Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.4
॥
Devanāgarī
सा ह उवाच मैत्रेयी येन अहम् न अमृता स्याम् किम् अहम् तेन कुर्याम् यत् एव भगवान् वेद तत् एव मे ब्रूहि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
sā ha uvāca maitreyī yena aham na amṛtā syām kim aham tena kuryām yat eva bhagavān veda tat eva me brūhi iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
साsāshe; that one
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
मैत्रेयीmaitreyīMaitreyī; the wise Maitreyī
येनyenaby which; by means of which
अहम्ahamI; Himself
नnanot; no
अमृताamṛtāimmortal; undying
स्याम्syāmI should become; let me be
किम्kimwhat; in what manner
अहम्ahamI; Himself
तेनtenato them; by means of him
कुर्याम्kuryāmshould I do (from √kṛ, optative); I shall do; to do
यत्yatthat which; that which
एवevaindeed; only
भगवान्bhagavānmy lord (bhagavat); venerable one; sir
वेदvedaknows; realises
तत्tatthat; this
एवevaindeed; only
मेmemyself; in my house
ब्रूहिbrūhitell (from √brū, imperative); tell him; tell
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Maitreyī said: "What shall I do with that by which I shall not become immortal? What you know, my lord — tell me that."
Version
2dce6e2a9c34 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:18:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The same lightning refusal as in the second book: yenāhaṁ nāmṛtā syāṁ kim ahaṁ tena kuryām — "what use to me is that by which I shall not become immortal?" Half the earth is set aside like a cup of cold tea; and the demand is for the full measure: "what you know — tell me that".
In this farewell version the words fall still more sheer: her husband is leaving for good — and his wife asks for a dowry not of lands but of all his knowledge. The Upaniṣad has told this choice twice so that no one should take it for a fine gesture: it is the door through which everything that follows enters; whoever has not pushed the inheritance aside will not hear the teaching about what is dear.