Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,3.1
॥
Devanāgarī
वायुः वाव संवर्गः यदा वै अग्निः उद्वायति वायुम् एव अप्येति यदा सूर्यः अस्तम् एति वायुम् एव अप्येति यदा चन्द्रमाः अस्तम् एति वायुम् एव अप्येति
Transliteration (IAST)
vāyuḥ vāva saṃvargaḥ yadā vai agniḥ udvāyati vāyum eva apyeti yadā sūryaḥ astam eti vāyum eva apyeti yadā candramāḥ astam eti vāyum eva apyeti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
वायुःvāyuḥthe wind; Vāyu
वावvāvatruly; indeed
संवर्गःsaṃvargaḥthe Absorber (saṁvarga, from sam-√vṛj — 'gathering to itself'); the Gatherer; the Engulfer
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
वैvaiverily; indeed
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
उद्वायतिudvāyatiit goes out (ud-√vā — 'it is blown away'); it dies down; it is quenched
वायुम्vāyumthe wind; Vāyu
एवevaindeed; surely
अप्येतिapyetiit enters (api-√i); he merges; it goes into
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
सूर्यःsūryaḥthe sun; Sūrya
अस्तम्astamtoward the setting; to its vanishing
एतिetiattains; comes to
वायुम्vāyumthe wind; Vāyu
एवevaindeed; surely
अप्येतिapyetiit enters (api-√i); he merges; it goes into
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
चन्द्रमाःcandramāḥthe moon; Candra
अस्तम्astamtoward the setting; to its vanishing
एतिetiattains; comes to
वायुम्vāyumthe wind; Vāyu
एवevaindeed; surely
अप्येतिapyetiit enters (api-√i); he merges; it goes into
Translation
"Vāyu is indeed the Gatherer-in: when fire goes out, it enters into Vāyu; when the sun sets, it enters into Vāyu; when the moon sets, it enters into Vāyu;
Version
a8a8c956d985 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:13:32 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Raikva's instruction is the saṁvarga-vidyā, "the science of the Gatherer-in": vāyur vāva saṁvargaḥ — "Vāyu is the gatherer" (sam-√vṛj — "to rake toward oneself"!): when a fire goes out — udvāyati, "is blown away" — it does not vanish: vāyum evāpyeti — "it enters into Vāyu"! The setting sun goes into Vāyu; the setting moon goes into Vāyu.
Raikva's vidyā is about where extinguished lights go: all the lights of the world have one pocket — the wind, the universal receptacle of stilled energies: Vāyu is the collector of the heavenly fires, their lodging and storehouse. This is what the beggar under the cart knew: the address at which the universe folds itself up — and now it is clear why "everything flows to" one who knows it: he knows the Place of confluence!