Upanishads · Chāndogya 7,2.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः वाचम् ब्रह्म इति उपास्ते यावत् वाचः गतम् तत्र अस्य यथाकामचारः भवति यः वाचम् ब्रह्म इति उपास्ते अस्ति भगवः वाचः भूयः इति वाचः वाव भूयः अस्ति इति तत् मे भगवान् ब्रवीतु इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ vācam brahma iti upāste yāvat vācaḥ gatam tatra asya yathākāmacāraḥ bhavati yaḥ vācam brahma iti upāste asti bhagavaḥ vācaḥ bhūyaḥ iti vācaḥ vāva bhūyaḥ asti iti tat me bhagavān bravītu iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
वाचम्vācamspeech; the word
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
यावत्yāvatas long as; as far as
वाचःvācaḥof speech (vāc, genitive); in speech; of speech
गतम्gatamwhat is attained; the region
तत्रtatrathere; in this
अस्यasyaof this; it
यथाकामचारःyathākāmacāraḥfree movement at will; access at will
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
यःyaḥwho; the one who
वाचम्vācamspeech; the word
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
अस्तिastiam; exists
भगवःbhagavaḥvenerable one; sir
वाचःvācaḥof speech (vāc, genitive); in speech; of speech
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
इतिitithus; how
वाचःvācaḥof speech (vāc, genitive); in speech; of speech
वावvāvatruly; indeed
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
अस्तिastiam; exists
इतिitithus; how
तत्tatthat; this
मेmemyself; for me
भगवान्bhagavānvenerable one; esteemed one
ब्रवीतुbravītulet him tell; let him instruct
इतिitithus; how
Translation
He who venerates speech as Brahman is free to move as he wishes everywhere that speech reaches." — "Sir, is there anything greater than speech?" — "There is something greater than speech." — "Tell it to me, sir."
Version
94cba78aee7d · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:44:07 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The reward of the second rung is freedom throughout the realm of speech: the power of the word, the gift of persuading, of singing praise, of teaching. For Nārada, the singer of the worlds, this is almost a self-portrait — and all the more significant that he asks again: "is there anything greater?"
A singer who asks what is higher than song is the image of every honest art and every honest learning. A gift does not satisfy the gifted until he finds the Giver; and Sanatkumāra's ladder is, in essence, a guide leading a gift to its Giver, in which every "there is something greater" is a step of grateful self-surpassing.