Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,3.12
॥
Devanāgarī
प्राणेन रक्षन् अवरं कुलायं बहिष्कुलायात् अमृतः चरित्वा सः ईयते अमृतो यत्रकामं हिरण्मयः पुरुषः एकहंसः
Transliteration (IAST)
prāṇena rakṣan avaraṃ kulāyaṃ bahiṣkulāyāt amṛtaḥ caritvā saḥ īyate amṛto yatrakāmaṃ hiraṇmayaḥ puruṣaḥ ekahaṃsaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्राणेनprāṇenawith the breath; by the vital breath
रक्षन्rakṣanguarding (from √rakṣ, participle); watching over; guarding
अवरंavaraṃthe lower (avara); the lower; the lower
कुलायंkulāyaṃthe nest (kulāya); the nest; the nest
बहिष्कुलायात्bahiṣkulāyātoutside the nest; beyond the body
अमृतःamṛtaḥthe immortal (a-mṛta); imperishable; immortal
चरित्वाcaritvāhaving gone out and roamed (from √car); having wandered; having been abroad
सःsaḥhe; that one
ईयतेīyategoes; moves
अमृतोamṛtoimmortal; the undying
यत्रकामंyatrakāmaṃwherever he wishes (yatra-kāmam); wherever he pleases; wherever he will
हिरण्मयःhiraṇmayaḥgolden; golden-shining
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
एकहंसःekahaṃsaḥthe one swan; the solitary wanderer
Translation
Guarding the lower nest with the breath, the immortal goes out of the nest; the immortal goes where he pleases — the golden person, the lone swan.
Version
df15ca31b6a5 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:12:39 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second verse about the swan: flying off into dreams, he "guards the lower nest with the breath" — he leaves the breathing in the body like a watchman at a house, and goes out free: amṛto yatra-kāmam — "the immortal, where he pleases". A sleeper's breathing is the light in the window, a sign that the master will return.
Twice in the verse comes amṛtaḥ, "immortal": the dream excursions are a nightly rehearsal of immortality; the soul trains to live outside the nest. Whoever has understood his dreams in this way will hear differently the hour when the nest is left empty for good: the swan does not perish with the nest — it finishes the flight it has been making every night of its life.