Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,3.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ अधिदैवतम् यः एव असौ तपति तम् उद्गीथम् उपासीत उद्यन् वा एषः प्रजाभ्यः उद्गायति उद्यंस् तमः भयम् अपहन्ति अपहन्ता ह वै भयस्य तमसः भवति यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
atha adhidaivatam yaḥ eva asau tapati tam udgītham upāsīta udyan vā eṣaḥ prajābhyaḥ udgāyati udyaṃs tamaḥ bhayam apahanti apahantā ha vai bhayasya tamasaḥ bhavati yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
अधिदैवतम्adhidaivatamwith reference to the deities (adhidaivata); in the divine; cosmically
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवevaindeed; surely
असौasauthat one; yonder
तपतिtapatiit warms (from √tap); blazes; it scorches
तम्tamit; that one
उद्गीथम्udgīthamthe udgītha; the exalted chant
उपासीतupāsītalet him venerate; one should contemplate
उद्यन्udyanrising (ud-√i); mounting up; coming up
वाvāverily; surely
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
प्रजाभ्यःprajābhyaḥto the creatures; to the offspring
उद्गायतिudgāyatihe sings the udgītha; he raises the chant
उद्यंस्udyaṃsmounting up; mounting up
तमःtamaḥdarkness; gloom
भयम्bhayamdanger; fear
अपहन्तिapahantiit drives away (apa-√han — 'to beat off'); it beats off; it dispels
अपहन्ताapahantāthe remover; the one who drives off
हhaindeed; surely
वैvaiverily; indeed
भयस्यbhayasyaof fear; of danger
तमसःtamasaḥof darkness; of gloom
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; understands
Translation
Now with reference to the deities. He who yonder gives heat is to be venerated as the udgītha. Rising, he sings for the creatures; rising, he drives away darkness and fear. He who knows thus becomes a driver-away of fear and darkness.
Version
60d0203bf650 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The cosmic leaf of the diptych: atha adhidaivatam — "now of the divine": ya evāsau tapati — "he who yonder gives heat", the sun — tam udgītham upāsīta — "venerate him as the udgītha": the luminary of day is the same udgītha, sung by the sky.
The ground of the identification is beautiful: udyan vā eṣa prajābhya udgāyati — "rising, he sings to the creatures": sunrise is the sun's daily sāman: the light poured out upon the world is a chanting (the Praśna already called the sun a prāṇa "rising" for creatures). udyaṁs tamo bhayam apahanti — "rising, he beats off darkness and fear": what the udgītha does in the rite, the sun does in the world: it drives the gloom away. And the fruit is by likeness: apahantā ha vai bhayasya tamaso bhavati — the knower himself becomes a sunrise for those around him: a driver-away of others' fears and shadows. There are men who are dawns; one becomes such by venerating the singing Light.