Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,2.4
॥
Devanāgarī
जिह्वा वै ग्रहः सः रसेनातिग्रहेण गृहीतः जिह्वया हि रसान् विजानाति
Transliteration (IAST)
jihvā vai grahaḥ saḥ rasenātigraheṇa gṛhītaḥ jihvayā hi rasān vijānāti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जिह्वाjihvāthe tongue (jihvā); the tongue; the tongue
वैvaitruly; indeed
ग्रहःgrahaḥthe seizer; the organ of seizing
सःsaḥhe; that one
रसेनातिग्रहेणrasenātigraheṇaby taste as over-grasper (rasena atigraheṇa); by the taste-seizer; by taste
गृहीतःgṛhītaḥis grasped; is caught
जिह्वयाjihvayāby the tongue; by the organ of taste
हिhiindeed; truly
रसान्rasānthe tastes (rasa, acc. pl.); the tastes; the tastes
विजानातिvijānātione knows apart; one distinguishes
Translation
The tongue is a grasper; it is grasped by taste as the over-grasper: for by the tongue one discerns tastes.
Version
3f6c39ca878e · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:59:58 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third pair: tongue and taste. A gourmet is sure that he is tasting the world — the Upaniṣad corrects him: the world of tastes has tasted and seized him. The tongue is the hook on which all fondness for the sweet and the pungent hangs; the rein by which an eater is led.
The tradition long ago drew a practice from this: the tongue is the most unruly of the senses, and it is subdued not by starving but by outbidding — by a higher taste: prasāda, the Name, rasa. The captivity is undone not by unclenching the hand but by better booty: raso vai saḥ.