The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

by Swami Krishnananda

4. yo’psu tiṣṭhann, adbhyo’ntaraḥ, yam ᾱpo na viduḥ, yasyᾱpaḥ, śarīram, yo’po’ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
5. yo'gnau tiṣṭhann, agner antaraḥ, yam agnir na veda, yasyᾱgniḥ śarīram, yo'gnim antaro yamayati, eṣa ta amṛtaḥ.
6. yo'ntarikṣe tiṣṭhann antarikṣᾱd antaraḥ, yam antarikṣaṁ na veda, yasyᾱntarikṣaṁ śarīram, yo'ntarikṣam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
7. yo vᾱyau tiṣṭhann vᾱyor antaraḥ, yaṁ vᾱyur na veda, yasya vᾱyuḥ śarīram, yo vᾱyum antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
8. yo divi tiṣṭhan divo'ntaraḥ, yaṁ dyaur na veda, yasya dyauḥ śarīram, yo divam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
9. ya ᾱditye tiṣṭhann ᾱdityᾱd antaraḥ, yam ᾱdityo na veda, yasyᾱdityaḥ śarīram, ya ᾱdityam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
10. yo dikṣu tiṣṭhan, digbhyo'ntaraḥ, yaṁ diśo na viduḥ, yasya diśaḥ śarīram, yo diśo antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
11. yaś candra-tᾱrake tiṣṭhaṁś candra-tᾱrakᾱd antaraḥ, yaṁ candra-tᾱrakaṁ na veda, yasya candra-tᾱrakaṁ śarīram yaś candra-tᾱrakaṁ antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
12. ya ᾱkᾱśe tiṣṭhan ᾱkᾱśᾱd antaraḥ, yam ᾱkᾱśo na veda, yasyᾱkᾱśaḥ śarīram, ya ᾱkᾱśam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.

Now this passage goes on, saying that the Water Principle, like the Earth Principle, is also controlled in its action by this inner Ruler, and the Water Principle cannot know it, because it is its body. Likewise, all the elements are controlled by it. The Fire Principle, which is above the Water Principle, and the Atmospheric Principle which is in turn above it, and above which you have got the heaven, then after that you have got the sun, then there are the quarters, or the Diśas, the various directions, then the moon, then space and everything that you can think of in your mind – all these are repeatedly asserted to be the body of the internal Ruler.

13. yas tamasi tiṣṭhaṁs tamaso'ntaraḥ, yaṁ tamo na veda yasya tamaḥ śarīram, yas tamo'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
14. yas tejasi tiṣṭhaṁs tejaso'ntaraḥ, yaṁ tejo na veda, yasya tejaḥ śarīram, yas tejo'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ ity adhidaivatam, athᾱdhibhῡtam.

This description of the Antaryāmin, or the internal Ruler, is given from three standpoints – the transcendent, or the Adhidaivika description, the physical, or the objective, known as the Adhibhautika, and the internal or the subjective, known as the Adhyātmika. All the gods, all the celestials are controlled by this principle. All the elements are controlled by this principle. And every individual being also is controlled by this principle.

15. yaḥ sarveṣu bhῡteṣu tiṣṭhan, sarvebhyo bhῡtebhyo'ntaraḥ, yam sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni na viduḥ, yasya sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni śarīram, yaḥ sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ, amṛtaḥ. ity adhibhῡtam; athᾱdhyᾱtmam.

Yaḥ sarveṣu bhῡteṣu tiṣṭhan: In all beings, this is seated. Sarvebhyo bhῡtebhyo'ntaraḥ: He is internal to all beings. He is internal to you; internal to me. Though one individual is outside the other, one is exclusive of the other, this principle is interior to all. Each individual may be regarded as an object to the other, but this persists in existing as the internal Reality of every individual. While it is internal to me, it is internal to you also, despite the fact that you are external to me and I am external to you. So the externality of ourselves as personalities, or individuals, does not in any way affect the internality of this Reality. So all the external manifestations, not withstanding this, remains as a Supreme internality. Every being is controlled by it. Yam sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni na viduḥ: Yet no one can know it – yasya sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni śarīram, yaḥ sarvᾱṇi bhῡtᾱni antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ, amṛtaḥ. ity adhibhῡtam; athᾱdhyᾱtmam.

