Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,2.10
॥
Devanāgarī
पर्जन्यः वा अग्निः गौतम तस्य संवत्सरः एव समित् अभ्राणि धूमः विद्युत् अर्चिः अशनिः अङ्गाराः ह्रादुनयो विष्फुलिङ्गाः तस्मिन् एतस्मिन् अग्नौ देवाः सोमं राजानं जुह्वति तस्याः आहुत्यै वृष्टिः संभवति
Transliteration (IAST)
parjanyaḥ vā agniḥ gautama tasya saṃvatsaraḥ eva samit abhrāṇi dhūmaḥ vidyut arciḥ aśaniḥ aṅgārāḥ hrādunayo viṣphuliṅgāḥ tasmin etasmin agnau devāḥ somaṃ rājānaṃ juhvati tasyāḥ āhutyai vṛṣṭiḥ saṃbhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पर्जन्यःparjanyaḥthe rain-cloud (parjanya); Parjanya; the storm-cloud
वाvātruly; surely
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
गौतमgautamaO Gautama; Gautama
तस्यtasyait; his
संवत्सरःsaṃvatsaraḥa year; the yearly round
एवevaindeed; only
समित्samitfuel; the log
अभ्राणिabhrāṇithe clouds (abhra, pl.); the clouds; the cloud-masses
धूमःdhūmaḥsmoke; the smoke-form
विद्युत्vidyutlightning; the lightning-flash
अर्चिःarciḥflame; the radiance
अशनिःaśaniḥthe thunderbolt (aśani); the thunderclap; the bolt
अङ्गाराःaṅgārāḥthe coals; the burning coals
ह्रादुनयोhrādunayothe rolling peals (hrāduni, pl.); the peals; the peals
विष्फुलिङ्गाःviṣphuliṅgāḥthe sparks; the flying sparks
तस्मिन्tasminin It; in this
एतस्मिन्etasminin this; upon this
अग्नौagnauin the fire; in this fire
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
सोमंsomaṃSoma; the lunar essence
राजानंrājānaṃof the king; the lord
जुह्वतिjuhvatibring; they pour the libation
तस्याःtasyāḥit; of her
आहुत्यैāhutyaiout of the oblation; from the offering
वृष्टिःvṛṣṭiḥrain (vṛṣṭi); the downpour; rain
संभवतिsaṃbhavatibecomes; arises; he comes into being
Translation
The rain-cloud, Gautama, is a fire: the year is its fuel, the clouds its smoke, the lightning its flame, the thunderbolt its coals, the peals its sparks. Into this fire the gods offer King Soma; out of this oblation rain is born.
Version
81fd0d10eadb · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:25:52 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second fire is Parjanya, the storm, and its fuel here is the year (in the Chāndogya it is the wind): the rain ripens by the circle of the year, the storm is stoked with time. The Soma born of faith is offered into the storm — and comes down as rain.
The chain has started downward, from the subtle to the dense, and every transition is a sacrifice: not a "water cycle" but a cycle of oblations; the world is held not by physics alone but by liturgy, and the thunderstorm overhead is the second altar on the descending road of every soul.