उपनिषद् · Chāndogya 1,11.5
॥
देवनागरी
प्राणः इति ह उवाच सर्वाणि ह वै इमानि भूतानि प्राणम् एव अभिसंविशन्ति प्राणम् अभ्युज्जिहते सा एषा देवता प्रस्तावम् अन्वायत्ता ताम् चेद् अविद्वान् प्रास्तोष्यः मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यत् तथोक्तस्य मया इति
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
prāṇaḥ iti ha uvāca sarvāṇi ha vai imāni bhūtāni prāṇam eva abhisaṃviśanti prāṇam abhyujjihate sā eṣā devatā prastāvam anvāyattā tām ced avidvān prāstoṣyaḥ mūrdhā te vipatiṣyat tathoktasya mayā iti
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; the vital breath
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; the whole
हhaindeed; surely
वैvaiverily; indeed
इमानिimānithese; all these
भूतानिbhūtānibeings; the elements
प्राणम्prāṇamthe prāṇa; the vital breath
एवevaindeed; surely
अभिसंविशन्तिabhisaṃviśantienter in (abhi-sam-√viś); sink into; return within
प्राणम्prāṇamthe prāṇa; the vital breath
अभ्युज्जिहतेabhyujjihatethey rise up (abhi-ud-√hā); they climb; they come forth
साsāshe; that one
एषाeṣāthis; such is
देवताdevatāthe deity; divine power
प्रस्तावम्prastāvamthe prastāva; the opening chant
अन्वायत्ताanvāyattāconnected with; on which it depends
ताम्tāmit; that
चेद्cedif; but if
अविद्वान्avidvānthe ignorant one; the ignorant man
प्रास्तोष्यःprāstoṣyaḥyou would have begun to sing; you would have performed the prastāva
मूर्धाmūrdhāthe head; the summit
तेteto you; for you
विपतिष्यत्vipatiṣyatit would fall; it would drop off
तथोक्तस्यtathoktasyaof what was thus said; according to what was said
मयाmayāby me; from me
इतिitithus; how
अनुवाद
"Breath," said he. "All these beings enter into breath and rise up out of breath. That is the deity that belongs to the prastāva. Had you sung the prastāva without knowing it, your head would have fallen off — just as I told you."
संस्करण
ee0e01fca19e · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 10:31:57 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The first answer: prāṇa iti hovāca — "Breath": sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāni prāṇam evābhisaṁviśanti prāṇam abhyujjihate — "all beings enter into the prāṇa and rise up out of the prāṇa": behind the prastāva — the opening portion, the "striking up" of the service — stands the Life out of which all steps forth: the beginning of the singing is bound to the Beginning of beings: in striking up, the prastotṛ repeats the cosmic act of stepping forth out of life.
Uṣasti's answer is no mere item of information but a defining formula (the very one by which the Taittirīya defined Brahman: that out of which they issue, into which they enter): the deity of the portion is named through the source-and-return of all. And an honest close: "your head would have fallen off, just as I told you": the threat was not rhetoric — the knowledge of the deity literally holds the singer's head on: one who serves the Beginning without knowing the Beginning is beheaded in essence, a sign without its Signified.