Upanishads · Chāndogya 6,15.3
॥
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; thus
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
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
भूयःbhūyaḥany more (bhūyas); further; besides
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
04b1b1220fde · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:42:00 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The eighth tat tvam asi — pronounced, in effect, over the deathbed of a parable. The context makes it the most fearless of them all: what fails to recognise the family is only the furled instruments; you are not they. You are of that Essence into which what departs departs; the death just shown at close quarters is a procedure for returning what was borrowed, and you are not on the list of what is returned.
One parable remains — and it will be neither about composition nor about death but about truth as an ordeal: the red-hot axe. After it the refrain will sound for the ninth time — and for the first time be understood.