Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,3.27
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्य ह एतस्य साम्नः यः प्रतिष्ठाम् वेद प्रति ह तिष्ठति तस्य वै वाक् एव प्रतिष्ठा वाचि हि खलु एषः एतत् प्राणः प्रतिष्ठितः गीयते अन्नम् इति उ ह एकः आहुः
Transliteration (IAST)
tasya ha etasya sāmnaḥ yaḥ pratiṣṭhām veda prati ha tiṣṭhati tasya vai vāk eva pratiṣṭhā vāci hi khalu eṣaḥ etat prāṇaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ gīyate annam iti u ha ekaḥ āhuḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्यtasyait; his
हhasurely; as is known
एतस्यetasyaof this; of this
साम्नःsāmnaḥthe samāna; of the chant
यःyaḥwho; the one who
प्रतिष्ठाम्pratiṣṭhāmthe support (pratiṣṭhā); the support; a support
वेदvedaknows; realises
प्रतिpratibackward; in answer; towards
हhasurely; as is known
तिष्ठतिtiṣṭhatistands; is established
तस्यtasyait; his
वैvaitruly; indeed
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
एवevaindeed; only
प्रतिष्ठाpratiṣṭhāthe support; the support
वाचिvāciof speech; in the voice
हिhiindeed; truly
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
एतत्etatthis; the present
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
प्रतिष्ठितःpratiṣṭhitaḥis established; has a support
गीयतेgīyateis sung (pass. of √gai); is chanted; is sung
अन्नम्annamfood (anna); food; food
इतिitithus; how
उusurely; indeed
हhasurely; as is known
एकःekaḥone; single
आहुःāhuḥthey say; they declare
Translation
He who knows the support of this sāman stands firm. Its support is speech itself: for it is established in speech that this breath is sung. And some say: the support is food.
Version
3b8e9ecf0a57 · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:42:16 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third possession is pratiṣṭhā, the support: for the sāman it is speech, since a melody stands upon a word as a flame upon a wick; the prāṇa "is sung, established in speech". Breath and word uphold each other: life gives the song its height, the word gives it its footing; neither stands without the other.
And there is an honest footnote: "some say — food": the singing breath stands upon bread as well (Śvetaketu learned this by fasting, ChU 6.7). The Upaniṣad does not choose between the schools — both are right on their own tier: the song rests on the word, the word on the breath, the breath on food, and food, as we know, on Being. Every support is a step to the next; the last Support is one for all.