Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,3.29
॥
Devanāgarī
यत् वै तत् न स्पृशति स्पृशन् वै तत् न स्पृशति न हि स्प्रष्टुः स्पृष्टेर् विपरिलोपो विद्यते अविनाशित्वात् न तु तत् द्वितीयम् अस्ति ततो अन्यद् विभक्तं यत् स्पृशेत्
Transliteration (IAST)
yat vai tat na spṛśati spṛśan vai tat na spṛśati na hi spraṣṭuḥ spṛṣṭer viparilopo vidyate avināśitvāt na tu tat dvitīyam asti tato anyad vibhaktaṃ yat spṛśet
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यत्yatthat which; that which
वैvaitruly; indeed
तत्tatthat; this
नnanot; no
स्पृशतिspṛśatiit comes in contact; he touches
स्पृशन्spṛśanthe one who touches; touching
वैvaitruly; indeed
तत्tatthat; this
नnanot; no
स्पृशतिspṛśatiit comes in contact; he touches
नnanot; no
हिhiindeed; truly
स्प्रष्टुःspraṣṭuḥof the one who touches; of the toucher
स्पृष्टेर्spṛṣṭerthe contacts; contacts
विपरिलोपोviparilopoextinction; loss
विद्यतेvidyateexists; is to be found
अविनाशित्वात्avināśitvātbecause of indestructibility; since it is not destroyed
नnanot; no
तुtusurely; but
तत्tatthat; this
द्वितीयम्dvitīyama second thing; another
अस्तिastiam; exists
ततोtatofor that reason; from him
अन्यद्anyadanother; other
विभक्तंvibhaktaṃsomething separate; something divided
यत्yatthat which; that which
स्पृशेत्spṛśethe might touch; he would touch
Translation
If [there] he does not touch — then, touching, he does not touch: for there is no destruction of that power in the toucher, since he is indestructible; but there is no second, nothing else, separate, that might be its object.
Version
19c4ef46866a · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:13:54 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The seventh beat: touch. "Touching, he does not touch": in the embrace of the One there is no surface of contact — it is not two who touch each other; and yet the capacity for closeness is alive there too.
Beat by beat it is one casting: the faculty is indestructible (avināśitvāt), and only the "second" — the separate object — has disappeared. The depth does not take away powers; it takes away separateness, and in this the repose of the ātman differs from any swoon: there the light goes out, here only the boundaries do.