Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.28:3
॥
Devanāgarī
मांसानि अस्य शकराणि किनाटम् स्नाव तत् स्थिरम् अस्थीनि अन्तरतः दारुणि मज्जा मज्जोपमा कृता
Transliteration (IAST)
māṃsāni asya śakarāṇi kināṭam snāva tat sthiram asthīni antarataḥ dāruṇi majjā majjopamā kṛtā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मांसानिmāṃsānithe flesh (māṁsa, pl.); meat; flesh
अस्यasyait; of this
शकराणिśakarāṇithe chips (śakara, pl.); the splinters; the chips
किनाटम्kināṭamthe inner bark (kināṭa); the inner bark; the bast
स्नावsnāvathe sinews (snāvan); the tendons; the veins
तत्tatthat; this
स्थिरम्sthiramthe hard part; steady
अस्थीनिasthīnithe bones (asthi, pl.); the bones; the bones
अन्तरतःantarataḥwithin; from within
दारुणिdāruṇithe woody parts; the timber
मज्जाmajjāthe marrow of the bones (majjan); the marrow of the bones; marrow
मज्जोपमाmajjopamālike marrow; comparable to the pith
कृताkṛtāis made; is formed
Translation
His flesh is the chips, the sinews the inner bark — that is firm; the bones are the heartwood, and the marrow is like the pith.
Version
40d9a1867b00 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:08:05 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third correspondence carries the anatomy to its end: flesh is the chips, sinews the bast (the fibre under the bark — "that is firm"), bones the hard wood, marrow the pith. The layers of the tree and the layers of the body have matched, every one.
The likeness is exhausted — and all the more terribly will the difference now sound. Everything in a man has found its counterpart in the tree; the question will be about that which has none.