Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,9.2
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्मिन् इमानि सर्वाणि भूतानि अन्वायत्तानि इति विद्यात् तस्य यत् पुरोदयात् सः हिङ्कारः तत् अस्य पशवः अन्वायत्ताः तस्मात् ते हिङ्कुर्वन्ति हिङ्कारभाजिनः हि एतस्य साम्नः
Transliteration (IAST)
tasmin imāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni anvāyattāni iti vidyāt tasya yat purodayāt saḥ hiṅkāraḥ tat asya paśavaḥ anvāyattāḥ tasmāt te hiṅkurvanti hiṅkārabhājinaḥ hi etasya sāmnaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्मिन्tasminin It; in this
इमानिimānithese; all these
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; the whole
भूतानिbhūtānibeings; the elements
अन्वायत्तानिanvāyattānibound up; dependent
इतिitithus; how
विद्यात्vidyāthe would know; it should be known
तस्यtasyait; concerning this
यत्yatwhich; that which
पुरोदयात्purodayātbefore sunrise (purā-udayāt); the time before dawn; before the rising
सःsaḥhe; that one
हिङ्कारःhiṅkāraḥhiṅkāra; the opening call hiṅ
तत्tatthat; this
अस्यasyaof this; it
पशवःpaśavaḥanimals; cattle
अन्वायत्ताःanvāyattāḥthey are bound (anu-ā-yatta); they are tied; they partake
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
तेteto you; for you
हिङ्कुर्वन्तिhiṅkurvantithey hum 'hiṁ' (hiṁ-√kṛ); they make the hiṁ; they utter hiṁ
हिङ्कारभाजिनःhiṅkārabhājinaḥsharers in the hiṁkāra (hiṅkāra-bhājin); partakers of the prelude; having a share in the hiṁkāra
हिhiindeed; truly
एतस्यetasyaof this; from this
साम्नःsāmnaḥthe samāna; of the chant
Translation
One should know: all these beings are bound up with it. What is before its rising — that is the hiṅkāra; with it the cattle are bound up; therefore they low "hiṁ" — for they have a share in the hiṅkāra of this sāman.
Version
11b88d6c50d1 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:38:01 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The magnificent day-sāman begins: the sun from before dawn to sunset is seven beats, and to each is bound its own kind of beings. The first: yat purodayāt sa hiṅkāraḥ — "what is before sunrise is the hiṅkāra": the twilight before dawn is the day's striking-up; tad asya paśavo 'nvāyattāḥ — "with it the cattle are bound up": tasmāt te hiṅkurvanti — "therefore they low their 'hiṁ'": the pre-dawn lowing of the byres is the liturgical striking-up of the day! Cattle bellowing before daybreak sing the hiṅkāra of the day's sāman.
The plan of the khaṇḍa is brilliant: time of day + kind of being + member of the song: the day is read as a service in which every creature has its part at its own hour. This timetable is not poetry but observation: each sort of living thing does indeed cry out at its own hour; the Upaniṣad merely discloses the notes by which the whole earth is already singing.