Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.9
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यथा शङ्खस्य ध्मायमानस्य न बाह्याञ् शब्दाञ् शक्नुयात् ग्रहणाय शङ्खस्य तु ग्रहणेन शङ्खध्मस्य वा शब्दः गृहीतः
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yathā śaṅkhasya dhmāyamānasya na bāhyāñ śabdāñ śaknuyāt grahaṇāya śaṅkhasya tu grahaṇena śaṅkhadhmasya vā śabdaḥ gṛhītaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यथाyathāhow; as far as
शङ्खस्यśaṅkhasyaof a conch (śaṅkha, gen.); of the śaṅkha; of the conch
ध्मायमानस्यdhmāyamānasyawhen it is blown (passive participle); being blown; when it is blown
नnanot; no
बाह्याञ्bāhyāñthe outward; the external
शब्दाञ्śabdāñsounds; of speech
शक्नुयात्śaknuyāthe would be able; he would be capable
ग्रहणायgrahaṇāyafor the grasping; for the perceiving
शङ्खस्यśaṅkhasyaof a conch (śaṅkha, gen.); of the śaṅkha; of the conch
तुtusurely; but
ग्रहणेनgrahaṇenaby grasping; by taking hold
शङ्खध्मस्यśaṅkhadhmasyaof the blowing of the conch; of the sound of the śaṅkha
वाvātruly; surely
शब्दःśabdaḥsound; the sounding
गृहीतःgṛhītaḥis grasped; is caught
Translation
as, when a conch is blown, one cannot catch the outward sounds one by one, but by catching the conch, or the blower, the sound too is caught; —
Version
355c0650f15f · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:18:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second parable is the conch: the call that floats everywhere is caught only in the Blower. The śaṅkha is the voice of a sacred summons; and the tidings of Brahman cannot be pieced together from the echoes of opinions — they are taken from the Mouth.
The repetition of the parables in the second recension is no mechanics: what was said to a king about knowing is said to a wife about faithfulness; one and the same truth serves as an epistemology and as a consolation in parting.