Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,3.2
॥
Devanāgarī
याज्ञवल्क्य किंज्योतिः अयं पुरुषः इति आदित्यज्योतिः संराट् इति ह उवाच आदित्येन एव अयं ज्योतिषास्ते पल्ययते कर्म कुरुते विपल्येति इति एवम् एव एतद् याज्ञवल्क्य
Transliteration (IAST)
yājñavalkya kiṃjyotiḥ ayaṃ puruṣaḥ iti ādityajyotiḥ saṃrāṭ iti ha uvāca ādityena eva ayaṃ jyotiṣāste palyayate karma kurute vipalyeti iti evam eva etad yājñavalkya
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
याज्ञवल्क्यyājñavalkyaYājñavalkya; O Yājñavalkya
किंज्योतिःkiṃjyotiḥby what light (kiṁ-jyotis); by whose light; by what light
अयंayaṃthis; this man
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
इतिitithus; how
आदित्यज्योतिःādityajyotiḥhaving the sun for light (āditya-jyotis); having the sun for his light; by the light of the sun
संराट्saṃrāṭthe lord; the emperor
इतिitithus; how
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
आदित्येनādityenaby the sun; through the sun
एवevaindeed; only
अयंayaṃthis; this man
ज्योतिषास्तेjyotiṣāstehe abides by that light; he sits with that for illumination
पल्ययतेpalyayatehe goes about (pari + √ay — 'moves round'); he walks about; it goes out
कर्मkarmawork; action
कुरुतेkurutemakes; he performs
विपल्येतिvipalyetihe comes back (vi-pari + √i); he returns; he returns
इतिitithus; how
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एवevaindeed; only
एतद्etadthis; the present
याज्ञवल्क्यyājñavalkyaYājñavalkya; O Yājñavalkya
Translation
"Yājñavalkya, by what light does this man live?" — "By the light of the sun, your majesty: by the light of the sun he sits, goes out, works and returns." — "Just so, Yājñavalkya."
Version
1925ad8591aa · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:11:14 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Janaka's question is simple, as all great things are: kiṁ-jyotir ayaṁ puruṣaḥ — "by what light does this man live?" What does he light himself with, so as to "sit, go out, work and return" — the four verbs of ordinary life? The first answer is obvious: by the sun.
But Janaka bought the right of questions precisely so as not to stop at the obvious: he will now put out the luminaries one by one — a device that reverses Śākalya's ladder: there the gods dwindled, here the lights will dwindle until the man is left in total darkness… and turns out to be luminous. This is one of the most beautiful constructions in all the world's philosophy — the switching-off of the lights.