Chāndogya Upaniṣad

1.1.1

Let a man meditate on the syllable Om, called the udgitha; for the udgitha (a portion of the Sama...

1.1.2

The essence of all beings is the earth, the essence of the earth is water, the essence of water t...

1.1.3

That udgitha (Om) is the best of all essences, the highest, deserving the highest place, the eighth.

1.1.4

What then is the Rik? What is the Saman? What is the udgitha? This is the question.

1.1.5

The Rik indeed is speech, Saman is breath, the udgitha is the syllable Om. Now speech and breath,...

1.1.6

And that couple is joined together in the syllable Om. When two people come together, they fulfil...

1.1.7

Thus he who knowing this, meditates on the syllable (Om), the udgitha, becomes indeed a fulfiller...

1.1.8

That syllable is a syllable of permission, for whenever we permit anything, we say Om, yes. Now p...

1.1.9

By that syllable does the threefold knowledge (the sacrifice, more particularly the Soma-sacrific...

1.1.10

Now therefore it would seem to follow, that both he who knows this (the true meaning of the sylla...

1.2.1

When the Devas and Asuras struggled together, both of the race of Pragapati, the Devas took the u...

1.2.2

They meditated on the udgitha (Om) as the breath (scent) in the nose, but the Asuras pierced it (...

1.2.3

Then they meditated on the udgitha (Om) as speech, but the Asuras pierced it with evil. Therefore...

1.2.4

Then they meditated on the udgitha (Om) as the eye, but the Asuras pierced it with evil. Therefor...

1.2.5

Then they meditated on the udgitha (Om) as the ear, but the Asuras pierced it with evil. Therefor...

1.2.6

Then they meditated on the udgitha (Om) as the mind, but the Asuras pierced it with evil. Therefo...

1.2.7

Then comes this breath (of life) in the mouth. They meditated on the udgitha (Om) as that breath....

1.2.8

Thus, as a ball of earth is scattered when hitting on a solid stone, will he be scattered who wis...

1.2.9

By it (the breath in the mouth) he distinguishes neither what is good nor what is bad-smelling, f...

1.2.10

Angiras meditated on the udgitha (Om) as that breath, and people hold it to be Angiras, i.e. the ...

1.2.11

Therefore Brihaspati meditated on udgitha (Om) as that breath, and people hold it to be Brihaspat...

1.2.12

Therefore Ayasya meditated on the udgitha (Om) as that breath, and people hold it to be Ayasya, b...

1.2.13

Therefore Vaka Dalbhya knew it. He was the Udgatri (singer) of the Naimishiya-sacrificers, and by...

1.2.14

He who knows this, and meditates on the syllable Om (the imperishable udgitha) as the breath of l...

1.3.1

Now follows the meditation on the udgitha with reference to the gods. Let a man meditate on the u...

1.3.2

This (the breath in the mouth) and that (the sun) are the same. This is hot and that is hot. This...

1.3.3

Then let a man meditate on the udgitha (Om) as vyana indeed. If we breathe up, that is prana, the...

1.3.4

Speech is Rik, and therefore when a man utters a Rik verse he neither breathes up nor down. Rik i...

1.3.5

And other works also which require strength, such as the production of fire by rubbing, running a...

1.3.6

Let a man meditate on the syllables of the udgitha, i.e. of the word udgitha. Ut is breath (prana...

1.3.7

Ut is heaven, gi the sky, tha the earth. Ut is the sun, gi the air, tha the fire. Ut is the Sama-...

1.3.8

Next follows the fulfilment of prayers. Let a man thus meditate on the Upasaranas, i.e. the objec...

1.3.9

Let him quickly reflect on the Rik in which that Saman occurs; on the Rishi (poet) by whom it was...

1.3.10

On the metre in which he is going to praise; on the tune with which he is going to sing for himself;

1.3.11

On the quarter of the world which he is going to praise. Lastly, having approached himself (his n...

1.4.1

Let a man meditate on the syllable Om, for the udgitha is sung beginning with Om. And this is the...

1.4.2

The Devas, being afraid of death, entered upon (the performance of the sacrifice prescribed in) t...

1.4.3

Then, as a fisherman might observe a fish in the water, Death observed the Devas in the Rik, Yagu...

1.4.4

When a man has mastered the Rig-veda, he says quite loud Om; the same, when he has mastered the S...

1.4.5

He who knowing this loudly pronounces (pranauti) that syllable, enters the same (imperishable) sy...

1.5.1

The udgitha is the pranava, the pranava is the udgitha. And as the udgitha is the sun, so is the ...

1.5.2

`Him I sang praises to, therefore art thou my only one,' thus said Kaushitaki to his son. `Do tho...

1.5.3

Now with reference to the body. Let a man meditate on the udgitha as the breath (in the mouth), f...

1.5.4

`Him I sang praises to, therefore art thou my only son,' thus said Kaushitaki to his son. `Do tho...

1.5.5

He who knows that the udgitha is the pranava, and the pranava the udgitha, rectifies from the sea...

1.6.1

The Rik (veda) is this earth, the Saman (veda) is fire. This Saman (fire) rests on that Rik (eart...

1.6.2

The Rik is the sky, the Saman air. This Saman (air) rests on that Rik (sky). Therefore the Saman ...

1.6.3

Rik is heaven, Saman the sun. This Saman (sun) rests on that Rik (heaven). Therefore the Saman is...

1.6.4

Rik is the stars, Saman the moon. This Saman (moon) rests on that Rik (stars). Therefore the Sama...

1.6.5

Rik is the white light of the sun, Saman the blue exceeding darkness (in the sun). This Saman (da...

