Upanishads · Chāndogya 7,22.1
॥
Devanāgarī
यदा वै सुखं लभते अथ करोति न असुखं लब्ध्वा करोति सुखम् एव लब्ध्वा करोति सुखं तु एव विजिज्ञासितव्यम् इति सुखं भगवः विजिज्ञासे इति
Transliteration (IAST)
yadā vai sukhaṃ labhate atha karoti na asukhaṃ labdhvā karoti sukham eva labdhvā karoti sukhaṃ tu eva vijijñāsitavyam iti sukhaṃ bhagavaḥ vijijñāse iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
वैvaiverily; indeed
सुखंsukhaṃhappiness (sukha); gladness; happiness
लभतेlabhatehe gains (from √labh); gains; obtains
अथathathereupon; then
करोतिkarotimakes; he places
नnanot; no
असुखंasukhaṃno happiness; the absence of bliss
लब्ध्वाlabdhvāhaving obtained (from √labh); having gained; having obtained
करोतिkarotimakes; he places
सुखम्sukhamhappiness; bliss
एवevaindeed; surely
लब्ध्वाlabdhvāhaving obtained (from √labh); having gained; having obtained
करोतिkarotimakes; he places
सुखंsukhaṃhappiness (sukha); gladness; happiness
तुtubut; surely
एवevaindeed; surely
विजिज्ञासितव्यम्vijijñāsitavyamit should be known; must be investigated
इतिitithus; how
सुखंsukhaṃhappiness (sukha); gladness; happiness
भगवःbhagavaḥvenerable one; sir
विजिज्ञासेvijijñāseI wish to know; I would investigate
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"When a man obtains happiness, then he acts; not obtaining happiness, he does not act: only one who obtains happiness acts. But happiness must be sought to be comprehended." — "I seek to comprehend happiness, sir."
Version
04dc1d547e36 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:48:34 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The sixth and last link of the chain — and it overturns conventional morality: sukhaṁ labdhvā karoti — a man acts only when he obtains happiness. At the root of all doing lies neither duty nor fear but a taste of joy: no one lifts a finger without at least the foretaste of a good. The psychology of desire is opened to the bottom: beneath truth is understanding, beneath it thought, faith, steadfastness, action — and beneath all of them a thirst for happiness.
And so the path's last question is not "what is true?" but "what is happiness?". Sanatkumāra has brought his pupil to this question — and will now give the answer for whose sake the whole chapter has been told: a definition of happiness through the Boundless. All Vedāntic thought about the soul seeking ānanda by its very nature is an unfolding of this line.