16. yaḥ prᾱṇe tiṣṭhan prᾱṇᾱd antaraḥ, yam prᾱṇo na veda, yasya prᾱṇaḥ, śarīram, yaḥ prᾱṇam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
17. yo vᾱci tiṣṭhan vᾱco'ntaraḥ, yaṁ vᾱṅ na veda, yasya vᾱk śarīraṁ yo vᾱcam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
18. yaś cakṣuṣi tiṣṭhaṁs cakṣuṣo'ntaraḥ, yaṁ cakṣur na veda, yasya cakṣuḥ śarīraṁ, yas cakṣur antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
19. yaḥ śrotre tiṣṭhan śrotrᾱd antaraḥ, yaṁ śrotraṁ na veda, yasya śrotraṁ śarīraṁ, yaḥ śrotram antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
20. yo manasi tiṣṭhan manaso'ntaraḥ, yam mano na veda,  yasya manaḥ śarīram, yo mano'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
21. yas tvaci tiṣṭhaṁs tvaco'ntaraḥ, yaṁ tvaṅ na veda, yasya tvak śarīraṁ, yas tvacam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.
22. yo vijñᾱne tiṣṭhan, vijñᾱnᾱd antaraḥ, yam vijñᾱnaṁ na veda, yasya vijñᾱnaṁ śarīraṁ, śarīram, yo vijñᾱnam antaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ.

Atha adhyātmam: Now, internal organs are described. The Prāṇa that we breathe, the breath within, is also the function of this Reality within. The Prāṇa, the speech (Vāk), the eyes (Cakṣu), the ears (Śrotre), the mind (Manas), the intellect (Vijñāna) and all the things you call as your own in this individual body – all these are but formations of this one Being. It appears as the celestials when you visualise it from the transcendental level; it appears as the universe outside when you visualise it from the external point of view, and it appears as the individuals when you conceive it as the visible bodies of Jīvas. There is no separate group of gods, or celestials, other than this. There is no world, or universe, outside this. And there are no individuals external to it. No gods, no world, no individuals! All these three sets of apparent reality are only the manifestations, or rather appearances, of this one Supreme Being.

The term 'internal' has a very special sense in this context. Just as we are inside a hall, we may wrongly imagine that this Reality is internal to the bodies of individuals, worlds, etc. It is not located 'inside' in that spatial sense or in a temporal sense. It is a philosophical concept or a metaphysical one. It is a highly intricate concept which cannot be absorbed into the mind, inasmuch as the mind usually thinks in terms of space and time. Whenever we speak of 'inside', we mean 'inside' in space. But this is not a spatial insideness. It is a spiritual existence, a condition of consciousness which is called 'internal', because it cannot be regarded as an object of observation. You cannot observe consciousness; you cannot observe your own self; you cannot observe your own understanding or your awareness. You cannot even think it, because even thinking is a spatial activity of the mind. So in that sense, it is internal. It is the Reality. It cannot be seen, because it is necessary for the act of seeing. Without its operation, without its Being, without its existence, nothing can be seen. You cannot think; you cannot hear; you cannot understand, unless That is there. So, how can you apply this yardstick or measuring rod of perception to that Reality which is the Cause of even your perception, hearing, understanding etc.?

23. yo retasi tiṣṭhan retaso'ntaraḥ, yaṁ reto na veda, yasya retaḥ śarīraṁ, yo reto'ntaro yamayati, eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ; adṛṣto draṣṭᾱ, aśrutaḥ śrotᾱ, amato mantᾱ, avijñᾱto vijñᾱtᾱ. nᾱnyo'to'sti draṣṭᾱ, nᾱnyo'to'sti śrotᾱ, nᾱnyo'to'sti mantᾱ, nᾱnyo'to'sti vijñᾱtᾱ; eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ; ato'nyad ᾱrtam. tato hoddalᾱka ᾱruṇir upararᾱma.

Eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱ: In short, this is the Ātman. What we call the Antāryamin, or the Immanent Reality, is the Ātman, the Self. When we say it is the Self, we mean it is Consciousness. We mean both things in the same sense. It is an awareness which cannot be the object of another awareness. Therefore, it is not capable of being seen. Adṛṣto draṣṭᾱ: This Reality is the unseen Seer of all beings. You cannot see it, but it sees you. It sees everyone, but no one can see it – adristo drasta. Aśrutaḥ śrotᾱ: It can hear everything, but no one can hear it. Amato manta: You cannot think it, but it can think you. Avijñᾱto vijñᾱtᾱ: You cannot understand it, but it can understand you. Nᾱnyo'to'sti draṣṭᾱ: There is no other seer but that. Nanyo'to'sti srota: There is no hearer other than that. Nᾱnyo'to'sti mantᾱ: There is no thinker but that. Nᾱnyo'to'sti vijñᾱtᾱ: There is no understander but that. So, if anyone thinks, it is that which thinks; if anyone hears, it is that which hears; if anyone sees, it is that which sees. If anyone understands anything, it is not you or I that understands, it is that which understands. If anyone does anything, it is that which does.

Eṣa ta ᾱtmᾱntaryᾱmy amṛtaḥ:  "This is the Self; this is the internal Ruler; this is the Reality. This is immortal, O Uddālaka. Everything else is useless. Other than this, nothing has any sense or meaning – ato'nyad ārtam. This is the only Being that is worthwhile considering and approaching and realising." Tato hoddalāka āruṇir upararāma: The question is answered beautifully, and the Antaryāmin has been described. Uddālaka holds his speech and occupies his seat. He has nothing else to say.