Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,8.3
॥
Devanāgarī
ब्रह्मणः सोम्य ते पादम् ब्रवाणि इति ब्रवीतु मे भगवान् इति तस्मै ह उवाच प्राणः कला चक्षुः कला श्रोत्रम् कला मनः कला एषः वै सोम्य चतुष्कलः पादः ब्रह्मणः आयतनवान् नाम
Transliteration (IAST)
brahmaṇaḥ somya te pādam bravāṇi iti bravītu me bhagavān iti tasmai ha uvāca prāṇaḥ kalā cakṣuḥ kalā śrotram kalā manaḥ kalā eṣaḥ vai somya catuṣkalaḥ pādaḥ brahmaṇaḥ āyatanavān 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
प्राणःprāṇaḥbreath (prāṇa — the breath of life); vital force; the prāṇa
कलाkalāa part; a portion
चक्षुःcakṣuḥthe eye; sight; the eye
कलाkalāa part; a portion
श्रोत्रम्śrotramthe ear; hearing; the power of hearing
कलाkalāa part; a portion
मनःmanaḥthe mind (manas — from √man — 'to think'); the intellect; the thinking heart
कलाkalāa part; a portion
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
वैvaiverily; indeed
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
चतुष्कलःcatuṣkalaḥfourfold; having four portions
पादःpādaḥquarter; foot
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof Brahman; of the Absolute
आयतनवान्āyatanavānthe One with an Abode (āyatana-vat — 'possessed of a dwelling-place'); possessing a resting-place; having a habitation
नामnāmathe name; appellation
Translation
"My dear, I shall tell you a quarter of Brahman." — "Let your reverence tell me." And the bird said to him: "Breath is a portion, the eye is a portion, hearing is a portion, the mind is a portion. This, my dear, is the four-portioned quarter of Brahman, and its name is the Having-an-abode (āyatanavān)."
Version
d5ad18282340 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:19:15 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The last quarter is the inward one: prāṇa (the breath of life), the eye, hearing and the mind. Until now the lessons pointed outward — to the quarters of space, the elements, the luminaries; the diver turns the gaze inward: Brahman has an "abode" (āyatana) within the living being itself. The body is not a barrier to truth but its temple; every breath, every glance and thought is a portion of the Supreme's manifest presence.
The name āyatanavān — "Possessing an abode" — prepares the Chāndogya's chief vidyās: Śāṇḍilya's teaching of the "small lotus of the heart", where the ātman dwells "smaller than a grain and greater than the worlds" (3.14), and the dahara-vidyā of the eighth chapter. The Lord is not only diffused through space — he takes up residence: "I abide in the heart of each" (BG 15.15).
So the four quarters close a circle: the Shining (the expanse), the Infinite (the elements), the Light-bearing (the luminaries), the Having-an-abode (the living being). The world without and the world within are two halves of one pointing toward Him who is greater than both.