Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,8.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यत् तृतीयम् अमृतम् तत् आदित्याः उपजीवन्ति वरुणेन मुखेन न वै देवाः अश्नन्ति न पिबन्ति एतत् एव अमृतम् दृष्ट्वा तृप्यन्ति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yat tṛtīyam amṛtam tat ādityāḥ upajīvanti varuṇena mukhena na vai devāḥ aśnanti na pibanti etat eva amṛtam dṛṣṭvā tṛpyanti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यत्yatwhich; that which
तृतीयम्tṛtīyamthe third; the third
अमृतम्amṛtamimmortal; nectarean
तत्tatthat; this
आदित्याःādityāḥof Āditya; the solar gods
उपजीवन्तिupajīvantithey live upon; they feed; are sustained
वरुणेनvaruṇenaby Varuṇa; through Varuṇa
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 third nectar the Ādityas live — with Varuṇa for a mouth. The gods truly do not eat or drink: by the mere sight of this nectar they are satisfied.
Version
27e011b08a92 · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:59:14 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third nectar (the black, the Sāma-vedic) goes to the Ādityas, whose mouth is Varuṇa: the sons of the Boundless (Aditi!) feed through the lord of the waters and of the world's bonds: the most spacious host through the deepest of lords.
The black honey of the chants goes to the Ādityas: the sweetness of music, dark and bottomless (verse 3.3.3!), nourishes the most luminous: depth feeds height. In the apportioning of the nectars among the hosts there is a fine equilibrium: to each kind its counterweight of honey: to the ordainers the dawn of the hymns, to the terrible the whiteness of the formulas, to the shining the blackness of melody.