Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,21.1
॥
Devanāgarī
त्रयी विद्या हिङ्कारः त्रयः इमे लोकाः सः प्रस्तावः अग्निः वायुः आदित्यः सः उद्गीथः नक्षत्राणि वयांसि मरीचयः सः प्रतिहारः सर्पाः गन्धर्वाः पितरस् तत् निधनम् एतत् साम सर्वस्मिन् प्रोतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
trayī vidyā hiṅkāraḥ trayaḥ ime lokāḥ saḥ prastāvaḥ agniḥ vāyuḥ ādityaḥ saḥ udgīthaḥ nakṣatrāṇi vayāṃsi marīcayaḥ saḥ pratihāraḥ sarpāḥ gandharvāḥ pitaras tat nidhanam etat sāma sarvasmin protam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
त्रयीtrayīthreefold; the triune
विद्याvidyāknowledge; vidyā
हिङ्कारःhiṅkāraḥhiṅkāra; the opening call hiṅ
त्रयःtrayaḥthree; a trio of
इमेimethese; the present
लोकाःlokāḥworlds; realms
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्रस्तावःprastāvaḥprastāva; the opening part of the sāman
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
वायुःvāyuḥthe wind; Vāyu
आदित्यःādityaḥthe sun; Āditya
सःsaḥhe; that one
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥudgītha; the exalted chant
नक्षत्राणिnakṣatrāṇithe stars; the constellations
वयांसिvayāṃsibirds; the winged
मरीचयःmarīcayaḥthe rays; the beams
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्रतिहारःpratihāraḥpratihāra; the responding part
सर्पाःsarpāḥthe serpents; the serpent-beings
गन्धर्वाःgandharvāḥthe gandharvas; the celestial singers
पितरस्pitarasthe forefathers; the fathers
तत्tatthat; this
निधनम्nidhanamnidhana; the conclusion; the dissolution
एतत्etatthis; all this
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
सर्वस्मिन्sarvasminin everything (sarva); in the whole [universe]; everywhere
प्रोतम्protamcast; laid
Translation
The threefold knowledge is the hiṅkāra; these three worlds — that is the prastāva; Agni, Vāyu and the sun — that is the udgītha; the stars, the birds and the rays — that is the pratihāra; the serpents, the gandharvas and the fathers — that is the nidhana. This sāman is woven into everything.
Version
2abec00a8358 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:44:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The final contemplation of the series is the sāman in everything, by triads: the three Vedas the striking-up, the three worlds the setting-forth, the three bright gods the lifting-up, the stars-birds-rays the taking-up, the serpents-gandharvas-fathers the cadence: five triads, fifteen entities — the whole motley composition of being, from the sacred texts to the serpents underground, is laid into one melody: etat sāma sarvasmin protam — "this sāman is woven into everything".
The series has reached the limit of generalisation: after fire, the couple, the sun, the rain, the year, the worlds, the cattle, the body and the gods — simply EVERYTHING: there is no fabric through which the sāman's thread does not run: the universe is stitched through with singing, down to the last serpent. It remains to say what this means for the knower — and the next verses will pronounce the boldest promise of the adhyāya.