Upaniṣads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,2.11
॥
Devanāgarī
याज्ञवल्क्येति ह उवाच यत्र अयम् पुरुषः म्रियते उद् अस्मात् प्राणाः क्रामन्ति आहो न इति न इति ह उवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः अत्रैव समवनीयन्ते सः उच्छ्वयति आध्मायति आध्मातः मृतः शेते
Transliteración (IAST)
yājñavalkyeti ha uvāca yatra ayam puruṣaḥ mriyate ud asmāt prāṇāḥ krāmanti āho na iti na iti ha uvāca yājñavalkyaḥ atraiva samavanīyante saḥ ucchvayati ādhmāyati ādhmātaḥ mṛtaḥ śete
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
याज्ञवल्क्येतिyājñavalkyetiO Yājñavalkya; thus: Yājñavalkya
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
यत्रyatrawhere; when
अयम्ayamthis; he
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
म्रियतेmriyateit dies (from √mṛ); dies; dies
उद्udupward; outward
अस्मात्asmātfrom this; out of this
प्राणाःprāṇāḥof the prāṇa; the vital breaths
क्रामन्तिkrāmantithey go out (from √kram); go forth; go out
आहोāhoor; or else
नnanot; no
इतिitithus; how
नnanot; no
इतिitithus; how
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
याज्ञवल्क्यःyājñavalkyaḥYājñavalkya; the sage Yājñavalkya
अत्रैवatraivahere itself; right here
समवनीयन्तेsamavanīyantethey are gathered together (sam-ava + √nī, pass.); they are drawn into one; they gather
सःsaḥhe; that one
उच्छ्वयतिucchvayatiit swells (ud + √śvi); it puffs up; it swells
आध्मायतिādhmāyatiit is blown up (ā + √dhmā); it is inflated; it is blown up
आध्मातःādhmātaḥswollen; bloated
मृतःmṛtaḥthe dead man (mṛta); the deceased; the dead
शेतेśetehe lies; rests
Traducción
"Yājñavalkya," he said, "when this man dies, do the breaths go out of him or not?" — "No," said Yājñavalkya. "They are gathered together in him; he swells, is puffed up; puffed up, the dead man lies."
Versión
91e6a3e87ced · publicado 27 jul 2026, 0:59:58 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
A question about the mechanics of dying — and an answer that runs against expectation: the breaths do not "fly away" from the dead man separately — they are "gathered together in him" (atraiva samavanīyante): drawn in to their centre, like an army to its banner before a march. The outward sign is the swelling of the dead body: the prāṇas are gathered inward, not scattered.
Behind the physiology stands a theological clarification of the first importance: death is not a fanning-out into decay but a gathering into one; what departs is not a scattering of functions but a collected whole — and therefore there is something to depart and someone to do it. This answer prepares the next question: what it is that does not leave the dead man at all.