उपनिषद् · Chāndogya 6,16.2
॥
देवनागरी
अथ यदि तस्य अकर्ता भवति ततः एव सत्यम् आत्मानम् कुरुते सः सत्याभिसन्धः सत्येन आत्मानम् अन्तर्धाय परशुम् तप्तम् प्रतिगृह्णाति सः न दह्यते अथ मुच्यते
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
atha yadi tasya akartā bhavati tataḥ eva satyam ātmānam kurute saḥ satyābhisandhaḥ satyena ātmānam antardhāya paraśum taptam pratigṛhṇāti saḥ na dahyate atha mucyate
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
अथathathereupon; then
यदिyadiif; but if
तस्यtasyait; concerning this
अकर्ताakartāthe one who did not do it (a-kartṛ); the innocent; he who committed nothing
भवतिbhavatirevered lady; madam
ततःtataḥthan this; from that
एवevaindeed; surely
सत्यम्satyamtruth; reality
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
कुरुतेkurutemakes; he performs
सःsaḥhe; that one
सत्याभिसन्धःsatyābhisandhaḥone whose resolve is truth (satya-abhisandha); settled in truth; with truth in his intent
सत्येनsatyenaby truth; by truth
आत्मानम्ātmānambody; the self
अन्तर्धायantardhāyahaving covered himself; having concealed himself
परशुम्paraśuman axe; a hatchet
तप्तम्taptammade red-hot; heated
प्रतिगृह्णातिpratigṛhṇātitakes; receives
सःsaḥhe; that one
नnanot; no
दह्यतेdahyatehe is scorched; he is burnt
अथathathereupon; then
मुच्यतेmucyatehe is released (passive of √muc); is freed; he is set free
अनुवाद
But if he has not done it, he makes himself true; wrapping himself in truth, he takes hold of the heated axe — he is not burnt, and he is set free.
संस्करण
9711ca0f1b4a · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 11:42:00 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The other side of the ordeal: an innocent man "makes himself true" and, wrapped in truth (satyena ātmānam antardhāya), takes hold of the same iron — and is not burnt. The garment of truth proves to be the only fireproof clothing; for the truthful the fire is a witness, not an executioner.
Let a modern ear not stumble over the archaism of the trial: the Upaniṣad takes the ordeal as a picture everyone understands, in order to state a law the chapter has been preparing from the beginning — from the boy Satyakāma, who did not lie about his birth (4.4), and from kingdoms in which "there is no thief" (5.11.5): truth is the same substance as being, and one who stands in it stands in the incombustible. "Truth alone conquers" — satyam eva jayate (Muṇḍaka 3.1.6) — is not a wish but the physics of the spirit.