Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,6.3
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् यत्र एतत् सुप्तः समस्तः संप्रसन्नः स्वप्नम् न विजानाति आसु तदा नाडीषु सृप्तः भवति तम् न कश्चन पाप्मा स्पृशति तेजसा हि तदा संपन्नः भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
tat yatra etat suptaḥ samastaḥ saṃprasannaḥ svapnam na vijānāti āsu tadā nāḍīṣu sṛptaḥ bhavati tam na kaścana pāpmā spṛśati tejasā hi tadā saṃpannaḥ bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
यत्रyatrawhere; when
एतत्etatthis; all this
सुप्तःsuptaḥasleep (supta); one who has fallen asleep; the sleeper
समस्तःsamastaḥgathered up (samasta — 'drawn into one'); whole; the collected one
संप्रसन्नःsaṃprasannaḥserene (saṁprasanna — 'clear and still'); the serene one; the serene one
स्वप्नम्svapnamof dream (svapna — the dream-state); vision in sleep; dream
नnanot; no
विजानातिvijānātihe comes to know; one distinguishes
आसुāsuin these; into them
तदाtadāthen; at the moment when
नाडीषुnāḍīṣuin the channels; in the veins
सृप्तःsṛptaḥhaving entered; spread abroad
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
तम्tamit; that one
नnanot; no
कश्चनkaścanaanyone; someone
पाप्माpāpmāevil; sin
स्पृशतिspṛśatiit touches (from √spṛś); it reaches; it comes in contact
तेजसाtejasāby the radiance (tejas, instrumental); by light; by the radiance
हिhiindeed; truly
तदाtadāthen; at the moment when
संपन्नःsaṃpannaḥharnessed; having attained
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
Translation
And when a man sleeps — gathered, serene, seeing no dreams — then he has entered these channels. No evil touches him: he is then clothed in radiance.
Version
3851042e300f · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:52:58 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A testimony from every night: in deep dreamless sleep the soul has "entered the channels" — that very solar network — and therefore "no evil touches it": it is "clothed in radiance" (tejasā sampannaḥ). This is why deep sleep is holy and healing: the sleeper is literally a guest in the light; this is why one wakes feeling washed — one has been washed.
For the third time the Upaniṣad returns to the mystery of sleep (after 6.8.1 and 8.3.2), adding a detail each time: "united with Being" → "goes into the world of Brahman but does not find it" → "enters the channels and is clothed in radiance". Night is a daily rehearsal of a good departure; the death of a knower, as will now be said, goes by the same route, only without a return.