Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.24
॥
Devanāgarī
सः वा एषः महान् अजः आत्मा अन्नादः वसुदानः विन्दते वसु यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ vā eṣaḥ mahān ajaḥ ātmā annādaḥ vasudānaḥ vindate vasu yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
वाvātruly; surely
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
महान्mahāngreat; vast
अजःajaḥunborn; without birth
आत्माātmāthe self; the ātman
अन्नादःannādaḥthe eater of food (anna-ada); the consumer of food; an eater of food
वसुदानःvasudānaḥthe giver of wealth (vasu-dāna); bestowing good things; the giver of wealth
विन्दतेvindatehe obtains (from √vid); finds; obtains
वसुvasuwealth (vasu); the good; wealth
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; realises
Translation
This great unborn ātman is the eater of food, the giver of wealth. He who knows thus obtains wealth.
Version
9d8a5a7c9aa9 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:18:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A short additional verse with two titles of abundance: annādaḥ — "the eater of food" (everything eaten in every being is in the last resort eaten by Him — recall "the eater of all", Aditi, 1.2.5) — and vasudānaḥ — "the giver of wealth": everything that anyone has ever received was issued from His hand.
And a modest promise: the knower "obtains wealth" — not because knowledge converts into coin, but because one who has recognised the Giver stops standing with his back to the source. The Upaniṣad does not disdain the earthly fruit: the Lord of all is the lord of sufficiency too; poverty of spirit is under no obligation to keep an empty barn.