उपनिषद् · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,3.1
॥
देवनागरी
द्वयाः ह प्राजापत्याः देवाः च असुराः च ततः कानीयसाः एव देवाः ज्यायसाः असुराः ते एषु लोकेषु अस्पर्धन्त ते ह देवाः ऊचुः हन्त असुरान् यज्ञे उद्गीथेन अत्ययाम इति
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
dvayāḥ ha prājāpatyāḥ devāḥ ca asurāḥ ca tataḥ kānīyasāḥ eva devāḥ jyāyasāḥ asurāḥ te eṣu lokeṣu aspardhanta te ha devāḥ ūcuḥ hanta asurān yajñe udgīthena atyayāma iti
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
द्वयाःdvayāḥtwofold (dvaya); of two kinds; of two sorts
हhasurely; as is known
प्राजापत्याःprājāpatyāḥthe offspring of Prajāpati (prājāpatya); the children of Prajāpati; the Prājāpatyas
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
चcaand; as well as
असुराःasurāḥthe asuras; the adversaries of the gods
चcaand; as well as
ततःtataḥthan that; after this
कानीयसाःkānīyasāḥthe younger (kanīyas, pl.); the lesser; the younger
एवevaindeed; only
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
ज्यायसाःjyāyasāḥthe elder (jyāyas, pl.); the greater; the elder
असुराःasurāḥthe asuras; the adversaries of the gods
तेtethose; these
एषुeṣuin these; among these
लोकेषुlokeṣuthe worlds; the abodes
अस्पर्धन्तaspardhantathey contended (from √spardh); they vied; they strove
तेtethose; these
हhasurely; as is known
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
ऊचुःūcuḥsaid; they uttered
हन्तhantaso then; come now
असुरान्asurānof the asuras; of the adversaries of the gods
यज्ञेyajñein the offering; in the sacrificial rite
उद्गीथेनudgīthenaby the udgītha (udgītha, instr.); by the loud chanting; by the udgītha
अत्ययामatyayāmawe shall surpass (ati + √i — 'pass beyond'); we shall overcome; we shall surpass
इतिitithus; how
अनुवाद
The offspring of Prajāpati were of two kinds: the gods and the asuras. Of these the gods were the younger, the asuras the elder. They contended for these worlds. And the gods said: "Come, let us surpass the asuras in the sacrifice by the udgītha!"
संस्करण
33ccf54851f9 · प्रकाशित 27 जुल॰ 2026, 12:37:41 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here begins the parable of the udgītha — the sister of the one that opened the Chāndogya (1.2), but told in its own way. The disposition of forces is deliberately humbling for the gods: they are "the younger" (kānīyasāḥ), the asuras the elder and stronger. The devas will win neither by primogeniture nor by numbers: what will win is the purity of the singer they find.
Gods and asuras here are not the peoples of a myth but two vectors in every heart: the powers turned toward the light of sacrifice and the powers of appropriation. Their battlefield is "these worlds", that is, everything: body, home, speech, rite. And the weapon chosen is not the sword: the udgītha, the loud singing of praise. The Upaniṣad seriously maintains that the outcome of the world's quarrel is decided by the quality of a chant — and will now show why.