Upanishads · Varāha 5.3
॥
Devanāgarī
षट्शतान्यधिकान्यत्र सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः । अहोरात्रवहिः श्वासैर्वायुमण्डलघाततः
Transliteration (IAST)
ṣaṭśatānyadhikānyatra sahasrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ | ahorātravahiḥ śvāsairvāyumaṇḍalaghātataḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
षट्-शतानि अधिकानि अत्रṣaṭ-śatāni adhikāni atrasix hundred more here
सहस्राणि एक-विंशतिःsahasrāṇi eka-viṃśatiḥtwenty-one thousand
अहो-रात्र-वहिः श्वासैःaho-rātra-vahiḥ śvāsaiḥby day and night, outward, by breaths
वायु-मण्डल-घाततःvāyu-maṇḍala-ghātataḥfrom the strikes of the circle of wind
Translation
"Twenty-one thousand six hundred [times] a day and night, breath [goes] outward, from the strikes of the circle of wind."
Version
57278627aa4f · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The famous number is given: 21,600 breaths a day. It is worth verifying, for it is not invented, but counted. A day has 1,440 minutes; 21,600 divided by 1,440 gives fifteen breaths a minute — exactly the calm breathing rate of an adult.
The count, then, is correct, and made by observation. This number is fundamental in yogic literature, for on it is built the teaching of ajapa-gayatri, "the unrepeated gayatri"; discussed when reading the Jabala-darshana (6.24). Let us briefly repeat: it is held that breath of itself utters so'ham — "so" on the inhale, "ham" on the exhale; and hence a person, unknowingly, repeats this 21,600 times a day.
The construction is clever; and the Vaishnava objection to it was cited there too, but let us repeat it, for this is its place. These sounds are not heard in the breath: they are put there by the interpreter, and with equal right one could hear ham-sa, "I am the swan," as another school does. The second objection matters more: if the Name acted of itself, without the knowledge of the one uttering it, then all who breathe would be liberated, including the sleeping and those unconscious at death.
Its rule states that the Name acts as an address; and hence what is required is not the sound, but the one to whom it is addressed. Let us add, however, that it too has a teaching on the effect of a Name uttered unknowingly — namabhasa, "a reflection of the Name"; but even this requires that the name be a name, that is, someone's.