Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.24
॥
Devanāgarī
किंदेवतः अस्याम् ध्रुवायाम् दिशि असि इति अग्निदेवतः इति सः अग्निः कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठितः इति वाचि इति कस्मिन् नु वाक् प्रतिष्ठिता इति हृदये इति कस्मिन् नु हृदयम् प्रतिष्ठितम् इति
Transliteration (IAST)
kiṃdevataḥ asyām dhruvāyām diśi asi iti agnidevataḥ iti saḥ agniḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhitaḥ iti vāci iti kasmin nu vāk pratiṣṭhitā iti hṛdaye iti kasmin nu hṛdayam pratiṣṭhitam iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
किंदेवतःkiṃdevataḥhaving what deity; with what deity
अस्याम्asyāmin this [one]; in this
ध्रुवायाम्dhruvāyāmin the fixed one (dhruvā, loc. — the zenith); at the zenith; in the fixed quarter
दिशिdiśiin the quarter of space; in the direction
असिasiare you; you are
इतिitithus; how
अग्निदेवतःagnidevataḥhaving Agni for its deity (agni-devata); fire-deitied; with Agni
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
प्रतिष्ठितःpratiṣṭhitaḥis established; has a support
इतिitithus; how
वाचिvāciupon speech (vāc, loc.); upon the word; upon speech
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
वाक्vākspeech; the voice
प्रतिष्ठिताpratiṣṭhitāit is established; has a support
इतिitithus; how
हृदयेhṛdayeinto the heart; in the core of consciousness
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
हृदयम्hṛdayamthe heart (hṛdaya); the heart; the heart
प्रतिष्ठितम्pratiṣṭhitamis established; has a support
इतिitithus; how
Translation
"With what deity are you in the fixed quarter [the zenith]?" — "With Agni." — "On what is Agni established?" — "On speech." — "And speech on what?" — "On the heart." — "And the heart on what?!"
Version
f6afdc4b99b6 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:08:05 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth quarter is the dhruvā diś, "the fixed one": the zenith, the summit overhead, and its deity is Agni (the hearth fire, the vertical of flame). The chain is short: fire on speech (the sacrificial fire is kindled and directed by utterance), speech on the heart. Five quarters, five chains — and all five have moored at one word.
And here Śākalya makes the thrust he thinks decisive: kasmin nu hṛdayaṁ pratiṣṭhitam — "and the heart on what?!" He fancies this is the bad infinity at last — his opponent will now name one more support and the chain will drag on. He has not grasped that he is no longer asking about a thing among things — and Yājñavalkya's answer will be an explosion.