Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.19
॥
Devanāgarī
याज्ञवल्क्येति ह उवाच शाकल्यः यद् इदं कुरुपञ्चालानाम् ब्राह्मनान् अत्यवादीः किं ब्रह्म विद्वान् इति दिशः वेद सदेवाः सप्रतिष्ठाः इति यद् दिशः वेत्थ सदेवाः सप्रतिष्ठाः
Transliteration (IAST)
yājñavalkyeti ha uvāca śākalyaḥ yad idaṃ kurupañcālānām brāhmanān atyavādīḥ kiṃ brahma vidvān iti diśaḥ veda sadevāḥ sapratiṣṭhāḥ iti yad diśaḥ vettha sadevāḥ sapratiṣṭhāḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
याज्ञवल्क्येतिyājñavalkyetiO Yājñavalkya; thus: Yājñavalkya
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
शाकल्यःśākalyaḥŚākalya; the sage Śākalya
यद्yadwhen; that which
इदंidaṃthis; this world
कुरुपञ्चालानाम्kurupañcālānāmof the Kurus and Pañcālas; of the Kuru-Pañcāla clans
ब्राह्मनान्brāhmanānthe brāhmaṇas; of the knowers of sacred lore
अत्यवादीःatyavādīḥhe out-argued them (ati + √vad, aorist); he surpassed them in debate; he out-argued
किंkiṃwhat; which
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the sacred reality
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; one who has known
इतिitithus; how
दिशःdiśaḥthe quarters of space (diś, acc. pl.); the directions; the quarters of the sky
वेदvedaknows; realises
सदेवाःsadevāḥwith their deities (sa-deva); with their gods; with the deities
सप्रतिष्ठाःsapratiṣṭhāḥwith their supports (sa-pratiṣṭhā); with their foundations; with their supports
इतिitithus; how
यद्yadwhen; that which
दिशःdiśaḥthe quarters of space (diś, acc. pl.); the directions; the quarters of the sky
वेत्थvetthado you know; you are aware of
सदेवाःsadevāḥwith their deities (sa-deva); with their gods; with the deities
सप्रतिष्ठाःsapratiṣṭhāḥwith their supports (sa-pratiṣṭhā); with their foundations; with their supports
Translation
Śākalya said: "Yājñavalkya! Since you have out-argued the brāhmaṇas of the Kurus and the Pañcālas, what Brahman is it that you know?" — "I know the quarters of the sky with their deities and their supports." — "Since you know the quarters with their deities and supports —
Version
303ebbb16980 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:06:37 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Śākalya has not taken the hint, and demands that the object of the victory be produced: "what Brahman is it that you know?" Yājñavalkya's answer is deliberately modest: "I know the quarters of the sky with their deities and supports" — not "I know the Imperishable" but merely the geography of the sacred: who is in the east, who in the south, and on what each stands.
This is an invitation onto ground convenient for the opponent: interrogate away! And Śākalya will eagerly drive the answerer round all the directions — not noticing that Yājñavalkya's "quarters with their supports" converge like spokes into one nave, and that every one of his answers will end in the word "heart". The last round of the tournament begins — a cross-examination by the points of the compass.