सा ह उवाच अहं वै त्वा याज्ञवल्क्य यथा काश्यः वा वैदेहः वा वोग्रपुत्रः उज्ज्यम् धनुः अधिज्यम् कृत्वा द्वौ बाणवन्तौ सपत्नातिव्याधिनौ हस्ते कृत्वा उपोत्तिष्ठेत् एवम् एव अहम् त्वा द्वाभ्याम् प्रश्नाभ्याम् उपोदस्थाम् तौ मे ब्रूहि इति पृच्छ गार्गि इति
sā ha uvāca ahaṃ vai tvā yājñavalkya yathā kāśyaḥ vā vaidehaḥ vā vograputraḥ ujjyam dhanuḥ adhijyam kṛtvā dvau bāṇavantau sapatnātivyādhinau haste kṛtvā upottiṣṭhet evam eva aham tvā dvābhyām praśnābhyām upodasthām tau me brūhi iti pṛccha gārgi iti
She said: "I rise against you, Yājñavalkya, as a warrior of Kāśī or of Videha, a hero's son, who has strung his unstrung bow and taken in his hand two arrows that pierce the enemy. Answer me these!" — "Ask, Gārgī."
388093ef2654 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:04:09 AM UTC
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Gārgī's challenge is a martial metaphor of rare beauty: she likens herself to a kṣatriya who has "strung his unstrung bow", with two arrows at the ready. Two questions — two arrows; the theological dispute is called what it is: a duel in which the questioner aims at the life of the answerer.
And the calm "ask, Gārgī" in reply is Yājñavalkya's armour: he accepts battle on her terms. The Upaniṣad loves this honesty about the genre: truth is settled not in an academic chat but under arrows — and it is worth noting that the most formidable bow of the whole tournament was raised by a woman.