Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 5,13.1
॥
Devanāgarī
उक्थम् प्राणः वा उक्थम् प्राणः हि इदम् सर्वम् उत्थापयति उद् ह अस्मात् उक्थविद् वीरः तिष्ठति उक्थस्य सायुज्यं सलोकतां जयति यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
uktham prāṇaḥ vā uktham prāṇaḥ hi idam sarvam utthāpayati ud ha asmāt ukthavid vīraḥ tiṣṭhati ukthasya sāyujyaṃ salokatāṃ jayati yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
उक्थम्ukthamthe uktha (uktha — a recited hymn); the uktha; the uktha
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
वाvātruly; surely
उक्थम्ukthamthe uktha (uktha — a recited hymn); the uktha; the uktha
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
हिhiindeed; truly
इदम्idamthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
उत्थापयतिutthāpayatiit raises up (ut + √sthā, causative); it raises up; it raises
उद्udupward; outward
हhasurely; as is known
अस्मात्asmātfrom this; out of this
उक्थविद्ukthavidone who knows the uktha; the knower of the hymn
वीरःvīraḥa heroic son (vīra); a valiant son; a hero
तिष्ठतिtiṣṭhatistands; is established
उक्थस्यukthasyaof the uktha; of the hymn of praise
सायुज्यंsāyujyaṃunion (sāyujya); conjunction; union
सलोकतांsalokatāṃthe same world (salokatā); co-worldliness; one world
जयतिjayatihe conquers; he conquers
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; realises
Translation
The uktha is the breath: for the breath raises up (utthāpayati) all this. From one who knows this there rises (ut-tiṣṭhati) a son who knows the uktha; he who knows this wins union with the uktha and its world.
Version
2634e5010873 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:21:57 AM UTC
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The first of four brief vidyās of identification: the uktha, the great recitative hymn, is prāṇa, for the breath "raises up" (ut-√sthā) everything living: whoever rises, rises by the power of breath — the world is lifted every morning by prāṇa as by a hymn.
The promise is homely and warm: from the knower "there rises a son who knows the uktha": knowledge has offspring, the hymn is handed down the line. So the khila completes an old line: prāṇa is the uktha, the yajus and the sāman alike (1.3.20 and onward in the Chāndogya): the whole liturgy consists of pseudonyms for Breath.