Upanishads Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 46

Гопала-тапани-упанишадаGopāla-tāpanī Uttara 46

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Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 46

॥

Devanāgarī

एकां हि रुद्रा यजन्ति द्वितीयां ब्रह्मा यजति तृतीयां ब्रह्मजा यजन्ति चतुर्थीं मरुतो यजन्ति पञ्चमीं विनायका षष्ठीं वसवो यजन्ति सप्तमीमृषयो यजन्ति अष्टमीं गन्धर्वा यजन्ति नवमीमप्सरसो यजन्ति दशमीह वै ह्यन्तर्धाने तिष्ठति ।
एकादशमेति स्वपदं गता ।
द्वादशमेति भूम्यां हि तिष्ठति

Transliteration (IAST)

ekāṁ hi rudrā yajanti dvitīyāṁ brahmā yajati tṛtīyāṁ brahmajā yajanti caturthīṁ maruto yajanti pañcamīṁ vināyakā ṣaṣṭhīṁ vasavo yajanti saptamīmṛṣayo yajanti aṣṭamīṁ gandharvā yajanti navamīmapsaraso yajanti daśamīha vai hyantardhāne tiṣṭhati |
ekādaśameti svapadaṁ gatā |
dvādaśameti bhūmyāṁ hi tiṣṭhati

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

एकाम् हि रुद्राः यजन्तिekām hi rudrāḥ yajantithe first the Rudras worship; the Rudras serve the one

द्वितीयाम् ब्रह्मा यजतिdvitīyām brahmā yajatithe second Brahmā worships; the creator worships the second

तृतीयाम् ब्रह्मजाः यजन्तिtṛtīyām brahmajāḥ yajantithe third the Brahmā-born worship; the sons of Brahmā serve the third

चतुर्थीम् मरुतः यजन्तिcaturthīm marutaḥ yajantithe fourth the Maruts worship; the winds worship the fourth

पञ्चमीम् विनायकाःpañcamīm vināyakāḥthe fifth the Vināyakas; the removers of obstacles worship the fifth

षष्ठीम् वसवः यजन्तिṣaṣṭhīm vasavaḥ yajantithe sixth the Vasus worship; the Vasus serve the sixth

सप्तमीम् ऋषयः यजन्तिsaptamīm ṛṣayaḥ yajantithe seventh the sages worship; the ṛṣis worship the seventh

अष्टमीम् गन्धर्वाः यजन्तिaṣṭamīm gandharvāḥ yajantithe eighth the gandharvas worship; the celestial singers serve the eighth

नवमीम् अप्सरसः यजन्तिnavamīm apsarasaḥ yajantithe ninth the apsarases worship; the heavenly maidens worship the ninth

दशमी इह वैdaśamī iha vaibut the tenth here; and the tenth here

हि अन्तर्धाने तिष्ठतिhi antardhāne tiṣṭhatiabides hidden; stands in unseenness

एकादशम् एति स्वपदम् गताekādaśam eti svapadam gatāthe eleventh has gone to its own abode; the eleventh has withdrawn to itself

द्वादशम् एति भूम्याम् हि तिष्ठतिdvādaśam eti bhūmyām hi tiṣṭhatithe twelfth abides on the earth; the twelfth stands here, on the earth

Translation

The Rudras worship the first, the creator the second, the sons of Brahmā the third, the Maruts the fourth, the Vināyakas the fifth, the Vasus the sixth, the sages the seventh, the gandharvas the eighth, the apsarases the ninth; but the tenth abides here hidden, the eleventh has gone to its own abode, and the twelfth abides on the earth.

Commentary

The twelve forms named before are now distributed among their worshippers: each has its own circle of servants.

The list descends from might to beauty: the Rudras, the creator, his sons, the wind-Maruts, the Vināyakas, the Vasus, the sages, the gandharvas, the apsarases. This order is itself a picture of the cosmos, in which every class of being has its own share in worship.

But the most remarkable thing is the last three. The tenth "abides here hidden", antardhāne: manifest, but unseen. The eleventh "has gone to its own abode" — that is, it is no longer manifest here. And the twelfth "abides on the earth", bhūmyāṁ tiṣṭhati.

So it is stated outright that not all the Lord's manifestations are open to the eye, and that one of them remains on earth to this day. For a book answering the question "how did He, transcendent to nature, descend to earth?" this matters: the descent has not ended.

Note too that here the gods serve rather than rule. In the abode every rank turns into service.

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4e298d02a8bb · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:30:24 PM UTC

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