Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,12.4
॥
Devanāgarī
यत् वै तत् पुरुषे शरीरम् इदम् वाव तत् यत् इदम् अस्मिन् अन्तः पुरुषे हृदयम् अस्मिन् हि इमे प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठिताः एतत् एव न अतिशीयन्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
yat vai tat puruṣe śarīram idam vāva tat yat idam asmin antaḥ puruṣe hṛdayam asmin hi ime prāṇāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ etat eva na atiśīyante
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यत्yatwhich; that which
वैvaiverily; indeed
तत्tatthat; this
पुरुषेpuruṣein a man; in the Puruṣa
शरीरम्śarīrambody; the bodily form
इदम्idamthis; thus
वावvāvatruly; indeed
तत्tatthat; this
यत्yatwhich; that which
इदम्idamthis; thus
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
अन्तःantaḥwithin; inward
पुरुषेpuruṣein a man; in the Puruṣa
हृदयम्hṛdayamthe heart (hṛdaya); the heart; the core
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 body in a man is indeed this heart within the man: for in it these vital powers are established, and they do not go beyond it.
Version
036347ae42f1 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:02:24 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third and last contraction: yad vai tat puruṣe śarīram idaṁ vāva tad yad idam asminn antaḥ puruṣe hṛdayam — "that body is this heart within the man": and the prāṇas are established in it already — they do not overpass the heart.
The circles have closed: all that exists — the earth — the body — the heart: the world's gāyatrī fits into a breast: the bearing strophe of the universe and the support of the prāṇas are one, and it is beating under the ribs. This inward travelling of a vidyā is the model of the Upaniṣadic method (as with space in 1.9 or the honey in the sun's core): every universality is brought home to the heart — otherwise it is not knowledge but geography.