तेजो वावाद्भ्यो भूयस्तद्वा एतद्वायुमागृह्याकाशमभितपति तदाहुर्निशोचति नितपति वर्षिष्यति वा इति तेज एव तत्पूर्वं दर्शयित्वाथापः सृजते तदेतदूर्ध्वाभिश्च तिरश्चीभिश्च विद्युद्भिराह्रादाश्चरन्ति तस्मादाहुर्विद्योतते स्तनयति वर्षिष्यति वा इति तेज एव तत्पूर्वं दर्शयित्वाथापः सृजते तेज उपास्स्वेति ॥ ७.११.१ ॥
In plain words
"Heat is greater than the waters. For it seizes the wind and heats the space. Then men say, 'It is scorching, it is burning; it will rain.' It is heat that first shows itself and then sends forth the waters. So the thunder rolls with lightnings above and across; and therefore men say, 'It lightens, it thunders; it will rain.' It is heat that first shows itself and then sends forth the waters. Worship heat."
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 7.253· bhāṣya
तेजो वाव अद्भ्यो भूयः, तेजसोऽप्कारणत्वात् । कथमप्का- रणत्वमिति, आह—यस्मादब्योनिस्तेजः, तस्मात् तद्वा एत- त्तेजो वायुमागृह्य अवष्टभ्य स्वात्मना निश्चलीकृत्य वायुम् आकाशमभितपति आकाशमभिव्याप्नुवत्तपति यदा, तदा आहुर्लौकिकाः—निशोचति संतपति सामान्येन जगत्, नित- पति देहान्, अतो वर्षिष्यति वै इति । प्रसिद्धं हि लोके का- रणमभ्युद्यतं दृष्टवतः कार्यं भविष्यतीति विज्ञानम् । तेज एव तत्पूर्वमात्मानमुद्भूतं दर्शयित्वा अथ अनन्तरम् अपः सृजते, अतः अप्स्रष्टृत्वादद्भ्योऽभ्यस्तेजः । किंचान्यत्, तदेतत्तेज एव
In plain words
Fire is greater than water, because fire is the cause of water. How does fire cause water? Because fire seizes the wind, steadies it with its own energy, and heats space all around, pervading it. When it does so, people say: 'It is glowing, scorching the world, heating our bodies; therefore it will rain.' For in ordinary life, when people see an active cause, they know an effect will follow. Fire first manifests its own power and then creates water; thus, because it creates water, fire surpasses water. Moreover, this very fire...
Close to the Sanskrit
Fire indeed is greater than water, because of fire being the cause of water. How is water-causality? It says: since water is the source of fire, therefore that very fire, taking the wind, having steadied it by its own self, when it heats space, pervading space and heating, then worldly people say: 'It glows, heats the world generally, scorches bodies, hence rain will indeed be.' For in the world it is well-known that one who sees a cause manifested understands that an effect will be. Fire having first shown its manifested self, then subsequently creates water; hence, because of being the creator of water, fire is greater than water. Furthermore, this very fire...
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 7.254· bhāṣya
स्तनयित्नुरूपेण वर्षहेतुर्भवति । कथम्? ऊर्ध्वाभिश्च ऊर्ध्वगाभिः विद्युद्भिः तिरश्चीभिश्च तिर्यग्गताभिश्च सह आह्नादाः स्तनयनशब्दाश्चरन्ति । तस्मात्तद्दर्शनादाहुर्लौकिकाः-विद्योतते स्तनयति, वर्षिष्यति वै इत्याद्युक्तार्थम् । अतस्तेज उपास्स्वेति ॥
In plain words
It brings about rain in the form of thunder. How? Upward-moving lightnings and sideways-moving flashes travel together with resounding crashes of thunder. Seeing this, people say: 'It flashes, it thunders, it will rain'—as has already been explained. Therefore, meditate upon fire.
Close to the Sanskrit
It becomes the cause of rain in the form of thunder. How? With upward—going upward—lightnings, and with transverse—gone sideways—along with joyful sounds and rumbling sounds, they move. Therefore, from seeing that, worldly people say: 'It flashes, it thunders, it will rain indeed'—this has the meaning already stated. Hence, meditate upon fire.