Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,2.2
॥
Devanāgarī
ते ह नासिक्यम् प्राणम् उद्गीथम् उपासाम् चक्रिरे तम् ह असुराः पाप्मना विविधुः तस्मात् तेन उभयम् जिघ्रति सुरभि च दुर्गन्धि च पाप्मना हि एषः विद्धः
Transliteration (IAST)
te ha nāsikyam prāṇam udgītham upāsām cakrire tam ha asurāḥ pāpmanā vividhuḥ tasmāt tena ubhayam jighrati surabhi ca durgandhi ca pāpmanā hi eṣaḥ viddhaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेteto you; for you
हhaindeed; surely
नासिक्यम्nāsikyamthat which is in the nostrils (nāsikya); the nasal one; the smelling one
प्राणम्prāṇamthe prāṇa; the vital breath
उद्गीथम्udgīthamthe udgītha; the exalted chant
उपासाम्upāsāmveneration; the contemplation
चक्रिरेcakrirethey made; they became
तम्tamit; that one
हhaindeed; surely
असुराःasurāḥthe asuras; the adversaries of the gods
पाप्मनाpāpmanāby evil (pāpman); by defilement; by sin
विविधुःvividhuḥthey pierced (√vyadh, perfect); they struck; they shot through
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
तेनtenawith that; by means of this
उभयम्ubhayamboth; the double
जिघ्रतिjighratiit smells; one scents
सुरभिsurabhithe fragrant (surabhi); the fragrant; the sweet-scented
चcaand; as well as
दुर्गन्धिdurgandhithe foul-smelling (durgandhi); the stinking; the ill-scented
चcaand; as well as
पाप्मनाpāpmanāby evil (pāpman); by defilement; by sin
हिhiindeed; truly
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
विद्धःviddhaḥwounded; stricken
Translation
They began to venerate as the udgītha the breath in the nostrils — but the asuras pierced it with evil. Hence with it men smell both the fragrant and the foul: for it has been pierced with evil.
Version
9c8081fc6213 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The gods' first position is the nāsikya prāṇa, the smelling breath — and the first breach of the defence: taṁ hāsurāḥ pāpmanā vividhuḥ — "the asuras pierced it with evil" (√vyadh — "to pierce": evil enters like an arrow). The evidence of the piercing is duality: tasmāt tenobhayaṁ jighrati surabhi ca durgandhi ca — "hence with it one smells both the fragrant and the foul": an organ open to good and to evil alike is a wounded organ.
A criterion of astonishing precision: where experience doubles, there the asuras' arrow has passed; the unimpaired does not choose between the clean and the filthy — it is clean. A review of the organs begins (smell, speech, eye, ear, mind), and in each the same wound will be found: our whole sensory life is shot through with duality. The search for an invulnerable position is the plot of the parable; and it will not be found among the refined faculties.