Chandogya Upanishad

अथानेनैव ये चैतस्मादर्वाञ्चो लोकास्ताꣳ श्चाप्नोति मनुष्यकामाꣳश्च तस्मादु हैवंविदुद्गाता ब्रूयात्

And by this very means, he attains those worlds that are below, and the desires of men as well. Therefore, one who knows thus should be called upon to sing the Sāman.

कं ते काममागायानीत्येष ह्येव कामागानस्येष्टे य एवं विद्वान्साम गायति साम गायति

For which desire shall I sing for you? For he alone truly fulfills the desire for whom one who knows thus sings the Sāman.

त्रयो होद्गीथे कुशला बभूवुः शिलकः शालावत्यश्चैकितायनो दाल्भ्यः प्रवाहणो जैवलिरिति ते होचुरुद्गीथे वै कुशलाः स्मो हन्तोद्गीथे कथां वदाम इति

Three skilled in the Udgītha arose: Śilaka Śālāvatya, Caikitāyana Dālbhya, and Pravāhaṇa Jaivali. They said, 'We are skilled in the Udgītha; come, let us discuss the Udgītha.'

तथेति ह समुपविविशुः स ह प्रवाहणो जैवलिरुवाच भगवन्तावग्रे वदतां ब्राह्मणयोर्वदतोर्वाचꣳ श्रोष्यामीति

'So be it,' they sat together. Then Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said, 'Let the two most venerable among you speak first; I will listen to the words of the two Brāhmaṇas as they speak.'

स ह शिलकः शालावत्यश्चैकितायनं दाल्भ्यमुवाच हन्त त्वा पृच्छानीति पृच्छेति होवाच

Then Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya, 'Come, I will ask you.' He replied, 'Ask.'

का साम्नो गतिरिति स्वर इति होवाच स्वरस्य का गतिरिति प्राण इति होवाच प्राणस्य का गतिरित्यन्नमिति होवाचान्नस्य का गतिरित्याप इति होवाच

'What is the goal of the Sāman?' He replied, 'The svara (tone).' 'What is the goal of the svara?' 'Breath,' he replied. 'What is the goal of breath?' 'Food,' he replied. 'What is the goal of food?' 'Water,' he replied.

अपां का गतिरित्यसौ लोक इति होवाचामुष्य लोकस्य का गतिरिति न स्वर्गं लोकमति नयेदिति होवाच स्वर्गं वयं लोकꣳ सामाभिसंस्थापयामः स्वर्गसꣳस्तावꣳ हि सामेति

'What is the goal of water?' 'That world,' he replied. 'What is the goal of that world?' 'Let him not lead it to the world of heaven,' he replied. 'We establish the world of heaven through the Sāman, for that is the praise of heaven.'

तꣳ ह शिलकः शालावत्यश्चैकितायनं दाल्भ्यमुवाचाप्रतिष्ठितं वै किल ते दाल्भ्य साम यस्त्वेतर्हि ब्रूयान्मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मूर्धा ते विपतेदिति

Then Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya, 'Your Sāman is indeed without foundation; if you were to say this now, your head would fall off.' 'Let my head fall off,' he replied.

हन्ताहमेतद्भगवतो वेदानीति विद्धीति होवाचामुष्य लोकस्य का गतिरित्ययं लोक इति होवाचास्य लोकस्य का गतिरिति न प्रतिष्ठां लोकमिति नयेदिति होवाच प्रतिष्ठां वयं लोकꣳ सामाभिसꣳस्थापयामः प्रतिष्ठासꣳ स्तावꣳ हि सामेति

'Well, I know this of the venerable one,' he said. 'Know it,' he replied. 'What is the goal of that world?' 'This world,' he replied. 'What is the goal of this world?' 'Let him not lead it to the world of foundation,' he replied. 'We establish the world of foundation through the Sāman, for that is the praise of foundation.'

तꣳ ह प्रवाहणो जैवलिरुवाचान्तवद्वै किल ते शालावत्य साम यस्त्वेतर्हि ब्रूयान्मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मूर्धा ते विपतेदिति हन्ताहमेतद्भगवतो वेदानीति विद्धीति होवाच

Then Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said to Śālāvatya, 'Your Sāman is indeed finite; if you were to say this now, your head would fall off.' 'Let my head fall off,' he replied. 'Well, I know this of the venerable one,' he said. 'Know it,' he replied.

अस्य लोकस्य का गतिरित्याकाश इति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतान्याकाशादेव समुत्पद्यन्त आकाशं प्रत्यस्तं यन्त्याकाशो ह्येवैभ्यो ज्यायानकाशः परायणम्

'What is the goal of this world?' 'Space,' he replied. 'Indeed, all these beings arise from space and return to space; space is greater than they, and space is their final resort.'

स एष परोवरीयानुद्गीथः स एषोऽनन्तः परोवरीयो हास्य भवति परोवरीयसो ह लोकाञ्जयति य एतदेवं विद्वान्परोवरीयाꣳसमुद्गीथमुपास्ते

This is the higher, more excellent udgitha; this indeed is the infinite. Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this higher udgitha, becomes higher and more excellent, and he conquers the worlds that are higher and more excellent.

