Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,2.5
॥
Devanāgarī
सः ह उवाच प्रतिज्ञतो मे एष वरः यां तु कुमारस्यान्ते वाचम् अभाषथास् तां मे ब्रूहि इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ ha uvāca pratijñato me eṣa varaḥ yāṃ tu kumārasyānte vācam abhāṣathās tāṃ me brūhi iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
प्रतिज्ञतोpratijñatois promised (prati-jñāta); promised; is promised
मेmemyself; in my house
एषeṣathis; such
वरःvaraḥa boon (vara); a gift; a gift
यांyāṃwhich; that
तुtusurely; but
कुमारस्यान्तेkumārasyāntein the young man's presence; before the boy
वाचम्vācamspeech; the word
अभाषथास्abhāṣathāsyou spoke (from √bhāṣ, aorist); he spoke; he spoke
तांtāṃit; that
मेmemyself; in my house
ब्रूहिbrūhispeak; tell
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Gautama said: "The boon is already promised me: tell me that speech which you made in the young man's presence."
Version
f895da62c3a2 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:25:01 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The royal "boon" is caught in mid-air: Gautama turns a formula of courtesy into a promissory note — "the boon is promised: this is what I ask, that speech". Not gold, not cows — the five questions that routed his son.
So all the great petitioners of the Upaniṣads acted — Naciketas before Death, Maitreyī at the division of the estate: out of all gifts, to choose the word. The giver who offered an estate turns out to owe the truth — and will now try to buy his way out.