Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,4.10
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ याम् इच्छेत् न गर्भं दधीत इति तस्याम् अर्थं निष्ठाय मुखेन मुखं संधाय अभिप्राण्य अपान्यात् इन्द्रियेण ते रेतसा रेतः आददे इति अरेता एव भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yām icchet na garbhaṃ dadhīta iti tasyām arthaṃ niṣṭhāya mukhena mukhaṃ saṃdhāya abhiprāṇya apānyāt indriyeṇa te retasā retaḥ ādade iti aretā eva bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
याम्yāmwhich; that
इच्छेत्icchethe would wish; he should wish
नnanot; no
गर्भंgarbhaṃthe conception (garbha, acc.); as a foetus; procreation
दधीतdadhītalet her conceive; let her retain
इतिitithus; how
तस्याम्tasyāmin it; with her
अर्थंarthaṃthe target; work
निष्ठायniṣṭhāyaestablished; having concentrated
मुखेनmukhenawith the mouth; with his face
मुखंmukhaṃthe mouth; the countenance
संधायsaṃdhāyahaving mixed; having laid it on
अभिप्राण्यabhiprāṇyahaving breathed out upon her (abhi-pra + √an); having breathed toward her; having breathed out
अपान्यात्apānyāthe breathes in (apa + √an, optative); he would breathe in; he breathes in
इन्द्रियेणindriyeṇawith the power of the senses; with the faculty
तेteto you; your
रेतसाretasāwith the seed (retas, instr.); by the seed; by the seed
रेतःretaḥseed; the seminal power
आददेādadeI take; I take it up
इतिitithus; how
अरेताaretāwithout seed; not having conceived
एवevaindeed; only
भवतिbhavatibecomes; is
Translation
If he wishes that she should not conceive, let him, laying his mouth to her mouth, breathe out and breathe in: "By strength and by seed I take away your seed" — and she remains without seed.
Version
0198b61be831 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:28:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The code knows a postponement of conception too — by a mantra of breath, "I take away the seed": in this household the continuation of the line is a matter of conscious decision and not of blind chance; the times for children are chosen as the times for sacrifices are.
The means is the same as throughout the section: breath and word, prāṇa and mantra: the pair that governs the whole Upaniṣad governs the cradle too. Nothing in a knower's house happens "of itself": even a non-event is a rite.