Upaniṣads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 2,4.7
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यथा दुन्दुभेः हन्यमानस्य न बाह्यान् शब्दान् शक्नुयात् ग्रहणाय दुन्दुभेः तु ग्रहणेन दुन्दुभ्याघातस्य वा शब्दः गृहीतः
Transliteración (IAST)
saḥ yathā dundubheḥ hanyamānasya na bāhyān śabdān śaknuyāt grahaṇāya dundubheḥ tu grahaṇena dundubhyāghātasya vā śabdaḥ gṛhītaḥ
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
सःsaḥhe; that one
यथाyathāhow; as far as
दुन्दुभेःdundubheḥof a drum (dundubhi, gen.); of the kettledrum; of the drum
हन्यमानस्यhanyamānasyawhen it is beaten (passive participle of √han); being struck; when it is beaten
नnanot; no
बाह्यान्bāhyānthe outward (bāhya, acc. pl.); the external; the outward
शब्दान्śabdānthe sounds (śabda, acc. pl.); the sounds; the sounds
शक्नुयात्śaknuyāthe would be able; he would be capable
ग्रहणायgrahaṇāyato grasp (grahaṇa, dat.); for the grasping; to catch
दुन्दुभेःdundubheḥof a drum (dundubhi, gen.); of the kettledrum; of the drum
तुtusurely; but
ग्रहणेनgrahaṇenaby grasping; by taking hold
दुन्दुभ्याघातस्यdundubhyāghātasyaof the drummer (dundubhi-āghāta, gen.); of the drum-beat or drummer; of the striker
वाvātruly; surely
शब्दःśabdaḥsound; the sounding
गृहीतःgṛhītaḥis grasped (gṛhīta); is caught; is grasped
Traducción
As, when a drum is beaten, one cannot catch the outward sounds one by one, but by catching the drum, or the beater of the drum, the sound too is caught; —
Versión
64c706aa3542 · publicado 27 jul 2026, 0:54:37 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Here begin Yājñavalkya's three parables of sound — on how the One is known within the many. The first is the drum: its rolls cannot be caught one by one, the "outward sounds" are countless and elusive; but take hold of the drum itself, or of the hand that beats it, and all the sounds are caught at once, at their source.
So with the world: to chase phenomena piece by piece is to catch rolls of thunder; the knowing that outruns experience takes hold of the Instrument and of the Player. And note the edge of the image, dear to a bhakti heart: behind the drum stands a drummer — dundubhy-āghāta, "the beater"; every sound of the world has not only a thing for its source but a Hand.