Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,5.3
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एतम् एवम् विद्वान् चतुष्कलम् पादम् ब्रह्मणः प्रकाशवान् इति उपास्ते प्रकाशवान् अस्मिन् लोके भवति प्रकाशवतः ह लोकान् जयति यः एतम् एवम् विद्वान् चतुष्कलम् पादम् ब्रह्मणः प्रकाशवान् इति उपास्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ etam evam vidvān catuṣkalam pādam brahmaṇaḥ prakāśavān iti upāste prakāśavān asmin loke bhavati prakāśavataḥ ha lokān jayati yaḥ etam evam vidvān catuṣkalam pādam brahmaṇaḥ prakāśavān iti upāste
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānthe knower (from √vid — 'to know'); aware of; one who has understood
चतुष्कलम्catuṣkalamthe fourfold; having four portions
पादम्pādamquarter; the foot
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
प्रकाशवान्prakāśavānradiant; possessed of light
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates (upa + √ās — 'to sit beside', to abide with); beholds; he worships
प्रकाशवान्prakāśavānradiant; possessed of light
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
लोकेlokeworld; realms
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
प्रकाशवतःprakāśavataḥthe luminous; possessing light
हhaindeed; surely
लोकान्lokānworlds; the spheres; realms
जयतिjayatihe wins (from √ji — 'to conquer'); obtains; attains
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānthe knower (from √vid — 'to know'); aware of; one who has understood
चतुष्कलम्catuṣkalamthe fourfold; having four portions
पादम्pādamquarter; the foot
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
प्रकाशवान्prakāśavānradiant; possessed of light
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates (upa + √ās — 'to sit beside', to abide with); beholds; he worships
Translation
He who, knowing this, venerates the four-portioned quarter of Brahman as the Shining becomes shining himself in this world and conquers shining worlds — he who, knowing this, venerates the four-portioned quarter of Brahman as the Shining.
Version
a6146fbd8175 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:19:15 PM UTC
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The fruit of a contemplation matches its object: one who venerates the Shining is filled with radiance himself. This is the general law of upāsanā, which the Upaniṣad will repeat after each of the four lessons: yaṁ yathā upāste tad eva bhavati — as one venerates Him, so one becomes. Consciousness takes on the properties of what it rests upon, as a crystal takes the colour of a flower laid beneath it.
The key word is upāste — "venerates", literally "sits beside" (upa + √ās). Knowledge here is no abstract judgement but a dwelling with its object, a constant remembrance — the very thing that in its mature form becomes smaraṇa, unbroken memory of the Lord. And so the fruit is described twofold: a radiance "in this world" and "shining worlds" beyond it — inward transformation and the way of ascent are inseparable.