Upanishads · Śvetāśvatara 2.2
॥
Devanāgarī
युक्तेन मनसा वयं देवस्य सवितुः सवे ।
सुवर्गेयाय शक्त्या
Transliteration (IAST)
yuktena manasā vayaṃ devasya savituḥ save /
suvargeyāya śaktyā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
युक्तेनyuktenawith a yoked; with a harnessed
मनसाmanasāmind; by means of the mind
वयम्vayamwe; we ourselves
देवस्यdevasyaof God; of the Deity
सवितुःsavituḥof Savitṛ; of the Impeller
सवेsavewithin the impulsion; at His urging
सुवर्गेयायsuvargeyāyafor the heavenly; for the light of heaven
शक्त्याśaktyāaccording to strength; as far as strength allows
Translation
With a yoked mind — within the impulsion of God Savitṛ — we are set, as far as our strength allows, toward the heavenly.
Version
6a226317c849 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:13:46 PM UTC
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The mantra is short, and both sides of the spiritual life are contained in it: our effort and His initiative.
Our side is yuktena manasā, "with a yoked mind": the work begins with the mind being harnessed. And at once a qualification of measure: śaktyā, "according to strength", as far as it goes. The Veda does not demand the impossible and does not shame the weak; it bids one put in the strength one has.
His side is save, "within the impulsion": all this takes place inside His urging. The word save is from the same root as the name Savitṛ, and the case chosen is locative: not "with His help" but "within His impulsion" — as within a medium in which alone movement is possible.
Thus a false alternative is removed, one over which every beginner stumbles: is this my effort or His grace? The Veda's answer: my effort is inside His impulsion. I harness myself, but both the pull and the road are His.
The word suvargeya, "heavenly", in a ritual reading means the heavens as the fruit of sacrifice. But the Upaniṣad has already declared its goal to be tattva, truth, and so "the heavenly" here is not a place of rewards but that higher thing for whose sake the mind is harnessed at all.