Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,1.9
॥
Devanāgarī
तेन इयम् त्रयी विद्या वर्तते ओम् इति आश्रावयति ओम् इति शंसति ओम् इति उद्गायति एतस्य एव अक्षरस्य अपचित्यै महिम्ना रसेन
Transliteration (IAST)
tena iyam trayī vidyā vartate om iti āśrāvayati om iti śaṃsati om iti udgāyati etasya eva akṣarasya apacityai mahimnā rasena
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेनtenawith that; by means of this
इयम्iyamthis; she
त्रयीtrayīthe threefold (trayī — the three Vedas); the triple; the three-Veda [knowledge]
विद्याvidyāknowledge (vidyā); the science; vidyā
वर्ततेvartateacts; it proceeds
ओम्omoṁ; the sacred syllable
इतिitithus; how
आश्रावयतिāśrāvayatihe calls out [the summons] (ā-√śru, causative); he causes to be heard; he proclaims
ओम्omoṁ; the sacred syllable
इतिitithus; how
शंसतिśaṃsatihe recites (from √śaṃs — 'to recite'); he intones [the hymn]; he chants it out
ओम्omoṁ; the sacred syllable
इतिitithus; how
उद्गायतिudgāyatihe sings the udgītha; he raises the chant
एतस्यetasyaof this; from this
एवevaindeed; surely
अक्षरस्यakṣarasyaof the syllable; the imperishable one
अपचित्यैapacityaiin honour (apaciti — 'reverence'); for the sake of honour; in tribute
महिम्नाmahimnāby greatness; with fame
रसेनrasenaby the essence; with sap
Translation
By it the threefold knowledge proceeds: with Oṁ they call out, with Oṁ they recite, with Oṁ they sing — in honour of this syllable, by its greatness, by its essence.
Version
76860db4a288 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
tenayaṁ trayī vidyā vartate — "by it the threefold vidyā revolves": the whole Vedic rite of the three Vedas runs on a single syllable: oṁ ity āśrāvayati — with Oṁ the adhvaryu priest calls out the summons; oṁ iti śaṁsati — with Oṁ the hotṛ speaks his recitation; oṁ ity udgāyati — with Oṁ the udgātṛ strikes up the sāman. Three offices, three Vedas, one ignition: Oṁ is the starting key of the whole sacred machine (the Taittirīya 1.8 enumerated the same from within the rite).
And the purpose of this unison is named with tenderness: etasyaivākṣarasyāpacityai — "in honour of this syllable", mahimnā rasena — "by its greatness, by its sap": the rites serve the syllable, not the syllable the rites! The whole three-Veda edifice is the retinue of a single akṣara: the greatness is in the seed, the sap in the drop. So the Chāndogya quietly inverts the hierarchy: it is not that Oṁ is holy because sacrifices begin with it — sacrifices are effective because they begin with Him.