Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,10.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ खलु आत्मसंमितम् अतिमृत्यु सप्तविधम् सामोपासीत हिङ्कारः इति त्र्यक्षरम् प्रस्तावः इति त्र्यक्षरम् तत् समम्
Transliteration (IAST)
atha khalu ātmasaṃmitam atimṛtyu saptavidham sāmopāsīta hiṅkāraḥ iti tryakṣaram prastāvaḥ iti tryakṣaram tat samam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
आत्मसंमितम्ātmasaṃmitamcommensurate with oneself (ātma-saṁmita); equal to one's own self; self-measured
अतिमृत्युatimṛtyupassing beyond death (ati-mṛtyu); beyond-death; surpassing death
सप्तविधम्saptavidhamsevenfold; of seven parts
सामोपासीतsāmopāsītait should be venerated as the sāman; let him contemplate the sāman
हिङ्कारःhiṅkāraḥhiṅkāra; the opening call hiṅ
इतिitithus; how
त्र्यक्षरम्tryakṣaramof three syllables (tri-akṣara); of three syllables; trisyllabic
प्रस्तावःprastāvaḥprastāva; the opening part of the sāman
इतिitithus; how
त्र्यक्षरम्tryakṣaramof three syllables (tri-akṣara); of three syllables; trisyllabic
तत्tatthat; this
समम्samamequally (sama); it is made even; in balance
Translation
Next one should venerate the sevenfold sāman that is commensurate with itself and passes beyond death: "hiṅkāra" is three syllables, "prastāva" is three syllables: that is equal;
Version
1063681a1cad · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:40:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The closing khaṇḍa of the series is the most audacious: ātma-saṁmitam ati-mṛtyu saptavidhaṁ sāma — "the sāman commensurate with itself, beyond death": an upāsanā of the syllabic arithmetic of the names themselves! hiṅkāra iti try-akṣaram — "hiṅ-kā-ra, three syllables", pra-stā-va, three: tat samam — "that is equal": the names of the members are weighed by their syllables, and in their equilibrium lies sāma (equality!).
ati-mṛtyu — "passing beyond death" — is the title of this contemplation: the balance of syllables will prove to be a stairway beyond the sun (verse 2.10.5!). The method looks like a game — but it is a game in earnest: to seek the order within the very names of order, the measure within the words for measure: a last exercise of hearing, after which the counting of syllables will lead to the uncountable.