Upanishads · Śvetāśvatara 6.7
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् ईश्वराणां परमं महेश्वरं तं देवतानां परमं च दैवतं ।
पतिं पतीनां परमं परस्ताद् विदाम देवं भुवनेशम् ईड्यम्
Transliteration (IAST)
tam īśvarāṇāṃ paramaṃ maheśvaraṃ taṃ devatānāṃ paramaṃ ca daivataṃ /
patiṃ patīnāṃ paramaṃ parastād vidāma devaṃ bhuvaneśam īḍyam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम् ईश्वराणाम्tam īśvarāṇāmHim, among the lords; Him who among rulers
परमम्paramamthe supreme; the sovereign
महेश्वरम्maheśvaramMaheśvara; the Great Lord
तम् देवतानाम्tam devatānāmHim, among the deities; Him who among the gods
परमम् च दैवतम्paramam ca daivatamand the highest divinity; the supreme Deity
पतिम् पतीनाम्patim patīnāmthe Lord of lords; the master of masters
परमम् परस्तात्paramam parastātthe highest above the highest; supreme beyond the supreme
विदामvidāmamay we know; let us come to know
देवम्devamGod; the Deity
भुवनेशम्bhuvaneśamthe Master of the world; the lord of the universe
ईड्यम्īḍyamworthy of praise; who is extolled
Translation
Him — the supreme among lords, Maheśvara; Him — the highest of deities; the Lord of lords, supreme beyond the supreme — may we know Him, God, the Master of the world, worthy of praise.
Version
7cdf4c28b3e5 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:13:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The mantra is built as an ascent by steps, and at every step it says "supreme". Among lords, the supreme Lord; among deities, the highest Deity; master over masters; and finally "the highest above the highest", paramam parastāt.
This is the answer to the question the ancient texts keep asking: whom, in the end, is one to worship, if there are many gods? The Upaniṣad does not deny the existence of lords and deities — it ranges them in a series and points to Him who is above the series.
Hence the later formula used by all theistic schools: "God of gods". All authority in the cosmos is derivative; no one is unsubordinated but He alone.
Note the verb: vidāma — "may we know". Not "we know", but a wish, and in the plural: a community of seekers is speaking. After so many assertions the Upaniṣad becomes a prayer again.
And the last word is īḍya, "worthy of praise". It stands three times in this adhyāya (6.5, 6.7, and implied at 6.6): He who is above all is not so much investigated as glorified.