Upanishads · Chāndogya 6,6.1
॥
Devanāgarī
दध्नः सोम्य मथ्यमानस्य यः अणिमा सः ऊर्ध्वः समुदीषति तत् सर्पिः भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
dadhnaḥ somya mathyamānasya yaḥ aṇimā saḥ ūrdhvaḥ samudīṣati tat sarpiḥ bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दध्नःdadhnaḥof curds (dadhi, genitive); in the curds; of the curdled milk
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
मथ्यमानस्यmathyamānasyabeing churned (passive participle of √math); in the churning; while it is being stirred
यःyaḥwho; the one who
अणिमाaṇimāthe finest part (aṇiman — 'subtlety'); the subtle portion; the subtle essence
सःsaḥhe; that one
ऊर्ध्वःūrdhvaḥupward (ūrdhva); upward; to the top
समुदीषतिsamudīṣatiit rises (sam-ud + √īṣ — 'to float up'); it comes to the surface; rises
तत्tatthat; this
सर्पिःsarpiḥas butter (sarpis — clarified butter); ghee; as ghee
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
Translation
"When curds are churned, my dear, the subtlest part of them rises upward and becomes butter.
Version
ff70a86d4af6 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:37:31 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
So that the table shall not remain a bare assertion, the father takes an example from the household kitchen: the churning of curds. The subtlest part (aṇiman) neither sinks nor scatters in the churning — it gathers upward and becomes butter. So, before the eyes of every Indian child, this khaṇḍa's chief law is repeated every morning: everything has a subtle essence, and it rises.
The image is chosen with intent: √math, "to churn", is the same root as in the mantha (5.2.4) and in the churning of the ocean. The world is known by churning: life churns substance and the subtle comes to the top. The same will be done to the pupil by the fast of the next khaṇḍa: fifteen days will "churn" his composition so that he may see for himself what in him is butter and what is whey.