Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,17.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एवम् एताः शक्वर्यः लोकेषु प्रोताः वेद लोकी भवति सर्वम् आयुः एति ज्योक् जीवति महान् प्रजया पशुभिः भवति महान् कीर्त्या लोकान् न निन्देत् तत् व्रतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ evam etāḥ śakvaryaḥ lokeṣu protāḥ veda lokī bhavati sarvam āyuḥ eti jyok jīvati mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati mahān kīrtyā lokān na nindet tat vratam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एताःetāḥthese; of these
शक्वर्यःśakvaryaḥthe śakvarī sāmans; the songs Śakvarī
लोकेषुlokeṣuin the worlds; in the abodes
प्रोताःprotāḥinterwoven; woven in
वेदvedaknows; understands
लोकीlokīpossessor of a world (lokin); having a world of his own; rooted in the worlds
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
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
लोकान्lokānworlds; realms
नnanot; no
निन्देत्nindetlet him not disparage; he must not revile
तत्tatthat; this
व्रतम्vratama vow; the rule of observance
Translation
He who thus knows these śakvarīs woven into the worlds becomes a possessor of a world, attains the full span of life, lives in brightness, is great in offspring and cattle, great in fame. Let him not revile the worlds: that is the vow.
Version
fe07add9c17a · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:44:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fruit: lokī bhavati — "he becomes lokī": a possessor of a world, a man with a place: everywhere he has ground beneath his feet and a roof above his head (that very loke lokaḥ of 1.9: "a world in a world"!).
The vow: lokān na nindet — "let him not revile the worlds": do not abuse the universe! The prohibition aims further than the weather: at world-rejection as a pose: "this rotten world", "this vale of tears" — piety's stock reviling — is here forbidden to one who venerates the worlds: he who sings the halls as śakvarīs may not spit in them. A world may be surpassed; it may not be demeaned: it is a strophe of the Mighty ones; and the possessor of a world is not the one who despises it but the one who honours it.