Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 1,6.2
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ रूपाणाम् चक्षुः इति एतत् एषाम् उक्थम् अतः हि सर्वाणि रूपाणि उत्तिष्ठन्ति एतत् एषाम् साम एतत् हि सर्वैः रूपैः समम् एतत् एषाम् ब्रह्म एतत् हि सर्वाणि रूपाणि बिभर्ति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha rūpāṇām cakṣuḥ iti etat eṣām uktham ataḥ hi sarvāṇi rūpāṇi uttiṣṭhanti etat eṣām sāma etat hi sarvaiḥ rūpaiḥ samam etat eṣām brahma etat hi sarvāṇi rūpāṇi bibharti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथathathereupon; further
रूपाणाम्rūpāṇāmof the forms (rūpa, gen. pl.); of forms; of shapes
चक्षुःcakṣuḥsight (cakṣus); the eye; sight
इतिitithus; how
एतत्etatthis; the present
एषाम्eṣāmof these; of them
उक्थम्ukthamthe ukha; the hymn of praise
अतःataḥfrom here; apart from this
हिhiindeed; truly
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; every kind of
रूपाणिrūpāṇiof the form; the forms
उत्तिष्ठन्तिuttiṣṭhantithey climb; arise
एतत्etatthis; the present
एषाम्eṣāmof these; of them
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
एतत्etatthis; the present
हिhiindeed; truly
सर्वैःsarvaiḥall; with all
रूपैःrūpaiḥforms; shapes
समम्samamequal; the same
एतत्etatthis; the present
एषाम्eṣāmof these; of them
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the sacred reality
एतत्etatthis; the present
हिhiindeed; truly
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; every kind of
रूपाणिrūpāṇiof the form; the forms
बिभर्तिbibhartiit carries; sustains
Translation
Of forms, the eye is their uktha, for from it all forms arise; it is their sāman, for it is equal to all forms; it is their Brahman, for it bears all forms.
Version
1056348cfbf9 · published Jul 27, 2026, 12:49:47 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second dimension is forms, and their threefold bearer is sight: all shapes "arise" from the eye (the visible world is born as a world in the seeing), are equal to it and are borne by it. A bold thought: form does not lie ready-made in the thing — it rises to meet the sight; the world of forms is the joint child of light and eye.
Hence the responsibility of the seer: as the eye is, so are the forms of his world. A gaze that looks for filth lives among foul shapes; a gaze set upon the beautiful and the holy dwells among sanctities. To school the eye is to rebuild the universe of forms one has to live in.