Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Pūrva 20
॥
Devanāgarī
तदिह श्लोका भवन्ति—
एको वशी सर्वगः कृष्ण ईड्य एकोऽपि सन् बहुधा यो विभाति ।
तं पीठस्थं ये नु भजन्ति धीरास्तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम्
Transliteration (IAST)
tadiha ślokā bhavanti—
eko vaśī sarvagaḥ kṛṣṇa īḍya eko’pi san bahudhā yo vibhāti |
taṁ pīṭhasthaṁ ye nu bhajanti dhīrāsteṣāṁ sukhaṁ śāśvataṁ netareṣām
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत् इह श्लोकाः भवन्तिtat iha ślokāḥ bhavantion this there are verses here; on this there are ślokas
एकः वशीekaḥ vaśīone who wields power; the single sovereign
सर्वगःsarvagaḥall-pervading; penetrating everything
कृष्णः ईड्यःkṛṣṇaḥ īḍyaḥKṛṣṇa, worthy of praise; Kṛṣṇa, who is extolled
एकः अपि सन्ekaḥ api santhough He is one; although He is single
बहुधा यः विभातिbahudhā yaḥ vibhātiwho shines forth manifoldly; who shows Himself in many ways
तम् पीठस्थम्tam pīṭhasthamHim, on the throne; Him who is on the seat
ये नु भजन्ति धीराःye nu bhajanti dhīrāḥthey who, steadfast, serve with love; those steadfast ones who serve Him
तेषाम् सुखम् शाश्वतम्teṣām sukham śāśvatamtheirs is everlasting happiness; for them the joy is unceasing
न इतरेषाम्na itareṣāmand no others'; and for no one else
Translation
On this there are verses here. One, wielding power, all-pervading, Kṛṣṇa worthy of praise, though He is one, shines forth manifoldly. They who, being steadfast, serve Him upon His throne — theirs is everlasting happiness, and no others'.
Version
e3fc693974ee · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:22:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse is put together out of words familiar from other Upaniṣads, and this is done on purpose: it shows that the Kṛṣṇa worshipped on the diagram is the very One of whom all Vedānta speaks.
"One, wielding power, all-pervading" is almost word for word from the Śvetāśvatara, where it is said: "one wielding power over the many inactive ones". "Though He is one, He shines forth manifoldly" is from the same place. The difference is in one word: there the subject is "God", here "Kṛṣṇa".
One epithet stands out: pīṭha-stha, "abiding on the throne": He whom they were just now placing on the eight-petalled lotus. The abstract name of Vedānta and the object of household worship are joined in one sentence.
The worshippers are called dhīra — "steadfast": not "learned" and not "gifted", but those whose mind does not waver. The same word stands in the corresponding verse of the Śvetāśvatara.
And the promise ends with a line drawn: "and no others'". The Upaniṣad does not soften it: everlasting happiness is promised to these and not promised to others. Yet the point is neither tribe nor rank but whether a man worships or not.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa cites this mantra in the Govinda-bhāṣya when showing that the Lord is one and the same in all His manifestations: the manifoldness of the manifestations does not break up the One manifested.