Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,9.4
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यत् संगववेलायाम् सः आदिः तत् अस्य वयांसि अन्वायत्तानि तस्मात् तानि अन्तरिक्षे अनारम्भणानि आदाय आत्मानम् परिपतन्ति आदिभाजीनि हि एतस्य साम्नः
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yat saṃgavavelāyām saḥ ādiḥ tat asya vayāṃsi anvāyattāni tasmāt tāni antarikṣe anārambhaṇāni ādāya ātmānam paripatanti ādibhājīni hi etasya sāmnaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यत्yatwhich; that which
संगववेलायाम्saṃgavavelāyāmat the saṁgava hour (saṁgava-velā — late morning, when the cows are driven in); in the forenoon; at the hour of saṁgava
सःsaḥhe; that one
आदिःādiḥthe beginning; the first part
तत्tatthat; this
अस्यasyaof this; it
वयांसिvayāṃsibirds (vayas); the feathered; the birds
अन्वायत्तानिanvāyattānibound up; dependent
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
तानिtānithose; these
अन्तरिक्षेantarikṣein the mid-heaven; in the air-space
अनारम्भणानिanārambhaṇāniholding to nothing (an-ārambhaṇa — 'without support'); with no point of support; supportless
आदायādāyahaving taken (ā-√dā); bearing [themselves] up; carrying
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
परिपतन्तिparipatantithey fly about (pari-√pat); they soar; go round
आदिभाजीनिādibhājīnisharers in the beginning; having a share in the ādi
हिhiindeed; truly
एतस्यetasyaof this; from this
साम्नःsāmnaḥthe samāna; of the chant
Translation
Now what is at the saṁgava hour — that is the ādi; with it the birds are bound up; therefore they, holding to nothing, carry themselves as they fly in the mid-region — for they have a share in the ādi of this sāman.
Version
c036a43f3484 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:38:01 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third beat: saṁgava-velāyām — the saṁgava hour (late morning, when the cows are driven together) — is the ādi, the "beginning"-Oṁ; tad asya vayāṁsy anvāyattāni — "with it the birds are bound up": tasmāt tāny antarikṣe 'nārambhaṇāni ādāyātmānaṁ paripatanti — "therefore in the mid-region, holding to nothing (an-ārambhaṇa — without support!), taking their own selves up, they fly about".
The correspondence is of the finest: the ādi is the syllable Oṁ (verse 2.8.1!), and Oṁ is an akṣara without support, a free sound: birds soaring with no point of support, "having taken themselves up", are the day's living Oṁ-syllables! The image of supportless flight is a Vedic symbol of freedom in the Spirit: there is nothing to hold to — and no need: one's own share in the Beginning holds better than branches. Whoever has learned this beat from the birds can also "take himself up" — and fly in the weightless middle of the morning with no safety line, on his share in Oṁ alone.