Upanishads · Muṇḍaka 2.1.6
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्मात् ऋचः साम यजूंषि दीक्षा यज्ञाः च सर्वे क्रतवः दक्षिणाः च ।
संवत्सरः च यजमानः च लोकाः सोमः यत्र पवते यत्र सूर्यः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasmāt ṛcaḥ sāma yajūṃṣi dīkṣā yajñāḥ ca sarve kratavaḥ dakṣiṇāḥ ca |
saṃvatsaraḥ ca yajamānaḥ ca lokāḥ somaḥ yatra pavate yatra sūryaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्मात्tasmātout of Him; from the Puruṣa
ऋचःṛcaḥthe ṛcs; the hymns of the Ṛg-veda
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
यजूंषिyajūṃṣithe yajuses; the sacrificial formulas
दीक्षाdīkṣāconsecration (dīkṣā); the rite of initiation; initiation
यज्ञाः चyajñāḥ caand the sacrifices; sacrificial offerings
सर्वेsarveall; entirely
क्रतवःkratavaḥthe solemn rites (kratu); the great sacrificial performances; ritual undertakings
दक्षिणाः चdakṣiṇāḥ caand the gifts [to the priests] (dakṣiṇā); and the priestly fees; and the dakṣiṇās
संवत्सरः चsaṃvatsaraḥ caand the year; the yearly round
यजमानः चyajamānaḥ caand the sacrificer; he who performs the rite
लोकाःlokāḥworlds; realms
सोमःsomaḥSoma; the lunar sap
यत्रyatrawhere; in which
पवतेpavateis purified (from √pū — 'to purify'); is strained [the soma]; flows clear
यत्रyatrawhere; in which
सूर्यःsūryaḥthe sun; Sūrya
Translation
From Him come the hymns, the chants and the formulas, consecration, all the sacrifices, the solemn rites and the gifts [to the priests]; the year, and the sacrificer, and the worlds where the soma is purified and where the sun shines.
Version
8209cfff4501 · published Jul 26, 2026, 8:10:40 PM UTC
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The second inventory — the sacred culture: ṛcaḥ sāma yajūṁṣi — hymns, chants, formulas (the three Vedas); dīkṣā — consecration; yajñāś ca sarve kratavaḥ — sacrifices and solemn rites; dakṣiṇāḥ — the gifts to priests; saṁvatsaraḥ — the year (sacred time, the frame of all ritual); yajamānaḥ — the sacrificer himself; and lokāḥ — the worlds "where the soma is purified and where the sun shines": the lunar world of the forefathers and the solar world of the gods — both posthumous harbours.
The point of the list is an arrow into the heart of religious pride: religion itself is created. Not only the world but the road through the world — the Vedas, the rite, the initiation, the priest, the reward, heaven — issued from the Puruṣa as His institution. Religion is not "a ladder set up by men against heaven" but a gangway lowered from a ship; yet a gangway is not the captain: one who confuses them goes on living on the gangway (verse 16 — "the rafts"!).
These lines cure two maladies at once: the secular ("religion is a human invention" — no: it is from Him) and the ritualist ("religion is itself God" — no: it is from Him). Everything sacred points beyond itself; he who has come by the signpost gives thanks for the signpost, but embraces not the post but the One he has met.