Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,4.11
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ याम् इच्छेत् दधीत इति तस्याम् अर्थं निष्ठाय मुखेन मुखं संधाय अपान्य अभिप्राण्यात् इन्द्रियेण ते रेतसा रेतः आदधामि इति गर्भिणी एव भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha yām icchet dadhīta iti tasyām arthaṃ niṣṭhāya mukhena mukhaṃ saṃdhāya apānya abhiprāṇyāt indriyeṇa te retasā retaḥ ādadhāmi iti garbhiṇī eva bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
याम्yāmwhich; that
इच्छेत्icchethe would wish; he should wish
दधीतdadhītashe would conceive (from √dhā, optative); she would become pregnant; she conceived
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
अपान्यapānyahaving drawn the breath aside; having breathed back in
अभिप्राण्यात्abhiprāṇyātlet him breathe out upon her; let him direct the breath
इन्द्रियेणindriyeṇawith the power of the senses; with the faculty
तेteto you; your
रेतसाretasāby the seed; by the seminal power
रेतःretaḥseed; the seminal power
आदधामिādadhāmiI place within; I hand over
इतिitithus; how
गर्भिणीgarbhiṇīwith child (garbhiṇī); pregnant; with child
एवevaindeed; only
भवतिbhavatibecomes; is
Translation
But if he wishes that she should conceive, let him, laying his mouth to her mouth, breathe in and breathe out: "By strength and by seed I place seed in you" — and she becomes fruitful.
Version
41e92cef7bd3 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:28:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The mirror mantra of conception: the order of the breathing is reversed (in, then out), the word "I take" is changed to "I place" — and the wife "becomes fruitful" (garbhiṇī). The same grammar of the gift as in the verse about glory: ādade / ādadhāmi — I take / I place: two verbs with the whole ethic of intimacy lying between them.
A child in this household is called by breath and word before flesh: conception begins with a mantra. So the Upaniṣad prepares the section's chief rite — the putra-mantha, the solemn asking for a son, to which it now turns.