Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,4.5
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एतत् एवम् विद्वान् अक्षरम् प्रणौति एतत् एव अक्षरम् स्वरम् अमृतम् अभयम् प्रविशति तत् प्रविश्य यत् अमृताः देवाः तत् अमृतः भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ etat evam vidvān akṣaram praṇauti etat eva akṣaram svaram amṛtam abhayam praviśati tat praviśya yat amṛtāḥ devāḥ tat amṛtaḥ bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतत्etatthis; all this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the letter
प्रणौतिpraṇautihe utters [as praṇava] (pra-√nu); he sounds it as the praṇava; he chants
एतत्etatthis; all this
एवevaindeed; surely
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the letter
स्वरम्svaramthe svara; the sounding tone
अमृतम्amṛtamimmortal; nectarean
अभयम्abhayamthe fearless; free from fear
प्रविशतिpraviśatienters; steps in
तत्tatthat; this
प्रविश्यpraviśyahaving entered; having entered
यत्yatwhich; that which
अमृताःamṛtāḥthe immortals; nectarean ones
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
तत्tatthat; this
अमृतःamṛtaḥimmortal; imperishable
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
Translation
He who, knowing this thus, utters this syllable as the praṇava enters this very syllable — the sound that is immortal and fearless; and having entered it, he becomes immortal as the gods are immortal.
Version
f967b9fd76c3 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The parable's phala-śruti — and it is daring: sa ya etad evaṁ vidvān akṣaraṁ praṇauti — "he who, knowing thus, utters the syllable" — etad evākṣaraṁ svaram amṛtam abhayaṁ praviśati — "enters this syllable": not "pronounces" but enters: the syllable is spacious enough to live in; a sound is an abode (the Muṇḍaka bade one "enter the target as an arrow").
tat praviśya yad amṛtā devās tad amṛto bhavati — "having entered, he becomes immortal — with that [immortality] by which the gods are immortal": a man is promised equality with the gods in their best possession — and by the same road: not through the texts (death sees through those) but by an entering into sound. So the first adhyāya mints again and again its chief point: Oṁ is not about something; Oṁ is a door; the knowledge of the syllable is not information but a change of dwelling.