Upanishads · Muṇḍaka 2.1.3
॥
Devanāgarī
एतस्मात् जायते प्राणः मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च ।
खं वायुः ज्योतिः आपः पृथिवी विश्वस्य धारिणी ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
etasmāt jāyate prāṇaḥ manaḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca |
khaṃ vāyuḥ jyotiḥ āpaḥ pṛthivī viśvasya dhāriṇī ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एतस्मात्etasmātout of Him; from this Puruṣa
जायतेjāyateis born; arises
प्राणःprāṇaḥthe prāṇa; vital force
मनःmanaḥthe mind; manas
सर्वेन्द्रियाणि चsarvendriyāṇi caand all the senses (sarva-indriya); and all the organs of perception; and the whole tenfold set of senses
खम्khamspace (kha); ether; expanse
वायुःvāyuḥthe air; the wind
ज्योतिःjyotiḥthe light; fire
आपःāpaḥthe waters; water
पृथिवीpṛthivīthe earth; the earthly element
विश्वस्यviśvasyaof the universe; of the whole world
धारिणीdhāriṇīthe supporter (dhāriṇī); she who bears; the sustainer
Translation
From Him are born breath, mind and all the senses; space, wind, light, the waters — and earth, the supporter of all.
Version
58a7de2bde95 · published Jul 26, 2026, 8:10:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
After the summit (verse 24) comes an inventory of what has been put forth: etasmāj jāyate prāṇaḥ — "from Him is born the prāṇa" (again, as in Praśna 3.3: life is born, not primary), manaḥ — mind, sarvendriyāṇi ca — and all the senses; then the five elements in descending density: kham — space, vāyuḥ — wind, jyotiḥ — light, āpaḥ — the waters, pṛthivī viśvasya dhāriṇī — "earth, the supporter of all".
The list is built from within outward: first the subtle equipment of experience (life, mind, senses), then the stage for experience (the elements). The world is arranged like a theatre with an eye to the spectator: first the perceiving order is born, then the perceived; the universe is anthropic not by accident — it was put forth by Him who creates by knowledge (jñānamayaṁ tapaḥ — verse 9) and for knowers.
The epithet of earth — dhāriṇī, "the supporter" — is a warm conclusion: the densest of the elements is honoured as nurse and base; in Vedic feeling matter is not contemptible — she is the youngest maidservant in the house of the Puruṣa. The next verses will show that house entire: the universe as His body.