Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,10.8
॥
Devanāgarī
तत्र उद्गातॄन् आस्तावे स्तोष्यमाणान् उपोपविवेश सः ह प्रस्तोतरम् उवाच
Transliteration (IAST)
tatra udgātṝn āstāve stoṣyamāṇān upopaviveśa saḥ ha prastotaram uvāca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्रtatrathere; in this
उद्गातॄन्udgātṝnthe udgātṛs; the singers of the sāman
आस्तावेāstāveat the place of laudation (āstāva); at the spot of the stotra; at the singers' station
स्तोष्यमाणान्stoṣyamāṇānwho were about to sing (future participle of √stu); assembled to chant praise; on the point of singing
उपोपविवेशupopaviveśahe sat down beside them (upa-upa-√viś); he took a seat close by; he settled right beside them
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
प्रस्तोतरम्prastotaramto the prastotṛ (prastotṛ — the singer of the prelude); to the precentor; to the prastotṛ
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
Translation
There he sat down beside the udgātṛs, who were about to sing at the place of lauding, and he said to the prastotṛ:
Version
9aa330ccdcec · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:31:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A master's audacity: tatrodgātṝn āstāve stoṣyamāṇān upopaviveśa — "there he sat down beside the udgātṛs, ready to begin their chant at the āstāva" (the place of laudatory singing): the destitute newcomer seats himself beside the king's already-appointed priests — a moment before the service begins! — and addresses the prastotṛ (the singer of the opening portion).
The staging is charged: a stranger with no place and no office against a fully staffed priestly college in the king's presence. Uṣasti has nothing but knowledge — and now we shall see how knowledge alone overturns the whole seating: the next three verses are three challenges to three singers, repeating word for word the dread formula of the connoisseurs' dispute (khaṇḍa 8: "your head shall fall off!"). What was there a learned conversation becomes here a question of bread, of honour — and of whether the sacrifice can go on at all.