Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,3.24
॥
Devanāgarī
यत् वै तत् न जिघ्रति जिघ्रन् वै तत् न जिघ्रति न हि घ्रातुः घ्रातेर् विपरिलोपो विद्यते अविनाशित्वात् न तु तत् द्वितीयम् अस्ति ततो अन्यद् विभक्तं यत् जिघ्रेत्
Transliteration (IAST)
yat vai tat na jighrati jighran vai tat na jighrati na hi ghrātuḥ ghrāter viparilopo vidyate avināśitvāt na tu tat dvitīyam asti tato anyad vibhaktaṃ yat jighret
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यत्yatthat which; that which
वैvaitruly; indeed
तत्tatthat; this
नnanot; no
जिघ्रतिjighratiit smells; one scents
जिघ्रन्jighranthe smeller; smelling
वैvaitruly; indeed
तत्tatthat; this
नnanot; no
जिघ्रतिjighratiit smells; one scents
नnanot; no
हिhiindeed; truly
घ्रातुःghrātuḥof the one who smells; of the smeller
घ्रातेर्ghrāterof smelling; of the act of smelling
विपरिलोपोviparilopoextinction; loss
विद्यतेvidyateexists; is to be found
अविनाशित्वात्avināśitvātbecause of indestructibility; since it is not destroyed
नnanot; no
तुtusurely; but
तत्tatthat; this
द्वितीयम्dvitīyama second thing; another
अस्तिastiam; exists
ततोtatofor that reason; from him
अन्यद्anyadanother; other
विभक्तंvibhaktaṃsomething separate; something divided
यत्yatthat which; that which
जिघ्रेत्jighrethe might smell; he would smell
Translation
If [there] he does not smell — then, smelling, he does not smell: for there is no destruction of that power in the smeller, since he is indestructible; but there is no second, nothing else, separate, that might be its object.
Version
a965ad579023 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:13:54 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second beat: smell. In the deep repose he "does not smell" — but the power of smelling has not perished: there is no second, no odour-object; the faculty is intact, the objects are gone.
Beat by beat it is one casting: the faculty is indestructible (avināśitvāt), and only the "second" — the separate object — has disappeared. The depth does not take away powers; it takes away separateness, and in this the repose of the ātman differs from any swoon: there the light goes out, here only the boundaries do.