Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,1.13
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ ह प्राणः उत्क्रमिष्यन् यथा महासुहयः सैन्धवः पड्वीशशङ्खून्त् संवृहेद् एवम् ह एव इमान् प्राणान् संववर्ह ते ह ऊचुः मा भगवः उत्क्रमीः न वै शक्ष्यामस् त्वद् ऋते जीवितुम् इति तस्यो मे बलिं कुरुत इति तथेति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha ha prāṇaḥ utkramiṣyan yathā mahāsuhayaḥ saindhavaḥ paḍvīśaśaṅkhūnt saṃvṛhed evam ha eva imān prāṇān saṃvavarha te ha ūcuḥ mā bhagavaḥ utkramīḥ na vai śakṣyāmas tvad ṛte jīvitum iti tasyo me baliṃ kuruta iti tatheti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
हhasurely; as is known
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
उत्क्रमिष्यन्utkramiṣyanbeing about to go out (future participle); preparing to depart; about to depart
यथाyathāhow; as far as
महासुहयःmahāsuhayaḥa great fine horse (mahā-suhaya); a great steed; the mighty horse
सैन्धवःsaindhavaḥof Sindh (saindhava — from the Indus country); of the Sindh breed; Sindhu-bred
पड्वीशशङ्खून्त्paḍvīśaśaṅkhūntthe pegs of its tethers (paḍvīśa-śaṅku, acc. pl.); the stakes of the tether; the tethering-pegs
संवृहेद्saṃvṛhedit would tear out; it would pull up
एवम्evamthus; in this way
हhasurely; as is known
एवevaindeed; only
इमान्imānthese; of these
प्राणान्prāṇānof the prāṇa; the vital breaths
संववर्हsaṃvavarhait tore them up along with it (sam + √vṛh, perf.); it pulled them all up at once; it wrenched
तेtethose; these
हhasurely; as is known
ऊचुःūcuḥsaid; they uttered
माmānot; no need
भगवःbhagavaḥO venerable one; O master
उत्क्रमीःutkramīḥdo not go out; do not depart
नnanot; no
वैvaitruly; indeed
शक्ष्यामस्śakṣyāmaswe shall be able; we shall be capable
त्वद्tvadwithout you; by you
ऋतेṛtewithout; except for
जीवितुम्jīvitumto live; to keep alive
इतिitithus; how
तस्योtasyoto him; for him
मेmemyself; in my house
बलिंbaliṃtribute (bali, acc.); tribute; tribute
कुरुतkurutamake; perform
इतिitithus; how
तथेतिtathetiso shall it be; so be it
Translation
Then the breath, about to go out, tore all these powers up after it, as a mighty Sindhu horse tears up the pegs of its tether. They said: "Do not go out, sir! We shall not be able to live without you." — "Then bring me tribute." — "So be it."
Version
33e43465d530 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:24:18 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The dénouement is swifter than in the Chāndogya: the breath had only "made ready to go out" — and it was not single pegs that flew: it "tore all the powers up at once", like a mahāsuhayaḥ saindhavaḥ, a mighty horse of the Sindhu breed (the best cavalry of antiquity) tearing out the whole tether-line. Speech, eye, ear, mind, seed — all hung from the uprooted pegs: no one lives when life is leaving.
And the surrender is instant: "do not go — we shall not be able to live". But the Bṛhadāraṇyaka adds a royal detail: prāṇa demands balim — tribute! Acknowledgement of primacy must be paid for: each power will now enter its own title into the victor's treasury, and the dispute will end not in humiliation but in an oath of fealty.