Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,13.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एवम् एतत् वामदेव्यम् मिथुने प्रोतं वेद मिथुनी भवति मिथुनान् मिथुनात् प्रजायते सर्वम् आयुः एति ज्योक् जीवति महान् प्रजया पशुभिः भवति महान् कीर्त्या न कांचन परिहरेत् तत् व्रतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ evam etat vāmadevyam mithune protaṃ veda mithunī bhavati mithunān mithunāt prajāyate sarvam āyuḥ eti jyok jīvati mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati mahān kīrtyā na kāṃcana pariharet tat vratam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एतत्etatthis; all this
वामदेव्यम्vāmadevyamthe vāmadevya sāman; the song Vāmadevya
मिथुनेmithunein the pair; in the conjugal union
प्रोतंprotaṃinterwoven; woven in
वेदvedaknows; understands
मिथुनीmithunīpossessed of a mate; joined in wedlock
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
मिथुनान्mithunānpairs; offspring from the pair
मिथुनात्mithunātfrom the pair; from the conjugal union
प्रजायतेprajāyateis born; it is begotten
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
आयुःāyuḥlife; the span of life
एतिetiattains; comes to
ज्योक्jyoklong; clearly and long
जीवतिjīvatidwells; he remains alive
महान्mahāngreat; large
प्रजयाprajayāwith offspring; with children
पशुभिःpaśubhiḥwith cattle; with cattle
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
महान्mahāngreat; large
कीर्त्याkīrtyāwith fame; with renown
नnanot; no
कांचनkāṃcananone; any whatsoever
परिहरेत्pariharetlet him [not] avoid (pari-√hṛ); let him [not] reject; he does [not] shun
तत्tatthat; this
व्रतम्vratama vow; the rule of observance
Translation
He who thus knows this vāmadevya woven into union becomes a partner in the couple, from union to union begets himself anew, attains the full span of life, lives in brightness, is great in offspring and cattle, great in fame. Let him shun none [of his wives]: that is the vow.
Version
ca0950ea7ff5 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:40:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fruit of the vāmadevya: mithunī bhavati — "he becomes [truly] of the couple": capable of union; mithunān mithunāt prajāyate — "from union to union he begets himself anew": in every continuation there is a new birth of himself (the Aitareya: a son is "his very self", the father's second birth!).
The vow is na kāñcana pariharet tad vratam — "let him shun none": in the context of the sāman this is no licence for dissipation but a prohibition of disdain: one who venerates union as a song may not reject a lawful wife or scorn the couple: to refuse a love hallowed by concord is a false note in the vāmadevya (the Taittirīya bade one "not to cut the thread of progeny"!). The song of two demands faithfulness to both its beats — the call and the answer: in concord there is no room for a squeamish pride.