Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.1
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यत्र अयम् आत्माबल्यं न्येति संमोहम् इव न्येति अथैनम् एते प्राणाः अभिसमायन्ति सः एताः तेजोमात्राः समभ्याददानः हृदयम् एव अन्ववक्रामति सः यत्रैष चाक्षुषः पुरुषः पराङ् पर्यावर्तते अथारूपज्ञः भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yatra ayam ātmābalyaṃ nyeti saṃmoham iva nyeti athainam ete prāṇāḥ abhisamāyanti saḥ etāḥ tejomātrāḥ samabhyādadānaḥ hṛdayam eva anvavakrāmati saḥ yatraiṣa cākṣuṣaḥ puruṣaḥ parāṅ paryāvartate athārūpajñaḥ bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यत्रyatrawhere; when
अयम्ayamthis; he
आत्माबल्यंātmābalyaṃinto feebleness (ābālya); into helplessness; into weakness
न्येतिnyetihe goes toward; he enters
संमोहम्saṃmohaminto unconsciousness (saṁmoha, acc.); into a swoon; into bewilderment
इवivahow; as it were
न्येतिnyetihe goes toward; he enters
अथैनम्athainamthen his; then of this one
एतेetethese; the following
प्राणाःprāṇāḥof the prāṇa; the vital breaths
अभिसमायन्तिabhisamāyantithey come together to; they gather round
सःsaḥhe; that one
एताःetāḥthese; these very ones
तेजोमात्राःtejomātrāḥthe particles of light (tejo-mātrā, acc. pl.); the spark-measures of light; the particles of light
समभ्याददानःsamabhyādadānaḥhaving gathered them up (sam-abhi-ā + √dā, participle); having gathered them in; having taken them
हृदयम्hṛdayamthe heart; the core
एवevaindeed; only
अन्ववक्रामतिanvavakrāmatihe comes down (anu-ava + √kram); he descends; he comes down
सःsaḥhe; that one
यत्रैषyatraiṣawhen this one; where this one
चाक्षुषःcākṣuṣaḥbelonging to the eye; pertaining to sight
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
पराङ्parāṅaway (parāñc); outward and back; away
पर्यावर्ततेparyāvartateit turns away (pari-ā + √vṛt); it swings about; it turns away
अथारूपज्ञःathārūpajñaḥno longer knowing forms (a-rūpa-jña); not discerning shapes; not knowing forms
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
Translation
When this self falls into weakness and as it were into a swoon, the breaths gather about him; and taking these particles of light, he descends into the heart. When the person of the eye turns away, [the dying man] ceases to recognise forms.
Version
54d13b9409d6 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:15:25 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here begins the celebrated description of dying — step by step, without fear and without concealment. Weakness, "as it were a swoon" (saṁmoham iva — the iva is careful: the swoon is only apparent), the gathering of the breaths — and a marvellous detail: he takes up "the particles of light" (tejo-mātrāḥ): the sparks of all the faculties — of sight, hearing, thought — and with that luminous baggage "descends into the heart".
And the first visible sign: "the person of the eye turns away" (parāṅ paryāvartate) — He who was looking out through the eye turns inward, taking his light with him, and the dying man "ceases to recognise forms". The famous "does not recognise" of the deathbed (ChU 6.15) is given its mechanics: it is not that sight has broken down — the Seer has turned from the window, withdrawing his light. Death begins not with darkness in the eyes but with the turning of the Light.