Upanishads · Śvetāśvatara 4.8
॥
Devanāgarī
ऋचो अक्षरे परमे व्योमन् यस्मिन् देवा अधि विश्वे निषेधुः ।
यस् तन् न वेद किम् ऋचा करिष्यति य इत् तद् विदुस् त इमे समासते
Transliteration (IAST)
ṛco akṣare parame vyoman yasmin devā adhi viśve niṣedhuḥ /
yas tan na veda kim ṛcā kariṣyati ya it tad vidus ta ime samāsate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ऋचःṛcaḥthe hymns; the ṛcs
अक्षरेakṣarein the imperishable; in the undecaying
परमे व्योमन्parame vyomanin the highest heaven; in the supernal expanse
यस्मिन्yasminin which; where
देवाः अधि विश्वेdevāḥ adhi viśveall the gods; every deity
निषेदुःniṣeduḥhave taken their seat; are established
यः तत् न वेदyaḥ tat na vedahe who knows That not; one ignorant of That
किम् ऋचा करिष्यतिkim ṛcā kariṣyatiwhat will he do with a hymn; what use is a hymn to him
ये इत् तत् विदुःye it tat viduḥbut they who know That; those, however, who know
ते इमे समासतेte ime samāsatethese are seated together; they abide in company
Translation
The hymns are in the imperishable, in the highest heaven, where all the gods have taken their seat. He who knows That not — what will he do with a hymn? But they who know are seated together here.
Version
cf05d9581972 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:13:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The mantra says where the Veda actually is. Not in scrolls and not in the memory of priests: the hymns are "in the imperishable, in the highest heaven". Their source and their place are where He is of whom they speak.
Hence the almost impudent question: "he who knows That not — what will he do with a hymn?" Knowledge of the text without knowledge of its Object is declared useless. This is the same thought that Vaiṣṇava Vedānta will later coin in distinguishing the knower of words from the knower of the substance: one who has got as far as the words "honey is sweet" has not yet tasted sweetness.
The second half does not cancel the first: for those who know, the hymn is not forbidden — it is said that they are "seated together here". The word samāsate means "they sit together", as an assembly sits. The knowers do not run away from the Veda, they gather round it; the difference is only that for them the word leads to the Object rather than replacing Him.
Note too that "all the gods have taken their seat" in the same imperishable. Veda, gods and rite are placed inside the One whom the Upaniṣad seeks; none of it is discarded, but none of it is left standing on its own.