What is behind the fabric of space and time? The timeless debate of Yājñavalkya and Gārgī

All material manifestations, starting from the gross material elements, are woven into a cosmic fabric of which the Lord is the ultimate sustenance. He is Akṣara, the unlimited.

All material manifestations, starting from the gross material elements, are woven into a cosmic fabric of which the Lord is the ultimate sustenance. Everything rests on the element ether, which is the very fabric of space and time. This ether, or akasa, however, is supported by something else, called Akṣara. This Akṣara is described as not having material dimensions and not having a material body.

Who is this Akṣara? Some could argue that Akṣara must be pradhana, while others could argue that Akṣara is the jīva. To this, Vyasadeva answers (in the Vedanta-sutra): akṣaram ambarānta-dhṛteḥ. Akṣara is the Lord because He is the one who supports all material elements, from earth up to ether, including all material manifestations created from them.

The material energy, or prakṛti, is both the ingredient and the final state for the whole material manifestation. It is the ingredient because all material objects, including the universes and the bodies of all living beings, come from it, and it is also the final state because when the universes are annihilated at the end of the life of Brahma, there is again only prakṛti left. This prakṛti, in turn, has its resting place on Lord Mahā-Vishnu, who at the beginning of creation impregnates prakṛti through his transcendental glance, and at the end absorbs it inside His transcendental body. This glance becomes Lord Sadaśiva, who carries all the jīvas who desire to participate in the material manifestation, as well as the time energy, which puts prakṛti into motion. The Lord is thus the ultimate cause and support, and prakṛti, which manifests in the form of all material elements, starting with ether, is just His energy, which rests on Him.

This idea is beautifully illustrated in a striking passage of the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, where Yājñavalkya is questioned by the different sages at the court of King Janaka. At a certain point, after defeating several of the other sages, he is questioned by Gārgī Vācaknavī, the great woman sage, who shoots two "arrows" at him, in the form of two questionings.

First, she asks what is the thing on which everything else is woven around. Yājñavalkya answers that ether is the substance on which everything is woven. Ether is the most subtle of the elements, the cause of all the other elements, and the whole cosmic manifestation. Everything rests on ether, which is unlimited. Gārgī then, testing the limits of his knowledge, asks on what this ether is woven:

sa hovāca – yad ūrdhvaṁ gārgi divo yad avāk pṛthivyā yad antarā dyāvāpṛthivī ime yad bhūtaṁ ca bhavac ca bhaviṣyac cety ācakṣata ākāśa eva tad otaṁ ca protaṁ ceti, kasmin nu khalv ākāśa otaś ca protaś ceti

"O Yājñavalkya, you said that everything that exists, be it above heaven, beneath the earth, or in between, everything that exists in the past, present, and future, all of this is woven upon space (ether). But in what, then, is that unlimited ether woven? (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.7)

Yājñavalkya answers:

sa hovāca – etad vai tad akṣaraṁ gārgi brāhmaṇā abhivadanty asthūlam anaṇv ahrasvam adīrgham alohitam asneham acchāyam atamo ’vāyv anākāśam asaṅgam arasam agandham acakṣuṣkam aśrotram avāg amano ’tejaskam aprāṇam amukham amātram anantaram abāhyam, na tad aśnāti kiṁ cana, na tad aśnāti kaś cana

Yājñavalkya shows such a mastery of the subject of Brahman that his speech is almost incomprehensible to anyone who is himself not familiar with the topic. He lists the qualities of akṣara as a series of negatives (not gross, not short, not tinged, not moist, etc.) The explanation appears to suggest some impersonal object that has no material characteristics, but in the context of the previous answers of Yājñavalkya in the debate (and in the context of the previous chapters of the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad), it was already established that the absolute truth is personal. One is faced thus with the intellectual challenge of conceiving a being who has no material form, untouched even by ether, without organs of the senses or even vital airs, but that can think, desire, live, etc., showing unlimited potency.

Translated literally, the verse sounds as:

“This is akṣara, O Gārgī. Those who know Brahman describe as neither gross nor minute, neither short nor long, colorless, not moist, shadowless; without darkness, air or space; unattached, tasteless, scentless; without eyes, ears, speech, mind; without radiance, breath, mouth, measure; having neither within nor without. It consumes nothing, and nothing consumes it.”

