Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 2,1.14
॥
Devanāgarī
सः होवाच अजातशत्रुः एतावत् नू इति एतावत् हि इति न एतावता विदितम् भवति इति सः होवाच गार्ग्यः उप त्वा अयानि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ hovāca ajātaśatruḥ etāvat nū iti etāvat hi iti na etāvatā viditam bhavati iti saḥ hovāca gārgyaḥ upa tvā ayāni iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
होवाचhovācahe said; He spoke
अजातशत्रुःajātaśatruḥAjātaśatru; king Ajātaśatru
एतावत्etāvatonly so much (etāvat); and is that all?; so much
नूnūsurely; then
इतिitithus; how
एतावत्etāvatonly so much (etāvat); and is that all?; so much
हिhiindeed; truly
इतिitithus; how
नnanot; no
एतावताetāvatāby this much; so much
विदितम्viditamis known (vidita); is recognised; is known
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
होवाचhovācahe said; He spoke
गार्ग्यःgārgyaḥGārgya; the descendant of Garga
उपupatowards; close at hand
त्वाtvāas regards you; you
अयानिayānilet me come (from √i, voluntative); let me come; I shall come
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Ajātaśatru asked: "Is that all?" — "That is all." — "By this much it is not yet known." And Gārgya said: "Let me come to you as a pupil."
Version
b24f3aede372 · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:52:10 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Three lines — and a whole drama. "Is that all?" (etāvan nū) — a question that brings down libraries: the whole stock is spent, and it is not enough. The king's verdict is exact to the word: na etāvatā viditaṁ bhavati — "by this much it is not known": not "too little has been said" but "it is not known" — a sum of pointers does not add up to knowledge.
And here Gārgya performs the best act of his life: upa tvāyāni — "let me come to you [as a pupil]". The proud (dṛpta!) scholar who came to instruct a king asks to be taken as his pupil. The whole Vedic culture rests on the possibility of that gesture: truth stands above honour, and the ability to say "teach me" to the one you came to teach is the only gate out of book-learning into knowledge. Nārada passed through it before Sanatkumāra, Uddālaka before Pravāhaṇa; now it is Gārgya's turn.