उपनिषद् · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 3,9.3
॥
देवनागरी
कतमे वसवः इति अग्निः च पृथिवी च वायुः च अन्तरिक्षम् च आदित्यः च द्यौः च चन्द्रमाः च नक्षत्राणि च एते वसवः एतेषु हि इदं सर्वम् वसु हितम् इति तस्मात् वसवः इति
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
katame vasavaḥ iti agniḥ ca pṛthivī ca vāyuḥ ca antarikṣam ca ādityaḥ ca dyauḥ ca candramāḥ ca nakṣatrāṇi ca ete vasavaḥ eteṣu hi idaṃ sarvam vasu hitam iti tasmāt vasavaḥ iti
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
कतमेkatamewhich; those who
वसवःvasavaḥVasu; the Vasu gods
इतिitithus; how
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
चcaand; as well as
पृथिवीpṛthivīthe earth; the earthly world
चcaand; as well as
वायुःvāyuḥthe wind; the air
चcaand; as well as
अन्तरिक्षम्antarikṣamthe mid-region; the mid-region
चcaand; as well as
आदित्यःādityaḥĀditya; the sun
चcaand; as well as
द्यौःdyauḥthe sky; the heavenly world
चcaand; as well as
चन्द्रमाःcandramāḥthe moon; Candra
चcaand; as well as
नक्षत्राणिnakṣatrāṇithe stars (nakṣatra, pl.); the constellations; the stars
चcaand; as well as
एतेetethese; the following
वसवःvasavaḥVasu; the Vasu gods
एतेषुeteṣuin these; among these
हिhiindeed; truly
इदंidaṃthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
वसुvasuthe good (vasu — 'wealth'); the good and the wealth; the good
हितम्hitamis placed (hita); it is set within; is set
इतिitithus; how
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
वसवःvasavaḥVasu; the Vasu gods
इतिitithus; how
अनुवाद
"Who are the Vasus?" — "Fire and the earth, wind and the mid-region, the sun and the sky, the moon and the stars — these are the Vasus: in them all this wealth (vasu) is placed, and therefore they are the Vasus."
संस्करण
38c9df48d3d6 · प्रकाशित 27 जुल॰ 2026, 1:05:26 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The eight Vasus are deciphered as the elements: fire and earth, wind and mid-region, sun and sky, moon and stars — four pairs of "light + container", the load-bearing frame of the world. And an etymology: vasu means "wealth, goods" — in them "all the goods are placed": they are the storehouses of being.
The gods of the Veda are neither rivals of the elements nor their "personifications": they are the elements themselves, recognised as living and serving. Śākalya wanted to convict him of polytheism — and gets a lesson in transparency: behind every name is a work of the universe, and behind all the works, as has already been shown, is One.