उपनिषद् · Chāndogya 6,1.7
॥
देवनागरी
न वै नूनम् भगवन्तः ते एतत् अवेदिषुः यत् हि एतत् अवेदिष्यन् कथम् मे न अवक्ष्यन् इति भगवान् तु एव मे ब्रवीतु इति तथा सोम्य इति ह उवाच
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
na vai nūnam bhagavantaḥ te etat avediṣuḥ yat hi etat avediṣyan katham me na avakṣyan iti bhagavān tu eva me bravītu iti tathā somya iti ha uvāca
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
नnanot; no
वैvaiverily; indeed
नूनम्nūnamsurely; truly
भगवन्तःbhagavantaḥvenerable sirs; esteemed sirs
तेteto you; for you
एतत्etatthis; all this
अवेदिषुःavediṣuḥthey did not know (aorist of √vid); they were unaware; they were no knowers
यत्yatwhich; that which
हिhiindeed; truly
एतत्etatthis; all this
अवेदिष्यन्avediṣyanhad they known; if they had known
कथम्kathamhow; in what manner
मेmemyself; for me
नnanot; no
अवक्ष्यन्avakṣyanwould they not have told (conditional of √vac); how would they not have said; surely they would have declared it
इतिitithus; how
भगवान्bhagavānvenerable one; esteemed one
तुtubut; surely
एवevaindeed; surely
मेmemyself; for me
ब्रवीतुbravītulet him explain (imperative of √brū); let him say; let him tell
इतिitithus; how
तथाtathāvery well (tathā — 'so [be it]'); so be it; agreed
सोम्यsomyadear one; noble one
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
अनुवाद
"Surely those reverend teachers did not know this themselves: had they known it, how would they not have told me? But let your reverence explain it to me himself." — "So be it, my dear," said his father.
संस्करण
bbcc7b96009d · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 11:34:59 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Śvetaketu's answer betrays the remains of the old leaven: "surely the teachers did not know it themselves" — the first reflex of injured learning still looks for someone else to blame. But at once comes the real turn: "let your reverence explain it to me himself". The proud graduate of twelve years' schooling asks his father to become his teacher; the son becomes a pupil — and from that moment transmission is possible.
His judgement on the teachers is, however, not mere impertinence: the great instruction really is not passed on wholesale, to all comers — it waits for one who asks (the father's very reproach was a question: "did you ask?"). The Vedas teach everyone; the ādeśa opens to the questioner. So too the Gītā would have lain unspoken had Arjuna not asked; and so here: the greatest chapter of the Upaniṣads begins not with a teacher's speech but with a pupil's request.