कठवल्लीतैत्तिरीयकब्रह्मकैवल्यश्वेताश्वतरगर्भनारायणामृतबिन्द्वमृतनादकालाग्निरुद्रक्षुरिकासर्वसारशुकरहस्यतेजोबिन्दुध्यानबिन्दुब्रह्मविद्यायोगतत्त्वदक्षिणामूर्तिस्कन्दशारीरकयोगशिखैकाक्षरअक्ष्यवधूतकठरुद्रहृदययोगकुण्डलिनीपञ्चब्रह्मप्राणाग्निहोत्रवराहकलिसन्तरणसरस्वतीरहस्यानां कृष्णयजुर्वेदगतानां द्वात्रिंशत्संख्याकानमुपनिषदां सह नाववत्विति शान्तिः
kaṭhavallītaittirīyakabrahmakaivalyaśvetāśvataragarbhanārāyaṇāmṛtabindvamṛtanādakālāgnirudrakṣurikāsarvasāraśukarahasyatejobindudhyānabindubrahmavidyāyogatattvadakṣiṇāmūrtiskandaśārīrakayogaśikhaikākṣaraakṣyavadhūtakaṭharudrahṛdayayogakuṇḍalinīpañcabrahmaprāṇāgnihotravarāhakalisantaraṇasarasvatīrahasyānāṃ kṛṣṇayajurvedagatānāṃ dvātriṃśatsaṃkhyākānamupaniṣadāṃ saha nāvavatviti śāntiḥ
«For the thirty-two upaniṣads belonging to the Kṛṣṇa-Yajurveda — Kaṭhavallī, Taittirīya, Brahma, Kaivalya, Śvetāśvatara, Garbha, Nārāyaṇa, Amṛtabindu, Amṛtanāda, Kālāgnirudra, Kṣurikā, Sarvasāra, Śukarahasya, Tejobindu, Dhyānabindu, Brahmavidyā, Yogatattva, Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Skanda, Śārīraka, Yogaśikhā, Ekākṣara, Akṣi, Avadhūta, Kaṭharudra, Hṛdaya, Yogakuṇḍalinī, Pañcabrahma, Prāṇāgnihotra, Varāha, Kalisantaraṇa, and Sarasvatīrahasya — the invocation is ‘may it protect us both’…»
4257cbc282e9 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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Worth noting that the thirty-two here are exactly those spoken of at the twenty-eighth verse: «if there is no firmness, study thirty-two». That is, the third rung of reading is the whole body of the Kṛṣṇa-Yajurveda; and this explains why precisely this number was named. Add the invocation, for it is, I think, the most humane of the five: saha nāv avatu saha nau bhunaktu saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai; tejasvi nāv adhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai.
Translation: «May he protect us both; may he nourish us both; may we labor together with strength; may what we have learned be radiant; may there be no enmity between us». Worth examining it part by part, for every petition in it is about the two. May he protect both — teacher and disciple.
May he nourish both. May we labor together. And the last: mā vidviṣāvahai, «may we not hate one another».
Worth appreciating that before the beginning of study one asks not for understanding, but for not falling into quarrel. This detail, I think, is the best thing said in all five invocations; and it shows what was reckoned the chief danger of learning: not misunderstanding, but enmity between teacher and taught. The Vaishnava side holds precisely this: vaiṣṇava-aparādha, «offense against a devotee», is counted the gravest of faults — graver than the breaking of a vow.