Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Pūrva 21
॥
Devanāgarī
नित्यो नित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानामेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् ।
तं पीठगं येऽनुभजन्ति धीरास्तेषां सिद्धिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम्
Transliteration (IAST)
nityo nityānāṁ cetanaścetanānāmeko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān |
taṁ pīṭhagaṁ ye’nubhajanti dhīrāsteṣāṁ siddhiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नित्यः नित्यानाम्nityaḥ nityānāmthe eternal among the eternals; the imperishable among the imperishable
चेतनः चेतनानाम्cetanaḥ cetanānāmthe conscious among the conscious; the thinking among the thinking
एकः बहूनाम्ekaḥ bahūnāmthe one among the many; the single one among a multitude
यः विदधाति कामान्yaḥ vidadhāti kāmānwho dispenses desires; He who apportions what is wished for
तम् पीठगम्tam pīṭhagamHim, on the throne; Him who is on the seat
ये अनुभजन्ति धीराःye anubhajanti dhīrāḥthey who, steadfast, serve with love; those steadfast ones who serve Him
तेषाम् सिद्धिः शाश्वतीteṣām siddhiḥ śāśvatītheirs is everlasting perfection; for them the siddhi is unceasing
न इतरेषाम्na itareṣāmand no others'; and for no one else
Translation
The eternal among eternals, the conscious among the conscious, the one among many, He dispenses desires. They who, being steadfast, serve Him upon His throne — theirs is everlasting perfection, and no others'.
Version
be372fca9dee · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:22:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The famous formula, known from the Kaṭha and the Śvetāśvatara, is here applied to Kṛṣṇa on His throne — and that joining is the whole sense of the verse.
Three lines state both a likeness and a difference. "The eternal among eternals": the souls too are eternal — otherwise there would be no "eternals" among whom He is. "The conscious among the conscious": they too are conscious. "The one among many": He is one, they are many.
So what separates is not nature but position: He gives, they receive — "He dispenses desires". All the later teaching of the eternal difference of soul and God within a unity of their nature rests on this line, and Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa cites it constantly.
But here it has an addition the other Upaniṣads do not have: pīṭha-ga, "abiding on the throne". He who is eternal among eternals is accessible on a diagram drawn by a worshipper's hands. The philosophical assertion and the ritual practice are brought together in one verse deliberately.
The fruit is named by the word siddhi — "perfection, attainment"; in the previous verse it was sukha, "happiness". The difference is small but telling: first joy is promised, now competence.