Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,1.8
॥
Devanāgarī
तद् वा एतत् अनुज्ञाक्षरम् यद् हि किञ्च अनुजानाति ओम् इति एव तद् आह एषः एव समृद्धिः यत् अनुज्ञा समर्धयिता ह वै कामानाम् भवति यः एतत् एवम् विद्वान् अक्षरम् उद्गीथम् उपास्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
tad vā etat anujñākṣaram yad hi kiñca anujānāti om iti eva tad āha eṣaḥ eva samṛddhiḥ yat anujñā samardhayitā ha vai kāmānām bhavati yaḥ etat evam vidvān akṣaram udgītham upāste
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तद्tadthat; this
वाvāverily; surely
एतत्etatthis; all this
अनुज्ञाक्षरम्anujñākṣaramthe syllable of assent (anujñā-akṣara); the syllable of permission; the syllable of 'yes'
यद्yadthat which; when
हिhiindeed; truly
किञ्चkiñcaanything; whatever there be
अनुजानातिanujānātihe assents (anu-√jñā — 'to permit'); approves; he gives consent
ओम्omoṁ; the sacred syllable
इतिitithus; how
एवevaindeed; surely
तद्tadthat; this
आहāhasays; utters
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
एवevaindeed; surely
समृद्धिःsamṛddhiḥfulfilment, prosperity (samṛddhi); the fullness of fortune; thriving
यत्yatwhich; that which
अनुज्ञाanujñāpermission; approval
समर्धयिताsamardhayitāthe one who makes prosperous; chanting
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
This same syllable is the syllable of assent: for when men assent to anything, they say precisely "Oṁ!" And assent is fulfilment. He becomes a fulfiller of desires who, knowing this thus, venerates the syllable as the udgītha.
Version
53bc4f158e2b · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
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The syllable's second face: tad vā etad anujñākṣaram — "this is the syllable of permission, of assent": yad dhi kiñcānujānāty om ity eva tad āha — "to whatever one assents, one says Oṁ to it": in the living speech of the Vedas "oṁ" sounded like our "yes, amen, so be it". And the jewel of a conclusion: eṣā eva samṛddhir yad anujñā — "assent is prosperity itself": samṛddhi, the fullness of fortune, is defined as anujñā, "yes"!
The thought goes deeper than it seems: everything that has ever come to pass in the world came to pass through someone's "yes"; assent is the medium of accomplishment as air is the medium of flight. He who carries in his mouth and in his heart the syllable of the divine "yes" lives in the medium of fulfilment: his "oṁ" is a consent to the will of the Whole, and the Whole answers him with consent. Those who refuse and quarrel with the universe wither not from punishment but from airlessness; he who sings "yes" flowers.