Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,7.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यत् द्वितीयम् अमृतम् तत् रुद्राः उपजीवन्ति इन्द्रेण मुखेन न वै देवाः अश्नन्ति न पिबन्ति एतत् एव अमृतम् दृष्ट्वा तृप्यन्ति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yat dvitīyam amṛtam tat rudrāḥ upajīvanti indreṇa mukhena na vai devāḥ aśnanti na pibanti etat eva amṛtam dṛṣṭvā tṛpyanti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यत्yatwhich; that which
द्वितीयम्dvitīyamthe second; the next
अमृतम्amṛtamimmortal; nectarean
तत्tatthat; this
रुद्राःrudrāḥthe Rudras; the Rudra gods
उपजीवन्तिupajīvantithey live upon; they feed; are sustained
इन्द्रेणindreṇaby Indra; through Indra
मुखेनmukhenaby the mouth; through the mouth; as by an entrance
नnanot; no
वैvaiverily; indeed
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
अश्नन्तिaśnantithey eat; they enjoy
नnanot; no
पिबन्तिpibantithey drink; they consume
एतत्etatthis; all this
एवevaindeed; surely
अमृतम्amṛtamimmortal; nectarean
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen; contemplating
तृप्यन्तिtṛpyantithey are sated; they are satisfied
Translation
On the second nectar the Rudras live — with Indra for a mouth. The gods truly do not eat or drink: by the mere sight of this nectar they are satisfied.
Version
662ac054e01b · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:59:14 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second nectar (the white, the Yajur-vedic) goes to the Rudras, and their mouth is Indra: the terrible host feeds through the lord of strength: each rank of gods has its own gate of the meal: the Vasus ate by fire, the Rudras drink by might.
The correspondence of mouth and host is a science of its own: taste by that on which you feed: the host of purifying storms communicates through the mouth of the thunderer. And again the refrain of not-eating: the gods are fed by seeing — the distribution of honey among the hosts is a distribution of contemplations: five nectars are five ways of seeing the sun, and each feeds its own kind of being.