Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,3.23
॥
Devanāgarī
एषः उ वा उद्गीथः प्राणः वा उत् प्राणेन हि इदम् सर्वम् उत्तब्धम् वाक् एव गीथा उत् च गीथा च इति सः उद्गीथः
Transliteration (IAST)
eṣaḥ u vā udgīthaḥ prāṇaḥ vā ut prāṇena hi idam sarvam uttabdham vāk eva gīthā ut ca gīthā ca iti saḥ udgīthaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
उusurely; indeed
वाvātruly; surely
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥthe udgītha (udgītha); the udgītha; the loud chanting
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
वाvātruly; surely
उत्utupward (ut); 'upward'; ut
प्राणेनprāṇenawith the breath; by the vital breath
हिhiindeed; truly
इदम्idamthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
उत्तब्धम्uttabdhamis upheld (ut-tabdha — 'propped upward'); is supported; is upheld
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
एवevaindeed; only
गीथाgīthāthe singing (gīthā); the song; the gīthā
उत्utupward (ut); 'upward'; ut
चcaand; as well as
गीथाgīthāthe singing (gīthā); the song; the gīthā
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
उद्गीथःudgīthaḥthe udgītha (udgītha); the udgītha; the loud chanting
Translation
He is also the udgītha: the prāṇa is ut ('upward'), for by the prāṇa all this is upheld; and speech is gīthā, the singing. Ut and gīthā — that is the udgītha.
Version
52617d66d4e6 · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:42:16 AM UTC
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The fourth name returns to the beginning of the parable: the udgītha, the chant by which the gods defeated the asuras, is resolved into ut ("upward" — the prāṇa, since by it "all is upheld", uttabdham) and gīthā (the singing — speech). The udgītha is a song set upon the breath, a word lifted upward by life.
Now it is clear why the war of the worlds is won precisely by the udgītha: a victorious chant is one in which disinterested Life itself sings and the word merely gives it a channel. So the tradition distinguishes the japa of the lips from the japa of the heart: a sound not lifted by the prāṇa of devotion is gīthā without ut, a song that never leaves the ground.