Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,1.15
॥
Devanāgarī
न वै वाचः न चक्षूंषि न श्रोत्राणि न मनांसि इति आचक्षते प्राणाः इति एव आचक्षते प्राणः हि एव एतानि सर्वाणि भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
na vai vācaḥ na cakṣūṃṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṃsi iti ācakṣate prāṇāḥ iti eva ācakṣate prāṇaḥ hi eva etāni sarvāṇi bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नnanot; no
वैvaiverily; indeed
वाचःvācaḥof speech; of speech
नnanot; no
चक्षूंषिcakṣūṃṣiof the eye; of the eye
नnanot; no
श्रोत्राणिśrotrāṇithe ears; the organs of hearing
नnanot; no
मनांसिmanāṃsithe minds; thoughts
इतिitithus; how
आचक्षतेācakṣatethey say, they call (ā + √cakṣ); they call; they name
प्राणाःprāṇāḥthe prāṇas (the collective name of all the powers); the vital forces; the breaths
इतिitithus; how
एवevaindeed; surely
आचक्षतेācakṣatethey say, they call (ā + √cakṣ); they call; they name
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
हिhiindeed; truly
एवevaindeed; surely
एतानिetāniall this; these [powers]; all of them
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; entirely; all together
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
Translation
For people do not say "speeches", "eyes", "ears", "minds" — they say "prāṇas". For the prāṇa is all of these.
Version
c01e1bf0ba5d · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:26:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The parable's seal is an argument from language: all a man's faculties go by one collective word, prāṇāḥ, "the breaths". Language itself, formed before any philosophy, remembers the truth the powers spent year after year discovering: sight, hearing, speech and thought are forms of one life. The Upaniṣads often call language to witness: a name keeps knowledge as a seed keeps a field.
"The prāṇa is all of these" is not a dissolving of distinctions but an indication of their root: the powers differ, but they live by one thing. A step higher, the same holds of the prāṇa itself: all who breathe live by one Breath — "Who would breathe, who would live, if this Bliss were not in space?" (Taittirīya 2.7). One who has recognised a single life in his own faculties is ready to recognise a single Living One in all lives.