Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,4.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ ये अस्य उदञ्चः रश्मयः ताः एव अस्य उदीच्यः मधुनाड्यः अथर्वाङ्गिरसः एव मधुकृतः इतिहासपुराणम् पुष्पम् ताः अमृताः आपः
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ye asya udañcaḥ raśmayaḥ tāḥ eva asya udīcyaḥ madhunāḍyaḥ atharvāṅgirasaḥ eva madhukṛtaḥ itihāsapurāṇam puṣpam tāḥ amṛtāḥ āpaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
येyethose who; they who
अस्यasyaof this; it
उदञ्चःudañcaḥthe northern; directed upward and northward
रश्मयःraśmayaḥthe rays; the beams
ताःtāḥthey; those; these
एवevaindeed; surely
अस्यasyaof this; it
उदीच्यःudīcyaḥthe northern; directed to the north
मधुनाड्यःmadhunāḍyaḥthe honey-channels; the vessels of honey
अथर्वाङ्गिरसःatharvāṅgirasaḥthe Atharvāṅgirases (the texts of the Atharva-veda); the spells of the Atharvans; the Atharvāṅgirases
एवevaindeed; surely
मधुकृतःmadhukṛtaḥthe makers of honey; the bees
इतिहासपुराणम्itihāsapurāṇamthe tales and legends (itihāsa-purāṇa); epic and purāṇas; the stories and ancient annals
पुष्पम्puṣpamthe flower; the blossom
ताःtāḥthey; those; these
अमृताःamṛtāḥthe immortals; nectarean ones
आपःāpaḥthe waters; drops of water
Translation
And its northern rays are its northern honey-veins; the bees are the Atharvāṅgirases, the flower is the itihāsa-purāṇa; those immortal waters [are the nectar].
Version
1beae670601e · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:54:28 PM UTC
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The fourth quarter is the north: the bees are the Atharvāṅgirases (the spells of the Atharva-veda), and the flower is — mark this — itihāsa-purāṇam: "the old tales and ancient lore": epic and purāṇa are named a honey-bearing flower on a level with the Vedas!
The Upaniṣad legitimises narrative: stories, legends, tales are also a honey-plant of revelation (Chāndogya 7.1 will call the itihāsa-purāṇa "the fifth Veda"!). Wisdom comes not by hymn and formula only but by story as well: in the north, the quarter of the hidden, the bees of incantation graze upon the flower of tales. Everyone whom a great story has taught and set straight has tasted the sun's northern honey.