1.6.6

Sa is the white light of the sun, ama the blue exceeding darkness, and that makes Sama. Now that ...

1.6.7

Whose eyes are like blue lotus's, his name is ut, for he has risen (udita) above all evil. He als...

1.6.8

Rik and Saman are his joints, and therefore he is udgitha. And therefore he who praises him (the ...

1.7.1

Now with reference to the body. Rik is speech, Saman breath. This Saman (breath) rests on that Ri...

1.7.2

Rik is the eye, Saman the self. This Saman (shadow) rests on that Rik (eye). Therefore the Saman ...

1.7.3

Rik is the ear, Saman the mind. This Saman (mind) rests on that Rik (ear). Therefore the Saman is...

1.7.4

Rik is the white light of the eye, Saman the blue exceeding darkness. This Saman (darkness) rests...

1.7.5

Now the person who is seen in the eye, he is Rik, he is Saman, Uktha, Yagus, Brahman. The form of...

1.7.6

He is lord of the worlds beneath that (the self in the eye), and of all the wishes of men. Theref...

1.7.7

He who knowing this sings a Saman, sings to both (the adhidaivata and adhyatma self, the person i...

1.7.8

And he obtains through the other the worlds beneath that, and the wishes of men. Therefore an Udg...

1.7.9

`What wish shall I obtain for you by my songs?' For he who knowing this sings a Saman is able to ...

1.8.1

There were once three men, well-versed in udgitha, Silaka Salavatya, Kaikitayana Dalbhya, and Pra...

1.8.2

They all agreed and sat down. Then Pravahana Gaivali said: `Sirs, do you both speak first, for I

1.8.3

Then Silaka Salavatya said to Kaikitayana Dalbhya: `Let me ask you.' `Ask,' he replied.

1.8.4

`What is the origin of the Saman?' `Tone (svara),' he replied. `What is the origin of tone?' `Bre...

1.8.5

`What is the origin of water?' `That world (heaven),' he replied. `And what is the origin of that...

1.8.6

Then said Silaka Salavatya to Kaikitayana Dalbhya: `O Dalbhya, thy Saman is not firmly establishe...

1.8.7

`Well then, let me know this from you, Sir,' said Dalbhya. `Know it,' replied Silaka Salavatya. `...

1.8.8

Then said Pravahana Gaivali to Silaka Salavatya: `Your Saman (the earth), O Salavatya, has an end...

1.9.1

`What is the origin of this world?' `Ether,' he replied. For all these beings take their rise fro...

1.9.2

He is indeed the udgitha (Om = Brahman), greater than great (parovariyas), he is without end. He ...

1.9.3

Atidhanvan Saunaka, having taught this udgitha to Udara-sandilya, said: `As long as they will kno...

1.9.4

`And thus also will be their state in the other world.' He who thus knows the udgitha, and medita...

1.10.1

When the Kurus had been destroyed by (hail) stones, Ushasti Kakrayana lived as a beggar with his ...

1.10.2

Seeing a chief eating beans, he begged of him. The chief said: `I have no more, except those whic...

1.10.3

Ushasti said: `Give me to eat of them.' He gave him the beans, and said: `There is something to d...

1.10.4

The chief said: `Were not those beans also left over and therefore unclean?' `No,' he replied; `f...

1.10.5

Having eaten himself, Ushasti gave the remaining beans to his wife. But she, having eaten before,...

1.10.6

Rising the next morning, Ushasti said to her: `Alas, if we could only get some food, we might gai...

1.10.7

His wife said to him: `Look, here are those beans of yours.' Having eaten them, he went to the sa...

1.10.8

He went and sat down on the orchestra near the Udgatris, who were going to sing their hymns of pr...

1.10.9

`Prastotri, if you, without knowing the deity which belongs to the prastava (the hymns &c. of the...

1.10.10

In the same manner he addressed the Udgatri: `Udgatri, if you, without knowing the deity which be...

1.10.11

In the same manner he addressed the Pratihartri: `Pratihartri, if you, without knowing the deity ...

1.11.1

Then the sacrificer said to him: `I should like to know who you are, Sir.' He replied: `I am Usha...

1.11.2

He said: `I looked for you, Sir, for all these sacrificial offices, but not finding you, I chose ...

1.11.3

`But now, Sir, take all the sacrificial offices.' Ushasti said: `Very well; but let those, with m...

1.11.4

Then the Prastotri approached him, saying: `Sir, you said to me, "Prastotri, if you, without know...

1.11.5

He said: `Breath (prana). For all these beings merge into breath alone, and from breath they aris...

1.11.6

Then the Udgatri approached him, saying: `Sir, you said to me, "Udgatri, if you, without knowing ...

1.11.7

He said: `The sun (Aditya). For all these beings praise the sun when it stands on high. This is t...

1.11.8

Then the Pratihartri approached him, saying: `Sir, you said to me, "Pratihartri, if you, without ...

1.11.9

He said: `Food (anna). For all these beings live when they partake of food. This is the deity bel...

1.12.1

Now follows the udgitha of the dogs. Vaka Dalbhya, or, as he was also called, Glava Maitreya, wen...

1.12.2

A white (dog) appeared before him, and other dogs gathering round him, said to him: `Sir, sing an...

1.12.3

The white dog said to them: `Come to me tomorrow morning.' Vaka Dalbhya, or, as he was also calle...

1.12.4

The dogs came on, holding together, each dog keeping the tail of the preceding dog in his mouth, ...

1.12.5

`Om, let us eat! Om, let us drink! Om, may the divine Varuna, Pragapati, Savitri bring us food! L...

1.13.1

The syllable Hau is this world (the earth), the syllable Hai the air, the syllable Atha the moon,...