Upanishads · Śvetāśvatara 2.15
॥
Devanāgarī
यद् आत्मतत्त्वेन तु ब्रह्मतत्त्वं दीपोपमेनेह युक्तः प्रपश्येत् ।
अजं ध्रुवं सर्वतत्त्वैर् विशुद्धं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः
Transliteration (IAST)
yad ātmatattvena tu brahmatattvaṃ dīpopameneha yuktaḥ prapaśyet /
ajaṃ dhruvaṃ sarvatattvair viśuddhaṃ jñātvā devaṃ mucyate sarvapāśaiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यत्yatwhen; at the hour when
आत्मतत्त्वेनātmatattvenaby the truth of his own soul; by means of the essence of the ātman
तुtuindeed; precisely
ब्रह्मतत्त्वम्brahmatattvamthe truth of Brahman; the essence of the Highest
दीपोपमेनdīpopamenalikened to a lamp; compared to a lamp
इहihahere; already in this life
युक्तःyuktaḥthe yoked one; he who is established in yoga
प्रपश्येत्prapaśyetshall see; shall discern with his own eyes
अजम्ajamthe unborn; the beginningless
ध्रुवम्dhruvamthe steadfast; the unshakeable
सर्वतत्त्वैः विशुद्धम्sarvatattvaiḥ viśuddhampure of all principles; unmixed with any of the entities
ज्ञात्वाjñātvāhaving known; having recognised
देवम्devamGod; the Deity
मुच्यतेmucyateis freed; is delivered
सर्वपाशैःsarvapāśaiḥfrom all fetters; from every bond
Translation
When the yoked one shall see here the truth of Brahman by the truth of his own soul, which is like a lamp, then, having known God — unborn, steadfast, pure of all principles — he is freed from all fetters.
Version
a755d8df2714 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:13:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The mantra puts in place the two kinds of knowledge so often disputed. One's own soul is called not the goal but the instrument: it is "like a lamp", dīpa. A lamp is needed not so that one may examine the lamp, but so that things may be seen by it.
Hence the order: first the cleaned mirror of the previous mantra — self-knowledge; then, by that very light, "the truth of Brahman" is discerned. Self-knowledge that has stopped at itself is like a man who lit a lamp and stared at the little flame. Everything described in this adhyāya was leading toward having something to see with — but what is to be seen is Another.
Three things are said of Him. Aja, "unborn", having no beginning. Dhruva, "steadfast", unshakeable; by the same word the Pole Star is named, by which one steers a course. And sarva-tattvaiḥ viśuddha, "pure of all principles": not one of the entities enumerated by Sāṅkhya is mixed into Him, He is not compounded of them and is not one of them.
The conclusion repeats 1.8 word for word: "having known God, he is freed from all fetters". The repetition is no carelessness but a seal: the first adhyāya came to this by reasoning, the second by practice; the road differs, the door is one.
And note again the choice of name: not "principle", not "being", but deva, God. What liberates is a meeting, not a concept.