Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,10.10
॥
Devanāgarī
एवम् एव उद्गातारम् उवाच उद्गातर् या देवता उद्गीथम् अन्वायत्ता ताम् चेद् अविद्वान् उद्गास्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यति इति
Transliteration (IAST)
evam eva udgātāram uvāca udgātar yā devatā udgītham anvāyattā tām ced avidvān udgāsyasi mūrdhā te vipatiṣyati iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एवevaindeed; surely
उद्गातारम्udgātāramthe udgātṛ; the chief singer
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
उद्गातर्udgātarO udgātṛ; the chief singer
याyāyā; the syllable yā
देवताdevatāthe deity; divine power
उद्गीथम्udgīthamthe udgītha; the exalted chant
अन्वायत्ताanvāyattāconnected with; on which it depends
ताम्tāmit; that
चेद्cedif; but if
अविद्वान्avidvānthe ignorant one; the ignorant man
उद्गास्यसिudgāsyasiyou will sing [the udgītha] (future of ud-√gai); you will sing the prelude; you will begin the udgītha
मूर्धाmūrdhāthe head; the summit
तेteto you; for you
विपतिष्यतिvipatiṣyatiit will fall off; it will drop away
इतिitithus; how
Translation
In the same way he said to the udgātṛ: "Udgātṛ! If you sing the udgītha without knowing the deity that belongs to the udgītha — your head shall fall off!"
Version
a999fa84f7dd · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:31:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second challenge, to the chief singer — the udgātṛ, the heart of the whole Sāma-vedic service: the same formula, the same reckoning: if you do not know the deity of the udgītha, do not sing.
The threefold repetition of the challenge (prastotṛ — udgātṛ — pratihartṛ) amounts to an audit of the entire singing college: Uṣasti tests the service at all three of its joints, as one tests a bridge at its piers. And the whole edifice of the royal sacrifice comes to a standstill: without an answer to "Who stands behind the song?" it cannot go on — the formula has been spoken and the stakes are mortal. One destitute knower has halted a state ritual: such is the weight of the question about the Signified in a world of well-oiled signs.