Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,10.2
॥
Devanāgarī
आदिः इति द्व्यक्षरम् प्रतिहारः इति चतुरक्षरम् ततः इह एकम् तत् समम्
Transliteration (IAST)
ādiḥ iti dvyakṣaram pratihāraḥ iti caturakṣaram tataḥ iha ekam tat samam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आदिःādiḥthe beginning; the first part
इतिitithus; how
द्व्यक्षरम्dvyakṣaramof two syllables (dvi-akṣara); consisting of two syllables; disyllabic
प्रतिहारःpratihāraḥpratihāra; the responding part
इतिitithus; how
चतुरक्षरम्caturakṣaramof four syllables (catur-akṣara); of four syllables; tetrasyllabic
ततःtataḥthan this; from that
इहihahere; in this world
एकम्ekamone; single
तत्tatthat; this
समम्samamequal; the equalized
Translation
"ādi" is two syllables, "pratihāra" is four syllables: [carry] one over from here to there — that is equal;
Version
d33b6286317e · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:40:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The arithmetic continues: ā-di is two syllables, pra-ti-hā-ra is four: tata ihaikaṁ — "one [syllable] from there to here": the carrying of a syllable from surplus to shortfall — tat samam — "and that is equal": three and three.
The gesture of transfer is a small miracle of contemplative book-keeping: equilibrium is not always given — it is established: from the rich member a syllable is taken for the poor, and the concord is restored. There is an ethic in this reckoning: sama (equality-concord) is reached by redistribution from abundance to need: syllables and the world's goods alike are levelled by one and the same gesture. The song teaches sharing — even of syllables.