Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,3.3
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ खलु व्यानम् एव उद्गीथम् उपासीत यत् वै प्राणिति सः प्राणः यत् अपानिति सः अपानः अथ यः प्राणापानयोः संधिः सः व्यानः यः व्यानः सा वाक् तस्मात् अप्राणन् अनपानन् वाचम् अभिव्याहरति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha khalu vyānam eva udgītham upāsīta yat vai prāṇiti saḥ prāṇaḥ yat apāniti saḥ apānaḥ atha yaḥ prāṇāpānayoḥ saṃdhiḥ saḥ vyānaḥ yaḥ vyānaḥ sā vāk tasmāt aprāṇan anapānan vācam abhivyāharati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
व्यानम्vyānamthe vyāna (vyāna — the middle, 'diffused' breath); the junction-breath; the intermediate current
एवevaindeed; surely
उद्गीथम्udgīthamthe udgītha; the exalted chant
उपासीतupāsītalet him venerate; one should contemplate
यत्yatwhich; that which
वैvaiverily; indeed
प्राणितिprāṇitihe breathes in; he breathes forth
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
यत्yatwhich; that which
अपानितिapānitihe breathes downward; he breathes with apāna
सःsaḥhe; that one
अपानःapānaḥthe apāna; the downward breath
अथathathereupon; then
यःyaḥwho; the one who
प्राणापानयोःprāṇāpānayoḥof prāṇa and apāna; of the two breaths
संधिःsaṃdhiḥthe joint (sandhi); junction; the joint and meeting
सःsaḥhe; that one
व्यानःvyānaḥvyāna; the diffusing breath
यःyaḥwho; the one who
व्यानःvyānaḥvyāna; the diffusing breath
साsāshe; that one
वाक्vākspeech; the word
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
अप्राणन्aprāṇanwithout breathing in (a-prāṇat); without in-breath; drawing in no air
अनपानन्anapānanwithout breathing out (an-apānat); without out-breath; letting out no air
वाचम्vācamspeech; the word
अभिव्याहरतिabhivyāharatiutters; he articulates
Translation
Next, the vyāna is to be venerated as the udgītha. That by which one breathes in is prāṇa; by which one breathes out, apāna; and the junction of prāṇa and apāna is vyāna. The vyāna is speech: therefore speech is uttered neither breathing in nor breathing out.
Version
5dff784defc3 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
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A refinement of the contemplation: vyānam evodgītham upāsīta — "venerate the vyāna as the udgītha": the middle breath, defined here as yaḥ prāṇāpānayoḥ sandhiḥ — "the junction of in-breath and out-breath": that elusive instant between the two currents, the pause on the crest.
And a discovery anyone can verify this moment: yo vyānaḥ sā vāk — "the vyāna is speech": tasmād aprāṇann anapānan vācam abhivyāharati — "therefore speech is uttered neither breathing in nor breathing out": we speak in the interval between breaths, in the pause between the currents! The word lives in the gap — there, where both streams have stilled: speech is the child of the silence between inhalation and exhalation. Whoever has noticed this has already touched the secret of all concentration: the most important things in us happen at the junctions, and he who masters the junction masters power (the next verses will extend this to every mighty deed).