Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,12.6
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् वै एतम् देवाः आत्मानम् उपासते तस्मात् तेषाम् सर्वे च लोकाः आत्ताः सर्वे च कामाः सः सर्वांश् च लोकान् आप्नोति सर्वांश् च कामान् यः तम् आत्मानम् अनुविद्य विजानाति इति ह प्रजापतिः उवाच प्रजापतिः उवाच
Transliteration (IAST)
tam vai etam devāḥ ātmānam upāsate tasmāt teṣām sarve ca lokāḥ āttāḥ sarve ca kāmāḥ saḥ sarvāṃś ca lokān āpnoti sarvāṃś ca kāmān yaḥ tam ātmānam anuvidya vijānāti iti ha prajāpatiḥ uvāca prajāpatiḥ uvāca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम्tamit; that one
वैvaiverily; indeed
एतम्etamit; of this
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
उपासतेupāsatethey venerate (upa + √ās); they venerate; they adore
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
तेषाम्teṣāmof them; for them
सर्वेsarveall; all
चcaand; as well as
लोकाःlokāḥworlds; realms
आत्ताःāttāḥthey belong to him (ātta — 'taken'); they are obtained; they are attained
सर्वेsarveall; all
चcaand; as well as
कामाःkāmāḥdesires; aspirations
सःsaḥhe; that one
सर्वांश्sarvāṃśall; all without exception
चcaand; as well as
लोकान्lokānworlds; realms
आप्नोतिāpnotiattains; gains
सर्वांश्sarvāṃśall; all without exception
चcaand; as well as
कामान्kāmāndesires; the desired ends
यःyaḥwho; the one who
तम्tamit; that one
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
अनुविद्यanuvidyahaving known; having comprehended
विजानातिvijānātihe comes to know; one distinguishes
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
प्रजापतिःprajāpatiḥPrajāpati; the lord of creatures
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
प्रजापतिःprajāpatiḥPrajāpati; the lord of creatures
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
Translation
It is this very ātman that the gods venerate — and therefore all the worlds and all desires belong to them. He obtains all the worlds and all desires who, having found this ātman, knows him." So said Prajāpati — so said Prajāpati.
Version
20708541f524 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:55:55 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The close of a century-long lesson: "it is this very ātman that the gods venerate" — here is what in the last reckoning distinguishes devas from asuras: the object of their veneration. The asuras, on Virocana's word, wait upon the body; the gods honour the ātman, the Sovereign in the city — "and therefore all the worlds belong to them". The strength of the celestials lies not in their nature but in the right address of their worship.
The manifesto's promise (8.7.1) is fulfilled to the letter: "all the worlds and all desires" to one who has found and known. The doubled "so said Prajāpati" is the seal of a completed transmission: a story that began with two pupils carrying fuel ends with one who arrived. Of the two who heard, one stopped at a mirror and the second walked a hundred and one years; the Upaniṣad does not hide this rate of loss and is not disheartened by it: one arrival is enough for the truth to come, through him — as through Indra, king of the sacrifice-receiving gods — to all.