Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,11.2
॥
Devanāgarī
न वै तत्र न निम्लोच न उदियाय कदाचन देवाः तेन अहम् सत्येन मा विराधिषि ब्रह्मणा इति
Transliteration (IAST)
na vai tatra na nimloca na udiyāya kadācana devāḥ tena aham satyena mā virādhiṣi brahmaṇā iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नnanot; no
वैvaiverily; indeed
तत्रtatrathere; in this
नnanot; no
निम्लोचnimlocait has set (ni-√mruc); it went down; it sank
नnanot; no
उदियायudiyāyait has risen (ud-√i, perfect); it has come up; it has stood up
कदाचनkadācanaat any time; never
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
तेनtenawith that; by means of this
अहम्ahamI; I myself
सत्येनsatyenaby truth; by truth
माmānot; me
विराधिषिvirādhiṣimay I [not] fall away (vi-√rādh, aorist); may I [not] be parted; may I [not] be deprived
ब्रह्मणाbrahmaṇāby Brahman; through Brahman
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"There it has never set nor ever risen. O gods, by this truth — may I not fall away from Brahman!"
Version
d0a031d6f5fa · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:02:24 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A verse that is an oath: na vai tatra na nimloca nodiyāya kadācana — "there it never set nor ever rose": in the world of the Standing sun there has never been a single sunset: eternal light is not an achievement there but the native condition of that country. And then a prayer that is an adjuration: devās tenāhaṁ satyena mā virādhiṣi brahmaṇā — "O gods! by this truth — may I not be parted from Brahman!"
The singer calls the gods to witness and stakes the truth of the unsetting sun as a pledge of his fidelity: "by this truth I adjure you — let me not fall away!": the knowledge of the eternal light is no contemplative luxury but the soul's insurance: holding to the truth of the inseparable light, you will not be separated from the Shining One. So the science of honey runs out into prayer — as every real science of the Upaniṣads does.