tat-tvam-asimahavakyachandogya-upanishadvedanta

තත්ත්වමසි

तत्त्वमसि in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ upanishad·📿 9× repetitions·🕐 Early morning (Brahma Muhurta) during meditation and Vedanta study·📜 Chandogya Upanishad, Verse 6.8.7

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Chandogya Upanishad, Verse 6.8.7 · Traditional (Upanishadic); taught by sage Uddalaka Aruni · Vedic / Upanishadic

In the sixth chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, the sage Uddalaka Aruni instructs his son Shvetaketu, who had returned from twelve years of study proud of his learning. Through a series of beautiful illustrations — the clay and its products, the juices gathered by bees into honey, the rivers merging into the sea, the salt dissolved invisibly in water, and the seed of the great Nyagrodha tree — Uddalaka shows that one subtle essence underlies all things. Concluding each teaching he declares, 'That is the Truth, That is the Self, Tat Tvam Asi — That thou art, O Shvetaketu,' repeating it nine times so the truth is firmly grasped.

✦ As told in scripture

Sages of the Vedanta tradition hold that the sincere realization of this single sentence is itself the goal of all scripture — that the moment a prepared seeker truly knows 'That thou art', the long dream of separateness and the fear of death dissolve, for one has recognized one's own Self as the deathless Brahman.

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The Mantra

Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited

ස ය ඒෂෝ(අ)ණිමෛතදාත්ම්යමිදං සර්වම් . තත්සත්යං ස ආත්මා තත්ත්වමසි ශ්වේතකේතෝ ..

sa ya eṣo'ṇimaitadātmyam idaṁ sarvam tat satyaṁ sa ātmā tat tvam asi śvetaketo

Meaning:जो यह सूक्ष्मतम तत्त्व है, यह सम्पूर्ण जगत् उसी को अपनी आत्मा रूप में धारण करता है। वही सत्य है, वही आत्मा है। हे श्वेतकेतो, तू वही है — 'तत्त्वमसि'।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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සඃ🔊saḥThat (the subtle essence)

යඃ ඒෂඃ අණිමා🔊yaḥ eṣaḥ aṇimāThis which is the subtlest essence (finer than the finest)

ඒතත් ආත්ම්යම්🔊etat ātmyamHas this Self as its nature; pervaded by this Self

ඉදං සර්වම්🔊idaṁ sarvamAll this (the entire universe)

තත් සත්යම්🔊tat satyamThat is the Truth, the Real

සඃ ආත්මා🔊saḥ ātmāThat is the Atman (the Self)

තත්🔊tatThat (Brahman, the supreme Reality)

ත්වම්🔊tvamThou, you (the innermost Self of the seeker)

අසි🔊asiArt, are (you are essentially identical with That)

ශ්වේතකේතෝ🔊śvetaketoO Shvetaketu (the son and disciple addressed by sage Uddalaka Aruni)

තත්ත්වමසි🔊tat tvam asi'That thou art' — the great saying (mahavakya) declaring the identity of the individual Self with Brahman

Benefits of Chanting तत्त्वमसि

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One of the four Mahavakyas (great sayings) of the Upanishads, used for contemplation (nididhyasana) on the identity of the Self and Brahman.

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Reveals that the individual Self is not separate from the supreme Reality, dissolving the root ignorance of duality.

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Bestows Self-knowledge (Atma-jnana) and liberation (moksha) when meditated upon with a prepared mind.

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Cultivates inner peace and fearlessness by establishing the seeker in the unchanging Self.

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Forms the heart of Advaita Vedanta study and is recited at the start and close of Vedantic enquiry.

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Frees the mind from attachment to the perishable by turning it toward the eternal Truth.

How to Chant तत्त्वमसि

Repetitions9times

Best TimeEarly morning (Brahma Muhurta) during meditation and Vedanta study

FaceEast or North

This is a mantra for contemplation rather than mere repetition. Sit quietly, recite 'Tat Tvam Asi' slowly, and reflect on its meaning — that the 'Thou' (your innermost awareness) and the 'That' (Brahman, the source of all) are one and the same. Traditionally studied under a qualified teacher after preparing the mind through hearing (shravana) and reasoning (manana), then dwelt upon in deep meditation (nididhyasana).

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete तत्त्वमसि written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

Tat Tvam Asi means 'That thou art' or 'You are That'. It teaches that the innermost Self (Atman) within you is identical with Brahman, the supreme Reality that is the essence of the entire universe.

It is from the Chandogya Upanishad (Chapter 6, Section 8, Verse 7), part of the Sama Veda. The sage Uddalaka Aruni repeats it nine times while instructing his son Shvetaketu about the nature of reality.

Mahavakya means 'great saying'. There are four principal Mahavakyas, one from each Veda. Tat Tvam Asi is the Mahavakya of the Sama Veda. These statements concisely declare the identity of the individual Self with Brahman and are used for meditation leading to liberation.

It is meant for contemplation, not just chanting. After hearing the teaching from a teacher and clearing doubts through reasoning, the seeker meditates on the meaning until the truth 'I am That' is directly realized as one's own experience.