Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,4.14
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यः इच्छेत् पुत्रो मे शुक्लः जायेत वेदम् अनुब्रुवीत सर्वम् आयुः इयात् इति क्षीरौदनं पाचयित्वा सर्पिष्मन्तम् अश्नीयाताम् ईश्वरौ जनयितवै
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ yaḥ icchet putro me śuklaḥ jāyeta vedam anubruvīta sarvam āyuḥ iyāt iti kṣīraudanaṃ pācayitvā sarpiṣmantam aśnīyātām īśvarau janayitavai
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
इच्छेत्icchethe would wish; he should wish
पुत्रोputroa son; a boy
मेmemy; in my house
शुक्लःśuklaḥfair (śukla); white; radiant
जायेतjāyetalet there be born; may there be
वेदम्vedamthe Veda; knowledge
अनुब्रुवीतanubruvītalet him study (anu + √brū, optative); let him recite [the Veda]; let him study
सर्वम्sarvamthe whole; complete
आयुःāyuḥlife; length of life
इयात्iyātlet him go; he would go
इतिitithus; how
क्षीरौदनंkṣīraudanaṃrice boiled in milk (kṣīra-odana); milk-rice; the milk gruel
पाचयित्वाpācayitvāhaving cooked; having prepared
सर्पिष्मन्तम्sarpiṣmantamwith butter (sarpiṣmat); with ghee; with butter
अश्नीयाताम्aśnīyātāmlet the two of them eat (from √aś, optative dual); let them both partake; let both eat
ईश्वरौīśvarauthe two are able (īśvara, dual); they are capable; they are able
जनयितवैjanayitavaito beget; to bring forth
Translation
He who wishes "may a fair son be born to me, may he learn one Veda, may he live out his full span" — let the two of them, having cooked rice in milk with butter, eat it: they will be able to beget.
Version
1445767170b1 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:28:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here begins the famous ladder of desired children, with a cookery for every rung: a fair son who will know one Veda is asked for with milk-rice and ghee, eaten by both (aśnīyātām — the dual: they eat together!).
Behind the seemingly naive dietetics lies the section's deep faith: a child begins with a shared meal of the parents; the composition of the porridge is the son's first alphabet. A modern eye recognises here a care for conception long before conception; a Vedic eye sees the logic of sacrifice: as the iṣṭa (the offering) is, so is the fruit.