Upanishads · Chāndogya 7,5.1
॥
Devanāgarī
चित्तं वाव संकल्पात् भूयः यदा वै चेतयते अथ संकल्पयते अथ मनस्यति अथ वाचम् ईरयति ताम् उ नाम्नीयूअति नाम्नि मन्त्राः एकम् भवन्ति मन्त्रेषु कर्माणि
Transliteration (IAST)
cittaṃ vāva saṃkalpāt bhūyaḥ yadā vai cetayate atha saṃkalpayate atha manasyati atha vācam īrayati tām u nāmnīyūati nāmni mantrāḥ ekam bhavanti mantreṣu karmāṇi
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चित्तंcittaṃthought (citta — awareness, attention); wisdom; thought as attention
वावvāvatruly; indeed
संकल्पात्saṃkalpātthan intention; from intention
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
वैvaiverily; indeed
चेतयतेcetayatehe becomes aware (from √cit — 'to perceive'); he is aware; he grasps it by attention
अथathathereupon; then
संकल्पयतेsaṃkalpayatehe intends; he makes the resolve
अथathathereupon; then
मनस्यतिmanasyatihe thinks; he intends
अथathathereupon; then
वाचम्vācamspeech; the word
ईरयतिīrayatiit sets in motion; it moves
ताम्tāmit; that
उusurely; indeed
नाम्नीयूअतिnāmnīyūatihe directs toward the name; he joins with the name
नाम्निnāmniin the name; in the designation
मन्त्राःmantrāḥmantras; the sacred texts
एकम्ekamone; single
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
मन्त्रेषुmantreṣuin the mantras; among the sacred texts
कर्माणिkarmāṇideeds; rites
Translation
"Thought is greater than resolve. When a man thinks a thing over, then he resolves, then he considers in his mind, then he sets speech in motion, and directs it into a name. In a name the mantras merge, and in the mantras the rites.
Version
f5c74fa9f4a9 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:44:07 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth rung: citta — thought as awareness, living attention. Before resolving one must think a thing over: cetayate — "he is aware", weighs, sees how matters stand. Resolve without reflection is a leap in the dark; the citta is the light by which a resolve chooses what to become.
The chain lengthens with every step: thought → resolve → mind → speech → name → mantras → rites. Sanatkumāra unfolds before Nārada the anatomy of an act, layer by layer — and every time it turns out that the "motor" is itself moved. This ascent by causes is the oldest of the roads to God: from effect to cause, until you meet the Causeless.