Upanishads · Chāndogya 2,24.2
॥
Devanāgarī
क्व तर्हि यजमानस्य लोकः इति सः यः तम् न विद्यात् कथम् कुर्यात् अथ विद्वान् कुर्यात्
Transliteration (IAST)
kva tarhi yajamānasya lokaḥ iti saḥ yaḥ tam na vidyāt katham kuryāt atha vidvān kuryāt
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
क्वkvaanywhere; to anywhere
तर्हिtarhithen; in that case
यजमानस्यyajamānasyaof the sacrificer (yajamāna); of the master of the sacrifice; of the patron of the rite
लोकःlokaḥthe world; dwelling
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
तम्tamit; that one
नnanot; no
विद्यात्vidyāthe would know; it should be known
कथम्kathamhow; in what manner
कुर्यात्kuryāthe would perform; he would do
अथathathereupon; then
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
कुर्यात्kuryāthe would perform; he would do
Translation
"Where, then, is the sacrificer's world?" He who does not know this — how shall he perform? Let him perform who knows.
Version
e56457dbe825 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:50:29 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The question of the whole khaṇḍa: kva tarhi yajamānasya lokaḥ — "where, then, is the sacrificer's world?": if the morning belongs to the Vasus, the noon to the Rudras and the evening to the Ādityas, what is left for the man at whose cost and for whose good the whole rite is burning?
sa yas taṁ na vidyāt kathaṁ kuryāt — "he who does not know this — how shall he perform?": atha vidvān kuryāt — "let him who knows perform": a verdict on blind ritualism (the same as at 1.1.10: "what is done with knowledge is stronger"): a sacrifice ignorant of its addressees is expenditure: you pay everyone and receive nothing of your own. Knowledge here means literally "to know your own place" in the rite: the next verses will teach him to sing it out.