However, when interpreted inside the context, the words describing a transcendental parson who has no material qualities, but is at the same time fully potent and active, his answer sounds as:

"O Gārgī! Those who know Brahman declare that this is indeed akṣara, the imperishable. He is not big or small, not short or long. His form has no color, not moist or dry, and doesn't project a shadow. He is untouched by darkness or air. Even the ether itself, that is supported by Him, can't touch Him. He is free from all contact with matter, and beyond all attachment. He has no taste and no smell. He can see without eyes, hear without ears, speak without a voice, desire without a mind and live without being supported by the vital airs. He has no sense organs, no measure, no interior or exterior. He doesn't consume anything and is not consumed by anyone". (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.8)

He then continues describing His control over everything that exists:

etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi sūryacandramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāvāpṛthivyau vidhṛte tiṣṭhataḥ, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi nimeṣā muhūrtā ahorātrāṇy ardhamāsā māsā ṛtavaḥ saṁvatsarā iti vidhṛtās tiṣṭhanti, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi prācyo ’nyā nadyaḥ syandante śvetebhyaḥ parvatebhyaḥ pratīcyo ’nyā yāṁ yāṁ ca diśam anu, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dadato manuṣyāḥ praśasanti yajamānaṁ devā darvīṁ pitaro ’nvāyattāḥ

"O Gārgī! Under the strict control of this akṣara, the sun and the moon remain fixed in their positions, just as the heavens and earth! Only because of Him the time flow in all measures, from nimeṣās (instants) to years. Rivers flow in their respective directions only because of Him, and because of him, men and demigods perform all kinds of beneficial activities." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.9)

yo vā etad akṣaram gārgy aviditvāsmin loke juhoti yajate tapas tapyate bahūni varṣa-sahasrāṇy antavad evāsya tad bhavati yo vā etad akṣaram aviditvā gārgy aviditvāsmāl lokāt praiti sa kṛpaṇaḥ, atha ya etad akṣaraṁ gārgi viditvāsmāl lokāt praiti sa brāhmaṇaḥ

"O Gārgī! Those who, without knowing this imperishable Brahman perform sacrifices, austerities and penances, even if for thousands of years, attain only limited and temporary results. They depart from this world as kṛpaṇas, pitiable. men. However, one who realizes this akṣara, departs from this world as a knower of Brahman. These are the true Brahmanas." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.10)

tad vā etad akṣaraṁ gārgy adṛṣṭaṁ draṣṭraśrutaṁ śrotramataṁ mantravijñātaṁ vijñātṛ, nānyad ato ’sti draṣṭṛ, nānyad ato ’sti śrotṛ, nānyad ato ’sti mantṛ, nānyad ato ’sti vijñātṛ, etasmin nu khalv akṣare gārgy ākāśa otaś ca protaś ca

"O Gārgī! Indeed, this imperishable Supreme Lord sees everything, but remains unseen. He hears everything, but remains unheard. He understands everything, but no one can understand Him. He knows everything, but remains unknown. Know that there is no other seer, no other hearer, no other examiner, no other knower. Verily, O Gārgī, in this very imperishable, Supreme Self, is space itself woven, warp and woof." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.11)

Understanding the weight and depth of this explanation, Gārgī is struck. She admits that Yājñavalkya is truly the most qualified amongst the great sages present at the sacrifice, and falls silent.

sā hovāca – brāhmaṇā bhagavantas tad eva bahu manyadhvaṁ yad asmān namaskāreṇa mucyedhvam, na vai jātu yuṣmākam imaṁ kaścid brahmodyaṁ jeteti, tato ha vācaknavy upararāma

"Gārgī said, 'Revered Brāhmaṇas, consider yourselves fortunate that you can pay your debts for the knowledge he is giving us by just offering humble obeisances. Truly, none of you will ever be able to defeat him in describing the Supreme Brahman.' After that, she fell silent." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.12)

Other sages continue to challenge Yājñavalkya, but his spiritual realization is such that he easily defeats them.

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