Upaniṣads · Chāndogya 4,17.9
॥
Devanāgarī
एषः ह वा उदक्प्रवणः यज्ञः यत्र एवम्विद् ब्रह्मा भवति एवंविदम् ह वा एषा ब्रह्माणम् अनु गाथा यतः यतः आवर्तते तत् तत् गच्छति
Transliteración (IAST)
eṣaḥ ha vā udakpravaṇaḥ yajñaḥ yatra evamvid brahmā bhavati evaṃvidam ha vā eṣā brahmāṇam anu gāthā yataḥ yataḥ āvartate tat tat gacchati
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
हhaindeed; surely
वाvāverily; surely
उदक्प्रवणःudakpravaṇaḥsloping northward (udak-pravaṇa — 'inclined to the north', toward the path of the gods); tilted to the north; running northward
यज्ञःyajñaḥsacrifice; sacrifice
यत्रyatrawhere; when
एवम्विद्evamvidhe who knows thus; one who has known in this way
ब्रह्माbrahmāthe brahman priest; the knower of Brahman
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
एवंविदम्evaṃvidamsuch a knower; one who has known thus
हhaindeed; surely
वाvāverily; surely
एषाeṣāthis; such is
ब्रह्माणम्brahmāṇamthe brahman priest; of the knower of Brahman
अनुanuwhether; thereafter
गाथाgāthāthe song (gāthā — a verse-saying); the gāthā; the refrain
यतःyataḥwhence; into which
यतःyataḥwhence; into which
आवर्ततेāvartateit turns (ā + √vṛt); it wheels round; it swings about
तत्tatthat; this
तत्tatthat; this
गच्छतिgacchatigoes; comes
Traducción
Truly that sacrifice inclines northward where the brahman-priest is one who knows this. Of such a brahman-priest this song is sung: wherever it turns, thither goes
Versión
c4dbe557e844 · publicado 26 jul 2026, 23:23:57 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
"Inclines northward" (udakpravaṇa) is the highest praise for a rite: the north is the side of the gods' path, of the half-year of the ascending sun, the road that knows no return (cf. 4.15.5). A sacrifice with a knowing brahman is of itself tilted toward liberation, as a riverbed is toward the sea: a rightly performed sacred act need not be pushed toward its goal — it flows there by its own slope.
And of such a priest a gāthā has been composed, a popular verse which the next line will finish: "wherever it turns, thither goes [the human]…" Its opening is already grand: a knower does not run after events — events turn to follow his knowledge. Where a gathered mind sits, thither the whole undertaking turns.