Upanishads · Chāndogya 4,11.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एतम् एवम् विद्वान् उपास्ते अपहते पापकृत्याम् लोकी भवति सर्वम् आयुस् एति ज्योक् जीवति न अस्य अवरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्ते उप वयम् तम् भुञ्जामः अस्मिन् च लोके अमुष्मिन् च यः एतम् एवम् विद्वान् उपास्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ etam evam vidvān upāste apahate pāpakṛtyām lokī bhavati sarvam āyus eti jyok jīvati na asya avarapuruṣāḥ kṣīyante upa vayam tam bhuñjāmaḥ asmin ca loke amuṣmin ca yaḥ etam evam vidvān upāste
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
अपहतेapahatehe strikes away (apa + √han — 'to beat off'); it beats off; it removes
पापकृत्याम्pāpakṛtyāmthe evil deed (pāpa-kṛtyā); the sinful act; the wicked work
लोकीlokīone who gains a world (lokin — 'possessing a world'); endowed with a blessed lot; possessed of a world
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
आयुस्āyusthe span of life (āyus); the lifespan; the term of life
एतिetiattains; comes to
ज्योक्jyoklong; for a long time; through long years
जीवतिjīvatidwells; he remains alive
नnanot; no
अस्यasyaof this; it
अवरपुरुषाःavarapuruṣāḥthe descendants (avara-puruṣa — 'the later men' of the line); the younger of the family; the continuers of the line
क्षीयन्तेkṣīyantethey are cut off (from √kṣi — 'to perish, to waste'); they vanish; they die out
उपupatowards; close at hand
वयम्vayamwe; we ourselves
तम्tamit; that one
भुञ्जामःbhuñjāmaḥwe sustain him (from √bhuj — 'to nourish, to protect'); we care for him; we guard him
अस्मिन्asminupon It; in this
चcaand; as well as
लोकेlokeworld; realms
अमुष्मिन्amuṣminin that; in the other
चcaand; as well as
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; wise
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
Translation
He who, knowing this, venerates him puts away evil deeds, gains a world, attains the full span, lives long; his line does not fail. We sustain him in this world and in that — him who, knowing this, venerates him.
Version
e17ba0cb400c · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:21:05 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
After each of the three lessons the fires will repeat this promise, and every word of it carries weight. "Puts away evil deeds" (apahate pāpakṛtyām) — sin is not so much expiated as shed: for one whose gaze is fastened on the Puruṣa in the sun, evil has nothing to cling to — an image the teacher will presently fix with the comparison to a lotus leaf (4.14.3).
"We sustain him in this world and in that" — upa vayaṁ taṁ bhuñjāmaḥ. Service to the fires turns into their service in return: the holy thing that has been served becomes an intercessor. This is the Vedic form of the eternal law of reciprocity: ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham — "as each surrenders to Me, so do I answer him" (BG 4.11). A full span of life, an unbroken line, two worlds — all these are gifts, but incidental ones: the main thing will remain the "path", of which the fires will say that only an ācārya can open it.