Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,4.1
॥
Devanāgarī
सर्वासु अप्सु पञ्चविधम् सामोपासीत मेघः यत् संप्लवते सः हिङ्कारः यत् वर्षति सः प्रस्तावः याः प्राच्यः स्यन्दन्ते सः उद्गीथः याः प्रतीच्यः सः प्रतिहारः समुद्रः निधनम्
Transliteration (IAST)
sarvāsu apsu pañcavidham sāmopāsīta meghaḥ yat saṃplavate saḥ hiṅkāraḥ yat varṣati saḥ prastāvaḥ yāḥ prācyaḥ syandante saḥ udgīthaḥ yāḥ pratīcyaḥ saḥ pratihāraḥ samudraḥ nidhanam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सर्वासुsarvāsuin all; among all
अप्सुapsuin the waters; in the water
पञ्चविधम्pañcavidhamfivefold; of five parts
सामोपासीतsāmopāsītait should be venerated as the sāman; let him contemplate the sāman
मेघःmeghaḥthe raincloud; the rain-cloud
यत्yatwhich; that which
संप्लवतेsaṃplavateit gathers (sam-√plu — 'to flow together'); is gathered in; it comes drifting
सःsaḥhe; that one
हिङ्कारःhiṅkāraḥhiṅkāra; the opening call hiṅ
यत्yatwhich; that which
वर्षतिvarṣatiit rains; it pours down
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्रस्तावःprastāvaḥprastāva; the opening part of the sāman
याःyāḥthose who; those waters which
प्राच्यःprācyaḥflowing eastward (prāñc); the eastern; toward the sunrise
स्यन्दन्तेsyandantethey flow (from √syand); they stream; they run
सःsaḥhe; that one
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
याःyāḥthose who; those waters which
प्रतीच्यःpratīcyaḥflowing westward (pratyañc); the western; toward the sunset
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्रतिहारःpratihāraḥpratihāra; the responding part
समुद्रःsamudraḥthe ocean (samudra); the sea; the all-gathering ocean
निधनम्nidhanamnidhana; the conclusion; the dissolution
Translation
In all the waters one should venerate the fivefold sāman: the cloud gathers — that is the hiṅkāra, it rains — that is the prastāva, the [rivers] that flow eastward — that is the udgītha, those that flow westward — that is the pratihāra, the ocean is the nidhana.
Version
b3dec87e08a8 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:34:59 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third field is the whole circuit of the waters: megho yat samplavate — the massing of the cloud — the striking-up; the rain — the setting-forth; yāḥ prācyaḥ syandante — the rivers flowing east (India's great streams: the Gaṅgā, the Yamunā — toward the sunrise!) — the lifting-up; yāḥ pratīcyaḥ — those flowing west (the Indus, the Sarasvatī) — the taking-up; samudro nidhanam — the ocean — the close.
The song of the waters is longer than the storm's: from cloud to ocean, the whole hydrology of the subcontinent in five beats; and its cadence is the ocean: all the streams, whichever way they run — to the sunrise or the sunset — end in one sea: the song of the waters has a single finale (as the song of lives has a single Container: the first adhyāya, ākāśa!). One who contemplates this hears in every river a line not yet sung out to the ocean.