Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,1.5
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् उ ह जानश्रुतिः पौत्रायणः उपशुश्राव सः ह संजिहानः एव क्षत्तारम् उवाच अङ्गारे ह सयुग्वानम् इव रैक्वम् आत्थ इति यः नु कथम् सयुग्वा रैक्वः इति
Transliteration (IAST)
tat u ha jānaśrutiḥ pautrāyaṇaḥ upaśuśrāva saḥ ha saṃjihānaḥ eva kṣattāram uvāca aṅgāre ha sayugvānam iva raikvam āttha iti yaḥ nu katham sayugvā raikvaḥ iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
उusurely; indeed
हhaindeed; surely
जानश्रुतिःjānaśrutiḥJānaśruti; King Jānaśruti
पौत्रायणःpautrāyaṇaḥPautrāyaṇa; a descendant of Putra
उपशुश्रावupaśuśrāvahe overheard (upa-√śru); he caught the words; he took it in by ear
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
संजिहानःsaṃjihānaḥrising up (sam-√hā); getting up [from his couch]; on waking
एवevaindeed; surely
क्षत्तारम्kṣattāramto the steward (kṣattṛ — the courtier-charioteer); to the chamberlain; to the attendant-driver
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
अङ्गारेaṅgāremy good man; hey
हhaindeed; surely
सयुग्वानम्sayugvānamwith the cart; who has a yoked cart
इवivaas it were; as though
रैक्वम्raikvamRaikva; the sage Raikva
आत्थātthayou call him; you say
इतिitithus; how
यःyaḥwho; the one who
नुnusurely; is it that
कथम्kathamhow; in what manner
सयुग्वाsayugvāwith the cart; possessing a cart
रैक्वःraikvaḥRaikva; the sage Raikva
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Jānaśruti Pautrāyaṇa overheard this. Rising at once, he said to his steward: "Friend, you speak of me as if of Raikva-with-the-cart?" — "And what is he like, Raikva-with-the-cart?"
Version
4736cd5b8292 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:13:32 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The king has heard — and is wounded to perfection: sa ha saṁjihāna eva kṣattāram uvāca — "rising at once [from his bed], he said to his steward": the night has been listened out sleepless, and the first word of the morning is of Raikva! And the king's question is touchingly pitiful: "you speak of me as of Raikva, don't you?" — he asks his servant to repeat the geese's compliment, hoping the comparison may yet be in his favour.
And the servant guilelessly repeats the first goose's question: "and what is he like, this Raikva?" — no one at court knows a name that stands above the king's glory! Jānaśruti's wound is of a noble kind: he is stung not by an insult but by the existence of an unknown superiority: so every genuine discipleship begins — with a sleepless night over the fact that someone knows something you do not.