Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,11.3
॥
Devanāgarī
सः ह संपादयाम् चकार प्रक्ष्यन्ति माम् इमे महाशालाः महाश्रोत्रियाः तेभ्यः न सर्वम् इव प्रतिपत्स्ये हन्त अहम् अन्यम् अभ्यनुशासानि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ ha saṃpādayām cakāra prakṣyanti mām ime mahāśālāḥ mahāśrotriyāḥ tebhyaḥ na sarvam iva pratipatsye hanta aham anyam abhyanuśāsāni iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
संपादयाम्saṃpādayāmthey decided; they agreed
चकारcakāraHe made; I have performed
प्रक्ष्यन्तिprakṣyantithey will question me (future of √prach); they will ask; they will enquire
माम्māmme; to me
इमेimethese; the present
महाशालाःmahāśālāḥgreat householders; owners of great sacrificial halls
महाश्रोत्रियाःmahāśrotriyāḥgreat masters of the Veda; learned śrotriyas
तेभ्यःtebhyaḥthan they; to them
नnanot; no
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
इवivaas it were; as though
प्रतिपत्स्येpratipatsyeI shall be able to expound (prati + √pad — 'to manage, to answer'); I shall manage to answer; I shall be equal to it
हन्तhantacome then (hanta — an exclamation of resolve); well then; let us then
अहम्ahamI; I myself
अन्यम्anyamanother; other
अभ्यनुशासानिabhyanuśāsāniI shall direct you (abhi-anu + √śās — 'to point toward'); I shall send you; I shall recommend
इतिitithus; how
Translation
But Uddālaka considered to himself: "These great householders and great knowers will question me, and I shall perhaps not be able to tell them everything. Let me point them to another."
Version
61f0ad32414a · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:30:39 PM UTC
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Uddālaka's inner monologue is one of the finest passages of the chapter. A famous teacher weighs himself soberly: "I shall perhaps not be able to tell everything" (na sarvam iva pratipatsye) — and, without waiting to be disgraced, decides himself to bring his guests to one who knows more fully. Not a word of falsehood, not a grain of pose: only a care that the questioners should get the truth, even if not from his hands.
This is Uddālaka's second lesson in humility within one chapter: lately he went as a pupil to Pravāhaṇa (5.3), and now he is ready to give up his teaching office to Aśvapati. The greatness of a knower is measured not by how many questions he answers but by whether he is honest where his knowledge ends. A teacher who can say "let us go to one who knows better" is himself the best of teachers: he teaches the main thing — that truth is worth more than reputation.