Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,3.24
॥
Devanāgarī
तद् ह अपि ब्रह्मदत्तः चैकितानेयः राजानम् भक्षयन् उवाच अयम् त्यस्य राजा मूर्धानम् विपातयतात् यद् इतः अयास्यः आङ्गिरसः अन्येन उदगायत् इति वाचा च हि एव सः प्राणेन च उदगायत् इति
Transliteration (IAST)
tad ha api brahmadattaḥ caikitāneyaḥ rājānam bhakṣayan uvāca ayam tyasya rājā mūrdhānam vipātayatāt yad itaḥ ayāsyaḥ āṅgirasaḥ anyena udagāyat iti vācā ca hi eva saḥ prāṇena ca udagāyat iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तद्tadthat; this
हhasurely; as is known
अपिapialso; even
ब्रह्मदत्तःbrahmadattaḥBrahmadatta (the name of a priest); Brahmadatta; Brahmadatta
चैकितानेयःcaikitāneyaḥCaikitāneya (a descendant of Cikitāna); Caikitāneya; Caikitāneya
राजानम्rājānamthe royal soma (rājan — soma the 'king'); king soma; the soma
भक्षयन्bhakṣayanpartaking (from √bhakṣ); drinking; eating
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
अयम्ayamthis; he
त्यस्यtyasyathat one; of the remote one
राजाrājāthe king; the ruler
मूर्धानम्mūrdhānamthe head; the crown of the head
विपातयतात्vipātayatātlet it fall off (vi + √pat, caus. imperative); let it be struck off; let it be cut off
यद्yadwhen; that which
इतःitaḥfrom here; out of this condition
अयास्यःayāsyaḥĀyāsya; the name of the teacher
आङ्गिरसःāṅgirasaḥAṅgiras; the descendant of Aṅgiras
अन्येनanyenaby another; to others
उदगायत्udagāyathe sang the udgītha (imperfect); he chanted; he sang
इतिitithus; how
वाचाvācāwith speech; with the word
चcaand; as well as
हिhiindeed; truly
एवevaindeed; only
सःsaḥhe; that one
प्राणेनprāṇenawith the breath; by the vital breath
चcaand; as well as
उदगायत्udagāyathe sang the udgītha (imperfect); he chanted; he sang
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Of this too Brahmadatta Caikitāneya, while partaking of the royal soma, said: "May this king strike off the head of anyone who says that Ayāsya Āṅgirasa sang the udgītha by anything else: for he sang it by speech and by breath alone."
Version
6aedfc849bea · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:42:16 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A testimony on oath: Brahmadatta, partaking of the sacrificial soma (the "king"), swears by its punishment — "let it strike off my head if I lie": Ayāsya sang the udgītha by speech and prāṇa only, by nothing else. An oath upon soma is the highest assay of a priest's sincerity: he stakes his head on a theological thesis.
And the thesis is simple and liberating: for a victorious song nothing is needed beyond speech and breath — no rare gifts, no secret devices. The whole instrument is what every breathing, speaking creature already has. The greatest of sacred acts is democratic to the last degree; the only question is whether the breath is pure and whether the speech is singing "for itself".