Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad: Third Adhyâya, Sixth Brahmana

1. Then Gargi Vakaknavi asked. “Yagnavalkya,” she said, “everything here is woven, like warp and woof, in water. What then is that in which water is woven, like warp and woof?”

“In air, O Gargi,”he replied.

“In what then is air woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of the sky, O Gargi,”he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of the sky woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of the Gandharvas, O Gargi,” he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of the Gandharvas woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of Aditya (sun), O Gargi,”he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of Aditya (sun) woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of Kandra (moon), O Gargi,” he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of Kandra (moon) woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of the Nakshatras (stars), O Gargi,” he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of the Nakshatras (stars) woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of the Devas (gods), O Gargi,” he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of the Devas (gods) woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of Indra, O Gargi,”he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of Indra woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of Pragâpati, O Gargi,”he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of Pragâpati woven, like warp and woof?”

“In the worlds of Brahman, O Gargi,” he replied.

“In what then are the worlds of Brahman woven, like warp and woof?”

Yagnavalkya said: “O Gargi, Do not ask too much, lest thy head should fall off. Thou askest too much about a deity about which we are not to ask too much. Do not ask too much, O Gargi.” After that Gargi Vakaknavi held her peace.