Universal Oneness & Self-Knowledge Upanishadic Verse
Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7: “That you are”, one of the four great sayings of Vedanta. Sanskrit text, transliteration and meaning in simple English.
Sanskrit
स य एषोऽणिमैतदात्म्यमिदं सर्वं तत्सत्यं स आत्मा तत्त्वमसि श्वेतकेतो ॥
In the Upanishad the verse goes on with the words “iti”, and then Shvetaketu asks his father to explain it again. The sentence shown here is the part that holds “tat tvam asi”.
Transliteration (IAST)
sa ya eṣo ’ṇimaitadātmyam idaṃ sarvaṃ tat satyaṃ sa ātmā tat tvam asi śvetaketo ||
Meaning
That which is the finest of all is the self of all this. That is the Truth. That is the Self. You are that, Shvetaketu.
Source / Textual Reference
Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 (Chapter 6, section 8, verse 7)
Text compared with Wisdomlib (English-and-Sanskrit edition) and VivekaVani; both give the same words. The different readings by Shankara and Madhva are as reported on the Wisdomlib commentary pages.
Traditional Significance
These words are spoken by the teacher Uddalaka to his son Shvetaketu, who has studied for years but has not yet learned who he is. The phrase “tat tvam asi” (“that you are”) ends several of his teachings in this chapter.
Many teachers count it among the four “great sayings” (mahāvākyas) of Vedanta. Shankara reads it as saying that the self and Brahman are one; Madhva’s commentary rejects that reading. This page gives the words and the usual meaning and leaves the explanation to the teacher.
Traditional Practice
The words are studied and reflected on, usually with a teacher. There is no fixed time or number of repetitions.
Related Content
- Aham Brahmasmi, another of the four great sayings
- Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma, from the same Upanishad
- Gita 2.20, the self is never born and never dies