Section 7.15
Original Sanskrit
7.15.1 प्राणो वा आशाया भूयान्यथा वा अरा नाभौ समर्पिता एवमस्मिन्प्राणे सर्वँ समर्पितं प्राणः प्राणेन याति प्राणः प्राणं ददाति प्राणाय ददाति प्राणो ह पिता प्राणो माता प्राणो भ्राता प्राणः स्वसा प्राण आचार्यः प्राणो ब्राह्मणः ॥ १ ॥
7.15.2 स यदि पितरं वा मातरं वा भ्रातरं वा स्वसारं वाचार्यं वा ब्राह्मणं वा किञ्चिद्भृशमिव प्रत्याह धिक्त्वास्त्वित्येवैनमाहुः पितृहा वै त्वमसि मातृहा वै त्वमसि भ्रातृहा वै त्वमसि स्वसृहा वै त्वमस्याचार्यहा वै त्वमसि ब्राह्मणहा वै त्वमसीति ॥ २ ॥
7.15.3 अथ यद्यप्येनानुत्क्रान्तप्राणाञ्छूलेन समासं व्यतिषंदहेन्नैवैनं ब्रूयुः पितृहासीति न मातृहासीति न भ्रातृहासीति न स्वसृहासीति नाचार्यहासीति न ब्राह्मणहासीति ॥ ३ ॥
7.15.4 प्राणो ह्येवैतानि सर्वाणि भवति स वा एष एवं पश्यन्नेवं मन्वान एवं विजानन्नतिवादी भवति तं चेद्ब्रूयुरतिवाद्यसीत्यतिवाद्यस्मीति ब्रूयान्नापह्नुवीत ॥ ४ ॥
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.
7.15.1 "Life-breath is greater than hope. As spokes are fixed in the hub, so everything is fixed in this life-breath. Life-breath moves by life-breath; life-breath gives life-breath and gives to life-breath. Life-breath is father; life-breath is mother; life-breath is brother; life-breath is sister; life-breath is teacher; life-breath is brahmin.
7.15.2 "If someone speaks harshly to a father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or brahmin, people say, 'Shame on you! You are a killer of your father, a killer of your mother, a killer of your brother, a killer of your sister, a killer of your teacher, a killer of a brahmin!'
7.15.3 "But even if someone were to thrust a spit through their bodies and burn them together after the life-breath had departed, people would not say, 'You are a killer of your father,' nor 'a killer of your mother,' nor 'a killer of your brother,' nor 'a killer of your sister,' nor 'a killer of your teacher,' nor 'a killer of a brahmin.'
7.15.4 "For life-breath becomes all these. One who sees thus, reflects thus, and understands thus becomes one whose speech surpasses others. If people say, 'Your speech surpasses others,' that person should say, 'My speech surpasses others,' and should not deny it."
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.
7.15.1 "Life-breath is greater than hope. Just as the spokes of a wheel are fixed in its hub, everything is fixed in life-breath. Life-breath moves by means of life-breath. Life-breath gives life-breath, and gives to life-breath. Life-breath is father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, and brahmin.
7.15.2 "If someone says something very harsh to their father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, or a brahmin, people say, 'Shame on you! You are a killer of your father, a killer of your mother, a killer of your brother, a killer of your sister, a killer of your teacher, a killer of a brahmin!'
7.15.3 "But after life-breath has left them, even if someone were to pierce their bodies with a spit and burn them together, people would not say, 'You are a killer of your father,' or 'a killer of your mother,' or 'a killer of your brother,' or 'a killer of your sister,' or 'a killer of your teacher,' or 'a killer of a brahmin.'
7.15.4 "Life-breath is all of these. Someone who sees, thinks, and understands in this way speaks beyond others. If people say, 'You speak beyond others,' that person should answer, 'I speak beyond others,' and not deny it."
About this section
Section 7.15 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 128 of 154 in the work, which is kept in the Hindu tradition.
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