Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,10.7
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् ये इह रमणीयचरणाः अभ्याशः ह यत् ते रमणीयाम् योनिम् आपद्येरन् ब्राह्मणयोनिम् वा क्षत्रिययोनिम् वा वैश्ययोनिम् वा अथ ये इह कपूयचरणाः अभ्याशः ह यत् ते कपूयाम् योनिम् आपद्येरन् श्वयोनिम् वा सूकरयोनिम् वा चण्डालयोनिम् वा
Transliteration (IAST)
tat ye iha ramaṇīyacaraṇāḥ abhyāśaḥ ha yat te ramaṇīyām yonim āpadyeran brāhmaṇayonim vā kṣatriyayonim vā vaiśyayonim vā atha ye iha kapūyacaraṇāḥ abhyāśaḥ ha yat te kapūyām yonim āpadyeran śvayonim vā sūkarayonim vā caṇḍālayonim vā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
येyethose who; they who
इहihahere; in this world
रमणीयचरणाःramaṇīyacaraṇāḥwhose conduct is lovely (ramaṇīya-caraṇa — 'of delightful behaviour'); fair in conduct; of good behaviour
अभ्याशःabhyāśaḥthere is a likelihood (abhyāśa — 'probability, expectation'); it may be expected; probably
हhaindeed; surely
यत्yatwhich; that which
तेteto you; for you
रमणीयाम्ramaṇīyāma fair; a blessed
योनिम्yonima womb (yoni — 'matrix, birth'); the matrix; birth
आपद्येरन्āpadyeranthey may enter (optative of ā + √pad); they would reach; they would obtain
ब्राह्मणयोनिम्brāhmaṇayonimbirth as a brāhmaṇa; a brāhmaṇa womb
वाvāverily; surely
क्षत्रिययोनिम्kṣatriyayonimbirth as a kṣatriya; a kṣatriya womb
वाvāverily; surely
वैश्ययोनिम्vaiśyayonimbirth as a vaiśya; a vaiśya womb
वाvāverily; surely
अथathathereupon; then
येyethose who; they who
इहihahere; in this world
कपूयचरणाःkapūyacaraṇāḥwhose conduct stinks (kapūya-caraṇa — 'of foul behaviour'); foul in conduct; of evil behaviour
अभ्याशःabhyāśaḥthere is a likelihood (abhyāśa — 'probability, expectation'); it may be expected; probably
हhaindeed; surely
यत्yatwhich; that which
तेteto you; for you
कपूयाम्kapūyāman evil; a low
योनिम्yonima womb (yoni — 'matrix, birth'); the matrix; birth
आपद्येरन्āpadyeranthey may enter (optative of ā + √pad); they would reach; they would obtain
श्वयोनिम्śvayonimthe womb of a dog (śva-yoni); a dog's womb; birth as a dog
वाvāverily; surely
सूकरयोनिम्sūkarayonimthe womb of a pig (sūkara-yoni); a swine's womb; birth as a pig
वाvāverily; surely
चण्डालयोनिम्caṇḍālayonimthe womb of a caṇḍāla (caṇḍāla-yoni — of the outcaste); a caṇḍāla womb; birth as a caṇḍāla
वाvāverily; surely
Translation
Those among them whose conduct here was fragrant may hope to enter a good womb — that of a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya or a vaiśya. But those whose conduct here was foul may expect a foul womb: that of a dog, a pig or a caṇḍāla.
Version
29180d74d97b · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:30:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
As what sort of man does the returning one return? The answer: according to his "conduct" (caraṇa). Ramaṇīya-caraṇāḥ — "those whose conduct is lovely" — receive a good womb; kapūya-caraṇāḥ — "whose conduct is fetid" — the womb of a bitch, a pig, a caṇḍāla. Merit (which was burned up on the moon) and character (which has eaten into the soul) are different things: merit is spent, but the cast of the soul comes home with it and chooses its house.
The phrase abhyāśo ha yat — "there is a likelihood, one may expect" — is an honest qualification: this is a probability, not the verdict of a machine; the whole complexity of a life is taken into account. But the direction of the law is firm, and the Gītā will repeat it: birth "among the deluded" or "in a house of the pure and illustrious", according to the character formed (BG 16.19–20; 6.41). That is why the tradition so prizes a sāttvic environment, holy company, pure food: they mould the caraṇa — the one thing the soul carries away and brings back.