Shvetashvatara Upanishad — Chapter 1

SvetUp 1.1

किंकारणं ब्रह्म कुतः स्म जाता जीवामः केन क्व च संप्रतिष्ठाः अधिष्ठिताः केन सुखेतरेषु वर्तामहे ब्रह्मविदो व्यवस्थाम्

kiṃkāraṇaṃ brahma kutaḥ sma jātā jīvāmaḥ kena kva ca saṃpratiṣṭhāḥ adhiṣṭhitāḥ kena sukhetareṣu vartāmahe brahmavido vyavasthām

(Those) who know brahman (ask): What is the cause? Brahman? From what are we born? By what do we live, and in what are we established? Governed by whom do we live out our lot in pleasures and the rest, O knowers of brahman?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SvetUp 1.2

कालः स्वभावो नियतिर् यदृच्छा भूतानि योनिः पुरुषेति चिन्त्यम् संयोग एषां न त्व् आत्मभावाद् आत्मा ह्य् अनीशः सुखदुःखहेतोः

kālaḥ svabhāvo niyatir yadṛcchā bhūtāni yoniḥ puruṣeti cintyam saṃyoga eṣāṃ na tv ātmabhāvād ātmā hy anīśaḥ sukhaduḥkhahetoḥ

Time, inherent nature, necessity, chance, the elements, the womb, the puruṣa — (so) is it to be considered; nor is it a combination of these, because of the existence of the self; and the self too is powerless, being subject to the cause of pleasure and pain.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SvetUp 1.3

ते ध्यानयोगानुगता अपश्यन् देवात्मशक्तिं स्वगुणैर् निगूढाम् यः कारणानि निखिलानि तानि कालात्मयुक्तान्य् अधितिष्ठत्य् एकः

te dhyānayogānugatā apaśyan devātmaśaktiṃ svaguṇair nigūḍhām yaḥ kāraṇāni nikhilāni tāni kālātmayuktāny adhitiṣṭhaty ekaḥ

They, following the discipline of meditation, saw the self-power of the god, hidden by its own qualities — he who, one, governs all those causes that are joined with time and the self.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.4

तम् एकनेमिं त्रिवृतं षोडशान्तं शतार्धारं विंशतिप्रत्यराभिः अष्टकैः षड्भिर् विश्वरूपैकपाशं त्रिमार्गभेदं द्विनिमित्तैकमोहम्

tam ekanemiṃ trivṛtaṃ ṣoḍaśāntaṃ śatārdhāraṃ viṃśatipratyarābhiḥ aṣṭakaiḥ ṣaḍbhir viśvarūpaikapāśaṃ trimārgabhedaṃ dvinimittaikamoham

It has one rim, is threefold, has sixteen ends, fifty spokes, twenty counter-spokes, six sets of eight; its one noose is of manifold form; its path divides into three; its one delusion has two causes.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SvetUp 1.5

पञ्चस्रोतोऽम्बुं पञ्चयोन्युग्रवक्त्रां पञ्चप्राणोर्मिं पञ्चबुद्ध्यादिमूलां पञ्चावर्तां पञ्चदुःखौघवेगां पञ्चाशद्भेदां पञ्चपर्वाम् अधीमः

pañcasroto'mbuṃ pañcayonyugravaktrāṃ pañcaprāṇormiṃ pañcabuddhyādimūlāṃ pañcāvartāṃ pañcaduḥkhaughavegāṃ pañcāśadbhedāṃ pañcaparvām adhīmaḥ

(We meditate on the river) whose water is five streams, fierce and crooked from five sources, whose waves are the five breaths, whose root is the fivefold first (element), intellect; with five whirlpools, with the rush of the flood of five sorrows, with fifty divisions, with five sections.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SvetUp 1.6

सर्वाजीवे सर्वसंस्थे बृहन्ते तस्मिन् हंसो भ्राम्यते ब्रह्मचक्रे पृथग् आत्मानं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा जुष्टस् ततस् तेनामृतत्वम् एति

sarvājīve sarvasaṃsthe bṛhante tasmin haṃso bhrāmyate brahmacakre pṛthag ātmānaṃ preritāraṃ ca matvā juṣṭas tatas tenāmṛtatvam eti

In that vast wheel of brahman, in which everything lives and everything rests, the swan is whirled about. Having thought of itself and the impeller as separate, then, favoured by him, it goes to immortality.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.7

उद्गीतम् एतत् परमं तु ब्रह्म तस्मिंस् त्रयं स्वप्रतिष्ठाक्षरं च अत्रान्तरं ब्रह्मविदो विदित्वा लीना ब्रह्मणि तत्परा योनिमुक्ताः

udgītam etat paramaṃ tu brahma tasmiṃs trayaṃ svapratiṣṭhākṣaraṃ ca atrāntaraṃ brahmavido viditvā līnā brahmaṇi tatparā yonimuktāḥ

This has been sung forth as the supreme brahman; in it is the triad, and the firmly grounded imperishable. Knowing what is hidden within here, the knowers of brahman, merged in brahman, intent on it, are freed from the womb.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SvetUp 1.8

संयुक्तम् एतत् क्षरम् अक्षरं च व्यक्ताव्यक्तं भरते विश्वम् ईशः अनीशश् चात्मा बध्यते भोक्तृभावाज् ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः

saṃyuktam etat kṣaram akṣaraṃ ca vyaktāvyaktaṃ bharate viśvam īśaḥ anīśaś cātmā badhyate bhoktṛbhāvāj jñātvā devaṃ mucyate sarvapāśaiḥ

