Upanishads · Chāndogya 5,22.1
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ याम् चतुर्थीम् जुहुयात् ताम् जुहुयात् समानाय स्वाहा इति समानः तृप्यति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yām caturthīm juhuyāt tām juhuyāt samānāya svāhā iti samānaḥ tṛpyati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
याम्yāmwhich; that
चतुर्थीम्caturthīmthe fourth (caturthī); the fourth; the fourth in order
जुहुयात्juhuyātlet him make the oblation; let him bring
ताम्tāmit; that
जुहुयात्juhuyātlet him make the oblation; let him bring
समानायsamānāyato the samāna (sam-āna — the 'equalizing' breath of digestion); to the equalizing breath; to samāna
स्वाहाsvāhāsvāhā; the sacrificial exclamation
इतिitithus; how
समानःsamānaḥthe samāna (the equalizing breath); the samāna; the middle breath
तृप्यतिtṛpyatiis satisfied; is sated
Translation
Let him make the fourth oblation with the words: "To the samāna, svāhā!" Then the samāna is satisfied.
Version
9bf06b16170a · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:33:32 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth mouthful goes to the samāna, the "equalising" breath (sam + √an), which brings what is eaten and drunk together and distributes it evenly: this is the fire of digestion in its subtle, administrative work. To feed the feeder is a justice peculiar to this sacrifice: all its life the samāna divides food among the powers, and now a share is set aside for it.
The Gītā calls this work by the very name Vaiśvānara: "Becoming the fire Vaiśvānara, I dwell in the body of those that breathe and, joined with the prāṇa and the apāna, digest the fourfold food" (BG 15.14). The cry "to the samāna, svāhā" is addressed in substance to Him — to the Lord humbly working as a cook in every body.