Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,4.27
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ एनम् मात्रे प्रदाय स्तनं प्रयच्छति यः ते स्तनः शशयः यः मयोभूः यः रत्नधा वसुविद् यः सुदत्रः येन विश्वा पुष्यसि वार्याणि सरस्वति तम् इह धातवे कर् इति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha enam mātre pradāya stanaṃ prayacchati yaḥ te stanaḥ śaśayaḥ yaḥ mayobhūḥ yaḥ ratnadhā vasuvid yaḥ sudatraḥ yena viśvā puṣyasi vāryāṇi sarasvati tam iha dhātave kar iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
एनम्enamit; of this
मात्रेmātreto the mother (mātṛ, dat.); of the mother; of the mother
प्रदायpradāyahaving handed him over (pra + √dā); having given him; having handed over
स्तनंstanaṃthe breast (stana, acc.); the breast; the bosom
प्रयच्छतिprayacchatigives; he hands on
यःyaḥwho; the one who
तेteto you; your
स्तनःstanaḥthe bosom; the breast
शशयःśaśayaḥlying; reposing
यःyaḥwho; the one who
मयोभूःmayobhūḥthe bringer of gladness (mayobhū — 'making joy'); benign; the gladdening
यःyaḥwho; the one who
रत्नधाratnadhāthe treasure-bestower (ratna-dhā); holding treasure; the keeper of treasure
वसुविद्vasuvidthe finder of wealth (vasu-vid); knowing the goods; the wealth-finder
यःyaḥwho; the one who
सुदत्रःsudatraḥthe generous giver; bountiful
येनyenaby which; by means of which
विश्वाviśvāall; of every kind
पुष्यसिpuṣyasiyou nourish; you make grow
वार्याणिvāryāṇithe desired goods; the valuables
सरस्वतिsarasvatiO Sarasvatī (voc.); O Sarasvatī; Sarasvatī
तम्tamit; that one
इहihahere; in this world
धातवेdhātavefor nourishment; for sustenance
कर्karmake; do it
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Then, handing him to his mother, he gives him the breast: "Your breast, unfailing, delightful, holding treasure, rich in knowledge, generous in gifts, with which you nourish all things choice — Sarasvatī, grant it here [to the infant]…"
Version
f9b5f6c2fa24 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:30:39 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The son's return to his mother comes with a hymn to her breast, taken from the Ṛgveda (1.164.49): the breast is "unfailing, delightful, treasure-holding, generous" — and the mother at this moment is named Sarasvatī! She who nurses is the goddess of wisdom and of the full-flowing river herself: the first milk is offered as her sacred stream.
So the code completes the circle of gifts: the father gave word, honey and a name — the mother gives the river of life, and both gifts are called divine. Motherhood is deified without metaphor: at Sarasvatī's breast is nursed the one whose secret name is Veda; milk and revelation flow to this household from one source.