Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,1.6
॥
Devanāgarī
यः ह वै प्रजातिं वेद प्रजायते ह प्रजया पशुभिः रेतो वै प्रजातिः प्रजायते ह प्रजया पशुभिः यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
yaḥ ha vai prajātiṃ veda prajāyate ha prajayā paśubhiḥ reto vai prajātiḥ prajāyate ha prajayā paśubhiḥ yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यःyaḥwho; the one who
हhasurely; as is known
वैvaitruly; indeed
प्रजातिंprajātiṃprocreation (prajāti); the power of begetting; begetting
वेदvedaknows; realises
प्रजायतेprajāyatehe is propagated (pra + √jan); he multiplies; it is begotten
हhasurely; as is known
प्रजयाprajayāwith offspring; with children
पशुभिःpaśubhiḥwith cattle (paśu, instr. pl.); with herds; with cattle
रेतोretothe seed (retas); seed; seed
वैvaitruly; indeed
प्रजातिःprajātiḥthe generative power; the begetting of offspring
प्रजायतेprajāyatehe is propagated (pra + √jan); he multiplies; it is begotten
हhasurely; as is known
प्रजयाprajayāwith offspring; with children
पशुभिःpaśubhiḥwith cattle (paśu, instr. pl.); with herds; with cattle
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; realises
Translation
He who knows procreation is procreated with offspring and cattle. Seed is procreation. He who knows this is procreated with offspring and cattle.
Version
238d7d905f1c · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:24:18 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The sixth participant is new to this recension: retas, seed, with the title prajāti, procreation: the power of continuation by which a family lives and a household increases. The Chāndogya had five powers disputing — the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, the book of the householder's khila, brings in a sixth: here the continuation of the line is a vital power in its own right.
The list is closed: breath, speech, eye, ear, mind, seed — six with their titles. And, as always after a distribution of honours, comes a dispute about primacy: where there are six truths, the seventh will be a quarrel.