Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,17.2
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यत् अश्नाति यत् पिबति यत् रमते तत् उपसदैः एति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yat aśnāti yat pibati yat ramate tat upasadaiḥ eti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यत्yatwhich; that which
अश्नातिaśnātieats; enjoys
यत्yatwhich; that which
पिबतिpibatihe drinks; he drinks up
यत्yatwhich; that which
रमतेramaterejoices; enjoys
तत्tatthat; this
उपसदैःupasadaiḥby the upasads (upasad — the rites of approach); through the upasad rites; by the services of approach
एतिetiattains; comes to
Translation
And when he eats, when he drinks, when he takes pleasure — then he is passing through the upasads.
Version
e7dbcacaa1c7 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:08:21 PM UTC
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The second article: yad aśnāti yat pibati yad ramate — "that he eats, drinks, takes pleasure" — tad upasadair eti — "by that he goes through the upasads": the upasads are the festive soma rites, the days of approach to the chief oblation: the feasts and joys of life are no retreat from the sacrifice but its festal services!
The symmetry is perfect: privations are the dīkṣā, enjoyments the upasads: a life-liturgy has no secular days: fast and feast alike are offices of one worship. So the old quarrel of asceticism with joy is dissolved: both are savanas; sin lies neither in eating nor in hungering but in falling out of the order: eat as one serving, and the meal is liturgical.