Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,4.26
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ अस्य नाम करोति वेदः असि इति तद् अस्य एतद् गुह्यम् एव नाम भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha asya nāma karoti vedaḥ asi iti tad asya etad guhyam eva nāma bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
अस्यasyait; of this
नामnāmaname (nāman); the name; the name
करोतिkarotimakes; he names him
वेदःvedaḥthe Veda (veda); the Veda; the Veda
असिasiare you; you are
इतिitithus; how
तद्tadthat; this
अस्यasyait; of this
एतद्etadthis; the present
गुह्यम्guhyamthe secret one (guhya); the secret; the hidden
एवevaindeed; only
नामnāmaname (nāman); the name; the name
भवतिbhavatibecomes; is
Translation
Then he gives him a name: "You are the Veda." This is his secret name.
Version
98ea9ab3ad1b · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:30:39 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The shortest verse of the code — and perhaps the deepest: every son's secret name is vedo 'si, "You are the Veda". Before any worldly name the child is named Knowledge: his hidden essence is not a family byname but sacred knowing itself.
Guhyaṁ nāma — a secret name — is that by which a being is called in truth. Everyone born in this household is secretly called Veda: a living book, a continuation of revelation by lineage. When the tradition says that a son is his father's salvation (putra from "put", 1.5.17), it will remember this too: it is not blood that saves but the Veda by which the newborn has been named.