Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,6.4
॥
Devanāgarī
नक्षत्राणि एव ऋक् चन्द्रमाः साम तद् एतत् एतस्याम् ऋचि अध्यूढम् साम तस्मात् ऋचि अध्यूढम् साम गीयते नक्षत्राणि एव सा चन्द्रमाः अमः तत् साम
Transliteration (IAST)
nakṣatrāṇi eva ṛk candramāḥ sāma tad etat etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham sāma tasmāt ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate nakṣatrāṇi eva sā candramāḥ amaḥ tat sāma
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नक्षत्राणिnakṣatrāṇithe stars; the constellations
एवevaindeed; surely
ऋक्ṛkthe ṛc; a hymn of the Ṛg-veda
चन्द्रमाःcandramāḥthe moon; Candra
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
तद्tadthat; this
एतत्etatthis; all this
एतस्याम्etasyāmin this [one]; upon this
ऋचिṛciin the ṛc; in the hymn
अध्यूढम्adhyūḍhamlaid upon; placed above
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
ऋचिṛciin the ṛc; in the hymn
अध्यूढम्adhyūḍhamlaid upon; placed above
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
गीयतेgīyateis sung; is performed
नक्षत्राणिnakṣatrāṇithe stars; the constellations
एवevaindeed; surely
साsāshe; that one
चन्द्रमाःcandramāḥthe moon; Candra
अमःamaḥAma; the gatherer of all
तत्tatthat; this
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
Translation
The stars are the ṛc, the moon is the sāman. This sāman is laid upon this ṛc; therefore the sāman is sung as laid upon the ṛc. The stars are "sā", the moon is "ama": that makes "sāma".
Version
7792054f3989 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth couple, the night's own: nakṣatrāṇi — the stars (the scattered ground of night) and candramāḥ — the moon (its gathered power): the moon is "laid upon" the starry carpet as the sāman upon the ṛc: night too sings, and its song is the same sāma.
The series of four storeys is complete: earth–fire, expanse–wind, sky–sun, stars–moon: the world's whole day-and-night is sung through, from the daytime heat to the nocturnal light. Next the khaṇḍa will step inside the sun itself — to the white and the dark within its shining, and to Him who is seen there: the tiers of outward couples were a stairway to the golden Puruṣa.