Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.5
॥
Devanāgarī
सः ह उवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः प्रिया वै खलु नः भवती सती प्रियम् अवृधत् हन्त तर्हि भवत्य् एतद् व्याख्यास्यामि ते व्याचक्षाणस्य तु मे निदिध्यासस्व इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ ha uvāca yājñavalkyaḥ priyā vai khalu naḥ bhavatī satī priyam avṛdhat hanta tarhi bhavaty etad vyākhyāsyāmi te vyācakṣāṇasya tu me nididhyāsasva iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
याज्ञवल्क्यःyājñavalkyaḥYājñavalkya; the sage Yājñavalkya
प्रियाpriyādear (priyā); beloved; the road
वैvaitruly; indeed
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
नःnaḥour; for us
भवतीbhavatīmy lady (bhavatī); revered lady; madam
सतीsatībeing; appearing
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
अवृधत्avṛdhatshe has increased it (aorist of √vṛdh); she has multiplied; she has made it grow
हन्तhantaso then; come now
तर्हिtarhithen; surely
भवत्य्bhavatyto you; for you
एतद्etadthis; the present
व्याख्यास्यामिvyākhyāsyāmiI shall explain (vi-ā + √khyā, future); I shall expound; I shall explain
तेtethose; these
व्याचक्षाणस्यvyācakṣāṇasyaof me expounding; of me setting forth
तुtusurely; but
मेmemyself; in my house
निदिध्यासस्वnididhyāsasvameditate deeply (imperative); enter into it; meditate deeply
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Yājñavalkya said: "Dear you have been to us, my dear — and dear is what you have grown. Well then, lady, I shall explain this to you; and as I explain, contemplate deeply."
Version
edd38b964673 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:18:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The teacher's gladness, with a new shade against 2.4.4: priyam avṛdhat — "you have grown what is dear": not merely "you speak what is dear" — you have grown it in yourself, as one grows a sowing. Over the years between the two conversations (or in the eternity of the one) the dear thing in Maitreyī has become a harvest.
And the same instruction on how to listen: nididhyāsasva — "contemplate deeply": the technical term of Vedānta (hearing — pondering — deep absorption) is given here for the first time, in a husband's word to his wife. The highest hermeneutics was born as a marital request: do not merely listen — carry it to term.