Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 2,2.1
॥
Devanāgarī
यः ह वै शिशुम् साधानम् सप्रत्याधानम् सस्थूणम् सदामम् वेद सप्त ह द्विषतः भ्रातृव्यान् अवरुणद्धि अयम् वाव शिशुः यः अयम् मध्यमः प्राणः तस्य इदम् एव अधानम् इदम् प्रत्याधानम् प्राणः स्थूणा अन्नम् दाम
Transliteration (IAST)
yaḥ ha vai śiśum sādhānam sapratyādhānam sasthūṇam sadāmam veda sapta ha dviṣataḥ bhrātṛvyān avaruṇaddhi ayam vāva śiśuḥ yaḥ ayam madhyamaḥ prāṇaḥ tasya idam eva adhānam idam pratyādhānam prāṇaḥ sthūṇā annam dāma
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यःyaḥwho; the one who
हhasurely; as is known
वैvaitruly; indeed
शिशुम्śiśumthe infant (śiśu, acc.); the child; the infant
साधानम्sādhānamwith its seat (sa-ādhāna — 'with a receptacle'); with a receptacle; with a place
सप्रत्याधानम्sapratyādhānamwith its cover (sa-pratyādhāna — 'with an overlay'); with the covering overlay; with a cover
सस्थूणम्sasthūṇamwith its post (sa-sthūṇa); with the post; with the post
सदामम्sadāmamwith its tether (sa-dāman); with the rope; with the tether
वेदvedaknows; realises
सप्तsaptaseven; the seven
हhasurely; as is known
द्विषतःdviṣataḥthe haters (dviṣat, acc. pl.); those who hate; the haters
भ्रातृव्यान्bhrātṛvyānthe rivals (bhrātṛvya, acc. pl.); the adversaries; the rivals
अवरुणद्धिavaruṇaddhihe holds in check (ava + √rudh); he restrains; he holds back
अयम्ayamthis; he
वावvāvatruly; indeed
शिशुःśiśuḥthe infant; the child
यःyaḥwho; the one who
अयम्ayamthis; he
मध्यमःmadhyamaḥthe middle; the central
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
तस्यtasyait; his
इदम्idamthis; this world
एवevaindeed; only
अधानम्adhānamthe support; the place of support
इदम्idamthis; this world
प्रत्याधानम्pratyādhānamthe answering support; the stand
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
स्थूणाsthūṇāthe post (sthūṇā); the post; the supporting post
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
दामdāmathe tether (dāman); the rope; the tie
Translation
He who knows the infant with its place, its covering, its post and its tether keeps off the seven hating rivals. That infant is the middle breath; its place is this [body], its covering this [head], its post the breath, its tether food.
Version
eb48fbacfc93 · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:53:23 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second brāhmaṇa is a riddle in the brahmodya genre, the sacred puzzle: "the infant with its place, covering, post and tether". The solution: the infant is the madhyama prāṇa, the middle and chief breath, the child of mind and speech (1.5.12); its house is the body, its covering the head, the post to which it is tied is the breath, and the tether is food. Life in the body is pictured as a calf on a rope: it lives in the stall of the flesh and holds to the post of breathing by the cord of food.
The image works both ways. Tenderness: the life in us is an infant needing care and tending, not a machine. Sobriety: it is tethered — by food to the body; cut the tether by starving or the post by stifling, and the calf is lost. He who knows this "keeps off the seven rivals" — the seven breaths of the head (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth), which turn from servants into enemies when each pulls its own way; whoever recognises them as the infant's retinue restores them to service.