Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.9
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्मिञ् शुक्लम् उत नीलम् आहुः पिङ्गलं हरितं लोहितं च एषः पन्था ब्रह्मणा हानुवित्तः तेन एति ब्रह्मवित् पुण्यकृत् तैजसः च
Transliteration (IAST)
tasmiñ śuklam uta nīlam āhuḥ piṅgalaṃ haritaṃ lohitaṃ ca eṣaḥ panthā brahmaṇā hānuvittaḥ tena eti brahmavit puṇyakṛt taijasaḥ ca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्मिञ्tasmiñin It; upon It
शुक्लम्śuklamthe white (śukla); the white; the white
उतutaand likewise; and further
नीलम्nīlamthe blue (nīla); the blue; the blue
आहुःāhuḥthey say; they declare
पिङ्गलंpiṅgalaṃtawny (piṅgala); reddish-brown; the ruddy
हरितंharitaṃgreen (harita); the green; the green
लोहितंlohitaṃred (lohita); the crimson; the red
चcaand; as well as
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
पन्थाpanthāgoing; the road
ब्रह्मणाbrahmaṇāby Brahman; through Brahman
हानुवित्तःhānuvittaḥfound; traced out
तेनtenato them; by means of him
एतिetigoes; attains
ब्रह्मवित्brahmavitthe knower of Brahman; one who has known Brahman
पुण्यकृत्puṇyakṛta doer of good (puṇya-kṛt); a benefactor; a doer of good
तैजसःtaijasaḥluminous (taijasa); full of light; luminous
चcaand; as well as
Translation
On it, they say, are white and blue, tawny, green and red. This path was found by Brahman; by it goes the knower of Brahman, the doer of good, the luminous one.
Version
3aca2cacd220 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:15:25 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second verse gives the path its colours — white, blue, tawny, green and red: the very five colours of the hitā channels (4.3.20; 4.2.3)! The ancient track does not run among the stars but along the finest channels of the heart: the road to the higher world is paved inside a man.
"This path was found by Brahman" — it was not laid by a mortal pioneer; the walker steps into the rut of the One himself. And the walker's threefold pass: brahmavit — knower; puṇyakṛt — doer of good; taijasaḥ — luminous: knowledge, well-doing and accumulated light are the three travel papers of one wayfarer. The verses do not separate gnosis from goodness: on a narrow path they are the left foot and the right.