Upanishads · Praśna 2.12
॥
Devanāgarī
या ते तनूर्वाचि प्रतिष्ठिता या श्रोत्रं या च चक्षुषि ।
या च मनसि संतता शिवां तां कुरु मोत्क्रमीः
Transliteration (IAST)
yā te tanūrvāci pratiṣṭhitā yā śrotraṃ yā ca cakṣuṣi /
yā ca manasi saṃtatā śivāṃ tāṃ kuru motkramīḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
या ते तनूःyā te tanūḥthe form, the body (tanū); shape; the embodiment
वाचि प्रतिष्ठिताvāci pratiṣṭhitāestablished in speech; abiding in the word
या श्रोत्रम्yā śrotramwhich is hearing; which is in the ear
या च चक्षुषिyā ca cakṣuṣiand which is in the eye; and in sight
या च मनसिyā ca manasiand which is in the mind; and in the manas
संतताsaṃtatāis spread out (sam-√tan — 'to stretch'); is drawn out [as a web]; is extended
शिवाम्śivāmbenign (śiva — 'kindly, gracious'); good; gracious
ताम् कुरुtām kurumake it; render it
मा उत्क्रमीःmā utkramīḥdepart (ud-√kram — 'to go out'); leave [us]; go forth
Translation
"That form of yours which is established in speech, which is in hearing, which is in sight, which is spread out in the mind — make it benign; do not depart!"
Version
dbab9f92f24f · published Jul 26, 2026, 8:35:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The hymn passes into prayer — and in substance it asks two things: quality and presence. yā te tanūr vāci pratiṣṭhitā — "your body established in speech", in hearing, in sight, in the mind (manasi santatā — "spread out in the mind", like the warp of a cloth): prāṇa is enumerated on all her thrones within a man. śivāṁ tāṁ kuru — "make it benign": may the life in my speech be kind (not evil-speaking), in my hearing good (turned to what is worthy), in my mind luminous. Not "give me strength" but "let the strength in me be good": a prayer for the quality of life, not for its quantity.
motkramīḥ — "do not depart!": that very utkramaṇa, the "going out", by which prāṇa in the parable proved her kingship (verse 20). The mortal remembers the lesson: everything is held by presence — and he asks for it. This is the petition of every living thing in every breath, usually uttered without words; the Upaniṣad gives it words.
The double prayer — "be benign and do not depart" — is in effect the whole human request to God concerning life: let it be — and let it be good. The closing verse will carry it to its end — to the image of a mother.