Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,15.7
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यत् अवोचम् स्वः प्रपद्य इति ऋग्वेदम् प्रपद्ये यजुर्वेदम् प्रपद्ये सामवेदम् प्रपद्य इति एव तत् अवोचम्
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yat avocam svaḥ prapadya iti ṛgvedam prapadye yajurvedam prapadye sāmavedam prapadya iti eva tat avocam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यत्yatwhich; that which
अवोचम्avocamI have spoken; He spoke
स्वःsvaḥsvaḥ; the heavenly call
प्रपद्यprapadyataking refuge; seeking refuge
इतिitithus; how
ऋग्वेदम्ṛgvedamthe Ṛg-veda; the knowledge of hymns
प्रपद्येprapadyeI take refuge; I seek refuge
यजुर्वेदम्yajurvedamthe Yajur-veda; the knowledge of sacrificial formulas
प्रपद्येprapadyeI take refuge; I seek refuge
सामवेदम्sāmavedamthe Sāma-veda; the knowledge of chants
प्रपद्यprapadyataking refuge; seeking refuge
इतिitithus; how
एवevaindeed; surely
तत्tatthat; this
अवोचम्avocamI have spoken; He spoke
Translation
And when I said, "to svar I go for refuge", by that I said: "to the Ṛg-veda I go for refuge, to the Yajur-veda I go for refuge, to the Sāma-veda I go for refuge." That is what I said.
Version
aa951ea200e2 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:08:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The last unfolding: svaḥ has held the three Vedas: to take refuge in heaven-svar is to take refuge in the whole of revelation: the son is placed within the texts as well — under the protection of the hymns, formulas and chants themselves (the bees of the madhu-vidyā!).
The prayer of refuge is complete: the chest of the world — all that lives — the three luminaries — the three Vedas: four walls and a roof: the child is built about with the universe and the word of God on every side. This is what a parental blessing looks like at the full strength of knowledge: not a wish for good luck but an architecture of intercession, raised with exact words.