Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 5,13.4
॥
Devanāgarī
क्षत्रम् प्राणः वै क्षत्रम् प्राणः हि वै क्षत्रम् त्रायते ह एनम् प्राणः क्षणितोः प्र क्षत्रम् अत्रम् आप्नोति क्षत्रस्य सायुज्यं सलोकतां जयति यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
kṣatram prāṇaḥ vai kṣatram prāṇaḥ hi vai kṣatram trāyate ha enam prāṇaḥ kṣaṇitoḥ pra kṣatram atram āpnoti kṣatrasya sāyujyaṃ salokatāṃ jayati yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
क्षत्रम्kṣatramthe kṣatra (kṣatra — ruling and protecting power); power; kṣatra
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
वैvaitruly; indeed
क्षत्रम्kṣatramthe kṣatra (kṣatra — ruling and protecting power); power; kṣatra
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
हिhiindeed; truly
वैvaitruly; indeed
क्षत्रम्kṣatramthe kṣatra (kṣatra — ruling and protecting power); power; kṣatra
त्रायतेtrāyateshe guards (from √trai); he defends; it protects
हhasurely; as is known
एनम्enamit; of this
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
क्षणितोःkṣaṇitoḥfrom being wounded (kṣaṇitu, abl.); from injury; from wounding
प्रpraforth; separately
क्षत्रम्kṣatramthe kṣatra (kṣatra — ruling and protecting power); power; kṣatra
अत्रम्atramprotection; a refuge
आप्नोतिāpnotiattains; obtains
क्षत्रस्यkṣatrasyaof the kṣatriya power; to royal power
सायुज्यंsāyujyaṃjunction; union
सलोकतांsalokatāṃdwelling in the same world; co-worldliness
जयतिjayatihe conquers; he conquers
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; realises
Translation
The kṣatra is the breath: the breath indeed is the kṣatra, for the breath protects (trāyate) [a man] from being wounded (kṣaṇitoḥ). He obtains a kṣatra that needs no other protection; he who knows this wins union with the kṣatra and its world.
Version
7dd73b6b82fe · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:21:57 AM UTC
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The fourth vidyā, with a martial etymology: kṣatra, power-and-protection, is prāṇa, for it "protects from wounding" (kṣaṇitos trāyate): life is the body's bodyguard, mending wounds and repelling illnesses; every protection in the world is a shadow of this inner guard.
The knower obtains "a kṣatra that needs no protection" (pra kṣatram atram) — a power that asks no one to defend it. So the khila closes the series: hymn, formula, chant, sovereignty — four ranks of one prāṇa; poetry, rite, music and the state are four garments of Breath.