Upaniṣads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,5.9
॥
Devanāgarī
सः यथा शङ्खस्य ध्मायमानस्य न बाह्याञ् शब्दाञ् शक्नुयात् ग्रहणाय शङ्खस्य तु ग्रहणेन शङ्खध्मस्य वा शब्दः गृहीतः
Transliteración (IAST)
saḥ yathā śaṅkhasya dhmāyamānasya na bāhyāñ śabdāñ śaknuyāt grahaṇāya śaṅkhasya tu grahaṇena śaṅkhadhmasya vā śabdaḥ gṛhītaḥ
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
सःsaḥhe; that one
यथाyathāhow; as far as
शङ्खस्यśaṅkhasyaof a conch (śaṅkha, gen.); of the śaṅkha; of the conch
ध्मायमानस्यdhmāyamānasyawhen it is blown (passive participle); being blown; when it is blown
नnanot; no
बाह्याञ्bāhyāñthe outward; the external
शब्दाञ्śabdāñsounds; of speech
शक्नुयात्śaknuyāthe would be able; he would be capable
ग्रहणायgrahaṇāyafor the grasping; for the perceiving
शङ्खस्यśaṅkhasyaof a conch (śaṅkha, gen.); of the śaṅkha; of the conch
तुtusurely; but
ग्रहणेनgrahaṇenaby grasping; by taking hold
शङ्खध्मस्यśaṅkhadhmasyaof the blowing of the conch; of the sound of the śaṅkha
वाvātruly; surely
शब्दःśabdaḥsound; the sounding
गृहीतःgṛhītaḥis grasped; is caught
Traducción
as, when a conch is blown, one cannot catch the outward sounds one by one, but by catching the conch, or the blower, the sound too is caught; —
Versión
355c0650f15f · publicado 27 jul 2026, 1:18:17 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The second parable is the conch: the call that floats everywhere is caught only in the Blower. The śaṅkha is the voice of a sacred summons; and the tidings of Brahman cannot be pieced together from the echoes of opinions — they are taken from the Mouth.
The repetition of the parables in the second recension is no mechanics: what was said to a king about knowing is said to a wife about faithfulness; one and the same truth serves as an epistemology and as a consolation in parting.