Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,11.6
॥
Devanāgarī
ते ह ऊचुः येन ह एव अर्थेन पुरुषः चरेत् तम् ह एव वदेत् आत्मानम् एव इमम् वैश्वानरम् संप्रति अध्येषि तम् एव नः ब्रूहि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
te ha ūcuḥ yena ha eva arthena puruṣaḥ caret tam ha eva vadet ātmānam eva imam vaiśvānaram saṃprati adhyeṣi tam eva naḥ brūhi iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेteto you; for you
हhaindeed; surely
ऊचुःūcuḥsaid; they uttered
येनyenaby which; by means of which
हhaindeed; surely
एवevaindeed; surely
अर्थेनarthenawith an object (artha — 'a purpose, the aim of coming'); for what purpose; on business
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥman; Puruṣa
चरेत्carethe comes (optative of √car — 'to go'); comes; he presents himself
तम्tamit; that one
हhaindeed; surely
एवevaindeed; surely
वदेत्vadethe should say (optative of √vad); let him speak; it is proper to say
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
एवevaindeed; surely
इमम्imamthis; of this
वैश्वानरम्vaiśvānaramVaiśvānara; the universal fire-man
संप्रतिsaṃpratinow; now
अध्येषिadhyeṣiyou study (second person of adhi + √i); you comprehend; you investigate
तम्tamit; that one
एवevaindeed; surely
नःnaḥus; to us
ब्रूहिbrūhitell me (imperative of √brū); tell; expound
इतिitithus; how
Translation
They answered: "What a man has come for, of that one ought to speak to him. You are at present studying the Vaiśvānara-ātman — tell us of him."
Version
e1d5f6034165 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:30:39 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The guests' answer is a model of a seeker's directness: "what a man has come for, of that one ought to speak". They decline the king's dakṣiṇā as calmly as Uddālaka declined Pravāhaṇa's gifts (5.3.6): one who has come for the ātman is embarrassed to leave with gold. Their single request is "tell us of him".
In this scene the price of a vidyā is finally established: it is not bought with honours, nor issued as a salary — it is asked for by name and received as a mercy. A seeker who can refuse the lesser thing offered proves that he has grown to the greater; so too in bhakti: the Lord readily gives worldly gifts, but gives Himself only to one who asks for Him.