Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,1.1
॥
Devanāgarī
जनकः ह वैदेहः आसाम् चक्रे अथ ह याज्ञवल्क्यः आवव्राज तं ह उवाच याज्ञवल्क्य किम् अर्थम् अचारीः पशून् इच्छन् अण्वन्तान् इति उभयम् एव संराट् इति ह उवाच
Transliteration (IAST)
janakaḥ ha vaidehaḥ āsām cakre atha ha yājñavalkyaḥ āvavrāja taṃ ha uvāca yājñavalkya kim artham acārīḥ paśūn icchan aṇvantān iti ubhayam eva saṃrāṭ iti ha uvāca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जनकःjanakaḥJanaka; king Janaka
हhasurely; as is known
वैदेहःvaidehaḥVaideha; the king of Videha
आसाम्āsāmhe was seated (periphrastic perfect of √ās); he sat; he was seated
चक्रेcakreHe made; has ordered
अथathathereupon; further
हhasurely; as is known
याज्ञवल्क्यःyājñavalkyaḥYājñavalkya; the sage Yājñavalkya
आवव्राजāvavrājahe came up (ā + √vraj, perf.); went; approached
तंtaṃthat one; it
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
याज्ञवल्क्यyājñavalkyaYājñavalkya; O Yājñavalkya
किम्kimwhat; in what manner
अर्थम्arthamthe target; the meaning
अचारीःacārīḥhe came and went about (from √car, aorist); he travelled; went
पशून्paśūnthe cattle (paśu, acc. pl.); of cows; of cattle
इच्छन्icchandesiring; seeking
अण्वन्तान्aṇvantānof subtle questions (aṇu-anta — 'fine points'); of the finest matters; of subtle questions
इतिitithus; how
उभयम्ubhayamboth the one and the other; both
एवevaindeed; only
संराट्saṃrāṭsovereign (samrāj — 'universal ruler'); the lord; the sovereign
इतिitithus; how
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
Translation
Janaka of Videha was seated [in audience]. Yājñavalkya came up. Janaka said to him: "Yājñavalkya, why have you come — wanting cattle or subtle questions?" — "Both, your majesty," he said.
Version
c58924c7ff58 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:09:40 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth adhyāya begins — the summit of the whole Upaniṣad: the conversations of Janaka and Yājñavalkya, no longer at a tournament but in private, king and sage face to face. The king's greeting carries a smile of recollection about the thousand cows: "have you come for cattle or for subtle questions?" (aṇv-anta — "the fine ends", the subtlest matters).
Yājñavalkya's answer is disarmingly honest: ubhayam eva, samrāṭ — "for both, your majesty". No affectation of spirituality: the sage is ashamed neither of cows nor of questions; in him the earthly and the subtle are not at war. This freedom from posturing is Yājñavalkya's hallmark (we remember "we simply want the cows", 3.1.2) and a quiet lesson: the truth is served not by renouncing honest needs but by honesty in everything.