Upanishads · Chāndogya 7,19.1
॥
Devanāgarī
यदा वै श्रद्दधाति अथ मनुते न अश्रद्दधन् मनुते श्रद्दधत् एव मनुते श्रद्धा तु एव विजिज्ञासितव्या इति श्रद्धां भगवः विजिज्ञासे इति
Transliteration (IAST)
yadā vai śraddadhāti atha manute na aśraddadhan manute śraddadhat eva manute śraddhā tu eva vijijñāsitavyā iti śraddhāṃ bhagavaḥ vijijñāse iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
वैvaiverily; indeed
श्रद्दधातिśraddadhātihe believes (śrat + √dhā — 'he sets his heart on it'); he trusts; he has faith
अथathathereupon; then
मनुतेmanutehe thinks; he reflects
नnanot; no
अश्रद्दधन्aśraddadhannot believing (a-śraddadhat); without faith; without trust
मनुतेmanutehe thinks; he reflects
श्रद्दधत्śraddadhatthe believer; the trusting one
एवevaindeed; surely
मनुतेmanutehe thinks; he reflects
श्रद्धाśraddhāfaith (śraddhā); the heart's trust; the śrāddha
तुtubut; surely
एवevaindeed; surely
विजिज्ञासितव्याvijijñāsitavyāshe must be known; she must be investigated
इतिitithus; how
श्रद्धांśraddhāṃfaith; trust
भगवःbhagavaḥvenerable one; sir
विजिज्ञासेvijijñāseI wish to know; I would investigate
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"When a man has faith, then he thinks; without faith, he does not think: only one who has faith thinks. But faith must be sought to be comprehended." — "I seek to comprehend faith, sir."
Version
0069ca139077 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:46:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third condition — and the most unexpected for a rationalist: śraddhā, faith, stands before thought. No one thinks hard about what he does not trust: without a prior "there is truth here" the mind simply will not set to work. Faith is not a capitulation of reason but its ignition; every inquiry begins with a trust in the meaningfulness of what is sought.
We heard this word on Uddālaka's lips over the nyagrodha seed: śraddhatsva — "believe!" (6.12.2). The Gītā will mint it: śraddhāvāl labhate jñānam — "the man of faith obtains knowledge" (BG 4.39). The faith in question is not the credulity of a crowd but that consent of the heart (śrat + dhā, "to place the heart") without which even the Vedas are noise. Hence the road to Truth is impassable for a proud scepticism: it halts thought at the threshold.