Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,8.12
॥
Devanāgarī
सा ह उवाच ब्राह्मणाः भगवन्तः तत् एव बहु मन्यध्वम् यद् अस्मान् नमस्कारेण मुच्येध्वम् न वै जातु युष्माकम् इमं कश्चिद् ब्रह्मोद्यम् जेता इति ततः ह वाचक्नवी उपरराम
Transliteration (IAST)
sā ha uvāca brāhmaṇāḥ bhagavantaḥ tat eva bahu manyadhvam yad asmān namaskāreṇa mucyedhvam na vai jātu yuṣmākam imaṃ kaścid brahmodyam jetā iti tataḥ ha vācaknavī upararāma
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
साsāshe; that one
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
ब्राह्मणाःbrāhmaṇāḥbrāhmaṇas; the knowers of the sacred
भगवन्तःbhagavantaḥvenerable sirs; esteemed sirs
तत्tatthat; this
एवevaindeed; only
बहुbahuas much (bahu — 'a great deal'); by much; as a great thing
मन्यध्वम्manyadhvamconsider (from √man, imperative pl.); deem; consider
यद्yadwhen; that which
अस्मान्asmānus; from us
नमस्कारेणnamaskāreṇawith a bow (namaskāra, instr.); with an obeisance; with an obeisance
मुच्येध्वम्mucyedhvamyou will get off (from √muc, optative pl.); you will be rid of it; you will escape
नnanot; no
वैvaitruly; indeed
जातुjātuat any time; never
युष्माकम्yuṣmākamyour; of you
इमंimaṃthis; of this
कश्चिद्kaścidanyone; anyone
ब्रह्मोद्यम्brahmodyamthe debate about Brahman; the contest in sacred knowledge
जेताjetāthe victor; the one who will win
इतिitithus; how
ततःtataḥthan that; after this
हhasurely; as is known
वाचक्नवीvācaknavīVācaknavī; the daughter of Vacaknu
उपररामupararāmahe fell silent; he ceased questioning
Translation
She said: "Reverend brāhmaṇas! Count it a great thing if you get off from him with a bow. None of you will ever defeat him in a dispute about Brahman." And Vācaknavī fell silent.
Version
63aae407637d · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:05:26 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Gārgī's word as judge is final: "bow and go home: no one will defeat this man". Both arrows have been loosed, both received; the archer acknowledges the armour impenetrable — and does it with the same royal directness with which she shot.
Gārgī's greatness in this finale is hardly less than in her questions: she alone in the assembly grasped the scale of what had been heard — and she had the spirit to declare the common defeat a common victory of the truth. A dispute about Brahman is won not by the one left standing but by those who have learned before Whom to bow. She falls silent not as one defeated but as one fulfilled.