Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,1.13
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ ह एनम् वाक् उवाच यत् अहम् वसिष्ठः अस्मि त्वम् तद्वसिष्ठः असि इति अथ ह एनम् चक्षुः उवाच यत् अहम् प्रतिष्ठा अस्मि त्वम् तत्प्रतिष्ठः असि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ha enam vāk uvāca yat aham vasiṣṭhaḥ asmi tvam tadvasiṣṭhaḥ asi iti atha ha enam cakṣuḥ uvāca yat aham pratiṣṭhā asmi tvam tatpratiṣṭhaḥ asi iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
हhaindeed; surely
एनम्enamit; of this
वाक्vākspeech; the word
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
यत्yatwhich; that which
अहम्ahamI; I myself
वसिष्ठःvasiṣṭhaḥthe richest (vasiṣṭha); the wealthiest; the richest
अस्मिasmiI am; I am
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
तद्वसिष्ठःtadvasiṣṭhaḥin that sense you are the richest (tad-vasiṣṭha — 'richest in that respect'); thereby you are rich; in that measure the richest is you
असिasiare you; you
इतिitithus; how
अथathathereupon; then
हhaindeed; surely
एनम्enamit; of this
चक्षुःcakṣuḥthe eye; sight
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
यत्yatwhich; that which
अहम्ahamI; I myself
प्रतिष्ठाpratiṣṭhāthe support (pratiṣṭhā); the support; the stability
अस्मिasmiI am; I am
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
तत्प्रतिष्ठःtatpratiṣṭhaḥin that respect you are the support (tat-pratiṣṭha); thereby the support is you; in that measure you are the ground
असिasiare you; you
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Then speech said to it: "In that I am the richest, you are the richest." Then the eye said to it: "In that I am the support, you are the support."
Version
819d8c4f477f · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:26:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The defeated do not merely yield — they re-found their titles: "in that I am the richest, you are the richest". Each power acknowledges that its excellence was borrowed: the wealth of speech, the supportingness of the eye — all these are properties of the breath acting through them. The gift returns to its Source.
This is the model of how every faculty should stand toward its Giver: not a renunciation of the gift — speech remains speech, the eye an eye — but a re-consecration. So too in service: a talent is not thrown away but inscribed with the name of Him from whom it came. "Whatever you do, do it as an offering to Me" (BG 9.27): the formula of the powers returning their titles to the prāṇa is the first form of that consecration.