Upanishads · Chāndogya 8,13.1
॥
Devanāgarī
श्यामात् शबलम् प्रपद्ये शबलात् श्यामम् प्रपद्ये अश्वः इव रोमाणि विधूय पापम् चन्द्रः इव राहोः मुखात् प्रमुच्य धूत्वा शरीरम् अकृतम् कृतात्मा ब्रह्मलोकम् अभिसंभवामि इति अभिसंभवामि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
śyāmāt śabalam prapadye śabalāt śyāmam prapadye aśvaḥ iva romāṇi vidhūya pāpam candraḥ iva rāhoḥ mukhāt pramucya dhūtvā śarīram akṛtam kṛtātmā brahmalokam abhisaṃbhavāmi iti abhisaṃbhavāmi iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
श्यामात्śyāmātout of the dark one (śyāma, ablative); out of the black; from the dark
शबलम्śabalaminto the dappled (śabala); into the piebald; into the mottled
प्रपद्येprapadyeI enter (pra + √pad — 'I fall at'); I enter; I take refuge
शबलात्śabalātout of the dappled; from Śabala
श्यामम्śyāmamthe dark; Śyāma
प्रपद्येprapadyeI enter (pra + √pad — 'I fall at'); I enter; I take refuge
अश्वःaśvaḥthe horse; the steed
इवivaas it were; as though
रोमाणिromāṇithe hairs (roman, accusative plural); the coat; body-hairs
विधूयvidhūyahaving shaken off (vi + √dhū); having shed; having thrown off
पापम्pāpamthe evil; sin
चन्द्रःcandraḥthe moon; Candra
इवivaas it were; as though
राहोःrāhoḥof Rāhu (rāhu, genitive — the demon of eclipse); from Rāhu; Rāhu
मुखात्mukhātout of the mouth (mukha, ablative); from the mouth; from the jaws
प्रमुच्यpramucyahaving got free (pra + √muc); having broken loose; being released
धूत्वाdhūtvāhaving shaken it off (from √dhū); having shed; having thrown off
शरीरम्śarīrambody; the bodily form
अकृतम्akṛtamthe uncreated (a-kṛta); the unmade; the unproduced
कृतात्माkṛtātmāone who has perfected himself (kṛta-ātman); perfected in soul; fulfilled in himself
ब्रह्मलोकम्brahmalokamthe Brahman-world; the abode of Brahman
अभिसंभवामिabhisaṃbhavāmiI enter (abhi-sam + √bhū); I attain; I enter
इतिitithus; how
अभिसंभवामिabhisaṃbhavāmiI enter (abhi-sam + √bhū); I attain; I enter
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"From the dark I enter the dappled, from the dappled I enter the dark. Shaking off evil as a horse shakes its hair, shaking off the body as the moon comes out of Rāhu's mouth — I, having perfected myself, enter the uncreated world of Brahman — I enter!"
Version
a2c61faba0a0 · published Jul 26, 2026, 11:55:55 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
After a century of prose, a song: the verse of departure, which the tradition puts into the mouth of the ascending one himself. "From the dark into the dappled, from the dappled into the dark" — the shuttle of rebirths, the days and nights of wandering; and then two shakings-off: evil "as a horse shakes its hair" (one ripple of the skin!) and the body "as the moon comes out of Rāhu's mouth". The image of an eclipse is perfect: the moon in the demon's mouth is not damaged, only obscured; the exit from the body is not the salvage of remains but the coming forth of a whole light from a shadow.
Kṛtātmā, "having perfected himself", and akṛtam, "into the uncreated" world: the play on the root kṛ puts the final full stop to the chapter's theology: the labour of self-making leads to what has not been made and is therefore indestructible; what is earned comes to an end (8.1.6) — but the making of oneself carries one beyond the made. The repeated "I enter — I enter!" is like two heartbeats on the threshold of home.