Upanishads · Chāndogya 1,6.7
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्य यथा कप्यासम् पुण्डरीकम् एवम् अक्षिणी तस्य उद् इति नाम सः एषः सर्वेभ्यः पाप्मभ्यः उदितः उदेति ह वै सर्वेभ्यः पाप्मभ्यः यः एवम् वेद
Transliteration (IAST)
tasya yathā kapyāsam puṇḍarīkam evam akṣiṇī tasya ud iti nāma saḥ eṣaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyaḥ uditaḥ udeti ha vai sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyaḥ yaḥ evam veda
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्यtasyait; concerning this
यथाyathāhow; like
कप्यासम्kapyāsam[a lotus] opened by the sun (kapyāsa — the compared word being glossed); freshly opened; sun-opened
पुण्डरीकम्puṇḍarīkamthe lotus (puṇḍarīka — the white or red lotus); the lotus-flower; the lotus
एवम्evamthus; in this way
अक्षिणीakṣiṇīthe two eyes (akṣi, dual); the two eyes; the eyes
तस्यtasyait; concerning this
उद्udUd; the raised
इतिitithus; how
नामnāmathe name; appellation
सःsaḥhe; that one
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
सर्वेभ्यःsarvebhyaḥout of all; from all
पाप्मभ्यःpāpmabhyaḥabove sins (pāpman); higher than sins; from all defilements
उदितःuditaḥrisen (ud-ita); risen; uplifted
उदेतिudetirises; ascends
हhaindeed; surely
वैvaiverily; indeed
सर्वेभ्यःsarvebhyaḥout of all; from all
पाप्मभ्यःpāpmabhyaḥabove sins (pāpman); higher than sins; from all defilements
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
वेदvedaknows; understands
Translation
His eyes are as a lotus opened by the sun. His name is "Ud": for he has risen [udita] above all evils. He too rises above all evils who knows thus.
Version
833d137003ca · published Jul 26, 2026, 10:28:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The portrait continues — and reaches its summit: tasya yathā kapyāsaṁ puṇḍarīkam evam akṣiṇī — "his eyes are as a lotus opened [by the sun]": the most famous of comparisons: the eyes of the solar Puruṣa are like a freshly blown crimson lotus (kapyāsa is a much-construed word; the tradition guarded its high sense for centuries: Rāmānuja, so the story goes, corrected his teacher's demeaning gloss with tears — the Lord's eyes can be likened only to the perfection of a morning lotus). Lotus-eyedness is the eternal seal of Viṣṇu: puṇḍarīkākṣa!
tasya ud iti nāma — "his name is Ud": sa eṣa sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhya uditaḥ — "for he has risen (udita) above all evils": a name-syllable taken from "udgītha" itself (ud-gītha — "the singing of Ud"!): every udgītha, it turns out, sings His name: "the Risen One". udeti ha vai sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyo ya evaṁ veda — "and he who knows thus rises above all evils": one who contemplates the Sinless ascends out of sin — not by the labour of scrubbing but by the pull of the Image: we grow into what we look at.