Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 81
॥
Devanāgarī
चन्द्रसूर्यार्चिषो दिव्या ध्वजा मेरुर्हिरण्मयः ।
आतपत्रं ब्रह्मलोकमधोर्ध्वं चरणं स्मृतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
candrasūryārciṣo divyā dhvajā merurhiraṇmayaḥ |
ātapatraṁ brahmalokamadhordhvaṁ caraṇaṁ smṛtam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चन्द्रसूर्यार्चिषः दिव्याःcandrasūryārciṣaḥ divyāḥthe divine rays of moon and sun; the heavenly radiance of the moon and the luminary
ध्वजाःdhvajāḥare banners; are standards
मेरुः हिरण्मयःmeruḥ hiraṇmayaḥgolden Meru; the golden mountain Meru
आतपत्रम् ब्रह्मलोकम्ātapatram brahmalokamthe world of Brahmā serves as parasol; Brahmaloka serves as the canopy
अधः ऊर्ध्वम्adhaḥ ūrdhvambelow and above; downward and upward
चरणम् स्मृतम्caraṇam smṛtamthe foot is recalled; the foot is named
Translation
"The divine rays of the moon and sun are banners; golden Meru the pole, the world of Brahmā the parasol; and below and above, the foot is recalled."
Version
32472edff529 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:34:47 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The world is described as a royal procession: banners, a pole, a parasol overhead. The rays of the luminaries are standards; Mount Meru, the axis of the cosmos, is the pole; Brahmā's abode, the highest of worlds, is the parasol.
The parasol in India is a sign of royal dignity; thereby it is said that over this procession is a sovereignty, and that sovereignty is His.
In mantra 75 the signs of the conch, the banner and the parasol were named marks on the Lord's feet. Here the same signs are unfolded into the universe: what was a mark on the sole there becomes the structure of the world here.
The last words, "and below and above the foot is recalled", join these two descriptions: wherever one looks, up or down, there is His foot.
So contemplation, begun with the lotus in the heart, has come out to the scale of the universe and remained the very same contemplation.