Upaniṣads · Chāndogya 5,10.4
॥
Devanāgarī
मासेभ्यः पितृलोकम् पितृलोकात् आकाशम् आकाशात् चन्द्रमसम् एषः सोमः राजा तत् देवानाम् अन्नम् तम् देवाः भक्षयन्ति
Transliteración (IAST)
māsebhyaḥ pitṛlokam pitṛlokāt ākāśam ākāśāt candramasam eṣaḥ somaḥ rājā tat devānām annam tam devāḥ bhakṣayanti
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
मासेभ्यःmāsebhyaḥout of the months; from the months
पितृलोकम्pitṛlokamto the world of the fathers (pitṛ-loka); to the abode of the fathers; to the pitṛ-loka
पितृलोकात्pitṛlokātout of the world of the fathers; from the abode of the pitṛs
आकाशम्ākāśamspace; ether
आकाशात्ākāśātout of space; from the ether
चन्द्रमसम्candramasamthe moon; the lunar world
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
सोमःsomaḥSoma (the moon and the sacrificial nectar); King Soma; Soma
राजाrājāthe king; the lord
तत्tatthat; this
देवानाम्devānāmof the gods; of the deities
अन्नम्annamfood (anna); the dish; victuals
तम्tamit; that one
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
भक्षयन्तिbhakṣayantithey eat him (from √bhakṣ — 'to consume'); they devour; they feed [upon him]
Traducción
From the months into the world of the fathers, from the world of the fathers into space, from space into the moon. This is King Soma; he is the food of the gods, and the gods eat him.
Versión
6bde131b5bbe · publicado 26 jul 2026, 23:29:09 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The smoky path's terminus is the moon, "King Soma". The circle closes back on the vidyā's beginning: out of faith on the heavenly altar Soma was born (5.4.2) — and now the pious themselves become Soma, "the food of the gods". Their merit feeds the celestials as an oblation feeds a fire; they lodge on the moon in bliss — but they lodge as the sacrificial substance of somebody else's feast.
"Food of the gods" is no cannibalism of heaven but an exact metaphor of dependence: one who dwells on the moon lives by his merit, which the gods "eat", that is, spend. A contractual heaven is paid for in finite coin — and when the coin runs out the guest is shown to the door. There is no eternal rest on an account of merits; of this the next verse speaks.