Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,3.3
॥
Devanāgarī
सः वै एषः आत्मा हृदि तस्य एतत् एव निरुक्तम् हृदि अयम् इति तस्मात् हृद् अयम् अहर् अहर् वा एवम्वित् स्वर्गम् लोकम् एति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ vai eṣaḥ ātmā hṛdi tasya etat eva niruktam hṛdi ayam iti tasmāt hṛd ayam ahar ahar vā evamvit svargam lokam eti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
वैvaiverily; indeed
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
आत्माātmāthe Ātman; the inner self
हृदिhṛdiin the heart (hṛd, locative); into the heart; into the heart
तस्यtasyait; concerning this
एतत्etatthis; all this
एवevaindeed; surely
निरुक्तम्niruktamthe derivation (nirukta — 'the explanation of a word'); the etymology; the exposition
हृदिhṛdiin the heart (hṛd, locative); into the heart; into the heart
अयम्ayamhe (ayam — 'this one'); this; he
इतिitithus; how
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
हृद्hṛdthe heart (hṛd); the heart; the heart
अयम्ayamhe (ayam — 'this one'); this; he
अहर्aharthe day; day by day
अहर्aharthe day; day by day
वाvāverily; surely
एवम्वित्evamvithe who knows thus (evam-vid); he who knows thus; one who has realised this
स्वर्गम्svargamto the heavenly (svarga); to the celestial; into the heavenly world
लोकम्lokamthe world; dwelling
एतिetiattains; comes to
Translation
This ātman is in the heart. Here is the explanation: "he is in the heart" (hṛdi ayam) — hence "hṛdayam". He who knows thus goes day after day to the heavenly world.
Version
257225e8f636 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:51:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The seal on the hoard is etymological: the very word hṛdayam, "heart", the Upaniṣad reads as hṛdi ayam — "He is in the heart". The organ's name proves to be a folded confession: every time a man says "heart", human speech testifies who lives in it. As before with svapiti ("he sleeps" = "he has gone into his own", 6.8.1) and aśanāyā ("hunger" = "the waters lead away", 6.8.3), revelation is overheard in the dictionary itself.
And the consequence for the knower: "day after day he goes to the heavenly world" — daily, ahar ahar! That very nightly entry into the world of Brahman which passes for nothing with the ignorant (8.3.2) becomes for the knower a daily ascent: he lies down to sleep as one enters a sanctuary. Knowledge does not change the route — it opens the eyes of the one walking it.