Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.8
॥
Devanāgarī
तद् एते श्लोकाः भवन्ति अणुः पन्था विततः पुराणो मां स्पृष्टो अनुवित्तो मयैव तेन धीराः अपियन्ति ब्रह्मविदः स्वर्गं लोकम् इत ऊर्ध्वं विमुक्ताः
Transliteration (IAST)
tad ete ślokāḥ bhavanti aṇuḥ panthā vitataḥ purāṇo māṃ spṛṣṭo anuvitto mayaiva tena dhīrāḥ apiyanti brahmavidaḥ svargaṃ lokam ita ūrdhvaṃ vimuktāḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तद्tadthat; this
एतेetethese; the following
श्लोकाःślokāḥthe verses; the stanzas
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
अणुःaṇuḥnarrow (aṇu — 'fine'); the small; narrow
पन्थाpanthāthe path (pathin); the path; going
विततःvitataḥfar-stretched (vi-tata); extended; far-stretched
पुराणोpurāṇoancient (purāṇa); of old; ancient
मांmāṃme; to me
स्पृष्टोspṛṣṭohas been touched (spṛṣṭa); has touched; has been touched
अनुवित्तोanuvittohas been found (anu-vitta); is obtained; is found
मयैवmayaivaby me alone; by me myself
तेनtenato them; by means of him
धीराःdhīrāḥthe wise (dhīra, pl.); the steadfast in spirit; the wise
अपियन्तिapiyantigo; arrive at
ब्रह्मविदःbrahmavidaḥthe knowers of Brahman (brahma-vid, pl.); the brahma-vids; the knowers of Brahman
स्वर्गंsvargaṃheavenly; svarga
लोकम्lokamthe world; the region
इतitafrom here; from this world
ऊर्ध्वंūrdhvaṃhigher; further
विमुक्ताःvimuktāḥthe liberated (vi-mukta, pl.); the free; the liberated
Translation
On this there are verses: "The narrow, far-stretching, ancient path has touched me — by me it has been found. By it the wise, the knowers of Brahman, liberated, go up from here to the heavenly world.
Version
bd101bb40c5d · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:15:25 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A garland of verses begins (4.4.8–21) — the poetic summing-up of the whole instruction to Janaka. The first is about the path: aṇuḥ panthā vitataḥ purāṇaḥ — "narrow, far-stretching, ancient": the track is thin as a blade's edge (the Kaṭha will say "like a razor"), it runs through all the worlds and is older than all who walk it. And the singer's marvellous admission: "it has touched me — by me it has been found": the path itself touches the one who is ready, and the finding proves mutual.
"By it the wise, the knowers of Brahman, go up liberated" — the road is not empty: all the knowers have walked it, and everyone who steps on it steps into a procession. The narrowness of the track is not cruelty but precision: no avenues lead to the One; but its antiquity is a comfort: the path is trodden, and the walker is not the first.