Upanishads · Aitareya 1,3.13
॥
Devanāgarī
सः जातः भूतानि अभिव्यैख्यत् किम् इह अन्यम् वावदिषत् इति सः एतम् एव पुरुषम् ब्रह्म ततमम् अपश्यत् इदम् अदर्शम् इति
Transliteration (IAST)
saḥ jātaḥ bhūtāni abhivyaikhyat kim iha anyam vāvadiṣat iti saḥ etam eva puruṣam brahma tatamam apaśyat idam adarśam iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥHe; that one
जातःjātaḥhaving been born (from √jan); born; having entered birth
भूतानिbhūtānithe beings; the creatures
अभिव्यैख्यत्abhivyaikhyatsurveyed (abhi-vi-√khyā); looked around at; took in with His gaze
किम्kimwhat; whom
इहihahere; in this world
अन्यम्anyamother; another
वावदिषत्vāvadiṣatwould they proclaim (from √vad, intensive); would they declare; would they call
इतिitithus; so saying
सःsaḥHe; that one
एतम्etamthis; the present
एवevaprecisely; very
पुरुषम्puruṣamthe Puruṣa; the man
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the Absolute
ततमम्tatamammost widely extended (tatama — superlative of tata); the most far-spread; the all-pervading
अपश्यत्apaśyatsaw; beheld
इदम्idamthis; the present
अदर्शम्adarśamI have seen (aorist of √dṛś); I beheld; I did see
इतिitithus; so saying
Translation
Being born, He surveyed the beings: "Whom here would they proclaim as other?" And He saw this Puruṣa, Brahman most widely extended: "This I have seen!" [said He].
Version
c77e42d09ecf · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
He who entered is born in man — and looks about Him: sa jāto bhūtāny abhyaikhyat — "being born, He surveyed the beings": kim ihānyaṁ vāvadiṣad iti — "whom here would they proclaim as other [than Me]?": the gaze of the One who entered searches — is there anything here that is not-I? And it finds none: sa etam eva puruṣaṁ brahma tatamam apaśyat — "He saw this Puruṣa — Brahman most widely extended" (tatamam — a superlative of "extended": the very furthest-spread!).
idam adarśam iti — "This I have seen!": a cry of recognition, one of the great cries of the śruti: God in man recognises God in everything: the circle of creation has closed — He who looked in the beginning ("He beheld: let Me create the worlds") now looks from within the created — and sees Himself, extended through all.
Here is the mystery of all knowledge of God: when a man comes to know Brahman — who is it that knows? He who entered knows the All-pervading: our "illumination" is His self-recognition in us; that is why it carries such certainty — it is no stranger who is recognised: one's Own sees His own (Gītā 15.15: "I am in the heart of everyone, from Me comes knowledge"). The next verse will preserve this cry in the name of a god.