He said to them: Venerable brahmins, let him among you who is the best Vedic scholar drive these cows home. None of the brahmins dared. Then Yajnavalkya said to one of his pupils: Dear Samsrava, drive these cows home. He drove them away. The brahmins were furious and said: How does he dare to call himself the best Vedic scholar among us? Now among them there was Asvala, the hotri priest of Emperor Janaka of Videha. He asked Yajnavalkya: Are you indeed the best Vedic scholar among us, O Yajnavalkya? He replied: I bow to the best Vedic scholar, but I just wish to have these cows. Thereupon the hotri Asvala determined to question him.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III, I-Yajnavalkya and Asvala, 2
Yajnavalkya, said he, since everything here (i.e. connected with the sacrifice) is overtaken by death, since everything is overcome by death, by what means does the sacrificer free himself from the reach of death? Through the hotri priest and the organ of speech looked upon as fire. The sacrificer’s organ of speech is the hotri. This organ of speech is fire; this fire is the hotri; this fire is the means to liberation; this is complete liberation.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III, I-Yajnavalkya and Asvala, 3
Yajnavalkya, said he, since everything here is overtaken by day and night, since everything is overcome by day and night, by what means does the sacrificer free himself from the reach of day and night? Through the adhvaryu priest and the eye looked upon as the sun. The sacrificer’s eye is the adhvaryu. This eye is the sun. This sun is the adhvaryu; this sun is the means to liberation; this is complete liberation.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III, I-Yajnavalkya and Asvala, 4
Yajnavalkya, said he, since everything here is overtaken by the bright and dark fortnights, since everything is overcome by the bright and dark fortnights, by what means does the sacrificer free himself from the reach of the bright and dark fortnights? Through the udgatri priest and the vital breath looked upon as the air. This vital breath is the udgatri. This vital breath is the air; this air is the udgatri; this air is the means to liberation; this is complete liberation.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III, I-Yajnavalkya and Asvala, 5
Yajnavalkya, said he, since the sky is, as it were, without a support, by means of what support does the sacrificer go to heaven? Through the Brahma priest and the mind looked upon as the moon. The sacrificer’s mind is the Brahma. The mind is the moon; this moon is the Brahma; this moon is the means to liberation; this is complete liberation. So far about the ways of liberation; now about the meditation based upon resemblance.
Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad III, I-Yajnavalkya and Asvala, 6
