Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,20.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अग्निः हिङ्कारः वायुः प्रस्तावः आदित्यः उद्गीथः नक्षत्राणि प्रतिहारः चन्द्रमाः निधनम् एतत् राजनं देवतासु प्रोतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
agniḥ hiṅkāraḥ vāyuḥ prastāvaḥ ādityaḥ udgīthaḥ nakṣatrāṇi pratihāraḥ candramāḥ nidhanam etat rājanaṃ devatāsu protam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
हिङ्कारःhiṅkāraḥhiṅkāra; the opening call hiṅ
वायुःvāyuḥthe wind; Vāyu
प्रस्तावःprastāvaḥprastāva; the opening part of the sāman
आदित्यःādityaḥthe sun; Āditya
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
नक्षत्राणिnakṣatrāṇithe stars; the constellations
प्रतिहारःpratihāraḥpratihāra; the responding part
चन्द्रमाःcandramāḥthe moon; Candra
निधनम्nidhanamnidhana; the conclusion; the dissolution
एतत्etatthis; all this
राजनंrājanaṃthe rājana (rājana — the 'Kingly' sāman); the rājana chant; the rājana sāman
देवतासुdevatāsuin the deities (devatā); in the gods; among the divinities
प्रोतम्protamcast; laid
Translation
Agni is the hiṅkāra, Vāyu the prastāva, the sun the udgītha, the stars the pratihāra, the moon the nidhana. This rājana is woven into the deities.
Version
f0cd28684876 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:44:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The tenth melody is the rājana ("the Royal") — woven into the deities: Agni the striking-up (the sacrifice's first call!), Vāyu the setting-forth, the sun the lifting-up, the stars the taking-up, the moon the cadence: the pantheon of light is drawn up in the order of a song — from the altar fire to the luminary of night.
A royal melody for the world's kings: the gods are the beats of one sāman: not rivals but parts; polytheism sung in concord is no longer polytheism but an orchestra (the first adhyāya: all the names are titles of the one prāṇa!). He who venerates the gods as a strophe of the rājana is in concord with the gods as well: the next verse promises him their own worlds.