Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.6
॥
Devanāgarī
कतमः इन्द्रः कतमः प्रजापतिः इति स्तनयित्नुः एव इन्द्रः यज्ञः प्रजापतिः इति कतमः स्तनयित्नुः इति अशनिः इति कतमः यज्ञः इति पशवः इति
Transliteration (IAST)
katamaḥ indraḥ katamaḥ prajāpatiḥ iti stanayitnuḥ eva indraḥ yajñaḥ prajāpatiḥ iti katamaḥ stanayitnuḥ iti aśaniḥ iti katamaḥ yajñaḥ iti paśavaḥ iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कतमःkatamaḥwhich; which precisely
इन्द्रःindraḥIndra; the mighty god
कतमःkatamaḥwhich; which precisely
प्रजापतिःprajāpatiḥPrajāpati; the lord of creatures
इतिitithus; how
स्तनयित्नुःstanayitnuḥthunder (stanayitnu); the thunder; the thunder
एवevaindeed; only
इन्द्रःindraḥIndra; the mighty god
यज्ञःyajñaḥthe sacrifice (yajña); sacrifice; sacrifice
प्रजापतिःprajāpatiḥPrajāpati; the lord of creatures
इतिitithus; how
कतमःkatamaḥwhich; which precisely
स्तनयित्नुःstanayitnuḥthunder (stanayitnu); the thunder; the thunder
इतिitithus; how
अशनिःaśaniḥthe thunderbolt (aśani); the bolt; the lightning-bolt
इतिitithus; how
कतमःkatamaḥwhich; which precisely
यज्ञःyajñaḥthe sacrifice (yajña); sacrifice; sacrifice
इतिitithus; how
पशवःpaśavaḥthe animals (paśu, pl.); the sacrificial cattle; animals
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"Who is Indra, who is Prajāpati?" — "Thunder is Indra, sacrifice is Prajāpati." — "What is thunder?" — "The thunderbolt." — "What is sacrifice?" — "The animals."
Version
2a0a60261005 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:05:26 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The last pair of the thirty-three: Indra is thunder (with a refinement: aśani, the striking bolt — the shock-force itself), Prajāpati is sacrifice (with a refinement: paśavaḥ, the sacrificial animals — its living substance). The king of the gods is the might of the blow; the Lord of creatures is the offering itself.
The thirty-three are analysed without remainder: the element-storehouses, the departing powers of life, the carrying-off months, the blow and the offering. The pantheon has turned out to be the anatomy of the universe. Śākalya's ladder goes on narrowing — six, three, two, one and a half and One lie ahead.