Upanishads · Chāndogya 7,6.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः ध्यानं ब्रह्म इति उपास्ते यावत् ध्यानस्य गतम् तत्र अस्य यथाकामचारः भवति यः ध्यानं ब्रह्म इति उपास्ते अस्ति भगवः ध्यानात् भूयः इति ध्यानात् वाव भूयः अस्ति इति तत् मे भगवान् ब्रवीतु इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ dhyānaṃ brahma iti upāste yāvat dhyānasya gatam tatra asya yathākāmacāraḥ bhavati yaḥ dhyānaṃ brahma iti upāste asti bhagavaḥ dhyānāt bhūyaḥ iti dhyānāt vāva bhūyaḥ asti iti tat me bhagavān bravītu iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
ध्यानंdhyānaṃthe contemplation; meditation
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
यावत्yāvatas long as; as far as
ध्यानस्यdhyānasyaof contemplation (dhyāna, genitive); in contemplation; of dhyāna
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
ध्यानंdhyānaṃthe contemplation; meditation
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
अस्तिastiam; exists
भगवःbhagavaḥvenerable one; sir
ध्यानात्dhyānātthan contemplation; from meditation
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
इतिitithus; how
ध्यानात्dhyānātthan contemplation; from meditation
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 contemplation as Brahman is free to move as he wishes everywhere that contemplation reaches." — "Sir, is there anything greater than contemplation?" — "There is something greater than contemplation." — "Tell it to me, sir."
Version
428a59dc352a · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:44:07 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Freedom in the realm of contemplation — a realm which some schools take for the summit of the path. But Sanatkumāra's ladder does not linger here either: contemplation is a power of aiming, not a power of discerning; one may contemplate deeply and understand wrongly.
Hence the next rung will be vijñāna, discerning comprehension. The order is instructive: concentration without understanding is blind, as understanding without concentration is barren; the Upaniṣad strings them on one chain, allowing no idol to be made either of trance or of intellect.