Upaniṣads · Chāndogya 5,11.3
॥
Devanāgarī
सः ह संपादयाम् चकार प्रक्ष्यन्ति माम् इमे महाशालाः महाश्रोत्रियाः तेभ्यः न सर्वम् इव प्रतिपत्स्ये हन्त अहम् अन्यम् अभ्यनुशासानि इति
Transliteración (IAST)
saḥ ha saṃpādayām cakāra prakṣyanti mām ime mahāśālāḥ mahāśrotriyāḥ tebhyaḥ na sarvam iva pratipatsye hanta aham anyam abhyanuśāsāni iti
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhaindeed; surely
संपादयाम्saṃpādayāmthey decided; they agreed
चकारcakāraHe made; I have performed
प्रक्ष्यन्तिprakṣyantithey will question me (future of √prach); they will ask; they will enquire
माम्māmme; to me
इमेimethese; the present
महाशालाःmahāśālāḥgreat householders; owners of great sacrificial halls
महाश्रोत्रियाःmahāśrotriyāḥgreat masters of the Veda; learned śrotriyas
तेभ्यःtebhyaḥthan they; to them
नnanot; no
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
इवivaas it were; as though
प्रतिपत्स्येpratipatsyeI shall be able to expound (prati + √pad — 'to manage, to answer'); I shall manage to answer; I shall be equal to it
हन्तhantacome then (hanta — an exclamation of resolve); well then; let us then
अहम्ahamI; I myself
अन्यम्anyamanother; other
अभ्यनुशासानिabhyanuśāsāniI shall direct you (abhi-anu + √śās — 'to point toward'); I shall send you; I shall recommend
इतिitithus; how
Traducción
But Uddālaka considered to himself: "These great householders and great knowers will question me, and I shall perhaps not be able to tell them everything. Let me point them to another."
Versión
61f0ad32414a · publicado 26 jul 2026, 23:30:39 UTC
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Uddālaka's inner monologue is one of the finest passages of the chapter. A famous teacher weighs himself soberly: "I shall perhaps not be able to tell everything" (na sarvam iva pratipatsye) — and, without waiting to be disgraced, decides himself to bring his guests to one who knows more fully. Not a word of falsehood, not a grain of pose: only a care that the questioners should get the truth, even if not from his hands.
This is Uddālaka's second lesson in humility within one chapter: lately he went as a pupil to Pravāhaṇa (5.3), and now he is ready to give up his teaching office to Aśvapati. The greatness of a knower is measured not by how many questions he answers but by whether he is honest where his knowledge ends. A teacher who can say "let us go to one who knows better" is himself the best of teachers: he teaches the main thing — that truth is worth more than reputation.