The Context
In the court of King Janaka, a great philosophical debate was held among the wisest sages. Yajnavalkya, known for his vast knowledge, challenged all present. Among the gathered scholars was Gargi Vachaknavi, one of the greatest women philosophers of ancient India.
The Dialogue
Gargi: Venerable Yajnavalkya, I shall ask you two questions. Answer them if you can.
Yajnavalkya: Ask, O Gargi, daughter of Vachaknu.
Gargi: That which is above the sky, that which is beneath the earth, that which is between heaven and earth, that which was, that which is, and that which shall be—in what is all this woven, warp and woof?
Yajnavalkya: That which is above the sky, beneath the earth, between heaven and earth, that which was, is, and shall be—all this is woven, warp and woof, in space (akasha).
Gargi: And in what, then, is space itself woven?
Yajnavalkya: That, O Gargi, the knowers of Brahman call the Imperishable (Akshara). It is not gross, not subtle, not short, not long, not glowing, not shadowy, not dark, not attached to anything, without taste, without smell, without eyes, without ears, without voice, without mind, without energy, without breath, without mouth, without measure, having no inside and no outside. It consumes nothing, and no one consumes it.
The Teaching
अक्षरम् (Aksharam) - The Imperishable
Gargi’s questioning reveals the hierarchy of reality:
- First, the material world
- Then, space (akasha) in which the world exists
- Finally, Brahman, the Imperishable, in which even space exists
The Second Question
Gargi: Now I shall ask my second question. That Imperishable—what is its nature?
Yajnavalkya: At the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, the sun and moon stand apart. At the command of that Imperishable, heaven and earth stand apart. At the command of that Imperishable, moments, hours, days, nights, fortnights, months, seasons, and years stand apart. At the command of that Imperishable, some rivers flow eastward from the white mountains, others flow westward, each in its own direction.
By that Imperishable, O Gargi, are the spaces between heaven and earth held together. That Imperishable is the unseen Seer, the unheard Hearer, the unthought Thinker, the unknown Knower. There is no other seer than That, no other hearer than That, no other thinker than That, no other knower than That. In that Imperishable, O Gargi, is space woven, warp and woof.
The Warning
Yajnavalkya: Gargi, do not question too much, lest your head fall off! You are questioning about a divinity beyond which there can be no further questions. Gargi, do not over-question!
Gargi: (Falling silent) I bow to you, Yajnavalkya. None here can defeat you in argument.
The Wisdom
This dialogue shows:
- The method of inquiry: Following each answer to its source
- The limits of questioning: Some realities are beyond conceptual grasp
- The nature of Brahman: Can only be described by negation (neti neti)
- Recognition of truth: Even the questioner must eventually surrender to the ineffable
Gargi’s silence is not defeat—it is the recognition that she has reached the boundary where words fail and direct realization must begin.