Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,2.10
॥
Devanāgarī
यम् यम् अन्तम् अभिकामः भवति यम् कामम् कामयते सः अस्य संकल्पात् एव समुत्तिष्ठति तेन संपन्नः महीयते
Transliteration (IAST)
yam yam antam abhikāmaḥ bhavati yam kāmam kāmayate saḥ asya saṃkalpāt eva samuttiṣṭhati tena saṃpannaḥ mahīyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यम्yamwhom; that one
यम्yamwhom; that one
अन्तम्antamthe region (anta — 'a bound, a district'); of the bourne; of the quarter
अभिकामःabhikāmaḥhaving desired (abhi-kāma); longing for it; set upon it by desire
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
यम्yamwhom; that one
कामम्kāmamas much as you wish; as you wish
कामयतेkāmayatehe desires (from √kam); he wishes for; desires
सःsaḥhe; that one
अस्यasyaof this; it
संकल्पात्saṃkalpātthan intention; from intention
एवevaindeed; surely
समुत्तिष्ठतिsamuttiṣṭhatiarises; ascends
तेनtenawith that; by means of this
संपन्नःsaṃpannaḥhaving become united (sam-panna); harnessed; having attained
महीयतेmahīyateis glorified; is magnified
Translation
Whatever region he desires, whatever desire he desires — by his mere resolve it arises; united with it, he is exalted.
Version
88fd448c7252 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:51:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The catalogue's summarising verse removes all limits: "whatever region… whatever desire" — the eight pictures were examples, not an inventory. The freedom of a satya-kāma cannot be catalogued: every pure wanting is fulfilled by the wanting itself.
Here it is worth looking back at Nārada's ladder: there each rung gave a kāma-cāra "within the bounds" of the rung — here there are no bounds, for the desirer has grown together with Him in whom all bounds are. But the Upaniṣad will not let a reader carry this away as a promise of magic: the next khaṇḍa will explain at once why we, who carry the same treasury in our breast, live as paupers — the true desires are "covered with falsehood". The diagnosis matters more than the miracle.