Upanishads · Chāndogya 6,5.4
॥
Devanāgarī
अन्नमयम् हि सोम्य मनः आपोमयः प्राणः तेजोमयी वाक् इति भूयः एव मा भगवान् विज्ञापयतु इति तथा सोम्य इति ह उवाच
Transliteration (IAST)
annamayam hi somya manaḥ āpomayaḥ prāṇaḥ tejomayī vāk iti bhūyaḥ eva mā bhagavān vijñāpayatu iti tathā somya iti ha uvāca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अन्नमयम्annamayammade of food (anna-maya); food in composition; woven of food
हिhiindeed; truly
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
मनःmanaḥthe mind; thinking
आपोमयःāpomayaḥmade of water (āpo-maya); water in composition; woven of the waters
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
तेजोमयीtejomayīmade of heat (tejo-mayī); fiery in composition; woven of heat
वाक्vākspeech; the word
इतिitithus; how
भूयःbhūyaḥfurther (bhūyas — 'more'); further; still greater
एवevaindeed; surely
माmānot; me
भगवान्bhagavānvenerable one; esteemed one
विज्ञापयतुvijñāpayatulet him make it understood (causative of vi + √jñā); let him instruct me; let him make it understood
इतिitithus; how
तथाtathāthus; so be it
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
Translation
"For the mind, my dear, consists of food, the breath of the waters, speech of heat." — "Let your reverence explain to me still further." — "So be it, my dear," he said.
Version
21647f4e1d8a · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:37:31 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The result is minted into a formula: anna-mayaṁ manaḥ — "the mind consists of food", āpo-mayaḥ prāṇaḥ — "the breath of the waters", tejo-mayī vāk — "speech of heat". Three "-mayas", three compositions; with the same suffixes the Taittirīya builds its sheaths of the soul (annamaya, prāṇamaya…): man is a layered being, and every layer has its own kitchen.
And for the first time the request sounds that will become the refrain of the whole chapter: bhūya eva mā bhagavān vijñāpayatu — "let your reverence explain to me still further". Nine times Śvetaketu will repeat it — and in that repetition is the whole changed youth: the braggart who knew everything has become a petitioner insatiable for truth. A pupil is known not by his answers but by the unquenchableness of his questions; the father's "so be it, my dear" will each time open the next door.