This perishable and imperishable, manifest and unmanifest, is joined together; the Lord bears the universe. But the self, not being lord, is bound through being an enjoyer; having known the god, it is freed from all bonds.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.9

ज्ञाज्ञौ द्वाव् अजाव् ईशनीशाव् अजा ह्य् एका भोक्तृभोगार्थयुक्ता अनन्तश् चात्मा विश्वरूपो ह्य् अकर्ता त्रयं यदा विन्दते ब्रह्मम् एतत्

jñājñau dvāv ajāv īśanīśāv ajā hy ekā bhoktṛbhogārthayuktā anantaś cātmā viśvarūpo hy akartā trayaṃ yadā vindate brahmam etat

Two unborn ones, the knowing and the unknowing, the lord and the non-lord; and one unborn female, joined to the enjoyer and to the objects of enjoyment; and the self, infinite, of universal form, not an agent. When one finds this triad, that is brahman.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.10

क्षरं प्रधानम् अमृताक्षरं हरः क्षरात्मानाव् ईशते देव एकः तस्याभिध्यानाद् योजनात् तत्त्वभावाद् भूयश् चान्ते विश्वमायानिवृत्तिः

kṣaraṃ pradhānam amṛtākṣaraṃ haraḥ kṣarātmānāv īśate deva ekaḥ tasyābhidhyānād yojanāt tattvabhāvād bhūyaś cānte viśvamāyānivṛttiḥ

The pradhāna is perishable; Hara is the immortal imperishable; the one god rules over the perishable and the self. From meditating on him, from union (with him), from becoming that reality, there is at last, further, the ceasing of all illusion.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.11

ज्ञात्वा देवं सर्वपाशापहानिः क्षीनैः क्लेशैर् जन्ममृत्युप्रहाणिः तस्याभिध्यानात् तृतीयं देहभेदे विश्वैश्वर्यं केवल आप्तकामः

jñātvā devaṃ sarvapāśāpahāniḥ kṣīnaiḥ kleśair janmamṛtyuprahāṇiḥ tasyābhidhyānāt tṛtīyaṃ dehabhede viśvaiśvaryaṃ kevala āptakāmaḥ

By knowing the god there is a falling away of all bonds; with the afflictions worn away there is an ending of birth and death; from meditating on him, when the body dissolves, there is a third (state): lordship over all; alone, he has his desires fulfilled.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.12

एतज् ज्ञेयं नित्यम् एवात्मसंस्थं नातः परं वेदितव्यं हि किंचित् भोक्ता भोग्यं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा सर्वं प्रोक्तं त्रिविधं ब्रह्मम् एतत्

etaj jñeyaṃ nityam evātmasaṃsthaṃ nātaḥ paraṃ veditavyaṃ hi kiṃcit bhoktā bhogyaṃ preritāraṃ ca matvā sarvaṃ proktaṃ trividhaṃ brahmam etat

This is to be known, ever abiding in the self; nothing higher than this is to be known. Having understood the enjoyer, the enjoyed, and the impeller, all has been told: this threefold brahman.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.13

वह्नेर् यथा योनिगतस्य मूर्तिर् न दृश्यते नैव च लिङ्गनाशः स भूय एवेन्धनयोनिगृह्यस् तद्वोभयं वै प्रणवेन देहे

vahner yathā yonigatasya mūrtir na dṛśyate naiva ca liṅganāśaḥ sa bhūya evendhanayonigṛhyas tadvobhayaṃ vai praṇavena dehe

Just as the form of fire that has gone into its source is not seen, and yet its mark is not destroyed, and it can be seized again from its source, the fuel — so indeed both (are to be found) in the body by means of the praṇava (Om).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

SvetUp 1.14

स्वदेहम् अरणिं कृत्वा प्रणवं चोत्तरारणिं ध्याननिर्मथनाभ्यासाद् देवं पश्येन् निगूढवत्

svadeham araṇiṃ kṛtvā praṇavaṃ cottarāraṇiṃ dhyānanirmathanābhyāsād devaṃ paśyen nigūḍhavat

Making one's own body the lower fire-stick and Om the upper fire-stick, by the practice of churning that is meditation one may see the god, as (one sees what is) hidden.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.15

तिलेषु तैलं दधनीव सर्पिर् आपः स्रोतःस्व् अरणीषु चाग्निः एवम् आत्मा आत्मनि गृह्यते ऽसौ सत्येनैनं तपसा यो ऽनुपश्यति

tileṣu tailaṃ dadhanīva sarpir āpaḥ srotaḥsv araṇīṣu cāgniḥ evam ātmā ātmani gṛhyate 'sau satyenainaṃ tapasā yo 'nupaśyati

As oil in sesame seeds, as ghee in curd, as water in stream-beds, and as fire in the fire-sticks, so this self is grasped in the self by one who looks for it with truth and with austerity.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

SvetUp 1.16

सर्वव्यापिनम् आत्मानं क्षीरे सर्पिर् इवार्पितम् आत्मविद्यातपोमूलं तद् ब्रह्मोपनिषत्परं तद् ब्रह्मोपनिषत्परम्

sarvavyāpinam ātmānaṃ kṣīre sarpir ivārpitam ātmavidyātapomūlaṃ tad brahmopaniṣatparaṃ tad brahmopaniṣatparam

(He sees) the all-pervading self, placed (within) like ghee in milk, whose root is knowledge of the self and austerity — that is the highest brahman of the Upaniṣad, that is the highest brahman of the Upaniṣad.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition