Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,14.1
॥
Devanāgarī
सर्वम् खलु इदम् ब्रह्म तज्जलान् इति शान्तः उपासीत अथ खलु क्रतुमयः पुरुषः यथाक्रतुः अस्मिन् लोके पुरुषः भवति तथा इतः प्रेत्य भवति सः क्रतुम् कुर्वीत
Transliteration (IAST)
sarvam khalu idam brahma tajjalān iti śāntaḥ upāsīta atha khalu kratumayaḥ puruṣaḥ yathākratuḥ asmin loke puruṣaḥ bhavati tathā itaḥ pretya bhavati saḥ kratum kurvīta
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
इदम्idamthis; thus
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
तज्जलान्tajjalānborn of Him, dissolving in Him, breathing in Him (taj-ja-la-an — the secret word); in Him as ja-la-an; His producing, dissolving and breathing
इतिitithus; how
शान्तःśāntaḥin stillness, tranquil (śānta); quieted; peaceful
उपासीतupāsītalet him venerate; one should contemplate
अथathathereupon; then
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
क्रतुमयःkratumayaḥmade of purpose (kratu-maya); woven of will and design; fashioned of intent
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥman; Puruṣa
यथाक्रतुःyathākratuḥas is his purpose (yathā-kratu); according to his intent; such as the design is
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
लोकेlokeworld; realms
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥman; Puruṣa
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
तथाtathāthus; so be it
इतःitaḥfrom here; from this world
प्रेत्यpretyahaving departed after death; after the passing
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
सःsaḥhe; that one
क्रतुम्kratumintention; determination
कुर्वीतkurvītalet him make (optative of √kṛ); let him fashion; let him form
Translation
All this is indeed Brahman: born of Him, dissolving into Him, breathing in Him — so, in stillness, one should venerate. And further: a man consists of resolve: as his resolve is in this world, so does he become on departing hence. Let him then make his resolve!
Version
707dd5ddb330 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:04:47 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The Śāṇḍilya-vidyā begins — one of the summits of all Vedic revelation. Its first words are a mahāvākya: sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma — "all this is indeed Brahman", and the ground is compressed into one cryptic word: taj-jalān — "born (ja) in Him, dissolving (la) in Him, breathing (an) in Him": the world is His generation, His dissolution, His breathing: the threefold definition of the Absolute (janmādy asya yataḥ!) folded into three syllables. And an instruction about the spirit of the veneration: śānta upāsīta — "venerate in stillness": the truth "all is Brahman" is received not by rapture but by peace: one who has seen Brahman in everything has no one to fight and nothing to divide.
The second half is the law of resolve: kratumayaḥ puruṣaḥ — "a man consists of kratu", of resolve, of will-and-design: yathā-kratur asmiṁl loke puruṣo bhavati tathetaḥ pretya bhavati — "as a man's resolve is in this world, so he becomes on departing hence": the afterlife is a cast taken from the will of this life (Gītā 8.6 gives the same law: "remembering whatever state he leaves the body…").
And then the command: sa kratuṁ kurvīta — "let him make his resolve!": the will is not a given but a made thing: a resolve is built like a house, by the choice of thoughts, attachments, names. The verses that follow will give the drawing of the best of resolves: the image of Him toward whom it is worth being turned.