Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,18.1
॥
Devanāgarī
तान् ह उवाच एते वै खलु यूयम् पृथग् इव इमम् आत्मानम् वैश्वानरम् विद्वांसः अन्नम् अत्थ यः तु एतम् एवम् प्रादेशमात्रम् अभिविमानम् आत्मानम् वैश्वानरम् उपास्ते सः सर्वेषु लोकेषु सर्वेषु भूतेषु सर्वेषु आत्मसु अन्नम् अत्ति
Transliteration (IAST)
tān ha uvāca ete vai khalu yūyam pṛthag iva imam ātmānam vaiśvānaram vidvāṃsaḥ annam attha yaḥ tu etam evam prādeśamātram abhivimānam ātmānam vaiśvānaram upāste saḥ sarveṣu lokeṣu sarveṣu bhūteṣu sarveṣu ātmasu annam atti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तान्tānof them; those
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
एतेetethese; the present
वैvaiverily; indeed
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
यूयम्yūyamyou; all of you
पृथग्pṛthagpiecemeal (pṛthak — 'separately'); severally; severally
इवivaas it were; as though
इमम्imamthis; of this
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
वैश्वानरम्vaiśvānaramVaiśvānara; the universal fire-man
विद्वांसःvidvāṃsaḥknowing (vidvas, plural); the knowing; as knowers
अन्नम्annamfood; food
अत्थatthayou eat (second plural of √ad); you partake; you feed
यःyaḥwho; the one who
तुtubut; surely
एतम्etamit; of this
एवम्evamthus; in this way
प्रादेशमात्रम्prādeśamātramof the measure of a span (prādeśa-mātra — 'a span in size'); a span in extent; of a span's measure
अभिविमानम्abhivimānamsurpassing all measure (abhi-vimāna — 'beyond measuring'); measureless; not contained by measure
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
वैश्वानरम्vaiśvānaramVaiśvānara; the universal fire-man
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
सःsaḥhe; that one
सर्वेषुsarveṣuin all; in all; everywhere in
लोकेषुlokeṣuin the worlds; in the abodes
सर्वेषुsarveṣuin all; in all; everywhere in
भूतेषुbhūteṣuin beings (bhūta); among the beasts; in the living
सर्वेषुsarveṣuin all; in all; everywhere in
आत्मसुātmasuin the selves (ātman, plural); in the souls; in the selves
अन्नम्annamfood; food
अत्तिattieats; consumes
Translation
And he said to them: "You eat food knowing this Vaiśvānara-ātman as it were in parts. But he who venerates him as of the measure of a span and yet surpassing every measure — he eats food in all the worlds, in all beings, in all selves.
Version
86ee82163790 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:32:08 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is the correction of all six: you knew him "as it were separately" (pṛthag iva) — and lived by the fruits of parts; know him whole, and you will "eat food in all the worlds, in all beings, in all selves", that is, partake of the life of everything living. The formula of the whole is deliberately paradoxical: prādeśa-mātram abhivimānam — "of the measure of a span, and measurable by nothing". The Vaiśvānara fits into a span — into the small space of the heart, from the crown to the chin of a praying face — and he also surpasses every measurement.
This is the very twofoldness by which all the great vidyās of the Chāndogya live: "smaller than a grain of millet — greater than all the worlds" (3.14.3); the ātman "in the small lotus of the heart" and he is also heaven and earth (8.1). The Lord is wholly in the span of a heart and wholly everywhere; the smallness of his containment and the immeasurability of his being do not conflict, for he is not divided into parts but present entire. One who venerates so ceases to be a dependant of a single tier of the universe: he sits at one table with the whole world — a guest of the Master of all houses.