Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 67
॥
Devanāgarī
सत्तामात्रं विश्वरूपं प्रकाशं व्यापकं तथा
Transliteration (IAST)
sattāmātraṁ viśvarūpaṁ prakāśaṁ vyāpakaṁ tathā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सत्तामात्रम्sattāmātrampure being; being alone
विश्वरूपम्viśvarūpamof all forms; having the form of the universe
प्रकाशम्prakāśamluminous; self-showing
व्यापकम् तथाvyāpakam tathāand all-pervading; as well as reaching everywhere
Translation
Pure being, of all forms, luminous, and all-pervading.
Version
c0a5b6ffed7c · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:34:47 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Four descriptions with no verb — so the Upaniṣads list traits without binding them into a sentence.
Sattā-mātra — "pure being", literally "only being": that of which nothing can be said beyond the fact that it is. Viśva-rūpa — "of all forms": it has every shape. Prakāśa — "luminous": not lit up but self-showing. Vyāpaka — "all-pervading".
The first two descriptions seem to quarrel: pure being without qualities — and every shape. But it is precisely their joining that answers Brahmā's question: He is one in being and manifold in manifestation.
Note that all four words belong to the common language of Vedānta and not to one school; here too the book speaks in words acknowledged by all.
The next mantra will say the same most briefly and name the reason the one is seen as fourfold.