Sage Yajnavalkya came to the court of King Janaka of Videha and was received with honor. Janaka enquired of the purpose of his visit. “Is it for the sake of cattle or for raising subtle questions?” asked king Janaka. Yajnavalkya replied that it was for both. Janaka said that his teacher Sailini had instructed that speech was Brahman as nothing can be achieved without speech. The sage pointed out that the abode of speech and its support is the organ of speech. It should be meditated upon as intelligence. The nature of intelligence is speech itself said the great sage. It is through speech alone that all the four Vedas, Itihasas, Puranas, arts, the Upanishads, food and drink, this world, and the other world are known. As such, Speech is the highest Brahman said Yajnavalkya. When king Janaka offered the Sage “a thousand cows with a bull as big as an elephant” he refused politely saying that his father did not allow it before the disciple was fully instructed! Janaka continued and said that Udanka told him that life was Brahman. What can man achieve without life? The abode of life is Breath and space is its support said Yajnavalkya. It should be meditated as the dear. It is love of life that creates fear of death. Life , therefore, is the highest Brahman.
Janaka said that Barku varshna told him that the eye was Brahman. A blind man cannot see anything in life.The eye is the abode and space its support said Yajnavalkya. One should meditate on it as truth. The nature of truth is the eye itself. In other words sight is the truth. The eye is the supreme Brahman. When king Janaka said that hearing is Brahman the sage replied that the ear is its abode and space its support. It should be meditated as endless. The quarters themselves are endless said Yajnavalkya. There is no end for the quarters as the quarters of space are endless. The ear is the highest Brahman! Continuing, king Janaka told the sage that Satyakama Jabala had told him that Mind was Brahman for without mind nothing can be achieved. The Mind is its abode and space its support. One has to meditate on it as bliss said Yajnavalkya. Nature of bliss is Mind itself! It is by mind a person marries and has children. Children are a source of bliss especially a son. Hence Mind is the highest Brahman
The spiritual conversation between king Janaka and Yajnavalkya did not end there! Janaka continued and said that Sakalya had told him that the heart was Brahman. What can a heartless person achieve? The heart is its own abode and space its support! A person has to meditate on it as the stable.The nature of heart is stability. It is the place of all things and the support of all things for all things rest in the heart! The heart is the highest Brahman! Overwhelmed at the answers of Yajnavalkya, king Janaka descended from his throne and came to the sage. He bowed down to Yajnavalkya and requested the sage to teach him! The sage, on his part, was very happy at the knowledge of the king. He complimented Janaka on his knowledge of the teachings of the Upanishads! He said that king Janaka has prepared well like a man on a long journey securing a chariot or a ship for his travel. Thus he has become wealthy and honorable! He has learnt the Vedas and the Upanishads! Yajnavalkya then asked, “ Where then will you go when you are released from the body?” king Janaka replied that he did not know. Yajnavalkya offered to tell the king where he would go!
Later Yajnavalkya tells Janaka in figurative language the passage of man from the stage of ‘Vaisvanara’ to that of ‘Taijasa’ and from there to ‘Prajna’ and from there to that of Atman! These stages represent respectively the waking state, the dreaming state, the state of deep sleep, or ‘turiya’ state! “Atman is incomprehensible and can be described as “not this, not this. He is unattached, unfettered. He does not suffer; he does not perish”. Yajnavalkya complimented King Janaka and said that he had reached the state of fearlessness. king Janaka wished the same to the sage and once again bowed to him with great veneration.
The conversation between Janaka and Yajnavalkya is highly philosophical and subtle. The stress in this Upanishad is always on Brahman! Every sensory organ has its use and considered as Brahman. Speech, eye, ear, mind and heart are nothing if not Brahman! It is Brahman that radiates through these organs! When it shines all other organs become active! It is Impossible to define Brahman. We can eliminate things by saying “ neti, neti”-- not this, not this to comprehend Brahman. The conversation between Yajnavalkya and Janaka throw light on the erudition and scholarship of king Janaka who was the best disciple of the sage Yajnavalkya himself!
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