Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,11.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एवम् एतत् गायत्रम् प्राणेषु प्रोतं वेद प्राणी भवति सर्वम् आयुः एति ज्योक् जीवति महान् प्रजया पशुभिः भवति महान् कीर्त्या महामनाः स्यात् तत् व्रतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ evam etat gāyatram prāṇeṣu protaṃ veda prāṇī bhavati sarvam āyuḥ eti jyok jīvati mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati mahān kīrtyā mahāmanāḥ syāt tat vratam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एतत्etatthis; all this
गायत्रम्gāyatramthe gāyatra; belonging to the Gāyatrī
प्राणेषुprāṇeṣuin the prāṇas; among the vital powers
प्रोतंprotaṃinterwoven; woven in
वेदvedaknows; understands
प्राणीprāṇīpossessed of vital powers (prāṇin); full of vigour; fully alive
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
आयुःāyuḥlife; the span of life
एतिetiattains; comes to
ज्योक्jyokbrightly and long (jyok); long and clear; in well-being
जीवतिjīvatidwells; he remains alive
महान्mahāngreat; large
प्रजयाprajayāwith offspring; with children
पशुभिःpaśubhiḥwith cattle; with cattle
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
महान्mahāngreat; large
कीर्त्याkīrtyāwith fame; with renown
महामनाःmahāmanāḥmagnanimous (mahā-manas — 'great of mind'); large-minded; great-hearted
स्यात्syātcould be; it would become
तत्tatthat; this
व्रतम्vratamthe vow (vrata); a rule; the pledge
Translation
He who thus knows this gāyatra woven into the vital powers keeps his powers, attains the full span of life, lives in brightness, becomes great in offspring and cattle, great in fame. Let him be great-minded — that is the vow.
Version
101361476feb · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:40:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fruit of the gāyatra: prāṇī bhavati — "he becomes possessed of the prāṇas" (his powers are with him!), sarvam āyur eti — "he goes the whole span", jyog jīvati — "he lives brightly and long", great in family, cattle and fame. And then — for the first time in the series — a vow: mahāmanāḥ syāt tad vratam — "let him be great-minded: that is the vow".
To each sāman the series will attach its own vrata-rule, and the first is mahāmanas, "great of mind", magnanimity: pettiness is forbidden to one who venerates the gāyatra in the prāṇas! The logic is transparent: the gāyatra begins with the mind (verse 2.11.1) — and the venerator's mind must be spacious, to match the melody. The vows of the series are a hygiene of correspondence: if you contemplate the great, do not dare to live small: an upāsanā without a commensurate life is a false note, and concord does not forgive it.