Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,2.1
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् उ ह जानश्रुतिः पौत्रायणः षट् शतानि गवाम् निष्कम् अश्वतरीरथम् तत् आदाय प्रतिचक्रमे तम् ह अभ्युवाद
Transliteration (IAST)
tat u ha jānaśrutiḥ pautrāyaṇaḥ ṣaṭ śatāni gavām niṣkam aśvatarīratham tat ādāya praticakrame tam ha abhyuvāda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
उusurely; indeed
हhaindeed; surely
जानश्रुतिःjānaśrutiḥJānaśruti; King Jānaśruti
पौत्रायणःpautrāyaṇaḥPautrāyaṇa; a descendant of Putra
षट्ṣaṭsix; six in number
शतानिśatānihundreds; hundreds
गवाम्gavāmof cows; of cattle
निष्कम्niṣkama golden collar (niṣka — a neck-ornament); a golden necklace; the collar
अश्वतरीरथम्aśvatarīrathama chariot with she-mules (aśvatarī-ratha); a cart drawn by she-mules; a mule-team
तत्tatthat; this
आदायādāyahaving taken; having brought
प्रतिचक्रमेpraticakramehe set off (prati-√kram); made his way; he went to
तम्tamit; that one
हhaindeed; surely
अभ्युवादabhyuvādaaddressed; he spoke up
Translation
Then Jānaśruti Pautrāyaṇa took six hundred cows, a golden necklace and a chariot drawn by she-mules, and went to him. And he addressed him:
Version
5129a79f290f · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:13:32 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The king goes to the beggar — with gifts: ṣaṭ śatāni gavāṁ niṣkam aśvatarī-ratham — "six hundred cows, a golden necklace, a chariot with she-mules": generosity in proportion to the giver's habits: Jānaśruti pays for knowledge as he has paid for everything — royally.
But mark the gesture itself: the lord of the land praticakrame — "set out" — in person, to a vagrant's cart: glory has come to bow before obscurity: half the lesson is already learned. The other half lies ahead: it will presently appear that knowledge is not sold at a price the buyer sets — and Raikva will teach the king the science of true cost.