Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,7.2
॥
Devanāgarī
चक्षुः एव ऋक् आत्मा साम तद् एतत् एतस्याम् ऋचि अध्यूढम् साम तस्मात् ऋचि अध्यूढम् साम गीयते चक्षुः एव सा आत्मा अमः तत् साम
Transliteration (IAST)
cakṣuḥ eva ṛk ātmā sāma tad etat etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham sāma tasmāt ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate cakṣuḥ eva sā ātmā amaḥ tat sāma
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चक्षुःcakṣuḥthe eye; sight
एवevaindeed; surely
ऋक्ṛkthe ṛc; a hymn of the Ṛg-veda
आत्माātmāthe Ātman; the inner self
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
चक्षुःcakṣuḥthe eye; sight
एवevaindeed; surely
साsāshe; that one
आत्माātmāthe Ātman; the inner self
अमःamaḥAma; the gatherer of all
तत्tatthat; this
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
Translation
The eye is the ṛc, the ātman is the sāman. This sāman is laid upon this ṛc; therefore the sāman is sung as laid upon the ṛc. The eye is "sā", the ātman is "ama": that makes "sāma".
Version
02489b8a4227 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second inward couple, and a daring one: cakṣur eva ṛg ātmā sāma — "the eye is the ṛc, the ātman is the sāman": the ātman itself (here: the spirit reflected in the eye, the seer within seeing) is "laid upon" the eye as a melody upon a verse: the beholder reclines upon the organ of sight, using it as his support.
The couple "the eye and the seer" prepares the khaṇḍa's great vision: if the ātman is laid upon the eye, then by looking into an eye one may see the One laid upon it! (verse 1.7.5 will do just that). Meanwhile, an exercise: in every glance of yours hear two — the organ-"sā" and the spirit-"ama", the support and the song: every looking is a little sāman.