Section 6.4
Original Sanskrit
6.4.1 यदग्ने रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागादग्नेरग्नित्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम् ॥ १ ॥
6.4.2 यदादित्यस्य रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागादादित्यादादित्यत्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम् ॥ २ ॥
6.4.3 यच्छन्द्रमसो रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागाच्चन्द्राच्चन्द्रत्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम् ॥ ३ ॥
6.4.4 यद्विद्युतो रोहितँरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागाद्विद्युतो विद्युत्त्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम् ॥ ४ ॥
6.4.5 एतद्ध स्म वै तद्विद्वाँस आहुः पूर्वे महाशाला महाश्रोत्रिया न नोऽद्य कश्चनाश्रुतममतमविज्ञातमुदाहरिष्यतीति ह्येभ्यो विदाञ्चक्रुः ॥ ५ ॥
6.4.6 यदु रोहितमिवाभूदिति तेजसस्तद्रूपमिति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुर्यदु शुक्लमिवाभूदित्यपाँरूपमिति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुर्यदु कृष्णमिवाभूदित्यन्नस्य रूपमिति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुः ॥ ६ ॥
6.4.7 यद्वविज्ञातमिवाभूदित्येतासामेव देवतानाँसमास इति तद्विदाञ्चक्रुर्यथा नु खलु सोम्येमास्तिस्रो देवताः पुरुषं प्राप्य त्रिवृत्त्रिवृदेकैका भवति तन्मे विजानीहीति ॥ ७ ॥
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from the Sanskrit, independently of the Plain English edition. All eight books and the closing invocation are retained.
6.4.1 "The red form of fire is the form of heat; its white form is that of water; its black form is that of food. Thus fire's being fire has vanished. A modification is a name resting on speech; the three forms alone are real.
6.4.2 "The red form of the sun is the form of heat; its white form is that of water; its black form is that of food. Thus the sun's being the sun has vanished. A modification is a name resting on speech; the three forms alone are real.
6.4.3 "The red form of the moon is the form of heat; its white form is that of water; its black form is that of food. Thus the moon's being the moon has vanished. A modification is a name resting on speech; the three forms alone are real.
6.4.4 "The red form of lightning is the form of heat; its white form is that of water; its black form is that of food. Thus lightning's being lightning has vanished. A modification is a name resting on speech; the three forms alone are real.
6.4.5 "Knowing this, the prosperous householders of old, deeply learned in sacred lore, used to say, 'No one today will speak to us of anything unheard, unthought, or not understood.' For they knew through these forms.
6.4.6 "Whatever appeared red, they knew as the form of heat. Whatever appeared white, they knew as the form of water. Whatever appeared black, they knew as the form of food.
6.4.7 "Whatever seemed not understood, they knew as a combination of these very deities. Now learn from me, my dear, how each of these three deities becomes threefold on entering a person."
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the Sanskrit, not from the Musean edition. All eight books and the closing invocation are retained.
6.4.1 "The red color of fire is the form of heat. Its white color is the form of water. Its black color is the form of food. Fire's separate identity has disappeared. The different form is only a name used in speech. Only the three forms are real.
6.4.2 "The red color of the sun is the form of heat. Its white color is the form of water. Its black color is the form of food. The sun's separate identity has disappeared. The different form is only a name used in speech. Only the three forms are real.
6.4.3 "The red color of the moon is the form of heat. Its white color is the form of water. Its black color is the form of food. The moon's separate identity has disappeared. The different form is only a name used in speech. Only the three forms are real.
6.4.4 "The red color of lightning is the form of heat. Its white color is the form of water. Its black color is the form of food. Lightning's separate identity has disappeared. The different form is only a name used in speech. Only the three forms are real.
6.4.5 "The wealthy householders of the past, deeply learned in sacred tradition, knew this and used to say, 'Now no one can bring up anything we have not heard, thought about, or understood.' For they understood things through these three forms.
6.4.6 "Whatever appeared red, they understood as the form of heat. Whatever appeared white, they understood as the form of water. Whatever appeared black, they understood as the form of food.
6.4.7 "Whatever seemed unknown, they understood as a combination of these very deities. Now, my dear, learn from me how each of these three deities becomes threefold when it enters a person."
About this section
Section 6.4 is part of Chandogya Upanishad by Unknown. This page sets the Sanskrit original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 101 of 154 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.
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