Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,5.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ खलु यः उद्गीथः सः प्रणवः यः प्रणवः सः उद्गीथः इति असौ वा आदित्यः उद्गीथः एषः प्रणवः ओम् इति हि एषः स्वरन् एति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha khalu yaḥ udgīthaḥ saḥ praṇavaḥ yaḥ praṇavaḥ saḥ udgīthaḥ iti asau vā ādityaḥ udgīthaḥ eṣaḥ praṇavaḥ om iti hi eṣaḥ svaran eti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
यःyaḥwho; the one who
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्रणवःpraṇavaḥthe praṇava (praṇava — the syllable Oṁ); the utterance of Oṁ; the praṇava
यःyaḥwho; the one who
प्रणवःpraṇavaḥthe praṇava (praṇava — the syllable Oṁ); the utterance of Oṁ; the praṇava
सःsaḥhe; that one
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
इतिitithus; how
असौasauthat one; yonder
वाvāverily; surely
आदित्यःādityaḥthe sun; Āditya
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
प्रणवःpraṇavaḥthe praṇava (praṇava — the syllable Oṁ); the utterance of Oṁ; the praṇava
ओम्omoṁ; the sacred syllable
इतिitithus; how
हिhiindeed; truly
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
स्वरन्svaransounding (from √svar); resounding; with the hum [of Oṁ]
एतिetiattains; comes to
Translation
Next: what the udgītha is, that is the praṇava; and what the praṇava is, that is the udgītha. The udgītha is yonder sun, and it is the praṇava: for it moves along sounding "Oṁ".
Version
a9f1695ad8ac · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth khaṇḍa brings the syllable's two names together: udgītha (the name used by the singers of the Sāma-veda) and praṇava (the name used by the priests of the Ṛg- and Yajur-veda) are one: yaḥ udgīthaḥ sa praṇavo yaḥ praṇavaḥ sa udgīthaḥ: the schools call it differently — the holy thing is one.
And its cosmic address: asau vā āditya udgīthaḥ — "yonder sun is the udgītha": om iti hy eṣa svarann eti — "for it moves along sounding Oṁ": the sun's course is an unbroken utterance of the syllable! The luminary of day is read as an everlasting singer: its path across the sky is the line of a melody, its light a sounding (khaṇḍa 3 already heard a sāman in the sunrise). For one who has learned to hear "Oṁ" in the sun's very motion, all nature has become a liturgy — and every day's morning begins with a praṇava sung by the sky.