Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,7.4
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एतम् एवम् विद्वान् चतुष्कलम् पादम् ब्रह्मणः ज्योतिष्मान् इति उपास्ते ज्योतिष्मान् अस्मिन् लोके भवति ज्योतिष्मतः ह लोकान् जयति यः एतम् एवम् विद्वान् चतुष्कलम् पादम् ब्रह्मणः ज्योतिष्मान् इति उपास्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ etam evam vidvān catuṣkalam pādam brahmaṇaḥ jyotiṣmān iti upāste jyotiṣmān asmin loke bhavati jyotiṣmataḥ ha lokān jayati yaḥ etam evam vidvān catuṣkalam pādam brahmaṇaḥ jyotiṣmān iti upāste
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
चतुष्कलम्catuṣkalamthe fourfold; having four portions
पादम्pādamquarter; the foot
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
ज्योतिष्मान्jyotiṣmānthe luminous; possessed of light
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
ज्योतिष्मान्jyotiṣmānthe luminous; possessed of light
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
लोकेlokeworld; realms
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
ज्योतिष्मतःjyotiṣmataḥthe light-filled [worlds] (genitive of jyotiṣmat); full of light; the resplendent
हhaindeed; surely
लोकान्lokānworlds; realms
जयतिjayatiattains; he conquers
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
चतुष्कलम्catuṣkalamthe fourfold; having four portions
पादम्pādamquarter; the foot
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
ज्योतिष्मान्jyotiṣmānthe luminous; possessed of light
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
Translation
He who, knowing this, venerates the four-portioned quarter of Brahman as the Light-bearing becomes light-bearing himself in this world and conquers light-bearing worlds — he who, knowing this, venerates the four-portioned quarter of Brahman as the Light-bearing.
Version
d5cef0eec7b6 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:19:15 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
One who venerates the Light-bearing becomes a bearer of light himself — and this is no metaphor: of those who know the Upaniṣads it is said that their faces shine (brahma-varcasa). It is by this light, as we shall shortly see, that Gautama recognises Satyakāma on his return: "You shine like one who knows Brahman" (4.9.2).
The light in question is reflected: as the moon shines by the sun, so a soul shines by Him toward whom it is turned. Hence "light-bearing worlds" are in the end the worlds where light does not go out, because their Source is there; the road to them by the light of flame and of day will be described at the end of this same chapter (4.15.5).