Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.8
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यथा दुन्दुभेः हन्यमानस्य न बाह्याञ् शब्दाञ् शक्नुयात् ग्रहणाय दुन्दुभेस् तु ग्रहणेन दुन्दुभ्याघातस्य वा शब्दः गृहीतः
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yathā dundubheḥ hanyamānasya na bāhyāñ śabdāñ śaknuyāt grahaṇāya dundubhes tu grahaṇena dundubhyāghātasya vā śabdaḥ gṛhītaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यथाyathāhow; as far as
दुन्दुभेःdundubheḥof a drum (dundubhi, gen.); of the kettledrum; of the drum
हन्यमानस्यhanyamānasyawhen it is beaten (passive participle); being struck; when it is beaten
नnanot; no
बाह्याञ्bāhyāñthe outward; the external
शब्दाञ्śabdāñsounds; of speech
शक्नुयात्śaknuyāthe would be able; he would be capable
ग्रहणायgrahaṇāyato grasp (grahaṇa, dat.); for the grasping; to seize
दुन्दुभेस्dundubhesof the drum; of the kettledrum
तुtusurely; but
ग्रहणेनgrahaṇenaby grasping; by taking hold
दुन्दुभ्याघातस्यdundubhyāghātasyaof the drum-beat; of the beating of the drum
वाvātruly; surely
शब्दःśabdaḥsound; the sounding
गृहीतःgṛhītaḥis grasped (gṛhīta); is caught; is grasped
Translation
As, when a drum is beaten, one cannot catch the outward sounds one by one, but by catching the drum, or the beater, the sound too is caught; —
Version
fcebaf1bb73d · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:18:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The three parables of sound return (2.4.7–9) — drum, conch, vīṇā: phenomena are not to be caught piece by piece; take hold of the instrument and of the Player, and all the music is yours.
In the farewell context the parable sounds like a method left to a pupil: when the teacher is no longer at your side, do not chase the echoes of his words — hold to the Source from which they thundered: the truth is caught in the Drummer, not in the rolls.