Upanishads · Chāndogya 7,13.2
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः स्मरम् ब्रह्म इति उपास्ते यावत् स्मरस्य गतम् तत्र अस्य यथाकामचारः भवति यः स्मरम् ब्रह्म इति उपास्ते अस्ति भगवः स्मराद् भूयः इति स्मराद् वाव भूयः अस्ति इति तत् मे भगवान् ब्रवीतु इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ smaram brahma iti upāste yāvat smarasya gatam tatra asya yathākāmacāraḥ bhavati yaḥ smaram brahma iti upāste asti bhagavaḥ smarād bhūyaḥ iti smarād vāva bhūyaḥ asti iti tat me bhagavān bravītu iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
स्मरम्smarammemory; the power of remembering
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
यावत्yāvatas long as; as far as
स्मरस्यsmarasyaof memory (smara, genitive); in memory; of remembering
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
स्मरम्smarammemory; the power of remembering
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; sacred knowledge
इतिitithus; how
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
अस्तिastiam; exists
भगवःbhagavaḥvenerable one; sir
स्मराद्smarādthan memory; from memory
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
इतिitithus; how
स्मराद्smarādthan memory; from memory
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 memory as Brahman is free to move as he wishes everywhere that memory reaches." — "Sir, is there anything greater than memory?" — "There is something greater than memory." — "Tell it to me, sir."
Version
abb1517d4f18 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:46:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Freedom in the realm of memory is mastery of all accumulated experience, a living possession of the past. But memory looks backward; what makes it work and reach forward?
The teacher's answer is subtle: hope. Memory is a storeroom; hope is the fire beneath it. The Upaniṣad's psychology here is centuries ahead of its time: what moves a man is not the past but the expected; recollection serves expectation.