Upanishads · Chāndogya 6,12.3
॥
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; subtlety
एतत्etatthis; all this
आत्म्यम्ātmyamwhose essence; the nature
इदम्idamthis (idam — 'all this world'); all this; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall (sarva); the whole; all
तत्tatthat; this
सत्यम्satyamtruth; reality
सःsaḥhe; that one
आत्माātmāthe Ātman; the inner 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
1737e293bd91 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:40:33 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth tat tvam asi — after the nyagrodha seed, and the parable lends it its sense: as in a seed that looks empty there is the force of a grove, so in you, findable at no "split" of body or mind, there is an essence from Being. Take yourself apart down to "nothing" and what you are will not show on the cut, for it is subtler than the cut.
This is also a caution to all analysis: dissecting, you find emptiness — not because there is no essence but because the knife is the wrong organ. To oneself, as to the seed, one is led not by a scalpel but by faith in a knower's word — that śraddhā which the father has just demanded for the first time in the whole chapter.