Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.18
॥
Devanāgarī
प्राणस्य प्राणम् उत चक्षुषः चक्षुर् उत श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रम् मनसो ये मनः विदुः ते निचिक्युः ब्रह्म पुराणम् अग्र्यम्
Transliteration (IAST)
prāṇasya prāṇam uta cakṣuṣaḥ cakṣur uta śrotrasya śrotram manaso ye manaḥ viduḥ te nicikyuḥ brahma purāṇam agryam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्राणस्यprāṇasyaof the breath (prāṇa, gen.); of the prāṇa; the breaths
प्राणम्prāṇamthe Breath (prāṇa, acc.); the prāṇa; Breath
उतutaand likewise; and further
चक्षुषःcakṣuṣaḥof the eye (cakṣus, gen.); of the eye; of the eye
चक्षुर्cakṣurthe eye; sight
उतutaand likewise; and further
श्रोत्रस्यśrotrasyaof the ear (śrotra, gen.); of the ear; of the ear
श्रोत्रम्śrotramthe ear; the organ of hearing
मनसोmanasoof the mind (manas, genitive); than the mind; than the mind
येyethose who; they who
मनःmanaḥthe mind; thinking
विदुःviduḥthey know; they are aware
तेtethose; these
निचिक्युःnicikyuḥthey discerned (from √ci, perf.); they made out; we have beheld
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the sacred reality
पुराणम्purāṇamthe ancient (purāṇa); the immemorial; the ancient one
अग्र्यम्agryamthe primal (agrya — 'the foremost'); the foremost; the primal
Translation
The breath of the breath, the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind — those who have known [Him so] have beheld the ancient, primordial Brahman.
Version
218e7fe04c2e · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:17:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The formula of formulas: prāṇasya prāṇam, cakṣuṣaś cakṣuḥ — "the Breath of the breath, the Eye of the eye, the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind". The genitive works a wonder: behind each of our faculties a Faculty is opened by which it is able; life is alive by Life, sight sees by the Seer (this echoes Kena 1.2 — "the Hearing of hearing, the Mind of the mind…").
Those who have known thus "have beheld the ancient, primordial Brahman" (purāṇam agryam — the oldest and the first). They have not found a new god: they have recognised the Most Ancient in the very structure of every moment: every breath already breathes by Him. The whole practice of remembrance has grown out of this genitive: breathe — and remember whose the breath is.