Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,6.3
॥
Devanāgarī
ब्रह्मणः सोम्य ते पादम् ब्रवाणि इति ब्रवीतु मे भगवान् इति तस्मै ह उवाच पृथिवी कला अन्तरिक्षम् कला द्यौः कला समुद्रः कला एषः वै सोम्य चतुष्कलः पादः ब्रह्मणः अनन्तवान् नाम
Transliteration (IAST)
brahmaṇaḥ somya te pādam bravāṇi iti bravītu me bhagavān iti tasmai ha uvāca pṛthivī kalā antarikṣam kalā dyauḥ kalā samudraḥ kalā eṣaḥ vai somya catuṣkalaḥ pādaḥ brahmaṇaḥ anantavān nāma
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
तेteto you; for you
पादम्pādamquarter; the foot
ब्रवाणिbravāṇiI shall tell; shall I tell
इतिitithus; how
ब्रवीतुbravītulet him tell; let him instruct
मेmemyself; for me
भगवान्bhagavānvenerable one; esteemed one
इतिitithus; how
तस्मैtasmaito Him; to him
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
पृथिवीpṛthivīthe earth (pṛthivī — 'the broad one'); the solid earth; the ground
कलाkalāa part; a portion
अन्तरिक्षम्antarikṣamthe mid-region (antar-īkṣa — 'the space between'); the sky-space; the intervening space
कलाkalāa part; a portion
द्यौःdyauḥthe sky; the vault of heaven; the height
कलाkalāa part; a portion
समुद्रःsamudraḥthe ocean (sam-udra — 'the gathering of waters'); the sea; the great waters
कलाkalāa part; a portion
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
वैvaiverily; indeed
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
चतुष्कलःcatuṣkalaḥfourfold; having four portions
पादःpādaḥquarter; foot
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
अनन्तवान्anantavānthe Endless (an-anta-vat — 'possessed of infinity'); possessing endlessness; the Illimitable
नामnāmathe name; appellation
Translation
"My dear, I shall tell you a quarter of Brahman." — "Let your reverence tell me." And the fire said to him: "The earth is a portion, the mid-region is a portion, heaven is a portion, the ocean is a portion. This, my dear, is the four-portioned quarter of Brahman, and its name is the Infinite (anantavān)."
Version
57b298b82e07 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:19:15 PM UTC
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If the bull pointed to the expanse of the quarters of space, the fire points to the tiers of the universe: earth, mid-region, heaven and ocean. Taken together they make the second quarter — anantavān, "Possessing infinity": measure the world upward or downward as you will, it has no edge. It is fitting that Agni should be the one to speak of the boundless: flame is the element that grows as long as there is anything to burn, and knows no satiety.
But the Upaniṣad is careful: the infinity of the world is not Brahman himself but only his "quarter", a sign and a hint. Ananta is an eternal name of the Supreme and of his serpent-couch, on which he reclines in the ocean of causes; the boundlessness of the elements is only the shadow of that personal infinity. Such is the movement of Satyakāma's whole ladder: from radiance to infinity, then to light and to the support of life, each rung honestly acknowledging itself a rung.
The fruit, as before, is proportioned to the contemplation: one who remembers the boundless ceases to be a prisoner of the small — his desires, his patience and his service lose their petty measure.