Upanishads · Chāndogya 6,16.2
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ यदि तस्य अकर्ता भवति ततः एव सत्यम् आत्मानम् कुरुते सः सत्याभिसन्धः सत्येन आत्मानम् अन्तर्धाय परशुम् तप्तम् प्रतिगृह्णाति सः न दह्यते अथ मुच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yadi tasya akartā bhavati tataḥ eva satyam ātmānam kurute saḥ satyābhisandhaḥ satyena ātmānam antardhāya paraśum taptam pratigṛhṇāti saḥ na dahyate atha mucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; then
यदिyadiif; but if
तस्यtasyait; concerning this
अकर्ताakartāthe one who did not do it (a-kartṛ); the innocent; he who committed nothing
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
ततःtataḥthan this; from that
एवevaindeed; surely
सत्यम्satyamtruth; reality
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
कुरुतेkurutemakes; he performs
सःsaḥhe; that one
सत्याभिसन्धःsatyābhisandhaḥone whose resolve is truth (satya-abhisandha); settled in truth; with truth in his intent
सत्येनsatyenaby truth; by truth
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
अन्तर्धायantardhāyahaving covered himself; having concealed himself
परशुम्paraśuman axe; a hatchet
तप्तम्taptammade red-hot; heated
प्रतिगृह्णातिpratigṛhṇātitakes; receives
सःsaḥhe; that one
नnanot; no
दह्यतेdahyatehe is scorched; he is burnt
अथathathereupon; then
मुच्यतेmucyatehe is released (passive of √muc); is freed; he is set free
Translation
But if he has not done it, he makes himself true; wrapping himself in truth, he takes hold of the heated axe — he is not burnt, and he is set free.
Version
9711ca0f1b4a · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:42:00 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The other side of the ordeal: an innocent man "makes himself true" and, wrapped in truth (satyena ātmānam antardhāya), takes hold of the same iron — and is not burnt. The garment of truth proves to be the only fireproof clothing; for the truthful the fire is a witness, not an executioner.
Let a modern ear not stumble over the archaism of the trial: the Upaniṣad takes the ordeal as a picture everyone understands, in order to state a law the chapter has been preparing from the beginning — from the boy Satyakāma, who did not lie about his birth (4.4), and from kingdoms in which "there is no thief" (5.11.5): truth is the same substance as being, and one who stands in it stands in the incombustible. "Truth alone conquers" — satyam eva jayate (Muṇḍaka 3.1.6) — is not a wish but the physics of the spirit.