Yajnavalkya-Maitreyi-Samvada

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Yajnavalkya, the greatest seer and sage, said: " Maitreyi, verily, I

am going away from this house into the forest to enter another order

of life (Sannyasa); therefore let me divide my property between you

and Katyayani " .

 

Maitreyi said: " My venerable lord, if this whole world with all its

wealth belongs to me, tell me truly, could I attain immortality " .

 

" No, " replied Yajnavalkya, " Like the life of rich people will be your

life; but there is no hope of obtaining immortality by wealth " .

 

Maitreyi: " Of what use would be wealth to me, if I do not become

thereby immortal? Tell me, O venerable lord, any means of attaining

immortality of which thou knowest " .

 

Yajnavalkya replied: " Come, sit down, my beloved Maitreyi, I will

explain it to thee. Try to understand well what I say " .

 

Yajnavalkya said: " Verily, not indeed for the husband's sake the

husband is dear, but for the sake Of the Self the husband is dear.

Verily, not indeed for the wife's sake the wife is dear, but for the

sake of the Self the wife is dear. Verily, not indeed for the sake of

the son the son is dear, but for the sake of the Self the son is

dear. Verily, this immortal all-pervading Atman or Brahman is to be

seen, heard, reflected and meditated upon, O Maitreyi: Atma Vaare

Drashtavyah Srotavyo Mantayo Nididhyasitavyah " .

 

O Maitreyi! When there is duality, one sees the other, one smells the

other, one tastes the other, one salutes the other, one speaks to the

other, one touches the other, one knows the other, but when the Self

or Atma only is all this, how could one see the other, how could he

smell the other, touch the other, know the other? How could he know

Him by whom he knows all this? That Self is to be described by " No,

no " (Neti, Neti). Atma nor the Supreme Self is imperishable. He is

free and unattached. He is not subject to pain or destruction. How

could one know the knower? Thus, O beloved Maitreyi, thou hast been

instructed " .

 

Having said this, Yajnavalkya went to the forest.

 

(Source: Essence of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda)