Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 5,2.2
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ ह एनम् मनुष्याः ऊचुः ब्रवीतु नः भवान् इति तेभ्यः ह एतद् एव अक्षरम् उवाच द इति व्यज्ञासिष्टा इति व्यज्ञासिष्म इति ह ऊचुः दत्त इति नः आत्थेति ओम् इति ह उवाच व्यज्ञासिष्ट इति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ha enam manuṣyāḥ ūcuḥ bravītu naḥ bhavān iti tebhyaḥ ha etad eva akṣaram uvāca da iti vyajñāsiṣṭā iti vyajñāsiṣma iti ha ūcuḥ datta iti naḥ āttheti om iti ha uvāca vyajñāsiṣṭa iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
हhasurely; as is known
एनम्enamit; of this
मनुष्याःmanuṣyāḥmen (manuṣya, pl.); human beings; people
ऊचुःūcuḥsaid; they uttered
ब्रवीतुbravītulet him tell; let him instruct me
नःnaḥour; for us
भवान्bhavānvenerable one; you
इतिitithus; how
तेभ्यःtebhyaḥto them; for them
हhasurely; as is known
एतद्etadthis; the present
एवevaindeed; only
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the letter
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
दda'da'; the syllable da
इतिitithus; how
व्यज्ञासिष्टाvyajñāsiṣṭāhave you understood; have you grasped it
इतिitithus; how
व्यज्ञासिष्मvyajñāsiṣmawe have understood; we have grasped it
इतिitithus; how
हhasurely; as is known
ऊचुःūcuḥsaid; they uttered
दत्तdattagive (from √dā, imperative pl.); bestow; give
इतिitithus; how
नःnaḥour; for us
आत्थेतिātthetiyou said, thus; you say
ओम्omoṁ; yes
इतिitithus; how
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
व्यज्ञासिष्टvyajñāsiṣṭayou have understood; you have grasped it
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Then men said to him: "Speak to us, sir!" He uttered to them the same syllable: "da". — "Have you understood?" — "We have understood: you said to us 'give' (datta)." — "Oṁ!" he said. "You have understood."
Version
48d2b9edb832 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:19:47 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Second come men, and their hearing drew its own medicine out of the "da": datta — "give". The human disease is greed: to rake in and to hold; of the three, it is man who most needs to unclench his hand.
The exactness of the diagnosis is everlasting: a bridle for the celestial, generosity for the human. All human evil is reduced in this parable to stinginess — and all healing to giving: a hand that has learned to give is the human organ of salvation. Whoever among men hears the thunder, let him hear his own word: give.