Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,3.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ ये अस्य प्रत्यञ्चः रश्मयः ताः एव अस्य प्रतीच्यः मधुनाड्यः सामानि एव मधुकृतः सामवेदः एव पुष्पम् ताः अमृताः आपः
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ye asya pratyañcaḥ raśmayaḥ tāḥ eva asya pratīcyaḥ madhunāḍyaḥ sāmāni eva madhukṛtaḥ sāmavedaḥ eva puṣpam tāḥ amṛtāḥ āpaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
येyethose who; they who
अस्यasyaof this; it
प्रत्यञ्चःpratyañcaḥthe western; turned backward
रश्मयःraśmayaḥthe rays; the beams
ताःtāḥthey; those; these
एवevaindeed; surely
अस्यasyaof this; it
प्रतीच्यःpratīcyaḥthe western; flowing westward
मधुनाड्यःmadhunāḍyaḥthe honey-channels; the vessels of honey
सामानिsāmānithe sāmans; the chants of the Sāma-veda
एवevaindeed; surely
मधुकृतःmadhukṛtaḥthe makers of honey; the bees
सामवेदःsāmavedaḥthe Sāma-veda; the knowledge of chants
एवevaindeed; surely
पुष्पम्puṣpamthe flower; the blossom
ताःtāḥthey; those; these
अमृताःamṛtāḥthe immortals; nectarean ones
आपःāpaḥthe waters; drops of water
Translation
And its western rays are its western honey-veins; the bees are the sāmans, the flower is the Sāma-veda; those immortal waters [are the nectar].
Version
3ab9cbce5264 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:54:28 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third quarter is the west: the bees are the sāmans, the flower the Sāma-veda: the melodies labour on the side of sunset.
The west is the side of the day's completion, and there the bees of singing work: the sāman (the whole second adhyāya!) is the art of the cadence, of the nidhana: the sun's westward veins are fed by the Veda of melody. Song and evening are kin: when the day declines, the world needs not a formula but a melody: only a song knows how to see things off.