Section 7.7
Original Sanskrit
7.7.1 विज्ञानं वाव ध्यानाद्भूयः विज्ञानेन वा ऋग्वेदं विजानाति यजुर्वेदँ सामवेदमाथर्वणं चतुर्थमितिहासपुराणं पञ्चमं वेदानां वेदं पित्र्यँराशिं दैवं निधिं वाकोवाक्यमेकायनं देवविद्यां ब्रह्मविद्यां भूतविद्यां क्षत्रविद्यां नक्षत्रविद्याँ सर्पदेवजनविद्यां दिवं च पृथिवीं च वायुं चाकाशं चापश्च तेजश्च देवाँश्च मनुष्याँश्च पशूँश्च वयाँसि च तृणवनस्पतीञ्छ्वापदान्याकीटपतङ्गपिपीलकं धर्मं चाधर्मं च सत्यं चानृतं च साधु चासाधु च हृदयज्ञं चाहृदयज्ञं चान्नं च रसं चेमं च लोकममुं च विज्ञानेनैव विजानाति विज्ञानमुपास्स्वेति ॥ १ ॥
7.7.2 स यो विज्ञानं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्ते विज्ञानवतो वै स लोकाञ्ज्ञानवतोऽभिसिध्यति यावद्विज्ञानस्य गतं तत्रास्य यथाकामचारो भवति यो विज्ञानं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्तेऽस्ति भगवो विज्ञानाद्भूय इति विज्ञानाद्वाव भूयोऽस्तीति तन्मे भगवान्ब्रवीत्विति ॥ २ ॥
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.
7.7.1 "Understanding is greater than contemplation. Through understanding one understands the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvaveda as the fourth, history and ancient lore as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas, ancestral rites, arithmetic, divination, treasure lore, disputation, ethics, the lore of gods, sacred lore, the lore of beings, military science, astronomy, and the lore of serpents and divine beings; heaven and earth, wind and space, water and fire, gods and humans, cattle and birds, grasses and trees, wild beasts down to insects, moths, and ants; right and wrong, truth and falsehood, good and bad, what pleases the heart and what does not, food and savor, this world and the world beyond. Through understanding alone one understands them. Meditate on understanding.
7.7.2 "Whoever meditates on understanding as Brahman attains worlds possessed of understanding, possessed of knowledge. That person moves at will wherever understanding extends—whoever meditates on understanding as Brahman." "Revered sir, is there something greater than understanding?" "There is indeed something greater than understanding." "Tell me of it, revered sir."
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.
7.7.1 "Understanding is greater than meditation. Through understanding one knows the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvaveda as the fourth, histories and ancient accounts as the fifth Veda, the study of the Vedas, ancestral rites, calculation, omens, hidden treasures, debate, rules of conduct, knowledge of the gods, sacred knowledge, knowledge of spirits, military knowledge, astronomy, and knowledge of snakes and divine beings. Through understanding one knows heaven and earth, wind and space, water and fire, gods and human beings, livestock and birds, grasses and trees, wild animals, down to worms, flying insects, and ants; right and wrong, truth and falsehood, good and bad, what is pleasing to the heart and what is not; food and its essence, this world and the next. Understanding is how one knows all this. Meditate on understanding."
7.7.2 "Someone who meditates on understanding as Brahman reaches worlds full of understanding and knowledge. They can move as they please wherever understanding reaches. This is true of someone who meditates on understanding as Brahman." "Sir, is anything greater than understanding?" "Yes, something is greater than understanding." "Please tell me what it is."
About this section
Section 7.7 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 120 of 154 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.
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