Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,1.7
॥
Devanāgarī
आपयिता ह वै कामानाम् भवति यः एतत् एवम् विद्वान् अक्षरम् उद्गीथम् उपास्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
āpayitā ha vai kāmānām bhavati yaḥ etat evam vidvān akṣaram udgītham upāste
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आपयिताāpayitāthe fulfiller (āpayitṛ — 'the one who brings about'); the accomplisher; the one who brings to fulfilment
हhaindeed; surely
वैvaiverily; indeed
कामानाम्kāmānāmdesires; aims
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतत्etatthis; all this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the letter
उद्गीथम्udgīthamthe udgītha; the exalted chant
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
Translation
He becomes a fulfiller of desires who, knowing this thus, venerates the syllable [Oṁ] as the udgītha.
Version
36ba52b2d71e · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The first of the phala-śrutis — the formulas of fruit with which the Chāndogya seals every contemplation: āpayitā ha vai kāmānāṁ bhavati — "he becomes a fulfiller of desires" — ya etad evaṁ vidvān — "who, knowing this thus" — venerates the syllable. The condition "knowing thus" is essential: not a mechanical repetition but a contemplation with knowledge of the inner sense (the pair joined in the syllable).
The promise of "the fulfilment of desires" is no bait for the covetous: the Upaniṣad is honest about the mechanics: he who has joined life and word within himself becomes whole, and a whole will comes to pass — nothing within tears it apart. Desires are fulfilled not by the magic of a syllable but by the healing of the desirer; Oṁ makes a man one whose word and life are a single thing, and to such a man the world too answers with consent (the Muṇḍaka: "he whose being is purified illumines whatever world he will, and gains it").