Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,3.16
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ मनः अत्यवहत् तद् यदा मृत्युम् अत्यमुच्यत सः चन्द्रमाः अभवत् सः असौ चन्द्रः परेण मृत्युम् अतिक्रान्तः भाति एवम् ह वा एनम् एषा देवता मृत्युम् अतिवहति यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
atha manaḥ atyavahat tad yadā mṛtyum atyamucyata saḥ candramāḥ abhavat saḥ asau candraḥ pareṇa mṛtyum atikrāntaḥ bhāti evam ha vā enam eṣā devatā mṛtyum ativahati yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
मनःmanaḥthe mind; thinking
अत्यवहत्atyavahathe carried beyond; he led across
तद्tadthat; this
यदाyadāwhen; at the moment when
मृत्युम्mṛtyumdeath; dying
अत्यमुच्यतatyamucyatashe was freed beyond; she passed beyond death
सःsaḥhe; that one
चन्द्रमाःcandramāḥthe moon (candramas); the lunar orb; the moon
अभवत्abhavatshe became; arose
सःsaḥhe; that one
असौasauthat one; he
चन्द्रःcandraḥthe moon; Candra
परेणpareṇaon the far side; beyond
मृत्युम्mṛtyumdeath; dying
अतिक्रान्तःatikrāntaḥone who has passed over; one who has surpassed
भातिbhātiit shines (from √bhā); is radiant; shines
एवम्evamthus; in this way
हhasurely; as is known
वाvātruly; surely
एनम्enamit; of this
एषाeṣāthis; she
देवताdevatāthe deity; divine power
मृत्युम्mṛtyumdeath; dying
अतिवहतिativahatiit carries beyond (ati + √vah); it ferries across; it carries past
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; realises
Translation
Then it carried the mind beyond. When it was released from death, it became the moon. This moon, having passed beyond death, shines. Thus indeed does this deity carry beyond death the one who knows thus.
Version
4f8f3591722b · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:40:48 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth and last transfiguration is the mind into the moon: manas and candramas are an ancient pair (the moon is born from the Puruṣa's mind already in the Puruṣa-sūkta, RV 10.90.13): the mind, like the moon, waxes and wanes, shines by reflected light and governs the tides of the inner waters. The rescued mind "shines" (bhāti) with a soft, nocturnal, but undying light.
And then the concluding promise of the series: "thus does this deity carry beyond death the one who knows thus". All that has been told is not the archaeology of a myth but a promise in force: the prāṇa that saved speech and mind at the beginning of time performs the same ferrying for everyone who entrusts himself to it — to the Life that serves all. Five luminaries stand in the sky as surety: the crossing works.