Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,3.10
॥
Devanāgarī
येन छन्दसा स्तोष्यन् स्यात् तत् छन्दः उपधावेत् येन स्तोमेन स्तोष्यमाणः स्यात् तम् स्तोमम् उपधावेत्
Transliteration (IAST)
yena chandasā stoṣyan syāt tat chandaḥ upadhāvet yena stomena stoṣyamāṇaḥ syāt tam stomam upadhāvet
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
येनyenaby which; by means of which
छन्दसाchandasāby the metre (chandas — a poetic measure); by the measure; by the metrical form
स्तोष्यन्stoṣyanabout to sing praise; being about to sing
स्यात्syātcould be; it would become
तत्tatthat; this
छन्दःchandaḥthe metre; the poetic measure
उपधावेत्upadhāvetlet him resort; let him turn to
येनyenaby which; by means of which
स्तोमेनstomenaby the stoma (stoma — the numerical scheme of laudatory repetitions); by the order of praise; by the arrangement of the laud
स्तोष्यमाणःstoṣyamāṇaḥbeing about to be praised; appointed for the laud
स्यात्syātcould be; it would become
तम्tamit; that one
स्तोमम्stomamthe stoma; the laudatory form
उपधावेत्upadhāvetlet him resort; let him turn to
Translation
With whatever metre he intends to sing praise, to that metre let him resort; with whatever stoma he is to sing praise, to that stoma let him resort.
Version
471992fc465c · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The refuges continue: chandas — the metre (the verse's measure: gāyatrī, triṣṭubh…) and stoma — the numerical scheme of repetitions in the laud. Even the technique — the metrics and arithmetic of chanting — is drawn into the circle of the venerated: one resorts to a measure as to a deity!
Here lies a deep difference between sacred and profane craft: for the profane, technique is a means in his hands; for a Vedic singer even the means is alive and senior to him: the metre is older than the singer, the scheme is holy as the word is. Reverence for form (the Taittirīya began with phonetics!) is no pedantry but the humility of a master who knows that he is entering an order he did not build. Mastery without reverence is a theft of tools.