Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 89
॥
Devanāgarī
कूटस्थं सत्स्वरूपञ्च किरीटं प्रवदन्ति मां
Transliteration (IAST)
kūṭasthaṁ satsvarūpañca kirīṭaṁ pravadanti māṁ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कूटस्थम्kūṭasthamthe unchanging; standing as the summit
सत्स्वरूपम् चsatsvarūpam caand whose nature is being; and having being for its essence
किरीटम् प्रवदन्ति माम्kirīṭam pravadanti māmthey call My crown; they name My diadem
Translation
"The unchanging, whose nature is being itself — this is what they call My crown."
Version
fb1d7f91f5e9 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:34:47 PM UTC
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The crown is interpreted as kūṭa-stha — "unchanging", literally "standing on a peak", like a crag against which everything breaks.
In Vedānta this word denotes what in a being is not subject to change: through every state of mind and body something unchanging remains. Here it is set up top, on the head: the crown is the image of that which is above every change.
Beside it stands sat-svarūpa — "whose nature is being itself". Both descriptions together describe what neither comes nor goes.
Note that the reading of the adornments goes from bottom to top: the feet with their marks, the chest with the jewel, the arms with weapons and armlets, the neck with the garland, and now the crown. This ascent is no accident: the higher it goes, the more abstract the reading becomes, and at the head stands the unchanging.
The earrings remain — the next mantra will speak of them.