Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,9.3
॥
Devanāgarī
एवम् एव एषः मघवन् इति ह उवाच एतम् तु एव ते भूयः अनुव्याख्यास्यामि वस अपराणि द्वात्रिंशतम् वर्षाणि इति सः ह अपराणि द्वात्रिंशतम् वर्षाणि उवास तस्मै ह उवाच
Transliteration (IAST)
evam eva eṣaḥ maghavan iti ha uvāca etam tu eva te bhūyaḥ anuvyākhyāsyāmi vasa aparāṇi dvātriṃśatam varṣāṇi iti saḥ ha aparāṇi dvātriṃśatam varṣāṇi uvāsa tasmai ha uvāca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एवevaindeed; surely
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
मघवन्maghavanO Maghavan; O Indra
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
एतम्etamit; of this
तुtubut; surely
एवevaindeed; surely
तेteto you; for you
भूयःbhūyaḥgreater; the highest
अनुव्याख्यास्यामिanuvyākhyāsyāmiI shall explain it further (anu-vi-ā + √khyā, future); I shall expound more; I shall interpret further
वसvasalive here (imperative of √vas); stay; live out
अपराणिaparāṇiyet more (apara — 'others'); other; besides
द्वात्रिंशतम्dvātriṃśatamthirty-two; thirty-two in number
वर्षाणिvarṣāṇiyears; years
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
अपराणिaparāṇiyet more (apara — 'others'); other; besides
द्वात्रिंशतम्dvātriṃśatamthirty-two; thirty-two in number
वर्षाणिvarṣāṇiyears; years
उवासuvāsahe lived (perfect of √vas); he lived out; you have spent
तस्मैtasmaito Him; to him
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
Translation
"It is indeed just so, Maghavan," he said. "But I shall explain him to you further. Live here another thirty-two years." And he lived there another thirty-two years. Then Prajāpati said to him:
Version
2a232e5248b4 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:54:28 PM UTC
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The teacher's answer is stunning: evam evaiṣa maghavan — "it is indeed just so"! Prajāpati confirms his pupil's objection: Indra's doubt was not a failure on the path but the path itself; the lesson of the mirror was designed to be outgrown. A teacher who rejoices in the refutation of his own lesson is the measure of a true instructor.
But a price is set for the continuation: another thirty-two years. Not "let me finish now": the next degree of the truth must not be heard but carried to term. Prajāpati measures his lessons by generations, for he knows that understanding grows at the speed of a life, not of a conversation. And the king of the gods silently stays on — for a second thirty-two-year term of fuel and service. Heaven itself learns patience from this scene.