Upanishads · Chāndogya 6,9.4
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः एषः अणिमा एतत् आत्म्यम् इदम् सर्वम् तत् सत्यम् सः आत्मा तत् त्वम् असि श्वेतकेतो इति भूयः एव मा भगवान् विज्ञापयतु इति तथा सोम्य इति ह उवाच
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ eṣaḥ aṇimā etat ātmyam idam sarvam tat satyam saḥ ātmā tat tvam asi śvetaketo iti bhūyaḥ eva mā bhagavān vijñāpayatu iti tathā somya iti ha uvāca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
अणिमाaṇimāthe subtle essence (aṇiman); the subtlest essence; subtlety
एतत्etatthis; all this
आत्म्यम्ātmyamwhose essence; the nature
इदम्idamthis; thus
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
तत्tatthat; this
सत्यम्satyamtruth (satya); reality; the true
सःsaḥhe; that one
आत्माātmāthe Ātman (ātman); the Spirit; the Self
तत्tatthat; this
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
असिasiare you; you
श्वेतकेतोśvetaketoO Śvetaketu; Śvetaketu
इतिitithus; how
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
एवevaindeed; surely
माmānot; me
भगवान्bhagavānvenerable one; esteemed one
विज्ञापयतुvijñāpayatulet him explain; let him make it understood
इतिitithus; how
तथाtathāthus; so be it
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
Translation
"That subtle essence is that of which all this consists; that is the truth; that is the ātman. You are that, Śvetaketu." — "Let your reverence explain to me still further." — "So be it, my dear," he said.
Version
2f2b9ab0095a · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:40:33 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second sounding of tat tvam asi — now after the parable of honey, and the parable gives it a shade: you are of that Sweetness into which all the saps flow; your "I" is not lost in it, as no flower's labour was lost in the honey — it merely does not remember itself. The father's word is an alarm-clock in the midst of the honey: know where you are.
From now on every parable will end with this refrain, and the repetition is a method: the truth of the soul's origin cannot be "communicated" once; it must be sung until it is heard from within. So too the bhakti tradition holds to repetition — of the name, of hearing, of remembrance: not because the truth is weak but because the sleep is deep.