उपनिषद् · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.1
॥
देवनागरी
अथ ह याज्ञवल्क्यस्य द्वे भार्ये बभूवतुः मैत्रेयी च कात्यायनी च तयोः ह मैत्रेयी ब्रह्मवादिनी बभूव स्त्रीप्रज्ञा एव तर्हि कात्यायनी अथ ह याज्ञवल्क्यः अन्यद् वृत्तम् उपाकरिष्यन्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
atha ha yājñavalkyasya dve bhārye babhūvatuḥ maitreyī ca kātyāyanī ca tayoḥ ha maitreyī brahmavādinī babhūva strīprajñā eva tarhi kātyāyanī atha ha yājñavalkyaḥ anyad vṛttam upākariṣyan
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
अथathathereupon; further
हhasurely; as is known
याज्ञवल्क्यस्यyājñavalkyasyaof Yājñavalkya; of the sage Yājñavalkya
द्वेdvethe two; the two
भार्येbhāryetwo wives (bhāryā, dual); of a spouse; two wives
बभूवतुःbabhūvatuḥthey were; they became
मैत्रेयीmaitreyīMaitreyī; the wise Maitreyī
चcaand; as well as
कात्यायनीkātyāyanīKātyāyanī; the wife Kātyāyanī
चcaand; as well as
तयोःtayoḥof these two; of them both
हhasurely; as is known
मैत्रेयीmaitreyīMaitreyī; the wise Maitreyī
ब्रह्मवादिनीbrahmavādinīa discourser on Brahman (brahma-vādinī); one who speaks of Brahman; a brahmavādinī
बभूवbabhūvabecame; came
स्त्रीप्रज्ञाstrīprajñāwith a woman's understanding (strī-prajñā); with a household understanding; with a woman's understanding
एवevaindeed; only
तर्हिtarhithen; surely
कात्यायनीkātyāyanīKātyāyanī; the wife Kātyāyanī
अथathathereupon; further
हhasurely; as is known
याज्ञवल्क्यःyājñavalkyaḥYājñavalkya; the sage Yājñavalkya
अन्यद्anyadanother; other
वृत्तम्vṛttamthe manner of life (vṛtta); the way of life; the way of life
उपाकरिष्यन्upākariṣyanbeing about to pass over (upa-ā + √kṛ, future participle); preparing to take up; about to pass over
अनुवाद
Yājñavalkya had two wives, Maitreyī and Kātyāyanī. Maitreyī was a discourser on Brahman, while Kātyāyanī had the understanding that women have [in a household]. And Yājñavalkya, about to pass to another way of life, —
संस्करण
1afe058e54f0 · प्रकाशित 27 जुल॰ 2026, 1:18:17 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The conversation with Maitreyī returns — already told in the second book (2.4), it is repeated here, after the instructions to Janaka, as the closing chord of the whole Upaniṣad: Yājñavalkya speaks his greatest teaching not to a king but to his wife, on the threshold of departure. Repetition in the Veda is a sign of the utmost importance: this conversation the Upaniṣad could not allow itself to tell only once.
Two words about the two wives are exact and without malice: Maitreyī is brahmavādinī, "a discourser on Brahman" (a high title: a woman theologian, like Gārgī); Kātyāyanī is strīprajñā, wise in the household circle. Both dignities are named without mockery: a home has a wisdom of its own. But the hour of the choice is such that a division of property becomes a division of paths — and Maitreyī's question is about to outgrow the will.