Upaniṣads · Chāndogya 5,3.5
॥
Devanāgarī
पञ्च मा राजन्यबन्धुः प्रश्नान् अप्राक्षीत् तेषाम् नैकंचन अशकम् विवक्तुम् इति सः ह उवाच यथा मा त्वम् तदा एतान् अवदः यथा अहम् एषाम् नैकंचन वेद यदि अहम् इमान् अवेदिष्यम् कथम् ते न अवक्ष्यम् इति
Transliteración (IAST)
pañca mā rājanyabandhuḥ praśnān aprākṣīt teṣām naikaṃcana aśakam vivaktum iti saḥ ha uvāca yathā mā tvam tadā etān avadaḥ yathā aham eṣām naikaṃcana veda yadi aham imān avediṣyam katham te na avakṣyam iti
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
पञ्चpañcafive; five in number
माmānot; me
राजन्यबन्धुःrājanyabandhuḥa man of royal kin (rājanya-bandhu — 'a kinsman of the kṣatriyas'); a kṣatriya lord; of the princely order
प्रश्नान्praśnānquestions (praśna); questions; the five questions
अप्राक्षीत्aprākṣīthe asked (aorist of √prach — 'to enquire'); asked; set
तेषाम्teṣāmof them; for them
नैकंचनnaikaṃcananot one; not a single one
अशकम्aśakamI was able; he had the power
विवक्तुम्vivaktumto explain (vi + √vac — 'to expound'); to make it clear; to set forth
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
यथाyathāhow; like
माmānot; me
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
तदाtadāthen; at the moment when
एतान्etānthese; of them
अवदःavadaḥyou said; you told
यथाyathāhow; like
अहम्ahamI; I myself
एषाम्eṣāmfor them; of these
नैकंचनnaikaṃcananot one; not a single one
वेदvedaknows; understands
यदिyadiif; but if
अहम्ahamI; I myself
इमान्imānof these; of these
अवेदिष्यम्avediṣyamhad I known (conditional of √vid); he would know; if I had known
कथम्kathamhow; in what manner
तेteto you; for you
नnanot; no
अवक्ष्यम्avakṣyamI would have told; I would have explained
इतिitithus; how
Traducción
"A man of royal family asked me five questions, and not one of them could I explain." The father said: "You know me: had I known even one of them, would I not have told you?"
Versión
ec12b434e821 · publicado 26 jul 2026, 23:27:54 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Uddālaka's answer is a model of dignity in ignorance: no excuses, no wounded pride — a simple "had I known, would I not have told you?" The father was not withholding knowledge from his son; he did not have it himself. A great brāhmaṇa, the future teacher of tat tvam asi, calmly admits that there is a vidyā not to be found in his house.
The word rājanya-bandhu — "a man of royal family" — in Śvetaketu's mouth carries a tinge of injured caste: "some kṣatriya" has shamed a brāhmaṇa's son. The verses that follow will overturn that arrogance: for the knowledge the brāhmaṇa father will go as a pupil to a kṣatriya. Truth does not ask for a pedigree; it lives where it is kept — and an honest man goes to it there, regardless of rank.