Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,3.5
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ ह शौनकम् च कापेयम् अभिप्रतारिणम् च काक्षसेनिम् परिविष्यमाणौ ब्रह्मचारी बिभिक्षे तस्मै उ ह न ददतुः
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ha śaunakam ca kāpeyam abhipratāriṇam ca kākṣasenim pariviṣyamāṇau brahmacārī bibhikṣe tasmai u ha na dadatuḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
हhaindeed; surely
शौनकम्śaunakamŚaunaka; the sage Śaunaka
चcaand; as well as
कापेयम्kāpeyamKāpeya; the descendant of Kapi
अभिप्रतारिणम्abhipratāriṇamAbhipratārin; the sage Abhipratārin
चcaand; as well as
काक्षसेनिम्kākṣasenimKākṣaseni; the descendant of Kakṣasena
परिविष्यमाणौpariviṣyamāṇauwhile they were being served (pari-√viṣ, passive); at the meal being served them; being waited upon
ब्रह्मचारीbrahmacārīa brahmacārin; the ascetic student
बिभिक्षेbibhikṣehe begged for alms (from √bhikṣ); he begged for alms; he asked a dole
तस्मैtasmaito Him; to him
उusurely; indeed
हhaindeed; surely
नnanot; no
ददतुःdadatuḥthe two did [not] give (from √dā, dual); they gave [him nothing]; they granted [him nothing]
Translation
Now once, when Śaunaka Kāpeya and Abhipratārin Kākṣaseni were being served [a meal], a brahmacārin begged of them. They did not give to him.
Version
e0e4969df97d · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:16:32 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A scene of application: two men of rank — Śaunaka Kāpeya and Abhipratārin Kākṣaseni — at a laid table: pariviṣyamāṇau — "while they were being served": and brahmacārī bibhikṣe — "a student begged": tasmā u ha na dadatuḥ — "and they gave him nothing".
To refuse a hungry student at a full table is an offence against everything the Upaniṣads teach (the Taittirīya: "let the guest be a god!"; the Kaṭha: an unfed brahmacārin burned up the merits of the house of Death!). But this student will not go away in silence: he will presently propound a riddle about the Gatherer-in and shame the noblemen with their own learning: the saṁvarga-vidyā turns into a beggar's weapon at another man's door.