Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Pūrva 6
॥
Devanāgarī
यो ध्यायति रसति भजति सोऽमृतो भवति सोऽमृतो भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
yo dhyāyati rasati bhajati so'mṛto bhavati so'mṛto bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यः ध्यायतिyaḥ dhyāyatiwho contemplates; he who calls Him to mind
रसतिrasatitastes; savours, utters with relish
भजतिbhajatiserves with love; worships, does bhajana
सः अमृतः भवतिsaḥ amṛtaḥ bhavatihe becomes immortal; he is made imperishable
सः अमृतः भवतिsaḥ amṛtaḥ bhavatihe becomes immortal; he is made imperishable
Translation
He who contemplates Him, tastes Him, serves Him with love — he becomes immortal, he becomes immortal.
Version
f0081cbdd589 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:22:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Three verbs — and in them is the whole programme of this Upaniṣad: dhyāyati, rasati, bhajati.
The first is familiar: to contemplate, to call to mind. The second is unexpected — rasati, from rasa, "taste, juice": to taste, to savour. What is meant is the uttering of His names and mantra, but the verb is chosen from the field of taste, not of speech: the word is rolled in the mouth like a sweet. The third is bhajati: to serve with love, the very root from which the word "bhakti" comes.
The order is remarkable. Contemplation comes first but does not stay alone: taste follows it, and service follows taste. Knowledge that has not passed into taste, and taste that has not passed into service, are of no interest to this Upaniṣad.
These three words will be its skeleton: the next mantra will ask outright what His form is (for contemplation), what tasting is, and what service is — and to each of the three a separate answer will be given.
And the promise is repeated twice: "he becomes immortal, he becomes immortal". Doubling in śruti is a sign that a thought is completed and of special weight.