अस्य सोम्य महतो वृक्षस्य यो मूले ऽभ्याहन्याज् जीवन् स्रवेद् यो मध्ये ऽभ्याहन्याज् जीवन् स्रवेद् यो ऽग्रे ऽभ्याहन्याज् जीवन् स्रवेत् । स एष जीवेनात्मनानुप्रभूतः पेपीयमानो मोदमानस् तिष्ठति
asya somya mahato vṛkṣasya yo mūle 'bhyāhanyāj jīvan sraved yo madhye 'bhyāhanyāj jīvan sraved yo 'gre 'bhyāhanyāj jīvan sravet | sa eṣa jīvenātmanānuprabhūtaḥ pepīyamāno modamānas tiṣṭhati
"If some one were to strike at the root of this large tree here, it would bleed, but live. If he were to strike at its stem, it would bleed, but live. If he were to strike at its top, it would bleed, but live. Pervaded by the living Self that tree stands firm, drinking in its nourishment and rejoicing;
'But if the life (the living Self) leaves one of its branches, that branch withers; if it leaves at second, that branch withers; if it leaves a third, that branch withers. If it leaves the whole tree, the whole tree withers. In exactly the same manner, my son, know this.' Thus he spoke:
एवम् एव खलु सोम्य विद्धीति ह उवाच । जीवापेतं वाव किलेदं म्रियते न जीवो म्रियत इति । स य एषो ऽणिमैतद् आत्म्यम् इदं सर्वम् । तत् सत्यम् । स आत्मा । तत् त्वम् असि श्वेतकेतो इति । भूय एव मा भगवान् विज्ञापयत्व् इति । तथा सोम्येति होवाच
evam eva khalu somya viddhīti ha uvāca | jīvāpetaṃ vāva kiledaṃ mriyate na jīvo mriyata iti | sa ya eṣo 'ṇimaitad ātmyam idaṃ sarvam | tat satyam | sa ātmā | tat tvam asi śvetaketo iti | bhūya eva mā bhagavān vijñāpayatv iti | tathā somyeti hovāca
'This (body) indeed withers and dies when the living Self has left it; the living Self dies not. That which is that subtile essence, in it all that exists has its self. It is the True. It is the Self, and thou, Svetaketu, art it.' 'Please, Sir, inform me still more,' said the son. 'Be it so, my child,' the father replied.