तꣳ हैतमतिधन्वा शौनक उदरशाण्डिल्यायोक्त्वोवाच यावत्त एनं प्रजायामुद्गीथं वेदिष्यन्ते परोवरीयो हैभ्यस्तावदस्मिꣳल्लोके जीवनं भविष्यति

To him, Atidhanvan Shaunaka, having spoken to Udara Shandilya, said: 'As long as people in this world will know this udgitha among their descendants, so long will there be life for them in this world.'

तथामुष्मिꣳ ल्लोके लोक इति स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते परोवरीय एव हास्यास्मिꣳल्लोके जीवनं भवति तथामुष्मिꣳल्लोके लोक इति लोके लोक इति

In the same way, in the other world, there is a world. Thus, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, for him there is life in this world that is higher and more excellent; and in the other world, there is world after world.

मटचीहतेषु कुरुष्वाटिक्या सह जाययोषस्तिर्ह चाक्रायण इभ्यग्रामे प्रद्राणक उवास

In the land of the Kurus, in the village of Vāṭikā, there lived a man named Chakrayana of the Ibhya clan, together with his wife.

स हेभ्यं कुल्माषान्खादन्तं बिभिक्षे तꣳ होवाच । नेतोऽन्ये विद्यन्ते यच्च ये म इम उपनिहिता इति

He begged for some cooked beans from them while they were eating, and one of them said to him: 'There are no others here except those that have been set aside for us.'

एतेषां मे देहीति होवाच तानस्मै प्रददौ हन्तानुपानमित्युच्छिष्टं वै मे पीतꣳ स्यादिति होवाच

He said, 'Give me some of these.' So they gave them to him. He said, 'Let me have the leavings as well, for perhaps I have already eaten the main portion.'

न स्विदेतेऽप्युच्छिष्टा इति न वा अजीविष्यमिमा न खादन्निति होवाच कामो म उदपानमिति

They replied, 'These are not leavings either.' He said, 'I would not have survived if I had not eaten these.' He thought, 'May I obtain water.'

स ह खादित्वातिशेषाञ्जायाया आजहार साग्र एव सुभिक्षा बभूव तान्प्रतिगृह्य निदधौ

After eating, he brought the leftovers to his wife. She was truly well provided for, and after receiving them, she put them away.

स ह प्रातः सञ्जिहान उवाच यद्बतान्नस्य लभेमहि लभेमहि धनमात्राꣳ राजासौ यक्ष्यते स मा सर्वैरार्त्विज्यैर्वृणीतेति

In the morning, as he was preparing to go, he said, 'If only we could obtain food, or at least a little wealth. The king is going to perform a sacrifice; may he choose me with all the officiating priests.'

तं जायोवाच हन्त पत इम एव कुल्माषा इति तान्खादित्वामुं यज्ञं विततमेयाय

His wife said to him, 'Here, eat these very beans.' After eating them, he went to the place where the sacrifice was being prepared.

तत्रोद्गातॄनास्तावे स्तोष्यमाणानुपोपविवेश स ह प्रस्तोतारमुवाच

There, as the udgātṛs were about to sing praises, he sat down among them. He then addressed the prastotṛ.

प्रस्तोतर्या देवता प्रस्तावमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रस्तोष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति

He said to the prastotṛ, 'The deity of the prastāva depends upon the prastāva. If you, not knowing her, sing the prastāva, your head will fall off.'

एवमेवोद्गातारमुवाचोद्गातर्या देवतोद्गीथमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वानुद्गास्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति

In the same way, he addressed the udgātṛ: 'The deity of the udgītha depends upon the udgītha. If you, not knowing her, sing the udgītha, your head will fall off.'

एवमेव प्रतिहर्तारमुवाच प्रतिहर्तर्या देवता प्रतिहारमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रतिहरिष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति ते ह समारतास्तूष्णीमासांचक्रिरे

In the same way, he addressed the pratihartṛ: 'The deity of the pratihāra depends upon the pratihāra. If you, not knowing her, recite the pratihāra, your head will fall off.' Thus, being afraid, they all sat in silence.

अथ हैनं यजमान उवाच भगवन्तं वा अहं विविदिषाणीत्युषस्तिरस्मि चाक्रायण इति होवाच

Then the sacrificer approached him and said, 'I wish to know the venerable one.' He replied, 'I am Ushasti, son of Chakrayana.'

स होवाच भगवन्तं वा अहमेभिः सर्वैरार्त्विज्यैः पर्यैषिषं भगवतो वा अहमवित्त्यान्यानवृषि

He said, 'Venerable one, I have sought you out among all the officiating priests. Not finding you, I chose others.'

भगवाꣳ स्त्वेव मे सर्वैरार्त्विज्यैरिति तथेत्यथ तर्ह्येत एव समतिसृष्टाः स्तुवतां यावत्त्वेभ्यो धनं दद्यास्तावन्मम दद्या इति तथेति ह यजमान उवाच

'Venerable one, let me be among all the officiating priests.' 'So be it,' he replied. 'Then, let only these who have been chosen together with me sing the praises. As much wealth as you give to them, so much give to me.' 'So be it,' said the sacrificer.

अथ हैनं प्रस्तोतोपससाद प्रस्तोतर्या देवता प्रस्तावमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रस्तोष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मा भगवानवोचत्कतमा सा देवतेति

Then the prastotṛ approached him and said, 'The deity of the prastāva depends upon the prastāva. If you, not knowing her, sing the prastāva, your head will fall off.' 'Do not say this, venerable one. Which is that deity?'