The Gārgya-Ajātaśatru Episode in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.1

Abstract

This paper offers a new interpretation of the Gārgya-Ajātaśatru episode. Complementing previous interpretations that emphasize the episode's derivative and incoherent nature, this paper argues that the episode forms a coherent whole and articulates a self-consistent teaching on brahman. This claim is supported by a close reading of the episode.