Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,16.1
॥
Devanāgarī
वसन्तः हिङ्कारः ग्रीष्मः प्रस्तावः वर्षाः उद्गीथः शरत् प्रतिहारः हेमन्तः निधनम् एतत् वैराजम् ऋतुषु प्रोतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
vasantaḥ hiṅkāraḥ grīṣmaḥ prastāvaḥ varṣāḥ udgīthaḥ śarat pratihāraḥ hemantaḥ nidhanam etat vairājam ṛtuṣu protam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
वसन्तःvasantaḥspring; the season of spring
हिङ्कारःhiṅkāraḥhiṅkāra; the opening call hiṅ
ग्रीष्मःgrīṣmaḥsummer; the hot season
प्रस्तावःprastāvaḥprastāva; the opening part of the sāman
वर्षाःvarṣāḥthe rainy season; the rains
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
शरत्śaratautumn; the clear season
प्रतिहारःpratihāraḥpratihāra; the responding part
हेमन्तःhemantaḥwinter; the cold season
निधनम्nidhanamnidhana; the conclusion; the dissolution
एतत्etatthis; all this
वैराजम्vairājamthe vairāja (vairāja — the 'Sovereign' sāman, from virāj); the vairāja chant; the vairāja sāman
ऋतुषुṛtuṣuin the seasons; among the seasons
प्रोतम्protamcast; laid
Translation
Spring is the hiṅkāra, summer the prastāva, the rains the udgītha, autumn the pratihāra, winter the nidhana. This vairāja is woven into the seasons.
Version
c14c167987a7 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:40:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The sixth sāman — the vairāja ("the Royally Shining", from virāj) — is in the seasons: the same yearly round as in 2.5, now with a melody by name: spring the striking-up, summer the setting-forth, the rains the lifting-up, autumn the taking-up, winter the cadence.
Virāj is a "widely shining" royalty: and the year is indeed royal: it rules everyone without decrees, by the mere alternation of its beats; its sovereignty is pure concord. He who venerates the year as the vairāja learns from time the art of reigning without violence: let everything come in its season — and everything obeys of itself.