Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,3.17
॥
Devanāgarī
सः वा एषः एतस्मिन् बुद्धान्ते रत्वा चरित्वा दृष्ट्वैव पुण्यं च पापं च पुनः प्रतिन्यायं प्रतियोन्य् आद्रवति स्वप्नान्तायैव
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ vā eṣaḥ etasmin buddhānte ratvā caritvā dṛṣṭvaiva puṇyaṃ ca pāpaṃ ca punaḥ pratinyāyaṃ pratiyony ādravati svapnāntāyaiva
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
वाvātruly; surely
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
एतस्मिन्etasminin this; upon this
बुद्धान्तेbuddhāntein the waking state (buddha-anta, loc.); in waking; in the waking
रत्वाratvāhaving enjoyed; having stayed a while
चरित्वाcaritvāhaving roamed; having been abroad
दृष्ट्वैवdṛṣṭvaivahaving seen just; having beheld
पुण्यंpuṇyaṃthe good; the merit
चcaand; as well as
पापंpāpaṃevil; sin
चcaand; as well as
पुनःpunaḥagain; once more
प्रतिन्यायंpratinyāyaṃback by the same way; returning
प्रतियोन्य्pratiyonyto the corresponding womb; to its own source
आद्रवतिādravatidarts; he returns
स्वप्नान्तायैवsvapnāntāyaivato the dream state (svapna-anta, dat.); to the bound of dream; to dream
Translation
Having taken his pleasure and roamed about in waking, having seen good and evil, he hastens back by the same way to the former place — to dream.
Version
e3056113137e · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:12:39 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third transition closes the circle: from waking back into dream. The shuttle runs without a stop: waking — dream — repose — dream — waking; no station is final, all are "back by the same way to the former place".
The verse is as short as the return into sleep itself: life is given here as the Shining One's endless shuttling between three chambers. Whoever has seen this rhythm has stopped absolutising the waking state: it is one of three, no more, and tomorrow it will be left as easily as yesterday's dream.