Upaniṣads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.8
॥
Devanāgarī
कतमे ते त्रयः देवाः इति इमे एव त्रयः लोकाः एषु हि इमे सर्वे देवाः इति कतमौ तौ द्वौ देवाः इति अन्नं च एव प्राणः च इति कतमः अध्यर्धः इति यः अयम् पवते इति
Transliteración (IAST)
katame te trayaḥ devāḥ iti ime eva trayaḥ lokāḥ eṣu hi ime sarve devāḥ iti katamau tau dvau devāḥ iti annaṃ ca eva prāṇaḥ ca iti katamaḥ adhyardhaḥ iti yaḥ ayam pavate iti
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
कतमेkatamewhich; those who
तेtethose; these
त्रयःtrayaḥthree; a trio of
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
इतिitithus; how
इमेimethese; these here
एवevaindeed; only
त्रयःtrayaḥthree; a trio of
लोकाःlokāḥthe worlds (loka, pl.); worlds; worlds
एषुeṣuin these; among these
हिhiindeed; truly
इमेimethese; these here
सर्वेsarveall; the whole aggregate
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
इतिitithus; how
कतमौkatamauwhich two; which two
तौtauthese two; both
द्वौdvauthe two; the two
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
इतिitithus; how
अन्नंannaṃfood (anna); food; food
चcaand; as well as
एवevaindeed; only
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
कतमःkatamaḥwhich; which precisely
अध्यर्धःadhyardhaḥone and a half (adhyardha — 'with a half'); one and a half; one and a half
इतिitithus; how
यःyaḥwho; the one who
अयम्ayamthis; he
पवतेpavateit blows (from √pū/pav); blows; blows
इतिitithus; how
Traducción
"Which are the three gods?" — "These three worlds: in them are all the gods." — "Which are the two gods?" — "Food and breath." — "Who is the one and a half?" — "He who blows."
Versión
5b653dbfb751 · publicado 27 jul 2026, 1:05:26 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Three are the worlds themselves: earth, mid-region, sky; all the gods are their population, and so the three contain them all. Two are anna and prāṇa, food and breath: substance and life, the eternal couple of eater and eaten, on which everything alive rests (1.4.6). And at "one and a half" Śākalya was surely expecting a stumble — but the answer comes at once: "he who blows", the wind.
Why is the blower one and a half and not one? The riddle is left to tease — and the next verse will resolve it with one of the most elegant etymologies in the Veda. Note Yājñavalkya's very style under this hail of questions: not one superfluous word — the precision of a fencer.