Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,22.4
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यदि एनम् ऊष्मासु उपालभेत प्रजापतिं शरणम् प्रपन्नः अभूवम् सः त्वा प्रति पेक्ष्यति इति एनम् ब्रूयात् अथ यदि एनम् स्पर्शेषु उपालभेत मृत्युम् शरणम् प्रपन्नः अभूवम् सः त्वा प्रति धक्ष्यति इति एनम् ब्रूयात्
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yadi enam ūṣmāsu upālabheta prajāpatiṃ śaraṇam prapannaḥ abhūvam saḥ tvā prati pekṣyati iti enam brūyāt atha yadi enam sparśeṣu upālabheta mṛtyum śaraṇam prapannaḥ abhūvam saḥ tvā prati dhakṣyati iti enam brūyāt
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यदिyadiif; but if
एनम्enamit; of this
ऊष्मासुūṣmāsuin the sibilants; in the aspirates
उपालभेतupālabhetahe will reproach (upa-ā-√labh); he will rebuke; he will find fault
प्रजापतिंprajāpatiṃPrajāpati; the Lord of creatures
शरणम्śaraṇamthe refuge; protection
प्रपन्नःprapannaḥone who has taken refuge; having given himself into protection
अभूवम्abhūvamI have become; I have become
सःsaḥhe; that one
त्वाtvāyou; to you
प्रतिpratitowards; back to
पेक्ष्यतिpekṣyatihe will look after; he will keep watch
इतिitithus; how
एनम्enamit; of this
ब्रूयात्brūyāthe would say; he would utter
अथathathereupon; then
यदिyadiif; but if
एनम्enamit; of this
स्पर्शेषुsparśeṣuin the stops; in the contact-sounds
उपालभेतupālabhetahe will reproach (upa-ā-√labh); he will rebuke; he will find fault
मृत्युम्mṛtyumdeath; Mṛtyu
शरणम्śaraṇamthe refuge; protection
प्रपन्नःprapannaḥone who has taken refuge; having given himself into protection
अभूवम्abhūvamI have become; I have become
सःsaḥhe; that one
त्वाtvāyou; to you
प्रतिpratitowards; back to
धक्ष्यतिdhakṣyatihe will burn (future of √dah); he will reduce to ashes; he will consume with fire
इतिitithus; how
एनम्enamit; of this
ब्रूयात्brūyāthe would say; he would utter
Translation
And if a man reproves him for the sibilants, let him say: "I have taken refuge with Prajāpati — he will crush you." And if a man reproves him for the stops, let him say: "I have taken refuge with Death — he will burn you."
Version
c21d1781b9e8 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:44:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The protective formulas continue: for the sibilants, refuge with Prajāpati ("he will crush you" — pekṣyati!), for the stops, with Death itself ("he will burn you" — dhakṣyati!): each class of sounds is guarded by its own deity, and one who carps at slips gets his answer from the Owner of the class.
Behind the fearsome joke lies something serious: only one who is ready to speak with Him who is served has any right to criticise the servant: fault-finding with the letter of a prayer is a suit not against the reciter but against the God of the letter. And for the singer there is freedom from the fear of error: one who has surrendered to his Refuge sings without trembling: perfectionism is healed by śaraṇāgati: it is not faultlessness that guards a singer but the One to whom he has fled.