It continued to differentiate and thereby formed the world and the gods, all humans, food to feed them, senses, the rest of the world. It then said, “I Am Being ( Brahman)” and so arose its name and identity. It was only the essential and undifferentiated Atman. According to Yajnavalkya, our universe was first wholly undifferentiated, without name and form and without any duality of subject and object. Yajnavalkya (8th century BCE), the chief sage of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, was among the first to describe the consequences of our actions ( karma), the meaning of the Self ( Atman) and the origin of the universe.

Additionally, this world and all its beings are a manifestation of unmanifest Being. This manifest world is true and Being is the truth of truths.”Ījatashatru was among the first in the world to say that Being is not just the essence of natural entities such as lightning, space, air and fire, but also the essential Self of all human beings, as well as Truth itself. Then the king added, “As a spider moves along the thread it has woven from within itself, and as sparks emerge from the fire, so too do all the worlds, divinities, beings and their breaths come forth from the Self that is Being. When the person is in deep sleep, his consciousness rests too. When he lies dreaming, his consciousness takes his senses and moves about in different worlds as he pleases. Ajatashatru led him to a sleeping person and said, “When this person fell asleep, his consciousness gathered together all his senses, including his mind, and restrained them. When all his explanations of Being were rejected, the brahmana requested the king to teach him. While he is the head of all beings, he is not Being.” Gargya went on to talk about the essence of the moon, lightning, space, air, fire, water, sound, the person in the mirror and his shadow.

Gargya said, “The person within the Sun, indeed he is the Being I meditate upon.” The king replied, “Please do not talk to me about that being. ( Brahmanas refer to texts, as well as priests.) Ajatashatru, the king of ancient Kashi, offered a thousand cows to Gargya, a brahmana, if he could provide a satisfactory explanation of Being.

One of the earliest descriptions of Being in the Upanishads can be found in the discussion between Ajatashatru and Gargya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

Brihadaranyaka upanishad summary