Upanishads · Chāndogya 3,18.6
॥
Devanāgarī
श्रोत्रम् एव ब्रह्मणः चतुर्थः पादः सः दिग्भिः ज्योतिषा भाति च तपति च भाति च तपति च कीर्त्या यशसा ब्रह्मवर्चसेन यः एवम् वेद यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
śrotram eva brahmaṇaḥ caturthaḥ pādaḥ saḥ digbhiḥ jyotiṣā bhāti ca tapati ca bhāti ca tapati ca kīrtyā yaśasā brahmavarcasena yaḥ evam veda yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
श्रोत्रम्śrotramthe ear; hearing
एवevaindeed; surely
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
चतुर्थःcaturthaḥthe fourth; a quarter part
पादःpādaḥquarter; foot
सःsaḥhe; that one
दिग्भिःdigbhiḥby the quarters of space (diś, instrumental plural); by the regions of the sky; by the directions
ज्योतिषाjyotiṣāby light; by the radiance
भातिbhātiis radiant; shines
चcaand; as well as
तपतिtapatiwarms; blazes
चcaand; as well as
भातिbhātiis radiant; shines
चcaand; as well as
तपतिtapatiwarms; blazes
चcaand; as well as
कीर्त्याkīrtyāwith fame; with renown
यशसाyaśasāwith fame; with renown
ब्रह्मवर्चसेनbrahmavarcasenawith brahmanical lustre; with spiritual lustre
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; understands
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; understands
Translation
Hearing is a fourth part of Brahman: by the light of the quarters of space it shines and warms. With fame, renown and sacred lustre shines and warms he who knows thus. Who knows thus.
Version
a0f4c1938050 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:10:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth foot: śrotram, hearing, and its luminaries are the diśaḥ, the quarters of space: hearing shines by the expanse (hearing is the most spatial of the senses: it embraces every direction at once!): to listen is to be open on all sides.
The four feet are gathered: word-fire, life-wind, gaze-sun, hearing-expanse: Brahman-as-mind stands in a man on four feet of light, and the knower shines and warms with all four. The doubled ya evaṁ veda closes the khaṇḍa: a four-footed veneration is stable — it will keep its feet even in fame.