Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,7.17
॥
Devanāgarī
यः वाचि तिष्ठन् वाचः अन्तरो यं वाक् न वेद यस्य वाक् शरीरं यः वाचम् अन्तरो यमयति एषः ते आत्मा अन्तर्यामी अमृतः
Transliteration (IAST)
yaḥ vāci tiṣṭhan vācaḥ antaro yaṃ vāk na veda yasya vāk śarīraṃ yaḥ vācam antaro yamayati eṣaḥ te ātmā antaryāmī amṛtaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यःyaḥwho; the one who
वाचिvāciof speech; in the voice
तिष्ठन्tiṣṭhanstanding still; abiding
वाचःvācaḥof speech; of speech
अन्तरोantarowithin; inner
यंyaṃwhom; by which
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
नnanot; no
वेदvedaknows; realises
यस्यyasyawhose; in whose case
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
शरीरंśarīraṃbody; the bodily form
यःyaḥwho; the one who
वाचम्vācamspeech; the word
अन्तरोantarowithin; inner
यमयतिyamayatihe governs; he holds in order
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
तेtethose; these
आत्माātmāthe self; the ātman
अन्तर्यामीantaryāmīthe inner ruler; the inner controller
अमृतःamṛtaḥimmortal; the undying
Translation
He who, dwelling in speech, is within it, whom speech does not know, whose body is speech, who rules it from within — he is your ātman, the Inner Ruler, the immortal.
Version
effb06ad5953 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:02:52 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The formula of the antaryāmin is applied to the next vesture: speech. The same four members: He is within; speech does not know Him; speech is His body; He rules it from within. And the same conclusion: he is your ātman, the Inner Ruler, the immortal.
The speaker speaks — and speech is ruled from within by Another: that is why a word can say more than the one who said it knew.