स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैष प्राज्ञ आत्मा येनैतत्पुरुषः सुप्तः स्वप्नमाचरति तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा यमो राजेति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते सर्वं हास्मा इदं श्रैष्ठ्याय गम्यते
sa hovāca bālākirya evaiṣa prājña ātmā yenaitatpuruṣaḥ suptaḥ svapnamācarati tamevāhamupāsa iti taṃ hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsamavādayiṣṭhā yamo rājeti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa yo haitamevamupāste sarvaṃ hāsmā idaṃ śraiṣṭhyāya gamyate
Bālāki said: “The understanding self by which a man, asleep, wanders in dream — it I revere.” Ajātaśatru said to him: “Do not draw me into talk of it! I revere it as king Yama.” And he who so reveres it — to him all this submits for his supremacy.
ce2ff95d875c · publicado 29 jul 2026, 3:43:45 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Sixth in the inner series — and the highest of all Bālāki has offered: prājña ātmā, “the understanding self”, that by which a man wanders in dream.
Bālāki has come close. He has named not an element and not a reflection, but that very understanding of which the whole third adhyāya spoke; and named it in the state of sleep, where it acts alone, without the outer senses.
And still the correction follows. Ajātaśatru reveres it as Yama rājā, “king Yama”. The name is double, and both sides work. Yama is the lord of the dead, and sleep in the śāstras is constantly drawn near to death: the sleeper goes where the dying man goes, only he returns. And Yama is “the restrainer”, from the root yam, “to hold in check”: he who rules and keeps in rein.
The fruit is named royally: “all this submits to him for his supremacy”. He who reveres the ruler himself becomes one who is obeyed.
But here too remains the gap for whose sake the whole conversation is held. The understanding self in dream is still the one who sees dreams, not the one who sleeps without them; of him Ajātaśatru will speak at the end, leading Bālāki to a sleeping man. Bālāki pointed to the dreamer; he will be asked where the man was when he saw nothing.