Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.2
॥
Devanāgarī
मैत्रेयीति ह उवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः प्रव्रजिष्यन् वा अरे अहम् अस्मात् स्थानात् अस्मि हन्त ते अनया कत्यायन्या अन्तं करवाणि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
maitreyīti ha uvāca yājñavalkyaḥ pravrajiṣyan vā are aham asmāt sthānāt asmi hanta te anayā katyāyanyā antaṃ karavāṇi iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मैत्रेयीतिmaitreyītiMaitreyī, thus; addressing Maitreyī
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
याज्ञवल्क्यःyājñavalkyaḥYājñavalkya; the sage Yājñavalkya
प्रव्रजिष्यन्pravrajiṣyangoing forth as a wanderer (pra + √vraj, future participle — taking sannyāsa); preparing for renunciation; going forth as a wanderer
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
अहम्ahamI; Himself
अस्मात्asmātfrom this; out of this
स्थानात्sthānātfrom this station (sthāna, abl.); from this condition; from this state
अस्मिasmiI am; I am
हन्तhantaso then; come now
तेtethose; these
अनयाanayāwith this one; by means of this
कत्यायन्याkatyāyanyāwith Kātyāyanī; with Kātyāyanī
अन्तंantaṃa settlement (anta); a division; the section
करवाणिkaravāṇilet me make (from √kṛ, voluntative); I shall make; I shall bring about
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"Maitreyī!" said Yājñavalkya. "I am going away, my dear, from this state, to be a wanderer. Come, let me make a settlement between you and Kātyāyanī."
Version
5dc3e0555623 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:18:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The key difference from the version in the second book is one word: there it was udyāsyan, "I am going away", here pravrajiṣyan — "I am going away as a wanderer", taking up sannyāsa: the order of renunciation is named outright. The Upaniṣad, which has just described through Yājñavalkya's mouth those who, "rising above desires, live the life of mendicants" (4.4.22), shows the teacher fulfilling his own word: he goes by the very road he preached.
And before the last road, an honest domestic duty: the settlement. Renunciation in the Vedic sense is no flight from obligations but their completion: first provide for those you leave, then go. Sannyāsa begins not with a staff but with care.