Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,10.6
॥
Devanāgarī
सः ह प्रातः संजिहानः उवाच यत् बत अन्नस्य लभेमहि लभेमहि धनमात्राम् राजा असौ यक्ष्यते सः मा सर्वैः आर्त्विज्यैः वृणीत इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ ha prātaḥ saṃjihānaḥ uvāca yat bata annasya labhemahi labhemahi dhanamātrām rājā asau yakṣyate saḥ mā sarvaiḥ ārtvijyaiḥ vṛṇīta iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
प्रातःprātaḥin the morning; in the morning
संजिहानःsaṃjihānaḥrising up (sam-√hā — 'to get up'); waking; mounting up
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
यत्yatwhich; that which
बतbataoh that; alas
अन्नस्यannasyaof food; of food
लभेमहिlabhemahimight we obtain (optative of √labh); let us get; would that we gained
लभेमहिlabhemahimight we obtain (optative of √labh); let us get; would that we gained
धनमात्राम्dhanamātrāma measure of wealth (dhana-mātrā); a modicum of substance; some riches
राजाrājāthe king; the lord
असौasauthat one; yonder
यक्ष्यतेyakṣyatehe is to perform a sacrifice (future of √yaj); he will undertake a sacrifice; he will sacrifice
सःsaḥhe; that one
माmānot; me
सर्वैःsarvaiḥall; with all
आर्त्विज्यैःārtvijyaiḥwith the priestly offices (ārtvijya — the service of a ṛtvij); with the priestly posts; with the offices of the priests
वृणीतvṛṇītahe would choose (optative of √vṛ); let him choose; let him select
इतिitithus; how
Translation
In the morning, as he was rising, he said: "Ah, if only we might get food — then we might get a measure of wealth as well! That king yonder is going to sacrifice: he would choose me for all the priestly offices!"
Version
f787c29199ee · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:31:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A morning of hope: yad bata annasya labhemahi labhemahi dhana-mātrām — "ah, if we might get food, we might get a measure of means too": the sigh of a man for whom hunger has put the very possibility of action in doubt. And a plan: rājāsau yakṣyate — "that king is going to sacrifice": sa mā sarvair ārtvijyair vṛṇīta — "would that he chose me for all the priestly offices": Uṣasti knows his own worth: the starving refugee dreams not of an assistant's place but of all the offices at once: his destitution has not killed the master in him.
Mark the order of his needs: food — strength — service — means: he seeks wealth not for wealth's sake but as the continuation of the service he was called to. A knower's dream in misfortune is not "to eat my fill" but "to be chosen for the work": the body's hunger has not displaced the hierarchy of his soul. His wife already knows how to help that dream — with yesterday's beans.