Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,3.19
॥
Devanāgarī
तद् यथा अस्मिन्न् आकाशे श्येनो वा सुपर्णो वा विपरिपत्य श्रान्तः संहत्य पक्षौ संलयायैव ध्रियते एवम् एव अयं पुरुषः एतस्मा अन्ताय धवति यत्र सुप्तो न कं चन कामं कामयते न कं चन स्वप्नं पश्यति
Transliteration (IAST)
tad yathā asminn ākāśe śyeno vā suparṇo vā viparipatya śrāntaḥ saṃhatya pakṣau saṃlayāyaiva dhriyate evam eva ayaṃ puruṣaḥ etasmā antāya dhavati yatra supto na kaṃ cana kāmaṃ kāmayate na kaṃ cana svapnaṃ paśyati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तद्tadthat; this
यथाyathāhow; as far as
अस्मिन्न्asminnin this; here
आकाशेākāśespace; ether
श्येनोśyenoa hawk (śyena); a falcon; a falcon
वाvātruly; surely
सुपर्णोsuparṇoan eagle (suparṇa — 'the fair-winged'); the suparṇa; the eagle
वाvātruly; surely
विपरिपत्यviparipatyahaving flown about (vi-pari + √pat); having circled; having flown its fill
श्रान्तःśrāntaḥweary (śrānta); tired; weary
संहत्यsaṃhatyahaving folded (sam + √han); having closed; having laid aside
पक्षौpakṣauthe wings (pakṣa, acc. dual); the two wings; the wings
संलयायैवsaṃlayāyaivato rest itself; to the folding
ध्रियतेdhriyateit makes for (from √dhṛ, pass.); is directed; darts
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एवevaindeed; only
अयंayaṃthis; this man
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
एतस्माetasmātowards this; for this
अन्तायantāyato the bound; to the end
धवतिdhavatiruns; darts
यत्रyatrawhere; when
सुप्तोsuptoone who has fallen asleep; the sleeper
नnanot; no
कंkaṃwhom; what
चनcanaeven; at all
कामंkāmaṃdesire; an object of desire
कामयतेkāmayatedesires; longs for
नnanot; no
कंkaṃwhom; what
चनcanaeven; at all
स्वप्नंsvapnaṃsleep; the dream
पश्यतिpaśyatisees; beholds
Translation
As in this sky a falcon or an eagle, having flown about and grown weary, folds its wings and makes for its nest, so this person hastens to that limit where, having fallen asleep, he desires no desire and sees no dream.
Version
8ba950c11241 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:12:39 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second image is a bird at evening: a falcon, having flown all day, "folds its wings and makes for its nest". The person's nest is deep sleep: the limit "where he desires no desire and sees no dream". Weariness from the flights of waking and dreaming drives the soul home every night — into a repose without images or wants.
The tenderness of the image is a theology: the pull toward sleep is homesickness; the nightly "I want to sleep" is the voice of the soul asking to go to its Source (we know from Uddālaka that a sleeper "is united with Being", ChU 6.8.1). Dreamless sleep is the antechamber of that abode; and the conversation will now step into that antechamber to look at what happens there — an embrace.