Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.9
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् आहुः यद् अयम् एकः इव एव पवते अथ कथम् अध्यर्धः इति यद् अस्मिन् इदं सर्वम् अध्यार्ध्नोत् तेन अध्यर्धः इति कतमः एकः देवः इति प्राणः इति सः ब्रह्म त्यत् इति आचक्षते
Transliteration (IAST)
tat āhuḥ yad ayam ekaḥ iva eva pavate atha katham adhyardhaḥ iti yad asmin idaṃ sarvam adhyārdhnot tena adhyardhaḥ iti katamaḥ ekaḥ devaḥ iti prāṇaḥ iti saḥ brahma tyat iti ācakṣate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
आहुःāhuḥthey say; they declare
यद्yadwhen; that which
अयम्ayamthis; he
एकःekaḥone (eka); single; one
इवivahow; as it were
एवevaindeed; only
पवतेpavateblows; moves purifyingly
अथathathereupon; further
कथम्kathamhow; in what manner
अध्यर्धःadhyardhaḥone and a half; one and a half
इतिitithus; how
यद्yadwhen; that which
अस्मिन्asminin this; here
इदंidaṃthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
अध्यार्ध्नोत्adhyārdhnotit exceeds by a half; it becomes more than one
तेनtenato them; by means of him
अध्यर्धःadhyardhaḥone and a half; one and a half
इतिitithus; how
कतमःkatamaḥwhich; which precisely
एकःekaḥone (eka); single; one
देवःdevaḥgod; the shining being
इतिitithus; how
प्राणःprāṇaḥBreath (prāṇa); the prāṇa; Breath
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman (brahman); Brahman; Brahman
त्यत्tyat'That' (tya — the transcendent); That; 'That'
इतिitithus; how
आचक्षतेācakṣatethey call; they call
Translation
"But people say: since he blows as one, how is he one and a half?" — "Because in him all this grew by a half (adhyārdhnot) — therefore one and a half." — "Who is the one god?" — "The breath. He is Brahman; they call him: That (tyat)."
Version
56195f3e16a2 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:05:26 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The solution of the "one and a half" is a play of roots: adhy-ardha ("with a half") is derived from adhy-ārdhnot — "in him everything grew, prospered": the wind-prāṇa is the one in whom all that is increases; he is "one with a half" — one, but with the increase of the whole world at his side. Breath is always more than itself: it carries everyone.
And the summit of the ladder: "who is the one god?" — prāṇa iti: Breath; sa brahma — "he is Brahman"; and the final seal: tyad ity ācakṣate — "they call him 'That'". All polytheism has closed into a single Life, and Life is named by the cherished pronoun of the transcendent (tya, "that", as in the two forms of Brahman, 2.3.1). The One is not the thirty-third by count nor the largest of the gods: He is the One by whom all thirty-three and all three thousand three hundred and six breathe. Śākalya would do well to stop here — but he will press on with his interrogation, and that will be his fate.