Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,1.4
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् चेद् ब्रूयुः अस्मिंश् च इदम् ब्रह्मपुरे सर्वम् समाहितम् सर्वाणि च भूतानि सर्वे च कामाः यत् एनत् जरा वा आप्नोति प्रध्वंसते वा किम् ततः अतिशिष्यते इति
Transliteration (IAST)
tam ced brūyuḥ asmiṃś ca idam brahmapure sarvam samāhitam sarvāṇi ca bhūtāni sarve ca kāmāḥ yat enat jarā vā āpnoti pradhvaṃsate vā kim tataḥ atiśiṣyate iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम्tamit; that one
चेद्cedif; but if
ब्रूयुःbrūyuḥthey would say; they would call
अस्मिंश्asmiṃśin this; in this
चcaand; as well as
इदम्idamthis; thus
ब्रह्मपुरेbrahmapurein the city of Brahman; in the sacred city of the body
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
समाहितम्samāhitamit is gathered; it is comprised
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; the whole
चcaand; as well as
भूतानिbhūtānibeings; the elements
सर्वेsarveall; all
चcaand; as well as
कामाःkāmāḥdesires; aspirations
यत्yatwhich; that which
एनत्enatthis; it
जराjarāold age (jarā); decrepitude; ageing
वाvāverily; surely
आप्नोतिāpnotiit overtakes (from √āp); attains; realises
प्रध्वंसतेpradhvaṃsateit perishes (pra + √dhvaṁs — 'it falls to ruin'); it is destroyed; perishes
वाvāverily; surely
किम्kimwhat; why
ततःtataḥthan this; from that
अतिशिष्यतेatiśiṣyateit remains over (ati + √śiṣ — 'it survives'); he lives through; survives
इतिitithus; how
Translation
If they should ask him: "If everything is contained in this city of Brahman — all beings and all desires — then when old age overtakes it, or when it falls apart, what remains?" —
Version
33bfc7b1ef7c · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:49:49 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second objection is stronger than the first, and again the Upaniṣad honestly gives it a voice: if the treasury of everything is in the body, does an ageing body bury it all? Do the old age and the collapse of the "city" not end its royal contents as well?
The question strikes at the sorest spot of every "inward" theology: have you not tied the eternal to the mortal by placing it in the heart? The answer will require distinguishing the city from its Dweller — the very distinction taught already by the tree and the jīva (6.11), and the one that will be Indra's chief examination in the chapter's second half. The Upaniṣad never hides hard questions — it cultivates them, so that the answer may be hard-won.