Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.1

6.1.1

śvetaketur hāruṇeya āsa \
taṃ ha pitovāca śvetaketo vasa brahmacaryam \
na vai (S ) kulīno 'nanūcya brahmabandhur iva bhavatīti \\601.1\

1. *Om!* Now, there was Śvetaketu Āruṇeya. To him his father said: 'Live the life of a student of sacred knowledge. Verily, my dear, from our family there is no one unlearned [in the Vedas] (*an-ucya*), a Brahman by connection (*brahma-bandhu*) as it were.

6.1.2

sa ha dvādaśavarṣa upetya caturviṃśativarṣaḥ sarvān vedān adhītya mahāmanānūcānamānī stabdha eyāya \
taṃ ha pitovāca \\601.2\

2. He then, having become a pupil at the age of twelve, having studied all the Vedas, returned at the age of twenty-four, conceited, thinking himself learned, proud.

6.1.3

śvetaketo yan nu (S ) mahāmanā anūcānamānī stabdho 'si \
uta tam ādeśam aprākṣyaḥ yenāśrutaṃ śrutaṃ bhavaty amataṃ matam avijñātaṃ vijñātam iti \
kathaṃ nu bhagavaḥ sa ādeśo bhavatīti \\601.3\

3. Then his father said to him: 'Śvetaketu, my dear, since now you are conceited, think yourself learned, and are proud, did you also ask for that teaching whereby what has not been heard of becomes heard of, what has not been thought of becomes thought of, what has not been understood becomes understood?'

4. 'How, pray, Sir, is that teaching?'

6.1.4

yathā (S ) mṛtpiṇḍena sarvaṃ mṛnmayaṃ vijñātaṃ syāt \
vācārambhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyaṃ mṛttikety eva satyam \\601.4\

(4) 'Just as, my dear, by one piece of clay everything made of clay may be known—the modification is merely a verbal distinction, a name; the reality is just "clay"—

6.1.5

yathā (S ) lohamaṇinā sarvaṃ lohamayaṃ vijñātaṃ syāt \
vācārambhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyaṃ loham ity eva satyam \\601.5\

5. Just as, my dear, by one copper ornament everything made of copper may be known—the modification is merely a verbal distinction, a name; the reality is just "copper"—

6.1.6

yathā (S ) nakhanikṛntanena sarvaṃ kārṣṇāyasaṃ vijñātaṃ syāt \
vācārambhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyaṃ kṛṣṇāyasam ity eva satyam \
evaṃ (S ) sa ādeśo bhavatīti \\601.6\

6. Just as, my dear, by one nail-scissors everything made of iron may be known—the modification is merely a verbal distinction, a name; the reality is just "iron"—so, my dear, is that teaching.'

6.1.7

na vai nūnaṃ bhagavantas ta etad avediṣuḥ \
yad dhy etad avediṣyan kathaṃ me nāvakṣyan \
(S S ))bhagavāṃs tv eva me bravītv iti \
tathā (S ) hovāca \\601.7\

7. 'Verily, those honored men did not know this; for, if they had known it, why would they not have told me? But do you, Sir, tell me it.'

'So be it, my dear,' said he.