किंदेवतोऽस्यामुदीच्यां दिश्यसीति; सोमदेवत इति; स सोमः कस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठित इति; दीक्शायामिति; कस्मिन्नु दीक्शा प्रतिष्ठितेति; सत्य इति, तस्मादपि दीक्शितमाहुः सत्यं वदेति, सत्ये ह्येव दीक्शा प्रतिष्ठितेति; कस्मिन्नु सत्यं प्रतिष्ठितमिति; हृदय इति होवाच, हृदयेन हि सत्यं जानाति, हृदये ह्येव सत्यं प्रतिष्ठितं भवतीति; एवमेवैतद्याज्ञवल्क्य ॥ २३ ॥
kiṃdevato’syāmudīcyāṃ diśyasīti; somadevata iti; sa somaḥ kasminpratiṣṭhita iti; dīkśāyāmiti; kasminnu dīkśā pratiṣṭhiteti; satya iti, tasmādapi dīkśitamāhuḥ satyaṃ vadeti, satye hyeva dīkśā pratiṣṭhiteti; kasminnu satyaṃ pratiṣṭhitamiti; hṛdaya iti hovāca, hṛdayena hi satyaṃ jānāti, hṛdaye hyeva satyaṃ pratiṣṭhitaṃ bhavatīti; evamevaitadyājñavalkya || 23 ||
23. ‘What deity are you identified with in the north?’ ‘With the deity, Soma (the moon and the creeper)’ ‘On what does Soma rest?’ ‘On initiation.’ ‘On what does initiation rest?’ ‘On truth. Therefore do they say to one initiated, “Speak the truth”; for it is on truth that initiation rests. ’ ‘On what does truth rest?’ ‘On the heart,’ said Yājñavalkya, ‘for one knows truth through the heart; therefore it is on the heart that truth rests.’ ‘It is just so, Yājñavalkya.’
‘What deity are you identified with in the north?’ ‘With the deity. Soma.’ ‘Soma’ here means both moon and creeper. ‘On what does Soma rest?’ ‘On initiation,’ for the initiated sacrificer purchases the Soma creeper, and sacrificing with that creeper along with meditation, attains (his identity with) the north, presided over by the moon and named after her. ‘On what does initiation rest?’ ‘On truth.’ How? Because initiation rests on truth, ‘therefore do they say to one initiated: Speak the truth,’ lest the cause being spoilt, the effect also be spoilt. Therefore ‘it is on truth that initiation rests.’ ‘On what does truth rest?’ ‘On the heart,’ said Yājñavalkya, ‘for one knows truth through the heart; therefore it is on the heart that truth rests.’ ‘It is just so, Yājñavalkya.’