Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 2,4.7
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यथा दुन्दुभेः हन्यमानस्य न बाह्यान् शब्दान् शक्नुयात् ग्रहणाय दुन्दुभेः तु ग्रहणेन दुन्दुभ्याघातस्य वा शब्दः गृहीतः
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yathā dundubheḥ hanyamānasya na bāhyān śabdān śaknuyāt grahaṇāya dundubheḥ tu grahaṇena dundubhyāghātasya vā śabdaḥ gṛhītaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यथाyathāhow; as far as
दुन्दुभेःdundubheḥof a drum (dundubhi, gen.); of the kettledrum; of the drum
हन्यमानस्यhanyamānasyawhen it is beaten (passive participle of √han); being struck; when it is beaten
नnanot; no
बाह्यान्bāhyānthe outward (bāhya, acc. pl.); the external; the outward
शब्दान्śabdānthe sounds (śabda, acc. pl.); the sounds; the sounds
शक्नुयात्śaknuyāthe would be able; he would be capable
ग्रहणायgrahaṇāyato grasp (grahaṇa, dat.); for the grasping; to catch
दुन्दुभेःdundubheḥof a drum (dundubhi, gen.); of the kettledrum; of the drum
तुtusurely; but
ग्रहणेनgrahaṇenaby grasping; by taking hold
दुन्दुभ्याघातस्यdundubhyāghātasyaof the drummer (dundubhi-āghāta, gen.); of the drum-beat or drummer; of the striker
वाvātruly; surely
शब्दःśabdaḥsound; the sounding
गृहीतःgṛhītaḥis grasped (gṛhīta); is caught; is grasped
Translation
As, when a drum is beaten, one cannot catch the outward sounds one by one, but by catching the drum, or the beater of the drum, the sound too is caught; —
Version
64c706aa3542 · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:54:37 AM UTC
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Here begin Yājñavalkya's three parables of sound — on how the One is known within the many. The first is the drum: its rolls cannot be caught one by one, the "outward sounds" are countless and elusive; but take hold of the drum itself, or of the hand that beats it, and all the sounds are caught at once, at their source.
So with the world: to chase phenomena piece by piece is to catch rolls of thunder; the knowing that outruns experience takes hold of the Instrument and of the Player. And note the edge of the image, dear to a bhakti heart: behind the drum stands a drummer — dundubhy-āghāta, "the beater"; every sound of the world has not only a thing for its source but a Hand.