Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,12.3
॥
Devanāgarī
या वै सा पृथिवी इयम् वाव सा यत् इदम् अस्मिन् पुरुषे शरीरम् अस्मिन् हि इमे प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठिताः एतत् एव न अतिशीयन्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
yā vai sā pṛthivī iyam vāva sā yat idam asmin puruṣe śarīram asmin hi ime prāṇāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ etat eva na atiśīyante
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
याyāyā; the syllable yā
वैvaiverily; indeed
साsāshe; that one
पृथिवीpṛthivīthe earth; the earthly world
इयम्iyamthis; she
वावvāvatruly; indeed
साsāshe; that one
यत्yatwhich; that which
इदम्idamthis; thus
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
पुरुषेpuruṣein a man; in the Puruṣa
शरीरम्śarīrambody; the bodily form
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
हिhiindeed; truly
इमेimethese; the present
प्राणाःprāṇāḥthe vital forces; of the prāṇa
प्रतिष्ठिताःpratiṣṭhitāḥare established; are founded
एतत्etatthis; all this
एवevaindeed; surely
नnanot; no
अतिशीयन्तेatiśīyantethey transcend; they overpass
Translation
That earth is indeed this body in a man: for in it these vital powers are established, and they do not go beyond it.
Version
c7b13f431e6d · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:02:24 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second contraction: yā vai sā pṛthivīyaṁ vāva sā yad idam asmin puruṣe śarīram — "that earth is this body in a man": the ground is the same: asmin hīme prāṇāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ — "in it the prāṇas are established" — and they do not overpass it.
The body is a man's earth: the soil on which his vital powers stand, as all that exists stands on the earth: the microcosm is built by the same metre. The gāyatrī contracts: all that exists → the earth → the body: the Singing-Guarding one narrows her circles like a bird above the nest — and the next turn will point out the nest itself.