Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,5.18
॥
Devanāgarī
पृथिव्यै च एनम् अग्नेः च दैवी वाक् आविशति सा वै दैवी वाक् यया यद् यद् एव वदति तत् तत् भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
pṛthivyai ca enam agneḥ ca daivī vāk āviśati sā vai daivī vāk yayā yad yad eva vadati tat tat bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पृथिव्यैpṛthivyaifor the earth; to the earth
चcaand; as well as
एनम्enamit; of this
अग्नेःagneḥfrom fire; out of Agni
चcaand; as well as
दैवीdaivīthe divine one (daivī); the godly; the divine
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
आविशतिāviśatiit enters (ā + √viś); steps in; enters
साsāshe; that one
वैvaitruly; indeed
दैवीdaivīthe divine one (daivī); the godly; the divine
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
ययाyayāto which; by means of which
यद्yadwhen; that which
यद्yadwhen; that which
एवevaindeed; only
वदतिvadatiyou will say (from √vad); utters; says
तत्tatthat; this
तत्tatthat; this
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
Translation
From the earth and from fire the divine speech enters into him. The divine speech is that by which whatever one says comes to pass.
Version
2e341316c20f · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:49:47 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
After the handing over comes what the departing man inherits: his constituents return to their cosmic bodies (1.5.11–13) and come back already divine. Speech is the first: from the earth and fire enters daivī vāk, "divine speech", and it is defined unerringly: "whatever one says by it comes to pass".
This is mature speech — a word with no gap between it and deed and truth: satya-saṁkalpa in the province of language. In a purified man speech grows together with being: his blessing blesses, his word holds. The gift is not magic but the fruit of a life: in one who has never spent speech on the empty and the false, it recovers its primal authority — the authority of that word "I am" with which everything began.