Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,10.9
॥
Devanāgarī
स्तेनः हिरण्यस्य सुराम् पिबन् च गुरोः तल्पम् आवसन् ब्रह्महा च एते पतन्ति चत्वारः पञ्चमः च आचरन् तैः इति
Transliteration (IAST)
stenaḥ hiraṇyasya surām piban ca guroḥ talpam āvasan brahmahā ca ete patanti catvāraḥ pañcamaḥ ca ācaran taiḥ iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
स्तेनःstenaḥa thief (stena); the one who steals; the stealer
हिरण्यस्यhiraṇyasyaof gold (hiraṇya); of the gold; of gold
सुराम्surāmstrong drink (surā — an intoxicating liquor); the intoxicating drink; the surā-liquor
पिबन्pibandrinking (from √pā); who drinks; drinking
चcaand; as well as
गुरोःguroḥof his teacher (guru); of the guru; of the teacher
तल्पम्talpamthe bed (talpa); the couch; the bed
आवसन्āvasanwho has defiled (ā-vasan — 'having mounted'); who has gone up to; who has violated
ब्रह्महाbrahmahāthe slayer of a brāhmaṇa (brahma-han); a slayer of a brāhmaṇa; who has killed a brāhmaṇa
चcaand; as well as
एतेetethese; the present
पतन्तिpatantithey fall (from √pat); they are cast down; they sink
चत्वारःcatvāraḥthe four; four
पञ्चमःpañcamaḥthe fifth (pañcama); the fifth; as the fifth
चcaand; as well as
आचरन्ācaranwho consorts [with them] (from ā + √car); associating; who keeps company
तैःtaiḥwith them; by these
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"A stealer of gold, a drinker of liquor, one who defiles his teacher's bed, and a killer of a brāhmaṇa — these four fall, and a fifth: he who keeps company with them."
Version
f5eec848f215 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:30:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The sealing śloka names the four great falls (mahā-pātaka): the theft of gold, strong drink, the guru's bed, the killing of a brāhmaṇa — four blows against the holiest bonds: against trust, against clarity of consciousness, against the teacher's house, against a bearer of the Veda. These four "fall" — they are cast down from both paths into foul wombs and the third state.
But the verse's point is the fifth: pañcamaś cācaraṁs taiḥ — "and a fifth, he who goes about with them". Association is equated with the deed. Company is no neutral background: one who constantly walks with the fallen takes their road, as one who walks with the holy takes theirs. That is why the tradition sets sat-saṅga as the first condition of spiritual life and bad company as the first of dangers: a man becomes those he walks with.