), sacrifices, oblations in the fire,  food, drink, this world, the next world and all beings are all like  the breath of this infinite Reality. From this Supreme Self are  all these, indeed, breathed forth. 

"As the ocean is the one goal of all waters (the place where  they merge), so the skin is the one goal of all kinds of touch,  the nostrils are the one goal of all smells, the tongue is the one  goal of all savours, the ear is the one goal of all sounds, the  mind is the one goal of all deliberations, the intellect is the one  goal of all forms of knowledge, the hands are the one goal of all  actions, the organ of generation is the one goal of all kinds of  enjoyment, the excretory organ is the one goal of all excretions,  the feet are the one goal of all kinds of walking, the organ of  speech is the one goal of all the Vedas. 

"As a lump of salt has neither inside nor outside and is  altogether a homogeneous mass of taste, even so this Self, my  dear, has neither inside nor outside and is altogether a  homogeneous mass of Intelligence. This Self comes out as a  separate entity from the elements and with their destruction this  separate existence is also destroyed. After attaining this  oneness it has no more consciousness. This is what I say, my  dear."  So said Yajnavalkya. 

Then Maitreyi said: "Just here you have completely bewildered  me, venerable Sir. Indeed, I do not at all understand this."  He replied:

"Certainly I am not saying anything bewildering,  my dear. Verily, this Self is immutable and indestructible. 

Through what should one know the knower?

"For when there is duality, as it were, then one sees another,  one smells another, one tastes another, one speaks to another,  one hears another, one thinks of another, one touches another,  one knows another. But when to the knower of Brahman everything has become the Self, then what should he see and  through what, what should he smell and through what, what  should he taste and through what, what should he speak and  through what, what should he hear and through what, what  should he think and through what, what should he touch and  through what, what should he know and through what?  Through what should one know That Owing to which all this is  known? 

"This Self is That which has been described as ‘Not this, not  this.’ It is imperceptible, for It is never perceived; undecaying,  for It never decays; unattached, for It never attaches Itself;  unfettered, for It never feels pain and never suffers injury. 

Through what, O Maitreyi, should one know the Knower?  "Thus you have the instruction given to you. This much,  indeed, is the means to Immortality." 

Having said this, Yajnavalkya renounced home. 

More Info : Read Brihadaranyaka Upanishad from Bharatadesam.Com