Upanishads · Śvetāśvatara 3.5
॥
Devanāgarī
या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूर् अघोरापापकाशिनी ।
तया नस् तनुवा शंतमया गिरिशन्ताभिचाकशीहि
Transliteration (IAST)
yā te rudra śivā tanūr aghorāpāpakāśinī /
tayā nas tanuvā śaṃtamayā giriśantābhicākaśīhi
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
या तेyā tethat of Thine which is; that form of Thine
रुद्रrudraO Rudra; Rudra
शिवाśivābenign; gracious
तनूःtanūḥform; shape, body
अघोराaghorānot terrible; not fearsome
अपापकाशिनीapāpakāśinīnot showing evil; not displaying wrath
तयाtayāby that; by this very one
नःnaḥupon us; on us
तनुवाtanuvāby that form; by that shape
शंतमयाśaṃtamayāmost peace-giving; bringing the greatest calm
गिरिशन्तgiriśantaO giver of peace from the mountain; dweller on the mountain who quiets
अभिचाकशीहिabhicākaśīhilook upon us; show Thyself to sight
Translation
That form of Thine, O Rudra, which is benign, not terrible and shows no evil — with that most peace-giving form, O giver of peace from the mountain, look upon us.
Version
339b7bbabb87 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:13:46 PM UTC
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The next two mantras are taken from the Śatarudriya, the great Vedic prayer to Rudra, and both are petitions for mercy. The Upaniṣad, which has just been speaking of the Lord of the universe in the language of philosophy, suddenly passes into the language of prayer; and this is its constant move: with it knowledge ends in an address.
The petition is built on a distinction of forms. Rudra has a terrible form and a benign one; the suppliant asks that God turn toward him with the one that is śivā, "benign", aghorā, "not fearsome", apāpakāśinī, "not showing evil". Note that the terrible side is not denied here: it is acknowledged, and precisely for that reason the request makes sense.
The word śaṁtamā is a superlative from śam, "peace": "most peaceful", bringing the greatest calm. From the same root comes the address giriśanta — "he who quiets from the mountain", "the giver of peace who dwells on the mountain".
The verb at the end, abhicākaśīhi, means "look upon", "show Thyself to sight". What is asked for is neither a gift nor a deliverance — what is asked for is a glance. So too at 3.2 it was said that He "stands facing men": the prayer here only asks that this face become visible to the one who prays.